Very low-dose (0.15 mGy) chest CT protocols using the COPDGene 2 test object and a third-generation dual-source CT scanner with corresponding third-generation iterative reconstruction software.

PubMed

Newell, John D; Fuld, Matthew K; Allmendinger, Thomas; Sieren, Jered P; Chan, Kung-Sik; Guo, Junfeng; Hoffman, Eric A

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of ultralow radiation dose single-energy computed tomographic (CT) acquisitions with Sn prefiltration and third-generation iterative reconstruction on density-based quantitative measures of growing interest in phenotyping pulmonary disease. The effects of both decreasing dose and different body habitus on the accuracy of the mean CT attenuation measurements and the level of image noise (SD) were evaluated using the COPDGene 2 test object, containing 8 different materials of interest ranging from air to acrylic and including various density foams. A third-generation dual-source multidetector CT scanner (Siemens SOMATOM FORCE; Siemens Healthcare AG, Erlangen, Germany) running advanced modeled iterative reconstruction (ADMIRE) software (Siemens Healthcare AG) was used.We used normal and very large body habitus rings at dose levels varying from 1.5 to 0.15 mGy using a spectral-shaped (0.6-mm Sn) tube output of 100 kV(p). Three CT scans were obtained at each dose level using both rings. Regions of interest for each material in the test object scans were automatically extracted. The Hounsfield unit values of each material using weighted filtered back projection (WFBP) at 1.5 mGy was used as the reference value to evaluate shifts in CT attenuation at lower dose levels using either WFBP or ADMIRE. Statistical analysis included basic statistics, Welch t tests, multivariable covariant model using the F test to assess the significance of the explanatory (independent) variables on the response (dependent) variable, and CT mean attenuation, in the multivariable covariant model including reconstruction method. Multivariable regression analysis of the mean CT attenuation values showed a significant difference with decreasing dose between ADMIRE and WFBP. The ADMIRE has reduced noise and more stable CT attenuation compared with WFBP. There was a strong effect on the mean CT attenuation values of the scanned materials for ring size (P < 0.0001) and dose level (P < 0.0001). The number of voxels in the region of interest for the particular material studied did not demonstrate a significant effect (P > 0.05). The SD was lower with ADMIRE compared with WFBP at all dose levels and ring sizes (P < 0.05). The third-generation dual-source CT scanners using third-generation iterative reconstruction methods can acquire accurate quantitative CT images with acceptable image noise at very low-dose levels (0.15 mGy). This opens up new diagnostic and research opportunities in CT phenotyping of the lung for developing new treatments and increased understanding of pulmonary disease.

The era of the wandering mind? Twenty-first century research on self-generated mental activity.

PubMed

Callard, Felicity; Smallwood, Jonathan; Golchert, Johannes; Margulies, Daniel S

2013-01-01

The first decade of the twenty-first century was characterized by renewed scientific interest in self-generated mental activity (activity largely generated by the individual, rather than in direct response to experimenters' instructions or specific external sensory inputs). To understand this renewal of interest, we interrogated the peer-reviewed literature from 2003 to 2012 (i) to explore recent changes in use of terms for self-generated mental activity; (ii) to investigate changes in the topics on which mind wandering research, specifically, focuses; and (iii) to visualize co-citation communities amongst researchers working on self-generated mental activity. Our analyses demonstrated that there has been a dramatic increase in the term "mind wandering" from 2006, and a significant crossing-over of psychological investigations of mind wandering into cognitive neuroscience (particularly in relation to research on the default mode and default mode network). If our article concludes that this might, indeed, be the "era of the wandering mind," it also calls for more explicit reflection to be given by researchers in this field to the terms they use, the topics and brain regions they focus on, and the research literatures that they implicitly foreground or ignore.

The era of the wandering mind? Twenty-first century research on self-generated mental activity

PubMed Central

Callard, Felicity; Smallwood, Jonathan; Golchert, Johannes; Margulies, Daniel S.

2013-01-01

The first decade of the twenty-first century was characterized by renewed scientific interest in self-generated mental activity (activity largely generated by the individual, rather than in direct response to experimenters’ instructions or specific external sensory inputs). To understand this renewal of interest, we interrogated the peer-reviewed literature from 2003 to 2012 (i) to explore recent changes in use of terms for self-generated mental activity; (ii) to investigate changes in the topics on which mind wandering research, specifically, focuses; and (iii) to visualize co-citation communities amongst researchers working on self-generated mental activity. Our analyses demonstrated that there has been a dramatic increase in the term “mind wandering” from 2006, and a significant crossing-over of psychological investigations of mind wandering into cognitive neuroscience (particularly in relation to research on the default mode and default mode network). If our article concludes that this might, indeed, be the “era of the wandering mind,” it also calls for more explicit reflection to be given by researchers in this field to the terms they use, the topics and brain regions they focus on, and the research literatures that they implicitly foreground or ignore. PMID:24391606

Investigating Turkish Primary School Students' Interest in Science by Using Their Self-Generated Questions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cakmakci, Gultekin; Sevindik, Hatice; Pektas, Meryem; Uysal, Asli; Kole, Fatma; Kavak, Gamze

2012-01-01

This paper reports on an attempt to investigate Turkish primary school students' interest in science by using their self-generated questions. We investigated students' interest in science by analyzing 1704 self-generated science-related questions. Among them, 826 questions were submitted to a popular science magazine called Science and Children.…

Analysis of phenolic compounds for poultry feed by supercritical fluid chromatography

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Phenolic compounds have generated interest as components in functional feed formulations due to their anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal properties. These compounds may have greater significance in the future as the routine use of antibiotics is reduced and the prevalence of resistant bac...

Delaware | Solar Research | NREL

Science.gov Websites

. Customer-generators interested in selling Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) into the Delaware spot periods starting on April 1st or October 1st as chosen by the customer. Net Metering Delaware modified the state net metering significantly in 2017, including expanding it to all customer classes, adding biogas

An Interactive Introduction to Protein Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, W. Theodore

2004-01-01

To improve student understanding of protein structure and the significance of noncovalent interactions in protein structure and function, students are assigned a project to write a paper complemented with computer-generated images. The assignment provides an opportunity for students to select a protein structure that is of interest and detail…

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

Crooks, Gavin; Sivak, David

Many interesting divergence measures between conjugate ensembles of nonequilibrium trajectories can be experimentally determined from the work distribution of the process. Herein, we review the statistical and physical significance of several of these measures, in particular the relative entropy (dissipation), Jeffreys divergence (hysteresis), Jensen-Shannon divergence (time-asymmetry), Chernoff divergence (work cumulant generating function), and Renyi divergence.

The alternative methods for disinfection of E. coli

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yetim, Tuba; Görmez, Arzu; Gürkök, Sümeyra

2016-04-01

Recently, advanced oxidation processes have gained significant interest for bacterial inactivation. In the present study, the efficacy of sonolysis, photocatalysis and sonophotocatalysis was evaluated for disinfection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 strain. Sonophotocatalysis proved to be the most effective disinfection methods by generating greater amount of •OHradical.

Building Global Citizenship: Engaging Global Issues, Practicing Civic Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brunell, Laura A.

2013-01-01

How can international politics courses be used to generate global civic engagement? The article describes how experiential learning can be used to stimulate student interest in issues of contemporary, global significance and to build students' repertoire of globally and locally relevant civic skills. It describes how students can become active…

Glutathione Reductase-Mediated Synthesis of Tellurium-Containing Nanostructures Exhibiting Antibacterial Properties

PubMed Central

Pugin, Benoit; Cornejo, Fabián A.; Muñoz-Díaz, Pablo; Muñoz-Villagrán, Claudia M.; Vargas-Pérez, Joaquín I.; Arenas, Felipe A.

2014-01-01

Tellurium, a metalloid belonging to group 16 of the periodic table, displays very interesting physical and chemical properties and lately has attracted significant attention for its use in nanotechnology. In this context, the use of microorganisms for synthesizing nanostructures emerges as an eco-friendly and exciting approach compared to their chemical synthesis. To generate Te-containing nanostructures, bacteria enzymatically reduce tellurite to elemental tellurium. In this work, using a classic biochemical approach, we looked for a novel tellurite reductase from the Antarctic bacterium Pseudomonas sp. strain BNF22 and used it to generate tellurium-containing nanostructures. A new tellurite reductase was identified as glutathione reductase, which was subsequently overproduced in Escherichia coli. The characterization of this enzyme showed that it is an NADPH-dependent tellurite reductase, with optimum reducing activity at 30°C and pH 9.0. Finally, the enzyme was able to generate Te-containing nanostructures, about 68 nm in size, which exhibit interesting antibacterial properties against E. coli, with no apparent cytotoxicity against eukaryotic cells. PMID:25193000

Magneto hall effect on unsteady elastico-viscous nanofluid slip flow in a channel in presence of thermal radiation and heat generation with Brownian motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karim, M. Enamul; Samad, M. Abdus; Ferdows, M.

2017-06-01

The present note investigates the magneto hall effect on unsteady flow of elastico-viscous nanofluid in a channel with slip boundary considering the presence of thermal radiation and heat generation with Brownian motion. Numerical results are achieved by solving the governing equations by the implicit Finite Difference Method (FDM) obtaining primary and secondary velocities, temperature, nanoparticles volume fraction and concentration distributions within the boundary layer entering into the problem. The influences of several interesting parameters such as elastico-viscous parameter, magnetic field, hall parameter, heat generation, thermal radiation and Brownian motion parameters on velocity, heat and mass transfer characteristics of the fluid flow are discussed with the help of graphs. Also the effects of the pertinent parameters, which are of physical and engineering interest, such as Skin friction parameter, Nusselt number and Sherwood number are sorted out. It is found that the flow field and other quantities of physical concern are significantly influenced by these parameters.

Gas-pressure dependence of terahertz-pulse generation in a laser-generated nitrogen plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Löffler, T.; Roskos, H. G.

2002-03-01

Far-infrared (terahertz) pulses can be generated by photoionization of electrically biased gases with amplified laser pulses [T. Löffler, F. Jacob, and H. G. Roskos, Appl. Phys. Lett. 77, 453 (2000)]. The efficiency of the generation process can be significantly increased when the absolute gas pressure is raised because it is then possible to apply higher bias fields close to the dielectric breakdown field of the gas which increases with the pressure. The dependence of the THz output on the optical pump power does not show any indication of saturation, making the plasma emitter an interesting source for THz pulses especially in conjunction with terawatt laser systems.

The 'hard problem' and the quantum physicists. Part 1: the first generation.

PubMed

Smith, C U M

2006-07-01

All four of the most important figures in the early twentieth-century development of quantum physics-Niels Bohr, Erwin Schroedinger, Werner Heisenberg and Wolfgang Pauli-had strong interests in the traditional mind-brain, or 'hard,' problem. This paper reviews their approach to this problem, showing the influence of Bohr's complementarity thesis, the significance of Schroedinger's small book, 'What is life?,' the updated Platonism of Heisenberg and, perhaps most interesting of all, the interaction of Carl Jung and Wolfgang Pauli in the latter's search for a unification of mind and matter.

To Grab and To Hold: Cultivating communal goals to overcome cultural and structural barriers in first generation college students' science interest

PubMed Central

Allen, Jill M.; Muragishi, Gregg A.; Smith, Jessi L.; Thoman, Dustin B.; Brown, Elizabeth R.

2015-01-01

Homogeneity within science limits creativity and discovery, and can feed into a perpetuating cycle of underrepresentation. From enhancing social justice to alleviating health and economic disadvantages, broadening participation in science is imperative. We focus here on first-generation students (FGS) and identify factors which grab and hold science interest among this underrepresented group. Might the culture and norms within science unintentionally limit FGS' participation? We argue that two distinct aspects of communal goals contribute to FGS' underrepresentation at different stages of the STEM pipeline: cultural perceptions of science as uncommunal (little emphasis on prosocial behavior and collaboration) and the uncommunal structure of STEM graduate education and training. Across 2 studies we investigated factors that catch (Study 1) and hold (Study 2) FGS' science interest. In Study 1, we find only when FGS believe that working in science will allow them to fulfill prosocial communal purpose goals are they more intrinsically interested in science. Yet, later in the pipeline science education devalues prosocial communal goals creating a structural mobility barrier among FGS. Study 2 found that FGS generally want to stay close to home instead of relocating to pursue a graduate education. For FGS (versus continuing-generation students), higher prosocial communal goal orientation significantly predicted lower residential mobility. We discuss implications for interventions to counteract the uncommunal science education and training culture to help improve access to FGS and other similarly situated underrepresented populations. PMID:26807431

Identifying and Assessing Interesting Subgroups in a Heterogeneous Population.

PubMed

Lee, Woojoo; Alexeyenko, Andrey; Pernemalm, Maria; Guegan, Justine; Dessen, Philippe; Lazar, Vladimir; Lehtiö, Janne; Pawitan, Yudi

2015-01-01

Biological heterogeneity is common in many diseases and it is often the reason for therapeutic failures. Thus, there is great interest in classifying a disease into subtypes that have clinical significance in terms of prognosis or therapy response. One of the most popular methods to uncover unrecognized subtypes is cluster analysis. However, classical clustering methods such as k-means clustering or hierarchical clustering are not guaranteed to produce clinically interesting subtypes. This could be because the main statistical variability--the basis of cluster generation--is dominated by genes not associated with the clinical phenotype of interest. Furthermore, a strong prognostic factor might be relevant for a certain subgroup but not for the whole population; thus an analysis of the whole sample may not reveal this prognostic factor. To address these problems we investigate methods to identify and assess clinically interesting subgroups in a heterogeneous population. The identification step uses a clustering algorithm and to assess significance we use a false discovery rate- (FDR-) based measure. Under the heterogeneity condition the standard FDR estimate is shown to overestimate the true FDR value, but this is remedied by an improved FDR estimation procedure. As illustrations, two real data examples from gene expression studies of lung cancer are provided.

A Trillion-Dollar Question: What Predicts Student Loan Delinquencies?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mezza, Alvaro; Sommer, Kamila

2016-01-01

The recent significant increase in student loan delinquencies has generated interest in understanding the key factors predicting the non-performance of these loans. However, despite the large size of the student loan market, existing analyses have been limited by lack of data. This paper studies predictors of student loan delinquencies using a…

Value Differences between Generations in China: A Study in Shanghai

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Jiaming; Wang, Xun

2010-01-01

The 1990 World Values Survey demonstrated that industrialization promotes a shift from traditional to secular-rational values. Drawing data from a sample survey of 2,350 respondents in Shanghai, this study examines the impact of social change on people's values in China. Specifically, we are interested in (1) are there significant differences in…

Research-oriented image registry for multimodal image integration.

PubMed

Tanaka, M; Sadato, N; Ishimori, Y; Yonekura, Y; Yamashita, Y; Komuro, H; Hayahsi, N; Ishii, Y

1998-01-01

To provide multimodal biomedical images automatically, we constructed the research-oriented image registry, Data Delivery System (DDS). DDS was constructed on the campus local area network. Machines which generate images (imagers: DSA, ultrasound, PET, MRI, SPECT and CT) were connected to the campus LAN. Once a patient is registered, all his images are automatically picked up by DDS as they are generated, transferred through the gateway server to the intermediate server, and copied into the directory of the user who registered the patient. DDS informs the user through e-mail that new data have been generated and transferred. Data format is automatically converted into one which is chosen by the user. Data inactive for a certain period in the intermediate server are automatically achieved into the final and permanent data server based on compact disk. As a soft link is automatically generated through this step, a user has access to all (old or new) image data of the patient of his interest. As DDS runs with minimal maintenance, cost and time for data transfer are significantly saved. By making the complex process of data transfer and conversion invisible, DDS has made it easy for naive-to-computer researchers to concentrate on their biomedical interest.

Ballistic heat transport in laser generated nano-bubbles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lombard, Julien; Biben, Thierry; Merabia, Samy

2016-08-01

Nanobubbles generated by laser heated plasmonic nanoparticles are of interest for biomedical and energy harvesting applications. Of utmost importance is the maximal size of these transient bubbles. Here, we report hydrodynamic phase field simulations of the dynamics of laser induced nanobubbles, with the aim to understand which physical processes govern their maximal size. We show that the nanobubble maximal size and lifetime are to a large extent controlled by the ballistic thermal flux which is present inside the bubble. Taking into account this thermal flux, we can reproduce the fluence dependence of the maximal nanobubble radius as reported experimentally. We also discuss the influence of the laser pulse duration on the number of nanobubbles generated and their maximal size. These studies represent a significant step toward the optimization of the nanobubble size, which is of crucial importance for photothermal cancer therapy applications.Nanobubbles generated by laser heated plasmonic nanoparticles are of interest for biomedical and energy harvesting applications. Of utmost importance is the maximal size of these transient bubbles. Here, we report hydrodynamic phase field simulations of the dynamics of laser induced nanobubbles, with the aim to understand which physical processes govern their maximal size. We show that the nanobubble maximal size and lifetime are to a large extent controlled by the ballistic thermal flux which is present inside the bubble. Taking into account this thermal flux, we can reproduce the fluence dependence of the maximal nanobubble radius as reported experimentally. We also discuss the influence of the laser pulse duration on the number of nanobubbles generated and their maximal size. These studies represent a significant step toward the optimization of the nanobubble size, which is of crucial importance for photothermal cancer therapy applications. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/C6NR02144A

Diversity of fuel sources for electricity generation in an evolving U.S. power sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DiLuccia, Janelle G.

Policymakers increasingly have shown interest in options to boost the relative share of renewable or clean electricity generating sources in order to reduce negative environmental externalities from fossil fuels, guard against possible resource constraints, and capture economic advantages from developing new technologies and industries. Electric utilities and non-utility generators make decisions regarding their generation mix based on a number of different factors that may or may not align with societal goals. This paper examines the makeup of the electric power sector to determine how the type of generator and the presence (or lack) of competition in electricity markets at the state level may relate to the types of fuel sources used for generation. Using state-level electricity generation data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration from 1990 through 2010, this paper employs state and time fixed-effects regression modeling to attempt to isolate the impacts of state-level restructuring policies and the emergence of non-utility generators on states' generation from coal, from fossil fuel and from renewable sources. While the analysis has significant limitations, I do find that state-level electricity restructuring has a small but significant association with lowering electricity generation from coal specifically and fossil fuels more generally. Further research into the relationship between competition and fuel sources would aid policymakers considering legislative options to influence the generation mix.

Teaching the Nation's Story: Comparing Public Debates and Classroom Perspectives on History Education in Australia and Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Anna

2009-01-01

Teaching national history in school generates significant public anxiety and political debate--as the various "history wars" around the world reveal. For many school students, however, studying their nation's past is dull and repetitive. Such lack of interest has been confirmed by surveys and research reports that reveal alarmingly low…

Unearthing the hidden world of roots: Root biomass and architecture differ among species within the same guild

Treesearch

Katherine Sinacore; Jefferson Scott Hall; Catherine Potvin; Alejandro A. Royo; Mark J. Ducey; Mark S. Ashton; Shijo Joseph

2017-01-01

The potential benefits of planting trees have generated significant interest with respect to sequestering carbon and restoring other forest based ecosystem services. Reliable estimates of carbon stocks are pivotal for understanding the global carbon balance and for promoting initiatives to mitigate CO2 emissions through forest management. There...

Cardiac stem cell biology: glimpse of the past, present, and future.

PubMed

Matsa, Elena; Sallam, Karim; Wu, Joseph C

2014-01-03

Cardiac regeneration strategies and de novo generation of cardiomyocytes have long been significant areas of research interest in cardiovascular medicine. In this review, we outline a variety of common cell sources and methods used to regenerate cardiomyocytes and highlight the important role that key Circulation Research articles have played in this flourishing field.

Genome-wide SNP identification, linkage map construction and QTL mapping for mineral nutrient concentrations and contents in pea (Pisum sativum L.)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Marker-assisted breeding is now routinely used in major crops to facilitate more efficient cultivar improvement. This has been significantly enabled by the use of next-generation sequencing technology to identify loci and markers associated with traits of interest. While rich in a variety of nutriti...

Wolves in the Wild: Using Current Issues to Make Science Relevant

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Post, Jennie; Sadler, Troy D.

2010-01-01

As teachers, one of our most important responsibilities is to help students develop dynamic and useful views of science. Using current issues to create learning experiences can help generate student interest in science and help students appreciate its significance in both personal and societal contexts. This article presents a lesson based on news…

Professional Development Needs of Primary EFL Teachers: Perspectives of Teachers and Teacher Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zein, Mochamad Subhan

2017-01-01

This study investigates the professional development (PD) needs of primary English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers whose professional field has received significant interest at the global level in the past two decades. The study takes a different stance from previous research that exclusively generated data from teachers because it sought the…

The Diffusion and Impact of Radio Frequency Identification in Supply Chains: A Multi-Method Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Xiaoran

2012-01-01

As a promising and emerging technology for supply chain management, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a new alternative to existing tracking technologies and also allows a range of internal control and supply chain coordination. RFID has generated a significant amount of interest and activities from both practitioners and researchers in…

Simultaneous Nonrigid Registration, Segmentation, and Tumor Detection in MRI Guided Cervical Cancer Radiation Therapy

PubMed Central

Lu, Chao; Chelikani, Sudhakar; Jaffray, David A.; Milosevic, Michael F.; Staib, Lawrence H.; Duncan, James S.

2013-01-01

External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for the treatment of cancer enables accurate placement of radiation dose on the cancerous region. However, the deformation of soft tissue during the course of treatment, such as in cervical cancer, presents significant challenges for the delineation of the target volume and other structures of interest. Furthermore, the presence and regression of pathologies such as tumors may violate registration constraints and cause registration errors. In this paper, automatic segmentation, nonrigid registration and tumor detection in cervical magnetic resonance (MR) data are addressed simultaneously using a unified Bayesian framework. The proposed novel method can generate a tumor probability map while progressively identifying the boundary of an organ of interest based on the achieved nonrigid transformation. The method is able to handle the challenges of significant tumor regression and its effect on surrounding tissues. The new method was compared to various currently existing algorithms on a set of 36 MR data from six patients, each patient has six T2-weighted MR cervical images. The results show that the proposed approach achieves an accuracy comparable to manual segmentation and it significantly outperforms the existing registration algorithms. In addition, the tumor detection result generated by the proposed method has a high agreement with manual delineation by a qualified clinician. PMID:22328178

Chronology of the birth and death of a health bill.

PubMed

Jacks, J C; Jacks, L

1995-01-01

A two-year attempt by the Clinton administration to develop and pass a health care reform bill was from the beginning destined for failure. The health care reform plan was developed in secret, leaving the plan open for special interest suspect. It was overly complex and difficult to understand. Congress and the general public initially supported the effort, but wavered under pressure and negative messages generated by special interest groups. After a year of intense debate, health care reform was declared dead, with very little hope of resurrection in the 1994 election year, which saw Republicans make significant gains in Congress.

Glutathione reductase-mediated synthesis of tellurium-containing nanostructures exhibiting antibacterial properties.

PubMed

Pugin, Benoit; Cornejo, Fabián A; Muñoz-Díaz, Pablo; Muñoz-Villagrán, Claudia M; Vargas-Pérez, Joaquín I; Arenas, Felipe A; Vásquez, Claudio C

2014-11-01

Tellurium, a metalloid belonging to group 16 of the periodic table, displays very interesting physical and chemical properties and lately has attracted significant attention for its use in nanotechnology. In this context, the use of microorganisms for synthesizing nanostructures emerges as an eco-friendly and exciting approach compared to their chemical synthesis. To generate Te-containing nanostructures, bacteria enzymatically reduce tellurite to elemental tellurium. In this work, using a classic biochemical approach, we looked for a novel tellurite reductase from the Antarctic bacterium Pseudomonas sp. strain BNF22 and used it to generate tellurium-containing nanostructures. A new tellurite reductase was identified as glutathione reductase, which was subsequently overproduced in Escherichia coli. The characterization of this enzyme showed that it is an NADPH-dependent tellurite reductase, with optimum reducing activity at 30°C and pH 9.0. Finally, the enzyme was able to generate Te-containing nanostructures, about 68 nm in size, which exhibit interesting antibacterial properties against E. coli, with no apparent cytotoxicity against eukaryotic cells. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Unidirectional, dual-comb lasing under multiple pulse formation mechanisms in a passively mode-locked fiber ring laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ya; Zhao, Xin; Hu, Guoqing; Li, Cui; Zhao, Bofeng; Zheng, Zheng

2016-09-01

Dual-comb lasers from which asynchronous ultrashort pulses can be simultaneously generated have recently become an interesting research subject. They could be an intriguing alternative to the current dual-laser optical-frequency-comb source with highly sophisticated electronic control systems. If generated through a common light path traveled by all pulses, the common-mode noises between the spectral lines of different pulse trains could be significantly reduced. Therefore, coherent dual-comb generation from a completely common-path, unidirectional lasing cavity would be an interesting territory to explore. In this paper, we demonstrate such a dual-comb lasing scheme based on a nanomaterial saturable absorber with additional pulse narrowing and broadening mechanisms concurrently introduced into a mode-locked fiber laser. The interactions between multiple soliton formation mechanisms result in unusual bifurcation into two-pulse states with quite different characteristics. Simultaneous oscillation of pulses with four-fold difference in pulsewidths and tens of Hz repetition rate difference is observed. The coherence between these spectral-overlapped, picosecond and femtosecond pulses is further verified by the corresponding asynchronous cross-sampling and dual-comb spectroscopy measurements.

Progressively consolidating historical visual explorations for new discoveries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Kaiyu; Ward, Matthew O.; Rundensteiner, Elke A.; Higgins, Huong N.

2013-12-01

A significant task within data mining is to identify data models of interest. While facilitating the exploration tasks, most visualization systems do not make use of all the data models that are generated during the exploration. In this paper, we introduce a system that allows the user to gain insights from the data space progressively by forming data models and consolidating the generated models on the fly. Each model can be a a computationally extracted or user-defined subset that contains a certain degree of interest and might lead to some discoveries. When the user generates more and more data models, the degree of interest of some portion of some models will either grow (indicating higher occurrence) or will fluctuate or decrease (corresponding to lower occurrence). Our system maintains a collection of such models and accumulates the interestingness of each model into a consolidated model. In order to consolidate the models, the system summarizes the associations between the models in the collection and identifies support (models reinforce each other), complementary (models complement each other), and overlap of the models. The accumulated interestingness keeps track of historical exploration and helps the user summarize their findings which can lead to new discoveries. This mechanism for integrating results from multiple models can be applied to a wide range of decision support systems. We demonstrate our system in a case study involving the financial status of US companies.

Investigating Students' Interest in Chemistry through Self-Generated Questions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demirdogen, Betul; Cakmakci, Gultekin

2014-01-01

This study investigates Turkish students' (age 15 or older) interest in chemistry by analysing 1027 of their self-generated chemistry-related questions, which had been submitted to a popular science magazine. These questions were classified based on the field of interest, the cognitive level of the question, and the stimulating impetus for asking…

Interest in Biology: A Developmental Shift Characterized Using Self-Generated Questions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baram-Tsabari, Ayelet; Yarden, Anat

2007-01-01

Identifying students' interests in biology can play an important role in improving existing curricula to meet their needs. An analysis of 1,751 self-generated biological questions raised by children, adolescents, and adults yielded data regarding the different age groups' interests in biology. Research limitations and applications for teaching are…

Image-guided tissue engineering

PubMed Central

Ballyns, Jeffrey J; Bonassar, Lawrence J

2009-01-01

Replication of anatomic shape is a significant challenge in developing implants for regenerative medicine. This has lead to significant interest in using medical imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography to design tissue engineered constructs. Implementation of medical imaging and computer aided design in combination with technologies for rapid prototyping of living implants enables the generation of highly reproducible constructs with spatial resolution up to 25 μm. In this paper, we review the medical imaging modalities available and a paradigm for choosing a particular imaging technique. We also present fabrication techniques and methodologies for producing cellular engineered constructs. Finally, we comment on future challenges involved with image guided tissue engineering and efforts to generate engineered constructs ready for implantation. PMID:19583811

Present Status and Future Developments in Proton Therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Alfred R.

2009-07-01

Within the past few years, interest in proton therapy has significantly increased. This interest has been generated by a number of factors including: 1) the reporting of positive clinical results using proton beams; 2) approval of reimbursement for delivery of proton therapy; 3) the success of hospital-based proton therapy centers; and 4) the availability of modern, integrated proton therapy technology for hospital-based facilities. In the United States, this increased interest has occurred particularly at the level of smaller academic hospitals, community medical centers, and large private practices; however, interest from large academic centers continues to be strong. Particular interest exists regarding smaller and less-expensive proton therapy systems, especially the so-called "single-room" systems. In this paper, the advantages and disadvantages of 1-room proton therapy systems will be discussed. The emphasis on smaller and cheaper proton therapy facilities has also generated interest in new proton-accelerating technologies such as superconducting cyclotrons and synchrocyclotrons, laser acceleration, and dielectric-wall accelerators. Superconducting magnets are also being developed to decrease the size and weight of isocentric gantries. Another important technical development is spot-beam scanning, which offers the ability to deliver intensity-modulated proton treatments (IMPT). IMPT has the potential to provide dose distributions that are superior to those for photon intensity modulation techniques (IMXT) and to improve clinical outcomes for patients undergoing cancer therapy. At the present time, only two facilities—one in Europe and one in the United States—have the ability to deliver IMPT treatments, however, within the next year or two several additional facilities are expected to achieve this capability.

RandomSpot: A web-based tool for systematic random sampling of virtual slides.

PubMed

Wright, Alexander I; Grabsch, Heike I; Treanor, Darren E

2015-01-01

This paper describes work presented at the Nordic Symposium on Digital Pathology 2014, Linköping, Sweden. Systematic random sampling (SRS) is a stereological tool, which provides a framework to quickly build an accurate estimation of the distribution of objects or classes within an image, whilst minimizing the number of observations required. RandomSpot is a web-based tool for SRS in stereology, which systematically places equidistant points within a given region of interest on a virtual slide. Each point can then be visually inspected by a pathologist in order to generate an unbiased sample of the distribution of classes within the tissue. Further measurements can then be derived from the distribution, such as the ratio of tumor to stroma. RandomSpot replicates the fundamental principle of traditional light microscope grid-shaped graticules, with the added benefits associated with virtual slides, such as facilitated collaboration and automated navigation between points. Once the sample points have been added to the region(s) of interest, users can download the annotations and view them locally using their virtual slide viewing software. Since its introduction, RandomSpot has been used extensively for international collaborative projects, clinical trials and independent research projects. So far, the system has been used to generate over 21,000 sample sets, and has been used to generate data for use in multiple publications, identifying significant new prognostic markers in colorectal, upper gastro-intestinal and breast cancer. Data generated using RandomSpot also has significant value for training image analysis algorithms using sample point coordinates and pathologist classifications.

Working with a Competency-Based Training Package: A Contextual Investigation from the Perspective of a Group of TAFE Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southren, Michael

2015-01-01

Reforms in the Australian vocational education and training (VET) landscape have generated significant interest in the changes to the delivery and nature of formal (off-the-job) training provided by Registered Training Organisations. Existing research has provided valuable insights into the evolving role of teachers, and speculated upon the…

Factors affecting interest in orthopedics among female medical students: a prospective analysis.

PubMed

Baldwin, Keith; Namdari, Surena; Bowers, Andrea; Keenan, Mary Ann; Levin, L Scott; Ahn, Jaimo

2011-12-06

The field of orthopedics has a limited ability to recruit high-quality female applicants. The purpose of this study was to determine whether early exposure to the field affects a woman's decision to pursue orthopedics. We performed a prospective, nonrandomized cohort study between academic years 2005 and 2009 and compared interest in orthopedic surgery among female (n=271) and male (n=71) medical students at 2 urban teaching institutions. Elective lectures and orthopedic literature were distributed via e-mail to the study participants. These materials included articles published in the medical literature, materials produced and distributed by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and Web sites providing educational materials. The primary outcome was the likelihood of application for orthopedic residency. We studied the influence of demographics, exposure, and attitudes on interest in pursuing an orthopedic career. Men had a significantly higher baseline level of interest in orthopedic surgery than women (P=.005). Younger age (P<.001) and personal (P<.001), independent (P<.001), and school (P=.023) exposures to orthopedics were significantly related to interest among women. At final follow-up, total personal exposures (P=.003) and total independent exposures (P<.001) in the form of our literature and lectures were correlated with final interest in women. Female interest was decreased by the long hours, physical demands, and predominantly male nature of the field. Early exposure to orthopedic educational resources may be useful in generating female interest. Perceptions and attitudes regarding orthopedic surgery must to be changed to attract the best and brightest minds, regardless of sex. Copyright © 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

Growth and evaluation of AgGaS2 and AgGaSe2 for infrared nonlinear applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Byer, R. L.; Feigelson, R. S.

1986-01-01

Significant advances were made in the growth technology of silver thiogallate (AgGaS2) and silver selenogallate (AgGaSe2). High efficiency harmonic generation of carbon dioxide laser radiation and tunable infrared parametric oscillation were demonstrated using these materials. Nonliner frequency conversion in the infrared was limited by the optical properties and the size of the available nonlinear materials. The development of these materials has reduced some of the limitations and generated wide interest. The continued development and application of AgGaS2 and AgGaSe2 now appears assured.

Numerical characterization of a flexible circular coil for magnetic resonance imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bautista, T.; Hernandez, R.; Solis-Najera, S. E.; Rodriguez, A. O.

2012-10-01

Numerical simulations of the magnetic field generated by a flexible surface coil were conducted to study its behavior for applications of animal models at 7 Tesla. This coil design is able to fully cover a volume of interest. The Finite Difference Method in Time Domain (FDTD) was used because of its ability to accurately model complex problems in electromagnetism. This particular coil design is best suited for regions of interests with a spherical shape, since B1 uniformity is not significantly attenuated as in the case of a circular-loop coil. It still remains to investigate the feasibility to actually construct a coil prototype.

A nonparametric significance test for sampled networks.

PubMed

Elliott, Andrew; Leicht, Elizabeth; Whitmore, Alan; Reinert, Gesine; Reed-Tsochas, Felix

2018-01-01

Our work is motivated by an interest in constructing a protein-protein interaction network that captures key features associated with Parkinson's disease. While there is an abundance of subnetwork construction methods available, it is often far from obvious which subnetwork is the most suitable starting point for further investigation. We provide a method to assess whether a subnetwork constructed from a seed list (a list of nodes known to be important in the area of interest) differs significantly from a randomly generated subnetwork. The proposed method uses a Monte Carlo approach. As different seed lists can give rise to the same subnetwork, we control for redundancy by constructing a minimal seed list as the starting point for the significance test. The null model is based on random seed lists of the same length as a minimum seed list that generates the subnetwork; in this random seed list the nodes have (approximately) the same degree distribution as the nodes in the minimum seed list. We use this null model to select subnetworks which deviate significantly from random on an appropriate set of statistics and might capture useful information for a real world protein-protein interaction network. The software used in this paper are available for download at https://sites.google.com/site/elliottande/. The software is written in Python and uses the NetworkX library. ande.elliott@gmail.com or felix.reed-tsochas@sbs.ox.ac.uk. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

A nonparametric significance test for sampled networks

PubMed Central

Leicht, Elizabeth; Whitmore, Alan; Reinert, Gesine; Reed-Tsochas, Felix

2018-01-01

Abstract Motivation Our work is motivated by an interest in constructing a protein–protein interaction network that captures key features associated with Parkinson’s disease. While there is an abundance of subnetwork construction methods available, it is often far from obvious which subnetwork is the most suitable starting point for further investigation. Results We provide a method to assess whether a subnetwork constructed from a seed list (a list of nodes known to be important in the area of interest) differs significantly from a randomly generated subnetwork. The proposed method uses a Monte Carlo approach. As different seed lists can give rise to the same subnetwork, we control for redundancy by constructing a minimal seed list as the starting point for the significance test. The null model is based on random seed lists of the same length as a minimum seed list that generates the subnetwork; in this random seed list the nodes have (approximately) the same degree distribution as the nodes in the minimum seed list. We use this null model to select subnetworks which deviate significantly from random on an appropriate set of statistics and might capture useful information for a real world protein–protein interaction network. Availability and implementation The software used in this paper are available for download at https://sites.google.com/site/elliottande/. The software is written in Python and uses the NetworkX library. Contact ande.elliott@gmail.com or felix.reed-tsochas@sbs.ox.ac.uk Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:29036452

Hypersonic code efficiency and validation studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bennett, Bradford C.

1992-01-01

Renewed interest in hypersonic and supersonic flows spurred the development of the Compressible Navier-Stokes (CNS) code. Originally developed for external flows, CNS was modified to enable it to also be applied to internal high speed flows. In the initial phase of this study CNS was applied to both internal flow applications and fellow researchers were taught to run CNS. The second phase of this research was the development of surface grids over various aircraft configurations for the High Speed Research Program (HSRP). The complex nature of these configurations required the development of improved surface grid generation techniques. A significant portion of the grid generation effort was devoted to testing and recommending modifications to early versions of the S3D surface grid generation code.

Thinking big: Towards ideal strains and processes for large-scale aerobic biofuels production

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

McMillan, James D.; Beckham, Gregg T.

In this study, global concerns about anthropogenic climate change, energy security and independence, and environmental consequences of continued fossil fuel exploitation are driving significant public and private sector interest and financing to hasten development and deployment of processes to produce renewable fuels, as well as bio-based chemicals and materials, towards scales commensurate with current fossil fuel-based production. Over the past two decades, anaerobic microbial production of ethanol from first-generation hexose sugars derived primarily from sugarcane and starch has reached significant market share worldwide, with fermentation bioreactor sizes often exceeding the million litre scale. More recently, industrial-scale lignocellulosic ethanol plants aremore » emerging that produce ethanol from pentose and hexose sugars using genetically engineered microbes and bioreactor scales similar to first-generation biorefineries.« less

Thinking big: Towards ideal strains and processes for large-scale aerobic biofuels production

DOE PAGES

McMillan, James D.; Beckham, Gregg T.

2016-12-22

In this study, global concerns about anthropogenic climate change, energy security and independence, and environmental consequences of continued fossil fuel exploitation are driving significant public and private sector interest and financing to hasten development and deployment of processes to produce renewable fuels, as well as bio-based chemicals and materials, towards scales commensurate with current fossil fuel-based production. Over the past two decades, anaerobic microbial production of ethanol from first-generation hexose sugars derived primarily from sugarcane and starch has reached significant market share worldwide, with fermentation bioreactor sizes often exceeding the million litre scale. More recently, industrial-scale lignocellulosic ethanol plants aremore » emerging that produce ethanol from pentose and hexose sugars using genetically engineered microbes and bioreactor scales similar to first-generation biorefineries.« less

High-precision two-dimensional atom localization from four-wave mixing in a double-Λ four-level atomic system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shui, Tao; Yang, Wen-Xing; Chen, Ai-Xi; Liu, Shaopeng; Li, Ling; Zhu, Zhonghu

2018-03-01

We propose a scheme for high-precision two-dimensional (2D) atom localization via the four-wave mixing (FWM) in a four-level double-Λ atomic system. Due to the position-dependent atom-field interaction, the 2D position information of the atoms can be directly determined by the measurement of the normalized light intensity of output FWM-generated field. We further show that, when the position-dependent generated FWM field has become sufficiently intense, efficient back-coupling to the FWM generating state becomes important. This back-coupling pathway leads to competitive multiphoton destructive interference of the FWM generating state by three supplied and one internally generated fields. We find that the precision of 2D atom localization can be improved significantly by the multiphoton destructive interference and depends sensitively on the frequency detunings and the pump field intensity. Interestingly enough, we show that adjusting the frequency detunings and the pump field intensity can modify significantly the FWM efficiency, and consequently lead to a redistribution of the atoms. As a result, the atom can be localized in one of four quadrants with holding the precision of atom localization.

"I Don't Think I Could, You Know, Just Teach without Any Emotion": Exploring the Nature and Origin of University Teachers' Emotions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hagenauer, Gerda; Volet, Simone

2014-01-01

This article addresses the issue of university teachers' emotions generated through teaching and interacting with students. While research on school teachers' emotions is on the increase, interest in the significance of university teachers' emotions is still limited. In light of the growing attention given to the quality of university teaching…

Negative and Positive Association Rules Mining from Text Using Frequent and Infrequent Itemsets

PubMed Central

Mahmood, Sajid; Shahbaz, Muhammad; Guergachi, Aziz

2014-01-01

Association rule mining research typically focuses on positive association rules (PARs), generated from frequently occurring itemsets. However, in recent years, there has been a significant research focused on finding interesting infrequent itemsets leading to the discovery of negative association rules (NARs). The discovery of infrequent itemsets is far more difficult than their counterparts, that is, frequent itemsets. These problems include infrequent itemsets discovery and generation of accurate NARs, and their huge number as compared with positive association rules. In medical science, for example, one is interested in factors which can either adjudicate the presence of a disease or write-off of its possibility. The vivid positive symptoms are often obvious; however, negative symptoms are subtler and more difficult to recognize and diagnose. In this paper, we propose an algorithm for discovering positive and negative association rules among frequent and infrequent itemsets. We identify associations among medications, symptoms, and laboratory results using state-of-the-art data mining technology. PMID:24955429

[Thermoconversion of carbonaceous materials to produce synthetic fuels: the biomass case].

PubMed

Dupont, Capucine; Chataing, Thierry; Rougé, Sylvie

2008-01-01

In the present energy context, there is a growing interest for the fuel production from biomass. While the first generation of biofuels has shown its limits, a second generation appears that is based on the valorisation of the unused resources of lignocellulosic biomass. This could significantly increase the biofuels potential in France. Up to 40 % of the total needs of transport fuel could be covered. Among the processes under development, the Biomass to Liquid (BtL) process seems as an interesting route, able to be shortly implemented at an industrial scale. This process consists in producing liquid fuel (such as Diesel Fischer-Trospch) through a synthetic gas obtained by biomass gasification However R&D work is still needed to solve the remaining key issues of the process. These studies are performed in several laboratories in Europe, especially in Germany and in the Nordic countries, and also more recently in France, notably in the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique.

Use of Advanced Solar Cells for Commercial Communication Satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bailey, Sheila G.; Landis, Geoffrey A.

1995-01-01

The current generation of communications satellites are located primarily in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO). Over the next decade, however, a new generation of communications satellites will be built and launched, designed to provide a world-wide interconnection of portable telephones. For this mission, the satellites must be positioned in lower polar and near-polar orbits. To provide complete coverage, large numbers of satellites will be required. Because the required number of satellites decreases as the orbital altitude is increased, fewer satellites would be required if the orbit chosen were raised from low to intermediate orbit. However, in intermediate orbits, satellites encounter significant radiation due to trapped electrons and protons. Radiation tolerant solar cells may be necessary to make such satellites feasible. We analyze the amount of radiation encountered in low and intermediate polar orbits at altitudes of interest to next-generation communication satellites, calculate the expected degradation for silicon, GaAs, and InP solar cells, and show that the lifetimes can be significantly increased by use of advanced solar cells.

Use of advanced solar cells for commerical communication satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landis, Geoffrey A.; Bailey, Sheila G.

1995-01-01

The current generation of communications satellites are located primarily in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO). Over the next decade, however, a new generation of communications satellites will be built and launched, designed to provide a world-wide interconnection of portable telephones. For this mission, the satellites must be positioned in lower polar- and near-polar orbits. To provide complete coverage, large numbers of satellites will be required. Because of the required number of satellites decreases as the orbital altitude is increased, fewer satellites would be required if the orbit chosen were raised from Low to intermediate orbit. However, in intermediate orbits, satellites encounter significant radiation due to trapped electrons and protons. Radiation tolerant solar cells may be necessary to make such satellites feasible. We analyze the amount of radiation encountered in low and intermediate polar orbits at altitudes of interest to next-generation communication satellites, calculate the expected degradation for silicon, GaAs, and InP solar cells, and show that the lifetimes can be significantly increased by use of advanced solar cells.

Use of advanced solar cells for commercial communication satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailey, Sheila G.; Landis, Geoffrey A.

1995-03-01

The current generation of communications satellites are located primarily in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO). Over the next decade, however, a new generation of communications satellites will be built and launched, designed to provide a world-wide interconnection of portable telephones. For this mission, the satellites must be positioned in lower polar and near-polar orbits. To provide complete coverage, large numbers of satellites will be required. Because the required number of satellites decreases as the orbital altitude is increased, fewer satellites would be required if the orbit chosen were raised from low to intermediate orbit. However, in intermediate orbits, satellites encounter significant radiation due to trapped electrons and protons. Radiation tolerant solar cells may be necessary to make such satellites feasible. We analyze the amount of radiation encountered in low and intermediate polar orbits at altitudes of interest to next-generation communication satellites, calculate the expected degradation for silicon, GaAs, and InP solar cells, and show that the lifetimes can be significantly increased by use of advanced solar cells.

The Costa Rica GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Project as a Learning Science Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castro Rojas, María Dolores; Zuñiga, Ana Lourdes Acuña; Ugalde, Emmanuel Fonseca

2015-12-01

GLOBE is a global educational program for elementary and high school levels, and its main purpose in Costa Rica is to develop scientific thinking and interest for science in high school students through hydrology research projects that allow them to relate science with environmental issues in their communities. Youth between 12 and 17 years old from public schools participate in science clubs outside of their regular school schedule. A comparison study was performed between different groups, in order to assess GLOBE's applicability as a learning science atmosphere and the motivation and interest it generates in students toward science. Internationally applied scales were used as tools for measuring such indicators, adapted to the Costa Rican context. The results provide evidence statistically significant that the students perceive the GLOBE atmosphere as an enriched environment for science learning in comparison with the traditional science class. Moreover, students feel more confident, motivated and interested in science than their peers who do not participate in the project. However, the results were not statistically significant in this last respect.

Competitive Science Events: Gender, Interest, Science Self-Efficacy, and Academic Major Choice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forrester, Jennifer Harris

Understanding present barriers to choosing a STEM major is important for science educators so that we may better prepare and inspire future generations of scientists and engineers. This study examined the relationships between participation in competitive science events, gender, race, science self-efficacy, interest in science, and choosing a STEM discipline as a college major. The participants included 1,488 freshman students at a large southeastern public university. Students completed a survey of pre-college experiences with science events, science interests, and college major, as well as, an assessment of science self-efficacy. A subsample of sixty students (30 STEM; 30 non-STEM majors) were interviewed about their participation and academic major choice. Results showed that science, engineering, and non-STEM disciplines were the most frequently reported academic majors. Significant gender differences were found for science self-efficacy and academic major choice. There were significant race differences for participation in specific types of science competitions. Study participants also reported being motivated to participate in a competitive science event as a result of their teacher or parents' encouragement.

Aberrant clones: Birth order generates life history diversity in Greater Duckweed, Spirodela polyrhiza.

PubMed

Mejbel, Hebah S; Simons, Andrew M

2018-02-01

Environmental unpredictability is known to result in the evolution of bet-hedging traits. Variable dormancy enhances survival through harsh conditions, and is widely cited as a diversification bet-hedging trait. The floating aquatic plant, Spirodela polyrhiza (Greater Duckweed), provides an opportunity to study diversification because although partially reliable seasonal cues exist, its growing season is subject to an unpredictable and literally "hard" termination when the surface water freezes, and overwinter survival depends on a switch from production of normal daughter fronds to production of dense, sinking "turions" prior to freeze-over. The problem for S. polyrhiza is that diversified dormancy behavior must be generated among clonally produced, genetically identical offspring. Variation in phenology has been observed in the field, but its sources are unknown. Here, we investigate sources of phenological variation in turion production , and test the hypothesis that diversification in turion phenology is generated within genetic lineages through effects of parental birth order. As expected, phenotypic plasticity to temperature is expressed along a thermal gradient; more interestingly, parental birth order was found to have a significant and strong effect on turion phenology: Turions are produced earlier by late birth-order parents. These results hold regardless of whether turion phenology is measured as first turion birth order, time to first turion, or turion frequency. This study addresses a question of current interest on potential mechanisms generating diversification, and suggests that consistent phenotypic differences across birth orders generate life history variation.

The exposure of Sydney (Australia) to earthquake-generated tsunamis, storms and sea level rise: a probabilistic multi-hazard approach

PubMed Central

Dall'Osso, F.; Dominey-Howes, D.; Moore, C.; Summerhayes, S.; Withycombe, G.

2014-01-01

Approximately 85% of Australia's population live along the coastal fringe, an area with high exposure to extreme inundations such as tsunamis. However, to date, no Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Assessments (PTHA) that include inundation have been published for Australia. This limits the development of appropriate risk reduction measures by decision and policy makers. We describe our PTHA undertaken for the Sydney metropolitan area. Using the NOAA NCTR model MOST (Method for Splitting Tsunamis), we simulate 36 earthquake-generated tsunamis with annual probabilities of 1:100, 1:1,000 and 1:10,000, occurring under present and future predicted sea level conditions. For each tsunami scenario we generate a high-resolution inundation map of the maximum water level and flow velocity, and we calculate the exposure of buildings and critical infrastructure. Results indicate that exposure to earthquake-generated tsunamis is relatively low for present events, but increases significantly with higher sea level conditions. The probabilistic approach allowed us to undertake a comparison with an existing storm surge hazard assessment. Interestingly, the exposure to all the simulated tsunamis is significantly lower than that for the 1:100 storm surge scenarios, under the same initial sea level conditions. The results have significant implications for multi-risk and emergency management in Sydney. PMID:25492514

The exposure of Sydney (Australia) to earthquake-generated tsunamis, storms and sea level rise: a probabilistic multi-hazard approach.

PubMed

Dall'Osso, F; Dominey-Howes, D; Moore, C; Summerhayes, S; Withycombe, G

2014-12-10

Approximately 85% of Australia's population live along the coastal fringe, an area with high exposure to extreme inundations such as tsunamis. However, to date, no Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Assessments (PTHA) that include inundation have been published for Australia. This limits the development of appropriate risk reduction measures by decision and policy makers. We describe our PTHA undertaken for the Sydney metropolitan area. Using the NOAA NCTR model MOST (Method for Splitting Tsunamis), we simulate 36 earthquake-generated tsunamis with annual probabilities of 1:100, 1:1,000 and 1:10,000, occurring under present and future predicted sea level conditions. For each tsunami scenario we generate a high-resolution inundation map of the maximum water level and flow velocity, and we calculate the exposure of buildings and critical infrastructure. Results indicate that exposure to earthquake-generated tsunamis is relatively low for present events, but increases significantly with higher sea level conditions. The probabilistic approach allowed us to undertake a comparison with an existing storm surge hazard assessment. Interestingly, the exposure to all the simulated tsunamis is significantly lower than that for the 1:100 storm surge scenarios, under the same initial sea level conditions. The results have significant implications for multi-risk and emergency management in Sydney.

A Stirling engine for use with lower quality fuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paul, Christopher J.

There is increasing interest in using renewable fuels from biomass or alternative fuels such as municipal waste to reduce the need for fossil based fuels. Due to the lower heating values and higher levels of impurities, small scale electricity generation is more problematic. Currently, there are not many technologically mature options for small scale electricity generation using lower quality fuels. Even though there are few manufacturers of Stirling engines, the history of their development for two centuries offers significant guidance in developing a viable small scale generator set using lower quality fuels. The history, development, and modeling of Stirling engines were reviewed to identify possible model and engine configurations. A Stirling engine model based on the finite volume, ideal adiabatic model was developed. Flow dissipation losses are shown to need correcting as they increase significantly at low mean engine pressure and high engine speed. The complete engine including external components was developed. A simple yet effective method of evaluating the external heat transfer to the Stirling engine was created that can be used with any second order Stirling engine model. A derivative of the General Motors Ground Power Unit 3 was designed. By significantly increasing heater, cooler and regenerator size at the expense of increased dead volume, and adding a combustion gas recirculation, a generator set with good efficiency was designed.

Individual, Situational and Topic Interest in Geoscience Among 11- And 12-Year-Old Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trend, Roger

2005-01-01

All interest necessarily links the person with the external environment: the object/s of interest. Research into children's interests is examined in the context of a rapidly-expanding literature which has generated several powerful concepts in recent decades, notably "individual interest", "situational interest" and "topic interest". The first is…

Assessing the Online Social Environment for Surveillance of Obesity Prevalence

PubMed Central

Chunara, Rumi; Bouton, Lindsay; Ayers, John W.; Brownstein, John S.

2013-01-01

Background Understanding the social environmental around obesity has been limited by available data. One promising approach used to bridge similar gaps elsewhere is to use passively generated digital data. Purpose This article explores the relationship between online social environment via web-based social networks and population obesity prevalence. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study using linear regression and cross validation to measure the relationship and predictive performance of user interests on the online social network Facebook to obesity prevalence in metros across the United States of America (USA) and neighborhoods within New York City (NYC). The outcomes, proportion of obese and/or overweight population in USA metros and NYC neighborhoods, were obtained via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance and NYC EpiQuery systems. Predictors were geographically specific proportion of users with activity-related and sedentary-related interests on Facebook. Results Higher proportion of the population with activity-related interests on Facebook was associated with a significant 12.0% (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 11.9 to 12.1) lower predicted prevalence of obese and/or overweight people across USA metros and 7.2% (95% CI: 6.8 to 7.7) across NYC neighborhoods. Conversely, greater proportion of the population with interest in television was associated with higher prevalence of obese and/or overweight people of 3.9% (95% CI: 3.7 to 4.0) (USA) and 27.5% (95% CI: 27.1 to 27.9, significant) (NYC). For activity-interests and national obesity outcomes, the average root mean square prediction error from 10-fold cross validation was comparable to the average root mean square error of a model developed using the entire data set. Conclusions Activity-related interests across the USA and sedentary-related interests across NYC were significantly associated with obesity prevalence. Further research is needed to understand how the online social environment relates to health outcomes and how it can be used to identify or target interventions. PMID:23637820

Collider signatures of flavorful Higgs bosons

DOE PAGES

Altmannshofer, Wolfgang; Eby, Joshua; Gori, Stefania; ...

2016-12-30

Motivated by our limited knowledge of the Higgs couplings to the first two generation fermions, we analyze the collider phenomenology of a class of two Higgs doublet models (2HDMs) with a nonstandard Yukawa sector. One Higgs doublet is mainly responsible for the masses of the weak gauge bosons and the third-generation fermions, while the second Higgs doublet provides mass for the lighter fermion generations. The characteristic collider signatures of this setup differ significantly from well-studied 2HDMs with natural flavor conservation, flavor alignment, or minimal flavor violation. New production mechanisms for the heavy scalar, pseudoscalar, and charged Higgs involving second-generation quarksmore » can become dominant. The most interesting decay modes include H/A → cc,tc,μμ,τμ and H ± → cb,cs,μν. As a result, searches for low-mass dimuon resonances are currently among the best probes of the heavy Higgs bosons in this setup.« less

Oxidation Resistance of Alloys from Nb-Si-Cr System for High Temperature Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-02

higher education for undergraduate students while prepare the graduate students for professional careers in research (at one of the ONR facilities...generate interest in students to pursue higher education for undergraduate students while prepare the graduate students for professional careers in...reduces the amount of primary a significantly but still contains a rather coarser eutectic like microconstituent. A NbßSi (3-1 silicide ) silicide phase

Understanding wellness center loyalty through lifestyle analysis.

PubMed

Suresh, Satya; Ravichandran, Swathi; P, Ganesan

2011-01-01

Many changes taking place at a macro-level in Indian society along with the popularity of services that are native to India, such as Yoga and Ayurveda, have generated significant interest in wellness services. To assist wellness centers in gaining loyal clients, the goal of this study was to understand the influence of customer lifestyle factors on wellness center loyalty. The activities, interests, and opinions model was used to understand the lifestyles of wellness center clients. Data were collected from clients of five wellness centers. Regression results indicate that overworked individuals and those seeking a balance between work and family life would be the most loyal to wellness centers. Managerial implications of results are discussed.

Quantitative Comparison of Photothermal Heat Generation between Gold Nanospheres and Nanorods.

PubMed

Qin, Zhenpeng; Wang, Yiru; Randrianalisoa, Jaona; Raeesi, Vahid; Chan, Warren C W; Lipiński, Wojciech; Bischof, John C

2016-07-21

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are widely used for biomedical applications due to unique optical properties, established synthesis methods, and biological compatibility. Despite important applications of plasmonic heating in thermal therapy, imaging, and diagnostics, the lack of quantification in heat generation leads to difficulties in comparing the heating capability for new plasmonic nanostructures and predicting the therapeutic and diagnostic outcome. This study quantifies GNP heat generation by experimental measurements and theoretical predictions for gold nanospheres (GNS) and nanorods (GNR). Interestingly, the results show a GNP-type dependent agreement between experiment and theory. The measured heat generation of GNS matches well with theory, while the measured heat generation of GNR is only 30% of that predicted theoretically at peak absorption. This then leads to a surprising finding that the polydispersity, the deviation of nanoparticle size and shape from nominal value, significantly influences GNR heat generation (>70% reduction), while having a limited effect for GNS (<10% change). This work demonstrates that polydispersity is an important metric in quantitatively predicting plasmonic heat generation and provides a validated framework to quantitatively compare the heating capabilities between gold and other plasmonic nanostructures.

Quantitative Comparison of Photothermal Heat Generation between Gold Nanospheres and Nanorods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Zhenpeng; Wang, Yiru; Randrianalisoa, Jaona; Raeesi, Vahid; Chan, Warren C. W.; Lipiński, Wojciech; Bischof, John C.

2016-07-01

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are widely used for biomedical applications due to unique optical properties, established synthesis methods, and biological compatibility. Despite important applications of plasmonic heating in thermal therapy, imaging, and diagnostics, the lack of quantification in heat generation leads to difficulties in comparing the heating capability for new plasmonic nanostructures and predicting the therapeutic and diagnostic outcome. This study quantifies GNP heat generation by experimental measurements and theoretical predictions for gold nanospheres (GNS) and nanorods (GNR). Interestingly, the results show a GNP-type dependent agreement between experiment and theory. The measured heat generation of GNS matches well with theory, while the measured heat generation of GNR is only 30% of that predicted theoretically at peak absorption. This then leads to a surprising finding that the polydispersity, the deviation of nanoparticle size and shape from nominal value, significantly influences GNR heat generation (>70% reduction), while having a limited effect for GNS (<10% change). This work demonstrates that polydispersity is an important metric in quantitatively predicting plasmonic heat generation and provides a validated framework to quantitatively compare the heating capabilities between gold and other plasmonic nanostructures.

Children, Gillick competency and consent for involvement in research

PubMed Central

Hunter, David; Pierscionek, Barbara K

2007-01-01

This paper looks at the issue of consent from children and whether the test of Gillick competency, applied in medical and healthcare practice, ought to extend to participation in research. It is argued that the relatively broad usage of the test of Gillick competency in the medical context should not be considered applicable for use in research. The question of who would and could determine Gillick competency in research raises further concerns relating to the training of the researcher to make such a decision as well as to the obvious issue of the researcher's personal interest in the project and possibility of benefiting from the outcome. These could affect the judgment of Gillick competency if the researcher is charged with making this decision. The above notwithstanding, there are two exceptional research situations in which Gillick competency might be legitimately applied: (1) when the research is likely to generate significant advantages for the participants while exposing them to relatively minor risks, and (2) when it is likely to generate great societal benefit, pose minimal risks for the participants and yet raise parental objection. In both cases, to ensure that autonomy is genuinely respected and to protect against personal interest, Gillick competency should be assessed by an individual who has no interest or involvement in the research. PMID:17971470

Acceptability of, and Information Needs Regarding, Next-Generation Sequencing in People Tested for Hereditary Cancer: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Meiser, Bettina; Storey, Ben; Quinn, Veronica; Rahman, Belinda; Andrews, Lesley

2016-04-01

Next generation sequencing (NGS) for patients at risk of hereditary cancer syndromes can also identify non-cancer related mutations, as well as variants of unknown significance. This study aimed to determine what benefits and shortcomings patients perceive in relation to NGS, as well as their interest and information preferences in regards to such testing. Eligible patients had previously received inconclusive results from clinical mutation testing for cancer susceptibility. Semi-structured telephone interviews were subjected to qualitative analysis guided by the approach developed by Miles and Huberman. The majority of the 19 participants reported they would be interested in panel/genomic testing. Advantages identified included that it would enable better preparation and allow implementation of individualized preventative strategies, with few disadvantages mentioned. Almost all participants said they would want all results, not just those related to their previous diagnosis. Participants felt that a face-to-face discussion supplemented by an information booklet would be the best way to convey information and achieve informed consent. All participants wanted their information stored and reviewed in accordance with new developments. Although the findings indicate strong interest among these individuals, it seems that the consent process, and the interpretation and communication of results will be areas that will require revision to meet the needs of patients.

Targeted Next-generation Sequencing and Bioinformatics Pipeline to Evaluate Genetic Determinants of Constitutional Disease.

PubMed

Dilliott, Allison A; Farhan, Sali M K; Ghani, Mahdi; Sato, Christine; Liang, Eric; Zhang, Ming; McIntyre, Adam D; Cao, Henian; Racacho, Lemuel; Robinson, John F; Strong, Michael J; Masellis, Mario; Bulman, Dennis E; Rogaeva, Ekaterina; Lang, Anthony; Tartaglia, Carmela; Finger, Elizabeth; Zinman, Lorne; Turnbull, John; Freedman, Morris; Swartz, Rick; Black, Sandra E; Hegele, Robert A

2018-04-04

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is quickly revolutionizing how research into the genetic determinants of constitutional disease is performed. The technique is highly efficient with millions of sequencing reads being produced in a short time span and at relatively low cost. Specifically, targeted NGS is able to focus investigations to genomic regions of particular interest based on the disease of study. Not only does this further reduce costs and increase the speed of the process, but it lessens the computational burden that often accompanies NGS. Although targeted NGS is restricted to certain regions of the genome, preventing identification of potential novel loci of interest, it can be an excellent technique when faced with a phenotypically and genetically heterogeneous disease, for which there are previously known genetic associations. Because of the complex nature of the sequencing technique, it is important to closely adhere to protocols and methodologies in order to achieve sequencing reads of high coverage and quality. Further, once sequencing reads are obtained, a sophisticated bioinformatics workflow is utilized to accurately map reads to a reference genome, to call variants, and to ensure the variants pass quality metrics. Variants must also be annotated and curated based on their clinical significance, which can be standardized by applying the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics Pathogenicity Guidelines. The methods presented herein will display the steps involved in generating and analyzing NGS data from a targeted sequencing panel, using the ONDRISeq neurodegenerative disease panel as a model, to identify variants that may be of clinical significance.

Experimental and numerical investigations of radiation characteristics of Russian portable/compact pulsed neutron generators: ING-031, ING-07, ING-06 and ING-10-20-120

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chernikova, D.; Romodanov, V. L.; Belevitin, A. G.; Afanas`ev, V. V.; Sakharov, V. K.; Bogolubov, E. P.; Ryzhkov, V. I.; Khasaev, T. O.; Sladkov, A. A.; Bitulev, A. A.

2014-05-01

The present paper discusses results of full-scale experimental and numerical investigations of influence of construction materials of portable pulsed neutron generators ING-031, ING-07, ING-06 and ING-10-20-120 (VNIIA, Russia) to their radiation characteristics formed during and after an operation (shutdown period). In particular, it is shown that an original monoenergetic isotropic angular distribution of neutrons emitted by TiT target changes into the significantly anisotropic angular distribution with a broad energy spectrum stretching to the thermal region. Along with the low-energetic neutron part, a significant amount of photons appears during the operation of generators. In the pulse mode of operation of neutron generator, a presence of the construction materials leads to the "tailing" of the original neutron pulse and the appearance of an accompanying photon pulse at ~ 3 ns after the instant neutron pulse. In addition to that, reactions of neutron capture and inelastic scattering lead to the creation of radioactive nuclides, such as 58Co, 62Cu, 64Cu and 18F, which form the so-called activation radiation. Thus, the selection of a portable neutron generator for a particular type of application has to be done considering radiation characteristics of the generator itself. This paper will be of interest to users of neutron generators, providing them with valuable information about limitations of a specific generator and with recommendations for improving the design and performance of the generator as a whole.

A Decision Model for Choosing Among Photovoltaic Technologies to Generate Electricity at Grid-Connected Air Force Facilities: A Value-Focused Approach

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-03-01

goals, but it is also carries significant political interest. 1.1.4. Photovoltaic Effect A monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic cell (Figure 2) is...developed the industry by creating small photovoltaic panels to power watches and calculators (Archer, 2001; Wronski and Carlson, 2001). Amorphous silicon...Clinton, 1999). One particularly promising renewable energy source is solar energy converted to electricity by solar photovoltaic panels . Previous

Supersonic Inlet Flow Control Using Localized Arc Filament Plasma Actuators

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-10

Jon Schmisseur and by the Air Vehicle Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory is greatly appreciated. 4 Table of Contents Abstract...of interest to the U.S. Air Force and could pose significant problems depending on the specific application. This study has undertaken to investigate...experiments motivated the design of a new, larger, more flexible facility that utilize a Variable Angle Wedge to generate the impinging shock wave for

Setting the stage - building and working in an ancient DNA laboratory.

PubMed

Knapp, Michael; Clarke, Andrew C; Horsburgh, K Ann; Matisoo-Smith, Elizabeth A

2012-01-20

With the introduction of next generation high throughput sequencing in 2005 and the resulting revolution in genetics, ancient DNA research has rapidly developed from an interesting but marginal field within evolutionary biology into one that can contribute significantly to our understanding of evolution in general and the development of our own species in particular. While the amount of sequence data available from ancient human, other animal and plant remains has increased dramatically over the past five years, some key limitations of ancient DNA research remain. Most notably, reduction of contamination and the authentication of results are of utmost importance. A number of studies have addressed different aspects of sampling, DNA extraction and DNA manipulation in order to establish protocols that most efficiently generate reproducible and authentic results. As increasing numbers of researchers from different backgrounds become interested in using ancient DNA technology to address key questions, the need for practical guidelines on how to construct and use an ancient DNA facility arises. The aim of this article is therefore to provide practical tips for building a state-of-the-art ancient DNA facility. It is intended to help researchers new to the field of ancient DNA research generally, and those considering the application of next generation sequencing, in their planning process. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

78 FR 73239 - Small Generator Interconnection Agreements and Procedures

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-05

... distributed resources.\\35\\ Public Interest Organizations go on to state that: \\29\\ See, e.g., American Wind... Society and Wind on the Wires are referred to collectively as Public Interest Organizations in this Final...\\ Similarly, installed wind generation with a capacity of 20 MW or less has increased in the contiguous United...

'Who's coming up next to do this work?' Generational tensions in accounts of providing HIV care in the community.

PubMed

Newman, Christy E; de Wit, John Bf; Reynolds, Robert H; Canavan, Peter G; Kidd, Michael R

2016-05-01

Generational change is believed to be transforming the educational and employment preferences of medical trainees. In this article, we examine generational tensions in interviews with policy leaders and clinicians on workforce issues within one subset of the Australian medical profession: general practitioners who provide care to people with HIV in community settings. Integrating the accounts of policy leaders (n = 24) and clinicians representing the 'first generation' (n = 21) and 'next generation' (n = 23) of clinicians to do this work, shared and divergent perspectives on the role of generational change in shaping professional engagement were revealed. While those engaged in the early response to HIV believed younger clinicians to be less interested in the scientific and political dimensions of HIV care and more concerned about financial security and life balance, the next generation both countered and integrated these beliefs into new ways of conceptualising the value and appeal of this field of medicine. Critical appraisal of the assumptions that underpin generational discourse is essential in appreciating the changing views of providers over time, particularly in fields of medicine which have featured significant historical turning points. © The Author(s) 2015.

A Prototype System for Retrieval of Gene Functional Information

PubMed Central

Folk, Lillian C.; Patrick, Timothy B.; Pattison, James S.; Wolfinger, Russell D.; Mitchell, Joyce A.

2003-01-01

Microarrays allow researchers to gather data about the expression patterns of thousands of genes simultaneously. Statistical analysis can reveal which genes show statistically significant results. Making biological sense of those results requires the retrieval of functional information about the genes thus identified, typically a manual gene-by-gene retrieval of information from various on-line databases. For experiments generating thousands of genes of interest, retrieval of functional information can become a significant bottleneck. To address this issue, we are currently developing a prototype system to automate the process of retrieval of functional information from multiple on-line sources. PMID:14728346

Motivational profiles of medical students: association with study effort, academic performance and exhaustion.

PubMed

Kusurkar, Rashmi A; Croiset, Gerda; Galindo-Garré, Francisca; Ten Cate, Olle

2013-06-19

Students enter the medical study with internally generated motives like genuine interest (intrinsic motivation) and/or externally generated motives like parental pressure or desire for status or prestige (controlled motivation). According to Self-determination theory (SDT), students could differ in their study effort, academic performance and adjustment to the study depending on the endorsement of intrinsic motivation versus controlled motivation. The objectives of this study were to generate motivational profiles of medical students using combinations of high or low intrinsic and controlled motivation and test whether different motivational profiles are associated with different study outcomes. Participating students (N = 844) from University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands, were classified to different subgroups through K-means cluster analysis using intrinsic and controlled motivation scores. Cluster membership was used as an independent variable to assess differences in study strategies, self-study hours, academic performance and exhaustion from study. Four clusters were obtained: High Intrinsic High Controlled (HIHC), Low Intrinsic High Controlled (LIHC), High Intrinsic Low Controlled (HILC), and Low Intrinsic Low Controlled (LILC). HIHC profile, including the students who are interest + status motivated, constituted 25.2% of the population (N = 213). HILC profile, including interest-motivated students, constituted 26.1% of the population (N = 220). LIHC profile, including status-motivated students, constituted 31.8% of the population (N = 268). LILC profile, including students who have a low-motivation and are neither interest nor status motivated, constituted 16.9% of the population (N = 143). Interest-motivated students (HILC) had significantly more deep study strategy (p < 0.001) and self-study hours (p < 0.05), higher GPAs (p < 0.001) and lower exhaustion (p < 0.001) than status-motivated (LIHC) and low-motivation (LILC) students. The interest-motivated profile of medical students (HILC) is associated with good study hours, deep study strategy, good academic performance and low exhaustion from study. The interest + status motivated profile (HIHC) was also found to be associated with a good learning profile, except that students with this profile showed higher surface strategy. Low-motivation (LILC) and status-motivated profiles (LIHC) were associated with the least desirable learning behaviours.

Inhibitory effects of different ATP-sensitive potassium channel openers on electrically generated and carbachol-induced contractions of porcine and human detrusor muscle.

PubMed

Badawi, Jasmin Katrin; Ding, Andrea; Bross, Stephan

2008-02-01

The inhibitory effects of different potassium channel openers (PCOs) on electrically generated and carbachol-induced contractions of porcine and human detrusor muscle were examined. PCOs could be an interesting substance class for treatment of detrusor overactivity. Experiments were performed on muscle strips suspended in a tissue bath. Human tissue originated from patients who underwent total cystectomy. The concentration-relaxation curves of the first-generation PCOs cromakalim and pinacidil and the untypical PCO minoxidil were performed using carbachol-precontracted detrusor muscle strips of pigs and humans. Additionally, the inhibitory effects of cromakalim, pinacidil and minoxidil on electrically generated contractions of porcine detrusor muscle were examined. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of the second-generation, bladder-selective PCO ZM 226600 on electrically generated contractions of the human detrusor muscle was determined. Frequency-response curves were performed before and after incubation with one PCO used in two different concentrations. In humans, cromakalim and pinacidil led to a maximum decrease of 73.5 and 68.4% and showed mean pD2 values of 6.65 and 5.5, respectively. In pigs, cromakalim and pinacidil led to a maximum decrease of 90.6 and 93.6% and showed mean pD2 values of 6.39 and 5.01, respectively. Minoxidil did not significantly decrease the precontraction at the highest used concentration in both species. Cromakalim exhibited the biggest inhibitory effect being significant at 10(-5) and 10(-6) M. Pinacidil showed only a significant inhibitory effect at 10(-5) M which was smaller than that of cromakalim. At 3 x 10(-6) M only a very small effect occurred at 1 Hz. Minoxidil did not inhibit the contractions at both examined concentrations except for a very small effect at 1 Hz. In humans, ZM 226600 exhibited at 10(-6) and 10(-5) M a significant inhibitory effect. At 10(-7) M it was only significant at one frequency.

Multiple Interests of Users in Collaborative Tagging Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Au Yeung, Ching-Man; Gibbins, Nicholas; Shadbolt, Nigel

Performance of recommender systems depends on whether the user profiles contain accurate information about the interests of the users, and this in turn relies on whether enough information about their interests can be collected. Collaborative tagging systems allow users to use their own words to describe their favourite resources, resulting in some user-generated categorisation schemes commonly known as folksonomies. Folksonomies thus contain rich information about the interests of the users, which can be used to support various recommender systems. Our analysis of the folksonomy in Delicious reveals that the interests of a single user can be very diverse. Traditional methods for representing interests of users are usually not able to reflect such diversity. We propose a method to construct user profiles of multiple interests from folksonomies based on a network clustering technique. Our evaluation shows that the proposed method is able to generate user profiles which reflect the diversity of user interests and can be used as a basis of providing more focused recommendation to the users.

Generation of stable human cell lines with Tetracycline-inducible (Tet-on) shRNA or cDNA expression.

PubMed

Gomez-Martinez, Marta; Schmitz, Debora; Hergovich, Alexander

2013-03-05

A major approach in the field of mammalian cell biology is the manipulation of the expression of genes of interest in selected cell lines, with the aim to reveal one or several of the gene's function(s) using transient/stable overexpression or knockdown of the gene of interest. Unfortunately, for various cell biological investigations this approach is unsuitable when manipulations of gene expression result in cell growth/proliferation defects or unwanted cell differentiation. Therefore, researchers have adapted the Tetracycline repressor protein (TetR), taken from the E. coli tetracycline resistance operon(1), to generate very efficient and tight regulatory systems to express cDNAs in mammalian cells(2,3). In short, TetR has been modified to either (1) block initiation of transcription by binding to the Tet-operator (TO) in the promoter region upon addition of tetracycline (termed Tet-off system) or (2) bind to the TO in the absence of tetracycline (termed Tet-on system) (Figure 1). Given the inconvenience that the Tet-off system requires the continuous presence of tetracycline (which has a half-life of about 24 hr in tissue cell culture medium) the Tet-on system has been more extensively optimized, resulting in the development of very tight and efficient vector systems for cDNA expression as used here. Shortly after establishment of RNA interference (RNAi) for gene knockdown in mammalian cells(4), vectors expressing short-hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) were described that function very similar to siRNAs(5-11). However, these shRNA-mediated knockdown approaches have the same limitation as conventional knockout strategies, since stable depletion is not feasible when gene targets are essential for cellular survival. To overcome this limitation, van de Wetering et al.(12) modified the shRNA expression vector pSUPER(5) by inserting a TO in the promoter region, which enabled them to generate stable cell lines with tetracycline-inducible depletion of their target genes of interest. Here, we describe a method to efficiently generate stable human Tet-on cell lines that reliably drive either inducible overexpression or depletion of the gene of interest. Using this method, we have successfully generated Tet-on cell lines which significantly facilitated the analysis of the MST/hMOB/NDR cascade in centrosome(13,14) and apoptosis signaling(15,16). In this report, we describe our vectors of choice, in addition to describing the two consecutive manipulation steps that are necessary to efficiently generate human Tet-on cell lines (Figure 2). Moreover, besides outlining a protocol for the generation of human Tet-on cell lines, we will discuss critical aspects regarding the technical procedures and the characterization of Tet-on cells.

High-dimensional atom localization via spontaneously generated coherence in a microwave-driven atomic system.

PubMed

Wang, Zhiping; Chen, Jinyu; Yu, Benli

2017-02-20

We investigate the two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) atom localization behaviors via spontaneously generated coherence in a microwave-driven four-level atomic system. Owing to the space-dependent atom-field interaction, it is found that the detecting probability and precision of 2D and 3D atom localization behaviors can be significantly improved via adjusting the system parameters, the phase, amplitude, and initial population distribution. Interestingly, the atom can be localized in volumes that are substantially smaller than a cubic optical wavelength. Our scheme opens a promising way to achieve high-precision and high-efficiency atom localization, which provides some potential applications in high-dimensional atom nanolithography.

Nonlinear, non-stationary image processing technique for eddy current NDE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Guang; Dib, Gerges; Kim, Jaejoon; Zhang, Lu; Xin, Junjun; Udpa, Lalita

2012-05-01

Automatic analysis of eddy current (EC) data has facilitated the analysis of large volumes of data generated in the inspection of steam generator tubes in nuclear power plants. The traditional procedure for analysis of EC data includes data calibration, pre-processing, region of interest (ROI) detection, feature extraction and classification. Accurate ROI detection has been enhanced by pre-processing, which involves reducing noise and other undesirable components as well as enhancing defect indications in the raw measurement. This paper presents the Hilbert-Huang Transform (HHT) for feature extraction and support vector machine (SVM) for classification. The performance is shown to significantly better than the existing rule based classification approach used in industry.

Galilei group with multiple central extension, vorticity, and entropy generation: Exotic fluid in 3 +1 dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Praloy; Ghosh, Subir

2017-12-01

A noncommutative extension of an ideal (Hamiltonian) fluid model in 3 +1 dimensions is proposed. The model enjoys several interesting features: it allows a multiparameter central extension in Galilean boost algebra (which is significant being contrary to the existing belief that a similar feature can appear only in 2 +1 -dimensions); noncommutativity generates vorticity in a canonically irrotational fluid; it induces a nonbarotropic pressure leading to a nonisentropic system. (Barotropic fluids are entropy preserving as the pressure depends only on the matter density.) Our fluid model is termed "exotic" since it has a close resemblance with the extensively studied planar (2 +1 dimensions) exotic models and exotic (noncommutative) field theories.

Analysis of Social Network Measures with Respect to Structural Properties of Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

there has been increased interest in degree based generators. The three generators that this thesis is interested in are the Erdos- Renyi (ER...these generators has their pros and cons. The ER graph generator was developed in 1960 by Erdos and Renyi in hopes of producing networks that...0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 P e rc e n ta ge Average Clustering Coefficient Erdös- Renyi BA (2 edge) BA (5 edge) BA (10 edge) PNDCG (α=2.35

Processing and analysis techniques involving in-vessel material generation

DOEpatents

Schabron, John F [Laramie, WY; Rovani, Jr., Joseph F.

2011-01-25

In at least one embodiment, the inventive technology relates to in-vessel generation of a material from a solution of interest as part of a processing and/or analysis operation. Preferred embodiments of the in-vessel material generation (e.g., in-vessel solid material generation) include precipitation; in certain embodiments, analysis and/or processing of the solution of interest may include dissolution of the material, perhaps as part of a successive dissolution protocol using solvents of increasing ability to dissolve. Applications include, but are by no means limited to estimation of a coking onset and solution (e.g., oil) fractionating.

Processing and analysis techniques involving in-vessel material generation

DOEpatents

Schabron, John F [Laramie, WY; Rovani, Jr., Joseph F.

2012-09-25

In at least one embodiment, the inventive technology relates to in-vessel generation of a material from a solution of interest as part of a processing and/or analysis operation. Preferred embodiments of the in-vessel material generation (e.g., in-vessel solid material generation) include precipitation; in certain embodiments, analysis and/or processing of the solution of interest may include dissolution of the material, perhaps as part of a successive dissolution protocol using solvents of increasing ability to dissolve. Applications include, but are by no means limited to estimation of a coking onset and solution (e.g., oil) fractionating.

Nanoparticle heterodimers: The role of size and interparticle gap distance on the optical response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mokkath, Junais Habeeb

2018-05-01

Composite plasmonic nanostructures with controlled size, shape and relative arrangement is a subject of significant current research interest. Much of this is stimulated by the prospects by generating enormous near-field enhancements of the surface and interparticle gap regions for potential applications in surface-enhanced spectroscopies. In this manuscript, using time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations, we investigate how the optical response in size matched homodimers and size mismatched heterodimers composed of Aluminum modify while varying the size and interparticle gap distances in the sub-nanometer range. Both systems show interesting optical response evolution. In particular, the size mismatched heterodimers show even more complex optical response evolution due to a symmetry-breaking in the system.

Rapid microwave-assisted preparation of binary and ternary transition metal sulfide compounds

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

Butala, Megan M.; Perez, Minue A.; Arnon, Shiri

Transition metal chalcogenides are of interest for energy applications, including energy generation in photoelectrochemical cells and as electrodes for next-generation electrochemical energy storage. Synthetic routes for such chalcogenides typically involve extended heating at elevated temperatures for multiple weeks. We demonstrate here the feasibility of rapidly preparing select sulfide compounds in a matter of minutes, rather than weeks, using microwave-assisted heating in domestic microwaves. We report the preparations of phase pure FeS2, CoS2, and solid solutions thereof from the elements with only 40 min of heating. Conventional furnace and rapid microwave preparations of CuTi2S4 both result in a majority of themore » targeted phase, even with the significantly shorter heating time of 40 min for microwave methods relative to 12 days using a conventional furnace. The preparations we describe for these compounds can be extended to related structures and chemistries and thus enable rapid screening of the properties and performance of various compositions of interest for electronic, optical, and electrochemical applications.« less

Modeling Shock Train Leading Edge Detection in Dual-Mode Scramjets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ladeinde, Foluso; Lou, Zhipeng; Li, Wenhai

2016-11-01

The objective of this study is to accurately model the detection of shock train leading edge (STLE) in dual-mode scramjet (DMSJ) engines intended for hypersonic flight in air-breathing propulsion systems. The associated vehicles have applications in military warfare and intelligence, and there is commercial interest as well. Shock trains are of interest because they play a significant role in the inability of a DMSJ engine to develop the required propulsive force. The experimental approach to STLE detection has received some attention; as have numerical calculations. However, virtually all of the numerical work focus on mechanically- (i.e., pressure-) generated shock trains, which are much easier to model relative to the phenomenon in the real system where the shock trains are generated by combustion. A focus on combustion, as in the present studies, enables the investigation of the effects of equivalence ratio, which, together with the Mach number, constitutes an important parameter determining mode transition. The various numerical approaches implemented in our work will be reported, with result comparisons to experimental data. The development of an STLE detection procedure in an a priori manner will also be discussed.

Indicators of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) career interest among middle school students in the USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mills, Leila A.

This study examines middle school students' perceptions of a future career in a science, math, engineering, or technology (STEM) career field. Gender, grade, predispositions to STEM contents, and learner dispositions are examined for changing perceptions and development in career-related choice behavior. Student perceptions as measured by validated measurement instruments are analyzed pre and post participation in a STEM intervention energy-monitoring program that was offered in several U.S. middle schools during the 2009-2010, 2010-2011 school years. A multiple linear regression (MLR) model, developed by incorporating predictors identified by an examination of the literature and a hypothesis-generating pilot study for prediction of STEM career interest, is introduced. Theories on the career choice development process from authors such as Ginzberg, Eccles, and Lent are examined as the basis for recognition of career concept development among students. Multiple linear regression statistics, correlation analysis, and analyses of means are used to examine student data from two separate program years. Study research questions focus on predictive ability, RSQ, of MLR models by gender/grade, and significance of model predictors in order to determine the most significant predictors of STEM career interest, and changes in students' perceptions pre and post program participation. Analysis revealed increases in the perceptions of a science career, decreases in perceptions of a STEM career, increase of the significance of science and mathematics to predictive models, and significant increases in students' perceptions of creative tendencies.

Towards interactive narrative medicine.

PubMed

Cavazza, Marc; Charles, Fred

2013-01-01

Interactive Storytelling technologies have attracted significant interest in the field of simulation and serious gaming for their potential to provide a principled approach to improve user engagement in training scenarios. In this paper, we explore the use of Interactive Storytelling to support Narrative Medicine as a reflective practice. We describe a workflow for the generation of virtual narratives from high-level descriptions of patients' experiences as perceived by physicians, which can help to objectivize such perceptions and support various forms of analysis.

Comprehensive quality assurance phantom for cardiovascular imaging systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Pei-Jan P.

1998-07-01

With the advent of high heat loading capacity x-ray tubes, high frequency inverter type generators, and the use of spectral shaping filters, the automatic brightness/exposure control (ABC) circuit logic employed in the new generation of angiographic imaging equipment has been significantly reprogrammed. These new angiographic imaging systems are designed to take advantage of the power train capabilities to yield higher contrast images while maintaining, or lower, the patient exposure. Since the emphasis of the imaging system design has been significantly altered, the system performance parameters one is interested and the phantoms employed for the quality assurance must also change in order to properly evaluate the imaging capability of the cardiovascular imaging systems. A quality assurance (QA) phantom has been under development in this institution and was submitted to various interested organizations such as American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), Society for Cardiac Angiography & Interventions (SCA&I), and National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) for their review and input. At the same time, in an effort to establish a unified standard phantom design for the cardiac catheterization laboratories (CCL), SCA&I and NEMA have formed a joint work group in early 1997 to develop a suitable phantom. The initial QA phantom design has since been accepted to serve as the base phantom by the SCA&I- NEMA Joint Work Group (JWG) from which a comprehensive QA Phantom is being developed.

HaloTag technology for specific and covalent labeling of fusion proteins.

PubMed

Benink, Hélène A; Urh, Marjeta

2015-01-01

Appending proteins of interest to fluorescent protein tags such as GFP has revolutionized how proteins are studied in the cellular environment. Over the last few decades many varieties of fluorescent proteins have been generated, each bringing new capability to research. However, taking full advantage of standard fluorescent proteins with advanced and differential features requires significant effort on the part of the researcher. This approach necessitates that many genetic fusions be generated and confirmed to function properly in cells with the same protein of interest. To lessen this burden, a newer category of protein fusion tags termed "self-labeling protein tags" has been developed. This approach utilizes a single protein tag, the function of which can be altered by attaching various chemical moieties (fluorescent labels, affinity handles, etc.). In this way a single genetically encoded protein fusion can easily be given functional diversity and adaptability as supplied by synthetic chemistry. Here we present protein labeling methods using HaloTag technology; comprised of HaloTag protein and the collection of small molecules designed to bind it specifically and provide it with varied functionalities. For imaging purposes these small molecules, termed HaloTag ligands, contain distinct fluorophores. Due to covalent and rapid binding between HaloTag protein and its ligands, labeling is permanent and efficient. Many of these ligands have been optimized for permeability across cellular membranes allowing for live cell labeling and imaging analysis. Nonpermeable ligands have also been developed for specific labeling of surface proteins. Overall, HaloTag is a versatile technology that empowers the end user to label a protein of interest with the choice of different fluorophores while alleviating the need for generation of multiple genetic fusions.

Molecular electronics: The technology of sixth generation computers

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

Jarvis, M.T.; Miller, R.K.

1987-01-01

In February 1986, Japan began the 6th Generation project. At the 1987 Economic Summit in Venice, Prime Minister Yashuhiro Makasone opened the project to world collaboration. A project director suggests that the 6th Generation ''may just be a turning point for human society.'' The major rationale for building molecular electronic devices is to achieve advances in computational densities and speeds. Proposed chromophore chains for molecular-scale chips, for example, could be spaced closer than today's silicone elements by a factor of almost 100. This book describes the research and proposed designs for molecular electronic devices and computers. It examines specific potentialmore » applications and the relationship to molecular electronics to silicon technology and presents the first published survey of experts on research issues, applications, and forecast of future developments and also includes market forecast. An interesting suggestion of the survey is that the chemical industry may become a significant factor in the computer industry as the sixth generation unfolds.« less

Plasma motor generator system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hite, Gerald E.

1987-01-01

The significant potential advantages of a plasma motor generator system over conventional systems for the generation of electrical power and propulsion for spacecraft in low Earth orbits warrants its further investigation. The two main components of such a system are a long insulated wire and the plasma generating hollow cathodes needed to maintain electrical contact with the ionosphere. Results of preliminary theoretical and experimental investigations of this system are presented. The theoretical work involved the equilibrium configurations of the wire and the nature of small oscillation about these equilibrium positions. A particularly interesting result was that two different configurations are allowed when the current is above a critical value. Experimental investigations were made of the optimal starting and running conditions for the proposed, low current hollow cathodes. Although optimal ranges of temperature, argon pressure and discharge voltage were identified, start up became progressively more difficult. This supposed depletion or contamination of the emissive surface could be countered by the addition of new emissive material.

Ex vivo effects of an Oenothera paradoxa extract on the reactive oxygen species generation and neutral endopeptidase activity in neutrophils from patients after acute myocardial infarction.

PubMed

Kiss, Anna K; Kapłon-Cieślicka, Agnieszka; Filipiak, Krzysztof J; Opolski, Grzegorz; Naruszewicz, Marek

2012-04-01

Oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) is considered to play an important part in the aetiology of coronary heart disease. Apart from ROS, neutrophils are a source of neutral endopeptidase (NEP) that inactivates protective natriuretic peptides. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro ROS generation and inhibition of NEP activity in neutrophils obtained from healthy volunteers and from patients after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) by an aqueous extract of Oenothera paradoxa. Neutrophils isolated from AMI patients showed two-fold higher ROS generation compared with cells from healthy donors, especially in the lucigenin-enhanced luminescence model, which suggests intensive O₂⁻ generation. The addition of O. paradoxa extract at concentrations of 0.2, 2 and 20 µg/mL resulted in a significant reduction in ROS generation. The extracellular NEP activity was higher in patients after AMI compared with healthy individuals (15.0 ± 0.9 versus 10.3 ± 0.5 nmol AMC/10(6) cells/60 min; p = 0.001). The addition of O. paradoxa extract at concentrations of 20, 50 and 100 µg/mL resulted in a significant reduction in NEP activity in both groups. O. paradoxa extract appears to be an interesting candidate for supplementation in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Genetic algorithms in teaching artificial intelligence (automated generation of specific algebras)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habiballa, Hashim; Jendryscik, Radek

2017-11-01

The problem of teaching essential Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods is an important task for an educator in the branch of soft-computing. The key focus is often given to proper understanding of the principle of AI methods in two essential points - why we use soft-computing methods at all and how we apply these methods to generate reasonable results in sensible time. We present one interesting problem solved in the non-educational research concerning automated generation of specific algebras in the huge search space. We emphasize above mentioned points as an educational case study of an interesting problem in automated generation of specific algebras.

Radiation Sensors for Medical, Industrial and Environmental Applications: How to Engage with Schools and the General Public

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seitz, B.; Rivera, N. Campos; Gray, R.; Power, A.; Thomson, F.

2018-01-01

Radiation, radiation detection and radiation protection are topics in physics and its applications which generate a wide interest in the public. This interest is either generated through medical procedures, applications of nuclear energy or nuclear accidents. The technical nature of these topics usually means that they are not well covered in the…

MORAL ENHANCEMENT AND FREEDOM

PubMed Central

Harris, John

2011-01-01

This paper identifies human enhancement as one of the most significant areas of bioethical interest in the last twenty years. It discusses in more detail one area, namely moral enhancement, which is generating significant contemporary interest. The author argues that so far from being susceptible to new forms of high tech manipulation, either genetic, chemical, surgical or neurological, the only reliable methods of moral enhancement, either now or for the foreseeable future, are either those that have been in human and animal use for millennia, namely socialization, education and parental supervision or those high tech methods that are general in their application. By that is meant those forms of cognitive enhancement that operate across a wide range of cognitive abilities and do not target specifically ‘ethical’ capacities. The paper analyses the work of some of the leading contemporary advocates of moral enhancement and finds that in so far as they identify moral qualities or moral emotions for enhancement they have little prospect of success. PMID:21133978

Moral enhancement and freedom.

PubMed

Harris, John

2011-02-01

This paper identifies human enhancement as one of the most significant areas of bioethical interest in the last twenty years. It discusses in more detail one area, namely moral enhancement, which is generating significant contemporary interest. The author argues that so far from being susceptible to new forms of high tech manipulation, either genetic, chemical, surgical or neurological, the only reliable methods of moral enhancement, either now or for the foreseeable future, are either those that have been in human and animal use for millennia, namely socialization, education and parental supervision or those high tech methods that are general in their application. By that is meant those forms of cognitive enhancement that operate across a wide range of cognitive abilities and do not target specifically 'ethical' capacities. The paper analyses the work of some of the leading contemporary advocates of moral enhancement and finds that in so far as they identify moral qualities or moral emotions for enhancement they have little prospect of success. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Differential inhibitory action of apixaban on platelet and fibrin components of forming thrombi: Studies with circulating blood and in a platelet-based model of thrombin generation.

PubMed

Pujadas-Mestres, Lluis; Lopez-Vilchez, Irene; Arellano-Rodrigo, Eduardo; Reverter, Joan Carles; Lopez-Farre, Antonio; Diaz-Ricart, Maribel; Badimon, Juan Jose; Escolar, Gines

2017-01-01

Mechanisms of action of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) suggest a potential therapeutic use in the prevention of thrombotic complications in arterial territories. However, effects of DOACs on platelet activation and aggregation have not been explored in detail. We have investigated the effects of apixaban on platelet and fibrin components of thrombus formation under static and flow conditions. We assessed the effects of apixaban (10, 40 and 160 ng/mL) on: 1) platelet deposition and fibrin formation onto a thrombogenic surface, with blood circulating at arterial shear-rates; 2) viscoelastic properties of forming clots, and 3) thrombin generation in a cell-model of coagulation primed by platelets. In studies with flowing blood, only the highest concentration of apixaban, equivalent to the therapeutic Cmax, was capable to significantly reduce thrombus formation, fibrin association and platelet-aggregate formation. Apixaban significantly prolonged thromboelastometry parameters, but did not affect clot firmness. Interestingly, results in a platelet-based model of thrombin generation under more static conditions, revealed a dose dependent persistent inhibitory action by apixaban, with concentrations 4 to 16 times below the therapeutic Cmax significantly prolonging kinetic parameters and reducing the total amount of thrombin generated. Our studies demonstrate the critical impact of rheological conditions on the antithrombotic effects of apixaban. Studies under flow conditions combined with modified thrombin generation assays could help discriminating concentrations of apixaban that prevent excessive platelet accumulation, from those that deeply impair fibrin formation and may unnecessarily compromise hemostasis.

Differential inhibitory action of apixaban on platelet and fibrin components of forming thrombi: Studies with circulating blood and in a platelet-based model of thrombin generation

PubMed Central

Arellano-Rodrigo, Eduardo; Reverter, Joan Carles; Lopez-Farre, Antonio; Diaz-Ricart, Maribel; Badimon, Juan Jose; Escolar, Gines

2017-01-01

Introduction Mechanisms of action of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) suggest a potential therapeutic use in the prevention of thrombotic complications in arterial territories. However, effects of DOACs on platelet activation and aggregation have not been explored in detail. We have investigated the effects of apixaban on platelet and fibrin components of thrombus formation under static and flow conditions. Methods We assessed the effects of apixaban (10, 40 and 160 ng/mL) on: 1) platelet deposition and fibrin formation onto a thrombogenic surface, with blood circulating at arterial shear-rates; 2) viscoelastic properties of forming clots, and 3) thrombin generation in a cell-model of coagulation primed by platelets. Results In studies with flowing blood, only the highest concentration of apixaban, equivalent to the therapeutic Cmax, was capable to significantly reduce thrombus formation, fibrin association and platelet-aggregate formation. Apixaban significantly prolonged thromboelastometry parameters, but did not affect clot firmness. Interestingly, results in a platelet-based model of thrombin generation under more static conditions, revealed a dose dependent persistent inhibitory action by apixaban, with concentrations 4 to 16 times below the therapeutic Cmax significantly prolonging kinetic parameters and reducing the total amount of thrombin generated. Conclusions Our studies demonstrate the critical impact of rheological conditions on the antithrombotic effects of apixaban. Studies under flow conditions combined with modified thrombin generation assays could help discriminating concentrations of apixaban that prevent excessive platelet accumulation, from those that deeply impair fibrin formation and may unnecessarily compromise hemostasis. PMID:28192448

Arginine-assisted immobilization of silver nanoparticles on ZnO nanorods: an enhanced and reusable antibacterial substrate without human cell cytotoxicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agnihotri, Shekhar; Bajaj, Geetika; Mukherji, Suparna; Mukherji, Soumyo

2015-04-01

Silver-based hybrid nanomaterials are gaining interest as potential alternatives for conventional antimicrobial agents. Herein, we present a simple, facile and eco-friendly approach for the deposition of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on ZnO nanorods, which act as a nanoreactor for in situ synthesis and as an immobilizing template in the presence of arginine. The presence of arginine enhanced the stability of ZnO deposition on the glass substrate by hindering the dissolution of zinc under alkaline conditions. Various Ag/ZnO hybrid nanorod (HNR) samples were screened to obtain a high amount of silver immobilization on the ZnO substrate. Ag/ZnO HNRs displayed potent antibacterial ability and could achieve 100% kill for both Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis strains under various test conditions. The hybrid material mediated its dual mode of antibacterial action through direct contact-killing and release of silver ions/nanoparticles and showed superior bactericidal performance compared to pure ZnO nanorods and colloidal AgNPs. No significant decline in antibacterial efficacy was observed even after the same substrate was repeatedly reused multiple times. Interestingly, the amount of Ag and Zn release was much below their maximal limit in drinking water, thus preventing potential health hazards. Immobilized AgNPs showed no cytotoxic effects on the human hepatocarcinoma cell line (HepG2). Moreover, treating cells with the antibacterial substrate for 24 hours did not lead to significant generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The good biocompatibility and bactericidal efficacy would thus make it feasible to utilize this immobilization strategy for preparing new-generation antibacterial coatings.Silver-based hybrid nanomaterials are gaining interest as potential alternatives for conventional antimicrobial agents. Herein, we present a simple, facile and eco-friendly approach for the deposition of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on ZnO nanorods, which act as a nanoreactor for in situ synthesis and as an immobilizing template in the presence of arginine. The presence of arginine enhanced the stability of ZnO deposition on the glass substrate by hindering the dissolution of zinc under alkaline conditions. Various Ag/ZnO hybrid nanorod (HNR) samples were screened to obtain a high amount of silver immobilization on the ZnO substrate. Ag/ZnO HNRs displayed potent antibacterial ability and could achieve 100% kill for both Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis strains under various test conditions. The hybrid material mediated its dual mode of antibacterial action through direct contact-killing and release of silver ions/nanoparticles and showed superior bactericidal performance compared to pure ZnO nanorods and colloidal AgNPs. No significant decline in antibacterial efficacy was observed even after the same substrate was repeatedly reused multiple times. Interestingly, the amount of Ag and Zn release was much below their maximal limit in drinking water, thus preventing potential health hazards. Immobilized AgNPs showed no cytotoxic effects on the human hepatocarcinoma cell line (HepG2). Moreover, treating cells with the antibacterial substrate for 24 hours did not lead to significant generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The good biocompatibility and bactericidal efficacy would thus make it feasible to utilize this immobilization strategy for preparing new-generation antibacterial coatings. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Synthesis of ZnO nanorods, instrumentation details, contact killing of Ag/ZnO. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr06913g

Virus-host interactions: insights from the replication cycle of the large Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus.

PubMed

Milrot, Elad; Mutsafi, Yael; Fridmann-Sirkis, Yael; Shimoni, Eyal; Rechav, Katya; Gurnon, James R; Van Etten, James L; Minsky, Abraham

2016-01-01

The increasing interest in cytoplasmic factories generated by eukaryotic-infecting viruses stems from the realization that these highly ordered assemblies may contribute fundamental novel insights to the functional significance of order in cellular biology. Here, we report the formation process and structural features of the cytoplasmic factories of the large dsDNA virus Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus 1 (PBCV-1). By combining diverse imaging techniques, including scanning transmission electron microscopy tomography and focused ion beam technologies, we show that the architecture and mode of formation of PBCV-1 factories are significantly different from those generated by their evolutionary relatives Vaccinia and Mimivirus. Specifically, PBCV-1 factories consist of a network of single membrane bilayers acting as capsid templates in the central region, and viral genomes spread throughout the host cytoplasm but excluded from the membrane-containing sites. In sharp contrast, factories generated by Mimivirus have viral genomes in their core, with membrane biogenesis region located at their periphery. Yet, all viral factories appear to share structural features that are essential for their function. In addition, our studies support the notion that PBCV-1 infection, which was recently reported to result in significant pathological outcomes in humans and mice, proceeds through a bacteriophage-like infection pathway. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hybrid generative-discriminative human action recognition by combining spatiotemporal words with supervised topic models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Hao; Wang, Cheng; Wang, Boliang

2011-02-01

We present a hybrid generative-discriminative learning method for human action recognition from video sequences. Our model combines a bag-of-words component with supervised latent topic models. A video sequence is represented as a collection of spatiotemporal words by extracting space-time interest points and describing these points using both shape and motion cues. The supervised latent Dirichlet allocation (sLDA) topic model, which employs discriminative learning using labeled data under a generative framework, is introduced to discover the latent topic structure that is most relevant to action categorization. The proposed algorithm retains most of the desirable properties of generative learning while increasing the classification performance though a discriminative setting. It has also been extended to exploit both labeled data and unlabeled data to learn human actions under a unified framework. We test our algorithm on three challenging data sets: the KTH human motion data set, the Weizmann human action data set, and a ballet data set. Our results are either comparable to or significantly better than previously published results on these data sets and reflect the promise of hybrid generative-discriminative learning approaches.

Generation of Student Interest in an Inquiry-Based Mobile Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laine, Erkka; Veermans, Marjaana; Lahti, Aleksi; Veermans, Koen

2017-01-01

A declining trend in adolescents' interest in science learning and attitudes towards science-related careers has been reported during recent years. There has been a call for more motivating learning environments that inspire students to develop interest towards science. This study examines students' interest development in STEM subjects in an…

Clinical analysis of genome next-generation sequencing data using the Omicia platform

PubMed Central

Coonrod, Emily M; Margraf, Rebecca L; Russell, Archie; Voelkerding, Karl V; Reese, Martin G

2013-01-01

Aims Next-generation sequencing is being implemented in the clinical laboratory environment for the purposes of candidate causal variant discovery in patients affected with a variety of genetic disorders. The successful implementation of this technology for diagnosing genetic disorders requires a rapid, user-friendly method to annotate variants and generate short lists of clinically relevant variants of interest. This report describes Omicia’s Opal platform, a new software tool designed for variant discovery and interpretation in a clinical laboratory environment. The software allows clinical scientists to process, analyze, interpret and report on personal genome files. Materials & Methods To demonstrate the software, the authors describe the interactive use of the system for the rapid discovery of disease-causing variants using three cases. Results & Conclusion Here, the authors show the features of the Opal system and their use in uncovering variants of clinical significance. PMID:23895124

Silk-polypyrrole biocompatible actuator performance under biologically relevant conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagler, Jo'elen; Peterson, Ben; Murphy, Amanda; Leger, Janelle

Biocompatible actuators that are capable of controlled movement and can function under biologically relevant conditions are of significant interest in biomedical fields. Previously, we have demonstrated that a composite material of silk biopolymer and the conducting polymer polypyrrole (PPy) can be formed into a bilayer device that can bend under applied voltage. Further, these silk-PPy composites can generate forces comparable to human muscle (>0.1 MPa) making them ideal candidates for interfacing with biological tissues. Here silk-PPy composite films are tested for performance under biologically relevant conditions including exposure to a complex protein serum and biologically relevant temperatures. Free-end bending actuation performance, current response, force generation and, mass degradation were investigated . Preliminary results show that when exposed to proteins and biologically relevant temperatures, these silk-PPy composites show minimal degradation and are able to generate forces and conduct currents comparable to devices tested under standard conditions. NSF.

Advanced Plasma Pyrolysis Assembly (PPA) Reactor and Process Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wheeler, Richard R., Jr.; Hadley, Neal M.; Dahl, Roger W.; Abney, Morgan B.; Greenwood, Zachary; Miller, Lee; Medlen, Amber

2012-01-01

Design and development of a second generation Plasma Pyrolysis Assembly (PPA) reactor is currently underway as part of NASA's Atmosphere Revitalization Resource Recovery effort. By recovering up to 75% of the hydrogen currently lost as methane in the Sabatier reactor effluent, the PPA helps to minimize life support resupply costs for extended duration missions. To date, second generation PPA development has demonstrated significant technology advancements over the first generation device by doubling the methane processing rate while, at the same time, more than halving the required power. One development area of particular interest to NASA system engineers is fouling of the PPA reactor with carbonaceous products. As a mitigation plan, NASA MSFC has explored the feasibility of using an oxidative plasma based upon metabolic CO2 to regenerate the reactor window and gas inlet ports. The results and implications of this testing are addressed along with the advanced PPA reactor development.

The Advanced Gamma-Ray Imaging System (AGIS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, David A.; AGIS Collaboration

2009-01-01

The spectacular astrophysical discoveries made by the present generation of ground-based gamma-ray observatories have opened a new era in the exploration of the highest energy Universe and have conclusively established the field of very-high-energy (VHE) astronomy, covering the energy regime above about 50 GeV. The detection of nearly 100 galactic and extragalactic sources has generated considerable interest in the astronomy, astrophysics and particle physics communities and has stimulated ambitious ideas and plans for future gamma-ray observatories. AGIS is a concept for a next generation VHE observatory with a collecting area on the scale of a square kilometer being developed by an international collaboration. It would have significantly improved angular and energy resolution, increased field of view, and an order of magnitude increase in sensitivity over existing space or ground-based instruments in the energy range 40 GeV to 100 TeV. The scientific motivations and R&D roadmap for AGIS will be discussed.

Assessment of the Aerosol Generation and Toxicity of Carbon Nanotubes

PubMed Central

O’Shaughnessy, Patrick T.; Adamcakova-Dodd, Andrea; Altmaier, Ralph; Thorne, Peter S.

2014-01-01

Current interest in the pulmonary toxicity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has resulted in a need for an aerosol generation system that is capable of consistently producing a CNT aerosol at a desired concentration level. This two-part study was designed to: (1) assess the properties of a commercially-available aerosol generator when producing an aerosol from a purchased powder supply of double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs); and (2) assess the pulmonary sub-acute toxicity of DWCNTs in a murine model during a 5-day (4 h/day) whole-body exposure. The aerosol generator, consisting of a novel dustfeed mechanism and venturi ejector was determined to be capable of producing a DWCNT consistently over a 4 h exposure period at an average level of 10.8 mg/m3. The count median diameter was 121 nm with a geometric standard deviation of 2.04. The estimated deposited dose was 32 µg/mouse. The total number of cells in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was significantly (p < 0.01) increased in exposed mice compared to controls. Similarly, macrophages in BAL fluid were significantly elevated in exposed mice, but not neutrophils. All animals exposed to CNT and euthanized immediately after exposure had changes in the lung tissues showing acute inflammation and injury; however these pathological changes resolved two weeks after the exposure. PMID:28344231

Assessment of the Aerosol Generation and Toxicity of Carbon Nanotubes.

PubMed

O'Shaughnessy, Patrick T; Adamcakova-Dodd, Andrea; Altmaier, Ralph; Thorne, Peter S

2014-06-12

Current interest in the pulmonary toxicity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has resulted in a need for an aerosol generation system that is capable of consistently producing a CNT aerosol at a desired concentration level. This two-part study was designed to: (1) assess the properties of a commercially-available aerosol generator when producing an aerosol from a purchased powder supply of double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs); and (2) assess the pulmonary sub-acute toxicity of DWCNTs in a murine model during a 5-day (4 h/day) whole-body exposure. The aerosol generator, consisting of a novel dustfeed mechanism and venturi ejector was determined to be capable of producing a DWCNT consistently over a 4 h exposure period at an average level of 10.8 mg/m³. The count median diameter was 121 nm with a geometric standard deviation of 2.04. The estimated deposited dose was 32 µg/mouse. The total number of cells in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was significantly ( p < 0.01) increased in exposed mice compared to controls. Similarly, macrophages in BAL fluid were significantly elevated in exposed mice, but not neutrophils. All animals exposed to CNT and euthanized immediately after exposure had changes in the lung tissues showing acute inflammation and injury; however these pathological changes resolved two weeks after the exposure.

Analysis of Expressed Sequence Tags (EST) in Date Palm.

PubMed

Al-Faifi, Sulieman A; Migdadi, Hussein M; Algamdi, Salem S; Khan, Mohammad Altaf; Al-Obeed, Rashid S; Ammar, Megahed H; Jakse, Jerenj

2017-01-01

Expressed sequence tags (EST) were generated from a normalized cDNA library of the date palm Sukkari cv. to understand the high-quality and better field performance of this well-known commercial cultivar. A total of 6943 high-quality ESTs were generated, out of them 6671 are submitted to the GenBank dbEST (LIBEST_028537). The generated ESTs were assembled into 6362 unigenes, consisting of 494 (14.4%) contigs and 5868 (84.53%) singletons. The functional annotation shows that the majority of the ESTs are associated with binding (44%), catalytic (40%), transporter (5%), and structural molecular (5%) activities. The blastx results show that 73% of unigenes are significantly similar to known plant genes and 27% are novel. The latter could be of particular interest in date palm genetic studies. Further analysis shows that some ESTs are categorized as stress/defense- and fruit development-related genes. These newly generated ESTs could significantly enhance date palm EST databases in the public domain and are available to scientists and researchers across the globe. This knowledge will facilitate the discovery of candidate genes that govern important developmental and agronomical traits in date palm. It will provide important resources for developing genetic tools, comparative genomics, and genome evolution among date palm cultivars.

Measurement of temperature induced in bone during drilling in minimally invasive foot surgery.

PubMed

Omar, Noor Azzizah; McKinley, John C

2018-02-19

There has been growing interest in minimally invasive foot surgery due to the benefits it delivers in post-operative outcomes in comparison to conventional open methods of surgery. One of the major factors determining the protocol in minimally invasive surgery is to prevent iatrogenic thermal osteonecrosis. The aim of the study is to look at various drilling parameters in a minimally invasive surgery setting that would reduce the risk of iatrogenic thermal osteonecrosis. Sixteen fresh-frozen tarsal bones and two metatarsal bones were retrieved from three individuals and drilled using various settings. The parameters considered were drilling speed, drill diameter, and inter-individual cortical variability. Temperature measurements of heat generated at the drilling site were collected using two methods; thermocouple probe and infrared thermography. The data obtained were quantitatively analysed. There was a significant difference in the temperatures generated with different drilling speeds (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in temperatures recorded between the bones of different individuals and in bones drilled using different drill diameters. Thermocouple showed significantly more sensitive tool in measuring temperature compared to infrared thermography. Drilling at an optimal speed significantly reduced the risk of iatrogenic thermal osteonecrosis by maintaining temperature below the threshold level. Although different drilling diameters did not produce significant differences in temperature generation, there is a need for further study on the mechanical impact of using different drill diameters. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhanced microbial coalbed methane generation: A review of research, commercial activity, and remaining challenges

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ritter, Daniel J.; Vinson, David S.; Barnhart, Elliott P.; Akob, Denise M.; Fields, Matthew W.; Cunningham, Al B.; Orem, William H.; McIntosh, Jennifer C.

2015-01-01

Coalbed methane (CBM) makes up a significant portion of the world’s natural gas resources. The discovery that approximately 20% of natural gas is microbial in origin has led to interest in microbially enhanced CBM (MECoM), which involves stimulating microorganisms to produce additional CBM from existing production wells. This paper reviews current laboratory and field research on understanding processes and reservoir conditions which are essential for microbial CBM generation, the progress of efforts to stimulate microbial methane generation in coal beds, and key remaining knowledge gaps. Research has been primarily focused on identifying microbial communities present in areas of CBM generation and attempting to determine their function, in-situ reservoir conditions that are most favorable for microbial CBM generation, and geochemical indicators of metabolic pathways of methanogenesis (i.e., acetoclastic or hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis). Meanwhile, researchers at universities, government agencies, and companies have focused on four primary MECoM strategies: 1) microbial stimulation (i.e., addition of nutrients to stimulate native microbes); 2) microbial augmentation (i.e., addition of microbes not native to or abundant in the reservoir of interest); 3) physically increasing microbial access to coal and distribution of amendments; and 4) chemically increasing the bioavailability of coal organics. Most companies interested in MECoM have pursued microbial stimulation: Luca Technologies, Inc., successfully completed a pilot scale field test of their stimulation strategy, while two others, Ciris Energy and Next Fuel, Inc., have undertaken smaller scale field tests. Several key knowledge gaps remain that need to be addressed before MECoM strategies can be implemented commercially. Little is known about the bacterial community responsible for coal biodegradation and how these microorganisms may be stimulated to enhance microbial methanogenesis. In addition, research is needed to understand what fraction of coal is available for biodegradation, and methods need to be developed to determine the extent of in-situ coal biodegradation by MECoM processes for monitoring changes to coal quality. Questions also remain about how well field-scale pilot tests will scale to commercial production, how often amendments will need to be added to maintain new methane generation, and how well MECoM strategies transfer between coal basins with different formation water geochemistries and coal ranks. Addressing these knowledge gaps will be key in determining the feasibility and commercial viability of MECoM technology.

CH3NH3I post-treatment improves the performance of perovskite solar cells via eliminating the impure phases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Jingjing; Liang, Chunjun; Zhang, Huimin; Sun, Mengjie; Liu, Hong; Ji, Chao; Zhang, Xuewen; Li, Dan; He, Zhiqun

Organic-inorganic halide perovskites are currently generating extensive interest for applications in solar cells. The perovskite morphology and composition have significant roles in solar cells. Impure phases, which will influence the performance of solar cells, are inevitably present in the film of perovskite. We found that another MAI deposition on the previous perovskite could ameliorate the film. The post-deposited MAI participates in the reconstruction of the perovskite, leading to reduced amount of impure phase, increased grain size, increased absorption and significantly improved power conversion efficiency. The results demonstrate a treatment approach to fabricate efficient planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells.

Hydropower Baseline Cost Modeling

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

O'Connor, Patrick W.; Zhang, Qin Fen; DeNeale, Scott T.

Recent resource assessments conducted by the United States Department of Energy have identified significant opportunities for expanding hydropower generation through the addition of power to non-powered dams and on undeveloped stream-reaches. Additional interest exists in the powering of existing water resource infrastructure such as conduits and canals, upgrading and expanding existing hydropower facilities, and the construction new pumped storage hydropower. Understanding the potential future role of these hydropower resources in the nation’s energy system requires an assessment of the environmental and techno-economic issues associated with expanding hydropower generation. To facilitate these assessments, this report seeks to fill the current gapsmore » in publically available hydropower cost-estimating tools that can support the national-scale evaluation of hydropower resources.« less

Hydropower Baseline Cost Modeling, Version 2

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

O'Connor, Patrick W.

Recent resource assessments conducted by the United States Department of Energy have identified significant opportunities for expanding hydropower generation through the addition of power to non-powered dams and on undeveloped stream-reaches. Additional interest exists in the powering of existing water resource infrastructure such as conduits and canals, upgrading and expanding existing hydropower facilities, and the construction new pumped storage hydropower. Understanding the potential future role of these hydropower resources in the nation’s energy system requires an assessment of the environmental and techno-economic issues associated with expanding hydropower generation. To facilitate these assessments, this report seeks to fill the current gapsmore » in publically available hydropower cost estimating tools that can support the national-scale evaluation of hydropower resources.« less

Interests diffusion in social networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Agostino, Gregorio; D'Antonio, Fulvio; De Nicola, Antonio; Tucci, Salvatore

2015-10-01

We provide a model for diffusion of interests in Social Networks (SNs). We demonstrate that the topology of the SN plays a crucial role in the dynamics of the individual interests. Understanding cultural phenomena on SNs and exploiting the implicit knowledge about their members is attracting the interest of different research communities both from the academic and the business side. The community of complexity science is devoting significant efforts to define laws, models, and theories, which, based on acquired knowledge, are able to predict future observations (e.g. success of a product). In the mean time, the semantic web community aims at engineering a new generation of advanced services by defining constructs, models and methods, adding a semantic layer to SNs. In this context, a leapfrog is expected to come from a hybrid approach merging the disciplines above. Along this line, this work focuses on the propagation of individual interests in social networks. The proposed framework consists of the following main components: a method to gather information about the members of the social networks; methods to perform some semantic analysis of the Domain of Interest; a procedure to infer members' interests; and an interests evolution theory to predict how the interests propagate in the network. As a result, one achieves an analytic tool to measure individual features, such as members' susceptibilities and authorities. Although the approach applies to any type of social network, here it is has been tested against the computer science research community. The DBLP (Digital Bibliography and Library Project) database has been elected as test-case since it provides the most comprehensive list of scientific production in this field.

Postdoctoral Fellow | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

A postdoctoral training position in translational cancer biology is currently available in the Laboratory of Genitourinary Cancer Pathogenesis (LGCP) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The position is located in the laboratory of David VanderWeele M.D., Ph.D., whose research group uses in vitro and in vivo functional studies and pathology specimens and next-generation sequencing data to identify and target drivers of prostate cancer progression. The laboratory is interested in characterizing clinically significant, potentially lethal prostate cancer. We are specifically interested in molecular alterations that drive progression of subclones to dominance development of metastatic disease and characterizing therapeutic vulnerabilities. Current work is aimed at using xenograft and organoid models to further characterize the role of putative drivers of progression, and to develop ways to target these alterations.

Playing the Simon game: use of the Simon task for investigating human information processing.

PubMed

Proctor, Robert W

2011-02-01

A little more than 40 years ago, J. R. Simon and colleagues introduced what is now called the Simon task, which yielded a correspondence effect known as the Simon effect. In this paper, I set Simon's contribution in the context of research on stimulus-response compatibility. The novel contribution of the Simon task is described, along with foundational findings using the task that Simon and colleagues reported. I acknowledge the significance of Simon's (1990) review chapter in generating my own interests in the Simon task and describe four selected lines of research from my lab that have been a result of those interests. The article concludes with a brief tribute to Simon and his contribution to experimental psychology. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The biochemistry of hematopoietic stem cell development.

PubMed

Kaimakis, P; Crisan, M; Dzierzak, E

2013-02-01

The cornerstone of the adult hematopoietic system and clinical treatments for blood-related disease is the cohort of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) that is harbored in the adult bone marrow microenvironment. Interestingly, this cohort of HSCs is generated only during a short window of developmental time. In mammalian embryos, hematopoietic progenitor and HSC generation occurs within several extra- and intraembryonic microenvironments, most notably from 'hemogenic' endothelial cells lining the major vasculature. HSCs are made through a remarkable transdifferentiation of endothelial cells to a hematopoietic fate that is long-lived and self-renewable. Recent studies are beginning to provide an understanding of the biochemical signaling pathways and transcription factors/complexes that promote their generation. The focus of this review is on the biochemistry behind the generation of these potent long-lived self-renewing stem cells of the blood system. Both the intrinsic (master transcription factors) and extrinsic regulators (morphogens and growth factors) that affect the generation, maintenance and expansion of HSCs in the embryo will be discussed. The generation of HSCs is a stepwise process involving many developmental signaling pathways, morphogens and cytokines. Pivotal hematopoietic transcription factors are required for their generation. Interestingly, whereas these factors are necessary for HSC generation, their expression in adult bone marrow HSCs is oftentimes not required. Thus, the biochemistry and molecular regulation of HSC development in the embryo are overlapping, but differ significantly from the regulation of HSCs in the adult. HSC numbers for clinical use are limiting, and despite much research into the molecular basis of HSC regulation in the adult bone marrow, no panel of growth factors, interleukins and/or morphogens has been found to sufficiently increase the number of these important stem cells. An understanding of the biochemistry of HSC generation in the developing embryo provides important new knowledge on how these complex stem cells are made, sustained and expanded in the embryo to give rise to the complete adult hematopoietic system, thus stimulating novel strategies for producing increased numbers of clinically useful HSCs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Biochemistry of Stem Cells. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Applications of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) in Molten Metal Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudson, Shaymus W.; Craparo, Joseph; De Saro, Robert; Apelian, Diran

2017-10-01

In order for metals to meet the demand for critical applications in the automotive, aerospace, and defense industries, tight control over the composition and cleanliness of the metal must be achieved. The use of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for applications in metal processing has generated significant interest for its ability to perform quick analyses in situ. The fundamentals of LIBS, current techniques for deployment on molten metal, demonstrated capabilities, and possible avenues for development are reviewed and discussed.

Development of Assays for Detecting Significant Prostate Cancer Based on Molecular Alterations Associated with Cancer in Non-Neoplastic Prostate Tissue

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-01

proposal for the first phase of the project, gene expression and epigenetic alterations are to be analyzed by next generation sequencing. Laser captured... genes and also alternative splicing events which could provide valuable biomarkers for this project. We required RRBS libraries for the methylation...regulated compared to BP in both the benign tissue adjacent to cancer (BPC) and in prostate cancer. Interestingly, both of these genes can also be

Significance of ERa and c-Src Interaction in the Progression of Hormone Independent Breast Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-12-01

defects in estrogen signaling [1]. Because of global defects in estrogen signaling observed in these c-Src deficient mice, we have recently generated...1998). Interestingly, the region of the kinase domain of ErbB-2 that correlates with c-Src association, referred to as TK2 (Segatto et al., 1991...ductive organs that are dependent on ERa in c-Src- deficient mice. We show that the loss of the c-Src tyrosine kinase correlates with defects in ductal

Implementing Legacy-C Algorithms in FPGA Co-Processors for Performance Accelerated Smart Payloads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pingree, Paula J.; Scharenbroich, Lucas J.; Werne, Thomas A.; Hartzell, Christine

2008-01-01

Accurate, on-board classification of instrument data is used to increase science return by autonomously identifying regions of interest for priority transmission or generating summary products to conserve transmission bandwidth. Due to on-board processing constraints, such classification has been limited to using the simplest functions on a small subset of the full instrument data. FPGA co-processor designs for SVM1 classifiers will lead to significant improvement in on-board classification capability and accuracy.

Microfluidics for Drug Discovery and Development: From Target Selection to Product Lifecycle Management

PubMed Central

Kang, Lifeng; Chung, Bong Geun; Langer, Robert; Khademhosseini, Ali

2009-01-01

Microfluidic technologies’ ability to miniaturize assays and increase experimental throughput have generated significant interest in the drug discovery and development domain. These characteristics make microfluidic systems a potentially valuable tool for many drug discovery and development applications. Here, we review the recent advances of microfluidic devices for drug discovery and development and highlight their applications in different stages of the process, including target selection, lead identification, preclinical tests, clinical trials, chemical synthesis, formulations studies, and product management. PMID:18190858

Wind waves generated by Typhoon Vamei in the southern South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammed, Aboobacker; Tkalich, Pavel; Krishnakumar, Vinod Kumar; Ponnumony, Vethamony

2013-04-01

Typhoon-generated waves are of interest scientifically for understanding wind-wave interaction physics, as well as operationally for predicting potential hazards. The Typhoon Vamei formed in the southern South China Sea (SCS) was one of the rare typhoon events that occurred near the equator. The typhoon developed on 26 Dec 2001 at 1.4°N in the southern SCS, strengthened quickly, made a landfall along the southeast coast of Malaysia and dissipated over Sumatra on 28 Dec 2001. With the wind speeds were as high as 36 m/s in the southern SCS, this event has significantly affected the atmospheric and oceanic conditions over the region. In the present study, we aim at understanding the wind wave characteristics induced by Vamei along the Sunda Shelf and the southeast coast of Malaysia. Wind velocity vectors over the southern SCS have been simulated for 22-30 Dec 2001 using Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. These winds have been forced in a third generation wave model to compute the wind waves in the affected domain. Simulated significant wave heights reach as high as 7.5m off the southeast coast of Malaysia and 5.8m in the Singapore Strait (SS). Wave propagation from the SCS to the SS is highly noticeable during the typhoon event. Directional distribution and propagation of the Vamei generated waves towards the southeast coast of Malaysia and part of Singapore region have been discussed. Keywords: South China Sea; wind waves; typhoon; numerical modelling; significant wave height.

Investigating Turkish Primary School Students' Interest in Science by Using Their Self-Generated Questions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cakmakci, Gultekin; Sevindik, Hatice; Pektas, Meryem; Uysal, Asli; Kole, Fatma; Kavak, Gamze

2012-06-01

This paper reports on an attempt to investigate Turkish primary school students' interest in science by using their self-generated questions. We investigated students' interest in science by analyzing 1704 self-generated science-related questions. Among them, 826 questions were submitted to a popular science magazine called Science and Children. Such a self-selected sample may represent a group of students who have a higher level of motivation to seek sources of information outside their formal education and have more access to resources than the students of low social classes. To overcome this problem, 739 students were asked to write a question that they wanted to learn from a scientist and as a result 878 questions were gathered. Those students were selected from 13 different schools at 9 cities in Turkey. These schools were selected to represent a mixture of socioeconomic areas and also to cover different students' profile. Students' questions were classified into two main categories: the field of interest and the cognitive level of the question. The results point to the popularity of biology, astrophysics, nature of scientific inquiry, technology and physics over other science areas, as well as indicating a difference in interest according to gender, grade level and the setting in which the questions were asked. However, our study suggests that only considering questions submitted to informal learning environments, such as popular science magazines or Ask-A-Scientist Internet sites has limitations and deficiencies. Other methodologies of data collection also need to be considered in designing teaching and school science curriculum to meet students' needs and interest. The findings from our study tend to challenge existing thinking from other studies. Our results show that self-generated questions asked in an informal and a formal setting have different patterns. Some aspects of students' self-generated questions and their implications for policy, science curriculum reform and teaching are discussed in this paper.

A Statistical Analysis of the Economic Drivers of Battery Energy Storage in Commercial Buildings: Preprint

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

Long, Matthew; Simpkins, Travis; Cutler, Dylan

There is significant interest in using battery energy storage systems (BESS) to reduce peak demand charges, and therefore the life cycle cost of electricity, in commercial buildings. This paper explores the drivers of economic viability of BESS in commercial buildings through statistical analysis. A sample population of buildings was generated, a techno-economic optimization model was used to size and dispatch the BESS, and the resulting optimal BESS sizes were analyzed for relevant predictor variables. Explanatory regression analyses were used to demonstrate that peak demand charges are the most significant predictor of an economically viable battery, and that the shape ofmore » the load profile is the most significant predictor of the size of the battery.« less

A Statistical Analysis of the Economic Drivers of Battery Energy Storage in Commercial Buildings

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

Long, Matthew; Simpkins, Travis; Cutler, Dylan

There is significant interest in using battery energy storage systems (BESS) to reduce peak demand charges, and therefore the life cycle cost of electricity, in commercial buildings. This paper explores the drivers of economic viability of BESS in commercial buildings through statistical analysis. A sample population of buildings was generated, a techno-economic optimization model was used to size and dispatch the BESS, and the resulting optimal BESS sizes were analyzed for relevant predictor variables. Explanatory regression analyses were used to demonstrate that peak demand charges are the most significant predictor of an economically viable battery, and that the shape ofmore » the load profile is the most significant predictor of the size of the battery.« less

Identifying Underlying Causes of Situational Interest in a Science Course for Preservice Elementary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, David H.; Dixon, Jeanette; Archer, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Situational interest is short-term interest that is linked to environmental factors in a particular situation. Previous studies have found that some science teaching techniques can be very effective in generating situational interest among students, but the reasons why these are effective remain unclear: Hands-on activities, for example, are known…

A THEORETICAL INVESTIGATION OF RADIOLYTIC H2 GENERATION FROM SOLIDS

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

Westbrook, M.; Sindelar, R.; Fisher, D.

2012-02-01

Hydrogen generation from materials in nuclear materials storage is of critical interest due to the potential for pressurization and/or flammability issues. Studies have focused on aqueous systems or those with minor amounts of physisorbed water, since conventional knowledge identifies the radiolytic decomposition of water as the source of H{sub 2} gas. Furthermore, the approach to characterize gas generation is typically strictly empirical, relying on determination of G-values from which production in systems is estimated. Interestingly, exploratory work at SRNL1 on gamma exposure to fully-dried solids with chemically-bound water that are typical of those produced on aluminium-clad nuclear fuel in reactormore » and post-discharge storage has shown a profound production of hydrogen (as the sole gaseous species) from fully dried boehmite ({gamma}-AlOOH or Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} {center_dot} H{sub 2}O) powders and no observable hydrogen from gibbsite ({gamma}-Al(OH){sub 3} or Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} {center_dot} 3H{sub 2}O) under gamma irradiation from cobalt-60. This observation is significant in that gibbsite is known to thermally decompose at 80 C whereas boehmite is stable to 400 C. Radiation damage can have various effects on solids, including heating, bond breaking, and rearrangements in the bonding structure. For example, a molecule can be ionized resulting in the generation of free electrons which can, in turn, ionize another molecule. Alternately, reactive radical species such as {lg_bullet}OH or cation species may be formed, which can go on to change bonding structures.« less

Managing intergenerational differences in academic anesthesiology.

PubMed

Shangraw, Robert E; Whitten, Charles W

2007-12-01

Common definitions for workplace generations are the silent generation (born 1925-1945), the baby boomer generation (1946-1962), generation X (1963-1981), and generation Y (1982-2000). Distinct motivational and value perceptions stereotype generations. This review defines the characteristics of workplace generations today and provides insight into how differences influence the workplace environment. Senior faculty members are mostly boomers, whereas residents and junior faculty members tend to belong to generation X. Medical students and incoming interns are from generation Y. When compared with boomers, generation X is more savvy with technology, more independent, less loyal to the institution, and seeks balance between work and lifestyle. The 80-h resident working week restriction has reinforced differences between older and younger physicians. Generation Y exhibits traits that are similar to those of generation X. Their increased interest in anesthesiology may reflect, in part, their assumption that it affords better control of lifestyle. Understanding, improved communication strategies, mentorship, and flexibility in methods employed to achieve common goals are most likely to capture the interest and cooperation of members of generation X and possibly Y. Future studies should test effects of particular interventions on outcome in terms of recruitment and performance milestones.

Effects of covert and overt paradigms in clinical language fMRI.

PubMed

Partovi, Sasan; Konrad, Florian; Karimi, Sasan; Rengier, Fabian; Lyo, John K; Zipp, Lisa; Nennig, Ernst; Stippich, Christoph

2012-05-01

The aim of this study was to assess the intrasubject and intersubject reproducibility of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) language paradigms on language localization and lateralization. Fourteen healthy volunteers were enrolled prospectively and underwent language fMRI using visually triggered covert and overt sentence generation (SG) and word generation (WG) paradigms. Semiautomated analysis of all functional data was performed using Brain Voyager on an individual basis. Regions of interest for Broca's area, Wernicke's area, and their contralateral homologues were drawn. The Euclidean coordinates of the center of gravidity (x, y, and z) of the respective blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) activation cluster, and the correlation of the measured hemodynamic response to the applied reference function (r), relative BOLD signal change as BOLD signal characteristics were measured in each region of interest. Regional lateralization indexes were calculated for Broca's area, Wernicke's area, and their contralateral homologues separately. Wilcoxon's signed-rank test was applied for statistical comparisons (P values < .05 were considered significant). Ten of the 14 volunteers had three repeated measurements to test intrasession reproducibility and intersession reproducibility. Overall activation rates for the four paradigms were 89% for covert SG, 82% for overt SG, 89% for covert WG, and 100% for overt WG. When comparing covert and overt paradigms, language localization was significantly different in 17% (Euclidean coordinates) and 19% (BOLD signal characteristics), respectively. Language lateralization was significantly different in 75%. Intrasubject and intersubject reproducibility was excellent, with 3.3% significant differences among all five parameters for language localization and 0% significant differences for language lateralization using covert paradigms. Covert language paradigms (SG and WG) provided highly robust and reproducible localization and lateralization of essential language centers for scans performed on the same and different days. Their overt counterparts achieved confirmatory localization but lower lateralization capabilities. Reference data for presurgical application are provided. Copyright © 2012 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Traction force microscopy of engineered cardiac tissues.

PubMed

Pasqualini, Francesco Silvio; Agarwal, Ashutosh; O'Connor, Blakely Bussie; Liu, Qihan; Sheehy, Sean P; Parker, Kevin Kit

2018-01-01

Cardiac tissue development and pathology have been shown to depend sensitively on microenvironmental mechanical factors, such as extracellular matrix stiffness, in both in vivo and in vitro systems. We present a novel quantitative approach to assess cardiac structure and function by extending the classical traction force microscopy technique to tissue-level preparations. Using this system, we investigated the relationship between contractile proficiency and metabolism in neonate rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM) cultured on gels with stiffness mimicking soft immature (1 kPa), normal healthy (13 kPa), and stiff diseased (90 kPa) cardiac microenvironments. We found that tissues engineered on the softest gels generated the least amount of stress and had the smallest work output. Conversely, cardiomyocytes in tissues engineered on healthy- and disease-mimicking gels generated significantly higher stresses, with the maximal contractile work measured in NRVM engineered on gels of normal stiffness. Interestingly, although tissues on soft gels exhibited poor stress generation and work production, their basal metabolic respiration rate was significantly more elevated than in other groups, suggesting a highly ineffective coupling between energy production and contractile work output. Our novel platform can thus be utilized to quantitatively assess the mechanotransduction pathways that initiate tissue-level structural and functional remodeling in response to substrate stiffness.

Viral infections and breast cancer - A current perspective.

PubMed

Gannon, O M; Antonsson, A; Bennett, I C; Saunders, N A

2018-04-28

Sporadic human breast cancer is the most common cancer to afflict women. Since the discovery, decades ago, of the oncogenic mouse mammary tumour virus, there has been significant interest in the potential aetiologic role of infectious agents in sporadic human breast cancer. To address this, many studies have examined the presence of viruses (e.g. papillomaviruses, herpes viruses and retroviruses), endogenous retroviruses and more recently, microbes, as a means of implicating them in the aetiology of human breast cancer. Such studies have generated conflicting experimental and clinical reports of the role of infection in breast cancer. This review evaluates the current evidence for a productive oncogenic viral infection in human breast cancer, with a focus on the integration of sensitive and specific next generation sequencing technologies with pathogen discovery. Collectively, the majority of the recent literature using the more powerful next generation sequencing technologies fail to support an oncogenic viral infection being involved in disease causality in breast cancer. In balance, the weight of the current experimental evidence supports the conclusion that viral infection is unlikely to play a significant role in the aetiology of breast cancer. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Leading Generative Groups: A Conceptual Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

London, Manuel; Sobel-Lojeski, Karen A.; Reilly, Richard R.

2012-01-01

This article presents a conceptual model of leadership in generative groups. Generative groups have diverse team members who are expected to develop innovative solutions to complex, unstructured problems. The challenge for leaders of generative groups is to balance (a) establishing shared goals with recognizing members' vested interests, (b)…

Motivational profiles of medical students: Association with study effort, academic performance and exhaustion

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Students enter the medical study with internally generated motives like genuine interest (intrinsic motivation) and/or externally generated motives like parental pressure or desire for status or prestige (controlled motivation). According to Self-determination theory (SDT), students could differ in their study effort, academic performance and adjustment to the study depending on the endorsement of intrinsic motivation versus controlled motivation. The objectives of this study were to generate motivational profiles of medical students using combinations of high or low intrinsic and controlled motivation and test whether different motivational profiles are associated with different study outcomes. Methods Participating students (N = 844) from University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands, were classified to different subgroups through K-means cluster analysis using intrinsic and controlled motivation scores. Cluster membership was used as an independent variable to assess differences in study strategies, self-study hours, academic performance and exhaustion from study. Results Four clusters were obtained: High Intrinsic High Controlled (HIHC), Low Intrinsic High Controlled (LIHC), High Intrinsic Low Controlled (HILC), and Low Intrinsic Low Controlled (LILC). HIHC profile, including the students who are interest + status motivated, constituted 25.2% of the population (N = 213). HILC profile, including interest-motivated students, constituted 26.1% of the population (N = 220). LIHC profile, including status-motivated students, constituted 31.8% of the population (N = 268). LILC profile, including students who have a low-motivation and are neither interest nor status motivated, constituted 16.9% of the population (N = 143). Interest-motivated students (HILC) had significantly more deep study strategy (p < 0.001) and self-study hours (p < 0.05), higher GPAs (p < 0.001) and lower exhaustion (p < 0.001) than status-motivated (LIHC) and low-motivation (LILC) students. Conclusions The interest-motivated profile of medical students (HILC) is associated with good study hours, deep study strategy, good academic performance and low exhaustion from study. The interest + status motivated profile (HIHC) was also found to be associated with a good learning profile, except that students with this profile showed higher surface strategy. Low-motivation (LILC) and status-motivated profiles (LIHC) were associated with the least desirable learning behaviours. PMID:23782767

Prediction of Interests from Values: A Longitudinal Investigation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Avonne; And Others

Interest in the attitude-behavior relationship has generated much research since the concept was introduced into research in 1934. This study examined the relationship between values and behavioral intentions, specifically in regard to interest in entering a particular medical specialization. Using structural equation techniques and a longitudinal…

Prognostic alternative mRNA splicing signature in non-small cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Li, Yuan; Sun, Nan; Lu, Zhiliang; Sun, Shouguo; Huang, Jianbing; Chen, Zhaoli; He, Jie

2017-05-01

Alternative splicing provides a major mechanism to generate protein diversity. Increasing evidence suggests a link of dysregulation of splicing associated with cancer. Genome-wide alternative splicing profiling in lung cancer remains largely unstudied. We generated alternative splicing profiles in 491 lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and 471 lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) patients in TCGA using RNA-seq data, prognostic models and splicing networks were built by integrated bioinformatics analysis. A total of 3691 and 2403 alternative splicing events were significantly associated with patient survival in LUAD and LUSC, respectively, including EGFR, CD44, PIK3C3, RRAS2, MAPKAP1 and FGFR2. The area under the curve of the receiver-operator characteristic curve for prognostic predictor in NSCLC was 0.817 at 2000 days of overall survival which were also over 0.8 in LUAD and LUSC, separately. Interestingly, splicing correlation networks uncovered opposite roles of splicing factors in LUAD and LUSC. We created prognostic predictors based on alternative splicing events with high performances for risk stratification in NSCLC patients and uncovered interesting splicing networks in LUAD and LUSC which could be underlying mechanisms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Physics in Context--A Means to Encourage Student Interest in Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waltner, Christine; Wiesner, Hartmut; Rachel, Alexander

2007-01-01

Physics instruction that is student oriented will generate a long-term individual interest and therefore a lifelong openness to science. Phenomena of nature are part of the fields of interest which provide context leading to greater student interest. In this paper we present the locomotion of fish and sperm in a way which can be used to teach in…

Catalytic activity in lithium-treated core–shell MoO x/MoS 2 nanowires

DOE PAGES

Cummins, Dustin R.; Martinez, Ulises; Kappera, Rajesh; ...

2015-09-22

Significant interest has grown in the development of earth-abundant and efficient catalytic materials for hydrogen generation. Layered transition metal dichalcogenides present opportunities for efficient electrocatalytic systems. Here, we report the modification of 1D MoO x/MoS 2 core–shell nanostructures by lithium intercalation and the corresponding changes in morphology, structure, and mechanism of H 2 evolution. The 1D nanowires exhibit significant improvement in H 2 evolution properties after lithiation, reducing the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) onset potential by ~50 mV and increasing the generated current density by ~600%. The high electrochemical activity in the nanowires results from disruption of MoS 2 layersmore » in the outer shell, leading to increased activity and concentration of defect sites. This is in contrast to the typical mechanism of improved catalysis following lithium exfoliation, i.e., crystal phase transformation. As a result, these structural changes are verified by a combination of Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).« less

Plasma dye coating as straightforward and widely applicable procedure for dye immobilization on polymeric materials.

PubMed

De Smet, Lieselot; Vancoillie, Gertjan; Minshall, Peter; Lava, Kathleen; Steyaert, Iline; Schoolaert, Ella; Van De Walle, Elke; Dubruel, Peter; De Clerck, Karen; Hoogenboom, Richard

2018-03-16

Here, we introduce a novel concept for the fabrication of colored materials with significantly reduced dye leaching through covalent immobilization of the desired dye using plasma-generated surface radicals. This plasma dye coating (PDC) procedure immobilizes a pre-adsorbed layer of a dye functionalized with a radical sensitive group on the surface through radical addition caused by a short plasma treatment. The non-specific nature of the plasma-generated surface radicals allows for a wide variety of dyes including azobenzenes and sulfonphthaleins, functionalized with radical sensitive groups to avoid significant dye degradation, to be combined with various materials including PP, PE, PA6, cellulose, and PTFE. The wide applicability, low consumption of dye, relatively short procedure time, and the possibility of continuous PDC using an atmospheric plasma reactor make this procedure economically interesting for various applications ranging from simple coloring of a material to the fabrication of chromic sensor fabrics as demonstrated by preparing a range of halochromic materials.

Sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS) for complex molecular surfaces and interfaces: Spectral lineshape measurement and analysis plus some controversial issues

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

Wang, Hong-Fei

Sum-frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS) was first developed in the 1980s and it has been proven a uniquely sensitive and surface/interface selective spectroscopic probe for characterization of the structure, conformation and dynamics of molecular surfaces and interfaces. In recent years, there has been significant progress in the development of methodology and instrumentation in the SFG-VS toolbox that has significantly broadened the application to complex molecular surfaces and interfaces. In this review, after presenting a unified view on the theory and methodology focusing on the SFG-VS spectral lineshape, as well as the new opportunities in SFG-VS applications with such developments, somemore » of the controversial issues that have been puzzling the community are to be discussed. The aim of this review is to present to the researchers and students interested in molecular surfaces and interfacial sciences up-to-date perspectives complementary to the existing textbooks and reviews on SFG-VS.« less

Sequence divergence of microsatellites for phylogeographic assessment of Moroccan Medicago species.

PubMed

Zitouna, N; Marghali, S; Gharbi, M; Haddioui, A; Trifi-Farah, N

2014-03-12

Six Medicago species were investigated to characterize and valorize plant genetic resources of pastoral interest in Morocco. Samples were obtained from the core collection of the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI). The transferability of single sequence repeat markers of Medicago truncatula was successful with 97.6% efficiency across the five species. A total of 283 alleles and 243 genotypes were generated using seven SSR markers, confirming the high level of polymorphism that is characteristic of the Medicago genus, despite a heterozygosity deficit (HO = 0.378; HE = 0.705). In addition, a high level of gene flow was revealed among the species analyzed with significant intra-specific variation. The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean dendrogram generated by the dissimilarity matrix revealed that M. polymorpha and M. orbicularis are closely related, and that M. truncatula is likely the ancestral species. The Pearson correlation index revealed no significant correlations between the geographic distribution of the Moroccan species and genetic similarities, indicating local adaptation of these species to different ecological environments independent of their topographical proximities. The substantial genetic variation observed was likely due to the predominance of selfing species, the relative proximity of prospected sites, human impacts, and the nature of the SARDI core collections, which are selected for their high genetic diversity. The results of this first report on Moroccan Medicago species will be of great interest for establishing strategies aiming at reasonable management and selection programs for local and Mediterranean germplasm in the face of increasing environmental change.

Combinatorial Study of the Li-Ni-Mn-Co Oxide Pseudoquaternary System for Use in Li-Ion Battery Materials Research.

PubMed

Brown, Colby R; McCalla, Eric; Watson, Cody; Dahn, J R

2015-06-08

Combinatorial synthesis has proven extremely effective in screening for new battery materials for Li-ion battery electrodes. Here, a study in the Li-Ni-Mn-Co-O system is presented, wherein samples with nearly 800 distinct compositions were prepared using a combinatorial and high-throughput method to screen for single-phase materials of high interest as next generation positive electrode materials. X-ray diffraction is used to determine the crystal structure of each sample. The Gibbs' pyramid representing the pseudoquaternary system was studied by making samples within three distinct pseudoternary planes defined at fractional cobalt metal contents of 10%, 20%, and 30% within the Li-Ni-Mn-Co-O system. Two large single-phase regions were observed in the system: the layered region (ordered rocksalt) and cubic spinel region; both of which are of interest for next-generation positive electrodes in lithium-ion batteries. These regions were each found to stretch over a wide range of compositions within the Li-Ni-Mn-Co-O pseudoquaternary system and had complex coexistence regions existing between them. The sample cooling rate was found to have a significant effect on the position of the phase boundaries of the single-phase regions. The results of this work are intended to guide further research by narrowing the composition ranges worthy of study and to illustrate the broad range of applications where solution-based combinatorial synthesis can have significant impact.

Aerodynamic beam generator for large particles

DOEpatents

Brockmann, John E.; Torczynski, John R.; Dykhuizen, Ronald C.; Neiser, Richard A.; Smith, Mark F.

2002-01-01

A new type of aerodynamic particle beam generator is disclosed. This generator produces a tightly focused beam of large material particles at velocities ranging from a few feet per second to supersonic speeds, depending on the exact configuration and operating conditions. Such generators are of particular interest for use in additive fabrication techniques.

Accelerated Brain DCE-MRI Using Iterative Reconstruction With Total Generalized Variation Penalty for Quantitative Pharmacokinetic Analysis: A Feasibility Study.

PubMed

Wang, Chunhao; Yin, Fang-Fang; Kirkpatrick, John P; Chang, Zheng

2017-08-01

To investigate the feasibility of using undersampled k-space data and an iterative image reconstruction method with total generalized variation penalty in the quantitative pharmacokinetic analysis for clinical brain dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Eight brain dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging scans were retrospectively studied. Two k-space sparse sampling strategies were designed to achieve a simulated image acquisition acceleration factor of 4. They are (1) a golden ratio-optimized 32-ray radial sampling profile and (2) a Cartesian-based random sampling profile with spatiotemporal-regularized sampling density constraints. The undersampled data were reconstructed to yield images using the investigated reconstruction technique. In quantitative pharmacokinetic analysis on a voxel-by-voxel basis, the rate constant K trans in the extended Tofts model and blood flow F B and blood volume V B from the 2-compartment exchange model were analyzed. Finally, the quantitative pharmacokinetic parameters calculated from the undersampled data were compared with the corresponding calculated values from the fully sampled data. To quantify each parameter's accuracy calculated using the undersampled data, error in volume mean, total relative error, and cross-correlation were calculated. The pharmacokinetic parameter maps generated from the undersampled data appeared comparable to the ones generated from the original full sampling data. Within the region of interest, most derived error in volume mean values in the region of interest was about 5% or lower, and the average error in volume mean of all parameter maps generated through either sampling strategy was about 3.54%. The average total relative error value of all parameter maps in region of interest was about 0.115, and the average cross-correlation of all parameter maps in region of interest was about 0.962. All investigated pharmacokinetic parameters had no significant differences between the result from original data and the reduced sampling data. With sparsely sampled k-space data in simulation of accelerated acquisition by a factor of 4, the investigated dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging pharmacokinetic parameters can accurately estimate the total generalized variation-based iterative image reconstruction method for reliable clinical application.

Exploring the Development of College Students' Situational Interest in Learning Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Huann-shyang; Hong, Zuway-R; Chen, Ya-Chun

2013-01-01

This quasi-experimental study explores how student cumulative situational interest, short-term preference generated by particular conditions such as novel experiences can be developed into better individual interest, an enduring predisposition to engage in certain activity such as chemistry lessons. A continuous intervention of integrating novelty…

Interest, Inferences, and Learning from Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clinton, Virginia; van den Broek, Paul

2012-01-01

Topic interest and learning from texts have been found to be positively associated with each other. However, the reason for this positive association is not well understood. The purpose of this study is to examine a cognitive process, inference generation, that could explain the positive association between interest and learning from texts. In…

The method for detecting small lesions in medical image based on sliding window

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Guilai; Jiao, Yuan

2016-10-01

At present, the research on computer-aided diagnosis includes the sample image segmentation, extracting visual features, generating the classification model by learning, and according to the model generated to classify and judge the inspected images. However, this method has a large scale of calculation and speed is slow. And because medical images are usually low contrast, when the traditional image segmentation method is applied to the medical image, there is a complete failure. As soon as possible to find the region of interest, improve detection speed, this topic attempts to introduce the current popular visual attention model into small lesions detection. However, Itti model is mainly for natural images. But the effect is not ideal when it is used to medical images which usually are gray images. Especially in the early stages of some cancers, the focus of a disease in the whole image is not the most significant region and sometimes is very difficult to be found. But these lesions are prominent in the local areas. This paper proposes a visual attention mechanism based on sliding window, and use sliding window to calculate the significance of a local area. Combined with the characteristics of the lesion, select the features of gray, entropy, corner and edge to generate a saliency map. Then the significant region is segmented and distinguished. This method reduces the difficulty of image segmentation, and improves the detection accuracy of small lesions, and it has great significance to early discovery, early diagnosis and treatment of cancers.

Sex is not everything: the role of gender in early performance of a fundamental laparoscopic skill.

PubMed

Kolozsvari, Nicoleta O; Andalib, Amin; Kaneva, Pepa; Cao, Jiguo; Vassiliou, Melina C; Fried, Gerald M; Feldman, Liane S

2011-04-01

Existing literature on the acquisition of surgical skills suggests that women generally perform worse than men. This literature is limited by looking at an arbitrary number of trials and not adjusting for potential confounders. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of gender on the learning curve for a fundamental laparoscopic task. Thirty-two medical students performed the FLS peg transfer task and their scores were plotted to generate a learning curve. Nonlinear regression was used to estimate learning plateau and learning rate. Variables that may affect performance were assessed using a questionnaire. Innate visual-spatial abilities were evaluated using tests for spatial orientation, spatial scanning, and perceptual abilities. Score on first peg transfer attempt, learning plateau, and learning rate were compared for men and women using Student's t test. Innate abilities were correlated to simulator performance using Pearson's coefficient. Multivariate linear regression was used to investigate the effect of gender on early laparoscopic performance after adjusting for factors found significant on univariate analysis. Statistical significance was defined as P < 0.05. Nineteen men and 13 women participated in the study; 30 were right-handed, 12 reported high interest in surgery, and 26 had video game experience. There were no differences between men and women in initial peg transfer score, learning plateau, or learning rate. Initial peg transfer score and learning rate were higher in subjects who reported having a high interest in surgery (P = 0.02, P = 0.03). Initial score also correlated with perceptual ability score (P = 0.03). In multivariate analysis, only surgical interest remained a significant predictor of score on first peg transfer (P = 0.03) and learning rate (P = 0.02), while gender had no significant relationship to early performance. Gender did not affect the learning curve for a fundamental laparoscopic task, while interest in surgery and perceptual abilities did influence early performance.

New Concepts and Fermilab Facilities for Antimatter Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Gerald

2008-04-01

There has long been significant interest in continuing antimatter research at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Beam kinetic energies ranging from 10 GeV all the way down to the eV scale and below are of interest. There are three physics missions currently being developed: the continuation of charmonium physics utilizing an internal target; atomic physics with in-flight generated antihydrogen atoms; and deceleration to thermal energies and paasage of antiprotons through a grating system to determine their gravitation acceleration. Non-physics missions include the study of medical applications, tests of deep-space propulsion concepts, low-risk testing of nuclear fuel elements, and active interrogation for smuggled nuclear materials in support of homeland security. This paper reviews recent beam physics and accelerator technology innovations in the development of methods and new Fermilab facilities for the above missions.

Preparation of 13C/15N-labeled oligomers using the polymerase chain reaction

DOEpatents

Chen, Xian; Gupta, Goutam; Bradbury, E. Morton

2001-01-01

Preparation of .sup.13 C/.sup.15 N-labeled DNA oligomers using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A PCR based method for uniform (.sup.13 C/.sup.15 N)-labeling of DNA duplexes is described. Multiple copies of a blunt-ended duplex are cloned into a plasmid, each copy containing the sequence of interest and restriction Hinc II sequences at both the 5' and 3' ends. PCR using bi-directional primers and uniformly .sup.13 C/.sup.15 N-labeled dNTP precursors generates labeled DNA duplexes containing multiple copies of the sequence of interest. Twenty-four cycles of PCR, followed by restriction and purification, gave the uniformly .sup.13 C/.sup.15 N-labeled duplex sequence with a 30% yield. Such labeled duplexes find significant applications in multinuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Effects of molecular packing in organic crystals on singlet fission with ab initio many body perturbation theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haber, Jonah; Refaely-Abramson, Sivan; da Jornada, Felipe H.; Louie, Steven G.; Neaton, Jeffrey B.

Multi-exciton generation processes, in which multiple charge carriers are generated from a single photon, are mechanisms of significant interest for achieving efficiencies beyond the Shockley-Queisser limit of conventional p-n junction solar cells. One well-studied multiexciton process is singlet fission, whereby a singlet decays into two spin-correlated triplet excitons. Here, we use a newly developed computational approach to calculate singlet-fission coupling terms and rates with an ab initio Green's function formalism based on many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) within the GW approximation and the Bethe-Salpeter equation approach. We compare results for crystalline pentacene and TIPS-pentacene and explore the effect of molecular packing on the singlet fission mechanism. This work is supported by the Department of Energy.

Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Approaches for Mutation Mapping and Identification in Caenorhabditis elegans

PubMed Central

Doitsidou, Maria; Jarriault, Sophie; Poole, Richard J.

2016-01-01

The use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized the way phenotypic traits are assigned to genes. In this review, we describe NGS-based methods for mapping a mutation and identifying its molecular identity, with an emphasis on applications in Caenorhabditis elegans. In addition to an overview of the general principles and concepts, we discuss the main methods, provide practical and conceptual pointers, and guide the reader in the types of bioinformatics analyses that are required. Owing to the speed and the plummeting costs of NGS-based methods, mapping and cloning a mutation of interest has become straightforward, quick, and relatively easy. Removing this bottleneck previously associated with forward genetic screens has significantly advanced the use of genetics to probe fundamental biological processes in an unbiased manner. PMID:27729495

Scratching the itch: new tools to advance understanding of scabies.

PubMed

Mounsey, Kate E; McCarthy, James S; Walton, Shelley F

2013-01-01

Scabies remains a significant public health problem worldwide. Research into aspects of Sarcoptes scabiei biology and host-parasite interactions has been impeded by an inability to maintain mites in vitro and by limited access to parasite material and infected subjects. The generation of comprehensive expressed sequence tag libraries has enabled the initial characterisation of molecules of interest to diagnostics, vaccines, and drug resistance. The recent development and utilisation of animal models, combined with next-generation technologies, is anticipated to lead to new strategies to prevent, diagnose, and treat scabies, ultimately improving skin health in both human and veterinary settings. This article will summarise recent molecular and immunologic advances on scabies, and will address priorities for the exciting 'next chapter' of scabies research. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nitroxyl (HNO) Releasing Therapeutics | NCI Technology Transfer Center | TTC

Cancer.gov

The National Cancer Institute's Cancer and Inflammation Program is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in licensing therapeutic agents that generate Nitroxyl (HNO) in physiological media.

Effects of Wastes from the Brewing Industry in Lightweight Aggregates Manufactured with Clay for Green Roofs.

PubMed

Farías, Romina D; Martínez García, Carmen; Cotes Palomino, Teresa; Martínez Arellano, Myriam

2017-05-15

This study investigates the effects of sieved wastes generated from the brewing industry on lightweight aggregates manufactured with clay. Sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, bagasse and diatomaceous earth were used to obtain the samples. These wastes are usually dumped in landfills, but the current increase in restrictions on dumping and interest in improving the environment make our proposal for gaining value from these wastes a significant contribution. Laboratory tests show that the new aggregate has low bulk density and increased water absorption and porosity. The thermographic camera results provide evidence that new aggregates have significant insulating properties and are suitable for use on green roofs.

Effects of Wastes from the Brewing Industry in Lightweight Aggregates Manufactured with Clay for Green Roofs

PubMed Central

Farías, Romina D.; Martínez García, Carmen; Cotes Palomino, Teresa; Martínez Arellano, Myriam

2017-01-01

This study investigates the effects of sieved wastes generated from the brewing industry on lightweight aggregates manufactured with clay. Sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, bagasse and diatomaceous earth were used to obtain the samples. These wastes are usually dumped in landfills, but the current increase in restrictions on dumping and interest in improving the environment make our proposal for gaining value from these wastes a significant contribution. Laboratory tests show that the new aggregate has low bulk density and increased water absorption and porosity. The thermographic camera results provide evidence that new aggregates have significant insulating properties and are suitable for use on green roofs. PMID:28772892

Generation of Raman lasers from nitrogen molecular ions driven by ultraintense laser fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Jinping; Chu, Wei; Liu, Zhaoxiang; Xu, Bo; Chen, Jinming; Cheng, Ya

2018-03-01

Atmospheric lasing has aroused much interest in the past few years. The ‘air–laser’ opens promising potential for remote chemical sensing of trace gases with high sensitivity and specificity. At present, several approaches have been successfully implemented for generating highly coherent laser beams in atmospheric condition, including both amplified-spontaneous emission, and narrow-bandwidth stimulated emission in the forward direction in the presence of self-generated or externally injected seed pulses. Here, we report on generation of multiple-wavelength Raman lasers from nitrogen molecular ions ({{{N}}}2+), driven by intense mid-infrared laser fields. Intuitively, the approach appears problematic for the small nonlinear susceptibility of {{{N}}}2+ ions, whereas the efficiency of Raman laser can be significantly promoted in near-resonant condition. More surprisingly, a Raman laser consisting of a supercontinuum spanning from ∼310 to ∼392 nm has been observed resulting from a series near-resonant nonlinear processes including four-wave mixing, stimulated Raman scattering and cross phase modulation. To date, extreme nonlinear optics in molecular ions remains largely unexplored, which provides an alternative means for air–laser-based remote sensing applications.

Amyloid-β Production Via Cleavage of Amyloid-β Protein Precursor is Modulated by Cell Density

PubMed Central

Zhang, Can; Browne, Andrew; DiVito, Jason R.; Stevenson, Jesse A.; Romano, Donna; Dong, Yuanlin; Xie, Zhongcong; Tanzi, Rudolph E.

2012-01-01

Mounting evidence suggests that Alzheimer disease (AD) is caused by the accumulation of the small peptide, Aβ, a proteolytic cleavage product of amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP; or APP). Aβ is generated through a serial cleavage of APP by β- and γ-secretase. Aβ40 and Aβ42 are the two main components of amyloid plaques in AD brains, with Aβ42 being more prone to aggregation. APP can also be processed by α-secretase, which cleaves APP within the Aβ sequence, thereby preventing the generation of Aβ. Little is currently known regarding the effects of cell density on APP processing and Aβ generation. Here we assessed the effects of cell density on APP processing in neuronal and non-neuronal cell lines, as well as mouse primary cortical neurons. We found that decreased cell density significantly increases levels of Aβ40, Aβ42, total Aβ, and the ratio of Aβ42:Aβ40. These results also indicate that cell density is a significant modulator of APP processing. Overall, these findings carry profound implications for both previous and forthcoming studies aiming to assess the effects of various conditions and genetic/chemical factors, e.g. novel drugs on APP processing and Aβ generation in cell-based systems. Moreover, it is interesting to speculate whether cell density changes in vivo may also affect APP processing and Aβ levels in the AD brain. PMID:20847415

Gas metal arc welding fume generation using pulsed current

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

Castner, H.R.

1994-12-31

This paper describes a study of the effects of pulsed welding current on the amount of welding fume and ozone produced during gas metal arc welding (GMAW) using a range of welding procedures and pulse parameters. The results reported in this paper show that pulsed current can reduce GMAW fumes compared to steady current. This research also shows that welding parameters need to be properly controlled if pulsed current is to be used to reduce welding fumes. Fume and ozone generation rates were measured during this study for GMAW of mild steel using copper-coated ER70S-3 electrode wire and 95%Ar-5%CO{sub 2}more » and 85%Ar-15%CO{sub 2} shielding gases. Welds were made with both steady current and pulsed current over a wide range of welding parameters. Fume generation rates for steady current were found to be typically between 0.2 g/min and 0.8 g/min which agrees with other researchers. No significant difference was found in the chemical composition of welding fumes from pulsed current compared to the composition of fumes generated by steady current. New technology that can reduce arc welding fumes is of significant interest to a wide range of companies that use arc welding processes and this research should assist these users in evaluating the potential for the application of this technology to their own operations.« less

DESIGNING AN OPPORTUNITY FUEL WITH BIOMASS AND TIRE-DERIVED FUEL FOR COFIRING AT WILLOW ISLAND GENERATING STATION AND COFIRING SAWDUST WITH COAL AT ALBRIGHT GENERATING STATION

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

K. Payette; D. Tillman

During the period October 1, 2001--December 31, 2001, Allegheny Energy Supply Co., LLC (Allegheny) completed construction of the Willow Island cofiring project. This included completion of the explosion proof electrical wiring, the control system, and the control software. Procedures for system checkout, shakedown, and initial operation were initiated during this period. During this time period the 100-hour test of the Albright Generating Station cofiring facility was completed. The testing demonstrated that cofiring at the Albright Generating Station could reliably contribute to a ''4P Strategy''--reduction of SO{sub 2}, NO{sub x}, mercury, and greenhouse gas emissions over a significant load range. Duringmore » this period of time Allegheny Energy conducted facility tours of both Albright and Willow Island for the Biomass Interest Group of the Electric Power Research Institute. This report summarizes the activities associated with the Designer Opportunity Fuel program, and demonstrations at Willow Island and Albright Generating Stations. It details the completion of construction activities at the Willow Island site along with the 100-hr test at the Albright site.« less

Influence of bedrock topography on the runoff generation under use of ERT data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiese, Nina; Loritz, Ralf; Allroggen, Niklas; Zehe, Erwin

2017-04-01

Subsurface topography has been identified to play a major role for the runoff generation in different hydrological landscapes. Sinks and ridges in the bedrock can control how water is stored and transported to the stream. Detecting the subsurface structure is difficult and laborious and frequently done by auger measurements. Recently, the geophysical imaging of the subsurface by Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) gained much interest in the field of hydrology, as it is a non-invasive method to collect information on the subsurface characteristics and particularly bedrock topography. As it is impossible to characterize the subsurface of an entire hydrological landscape using ERT, it is of key interest to identify the bedrock characteristics which dominate runoff generation to adapt and optimize the sampling design to the question of interest. For this study, we used 2D ERT images and auger measurements, collected on different sites in the Attert basin in Luxembourg, to characterize bedrock topography using geostatistics and shed light on those aspects which dominate runoff generation. Based on ERT images, we generated stochastic bedrock topographies and implemented them in a physically-based 2D hillslope model. With this approach, we were able to test the influence of different subsurface structures on the runoff generation. Our results highlight that ERT images can be useful for hydrological modelling. Especially the connection from the hillslope to the stream could be identified as important feature in the subsurface for the runoff generation whereas the microtopography of the bedrock seemed to be less relevant.

Reviewing the Need for Gaming in Education to Accommodate the Net Generation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bekebrede, G.; Warmelink, H. J. G.; Mayer, I. S.

2011-01-01

There is a growing interest in the use of simulations and games in Dutch higher education. This development is based on the perception that students belong to the "gamer generation" or "net generation": a generation that has grown up with computer games and other technology affecting their preferred learning styles, social…

Development of deep-ultraviolet metal vapor lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabotinov, Nikola V.

2004-06-01

Deep ultraviolet laser generation is of great interest in connection with both the development of new industrial technologies and applications in medicine, biology, chemistry, etc. The development of metal vapor UV lasers oscillating in the pulsed mode with high pulse repetition frequencies and producing high average output powers is of particular interest for microprocessing of polymers, photolithography and fluorescence applications. At present, metal vapor lasers generate deep-UV radiation on the base of two methods. The first method is non-linear conversion of powerful laser generation from the visible region into the deep ultraviolet region. The second method is direct UV laser action on ion and atomic transitions of different metals.

Empirical investigation of a field theory formula and Black's formula for the price of an interest-rate caplet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baaquie, Belal E.; Liang, Cui

2007-01-01

The industry standard for pricing an interest-rate caplet is Black's formula. Another distinct price of the same caplet can be derived using a quantum field theory model of the forward interest rates. An empirical study is carried out to compare the two caplet pricing formulae. Historical volatility and correlation of forward interest rates are used to generate the field theory caplet price; another approach is to fit a parametric formula for the effective volatility using market caplet price. The study shows that the field theory model generates the price of a caplet and cap fairly accurately. Black's formula for a caplet is compared with field theory pricing formula. It is seen that the field theory formula for caplet price has many advantages over Black's formula.

Development of an environmental chamber for evaluating the performance of low-cost air quality sensors under controlled conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papapostolou, Vasileios; Zhang, Hang; Feenstra, Brandon J.; Polidori, Andrea

2017-12-01

A state-of-the-art integrated chamber system has been developed for evaluating the performance of low-cost air quality sensors. The system contains two professional grade chamber enclosures. A 1.3 m3 stainless-steel outer chamber and a 0.11 m3 Teflon-coated stainless-steel inner chamber are used to create controlled aerosol and gaseous atmospheres, respectively. Both chambers are temperature and relative humidity controlled with capability to generate a wide range of environmental conditions. The system is equipped with an integrated zero-air system, an ozone and two aerosol generation systems, a dynamic dilution calibrator, certified gas cylinders, an array of Federal Reference Method (FRM), Federal Equivalent Method (FEM), and Best Available Technology (BAT) reference instruments and an automated control and sequencing software. Our experiments have demonstrated that the chamber system is capable of generating stable and reproducible aerosol and gas concentrations at low, medium, and high levels. This paper discusses the development of the chamber system along with the methods used to quantitatively evaluate sensor performance. Considering that a significant number of academic and research institutions, government agencies, public and private institutions, and individuals are becoming interested in developing and using low-cost air quality sensors, it is important to standardize the procedures used to evaluate their performance. The information discussed herein provides a roadmap for entities who are interested in characterizing air quality sensors in a rigorous, systematic and reproducible manner.

Quantifying the Gender Gap in Science Interests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baram-Tsabari, Ayelet; Yarden, Anat

2011-01-01

Nearly 5,000 self-generated science-related K-12 students' questions, classified into seven science subjects, were used to quantitatively measure the gender gap in science interests and its change with age. In this data set, a difference between boys' and girls' science interests did not exist during early childhood, but increased over 20-fold by…

Caffeine, HPLC, Outreach (How Can We Interest Kids in Science?)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A current challenge for the scientific community is to generate an interest in science in the general public. If we can interest our youth in science we can produce more scientists and raise awareness of science in our society. An outreach activity will be described which can be brought into the cl...

Embedding the shapes of regions of interest into a Clinical Document Architecture document.

PubMed

Minh, Nguyen Hai; Yi, Byoung-Kee; Kim, Il Kon; Song, Joon Hyun; Binh, Pham Viet

2015-03-01

Sharing a medical image visually annotated by a region of interest with a remotely located specialist for consultation is a good practice. It may, however, require a special-purpose (and most likely expensive) system to send and view them, which is an unfeasible solution in developing countries such as Vietnam. In this study, we design and implement interoperable methods based on the HL7 Clinical Document Architecture and the eXtensible Markup Language Stylesheet Language for Transformation standards to seamlessly exchange and visually present the shapes of regions of interest using web browsers. We also propose a new integration architecture for a Clinical Document Architecture generator that enables embedding of regions of interest and simultaneous auto-generation of corresponding style sheets. Using the Clinical Document Architecture document and style sheet, a sender can transmit clinical documents and medical images together with coordinate values of regions of interest to recipients. Recipients can easily view the documents and display embedded regions of interest by rendering them in their web browser of choice. © The Author(s) 2014.

A framework for diversifying recommendation lists by user interest expansion.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhu; Zheng, Xiaolong; Zeng, Daniel Dajun

2016-08-01

Recommender systems have been widely used to discover users' preferences and recommend interesting items to users during this age of information load. Researchers in the field of recommender systems have realized that the quality of a top-N recommendation list involves not only relevance but also diversity. Most traditional recommendation algorithms are difficult to generate a diverse item list that can cover most of his/her interests for each user, since they mainly focus on predicting accurate items similar to the dominant interests of users. Additionally, they seldom exploit semantic information such as item tags and users' interest labels to improve recommendation diversity. In this paper, we propose a novel recommendation framework which mainly adopts an expansion strategy of user interests based on social tagging information. The framework enhances the diversity of users' preferences by expanding the sizes and categories of the original user-item interaction records, and then adopts traditional recommendation models to generate recommendation lists. Empirical evaluations on three real-world data sets show that our method can effectively improve the accuracy and diversity of item recommendation.

A framework for diversifying recommendation lists by user interest expansion

PubMed Central

Zhang, Zhu; Zeng, Daniel Dajun

2017-01-01

Recommender systems have been widely used to discover users’ preferences and recommend interesting items to users during this age of information load. Researchers in the field of recommender systems have realized that the quality of a top-N recommendation list involves not only relevance but also diversity. Most traditional recommendation algorithms are difficult to generate a diverse item list that can cover most of his/her interests for each user, since they mainly focus on predicting accurate items similar to the dominant interests of users. Additionally, they seldom exploit semantic information such as item tags and users’ interest labels to improve recommendation diversity. In this paper, we propose a novel recommendation framework which mainly adopts an expansion strategy of user interests based on social tagging information. The framework enhances the diversity of users’ preferences by expanding the sizes and categories of the original user-item interaction records, and then adopts traditional recommendation models to generate recommendation lists. Empirical evaluations on three real-world data sets show that our method can effectively improve the accuracy and diversity of item recommendation. PMID:28959089

Association Between the Decline in Workers’ Compensation Claims and Workforce Composition and Job Characteristics in Ontario, Canada

PubMed Central

Breslin, F. Curtis; Tompa, Emile; Mustard, Cameron; Zhao, Ryan; Smith, Peter; Hogg-Johnson, Sheilah

2007-01-01

We examined associations between workforce demographics and job characteristics, grouped by industrial sector, and declines in workers’ compensation claim rates in Ontario, Canada, between 1990 and 2003. Gender, age, occupation, and job tenure were predictors for claim rates in 12 industrial sectors. The decline in claims was significantly associated with a decline in the proportion of employment in occupations with high physical demands. These findings should generate interest in economic incentives and regulatory policies designed to encourage investment in safer production processes. PMID:17267716

Electrical resistance of CNT-PEEK composites under compression at different temperatures

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Electrically conductive polymers reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have generated a great deal of scientific and industrial interest in the last few years. Advanced thermoplastic composites made of three different weight percentages (8%, 9%, and 10%) of multiwalled CNTs and polyether ether ketone (PEEK) were prepared by shear mixing process. The temperature- and pressure-dependent electrical resistance of these CNT-PEEK composites have been studied and presented in this paper. It has been found that electrical resistance decreases significantly with the application of heat and pressure. PMID:21711952

Immune changes in test animals during spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lesnyak, A. T.; Sonnenfeld, G.; Rykova, M. P.; Meshkov, D. O.; Mastro, A.; Konstantinova, I.

1993-01-01

Over the past two decades, it has become apparent that changes in immune parameters occur in cosmonauts and astronauts after spaceflight. Therefore, interest has been generated in the use of animal surrogates to better understand the nature and extent of these changes, the mechanism of these changes, and to allow the possible development of countermeasures. Among the changes noted in animals after spaceflight are alterations in lymphocytic blastogenesis, cytokine function, natural killer cell activity, and colony-stimulating factors. The nature and significance of spaceflight-induced changes in immune responses will be the focus of this review.

Supersonic transport grid generation, validation, and optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aaronson, Philip G.

1995-01-01

The ever present demand for reduced flight times has renewed interest in High Speed Civil Transports (HSCT). The need for an HSCT becomes especially apparent when the long distance, over-sea, high growth Pacific rim routes are considered. Crucial to any successful HSCT design are minimal environmental impact and economic viability. Vital is the transport's aerodynamic efficiency, ultimately effecting both the environmental impact and the operating cost. Optimization, including numerical optimization, coupled with the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technology, has and will offer a significant improvement beyond traditional methods.

Association between the decline in workers' compensation claims and workforce composition and job characteristics in Ontario, Canada.

PubMed

Breslin, F Curtis; Tompa, Emile; Mustard, Cameron; Zhao, Ryan; Smith, Peter; Hogg-Johnson, Sheilah

2007-03-01

We examined associations between workforce demographics and job characteristics, grouped by industrial sector, and declines in workers' compensation claim rates in Ontario, Canada, between 1990 and 2003. Gender, age, occupation, and job tenure were predictors for claim rates in 12 industrial sectors. The decline in claims was significantly associated with a decline in the proportion of employment in occupations with high physical demands. These findings should generate interest in economic incentives and regulatory policies designed to encourage investment in safer production processes.

Economic and Technical Feasibility Study of Utility-Scale Wind Generation for the New York Buffalo River and South Buffalo Brownfield Opportunity Areas

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

Roberts, J. O.; Mosey, G.

2014-04-01

Through the RE-Powering America's Land initiative, the economic and technical feasibility of utilizing contaminated lands in the Buffalo, New York, area for utility-scale wind development is explored. The study found that there is available land, electrical infrastructure, wind resource, and local interest to support a commercial wind project; however, economies of scale and local electrical markets may need further investigation before significant investment is made into developing a wind project at the Buffalo Reuse Authority site.

Microbiome manipulation with faecal microbiome transplantation as a therapeutic strategy in Clostridium difficile infection

PubMed Central

Marchesi, J.R.; Thursz, M.R.; Williams, H.R.T.

2015-01-01

Faecal microbiome transplantation (FMT) has generated huge recent interest as it presents a potential solution to a significant clinical problem—the increasing incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). In the short term, however, there remain many practical questions regarding its use, including the optimal selection of donors, material preparation and the mechanics of delivery. In the longer term, enhanced understanding of the mechanisms of action of FMT may potentiate novel therapies, such as targeted manipulation of the microbiome in CDI and beyond. PMID:25193538

Production of biogas from solid organic wastes through anaerobic digestion: a review.

PubMed

Muhammad Nasir, Ismail; Mohd Ghazi, Tinia I; Omar, Rozita

2012-07-01

Anaerobic digestion treatments have often been used for biological stabilization of solid wastes. These treatment processes generate biogas which can be used as a renewable energy sources. Recently, anaerobic digestion of solid wastes has attracted more interest because of current environmental problems, most especially those concerned with global warming. Thus, laboratory-scale research on this area has increased significantly. In this review paper, the summary of the most recent research activities covering production of biogas from solid wastes according to its origin via various anaerobic technologies was presented.

A scalable parallel algorithm for multiple objective linear programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiecek, Malgorzata M.; Zhang, Hong

1994-01-01

This paper presents an ADBASE-based parallel algorithm for solving multiple objective linear programs (MOLP's). Job balance, speedup and scalability are of primary interest in evaluating efficiency of the new algorithm. Implementation results on Intel iPSC/2 and Paragon multiprocessors show that the algorithm significantly speeds up the process of solving MOLP's, which is understood as generating all or some efficient extreme points and unbounded efficient edges. The algorithm gives specially good results for large and very large problems. Motivation and justification for solving such large MOLP's are also included.

Dynamic, diagnostic, and pharmacological radionuclide studies of the esophagus in achalasia

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

Rozen, P.; Gelfond, M.; Zaltzman, S.

1982-08-01

The esophagus was evaluated in 15 patients with achalasia by continuous gamma camera imaging following ingestion of a semi-solid meal labeled with /sup 99m/Tc. The images were displayed and recorded on a simple computerized data processing/display system. Subsequent cine mode images of esophageal emptying demonstrated abnormalities of the body of the esophagus not reflected by the manometric examination. Computer-generated time-activity curves representing specific regions of interest were better than manometry in evaluating the results of myotomy, dilatation, and drug therapy. Isosorbide dinitrate significantly improved esophageal emptying.

Method for measuring pollutant formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stickler, David B. (Inventor); Annen, Kurt (Inventor)

2001-01-01

Diagnostic methods for determining an instantaneous rate of pollutant formation in a combustion system are based on measurement of chemiluminescence intensity generated simultaneously with the formation of the pollutant. The chemiluminescent signal is generated by an analog reaction which occurs in parallel with a key step in the formation of a specific pollutant of interest. The connection between the analog reaction and the pollution reaction is such that the chemiluminescent signal indicates the local, instantaneous formation rate of the pollutant of interest.

Alzheimer's Prevention Education: If We Build It, Will They Come? www.AlzU.org.

PubMed

Isaacson, R S; Haynes, N; Seifan, A; Larsen, D; Christiansen, S; Berger, J C; Safdieh, J E; Lunde, A M; Luo, A; Kramps, M; McInnis, M; Ochner, C N

2014-01-01

Internet-based educational interventions may be useful for impacting knowledge and behavioral change. However, in AD prevention, little data exists about which educational tools work best in terms of learning and interest in participating in clinical trials. Primary: Assess effectiveness of interactive webinars vs. written blog-posts on AD prevention learning. Secondary: Evaluate the effect of AD prevention education on interest in participating in clinical trials; Assess usability of, and user perceptions about, an online AD education research platform; Classify target populations (demographics, learning needs, interests). Observational. Online. Men/Women, aged 25+, recruited via facebook.com. Alzheimer's Universe (www.AlzU.org) education research platform. Pre/post-test performance, self-reported Likert-scale ratings, completion rates. Over two-weeks, 4268 visits were generated. 503 signed-up for a user account (11.8% join rate), 196 participated in the lessons (39.0%) and 100 completed all beta-testing steps (19.9%). Users randomized to webinar instruction about AD prevention and the stages of AD demonstrated significant increases (p=0.01) in pre vs. post-testing scores compared to blog-post intervention. Upon joining, 42% were interested in participating in a clinical trial in AD prevention. After completing all beta-test activities, interest increased to 86%. Users were primarily women and the largest category was children of AD patients. 66.3% joined to learn more about AD prevention, 65.3% to learn more about AD treatment. Webinar-based education led to significant improvements in learning about AD prevention and the stages of AD. AlzU.org participation more than doubled interest in AD prevention clinical trial participation. Subjects were quickly and cost-effectively recruited, and highly satisfied with the AD education research platform. Based on these data, we will further refine AlzU.org prior to public launch and aim to study the effectiveness of 25 interactive webinar-based vs. blog-post style lessons on learning and patient outcomes, in a randomized, within-subjects design trial.

Neurology clerkship goals and their effect on learning and satisfaction.

PubMed

Strowd, Roy E; Salas, Rachel Marie E; Cruz, Tiana E; Gamaldo, Charlene E

2016-02-16

To define medical student goals in the neurology clerkship and explore the association between goal setting and student performance, clerkship satisfaction, self-directed learning (SDL), and interest in neurology. A 4-year prospective study of consecutive second- to fourth-year medical students rotating through a required 4-week neurology clerkship was conducted. A goal-generating cohort (first 2 years) was enrolled to describe the breadth of student-derived goals. A goal-evaluating cohort (second 2 years) was used to evaluate the frequency of goal achievement and assess associations with performance (e.g., National Board of Medical Examiners [NBME], examination), satisfaction, and SDL behaviors (both based on 5-point Likert scale). Of 440 evaluable students, 201 were goal-generating and 239 goal-evaluating. The top 3 goals were (1) improvement in neurologic examination, (2) understanding neurologic disease, and (3) deriving a differential diagnosis. More than 90% (n = 216/239) of students reported achieving goals. Achievers reported significantly higher clerkship satisfaction (4.2 ± 0.8 vs. 2.8 ± 1.0, p < 0.0001), greater interest in neurology (71% vs. 35%, p = 0.001), and higher observed tendency toward SDL (4.5 ± 0.5 vs. 4.1 ± 0.8, p < 0.0001). After adjusting for age and training, NBME scores were 1.7 points higher in achievers (95% confidence interval 0.1-3.2, p = 0.04). Students consistently generated similar goals for a required neurology clerkship. Goal achievers had better adjusted standardized test scores, higher satisfaction, and greater tendency toward SDL. This student-generated, goal-setting program may be particularly appealing to clinicians, educators, and researchers seeking resource-lean mechanisms to improve student experience and performance in the clinical clerkships. © 2015 American Academy of Neurology.

Neurology clerkship goals and their effect on learning and satisfaction

PubMed Central

Salas, Rachel Marie E.; Cruz, Tiana E.; Gamaldo, Charlene E.

2016-01-01

Objective: To define medical student goals in the neurology clerkship and explore the association between goal setting and student performance, clerkship satisfaction, self-directed learning (SDL), and interest in neurology. Methods: A 4-year prospective study of consecutive second- to fourth-year medical students rotating through a required 4-week neurology clerkship was conducted. A goal-generating cohort (first 2 years) was enrolled to describe the breadth of student-derived goals. A goal-evaluating cohort (second 2 years) was used to evaluate the frequency of goal achievement and assess associations with performance (e.g., National Board of Medical Examiners [NBME], examination), satisfaction, and SDL behaviors (both based on 5-point Likert scale). Results: Of 440 evaluable students, 201 were goal-generating and 239 goal-evaluating. The top 3 goals were (1) improvement in neurologic examination, (2) understanding neurologic disease, and (3) deriving a differential diagnosis. More than 90% (n = 216/239) of students reported achieving goals. Achievers reported significantly higher clerkship satisfaction (4.2 ± 0.8 vs 2.8 ± 1.0, p < 0.0001), greater interest in neurology (71% vs 35%, p = 0.001), and higher observed tendency toward SDL (4.5 ± 0.5 vs 4.1 ± 0.8, p < 0.0001). After adjusting for age and training, NBME scores were 1.7 points higher in achievers (95% confidence interval 0.1–3.2, p = 0.04). Conclusion: Students consistently generated similar goals for a required neurology clerkship. Goal achievers had better adjusted standardized test scores, higher satisfaction, and greater tendency toward SDL. This student-generated, goal-setting program may be particularly appealing to clinicians, educators, and researchers seeking resource-lean mechanisms to improve student experience and performance in the clinical clerkships. PMID:26718569

A Myrtus communis extract enriched in myrtucummulones and ursolic acid reduces resistance of Propionibacterium acnes biofilms to antibiotics used in acne vulgaris.

PubMed

Feuillolay, Catherine; Pecastaings, Sophie; Le Gac, Céline; Fiorini-Puybaret, Christel; Luc, Joëlle; Joulia, Philippe; Roques, Christine

2016-03-15

Recent works present evidence of Propionibacterium acnes growing as a biofilm in cutaneous follicles. This formation of clusters is now considered as an explanation for the in vivo resistance of P. acnes to the main antimicrobials prescribed in acne vulgaris. Our objective was to explore this hypothesis and propose a new therapeutic approach focusing on anti-biofilm activity of Myrtacine(®) New Generation (Mediterranean Myrtle extract-Botanical Expertise P. Fabre) alone or combined with antibiotics. Using in vitro models able to promote the growth of adhered bacteria, the loss of sensitivity of P. acnes biofilms (48 h) towards erythromycin and clindamycin was checked considering either sensitive or resistant strains. In the same time, the activity of Myrtacine(®) New Generation against biofilm formation and mature biofilm (48 h) was evaluated. Using a dynamic model of biofilm formation, we noted an inhibition of biofilm formation (addition of Myrtacine(®) New Generation at T 0) and a significant effect on mature biofilm (48 h) for 5 min of contact. This effect was also checked using the static model of biofilm formation for Myrtacine(®) New Generation concentrations ranging from 0.03% to 0.0001%. A significant, dose-dependent anti-biofilm effect was observed and notable even at a concentration lower than the active concentration on planktonic cells, i.e. 0.001%. Finally, the interest of the combination of Myrtacine(®) New Generation with antibiotics was explored. An enhanced efficacy was noted when erythromycin (1000 mg/l) or clindamycin (500 mg/l) was added to 0.001% Myrtacine(®), leading to significant differences in comparison to each compound used alone. The efficiency of Myrtacine(®) New Generation on P. acnes biofilm alone or combined with antibiotics was demonstrated and can lead to consider it as a potent adjunctive product efficient during the antibiotic course for acne vulgaris treatment. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.

Alaskan Salmon and Gen R: hunting, fishing to cultivate ecological mindfulness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, Michael P.

2015-03-01

Can mining and fisheries co-exist in Bristol Bay, Alaska? To delve into this interesting tension, I expand on Clay Pierce's (this special issue) thoughtful analysis of genetically modified salmon and AquaBounty Technologies, where he explores actor-network theory in relation to scientific literacy and schooling. Further, my essay explores the idea of embodied knowledge as paramount to the next generation of youth engaged with scientific literacy. I demonstrate the problems associated with using hegemonic science to normalize biocapitalism and the subjugated knowledges in relation. Ultimately, I provide justifications for strengthening an ecologically mindful scientific literacy, working towards what might be called "Neptunian democracy" in science education, including salmon and other nonhuman actors as integral for youth wrestling with ecojustice issues. To do this, I highlight the significance of renewing fishing, hunting, and salmon eating. These things ought to become an intimate characteristic of the imagined literacy of the next generation of youth (what I've been calling Generation R for responsibility).

Corrosion Performance of New Generation Aluminum-Lithium Alloys for Aerospace Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moran, James P.; Bovard, Francine S.; Chrzan, James D.; Vandenburgh, Peter

Over the past several years, a new generation of aluminum-lithium alloys has been developed. These alloys are characterized by excellent strength, low density, and high modulus of elasticity and are therefore of interest for lightweight structural materials applications particularly for construction of current and future aircraft. These new alloys have also demonstrated significant improvements in corrosion resistance when compared with the legacy and incumbent alloys. This paper documents the superior corrosion resistance of the current commercial tempers of these materials and also discusses the corrosion performance as a function of the degree of artificial aging. Results from laboratory corrosion tests are compared with results from exposures in a seacoast atmosphere to assess the predictive capability of the laboratory tests. The correlations that have been developed between the laboratory tests and the seacoast exposures provide confidence that a set of available methods can provide an accurate assessment of the corrosion performance of this new generation of alloys.

Second and third harmonic generation associated to infrared transitions in a Morse quantum well under applied electric and magnetic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Restrepo, R. L.; Kasapoglu, E.; Sakiroglu, S.; Ungan, F.; Morales, A. L.; Duque, C. A.

2017-09-01

The effects of electric and magnetic fields on the second and third harmonic generation coefficients in a Morse potential quantum well are theoretically studied. The energy levels and corresponding wave functions are obtained by solving the Schrödinger equation for the electron in the parabolic band scheme and effective mass approximations and the envelope function approach. The results show that both the electric and the magnetic fields have significant influence on the magnitudes and resonant peak energy positions of the second and third harmonic generation responses. In general, the Morse potential profile becomes wider and shallower as γ -parameter increases and so the energies of the bound states will be functions of this parameter. Therefore, we can conclude that the effects of the electric and magnetic fields can be used to tune and control the optical properties of interest in the range of the infrared electromagnetic spectrum.

Normalized Metadata Generation for Human Retrieval Using Multiple Video Surveillance Cameras.

PubMed

Jung, Jaehoon; Yoon, Inhye; Lee, Seungwon; Paik, Joonki

2016-06-24

Since it is impossible for surveillance personnel to keep monitoring videos from a multiple camera-based surveillance system, an efficient technique is needed to help recognize important situations by retrieving the metadata of an object-of-interest. In a multiple camera-based surveillance system, an object detected in a camera has a different shape in another camera, which is a critical issue of wide-range, real-time surveillance systems. In order to address the problem, this paper presents an object retrieval method by extracting the normalized metadata of an object-of-interest from multiple, heterogeneous cameras. The proposed metadata generation algorithm consists of three steps: (i) generation of a three-dimensional (3D) human model; (ii) human object-based automatic scene calibration; and (iii) metadata generation. More specifically, an appropriately-generated 3D human model provides the foot-to-head direction information that is used as the input of the automatic calibration of each camera. The normalized object information is used to retrieve an object-of-interest in a wide-range, multiple-camera surveillance system in the form of metadata. Experimental results show that the 3D human model matches the ground truth, and automatic calibration-based normalization of metadata enables a successful retrieval and tracking of a human object in the multiple-camera video surveillance system.

Normalized Metadata Generation for Human Retrieval Using Multiple Video Surveillance Cameras

PubMed Central

Jung, Jaehoon; Yoon, Inhye; Lee, Seungwon; Paik, Joonki

2016-01-01

Since it is impossible for surveillance personnel to keep monitoring videos from a multiple camera-based surveillance system, an efficient technique is needed to help recognize important situations by retrieving the metadata of an object-of-interest. In a multiple camera-based surveillance system, an object detected in a camera has a different shape in another camera, which is a critical issue of wide-range, real-time surveillance systems. In order to address the problem, this paper presents an object retrieval method by extracting the normalized metadata of an object-of-interest from multiple, heterogeneous cameras. The proposed metadata generation algorithm consists of three steps: (i) generation of a three-dimensional (3D) human model; (ii) human object-based automatic scene calibration; and (iii) metadata generation. More specifically, an appropriately-generated 3D human model provides the foot-to-head direction information that is used as the input of the automatic calibration of each camera. The normalized object information is used to retrieve an object-of-interest in a wide-range, multiple-camera surveillance system in the form of metadata. Experimental results show that the 3D human model matches the ground truth, and automatic calibration-based normalization of metadata enables a successful retrieval and tracking of a human object in the multiple-camera video surveillance system. PMID:27347961

Finite-difference numerical simulations of underground explosion cavity decoupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aldridge, D. F.; Preston, L. A.; Jensen, R. P.

2012-12-01

Earth models containing a significant portion of ideal fluid (e.g., air and/or water) are of increasing interest in seismic wave propagation simulations. Examples include a marine model with a thick water layer, and a land model with air overlying a rugged topographic surface. The atmospheric infrasound community is currently interested in coupled seismic-acoustic propagation of low-frequency signals over long ranges (~tens to ~hundreds of kilometers). Also, accurate and efficient numerical treatment of models containing underground air-filled voids (caves, caverns, tunnels, subterranean man-made facilities) is essential. In support of the Source Physics Experiment (SPE) conducted at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), we are developing a numerical algorithm for simulating coupled seismic and acoustic wave propagation in mixed solid/fluid media. Solution methodology involves explicit, time-domain, finite-differencing of the elastodynamic velocity-stress partial differential system on a three-dimensional staggered spatial grid. Conditional logic is used to avoid shear stress updating within the fluid zones; this approach leads to computational efficiency gains for models containing a significant proportion of ideal fluid. Numerical stability and accuracy are maintained at air/rock interfaces (where the contrast in mass density is on the order of 1 to 2000) via a finite-difference operator "order switching" formalism. The fourth-order spatial FD operator used throughout the bulk of the earth model is reduced to second-order in the immediate vicinity of a high-contrast interface. Current modeling efforts are oriented toward quantifying the amount of atmospheric infrasound energy generated by various underground seismic sources (explosions and earthquakes). Source depth and orientation, and surface topography play obvious roles. The cavity decoupling problem, where an explosion is detonated within an air-filled void, is of special interest. A point explosion source located at the center of a spherical cavity generates only diverging compressional waves. However, we find that shear waves are generated by an off-center source, or by a non-spherical cavity (e.g. a tunnel). Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

The Korean American Family: Assimilation and Its Toll on the First and Second Generation Relationship.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hong, Joann J.; Hong, Steve

Over the last 15 years researchers have taken an increased interest in studying the large pool of recent Korean immigrants. This analysis concentrates on finding how first generation Korean Americans relate and interact with their second generation counterparts. Using studies on the adjustment of first generation Korean immigrants and the levels…

Automatic summarization of soccer highlights using audio-visual descriptors.

PubMed

Raventós, A; Quijada, R; Torres, Luis; Tarrés, Francesc

2015-01-01

Automatic summarization generation of sports video content has been object of great interest for many years. Although semantic descriptions techniques have been proposed, many of the approaches still rely on low-level video descriptors that render quite limited results due to the complexity of the problem and to the low capability of the descriptors to represent semantic content. In this paper, a new approach for automatic highlights summarization generation of soccer videos using audio-visual descriptors is presented. The approach is based on the segmentation of the video sequence into shots that will be further analyzed to determine its relevance and interest. Of special interest in the approach is the use of the audio information that provides additional robustness to the overall performance of the summarization system. For every video shot a set of low and mid level audio-visual descriptors are computed and lately adequately combined in order to obtain different relevance measures based on empirical knowledge rules. The final summary is generated by selecting those shots with highest interest according to the specifications of the user and the results of relevance measures. A variety of results are presented with real soccer video sequences that prove the validity of the approach.

Reflective echo tomographic imaging using acoustic beams

DOEpatents

Kisner, Roger; Santos-Villalobos, Hector J

2014-11-25

An inspection system includes a plurality of acoustic beamformers, where each of the plurality of acoustic beamformers including a plurality of acoustic transmitter elements. The system also includes at least one controller configured for causing each of the plurality of acoustic beamformers to generate an acoustic beam directed to a point in a volume of interest during a first time. Based on a reflected wave intensity detected at a plurality of acoustic receiver elements, an image of the volume of interest can be generated.

The Nature of Experiences Responsible for the Generation and Maintenance of Interest in STEM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maltese, Adam V.; Melki, Christina S.; Wiebke, Heidi L.

2014-01-01

Previous research has established the importance of early interest in STEM as a key factor in persistence. Our current research builds on this foundation and extends it to add more detail to understanding the types of experiences that trigger and maintain interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Using survey data from…

26 CFR 1.861-11T - Special rules for allocating and apportioning interest expense of an affiliated group of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... limitations on passive income, high withholding interest income, financial services income, shipping income... profits because Z owns less than 10 percent of the stock) which would be considered to generate passive... 10 percent foreign passive. Y deducts its related person interest payment using those apportionment...

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

Hamann, Thomas

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have attracted a lot of interest as they proffer the possibility of extremely inexpensive and efficient solar energy conversion. The excellent performance of the most efficient DSSCs relies on two main features: 1) a high surface area nanoparticle semiconductor photoanode to allow for excellent light absorption with moderate extinction molecular dyes and 2) slow recombination rates from the photoanode to I 3 - allowing good charge collection. The I 3 -/I - couple, however, has some disadvantages, notably the redox potential limits the maximum open-circuit voltage, and the dye regeneration requires a large driving force whichmore » constrains the light harvesting ability. Thus, the design features that allow DSSCs to perform as well as they do also prevent further significant improvements in performance. As a consequence, the most efficient device configuration, and the maximum efficiency, has remained essentially unchanged over the last 16 years. Significant gains in performance are possible; however it will likely require a substantial paradigm shift. The general goal of this project is to understand the fundamental role of dye-sensitized solar cell, DSSC, components (sensitizer, redox shuttle, and photoanode) involved in key processes in order to overcome the kinetic and energetic constraints of current generation DSSCs. For example, the key to achieving high energy conversion efficiency DSSCs is the realization of a redox shuttle which fulfills the dual requirements of 1) efficient dye regeneration with a minimal driving force and 2) efficient charge collection. In current generation DSSCs, however, only one or the other of these requirements is met. We are currently primarily interested in understanding the physical underpinnings of the regeneration and recombination reactions. Our approach is to systematically vary the components involved in reactions and interrogate them with a series of photoelectrochemical (PEC) measurements. The lessons learned will ultimately be used to develop design rules for next generation DSSCs.« less

Shortfall online: The development of an educational computer game for teaching sustainable engineering to Millennial Generation students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gennett, Zachary Andrew

Millennial Generation students bring significant learning and teaching challenges to the classroom, because of their unique learning styles, breadth of interests related to social and environmental issues, and intimate experiences with technology. As a result, there has been an increased willingness at many universities to experiment with pedagogical strategies that depart from a traditional "learning by listening" model, and move toward more innovative methods involving active learning through computer games. In particular, current students typically express a strong interest in sustainability in which economic concerns must be weighed relative to environmental and social responsibilities. A game-based setting could prove very effective for fostering an operational understanding of these tradeoffs, and especially the social dimension which remains largely underdeveloped relative to the economic and environmental aspects. Through an examination of the educational potential of computer games, this study hypothesizes that to acquire the skills necessary to manage and understand the complexities of sustainability, Millennial Generation students must be engaged in active learning exercises that present dynamic problems and foster a high level of social interaction. This has led to the development of an educational computer game, entitled Shortfall, which simulates a business milieu for testing alternative paths regarding the principles of sustainability. This study examines the evolution of Shortfall from an educational board game that teaches the principles of environmentally benign manufacturing, to a completely networked computer game, entitled Shortfall Online that teaches the principles of sustainability. A capital-based theory of sustainability is adopted to more accurately convey the tradeoffs and opportunity costs among economic prosperity, environmental preservation, and societal responsibilities. While the economic and environmental aspects of sustainability have received considerable attention in traditional pedagogical approaches, specific focus is provided for the social dimension of sustainability, as it had remained largely underdeveloped. To measure social sustainability and provide students with an understanding of its significance, a prospective metric utilizing a social capital peer-evaluation survey, unique to Shortfall, is developed.

Relation between social information processing and intimate partner violence in dating couples.

PubMed

Setchell, Sarah; Fritz, Patti Timmons; Glasgow, Jillian

2017-07-01

We used couple-level data to predict physical acts of intimate partner violence (IPV) from self-reported negative emotions and social information-processing (SIP) abilities among 100 dating couples (n = 200; mean age = 21.45 years). Participants read a series of hypothetical conflict situation vignettes and responded to questionnaires to assess negative emotions and various facets of SIP including attributions for partner behavior, generation of response alternatives, and response selection. We conducted a series of negative binomial mixed-model regressions based on the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM; Kenny, Kashy, & Cook, 2006, Dyadic data analysis. New York, NY: Guilford Press). There were significant results for the response generation and negative emotion models. Participants who generated fewer coping response alternatives were at greater risk of victimization (actor effect). Women were at greater risk of victimization if they had partners who generated fewer coping response alternatives (sex by partner interaction effect). Generation of less competent coping response alternatives predicted greater risk of perpetration among men, whereas generation of more competent coping response alternatives predicted greater risk of victimization among women (sex by actor interaction effects). Two significant actor by partner interaction effects were found for the negative emotion models. Participants who reported discrepant levels of negative emotions from their partners were at greatest risk of perpetration. Participants who reported high levels of negative emotions were at greatest risk of victimization if they had partners who reported low levels of negative emotions. This research has implications for researchers and clinicians interested in addressing the problem of IPV. Aggr. Behav. 43:329-341, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Estimation of subsurface thermal structure using sea surface height and sea surface temperature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kang, Yong Q. (Inventor); Jo, Young-Heon (Inventor); Yan, Xiao-Hai (Inventor)

2012-01-01

A method of determining a subsurface temperature in a body of water is disclosed. The method includes obtaining surface temperature anomaly data and surface height anomaly data of the body of water for a region of interest, and also obtaining subsurface temperature anomaly data for the region of interest at a plurality of depths. The method further includes regressing the obtained surface temperature anomaly data and surface height anomaly data for the region of interest with the obtained subsurface temperature anomaly data for the plurality of depths to generate regression coefficients, estimating a subsurface temperature at one or more other depths for the region of interest based on the generated regression coefficients and outputting the estimated subsurface temperature at the one or more other depths. Using the estimated subsurface temperature, signal propagation times and trajectories of marine life in the body of water are determined.

Correlation filtering in financial time series (Invited Paper)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aste, T.; Di Matteo, Tiziana; Tumminello, M.; Mantegna, R. N.

2005-05-01

We apply a method to filter relevant information from the correlation coefficient matrix by extracting a network of relevant interactions. This method succeeds to generate networks with the same hierarchical structure of the Minimum Spanning Tree but containing a larger amount of links resulting in a richer network topology allowing loops and cliques. In Tumminello et al.,1 we have shown that this method, applied to a financial portfolio of 100 stocks in the USA equity markets, is pretty efficient in filtering relevant information about the clustering of the system and its hierarchical structure both on the whole system and within each cluster. In particular, we have found that triangular loops and 4 element cliques have important and significant relations with the market structure and properties. Here we apply this filtering procedure to the analysis of correlation in two different kind of interest rate time series (16 Eurodollars and 34 US interest rates).

When Interpolation-Induced Reflection Artifact Meets Time-Frequency Analysis.

PubMed

Lin, Yu-Ting; Flandrin, Patrick; Wu, Hau-Tieng

2016-10-01

While extracting the temporal dynamical features based on the time-frequency analyses, like the reassignment and synchrosqueezing transform, attracts more and more interest in biomedical data analysis, we should be careful about artifacts generated by interpolation schemes, in particular when the sampling rate is not significantly higher than the frequency of the oscillatory component we are interested in. We formulate the problem called the reflection effect and provide a theoretical justification of the statement. We also show examples in the anesthetic depth analysis with clear but undesirable artifacts. The artifact associated with the reflection effect exists not only theoretically but practically as well. Its influence is pronounced when we apply the time-frequency analyses to extract the time-varying dynamics hidden inside the signal. We have to carefully deal with the artifact associated with the reflection effect by choosing a proper interpolation scheme.

Multiphysics Simulations of Hot-Spot Initiation in Shocked Insensitive High-Explosive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najjar, Fady; Howard, W. M.; Fried, L. E.

2010-11-01

Solid plastic-bonded high-explosive materials consist of crystals with micron-sized pores embedded. Under mechanical or thermal insults, these voids increase the ease of shock initiation by generating high-temperature regions during their collapse that might lead to ignition. Understanding the mechanisms of hot-spot initiation has significant research interest due to safety, reliability and development of new insensitive munitions. Multi-dimensional high-resolution meso-scale simulations are performed using the multiphysics software, ALE3D, to understand the hot-spot initiation. The Cheetah code is coupled to ALE3D, creating multi-dimensional sparse tables for the HE properties. The reaction rates were obtained from MD Quantum computations. Our current predictions showcase several interesting features regarding hot spot dynamics including the formation of a "secondary" jet. We will discuss the results obtained with hydro-thermo-chemical processes leading to ignition growth for various pore sizes and different shock pressures.

Dose-dependent effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on fertility and survival of Drosophila: An in-vivo study

PubMed Central

Raj, Akanksha; Shah, Prasanna

2017-01-01

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) containing consumer products have been proliferating in the market due to its unique antimicrobial property, however, lack of in-depth knowledge about their potential effect on human health in a longer run is of great concern. Therefore, we investigated dose-dependent in vivo effect of AgNPs using Drosophila as a model system. Drosophila, a genetically tractable organism with distinct developmental stages, short life cycle and significant homology with human serves as an ideal organism to study nanomaterial-mediated toxicity. Our studies suggest that ingestion of AgNPs in Drosophila during adult stage for short and long duration significantly affects egg laying capability along with impaired growth of ovary. Additionally, dietary intake of AgNPs from larval stage has more deleterious effects that result in reduced survival, longevity, ovary size and egg laying capability at a further lower dosage. Interestingly, the trans-generational effect of AgNPs was also observed without feeding progeny with AgNPs, thereby suggesting its impact from previous generation. Our results strongly imply that higher doses of AgNPs and its administration early during development is detrimental to the reproductive health and survival of Drosophila that follows in generations to come without feeding them to AgNPs. PMID:28542630

Dose-dependent effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on fertility and survival of Drosophila: An in-vivo study.

PubMed

Raj, Akanksha; Shah, Prasanna; Agrawal, Namita

2017-01-01

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) containing consumer products have been proliferating in the market due to its unique antimicrobial property, however, lack of in-depth knowledge about their potential effect on human health in a longer run is of great concern. Therefore, we investigated dose-dependent in vivo effect of AgNPs using Drosophila as a model system. Drosophila, a genetically tractable organism with distinct developmental stages, short life cycle and significant homology with human serves as an ideal organism to study nanomaterial-mediated toxicity. Our studies suggest that ingestion of AgNPs in Drosophila during adult stage for short and long duration significantly affects egg laying capability along with impaired growth of ovary. Additionally, dietary intake of AgNPs from larval stage has more deleterious effects that result in reduced survival, longevity, ovary size and egg laying capability at a further lower dosage. Interestingly, the trans-generational effect of AgNPs was also observed without feeding progeny with AgNPs, thereby suggesting its impact from previous generation. Our results strongly imply that higher doses of AgNPs and its administration early during development is detrimental to the reproductive health and survival of Drosophila that follows in generations to come without feeding them to AgNPs.

Modeling kinetic rate variation in third generation DNA sequencing data to detect putative modifications to DNA bases

PubMed Central

Schadt, Eric E.; Banerjee, Onureena; Fang, Gang; Feng, Zhixing; Wong, Wing H.; Zhang, Xuegong; Kislyuk, Andrey; Clark, Tyson A.; Luong, Khai; Keren-Paz, Alona; Chess, Andrew; Kumar, Vipin; Chen-Plotkin, Alice; Sondheimer, Neal; Korlach, Jonas; Kasarskis, Andrew

2013-01-01

Current generation DNA sequencing instruments are moving closer to seamlessly sequencing genomes of entire populations as a routine part of scientific investigation. However, while significant inroads have been made identifying small nucleotide variation and structural variations in DNA that impact phenotypes of interest, progress has not been as dramatic regarding epigenetic changes and base-level damage to DNA, largely due to technological limitations in assaying all known and unknown types of modifications at genome scale. Recently, single-molecule real time (SMRT) sequencing has been reported to identify kinetic variation (KV) events that have been demonstrated to reflect epigenetic changes of every known type, providing a path forward for detecting base modifications as a routine part of sequencing. However, to date no statistical framework has been proposed to enhance the power to detect these events while also controlling for false-positive events. By modeling enzyme kinetics in the neighborhood of an arbitrary location in a genomic region of interest as a conditional random field, we provide a statistical framework for incorporating kinetic information at a test position of interest as well as at neighboring sites that help enhance the power to detect KV events. The performance of this and related models is explored, with the best-performing model applied to plasmid DNA isolated from Escherichia coli and mitochondrial DNA isolated from human brain tissue. We highlight widespread kinetic variation events, some of which strongly associate with known modification events, while others represent putative chemically modified sites of unknown types. PMID:23093720

Modeling kinetic rate variation in third generation DNA sequencing data to detect putative modifications to DNA bases.

PubMed

Schadt, Eric E; Banerjee, Onureena; Fang, Gang; Feng, Zhixing; Wong, Wing H; Zhang, Xuegong; Kislyuk, Andrey; Clark, Tyson A; Luong, Khai; Keren-Paz, Alona; Chess, Andrew; Kumar, Vipin; Chen-Plotkin, Alice; Sondheimer, Neal; Korlach, Jonas; Kasarskis, Andrew

2013-01-01

Current generation DNA sequencing instruments are moving closer to seamlessly sequencing genomes of entire populations as a routine part of scientific investigation. However, while significant inroads have been made identifying small nucleotide variation and structural variations in DNA that impact phenotypes of interest, progress has not been as dramatic regarding epigenetic changes and base-level damage to DNA, largely due to technological limitations in assaying all known and unknown types of modifications at genome scale. Recently, single-molecule real time (SMRT) sequencing has been reported to identify kinetic variation (KV) events that have been demonstrated to reflect epigenetic changes of every known type, providing a path forward for detecting base modifications as a routine part of sequencing. However, to date no statistical framework has been proposed to enhance the power to detect these events while also controlling for false-positive events. By modeling enzyme kinetics in the neighborhood of an arbitrary location in a genomic region of interest as a conditional random field, we provide a statistical framework for incorporating kinetic information at a test position of interest as well as at neighboring sites that help enhance the power to detect KV events. The performance of this and related models is explored, with the best-performing model applied to plasmid DNA isolated from Escherichia coli and mitochondrial DNA isolated from human brain tissue. We highlight widespread kinetic variation events, some of which strongly associate with known modification events, while others represent putative chemically modified sites of unknown types.

Design of the Hybrid Wing Body with Nacelle: N3-X Propulsion-Airframe Configuration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Hyoungjin; Harding, David; Gronstal, David T.; Liou, May-Fun; Liou, Meng-Sing

2016-01-01

The Hybrid Wing Body (HWB) aircraft is of great interest for future transport concepts due to itspromises of reduced aircraft noise, nitrous-oxide emissions, and fuel consumption. A design parameterizationmethod for HWB configurations with mail slot nacelle has been developed for a fast exploration of designspace in conceptual and preliminary design phases of a HWB configuration. A HWB planform model byLaughlin [11] was implemented, and the Class Shape Transformation (CST) airfoil generation method byKulfan [10] was utilized to construct the needed geometry for computational high fidelity aerodynamicsimulations. Geometric constraints for the parameterization such as internal cabin and cargo hold layoutswere imposed on the geometry generation. A CFD simulation was performed for a HWB configurationgenerated by the current geometric modeler, clearly showing a significant effect of the installed nacelle on theflowfield.

Study of nonlinear absorption properties of reduced graphene oxide by Z-scan technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sreeja, V. G.; Vinitha, G.; Reshmi, R.; Anila, E. I.; Jayaraj, M. K.

2017-05-01

Graphene has generated enormous research interest during the last decade due to its significant unique properties and wide applications in the field of optoelectronics and photonics. This research studied the structural and nonlinear absorption properties of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) synthesized by Modified Hummer's method. Structural and physiochemical properties of the rGO were explored with the help of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy (Raman). Nonlinear absorption property in rGO, was investigated by open aperture Z-scan technique by using a continuous wave (CW) laser. The Z-scan results demonstrate saturable absorption property of rGO with a nonlinear absorption coefficient, β, of -2.62 × 10-4 cm/W, making it suitable for applications in Q switching, generation of ultra-fast high energy pulses in laser cavity and mode lockers.

TSH Comparison Between Chemiluminescence (Architect) and Electrochemiluminescence (Cobas) Immunoassays: An Indian Population Perspective.

PubMed

Sarkar, Rajarshi

2014-04-01

Although 3rd generation TSH assays are the most widely used immunoassays, credible comparison studies, specially involving Indian sub-populations are practically non-existent. To compare the TSH measurements between chemiluminescence (Architect) and electrochemiluminescence (Cobas) inmmunoassays in an urban ambulatory Indian population. 1,615 subjects were selected randomly from the usual laboratory workflow, their TSH measured in Architect and Cobas and the paired data thus generated were statistically analysed. TSH values of Cobas were observed to be higher than the Architect values by 28.7 %, with a significant proportional difference between the two, but majority of the Cobas values (above 90 %) were within the limits of agreement with Architect values. In situations where both the instruments are in use simultaneously, a standardization of the methods is imperative, in larger interest of the patient populace.

[Cause-specific mortality in an area of Campania with numerous waste disposal sites].

PubMed

Altavista, Pierluigi; Belli, Stefano; Bianchi, Fabrizio; Binazzi, Alessandra; Comba, Pietro; Del Giudice, Raffaele; Fazzo, Lucia; Felli, Angelo; Mastrantonio, Marina; Menegozzo, Massimo; Musmeci, Loredana; Pizzuti, Renato; Savarese, Anna; Trinca, Stefania; Uccelli, Raffaella

2004-01-01

To investigate cause-specific mortality in an area of Campania region, in the surroundings of Naples, characterized by many toxic waste dumping grounds sites and by widespread burning of urban wastes. The study area was characterized by examining the spatial distribution of waste disposal sites and toxic waste dumping grounds, using a geographic information system (GIS). Mortality (1986-2000) was studied in the three municipalities of Giugliano in Campania, Qualiano and Villaricca, encompassing a population of about 150,000 inhabitants. Mortality rates of the population resident in the Campania region were used in order to generate expected figures. Causes of death of a priori interest where those previously associated to residence in the neighbourhood of (toxic) waste sites, including lung cancer, bladder cancer, leukemia and liver cancer. Overall 39 waste sites, 27 of which characterized by the likely presence of toxic wastes, were identified in the area of interest. A good agreement was found between two independent surveys of the Regional Environmental Protection Agency and of the environmentalist association Legambiente. Cancer mortality was significantly increased, with special reference to malignant neoplasm of lung, pleura, larynx, bladder, liver and brain. Circulatory diseases were also significantly in excess and diabetes showed some increases. Mortality statistics provide preliminary evidence of the disease load in the area. Mapping waste dumping grounds provides information for defining high risk areas. Improvements in exposure assessment together with the use of a range of health data (hospital discharge cards, malformation notifications, observations of general practitioners) will contribute to second generation studies aimed at inferring causal relationships.

Next-generation sequencing identifies deregulation of microRNAs involved in both innate and adaptive immune response in ALK+ ALCL.

PubMed

Steinhilber, Julia; Bonin, Michael; Walter, Michael; Fend, Falko; Bonzheim, Irina; Quintanilla-Martinez, Leticia

2015-01-01

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is divided into two systemic diseases according to the expression of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). We investigated the differential expression of miRNAs between ALK+ ALCL, ALK- ALCL cells and normal T-cells using next generation sequencing (NGS). In addition, a C/EBPβ-dependent miRNA profile was generated. The data were validated in primary ALCL cases. NGS identified 106 miRNAs significantly differentially expressed between ALK+ and ALK- ALCL and 228 between ALK+ ALCL and normal T-cells. We identified a signature of 56 miRNAs distinguishing ALK+ ALCL, ALK- ALCL and T-cells. The top candidates significant differentially expressed between ALK+ and ALK- ALCL included 5 upregulated miRNAs: miR-340, miR-203, miR-135b, miR-182, miR-183; and 7 downregulated: miR-196b, miR-155, miR-146a, miR-424, miR-503, miR-424*, miR-542-3p. The miR-17-92 cluster was also upregulated in ALK+ cells. Additionally, we identified a signature of 3 miRNAs significantly regulated by the transcription factor C/EBPβ, which is specifically overexpressed in ALK+ ALCL, including the miR-181 family. Of interest, miR-181a, which regulates T-cell differentiation and modulates TCR signalling strength, was significantly downregulated in ALK+ ALCL cases. In summary, our data reveal a miRNA signature linking ALK+ ALCL to a deregulated immune response and may reflect the abnormal TCR antigen expression known in ALK+ ALCL.

A statistical approach to selecting and confirming validation targets in -omics experiments

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Genomic technologies are, by their very nature, designed for hypothesis generation. In some cases, the hypotheses that are generated require that genome scientists confirm findings about specific genes or proteins. But one major advantage of high-throughput technology is that global genetic, genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic behaviors can be observed. Manual confirmation of every statistically significant genomic result is prohibitively expensive. This has led researchers in genomics to adopt the strategy of confirming only a handful of the most statistically significant results, a small subset chosen for biological interest, or a small random subset. But there is no standard approach for selecting and quantitatively evaluating validation targets. Results Here we present a new statistical method and approach for statistically validating lists of significant results based on confirming only a small random sample. We apply our statistical method to show that the usual practice of confirming only the most statistically significant results does not statistically validate result lists. We analyze an extensively validated RNA-sequencing experiment to show that confirming a random subset can statistically validate entire lists of significant results. Finally, we analyze multiple publicly available microarray experiments to show that statistically validating random samples can both (i) provide evidence to confirm long gene lists and (ii) save thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of labor over manual validation of each significant result. Conclusions For high-throughput -omics studies, statistical validation is a cost-effective and statistically valid approach to confirming lists of significant results. PMID:22738145

Linear dimensions and volumes of human lungs

DOE PAGES

Hickman, David P.

2012-03-30

TOTAL LUNG Capacity is defined as “the inspiratory capacity plus the functional residual capacity; the volume of air contained in the lungs at the end of a maximal inspiration; also equals vital capacity plus residual volume” (from MediLexicon.com). Within the Results and Discussion section of their April 2012 Health Physics paper, Kramer et al. briefly noted that the lungs of their experimental subjects were “not fully inflated.” By definition and failure to obtain maximal inspiration, Kramer et. al. did not measure Total Lung Capacity (TLC). The TLC equation generated from this work will tend to underestimate TLC and does notmore » improve or update total lung capacity data provided by ICRP and others. Likewise, the five linear measurements performed by Kramer et. al. are only representative of the conditions of the measurement (i.e., not at-rest volume, but not fully inflated either). While there was significant work performed and the data are interesting, the data does not represent a maximal situation, a minimal situation, or an at-rest situation. Moreover, while interesting, the linear data generated by this study is limited by the conditions of the experiment and may not be fully comparative with other lung or inspiratory parameters, measures, or physical dimensions.« less

Just how wide should 'wide reading' be?

PubMed

Lipscomb, Martin

2015-10-01

Educationalists introduce students to literature search strategies that, with rare exceptions, focus chiefly on the location of primary research reports and systematic reviews of those reports. These sources are, however, unlikely to adequately address the normative and/or metaphysical questions that nurses frequently and legitimately interest themselves in. To meet these interests, non-research texts exploring normative and/or metaphysical topics might and perhaps should, in some situations, be deemed suitable search targets. This seems plausible and, moreover, students are encouraged to 'read widely'. Yet accepting this proposition creates significant difficulties. Specifically, if non-research scholarly sources and artistic or literary (humanities) products dealing with normative/metaphysical issues were included in what are, at present, scientifically orientated searches, it is difficult to draw boundaries around what--if anything--is to be excluded. Engaging with this issue highlights problems with qualitative scholarship's designation as 'evidence'. Thus, absurdly, if qualitative scholarship's findings are labelled evidence because they generate practice-relevant understanding/insight, then any literary or artistic artefact (e.g. a throwaway lifestyle magazine) that generates kindred understandings/insights is presumably also evidence? This conclusion is rejected and it is instead proposed that while artistic, literary, and qualitative inquiries can provide practitioners with powerful and stimulating non-evidential understanding, these sources are not evidence as commonly conceived. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

SFO-Project: The New Generation of Sharable, Editable and Open-Access CFD Tutorials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Javaherchi, Teymour; Javaherchi, Ardeshir; Aliseda, Alberto

2016-11-01

One of the most common approaches to develop a Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulation for a new case study of interest is to search for the most similar, previously developed and validated CFD simulation among other works. A simple search would result into a pool of written/visual tutorials. However, users should spend significant amount of time and effort to find the most correct, compatible and valid tutorial in this pool and further modify it toward their simulation of interest. SFO is an open-source project with the core idea of saving the above-mentioned time and effort. This is done via documenting/sharing scientific and methodological approaches to develop CFD simulations for a wide spectrum of fundamental and industrial case studies in three different CFD solvers; STAR-CCM +, FLUENT and Open FOAM (SFO). All of the steps and required files of these tutorials are accessible and editable under the common roof of Github (a web-based Git repository hosting service). In this presentation we will present the current library of 20 + developed CFD tutorials, discuss the idea and benefit of using them, their educational values and explain how the next generation of open-access and live resource of CFD tutorials can be built further hand-in-hand within our community.

High pressure effects on the structural functionality of condensed globular-protein matrices.

PubMed

Savadkoohi, Sobhan; Kasapis, Stefan

2016-07-01

High pressure technology is the outcome of consumer demand for better quality control of processed foods. There is great potential to apply HPP to condensed systems of globular proteins for the generation of industry-relevant biomaterials with advanced techno- and biofunctionality. To this end, research demonstrates that application of high hydrostatic pressure generates a coherent structure and preserves the native conformation in condensed globular proteins, which is an entirely unexpected but interesting outcome on both scientific and technological grounds. In microbiological challenge tests, high pressure at conventional commercial conditions, demonstrated to effectively reduce the concentration of typical Gram negative or Gram positive foodborne pathogens, and proteolytic enzymes in high-solid protein samples. This may have industrial significance in relation to the formulation and stabilisation of "functional food" products as well as in protein ingredients and concentrates by replacing spray dried powders with condensed HPP-treated pastes that maintain structure and bioactivity. Fundamental concepts and structural functionality of condensed matrices of globular proteins are the primary interest in this mini-review, which may lead to opportunities for industrial exploitation, but earlier work on low-solid systems is also summarised presently to put recent developments in context of this rapidly growing field. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Stripline split-ring resonator with integrated optogalvanic sample cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Persson, Anders; Berglund, Martin; Thornell, Greger; Possnert, Göran; Salehpour, Mehran

2014-04-01

Intracavity optogalvanic spectroscopy (ICOGS) has been proposed as a method for unambiguous detection of rare isotopes. Of particular interest is 14C, where detection of extremely low concentrations in the 1:1015 range (14C: 12C), is of interest in, e.g., radiocarbon dating and pharmaceutical sciences. However, recent reports show that ICOGS suffers from substantial problems with reproducibility. To qualify ICOGS as an analytical method, more stable and reliable plasma generation and signal detection are needed. In our proposed setup, critical parameters have been improved. We have utilized a stripline split-ring resonator microwave-induced microplasma source to excite and sustain the plasma. Such a microplasma source offers several advantages over conventional ICOGS plasma sources. For example, the stripline split-ring resonator concept employs separated plasma generation and signal detection, which enables sensitive detection at stable plasma conditions. The concept also permits in situ observation of the discharge conditions, which was found to improve reproducibility. Unique to the stripline split-ring resonator microplasma source in this study, is that the optogalvanic sample cell has been embedded in the device itself. This integration enables improved temperature control and more stable and accurate signal detection. Significant improvements are demonstrated, including reproducibility, signal-to-noise ratio, and precision.

Liquid droplet radiator development status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, K. Alan, III

1987-01-01

Development of the Liquid Droplet Radiator (LDR) is described. Significant published results of previous investigators are presented, and work currently in progress is discussed. Several proposed LDR configurations are described, and the rectangular and triangular configurations currently of most interest are examined. Development of the droplet generator, collector, and auxiliary components are discussed. Radiative performance of a droplet sheet is considered, and experimental results are seen to be in very good agreement with analytical predictions. The collision of droplets in the droplet sheet, the charging of droplets by the space plasma, and the effect of atmospheric drag on the droplet sheet are shown to be of little consequence, or can be minimized by proper design. The LDR is seen to be less susceptible than conventional technology to the effects of micrometeoroids or hostile threats. The identification of working fluids which are stable in the orbital environments of interest is also made. Methods for reducing spacecraft contamination from an LDR to an acceptable level are discussed. Preliminary results of microgravity testing of the droplet generator are presented. Possible future NASA and Air Force missions enhanced or enabled by a LDR are also discussed. System studies indicate that the LDR is potentially less massive than heat pipe radiators. Planned microgravity testing aboard the Shuttle or space station is seen to be a logical next step in LDR development.

Donor-derived, tolerogenic dendritic cells suppress immune rejection in the indirect allosensitization-dominant setting of corneal transplantation.

PubMed

Hattori, Takaaki; Saban, Daniel R; Emami-Naeini, Parisa; Chauhan, Sunil K; Funaki, Toshinari; Ueno, Hiroki; Dana, Reza

2012-04-01

Significant interest has been focused on the use of ex vivo-manipulated DCs to optimally induce transplant tolerance and promote allograft survival. Although it is understood that donor-derived, tolerogenic DCs suppress the direct pathway of allosensitization, whether such DCs can similarly suppress the indirect pathway remains unclear. We therefore used the murine model of corneal transplantation to address this, as these allografts are rejected in an indirect pathway-dominant manner. Interestingly, recipients administered with donor bone marrow-derived DCregs, generated via culturing with GM-CSF, IL-10, and TGF-β1, significantly prolonged survival of corneal allografts. Correspondingly, these recipients demonstrated a potent reduction in the frequency of indirectly allosensitized T cells, as determined by ELISPOT. Examination of DCregs relative to mDCs or iDCs showed a resistance to up-regulation of MHC-II and costimulatory molecules, as well as an impaired capacity to stimulate MLRs. In vivo, DCreg administration in corneal-allografted recipients led to inhibition of CD4(+)IFN-γ(+) T cell frequencies and an associated increase in Foxp3 expression in the Treg compartment. We conclude that donor-derived, tolerogenic DCs significantly suppress the indirect pathway, thereby identifying a novel regulatory mechanism for these cells in transplantation.

Donor-derived, tolerogenic dendritic cells suppress immune rejection in the indirect allosensitization-dominant setting of corneal transplantation

PubMed Central

Hattori, Takaaki; Saban, Daniel R.; Emami-naeini, Parisa; Chauhan, Sunil K.; Funaki, Toshinari; Ueno, Hiroki; Dana, Reza

2012-01-01

Significant interest has been focused on the use of ex vivo-manipulated DCs to optimally induce transplant tolerance and promote allograft survival. Although it is understood that donor-derived, tolerogenic DCs suppress the direct pathway of allosensitization, whether such DCs can similarly suppress the indirect pathway remains unclear. We therefore used the murine model of corneal transplantation to address this, as these allografts are rejected in an indirect pathway-dominant manner. Interestingly, recipients administered with donor bone marrow-derived DCregs, generated via culturing with GM-CSF, IL-10, and TGF-β1, significantly prolonged survival of corneal allografts. Correspondingly, these recipients demonstrated a potent reduction in the frequency of indirectly allosensitized T cells, as determined by ELISPOT. Examination of DCregs relative to mDCs or iDCs showed a resistance to up-regulation of MHC-II and costimulatory molecules, as well as an impaired capacity to stimulate MLRs. In vivo, DCreg administration in corneal-allografted recipients led to inhibition of CD4+IFN-γ+ T cell frequencies and an associated increase in Foxp3 expression in the Treg compartment. We conclude that donor-derived, tolerogenic DCs significantly suppress the indirect pathway, thereby identifying a novel regulatory mechanism for these cells in transplantation. PMID:22291211

Comparative toxicological assessment of PAMAM and thiophosphoryl dendrimers using embryonic zebrafish

PubMed Central

Pryor, Joseph B; Harper, Bryan J; Harper, Stacey L

2014-01-01

Dendrimers are well-defined, polymeric nanomaterials currently being investigated for biomedical applications such as medical imaging, gene therapy, and tissue targeted therapy. Initially, higher generation (size) dendrimers were of interest because of their drug carrying capacity. However, increased generation was associated with increased toxicity. The majority of studies exploring dendrimer toxicity have focused on a small range of materials using cell culture methods, with few studies investigating the toxicity across a wide range of materials in vivo. The objective of the present study was to investigate the role of surface charge and generation in dendrimer toxicity using embryonic zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model vertebrate. Due to the generational and charge effects observed at the cellular level, higher generation cationic dendrimers were hypothesized to be more toxic than lower generation anionic or neutral dendrimers with the same core composition. Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers elicited significant morbidity and mortality as generation was decreased. No significant adverse effects were observed from the suite of thiophosphoryl dendrimers studied. Exposure to ≥50 ppm cationic PAMAM dendrimers G3-amine, G4-amine, G5-amine, and G6-amine caused 100% mortality by 24 hours post-fertilization. Cationic PAMAM G6-amine at 250 ppm was found to be statistically more toxic than both neutral PAMAM G6-amidoethanol and anionic PAMAM G6-succinamic acid at the same concentration. The toxicity observed within the suite of varying dendrimers provides evidence that surface charge may be the best indicator of dendrimer toxicity. Dendrimer class and generation are other potential contributors to the toxicity of dendrimers. Further studies are required to better understand the relative role each plays in driving the toxicity of dendrimers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first in vivo study to address such a broad range of dendrimers. PMID:24790436

Campus-Based Tensions in the Structural Development of a Newly Merged University: The Case of the University of Eastern Finland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vartiainen, Perttu

2017-01-01

This paper analyzes the campus-based tensions which are emerging in the multi-campus university during a critical period of structural development. A multi-campus system easily generates intrinsic tensions between "localist" campus-based interests and system-level interests, in which the interests of external stakeholders often play a…

Interactive voxel graphics in virtual reality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brody, Bill; Chappell, Glenn G.; Hartman, Chris

2002-06-01

Interactive voxel graphics in virtual reality poses significant research challenges in terms of interface, file I/O, and real-time algorithms. Voxel graphics is not so new, as it is the focus of a good deal of scientific visualization. Interactive voxel creation and manipulation is a more innovative concept. Scientists are understandably reluctant to manipulate data. They collect or model data. A scientific analogy to interactive graphics is the generation of initial conditions for some model. It is used as a method to test those models. We, however, are in the business of creating new data in the form of graphical imagery. In our endeavor, science is a tool and not an end. Nevertheless, there is a whole class of interactions and associated data generation scenarios that are natural to our way of working and that are also appropriate to scientific inquiry. Annotation by sketching or painting to point to and distinguish interesting and important information is very significant for science as well as art. Annotation in 3D is difficult without a good 3D interface. Interactive graphics in virtual reality is an appropriate approach to this problem.

Heel impact forces during barefoot versus minimally shod walking among Tarahumara subsistence farmers and urban Americans

PubMed Central

Koch, Elizabeth; Holowka, Nicholas B.; Lieberman, Daniel E.

2018-01-01

Despite substantial recent interest in walking barefoot and in minimal footwear, little is known about potential differences in walking biomechanics when unshod versus minimally shod. To test the hypothesis that heel impact forces are similar during barefoot and minimally shod walking, we analysed ground reaction forces recorded in both conditions with a pedography platform among indigenous subsistence farmers, the Tarahumara of Mexico, who habitually wear minimal sandals, as well as among urban Americans wearing commercially available minimal sandals. Among both the Tarahumara (n = 35) and Americans (n = 30), impact peaks generated in sandals had significantly (p < 0.05) higher force magnitudes, slower loading rates and larger vertical impulses than during barefoot walking. These kinetic differences were partly due to individuals' significantly greater effective mass when walking in sandals. Our results indicate that, in general, people tread more lightly when walking barefoot than in minimal footwear. Further research is needed to test if the variations in impact peaks generated by walking barefoot or in minimal shoes have consequences for musculoskeletal health. PMID:29657826

Carbohydrates and T cells: A sweet twosome

PubMed Central

Avci, Fikri Y.; Li, Xiangming; Tsuji, Moriya; Kasper, Dennis L.

2013-01-01

Carbohydrates as T cell-activating antigens have been generating significant interest. For many years, carbohydrates were thought of as T-independent antigens, however, more recent research had demonstrated that mono- or oligosaccharides glycosidically-linked to peptides can be recognized by T cells. T cell recognition of these glycopeptides depends on the structure of both peptide and glycan portions of the antigen. Subsequently, it was discovered that natural killer T cells recognized glycolipids when presented by the antigen presenting molecule CD1d. A transformative insight into glycan-recognition by T cells occurred when zwitterionic polysaccharides were discovered to bind to and be presented by MHCII to CD4+ T cells. Based on this latter observation, the role that carbohydrate epitopes generated from glycoconjugate vaccines had in activating helper T cells was explored and it was found that these epitopes are presented to specific carbohydrate recognizing T cells through a unique mechanism. Here we review the key interactions between carbohydrate antigens and the adaptive immune system at the molecular, cellular and systems levels exploring the significant biological implications in health and disease. PMID:23757291

Amyloid-β production via cleavage of amyloid-β protein precursor is modulated by cell density.

PubMed

Zhang, Can; Browne, Andrew; Divito, Jason R; Stevenson, Jesse A; Romano, Donna; Dong, Yuanlin; Xie, Zhongcong; Tanzi, Rudolph E

2010-01-01

Mounting evidence suggests that Alzheimer's disease (AD) is caused by the accumulation of the small peptide, amyloid-β (Aβ), a proteolytic cleavage product of amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP). Aβ is generated through a serial cleavage of AβPP by β- and γ-secretase. Aβ40 and Aβ42 are the two main components of amyloid plaques in AD brains, with Aβ42 being more prone to aggregation. AβPP can also be processed by α-secretase, which cleaves AβPP within the Aβ sequence, thereby preventing the generation of Aβ. Little is currently known regarding the effects of cell density on AβPP processing and Aβ generation. Here we assessed the effects of cell density on AβPP processing in neuronal and non-neuronal cell lines, as well as mouse primary cortical neurons. We found that decreased cell density significantly increases levels of Aβ40, Aβ42, total Aβ, and the ratio of Aβ42: Aβ40. These results also indicate that cell density is a significant modulator of AβPP processing. Overall, these findings carry profound implications for both previous and forthcoming studies aiming to assess the effects of various conditions and genetic/chemical factors, e.g., novel drugs on AβPP processing and Aβ generation in cell-based systems. Moreover, it is interesting to speculate whether cell density changes in vivo may also affect AβPP processing and Aβ levels in the AD brain.

Bipolar electrochemistry: from materials science to motion and beyond.

PubMed

Loget, Gabriel; Zigah, Dodzi; Bouffier, Laurent; Sojic, Neso; Kuhn, Alexander

2013-11-19

Bipolar electrochemistry, a phenomenon which generates an asymmetric reactivity on the surface of conductive objects in a wireless manner, is an important concept for many purposes, from analysis to materials science as well as for the generation of motion. Chemists have known the basic concept for a long time, but it has recently attracted additional attention, especially in the context of micro- and nanoscience. In this Account, we introduce the fundamentals of bipolar electrochemistry and illustrate its recent applications, with a particular focus on the fields of materials science and dynamic systems. Janus particles, named after the Roman god depicted with two faces, are currently in the heart of many original investigations. These objects exhibit different physicochemical properties on two opposite sides. This makes them a unique class of materials, showing interesting features. They have received increasing attention from the materials science community, since they can be used for a large variety of applications, ranging from sensing to photosplitting of water. So far the great majority of methods developed for the generation of Janus particles breaks the symmetry by using interfaces or surfaces. The consequence is often a low time-space yield, which limits their large scale production. In this context, chemists have successfully used bipolar electrodeposition to break the symmetry. This provides a single-step technique for the bulk production of Janus particles with a high control over the deposit structure and morphology, as well as a significantly improved yield. In this context, researchers have used the bipolar electrodeposition of molecular layers, metals, semiconductors, and insulators at one or both reactive poles of bipolar electrodes to generate a wide range of Janus particles with different size, composition and shape. In using bipolar electrochemistry as a driving force for generating motion, its intrinsic asymmetric reactivity is again the crucial aspect, as there is no directed motion without symmetry breaking. Controlling the motion of objects at the micro- and nanoscale is of primary importance for many potential applications, ranging from medical diagnosis to nanosurgery, and has generated huge interest in the scientific community in recent years. Several original approaches to design micro- and nanomotors have been explored, with propulsion strategies based on chemical fuelling or on external fields. The first strategy is using the asymmetric particles generated by bipolar electrodeposition and employing them directly as micromotors. We have demonstrated this by using the catalytic and magnetic properties of Janus objects. The second strategy is utilizing bipolar electrochemistry as a direct trigger of motion of isotropic particles. We developed mechanisms based on a simultaneous dissolution and deposition, or on a localized asymmetric production of bubbles. We then used these for the translation, the rotation and the levitation of conducting objects. These examples give insight into two interesting fields of applications of the concept of bipolar electrochemistry, and open perspectives for future developments in materials science and for generating motion at different scales.

Illinois | Solar Research | NREL

Science.gov Websites

-interest financing from the Illinois Finance Authority. Customer generators interested in selling solar Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) defines competitive and noncompetitive customer classes in the IOU service territories for net metering purposes. The noncompetitive customer class includes nonresidential

Associations between subspecialty fellowship interest and knowledge of internal medicine: A hypothesis-generating study of internal medicine residents

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Little is known about whether and how medical knowledge relates to interest in subspecialty fellowship training. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between residents' interest in subspecialty fellowship training and their knowledge of internal medicine (IM). Methods A questionnaire was emailed to 48 categorical postgraduate-year (PGY) two and three residents at a New York university-affiliated IM residency program in 2007 using the Survey Monkey online survey instrument. Overall and content area-specific percentile scores from the IM in-training examination (IM-ITE) for the same year was used to determine objective knowledge. Results Forty-five of 48 residents (response rate was 93.8%) completed the survey. Twenty-two (49%) were PG2 residents and 23(51%) were PGY3 residents. Sixty percent of respondents were male. Six (13%) residents were graduates of U.S. medical schools. Eight (18%) reported formal clinical training prior to starting internal medicine residency in the U.S. Of this latter group, 6 (75%) had training in IM and 6 (75) % reported a training length of 3 years or less. Thirty-seven of 45 (82%) residents had a subspecialty fellowship interest. Residents with a fellowship interest had a greater mean overall objective knowledge percentile score (56.44 vs. 31.67; p = 0.04) as well as greater mean percentile scores in all content areas of IM. The adjusted mean difference was statistically significant (p < 0.02) across three content areas. Conclusions More than half of surveyed residents indicated interest in pursuing a subspecialty fellowship. Fellowship interest appears positively associated with general medical knowledge in this study population. Further work is needed to explore motivation and study patterns among internal medicine residents. PMID:21281500

Associations between subspecialty fellowship interest and knowledge of internal medicine: a hypothesis-generating study of internal medicine residents.

PubMed

Ofoma, Uchenna R; Lehman, Erik E; Haidet, Paul; Yacht, Andrew C

2011-01-31

Little is known about whether and how medical knowledge relates to interest in subspecialty fellowship training. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between residents' interest in subspecialty fellowship training and their knowledge of internal medicine (IM). A questionnaire was emailed to 48 categorical postgraduate-year (PGY) two and three residents at a New York university-affiliated IM residency program in 2007 using the Survey Monkey online survey instrument. Overall and content area-specific percentile scores from the IM in-training examination (IM-ITE) for the same year was used to determine objective knowledge. Forty-five of 48 residents (response rate was 93.8%) completed the survey. Twenty-two (49%) were PG2 residents and 23(51%) were PGY3 residents. Sixty percent of respondents were male. Six (13%) residents were graduates of U.S. medical schools. Eight (18%) reported formal clinical training prior to starting internal medicine residency in the U.S. Of this latter group, 6 (75%) had training in IM and 6 (75) % reported a training length of 3 years or less. Thirty-seven of 45 (82%) residents had a subspecialty fellowship interest. Residents with a fellowship interest had a greater mean overall objective knowledge percentile score (56.44 vs. 31.67; p = 0.04) as well as greater mean percentile scores in all content areas of IM. The adjusted mean difference was statistically significant (p < 0.02) across three content areas. More than half of surveyed residents indicated interest in pursuing a subspecialty fellowship. Fellowship interest appears positively associated with general medical knowledge in this study population. Further work is needed to explore motivation and study patterns among internal medicine residents.

Mid-infrared frequency comb via coherent dispersive wave generation in silicon nitride nanophotonic waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Hairun; Herkommer, Clemens; Billat, Adrien; Grassani, Davide; Zhang, Chuankun; Pfeiffer, Martin H. P.; Weng, Wenle; Brès, Camille-Sophie; Kippenberg, Tobias J.

2018-06-01

Mid-infrared optical frequency combs are of significant interest for molecular spectroscopy due to the large absorption of molecular vibrational modes on the one hand, and the ability to implement superior comb-based spectroscopic modalities with increased speed, sensitivity and precision on the other hand. Here, we demonstrate a simple, yet effective, method for the direct generation of mid-infrared optical frequency combs in the region from 2.5 to 4.0 μm (that is, 2,500-4,000 cm-1), covering a large fraction of the functional group region, from a conventional and compact erbium-fibre-based femtosecond laser in the telecommunication band (that is, 1.55 μm). The wavelength conversion is based on dispersive wave generation within the supercontinuum process in an unprecedented large-cross-section silicon nitride (Si3N4) waveguide with the dispersion lithographically engineered. The long-wavelength dispersive wave can perform as a mid-infrared frequency comb, whose coherence is demonstrated via optical heterodyne measurements. Such an approach can be considered as an alternative option to mid-infrared frequency comb generation. Moreover, it has the potential to realize compact dual-comb spectrometers. The generated combs also have a fine teeth-spacing, making them suitable for gas-phase analysis.

Method and Apparatus for Forming Nanodroplets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ackley, Donald; Forster, Anita

2011-01-01

This innovation uses partially miscible fluids to form nano- and microdroplets in a microfluidic droplet generator system. Droplet generators fabricated in PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) are currently being used to fabricate engineered nanoparticles and microparticles. These droplet generators were first demonstrated in a T-junction configuration, followed by a cross-flow configuration. All of these generating devices have used immiscible fluids, such as oil and water. This immiscible fluid system can produce mono-dispersed distributions of droplets and articles with sizes ranging from a few hundred nanometers to a few hundred microns. For applications such as drug delivery, the ability to encapsulate aqueous solutions of drugs within particles formed from the droplets is desirable. Of particular interest are non-polar solvents that can dissolve lipids for the formation of liposomes in the droplet generators. Such fluids include ether, cyclohexane, butanol, and ethyl acetate. Ethyl acetate is of particular interest for two reasons. It is relatively nontoxic and it is formed from ether and acetic acid, and maybe broken down into its constituents at relatively low concentrations.

Buying Renewable Electric Power in Montgomery County, Maryland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cember, Richard P.

2008-08-01

From mid-August 2007 until mid-August 2008, my home electricity supply was 100% wind-generated. My experience in switching to wind-generated electric power may be of interest to fellow AGU members for three reasons. First, Montgomery County, Md., where I live, is one of the few jurisdictions in the United States that has both an electric power tax and a renewable energy credit. The county is therefore a case study in price-based public policy for greenhouse gas emissions control. Second, I was surprised by the comparatively small price difference (or ``price premium'') between wind-generated and conventionally generated power in the county, and I believe that Eos readers will be similarly surprised. Third, because so many U.S. federal agencies concerned with Earth science are based in the Washington, D. C., area, a high concentration of AGU members live in Montgomery County and may be personally interested in evaluating the price of reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the generation of their own residential electricity.

Nonequilibrium Quantum Simulation in Circuit QED

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raftery, James John

Superconducting circuits have become a leading architecture for quantum computing and quantum simulation. In particular, the circuit QED framework leverages high coherence qubits and microwave resonators to construct systems realizing quantum optics models with exquisite precision. For example, the Jaynes-Cummings model has been the focus of significant theoretical interest as a means of generating photon-photon interactions. Lattices of such strongly correlated photons are an exciting new test bed for exploring non-equilibrium condensed matter physics such as dissipative phase transitions of light. This thesis covers a series of experiments which establish circuit QED as a powerful tool for exploring condensed matter physics with photons. The first experiment explores the use of ultra high speed arbitrary waveform generators for the direct digital synthesis of complex microwave waveforms. This new technique dramatically simplifies the classical control chain for quantum experiments and enables high bandwidth driving schemes expected to be essential for generating interesting steady-states and dynamical behavior. The last two experiments explore the rich physics of interacting photons, with an emphasis on small systems where a high degree of control is possible. The first experiment realizes a two-site system called the Jaynes-Cummings dimer, which undergoes a self-trapping transition where the strong photon-photon interactions block photon hopping between sites. The observation of this dynamical phase transition and the related dissipation-induced transition are key results of this thesis. The final experiment augments the Jaynes-Cummings dimer by redesigning the circuit to include in-situ control over photon hopping between sites using a tunable coupler. This enables the study of the dimer's localization transition in the steady-state regime.

Essentials for Engaged 21st-Century Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Virginia R.

2012-01-01

The Millennial Generation is a subject of paramount interest for 21st-century educators. It is a generation unlike its predecessors, with some stating it is the most intelligent consumer generation in history. Experts in the fields of neurobiology and psychology have found that Millennial brains may actually be "physically different" because of…

Analysis of transient thermal stress in heat-generating plates and hollow cylinders caused by sudden environmental temperature changes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosenberg, G. S.; Schoeberle, D. F.; Valentin, R. A.

1969-01-01

Analysis and solution are presented for transient thermal stresses in a free heat-generating flat plate and a free, hollow-generating cylinder as a result of sudden environmental changes. The technique used and graphical results obtained are of interest to the heat transfer industry.

Electronic and magnetic properties of epitaxial SrRh O 3 films

DOE PAGES

Nichols, John A.; Yuk, Simuck F.; Sohn, Changhee; ...

2017-06-16

The strong interplay of fundamental order parameters in complex oxides is known to give rise to exotic physical phenomena. The 4$d$ transition-metal oxide SrRh O 3 has generated much interest, but advances have been hindered by difficulties in preparing single-crystalline phases. Here we epitaxially stabilize high-quality single-crystalline SrRh O 3 films and investigate their structural, electronic, and magnetic properties. Lastly, we determine that their properties significantly differ from the paramagnetic metallic ground state that governs bulk samples and are strongly related to rotations of Rh O 6 octahedra.

Creating technical heritage object replicas in a virtual environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egorova, Olga; Shcherbinin, Dmitry

2016-03-01

The paper presents innovative informatics methods for creating virtual technical heritage replicas, which are of significant scientific and practical importance not only to researchers but to the public in general. By performing 3D modeling and animation of aircrafts, spaceships, architectural-engineering buildings, and other technical objects, the process of learning is achieved while promoting the preservation of the replicas for future generations. Modern approaches based on the wide usage of computer technologies attract a greater number of young people to explore the history of science and technology and renew their interest in the field of mechanical engineering.

Toward determining melt pool quality metrics via coaxial monitoring in laser powder bed fusion.

PubMed

Fisher, Brian A; Lane, Brandon; Yeung, Ho; Beuth, Jack

2018-01-01

The current industry trend in metal additive manufacturing is towards greater real time process monitoring capabilities during builds to ensure high quality parts. While the hardware implementations that allow for real time monitoring of the melt pool have advanced significantly, the knowledge required to correlate the generated data to useful metrics of interest are still lacking. This research presents promising results that aim to bridge this knowledge gap by determining a novel means to correlate easily obtainable sensor data (thermal emission) to key melt pool size metrics (e.g., melt pool cross sectional area).

Advances in systems biology: computational algorithms and applications.

PubMed

Huang, Yufei; Zhao, Zhongming; Xu, Hua; Shyr, Yu; Zhang, Bing

2012-01-01

The 2012 International Conference on Intelligent Biology and Medicine (ICIBM 2012) was held on April 22-24, 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. The conference featured six technical sessions, one tutorial session, one workshop, and 3 keynote presentations that covered state-of-the-art research activities in genomics, systems biology, and intelligent computing. In addition to a major emphasis on the next generation sequencing (NGS)-driven informatics, ICIBM 2012 aligned significant interests in systems biology and its applications in medicine. We highlight in this editorial the selected papers from the meeting that address the developments of novel algorithms and applications in systems biology.

A new scanning electron microscopy approach to image aerogels at the nanoscale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solá, F.; Hurwitz, F.; Yang, J.

2011-04-01

A new scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique to image poor electrically conductive aerogels is presented. The process can be performed by non-expert SEM users. We showed that negative charging effects on aerogels can be minimized significantly by inserting dry nitrogen gas close to the region of interest. The process involves the local recombination of accumulated negative charges with positive ions generated from ionization processes. This new technique made possible the acquisition of images of aerogels with pores down to approximately 3 nm in diameter using a positively biased Everhart-Thornley (ET) detector.

A personal tribute to a great educator: how Henry Kawamoto influenced my interest in facial soft tissue anatomy and changed my plastic surgery career.

PubMed

Stuzin, James M

2012-11-01

Henry Kawamoto remains one of the most influential craniofacial surgeons of the 20th century. A Tessier-trained craniofacial surgeon, Dr. Kawamoto has personally influenced not only the lives of his patients, but significantly also the lives of those craniofacial fellows he educated, passing on the Tessier methodology to future generations. This article serves as an anecdote as to how Dr. Kawamoto's mentoring influenced a personal understanding of facial soft tissue anatomy, leading to improved technical approaches for surgical rejuvenation of the aging face.

The enzymes of bacterial census and censorship

PubMed Central

Fast, Walter; Tipton, Peter A.

2011-01-01

N-Acyl-l-homoserine lactones (AHLs) are a major class of quorum sensing signals used by Gram-negative bacteria to regulate gene expression in a population-dependent manner, thereby enabling group behavior. Enzymes capable of generating and catabolizing AHL signals are of significant interest for the study of microbial ecology and quorum-sensing pathways, for understanding the systems that bacteria have evolved to interact with small molecule signals, and for their possible use in therapeutic and industrial applications. The recent structural and functional studies reviewed here provide detailed insight into the chemistry and enzymology of bacterial communication. PMID:22099187

Regulation of AID, the B-cell genome mutator

PubMed Central

Keim, Celia; Kazadi, David; Rothschild, Gerson; Basu, Uttiya

2013-01-01

The mechanisms by which B cells somatically engineer their genomes to generate the vast diversity of antibodies required to challenge the nearly infinite number of antigens that immune systems encounter are of tremendous clinical and academic interest. The DNA cytidine deaminase activation-induced deaminase (AID) catalyzes two of these mechanisms: class switch recombination (CSR) and somatic hypermutation (SHM). Recent discoveries indicate a significant promiscuous targeting of this B-cell mutator enzyme genome-wide. Here we discuss the various regulatory elements that control AID activity and prevent AID from inducing genomic instability and thereby initiating oncogenesis. PMID:23307864

Dynamic, diagnostic, and pharmacological radionuclide studies of the esophagus in achalasia: correlation with manometric measurements

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

Rozen, P.; Gelfond, M.; Zaltzman, S.

1982-08-01

The esophagus was evaluated in 15 patients with achalasia by continuous gamma camera imaging following ingestion of a semi-solid meal labeled with /sup 99//sup m/Tc. The images were displayed and recorded on a simple computerized data processing/display system. Subsequent cine' mode images of esophagela emptying demonstrated abnormalities of the body of the esophagus not reflected by the manometric examination. Computer-generated time-activity curves representing specific regions of interest were better than manometry in evaluating the results of myotomy, dilatation, and drug therapy. Isosorbide dinitrate significantly improved esophageal emptying.

Method for determining surface properties of microparticles

DOEpatents

Eisenthal, Kenneth B.

2000-01-01

Second harmonic generation (SHG), sum frequency generation (SFG) and difference frequency generation (DFG) can be used for surface analysis or characterization of microparticles having a non-metallic surface feature. The microparticles can be centrosymmetric or such that non-metallic molecules of interest are centrosymmetrically distributed inside and outside the microparticles but not at the surface of the microparticles where the asymmetry aligns the molecules. The signal is quadratic in incident laser intensity or proportional to the product of two incident laser intensities for SFG, it is sharply peaked at the second harmonic wavelength, quadratic in the density of molecules adsorbed onto the microparticle surface, and linear in microparticles density. In medical or pharmacological applications, molecules of interest may be of drugs or toxins, for example.

Guaranteed Student Loans: Eliminating Interest Rate Floors Could Generate Substantial Savings. Report to the Honorable George D. Mitchell, U.S. Senate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Div. of Human Resources.

A study was done of how interest rate floors on certain guaranteed student loans affect the federal government's and students' costs when rates on short-term government securities decline. The study developed cost comparisons using fixed and variable loan interest rates. For comparison Department of Education projections of loan volumes for fiscal…

Decline in Interest in Biology among Elementary School Pupils during a Generation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randler, Christoph; Osti, Janina; Hummel, Eberhard

2012-01-01

A decline in biology interest has often been claimed but seldom with an empirically substantiation. This study was based on a sample of 3rd and 4th grade pupils within the same geographical area as Lowe's (1987, 1992) previous results from southwest Germany from the year 1983. We used a four-point Likert-type questionnaire to assess interest with…

Phenotypic mutant library: potential for gene discovery

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The rapid development of high throughput and affordable Next- Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques has renewed interest in gene discovery using forward genetics. The conventional forward genetic approach starts with isolation of mutants with a phenotype of interest, mapping the mutation within a s...

Strategic Communication Intervention to Stimulate Interest in Research and Evidence-Based Practice: A 12-Year Follow-Up Study With Registered Nurses.

PubMed

Morténius, Helena; Hildingh, Cathrine; Fridlund, Bengt

2016-02-01

Bridging the research-practice gap is a challenge for health care. Fostering awareness of and interest in research and development (R & D) can serve as a platform to help nurses and others bridge this gap. Strategic communication is an interdisciplinary field that has been used to achieve long-term interest in adopting and applying R & D in primary care. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of a strategic communication intervention on long-term interest in R & D among primary care staff members (PCSMs) in general and registered nurses (RNs) in particular. This prospective intervention study included all members of the PCSMs, including RNs, in a Swedish primary care area. The interest of PCSMs in R & D was measured on two occasions, at 7 and 12 years, using both bivariate and multivariate tests. A total of 99.5% of RNs gained awareness of R & D after the first 7 years of intervention versus 95% of the remaining PCSMs (p = .004). A comparison of the two measurements ascertained stability and improvement of interest in R & D among RNs, compared with all other PCSMs (odds ratio 1.81; confidence interval 1.08-3.06). Moreover, the RNs who did become interested in R & D also demonstrated increased intention to adopt innovative thinking in their work over time (p = .005). RNs play an important role in reducing the gap between theory and practice. Strategic communication was a significant tool for inspiring interest in R & D. Application of this platform to generate interest in R & D is a unique intervention and should be recognized for future interventions in primary care. Positive attitudes toward R & D may reinforce the use of evidence-based practice in health care, thereby making a long-term contribution to the patient benefit. © 2015 The Authors. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Sigma Theta Tau International The Honor Society of Nursing.

Skeletal adaptation to intramedullary pressure-induced interstitial fluid flow is enhanced in mice subjected to targeted osteocyte ablation.

PubMed

Kwon, Ronald Y; Meays, Diana R; Meilan, Alexander S; Jones, Jeremiah; Miramontes, Rosa; Kardos, Natalie; Yeh, Jiunn-Chern; Frangos, John A

2012-01-01

Interstitial fluid flow (IFF) is a potent regulatory signal in bone. During mechanical loading, IFF is generated through two distinct mechanisms that result in spatially distinct flow profiles: poroelastic interactions within the lacunar-canalicular system, and intramedullary pressurization. While the former generates IFF primarily within the lacunar-canalicular network, the latter generates significant flow at the endosteal surface as well as within the tissue. This gives rise to the intriguing possibility that loading-induced IFF may differentially activate osteocytes or surface-residing cells depending on the generating mechanism, and that sensation of IFF generated via intramedullary pressurization may be mediated by a non-osteocytic bone cell population. To begin to explore this possibility, we used the Dmp1-HBEGF inducible osteocyte ablation mouse model and a microfluidic system for modulating intramedullary pressure (ImP) to assess whether structural adaptation to ImP-driven IFF is altered by partial osteocyte depletion. Canalicular convective velocities during pressurization were estimated through the use of fluorescence recovery after photobleaching and computational modeling. Following osteocyte ablation, transgenic mice exhibited severe losses in bone structure and altered responses to hindlimb suspension in a compartment-specific manner. In pressure-loaded limbs, transgenic mice displayed similar or significantly enhanced structural adaptation to Imp-driven IFF, particularly in the trabecular compartment, despite up to ∼50% of trabecular lacunae being uninhabited following ablation. Interestingly, regression analysis revealed relative gains in bone structure in pressure-loaded limbs were correlated with reductions in bone structure in unpressurized control limbs, suggesting that adaptation to ImP-driven IFF was potentiated by increases in osteoclastic activity and/or reductions in osteoblastic activity incurred independently of pressure loading. Collectively, these studies indicate that structural adaptation to ImP-driven IFF can proceed unimpeded following a significant depletion in osteocytes, consistent with the potential existence of a non-osteocytic bone cell population that senses ImP-driven IFF independently and potentially parallel to osteocytic sensation of poroelasticity-derived IFF.

Trends in bacterial trehalose metabolism and significant nodes of metabolic pathway in the direction of trehalose accumulation

PubMed Central

Ruhal, Rohit; Kataria, Rashmi; Choudhury, Bijan

2013-01-01

Summary The current knowledge of trehalose biosynthesis under stress conditions is incomplete and needs further research. Since trehalose finds industrial and pharmaceutical applications, enhanced accumulation of trehalose in bacteria seems advantageous for commercial production. Moreover, physiological role of trehalose is a key to generate stress resistant bacteria by metabolic engineering. Although trehalose biosynthesis requires few metabolites and enzyme reactions, it appears to have a more complex metabolic regulation. Trehalose biosynthesis in bacteria is known through three pathways – OtsAB, TreYZ and TreS. The interconnections of in vivo synthesis of trehalose, glycogen or maltose were most interesting to investigate in recent years. Further, enzymes at different nodes (glucose-6-P, glucose-1-P and NDP-glucose) of metabolic pathways influence enhancement of trehalose accumulation. Most of the study of trehalose biosynthesis was explored in medically significant Mycobacterium, research model Escherichia coli, industrially applicable Corynebacterium and food and probiotic interest Propionibacterium freudenreichii. Therefore, the present review dealt with the trehalose metabolism in these bacteria. In addition, an effort was made to recognize how enzymes at different nodes of metabolic pathway can influence trehalose accumulation. PMID:23302511

A preliminary assessment of PM(10) and TSP concentrations in Tuticorin, India.

PubMed

Sivaramasundaram, K; Muthusubramanian, P

2010-06-01

The respirable particulate matter (RPM; PM(10)) and total suspended particulate matter (TSP) concentrations in ambient air in Tuticorin, India, were preliminarily estimated. Statistical analyses on so-generated database were performed to infer frequency distributions and to identify dominant meteorological factor affecting the pollution levels. Both the RPM and TSP levels were well below the permissible limits set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. As expected, lognormal distribution always fit the data during the study period. However, fit with the normal was also acceptable except for very few seasons. The RPM concentrations ranged between 20.9 and 198.2 mug/m(3), while the TSP concentrations varied from 51.5 to 333.3 mug/m(3) during the study period. There was a better correlation between PM(10-100) and TSP concentrations than that of PM(10) (RPM) and TSP concentrations, but the correlation of RPM fraction was also acceptable. It was found that wind speed was the most important meteorological factor affecting the concentrations of the pollutants of present interest. Significant seasonal variations in the pollutant concentrations of present interest were found at 5% significance level except for TSP concentrations in the year 2006.

Personalized professional content recommendation

DOEpatents

Xu, Songhua

2015-10-27

A personalized content recommendation system includes a client interface configured to automatically monitor a user's information data stream transmitted on the Internet. A hybrid contextual behavioral and collaborative personal interest inference engine resident to a non-transient media generates automatic predictions about the interests of individual users of the system. A database server retains the user's personal interest profile based on a plurality of monitored information. The system also includes a server programmed to filter items in an incoming information stream with the personal interest profile and is further programmed to identify only those items of the incoming information stream that substantially match the personal interest profile.

A novel dysfunctional germline P53 mutation identified in a family with Li-Fraumeni syndrome.

PubMed

Ji, Min; Wang, Lin; Shao, Yuguo; Cao, Wei; Xu, Ting; Chen, Shujie; Wang, Zhiwei; He, Qi; Yang, Kuo

2018-01-01

Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS), which is a rare dominantly inherited cancer predisposition syndrome, is associated with germline P53 mutations. Mutations of the tumor suppressor protein P53 are associated with more than 50% of human cancers; however, almost 30% of P53 mutations occur rarely and this has raised questions about their significance. It therefore appeared of particular interest that we identified a novel mutation in a patient suffering from breast cancer and fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of LFS. In this study, a patient with remarkable family history developed breast cancer and was diagnosed with LFS. By performing next-generation sequencing on the patient and subsequent verification by Sanger sequencing among other family members, a new germ-line P53 replication error, a trinucleotide repeat mutation in the coding region, was identified in two generations of this Li-Fraumeni family.

The combined value of wind and solar power forecasting improvements and electricity storage

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

Hodge, Bri-Mathias; Brancucci Martinez-Anido, Carlo; Wang, Qin

As the penetration rates of variable renewable energy increase, the value of power systems operation flexibility technology options, such as renewable energy forecasting improvements and electricity storage, is also assumed to increase. In this work, we examine the value of these two technologies, when used independently and concurrently, for two real case studies that represent the generation mixes for the California and Midcontinent Independent System Operators (CAISO and MISO). Since both technologies provide additional system flexibility they reduce operational costs and renewable curtailment for both generation mixes under study. Interestingly, the relative impacts are quite similar when both technologies aremore » used together. Though both flexibility options can solve some of the same issues that arise with high penetration levels of renewables, they do not seem to significantly increase or decrease the economic potential of the other technology.« less

Insights into the nature of DNA binding of AbrB-like transcription factors

PubMed Central

Sullivan, Daniel M.; Bobay, Benjamin G.; Kojetin, Douglas J.; Thompson, Richele J.; Rance, Mark; Strauch, Mark A.; Cavanagh, John

2008-01-01

Summary Understanding the DNA recognition and binding by the AbrB-like family of transcriptional regulators is of significant interest since these proteins enable bacteria to elicit the appropriate response to diverse environmental stimuli. Although these ‘transition-state regulator’ proteins have been well characterized at the genetic level, the general and specific mechanisms of DNA binding remain elusive. We present RDC-refined NMR solution structures and dynamic properties of the DNA-binding domains of three Bacillus subtilis transition-state regulators AbrB, Abh, and SpoVT. We combined previously investigated DNase I footprinting, DNA methylation, gel shift assays, mutagenic and NMR studies to generate a structural model of the complex between AbrBN55 and its cognate promoter, abrB8. These investigations have enabled us to generate the first model for the specific nature of the transition-state regulator-DNA interaction. PMID:19000822

[Sexuality of our seniors: happy end or new beginning?].

PubMed

Degauquier, C; Absil, A S; Meuris, S; Psalti, I; Jurysta, F

2012-01-01

Comparing surveys from successive periods demonstrates that elderly people now enjoy a better and more varied sexual life than previous generations. The proportion of older people who remain sexually active has significantly increased, and the practices of masturbation or oral sex have spread considerably. The generation effect has an incidence upon sexual behaviour: older people's repertoire of sexual practices differs from that of younger people, in the sense that it focuses less on sexual intercourse and oral sex. Women and men, beyond the common trends towards sexuality characterised by a more open repertoire of sexual practices, differ in terms of sexual interest and subjective sexual wellbeing. The cessation of sexual activity by individuals who had previously been sexually active is often the result of a cascade of reactions, such as the occurrence of a sexual dysfunction in one or both partners, anticipation of failure, increased anxiety, lack of adaptation of sexuality and/or avoidance behaviour.

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

Dawson, S.; Lewis, I. M.

One of the simplest extensions of the Standard Model (SM) is the addition of a scalar gauge singlet, S . If S is not forbidden by a symmetry from mixing with the Standard Model Higgs boson, the mixing will generate non-SM rates for Higgs production and decays. Generally, there could also be unknown high energy physics that generates additional effective low energy interactions. We show that interference effects between the scalar resonance of the singlet model and the effective field theory (EFT) operators can have significant effects in the Higgs sector. Here, we examine a non- Z 2 symmetricmore » scalar singlet model and demonstrate that a fit to the 125 GeV Higgs boson couplings and to limits on high mass resonances, S , exhibit an interesting structure and possible large cancellations of effects between the resonance contribution and the new EFT interactions, that invalidate conclusions based on the renormalizable singlet model alone.« less

Durability Challenges for Next Generation of Gas Turbine Engine Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Misra, Ajay K.

2012-01-01

Aggressive fuel burn and carbon dioxide emission reduction goals for future gas turbine engines will require higher overall pressure ratio, and a significant increase in turbine inlet temperature. These goals can be achieved by increasing temperature capability of turbine engine hot section materials and decreasing weight of fan section of the engine. NASA is currently developing several advanced hot section materials for increasing temperature capability of future gas turbine engines. The materials of interest include ceramic matrix composites with 1482 - 1648 C temperature capability, advanced disk alloys with 815 C capability, and low conductivity thermal barrier coatings with erosion resistance. The presentation will provide an overview of durability challenges with emphasis on the environmental factors affecting durability for the next generation of gas turbine engine materials. The environmental factors include gaseous atmosphere in gas turbine engines, molten salt and glass deposits from airborne contaminants, impact from foreign object damage, and erosion from ingestion of small particles.

The combined value of wind and solar power forecasting improvements and electricity storage

DOE PAGES

Hodge, Bri-Mathias; Brancucci Martinez-Anido, Carlo; Wang, Qin; ...

2018-02-12

As the penetration rates of variable renewable energy increase, the value of power systems operation flexibility technology options, such as renewable energy forecasting improvements and electricity storage, is also assumed to increase. In this work, we examine the value of these two technologies, when used independently and concurrently, for two real case studies that represent the generation mixes for the California and Midcontinent Independent System Operators (CAISO and MISO). Since both technologies provide additional system flexibility they reduce operational costs and renewable curtailment for both generation mixes under study. Interestingly, the relative impacts are quite similar when both technologies aremore » used together. Though both flexibility options can solve some of the same issues that arise with high penetration levels of renewables, they do not seem to significantly increase or decrease the economic potential of the other technology.« less

Singlet model interference effects with high scale UV physics

DOE PAGES

Dawson, S.; Lewis, I. M.

2017-01-06

One of the simplest extensions of the Standard Model (SM) is the addition of a scalar gauge singlet, S . If S is not forbidden by a symmetry from mixing with the Standard Model Higgs boson, the mixing will generate non-SM rates for Higgs production and decays. Generally, there could also be unknown high energy physics that generates additional effective low energy interactions. We show that interference effects between the scalar resonance of the singlet model and the effective field theory (EFT) operators can have significant effects in the Higgs sector. Here, we examine a non- Z 2 symmetricmore » scalar singlet model and demonstrate that a fit to the 125 GeV Higgs boson couplings and to limits on high mass resonances, S , exhibit an interesting structure and possible large cancellations of effects between the resonance contribution and the new EFT interactions, that invalidate conclusions based on the renormalizable singlet model alone.« less

Plasmid DNA linearization in the antibacterial action of a new fluorescent Ag nanoparticle-paracetamol dimer composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahoo, Amaresh Kumar; Sk, Md Palashuddin; Ghosh, Siddhartha Sankar; Chattopadhyay, Arun

2011-10-01

Herein, we report the generation of a composite comprised of p-hydroxyacetanilide dimer and Ag nanoparticles (NPs) by reaction of AgNO3 and p-hydroxyacetanilide. The formation of the composite was established by UV-vis, FTIR and NMR spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction along with substantiation by mass spectrometry. Interestingly, the composite exhibited an emission spectrum with a peak at 435 nm when excited by light of wavelength 320 nm. The composite showed superior antimicrobial activity with respect to its individual components against a wide range of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria at relatively low concentrations of Ag NPs and at which there was no apparent cytotoxicity against mammalian cells. Our results suggest that the composite strongly interacted with the bacterial cell walls leading to cell bursting. Interestingly, enhancement in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in bacteria was observed in the presence of the composite. It is proposed that the ROS generation led to oxidation of the dimer to N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI). The generated NAPQI acted as a DNA gyrase inhibitor causing cell death following linearization of DNA.Herein, we report the generation of a composite comprised of p-hydroxyacetanilide dimer and Ag nanoparticles (NPs) by reaction of AgNO3 and p-hydroxyacetanilide. The formation of the composite was established by UV-vis, FTIR and NMR spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction along with substantiation by mass spectrometry. Interestingly, the composite exhibited an emission spectrum with a peak at 435 nm when excited by light of wavelength 320 nm. The composite showed superior antimicrobial activity with respect to its individual components against a wide range of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria at relatively low concentrations of Ag NPs and at which there was no apparent cytotoxicity against mammalian cells. Our results suggest that the composite strongly interacted with the bacterial cell walls leading to cell bursting. Interestingly, enhancement in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in bacteria was observed in the presence of the composite. It is proposed that the ROS generation led to oxidation of the dimer to N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI). The generated NAPQI acted as a DNA gyrase inhibitor causing cell death following linearization of DNA. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c1nr10389j

Pedagogy Corner: The Year Puzzle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovitt, Charles

2017-01-01

As a self described lesson collector, author Charles Lovett enjoys gathering "interesting" lessons and teasing them apart to find out what makes them "tick", particularly the pedagogy. He often wonders what decisions the teacher made that generated such an interesting and successful learning environment. Here he describes a…

Books on Bikes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Genay, Tina

2015-01-01

This article describes the author's (an elementary school librarian) journey as she researched various bike bookmobile programs in the United States. Though the three programs had different target audiences, all the bike bookmobiles that she observed generated excitement and interest in reading. Public interest for each program was high. People…

[Cultural interests of doctors, accountants and lawyers; art, culture and interface with the profession].

PubMed

Algra, Annemijn M; Cleyndert, Lisette; Drenth, Joost P H

2011-01-01

To investigate the role of art and culture in the recreational activities of doctors, accountants and lawyers. Descriptive questionnaire study. In this study, doctors, accountants and lawyers were asked to respond to an online questionnaire. They were presented with 13 questions or statements concerning their recreational activities and their active or passive involvement with art and culture. To gain an impression in which respect doctors, accountants and lawyers could be distinguished from each other, predictive models based on logistic regression with possible results 'doctor', 'accountant' or 'lawyer' were generated. On the basis of these models, a miniquiz was created, which could distinguish the typical doctor, accountant or lawyer after answering of dichotomous questions. Among all respondents, museum and cinema visits were popular, sports or gardening were favourite activities, and apart from newspapers, the Internet was frequently consulted for news. It was remarkable that doctors and lawyers resembled each other in most of the areas investigated, whereas the accountants differed significantly. Doctors and lawyers particularly visited museums and dance, opera or theatre performances, and two-thirds themselves played music. The majority of these 2 groups also had an above average interest in art and culture, this being a significant part of the recreational activity. Therefore, we were able to differentiate between a doctor or lawyer and an accountant, but the difference between doctors and lawyers was less clear. Doctors and lawyers seemed to have comparable interests in art and culture, but accountants differed in important respects.

Global generations: social change in the twentieth century.

PubMed

Edmunds, June; Turner, Bryan S

2005-12-01

The concept of generation within sociology has until recently been a marginal area of interest. However, various demographic, cultural and intellectual developments have re-awakened an interest in generations that started with the classic essay by Karl Mannheim. To date, the sociological literature has generally conceptualized generations as nationally bounded entities. In this paper we suggest that the sociology of generations should develop the concept of global generations. This conceptual enhancement is important because the growth of global communications technology has enabled traumatic events, in an unparalleled way, to be experienced globally. The late nineteenth and early twentieth century was the era of international generations, united through print media, and the mid-twentieth century saw the emergence of transnational generations, facilitated by new broadcast communications. However, the latter part of the twentieth century is the period of global generations, defined by electronic communications technology, which is characterized, uniquely, by increasing interactivity. The 1960s generation was the first global generation, the emergence of which had world-wide consequences; today with major developments in new electronic communications, there is even more potential for the emergence of global generations that can communicate across national boundaries and through time. If in the past historical traumas combined with available opportunities to create national generations, now globally experienced traumas, facilitated by new media technologies, have the potential for creating global generational consciousness. The media have become increasingly implicated in the formation of generational movements. Because we are talking about generations in the making rather than an historical generation, this article is necessarily speculative; it aims to provoke discussion and establish a new research agenda for work on generations.

Examining the Relations between Subjective Social Class, Academics, and Well-Being in First-Generation College Student Veterans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colbow, Alexander James

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the relations between aspects of subjective social class, academic performance, and subjective wellbeing in first-generation and veteran students. In recent years, both student veterans and first-generation students have become topics of interest for universities, counselors, and researchers, as they are…

Trace material detection of surfaces via single-beam femtosecond MCARS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowman Pilkington, Sherrie S.; Roberson, Stephen D.; Pellegrino, Paul M.

2016-05-01

There is a significant need for the development of optical diagnostics for rapid and accurate detection of chemical species in convoluted systems. In particular, chemical warfare agents and explosive materials are of interest, however, identification of these species is difficult for a wide variety of reasons. Low vapor pressures, for example, cause traditional Raman scattering to be ineffective due to the incredibly long signal collection times that are required. Multiplex Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (MCARS) spectroscopy generates a complete Raman spectrum from the material of interest using a combination of a broadband pulse which drives multiple molecular vibrations simultaneously and a narrow band probe pulse. For most species, the complete Raman spectrum can be detected in milliseconds; this makes MCARS an excellent technique for trace material detection in complex systems. In this paper, we present experimental MCARS results on solid state chemical species in complex systems. The 40fs Ti:Sapphire laser used in this study has sufficient output power to produce both the broadband continuum pulse and narrow band probe pulse simultaneously. A series of explosive materials of interest have been identified and compared with spontaneous Raman spectra, showing the specificity and stability of this system.

Attitude towards psychiatry among medical students.

PubMed

Srivastava, Ashish

2012-10-01

The proportion of medical graduates opting for psychiatry in career has been observed to be distinctly less compared to those choosing other specialties. The study was undertaken to find out the attitudes of newly entrant medical students towards psychiatry in comparison to other specialties. Sixty-two students of first year MBBS were administered a questionnaire to assess their attitudes towards various specialties. Only 1 student (1.5%) opted for psychiatry as a career choice, another 2 students (3%) considered it as a strong possibility, 71.5% negated psychiatry as a career choice. Students rated psychiatry significantly lower than other specialties in regards to financially rewarding, enjoyable and satisfying work, intellectually challenging, scientific basis, prestige among others, lifestyle. Psychiatry was also rated as poor on prospects of having a bright and interesting future. The present study suggests that new entrants in medical college harbour a negative attitude towards psychiatry, which has not changed over the last three to four decades. A conscious effort in trying to make psychiatry an active and interesting component of medical education and an improved portrayal of this field in society thereby reducing stigma associated with it would be of immense importance in generating interest in this field among newly entrant medical students.

Response of Salmonella Typhi to bile-generated oxidative stress: implication of quorum sensing and persister cell populations.

PubMed

Walawalkar, Yogesh D; Vaidya, Yatindra; Nayak, Vijayashree

2016-11-01

Salmonella Typhi can chronically persist within the gallbladder of patients suffering from gallbladder diseases. This study, intended to improve our understanding of bacterial mechanisms underlying bile adaptation, revealed that bile, which is a bactericidal agent, led to the generation of reactive oxygen species in S Typhi. Salmonella Typhi in response showed a significant increase in the production of anti-oxidative enzymes, namely superoxide dismutase and catalase. The work reports that the quorum-sensing (QS) system of S Typhi regulates the level of these enzymes during oxidative stress. In support of these observations, the quorum-sensing mutant of S Typhi was found to be sensitive to bile with significantly lower levels of anti-oxidant enzymes compared to other clinical isolates. Furthermore the addition of exogenous cell-free extracts (CFEs) of S Typhi containing the quorum-sensing signalling molecule significantly increased the levels of these enzymes within the mutant. Interestingly the CFE addition did not significantly restore the biofilm-forming ability of the mutant strain when compared with the wild-type. In the presence of ciprofloxacin and ampicillin, S Typhi formed persister cells which increased >3-fold in the presence of bile. Thus the QS-system of S Typhi aids in oxidative stress management, and enhanced persister cell populations could assist chronic bacterial persistence within the gallbladder. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Power generation by a pH-regulated conical nanopore through reverse electrodialysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Jyh-Ping; Lin, Sheng-Chang; Lin, Chih-Yuan; Tseng, Shiojenn

2017-10-01

To assess the possibility of energy harvesting through reverse electrodialysis (RED), we consider the electrokinetic behavior of the ion transport in a pH-regulated conical nanopore connecting two large reservoirs having different bulk salt concentrations, taking account of the effect of osmotic flow. In particular, we examine the influence of the ion diffusion direction, the solution pH, and the bulk concentration ratio on that behavior in detail, and discuss the underlying mechanisms. We show that the geometrically asymmetric nature of the nanopore yields profound and interesting phenomena arising mainly from the distribution of ions in its interior. Assuming a single polymeric nanopore, a power density of 18.2 W/m2 can be generated. We show that the present system has the potential of serving as an ion-selective and a salinity gradient power generation device. The maximum power efficiency which is based on assuming a linear ionic distribution in nanopore can yield appreciable deviation, especially if pH deviates significantly from 7, where the presence of H+ and OH- needs be considered.

WormBase 2014: new views of curated biology

PubMed Central

Harris, Todd W.; Baran, Joachim; Bieri, Tamberlyn; Cabunoc, Abigail; Chan, Juancarlos; Chen, Wen J.; Davis, Paul; Done, James; Grove, Christian; Howe, Kevin; Kishore, Ranjana; Lee, Raymond; Li, Yuling; Muller, Hans-Michael; Nakamura, Cecilia; Ozersky, Philip; Paulini, Michael; Raciti, Daniela; Schindelman, Gary; Tuli, Mary Ann; Auken, Kimberly Van; Wang, Daniel; Wang, Xiaodong; Williams, Gary; Wong, J. D.; Yook, Karen; Schedl, Tim; Hodgkin, Jonathan; Berriman, Matthew; Kersey, Paul; Spieth, John; Stein, Lincoln; Sternberg, Paul W.

2014-01-01

WormBase (http://www.wormbase.org/) is a highly curated resource dedicated to supporting research using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. With an electronic history predating the World Wide Web, WormBase contains information ranging from the sequence and phenotype of individual alleles to genome-wide studies generated using next-generation sequencing technologies. In recent years, we have expanded the contents to include data on additional nematodes of agricultural and medical significance, bringing the knowledge of C. elegans to bear on these systems and providing support for underserved research communities. Manual curation of the primary literature remains a central focus of the WormBase project, providing users with reliable, up-to-date and highly cross-linked information. In this update, we describe efforts to organize the original atomized and highly contextualized curated data into integrated syntheses of discrete biological topics. Next, we discuss our experiences coping with the vast increase in available genome sequences made possible through next-generation sequencing platforms. Finally, we describe some of the features and tools of the new WormBase Web site that help users better find and explore data of interest. PMID:24194605

Critical and post-critical behaviour of two-degree-of-freedom flutter-based generators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pigolotti, Luca; Mannini, Claudio; Bartoli, Gianni; Thiele, Klaus

2017-09-01

Energy harvesting from flow-induced vibrations is a recent research field, which considers a diverse range of systems, among which two-degree-of-freedom flutter-based solutions were individuated as good candidates to obtain high energy performance. In the present work, numerical linear analyses and wind-tunnel tests were conducted on a flat-plate sectional model. The aim is to identify some design guidelines for generators exploiting the classical-flutter instability, through the investigation of the critical condition and the response during the post-critical regime. Many sets of governing parameters of interest from the energy-harvesting point of view were considered, including high levels of heaving damping to simulate the operation of a conversion apparatus. In particular, eccentricity of the elastic centre and small downstream mass unbalance can be introduced as solutions aiming at optimal operative ranges. The collected results suggest the high potentiality of flutter-based generators, and a significant enhancement of performance can be envisaged. Moreover, they contribute to improve the knowledge of the flutter excitation mechanism and to widen the dataset of measurements in the post-critical regime.

Quantifying the direct use value of Condor seamount

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ressurreição, Adriana; Giacomello, Eva

2013-12-01

Seamounts often satisfy numerous uses and interests. Multiple uses can generate multiple benefits but also conflicts and impacts, calling, therefore, for integrated and sustainable management. To assist in developing comprehensive management strategies, policymakers recognise the need to include measures of socioeconomic analysis alongside ecological data so that practical compromises can be made. This study assessed the direct output impact (DOI) of the relevant marine activities operating at Condor seamount (Azores, central northeast Atlantic) as proxies of the direct use values provided by the resource system. Results demonstrated that Condor seamount supported a wide range of uses yielding distinct economic outputs. Demersal fisheries, scientific research and shark diving were the top-three activities generating the highest revenues, while tuna fisheries, whale watching and scuba-diving had marginal economic significance. Results also indicated that the economic importance of non-extractive uses of Condor is considerable, highlighting the importance of these uses as alternative income-generating opportunities for local communities. It is hoped that quantifying the direct use values provided by Condor seamount will contribute to the decision making process towards its long-term conservation and sustainable use.

Balancing U.S. Interests Amidst the India and Pakistan Conflict

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-04-01

yields caste violence, especially towards women and children. In addition, India suffers rifts between Christians, Muslims and Hindus that generates...USAWC STRATEGY RESEARCH PROJECT BALANCING U.S. INTERESTS AMIDST THE INDIA AND PAKISTAN CONFLICT by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas L. Glardon United...Interests Amidst the India and Pakistan Conflict 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Thomas Glardon 5d

Citizen Astronomy in China: An Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Quan-Zhi

2018-01-01

Citizen astronomers have benefited from technological advancements in the recent decades as they fill the scientific gaps left by professional astronomers, in the areas such as time domain observations, visual classification and data mining. Here I present an overview of the current status of citizen astronomy in China. Chinese citizen astronomers have made a visible contribution in the discoveries of new objects; however, comparing to their counterparts in the western world, they appear to be less interested in researches that do not involve making new discovery, such as visual classification, long-term monitoring of objects, and data mining. From a questionnaire survey that aimed to investigate the motivation of Chinese citizen astronomers, we find that this population is predominantly male (92%) who mostly reside in economically developed provinces. A large fraction (69%) of the respondents are students and young professionals younger than the age of 25, which differs significantly from the occupation and age distribution of typical Chinese Internet users as well as the user distribution of large international citizen science projects such as the Galaxy Zoo. This suggests that youth generation in China is more willing to participate citizen astronomy research than average generation. Additionally, we find that interests in astronomy, desire to learn new knowledges, have a fun experience and meet new friends in the community are all important driving factors for Chinese citizen astronomers to participate research. This also differs from their counterparts in western countries. With a large youth population that is interested in astronomy as well as a number of large astronomical facilities that are being planned or built, we believe that citizen astronomy in China has a vast potential. Timely and proper guidance from the professionals will be essential to help citizen astronomers to fulfill this potential.

Beyond Traditional Extreme Value Theory Through a Metastatistical Approach: Lessons Learned from Precipitation, Hurricanes, and Storm Surges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marani, M.; Zorzetto, E.; Hosseini, S. R.; Miniussi, A.; Scaioni, M.

2017-12-01

The Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) distribution is widely adopted irrespective of the properties of the stochastic process generating the extreme events. However, GEV presents several limitations, both theoretical (asymptotic validity for a large number of events/year or hypothesis of Poisson occurrences of Generalized Pareto events), and practical (fitting uses just yearly maxima or a few values above a high threshold). Here we describe the Metastatistical Extreme Value Distribution (MEVD, Marani & Ignaccolo, 2015), which relaxes asymptotic or Poisson/GPD assumptions and makes use of all available observations. We then illustrate the flexibility of the MEVD by applying it to daily precipitation, hurricane intensity, and storm surge magnitude. Application to daily rainfall from a global raingauge network shows that MEVD estimates are 50% more accurate than those from GEV when the recurrence interval of interest is much greater than the observational period. This makes MEVD suited for application to satellite rainfall observations ( 20 yrs length). Use of MEVD on TRMM data yields extreme event patterns that are in better agreement with surface observations than corresponding GEV estimates.Applied to the HURDAT2 Atlantic hurricane intensity dataset, MEVD significantly outperforms GEV estimates of extreme hurricanes. Interestingly, the Generalized Pareto distribution used for "ordinary" hurricane intensity points to the existence of a maximum limit wind speed that is significantly smaller than corresponding physically-based estimates. Finally, we applied the MEVD approach to water levels generated by tidal fluctuations and storm surges at a set of coastal sites spanning different storm-surge regimes. MEVD yields accurate estimates of large quantiles and inferences on tail thickness (fat vs. thin) of the underlying distribution of "ordinary" surges. In summary, the MEVD approach presents a number of theoretical and practical advantages, and outperforms traditional approaches in several applications. We conclude that the MEVD is a significant contribution to further generalize extreme value theory, with implications for a broad range of Earth Sciences.

Safinamide for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

deSouza, Ruth Mary; Schapira, Anthony

2017-06-01

The major unmet needs in the medical treatment of Parkinson disease (PD) are reduction of motor side effects from dopaminergic drugs, management of non-motor symptoms and disease modification. Areas covered: Motor fluctuations and OFF periods are a significant determinant of quality of life in PD and reducing their duration and severity can significantly improve motor function. This aim may be partly facilitated by the development of effective adjunctive drugs for dopamine replacement. Safinamide (Xadago), which is a first generation anticonvulsant, has pharmacological properties which are of interest in the context of neurodegenerative diseases, leading to research into its potential as an adjunct to levodopa in PD. Expert opinion: Although its mechanism has not been fully defined, safinamide provides enhanced symptom control of motor function in advanced PD and improves quality of life.

Reevaluation of the non-lesional dry skin in atopic dermatitis by acute barrier disruption: an abnormal permeability barrier homeostasis with defective processing to generate ceramide.

PubMed

Sugiura, Ayumi; Nomura, Tsuyoshi; Mizuno, Atsuko; Imokawa, Genji

2014-07-01

Atopic dermatitis is characterized by disruption of the cutaneous barrier due to reduced ceramide levels even in non-lesional dry skin. Following further acute barrier disruption by repeated tape strippings, we re-characterized the non-lesional dry skin of subjects with atopic dermatitis, which shows significantly reduced levels of barrier function and ceramide but not of beta-glucocerebrosidase activity. For the first time, we report an abnormal trans-epidermal water loss homeostasis in which delayed recovery kinetics of trans-epidermal water loss occurred on the first day during the 4 days after acute barrier disruption compared with healthy control skin. Interestingly, whereas the higher ceramide level in the stratum corneum of healthy control skin was further significantly up-regulated at 4 days post-tape stripping, the lower ceramide level in the stratum corneum of subjects with atopic dermatitis was not significantly changed. In a parallel study, whereas beta-glucocerebrosidase activity at 4 days post-tape stripping was significantly up-regulated in healthy control skin compared with before tape stripping, the level of that activity remained substantially unchanged in atopic dermatitis. These findings indicate that subjects with atopic dermatitis have a defect in sphingolipid-metabolic processing that generates ceramide in the interface between the stratum corneum and the epidermis. The results also support the notion that the continued disruption of barrier function in atopic dermatitis non-lesional skin is associated with the impaired homeostasis of a ceramide-generating process, which underscores an atopy-specific inflammation-triggered ceramide deficiency that is distinct from other types of dermatitis.

In vitro migration and proliferation ("wound healing") potential of mesenchymal stromal cells generated from human CD271(+) bone marrow mononuclear cells.

PubMed

Latifi-Pupovci, Hatixhe; Kuçi, Zyrafete; Wehner, Sibylle; Bönig, Halvard; Lieberz, Ralf; Klingebiel, Thomas; Bader, Peter; Kuçi, Selim

2015-09-25

Emerging evidence indicates that mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) isolated from different tissue sources may be used in vivo as tissue restorative agents. To date, there is no evidence, however, on migration and proliferation ("wound healing") potential of different subsets of MSCs. The main goal of this study was therefore to compare the in vitro "wound healing" capacity of MSCs generated from positively selected CD271(+) bone marrow mononuclear cells (CD271-MSCs) and MSCs generated by plastic adherence (PA-MSCs). The in vitro model of wound healing (CytoSelect™ 24-Well Wound Healing Assay) was used in order to compare the migration and proliferation potential of CD271-MSCs and PA-MSCs of passage 2 and 4 cultured in presence or absence of growth factors or cytokines. CD271-MSCs of both passages when compared to PA-MSCs demonstrated a significantly higher potential to close the wound 12 and 24 h after initiation of the wound healing assay (P < 0.003 and P < 0.002, respectively). Noteworthy, the migration capacity of PA-MSCs of second passage was significantly improved after stimulation with FGF-2 (P < 0.02), PDGF-BB (P < 0.006), MCP-1 (P < 0.002) and IL-6 (P < 0.03), whereas only TGF-β enhanced significantly migration process of PA-MSCs of P4 12 h after the treatment (P < 0.02). Interestingly, treatment of CD271-MSCs of both passages with growth factors or cytokines did not affect their migratory potential. Our in vitro data provide the first evidence that CD271-MSCs are significantly more potent in "wound healing" than their counterparts PA-MSCs.

Maintaining Interest in Operator Requal Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lapp, H. J., Jr.

A study reviewed operator training programs at Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station to determine their interface with plant operations and to devise new ways of maintaining interest in requalification (requal) training. The operator training review committee that was formed to implement the review documented over 100 issues and concerns…

Lessons learned in transit efficiencies, revenue generation and cost reductions

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-01-01

The purpose of this research project was to gather and redistribute information : on how transit agencies are finding ways to either generate new revenues or : reduce costs without harming the best interests of their passengers. This : research proje...

Knowledge Transfer Loss in a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Environment: A Positive or Negative Acquisition Paradigm Shift

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-01

between 1946-1964), Gen-Xrs (born between 1965-1980), Millennials (born between 1981- 1990), and iGenerationals (born between 1991 and today). Research...generations (03 Traditionalist, 71 Generation X, 04 Millennial, and 00 iGeneration ). And there were 34 (11 percent) survey official responses where the...interesting insight into unintended consequences of “mass purge/new blood” on absorbing a short-term 0 50 100 150 200 No Response Opt-outs iGeneration

Method of generating ploynucleotides encoding enhanced folding variants

DOEpatents

Bradbury, Andrew M.; Kiss, Csaba; Waldo, Geoffrey S.

2017-05-02

The invention provides directed evolution methods for improving the folding, solubility and stability (including thermostability) characteristics of polypeptides. In one aspect, the invention provides a method for generating folding and stability-enhanced variants of proteins, including but not limited to fluorescent proteins, chromophoric proteins and enzymes. In another aspect, the invention provides methods for generating thermostable variants of a target protein or polypeptide via an internal destabilization baiting strategy. Internally destabilization a protein of interest is achieved by inserting a heterologous, folding-destabilizing sequence (folding interference domain) within DNA encoding the protein of interest, evolving the protein sequences adjacent to the heterologous insertion to overcome the destabilization (using any number of mutagenesis methods), thereby creating a library of variants. The variants in the library are expressed, and those with enhanced folding characteristics selected.

Tidal Conversion and Mixing Poleward of the Critical Latitude (an Arctic Case Study)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rippeth, Tom P.; Vlasenko, Vasiliy; Stashchuk, Nataliya; Scannell, Brian D.; Green, J. A. Mattias; Lincoln, Ben J.; Bacon, Sheldon

2017-12-01

The tides are a major source of the kinetic energy supporting turbulent mixing in the global oceans. The prime mechanism for the transfer of tidal energy to turbulent mixing results from the interaction between topography and stratified tidal flow, leading to the generation of freely propagating internal waves at the period of the forcing tide. However, poleward of the critical latitude (where the period of the principal tidal constituent exceeds the local inertial period), the action of the Coriolis force precludes the development of freely propagating linear internal tides. Here we focus on a region of sloping topography, poleward of the critical latitude, where there is significant conversion of tidal energy and the flow is supercritical (Froude number, Fr > 1). A high-resolution nonlinear modeling study demonstrates the key role of tidally generated lee waves and supercritical flow in the transfer of energy from the barotropic tide to internal waves in these high-latitude regions. Time series of flow and water column structure from the region of interest show internal waves with characteristics consistent with those predicted by the model, and concurrent microstructure dissipation measurements show significant levels of mixing associated with these internal waves. The results suggest that tidally generated lee waves are a key mechanism for the transfer of energy from the tide to turbulence poleward of the critical latitude.

Weighted social networks for a large scale artificial society

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Zong Chen; Duan, Wei; Zhang, Peng; Qiu, Xiao Gang

2016-12-01

The method of artificial society has provided a powerful way to study and explain how individual behaviors at micro level give rise to the emergence of global social phenomenon. It also creates the need for an appropriate representation of social structure which usually has a significant influence on human behaviors. It has been widely acknowledged that social networks are the main paradigm to describe social structure and reflect social relationships within a population. To generate social networks for a population of interest, considering physical distance and social distance among people, we propose a generation model of social networks for a large-scale artificial society based on human choice behavior theory under the principle of random utility maximization. As a premise, we first build an artificial society through constructing a synthetic population with a series of attributes in line with the statistical (census) data for Beijing. Then the generation model is applied to assign social relationships to each individual in the synthetic population. Compared with previous empirical findings, the results show that our model can reproduce the general characteristics of social networks, such as high clustering coefficient, significant community structure and small-world property. Our model can also be extended to a larger social micro-simulation as an input initial. It will facilitate to research and predict some social phenomenon or issues, for example, epidemic transition and rumor spreading.

Environmental education and socioresponsive engineering. Report of an educational initiative in Hyderabad, India.

PubMed

Ansari, Ali Uddin; Jafari, Ashfaque; Mirzana, Ishrat Meera; Imtiaz, Zulfia; Lukacs, Heather

2003-07-01

A recent initiative at Muffakham Jah College of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad, India, has resulted in setting up a program called Centre for Environment Studies and Socioresponsive Engineering which seeks to involve undergraduate students in studying and solving environmental problems in and around the city of Hyderabad, India. Two pilot projects have been undertaken--one focusing on design and construction of an eco-friendly house, The Natural House, and another directed at improving environmental and general living conditions in a slum area. The paper describes our attempts and experience of motivating our students to take interest in such projects. In an interesting development we invited a member of a student-faculty team at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) that is doing a project in Nepal on safe drinking water. We report in our paper how the presentation by the guest from M.I.T. served as a catalyst for generating interest among civil and mechanical engineering students in our own projects. The paper includes contributions from one of our students and the M.I.T. staff member, reporting on their experiences related to the slum development project. We also discuss the Natural House project and its international and educational significance as a means of inculcating sensitivity and interest in nature among engineering students. We propose a pledge for engineers similar to the Hippocratic Oath for medical professionals.

Rapid Process to Generate Beam Envelopes for Optical System Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howard, Joseph; Seals, Lenward

2012-01-01

The task of evaluating obstructions in the optical throughput of an optical system requires the use of two disciplines, and hence, two models: optical models for the details of optical propagation, and mechanical models for determining the actual structure that exists in the optical system. Previous analysis methods for creating beam envelopes (or cones of light) for use in this obstruction analysis were found to be cumbersome to calculate and take significant time and resources to complete. A new process was developed that takes less time to complete beam envelope analysis, is more accurate and less dependent upon manual node tracking to create the beam envelopes, and eases the burden on the mechanical CAD (computer-aided design) designers to form the beam solids. This algorithm allows rapid generation of beam envelopes for optical system obstruction analysis. Ray trace information is taken from optical design software and used to generate CAD objects that represent the boundary of the beam envelopes for detailed analysis in mechanical CAD software. Matlab is used to call ray trace data from the optical model for all fields and entrance pupil points of interest. These are chosen to be the edge of each space, so that these rays produce the bounding volume for the beam. The x and y global coordinate data is collected on the surface planes of interest, typically an image of the field and entrance pupil internal of the optical system. This x and y coordinate data is then evaluated using a convex hull algorithm, which removes any internal points, which are unnecessary to produce the bounding volume of interest. At this point, tolerances can be applied to expand the size of either the field or aperture, depending on the allocations. Once this minimum set of coordinates on the pupil and field is obtained, a new set of rays is generated between the field plane and aperture plane (or vice-versa). These rays are then evaluated at planes between the aperture and field, at a desired number of steps perceived necessary to build up the bounding volume or cone shape. At each plane, the ray coordinates are again evaluated using the convex hull algorithm to reduce the data to a minimal set. When all of the coordinates of interest are obtained for every plane of the propagation, the data is formatted into an xyz file suitable for FRED optical analysis software to import and create a STEP file of the data. This results in a spiral-like structure that is easily imported by mechanical CAD users who can then use an automated algorithm to wrap a skin around it and create a solid that represents the beam.

Evaluation and Testing of the ADVANTG Code on SNM Detection

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

Shaver, Mark W.; Casella, Andrew M.; Wittman, Richard S.

2013-09-24

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has been tasked with evaluating the effectiveness of ORNL’s new hybrid transport code, ADVANTG, on scenarios of interest to our NA-22 sponsor, specifically of detection of diversion of special nuclear material (SNM). PNNL staff have determined that acquisition and installation of ADVANTG was relatively straightforward for a code in its phase of development, but probably not yet sufficient for mass distribution to the general user. PNNL staff also determined that with little effort, ADVANTG generated weight windows that typically worked for the problems and generated results consistent with MCNP. With slightly greater effort of choosingmore » a finer mesh around detectors or sample reaction tally regions, the figure of merit (FOM) could be further improved in most cases. This does take some limited knowledge of deterministic transport methods. The FOM could also be increased by limiting the energy range for a tally to the energy region of greatest interest. It was then found that an MCNP run with the full energy range for the tally showed improved statistics in the region used for the ADVANTG run. The specific case of interest chosen by the sponsor is the CIPN project from Las Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), which is an active interrogation, non-destructive assay (NDA) technique to quantify the fissile content in a spent fuel assembly and is also sensitive to cases of material diversion. Unfortunately, weight windows for the CIPN problem cannot currently be properly generated with ADVANTG due to inadequate accommodations for source definition. ADVANTG requires that a fixed neutron source be defined within the problem and cannot account for neutron multiplication. As such, it is rendered useless in active interrogation scenarios. It is also interesting to note that this is a difficult problem to solve and that the automated weight windows generator in MCNP actually slowed down the problem. Therefore, PNNL had determined that there is not an effective tool available for speeding up MCNP for problems such as the CIPN scenario. With regard to the Benchmark scenarios, ADVANTG performed very well for most of the difficult, long-running, standard radiation detection scenarios. Specifically, run time speedups were observed for spatially large scenarios, or those having significant shielding or scattering geometries. ADVANTG performed on par with existing codes for moderate sized scenarios, or those with little to moderate shielding, or multiple paths to the detectors. ADVANTG ran slower than MCNP for very simply, spatially small cases with little to no shielding that run very quickly anyway. Lastly, ADVANTG could not solve problems that did not consist of fixed source to detector geometries. For example, it could not solve scenarios with multiple detectors or secondary particles, such as active interrogation, neutron induced gamma, or fission neutrons.« less

An Attempt of Making Program-Generated Animation in a Beginners’ Programming Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuyama, Chieko; Nakashima, Toyoshiro; Ishii, Naohiro

In general, mathematical subjects are used for programming education in universities. In this case, many students lose the interest in the programming because the students have the preconception that is difficult to program by using the mathematical expressions. Especially beginners of the programming are a tendency to lose the interest. Therefore it is pointed out to use the subjects which do not need mathematical knowledge as much as possible. In this paper the authors have tried to make animation that are generated by programs instead of the mathematical subjects in a beginners’ programming class using C language used in a wide-ranging field. The authors discuss about improvements of the interest of students for programming by the try that is to make animation by programs in a programming class and refer to its effects.

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

Besmann, Theodore M; Shin, Dongwon

TRISO coated particle fuel is envisioned as a next generation replacement for current urania pellet fuel in LWR applications. To obtain adequate fissile loading the kernel of the TRISO particle will need to be UN. In support of the fuel development effort, an assessment of phase regions of interest in the U-C-N system was undertaken as the fuel will be prepared by the carbothermic reduction of the oxide and it will be in equilibrium with carbon within the TRISO particle. The phase equilibria and thermochemistry of the U-C-N system is reviewed, including nitrogen pressure measurements above various phase fields. Selectedmore » measurements were used to fit a first order model of the UC1-xNx phase, represented by the inter-solution of UN and UC. Fit to the data was significantly improved by also adjusting the heat of formation for UN by ~12 kJ/mol and the phase equilbria was best reproduced by also adjusting the heat for U2N3 by +XXX. The determined interaction parameters yielded a slightly positive deviation from ideality, which agrees with lattice parameter measurements which show positive deviation from Vegard s law. The resultant model together with reported values for other phases in the system were used to generate isothermal sections of the U-C-N phase diagram. Nitrogen partial pressures were also computed for regions of interest.« less

Oxygen Mass Flow Rate Generated for Monitoring Hydrogen Peroxide Stability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, H. Richard

2002-01-01

Recent interest in propellants with non-toxic reaction products has led to a resurgence of interest in hydrogen peroxide for various propellant applications. Because peroxide is sensitive to contaminants, material interactions, stability and storage issues, monitoring decomposition rates is important. Stennis Space Center (SSC) uses thermocouples to monitor bulk fluid temperature (heat evolution) to determine reaction rates. Unfortunately, large temperature rises are required to offset the heat lost into the surrounding fluid. Also, tank penetration to accomodate a thermocouple can entail modification of a tank or line and act as a source of contamination. The paper evaluates a method for monitoring oxygen evolution as a means to determine peroxide stability. Oxygen generation is not only directly related to peroxide decomposition, but occurs immediately. Measuring peroxide temperature to monitor peroxide stability has significant limitations. The bulk decomposition of 1% / week in a large volume tank can produce in excess of 30 cc / min. This oxygen flow rate corresponds to an equivalent temperature rise of approximately 14 millidegrees C, which is difficult to measure reliably. Thus, if heat transfer were included, there would be no temperature rise. Temperature changes from the surrounding environment and heat lost to the peroxide will also mask potential problems. The use of oxygen flow measurements provides an ultra sensitive technique for monitoring reaction events and will provide an earlier indication of an abnormal decomposition when compared to measuring temperature rise.

Uranium nitride as LWR TRISO fuel: Thermodynamic modeling of U-C-N

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Besmann, Theodore M.; Shin, Dongwon; Lindemer, Terrence B.

2012-08-01

TRISO coated particle fuel is envisioned as a next generation replacement for current urania pellet fuel in LWR applications. To obtain adequate fissile loading the kernel of the TRISO particle will likely need to be UN instead of UO2. In support of the necessary development effort for this new fuel system, an assessment of phase regions of interest in the U-C-N system was undertaken as the fuel will be prepared by the carbothermic reduction of the oxide followed by nitriding, will be in equilibrium with carbon within the TRISO particle, and will react with minor actinides and fission products. The phase equilibria and thermochemistry of the U-C-N system is reviewed, including nitrogen pressure measurements above various phase fields. Measurements were used to confirm an ideal solution model of UN and UC adequately represents the UC1-xNx phase. Agreement with the data was significantly improved by effectively adjusting the Gibbs free energy of UN by +12 kJ/mol. This also required adjustment of the value for the sesquinitride by +17 kJ/mol to obtain agreement with phase equilibria. The resultant model together with reported values for other phases in the system was used to generate isothermal sections of the U-C-N phase diagram. Nitrogen partial pressures were also computed for regions of interest.

Chlorination of bisphenol A: non-targeted screening for the identification of transformation products and assessment of estrogenicity in generated water.

PubMed

Bourgin, Marc; Bichon, Emmanuelle; Antignac, Jean-Philippe; Monteau, Fabrice; Leroy, Gaëla; Barritaud, Lauriane; Chachignon, Mathilde; Ingrand, Valérie; Roche, Pascal; Le Bizec, Bruno

2013-11-01

Besides the performance of water treatments on the removal of micropollutants, concern about the generation of potential biologically active transformation products has been growing. Thus, the detection and structural elucidation of micropollutants transformation products have turned out to be major issues to evaluate comprehensively the efficiency of the processes implemented for drinking water treatment. However, most of existing water treatment studies are carried out at the bench scale with high concentrations and simplified conditions and thus do not reflect realistic conditions. Conversely, this study describes a non-targeted profiling approach borrowed from metabolomic science, using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry, in order to reveal potential chlorination products of bisphenol A (BPA) in real water samples spiked at 50μgL(-1). Targeted measurements first evidenced a fast removal of BPA (>99%) by chlorination with sodium hypochlorite (0.8mgL(-1)) within 10min. Then, the developed differential global profiling approach enabled to reveal 21 chlorination products of BPA. Among them, 17 were brominated compounds, described for the first time, demonstrating the potential interest of this innovative methodology applied to environmental sciences. In parallel to the significant removal of BPA, the estrogenic activity of water samples, evaluated by ER-CALUX assay, was found to significantly decrease after 10min of chlorination. These results confirm that chlorination is effective at removing BPA in drinking water and they may indicate that the generated compounds have significantly lower estrogenic activity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Histogram Method Versus a Traditional 2-Dimensional Measurement Method for Identifying Non-Puerperal Mastitis From Breast Cancer at 3.0 T.

PubMed

Tang, Qi; Li, Qiang; Xie, Dong; Chu, Ketao; Liu, Lidong; Liao, Chengcheng; Qin, Yunying; Wang, Zheng; Su, Danke

2018-05-21

This study aimed to investigate the utility of a volumetric apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram method for distinguishing non-puerperal mastitis (NPM) from breast cancer (BC) and to compare this method with a traditional 2-dimensional measurement method. Pretreatment diffusion-weighted imaging data at 3.0 T were obtained for 80 patients (NPM, n = 27; BC, n = 53) and were retrospectively assessed. Two readers measured ADC values according to 2 distinct region-of-interest (ROI) protocols. The first protocol included the generation of ADC histograms for each lesion, and various parameters were examined. In the second protocol, 3 freehand (TF) ROIs for local lesions were generated to obtain a mean ADC value (defined as ADC-ROITF). All of the ADC values were compared by an independent-samples t test or the Mann-Whitney U test. Receiver operating characteristic curves and a leave-one-out cross-validation method were also used to determine diagnostic deficiencies of the significant parameters. The ADC values for NPM were characterized by significantly higher mean, 5th to 95th percentiles, and maximum and mode ADCs compared with the corresponding ADCs for BC (all P < 0.05). However, the minimum, skewness, and kurtosis ADC values, as well as ADC-ROITF, did not significantly differ between the NPM and BC cases. Thus, the generation of volumetric ADC histograms seems to be a superior method to the traditional 2-dimensional method that was examined, and it also seems to represent a promising image analysis method for distinguishing NPM from BC.

Revealing Learner Interests through Topic Mining from Question-Answering Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dun, Yijie; Wang, Na; Wang, Min; Hao, Tianyong

2017-01-01

In a question-answering system, learner generated content including asked and answered questions is a meaningful resource to capture learning interests. This paper proposes an approach based on question topic mining for revealing learners' concerned topics in real community question-answering systems. The authors' approach firstly preprocesses all…

One Interesting Family of Diophantine Triplets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deshpande, M. N.

2002-01-01

In this note properties of two sequences generated by the recurrence relation G[subscript n] +2 = 4 G[subscript n] +1 - G[subscript n], are studied. It is shown that one of the sequences leads to a family of diophantine triplets. Some interesting properties of these sequences are also established.

AN EVALUATION OF HEURISTICS FOR THRESHOLD-FUNCTION TEST-SYNTHESIS,

DTIC Science & Technology

Linear programming offers the most attractive procedure for testing and obtaining optimal threshold gate realizations for functions generated in...The design of the experiments may be of general interest to students of automatic problem solving; the results should be of interest in threshold logic and linear programming. (Author)

Education or Learning on the Job? Generational Differences of Opinions in Finland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aro, Mikko; Rinne, Risto; Lahti, Kati; Olkinuora, Erkki

2005-01-01

In this article, we are interested in what kind of opinions people belonging to different generations have on work experience and formal education. Mannheim's theory on generations is used as a general frame of reference. The questions asked in the article are: is education appreciated more by young people who have been able to participate in it…

Design, economic and system considerations of large wind-driven generators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jorgensen, G. E.; Lotker, M.; Meier, R. C.; Brierley, D.

1976-01-01

The increased search for alternative energy sources has lead to renewed interest and studies of large wind-driven generators. This paper presents the results and considerations of such an investigation. The paper emphasizes the concept selection of wind-driven generators, system optimization, control system design, safety aspects, economic viability on electric utility systems and potential electric system interfacing problems.

Visual Thinking Styles and Idea Generation Strategies Employed in Visual Brainstorming Sessions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Börekçi, Naz A. G. Z.

2017-01-01

This paper presents the findings of visual analyses conducted on 369 sketch ideas generated in three 6-3-5 visual brainstorming sessions by a total of 25 participants, following the same design brief. The motivation for the study was an interest in the thematic content of the ideas generated as groups, and the individual representation styles used…

Natural Gas Based Electricity Production and Low Carbon Technology Options

EPA Science Inventory

Concerns regarding air quality, global climate change, and the national energy security impacts of the intensive use of fossil fuels and their environmental impacts in the power generation sector have raised interest in alternative low carbon electricity generation technology and...

Online track detection in triggerless mode for INO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, A.; Padmini, S.; Joseph, A. N.; Mahesh, P.; Preetha, N.; Behere, A.; Sikder, S. S.; Majumder, G.; Behera, S. P.

2018-03-01

The India based Neutrino Observatory (INO) is a proposed particle physics research project to study the atmospheric neutrinos. INO-Iron Calorimeter (ICAL) will consist of 28,800 detectors having 3.6 million electronic channels expected to activate with 100 Hz single rate, producing data at a rate of 3 GBps. Data collected contains a few real hits generated by muon tracks and the remaining noise-induced spurious hits. Estimated reduction factor after filtering out data of interest from generated data is of the order of 103. This makes trigger generation critical for efficient data collection and storage. Trigger is generated by detecting coincidence across multiple channels satisfying trigger criteria, within a small window of 200 ns in the trigger region. As the probability of neutrino interaction is very low, track detection algorithm has to be efficient and fast enough to process 5 × 106 events-candidates/s without introducing significant dead time, so that not even a single neutrino event is missed out. A hardware based trigger system is presently proposed for on-line track detection considering stringent timing requirements. Though the trigger system can be designed with scalability, a lot of hardware devices and interconnections make it a complex and expensive solution with limited flexibility. A software based track detection approach working on the hit information offers an elegant solution with possibility of varying trigger criteria for selecting various potentially interesting physics events. An event selection approach for an alternative triggerless readout scheme has been developed. The algorithm is mathematically simple, robust and parallelizable. It has been validated by detecting simulated muon events for energies of the range of 1 GeV-10 GeV with 100% efficiency at a processing rate of 60 μs/event on a 16 core machine. The algorithm and result of a proof-of-concept for its faster implementation over multiple cores is presented. The paper also discusses about harnessing the computing capabilities of multi-core computing farm, thereby optimizing number of nodes required for the proposed system.

Supersonic transient magnetic resonance elastography for quantitative assessment of tissue elasticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yu; Liu, Jingfei; Fite, Brett Z.; Foiret, Josquin; Ilovitsh, Asaf; Leach, J. Kent; Dumont, Erik; Caskey, Charles F.; Ferrara, Katherine W.

2017-05-01

Non-invasive, quantitative methods to assess the properties of biological tissues are needed for many therapeutic and tissue engineering applications. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) has historically relied on external vibration to generate periodic shear waves. In order to focally assess a biomaterial or to monitor the response to ablative therapy, the interrogation of a specific region of interest by a focused beam is desirable and transient MRE (t-MRE) techniques have previously been developed to accomplish this goal. Also, strategies employing a series of discrete ultrasound pulses directed to increasing depths along a single line-of-sight have been designed to generate a quasi-planar shear wave. Such ‘supersonic’ excitations have been applied for ultrasound elasticity measurements. The resulting shear wave is higher in amplitude than that generated from a single excitation and the properties of the media are simply visualized and quantified due to the quasi-planar wave geometry and the opportunity to generate the wave at the site of interest. Here for the first time, we extend the application of supersonic methods by developing a protocol for supersonic transient magnetic resonance elastography (sst-MRE) using an MR-guided focused ultrasound system capable of therapeutic ablation. We apply the new protocol to quantify tissue elasticity in vitro using biologically-relevant inclusions and tissue-mimicking phantoms, compare the results with elasticity maps acquired with ultrasound shear wave elasticity imaging (US-SWEI), and validate both methods with mechanical testing. We found that a modified time-of-flight (TOF) method efficiently quantified shear modulus from sst-MRE data, and both the TOF and local inversion methods result in similar maps based on US-SWEI. With a three-pulse excitation, the proposed sst-MRE protocol was capable of visualizing quasi-planar shear waves propagating away from the excitation location and detecting differences in shear modulus of 1 kPa. The techniques demonstrated here have potential application in real-time in vivo lesion detection and monitoring, with particular significance for image-guided interventions.

Supersonic transient magnetic resonance elastography for quantitative assessment of tissue elasticity.

PubMed

Liu, Yu; Liu, Jingfei; Fite, Brett Z; Foiret, Josquin; Ilovitsh, Asaf; Leach, J Kent; Dumont, Erik; Caskey, Charles F; Ferrara, Katherine W

2017-05-21

Non-invasive, quantitative methods to assess the properties of biological tissues are needed for many therapeutic and tissue engineering applications. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) has historically relied on external vibration to generate periodic shear waves. In order to focally assess a biomaterial or to monitor the response to ablative therapy, the interrogation of a specific region of interest by a focused beam is desirable and transient MRE (t-MRE) techniques have previously been developed to accomplish this goal. Also, strategies employing a series of discrete ultrasound pulses directed to increasing depths along a single line-of-sight have been designed to generate a quasi-planar shear wave. Such 'supersonic' excitations have been applied for ultrasound elasticity measurements. The resulting shear wave is higher in amplitude than that generated from a single excitation and the properties of the media are simply visualized and quantified due to the quasi-planar wave geometry and the opportunity to generate the wave at the site of interest. Here for the first time, we extend the application of supersonic methods by developing a protocol for supersonic transient magnetic resonance elastography (sst-MRE) using an MR-guided focused ultrasound system capable of therapeutic ablation. We apply the new protocol to quantify tissue elasticity in vitro using biologically-relevant inclusions and tissue-mimicking phantoms, compare the results with elasticity maps acquired with ultrasound shear wave elasticity imaging (US-SWEI), and validate both methods with mechanical testing. We found that a modified time-of-flight (TOF) method efficiently quantified shear modulus from sst-MRE data, and both the TOF and local inversion methods result in similar maps based on US-SWEI. With a three-pulse excitation, the proposed sst-MRE protocol was capable of visualizing quasi-planar shear waves propagating away from the excitation location and detecting differences in shear modulus of 1 kPa. The techniques demonstrated here have potential application in real-time in vivo lesion detection and monitoring, with particular significance for image-guided interventions.

Supersonic transient magnetic resonance elastography for quantitative assessment of tissue elasticity

PubMed Central

Liu, Yu; Liu, Jingfei; Fite, Brett Z; Foiret, Josquin; Ilovitsh, Asaf; Leach, J Kent; Dumont, Erik; Caskey, Charles F; Ferrara, Katherine W

2017-01-01

Non-invasive, quantitative methods to assess the properties of biological tissues are needed for many therapeutic and tissue engineering applications. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) has historically relied on external vibration to generate periodic shear waves. In order to focally assess a biomaterial or to monitor the response to ablative therapy, the interrogation of a specific region of interest by a focused beam is desirable and transient MRE (t-MRE) techniques have previously been developed to accomplish this goal. Also, strategies employing a series of discrete ultrasound pulses directed to increasing depths along a single line-of-sight have been designed to generate a quasi-planar shear wave. Such ‘supersonic’ excitations have been applied for ultrasound elasticity measurements. The resulting shear wave is higher in amplitude than that generated from a single excitation and the properties of the media are simply visualized and quantified due to the quasiplanar wave geometry and the opportunity to generate the wave at the site of interest. Here for the first time, we extend the application of supersonic methods by developing a protocol for supersonic transient magnetic resonance elastography (sst-MRE) using an MR-guided focused ultrasound system capable of therapeutic ablation. We apply the new protocol to quantify tissue elasticity in vitro using biologically-relevant inclusions and tissue-mimicking phantoms, compare the results with elasticity maps acquired with ultrasound shear wave elasticity imaging (US-SWEI), and validate both methods with mechanical testing. We found that a modified time-of-flight (TOF) method efficiently quantified shear modulus from sst-MRE data, and both the TOF and local inversion methods result in similar maps based on US-SWEI. With a three-pulse excitation, the proposed sst-MRE protocol was capable of visualizing quasi-planar shear waves propagating away from the excitation location and detecting differences in shear modulus of 1 kPa. The techniques demonstrated here have potential application in real-time in vivo lesion detection and monitoring, with particular significance for image-guided interventions. PMID:28426437

Understanding and Predicting Profile Structure and Parametric Scaling of Intrinsic Rotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Weixing

2016-10-01

It is shown for the first time that turbulence-driven residual Reynolds stress can account for both the shape and magnitude of the observed intrinsic toroidal rotation profile. Nonlinear, global gyrokinetic simulations using GTS of DIII-D ECH plasmas indicate a substantial ITG fluctuation-induced non-diffusive momentum flux generated around a mid-radius-peaked intrinsic toroidal rotation profile. The non-diffusive momentum flux is dominated by the residual stress with a negligible contribution from the momentum pinch. The residual stress profile shows a robust anti-gradient, dipole structure in a set of ECH discharges with varying ECH power. Such interesting features of non-diffusive momentum fluxes, in connection with edge momentum sources and sinks, are found to be critical to drive the non-monotonic core rotation profiles in the experiments. Both turbulence intensity gradient and zonal flow ExB shear are identified as major contributors to the generation of the k∥-asymmetry needed for the residual stress generation. By balancing the residual stress and the momentum diffusion, a self-organized, steady-state rotation profile is calculated. The predicted core rotation profiles agree well with the experimentally measured main-ion toroidal rotation. The validated model is further used to investigate the characteristic dependence of global rotation profile structure in the multi-dimensional parametric space covering turbulence type, q-profile structure and collisionality with the goal of developing physics understanding needed for rotation profile control and optimization. Interesting results obtained include intrinsic rotation reversal induced by ITG-TEM transition in flat-q profile regime and by change in q-profile from weak to normal shear.. Fluctuation-generated poloidal Reynolds stress is also shown to significantly modify the neoclassical poloidal rotation in a way consistent with experimental observations. Finally, the first-principles-based model is applied to studying the ρ * -scaling and predicting rotations in ITER regime. Work supported by U.S. DOE Contract DE-AC02-09-CH11466.

Public consultation in ethics: an experiment in representative ethics.

PubMed

Burgess, Michael M

2004-01-01

Genome Canada has funded a research project to evaluate the usefulness of different forms of ethical analysis for assessing the moral weight of public opinion in the governance of genomics. This paper will describe a role of public consultation for ethical analysis and a contribution of ethical analysis to public consultation and the governance of genomics/biotechnology. Public consultation increases the robustness of ethical analysis with a more diverse set of moral experiences. Consultation must be carefully and respectfully designed to generate sufficiently diverse and rich accounts of moral experiences. Since dominant groups tend to define ethical or policy issues in a manner that excludes some interests or perspectives, it is important to identify the range of interests that diverse publics hold before defining the issue and scope of the discussion and the premature foreclosure of ethical dialogue. Consequently, a significant contribution of ethical dialogue strengthened by social analysis is to consider the context and non-policy use of power to govern genomics and to sustain social debate on enduring ethical issues.

Lifestyle factors and reproductive health: taking control of your fertility

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Approximately 10 to 15% of couples are impacted by infertility. Recently, the pivotal role that lifestyle factors play in the development of infertility has generated a considerable amount of interest. Lifestyle factors are the modifiable habits and ways of life that can greatly influence overall health and well-being, including fertility. Many lifestyle factors such as the age at which to start a family, nutrition, weight, exercise, psychological stress, environmental and occupational exposures, and others can have substantial effects on fertility; lifestyle factors such as cigarette smoking, illicit drug use, and alcohol and caffeine consumption can negatively influence fertility while others such as preventative care may be beneficial. The present literature review encompasses multiple lifestyle factors and places infertility in context for the couple by focusing on both males and females; it aims to identify the roles that lifestyle factors play in determining reproductive status. The growing interest and amount of research in this field have made it evident that lifestyle factors have a significant impact on fertility. PMID:23870423

Plasma lens experiments at the Final Focus Test Beam

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

Barletta, B.; Chattopadhyay, S.; Chen, P.

1993-04-01

We intend to carry out a series of plasma lens experiments at the Final Focus Test Beam facility at SLAC. These experiments will be the first to study the focusing of particle beams by plasma focusing devices in the parameter regime of interest for high energy colliders, and is expected to lead to plasma lens designs capable of unprecedented spot sizes. Plasma focusing of positron beams will be attempted for the first time. We will study the effects of lens aberrations due to various lens imperfections. Several approaches will be applied to create the plasma required including laser ionization andmore » beam ionization of a working gas. At an increased bunch population of 2.5 {times} 10{sup 10}, tunneling ionization of a gas target by an electron beam -- an effect which has never been observed before -- should be significant. The compactness of our device should prove to be of interest for applications at the SLC and the next generation linear colliders.« less

Daylighting in the workplace: Two new buildings offer a guiding light

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

Jackaway, A.; Littler, J.

1996-10-01

As environmental pressures intensify and energy efficiency remains paramount, there has been renewed interest in daylighting the workplace. Interestingly, daylighting`s resurgence is being furthered by mounting evidence of occupant dissatisfaction with predominantly electrically-lit offices, and two recent reports support growing concern that the lack of daylighting in these interiors has led not only to unhappy workers, but to potentially significant reductions in workplace productivity. Clearly pressure is mounting on designers to produce buildings responding to these concerns, and as the role of precedents in the evolution of design practice is unquestioned, demand has been increasing for publication of office-based daylightingmore » case studies. In an attempt to address this need, this paper examines two recently completed British buildings in which daylight has explicitly informed the architecture, and although data concerning the resulting energy savings is not yet available, these projects currently offer the design community two excellent examples of workplace daylighting where compelling visual environments are generating noteworthy occupant satisfaction.« less

A bibliometric analysis on tobacco regulation investigators.

PubMed

Li, Dingcheng; Okamoto, Janet; Liu, Hongfang; Leischow, Scott

2015-01-01

To facilitate the implementation of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, the Federal Drug Agency (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) has identified research priorities under the umbrella of tobacco regulatory science (TRS). As a newly integrated field, the current boundaries and landscape of TRS research are in need of definition. In this work, we conducted a bibliometric study of TRS research by applying author topic modeling (ATM) on MEDLINE citations published by currently-funded TRS principle investigators (PIs). We compared topics generated with ATM on dataset collected with TRS PIs and topics generated with ATM on dataset collected with a TRS keyword list. It is found that all those topics show a good alignment with FDA's funding protocols. More interestingly, we can see clear interactive relationships among PIs and between PIs and topics. Based on those interactions, we can discover how diverse each PI is, how productive they are, which topics are more popular and what main components each topic involves. Temporal trend analysis of key words shows the significant evaluation in four prime TRS areas. The results show that ATM can efficiently group articles into discriminative categories without any supervision. This indicates that we may incorporate ATM into author identification systems to infer the identity of an author of articles using topics generated by the model. It can also be useful to grantees and funding administrators in suggesting potential collaborators or identifying those that share common research interests for data harmonization or other purposes. The incorporation of temporal analysis can be employed to assess the change over time in TRS as new projects are funded and the extent to which new research reflects the funding priorities of the FDA.

Student-generated questions during chemistry lectures: Patterns, self-appraisals, and relations with motivational beliefs and achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergey, Bradley W.

Self-generated questions are a central mechanism for learning, yet students' questions are often infrequent during classroom instruction. As a result, little is known about the nature of student questioning during typical instructional contexts such as listening to a lecture, including the extent and nature of student-generated questions, how students evaluate their questions, and the relations among questions, motivations, and achievement. This study examined the questions undergraduate students (N = 103) generated during 8 lectures in an introductory chemistry course. Students recorded and appraised their question in daily question logs and reported lecture-specific self-efficacy beliefs. Self-efficacy, personal interest, goal orientations, and other motivational self-beliefs were measured before and after the unit. Primary analyses included testing path models, multiple regressions, and latent class analyses. Overall, results indicated that several characteristics of student questioning during lectures were significantly related to various motivations and achievement. Higher end-of-class self-efficacy was associated with fewer procedural questions and more questions that reflected smaller knowledge deficits. Lower exam scores were associated with questions reflecting broader knowledge deficits and students' appraisals that their questions had less value for others than for themselves. Individual goal orientations collectively and positively predicted question appraisals. The questions students generated and their relations with motivational variables and achievement are discussed in light of the learning task and academic context.

Pulmonary Inflammatory Responses to Acute Meteorite Dust Exposures - to Acute Meteorite Dust Exposures - Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harrington, A. D.; McCubbin, F. M.; Kaur, J.; Smirnov, A.; Galdanes, K.; Schoonen, M. A. A.; Chen, L. C.; Tsirka, S. E.; Gordon, T.

2017-01-01

New initiatives to begin lunar and martian colonization within the next few decades are illustrative of the resurgence of interest in space travel. One of NASA's major concerns with extended human space exploration is the inadvertent and repeated exposure to unknown dust. This highly interdisciplinary study evaluates both the geochemical reactivity (e.g. iron solubility and acellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation) and the relative toxicity (e.g. in vitro and in vivo pulmonary inflammation) of six meteorite samples representing either basalt or regolith breccia on the surface of the Moon, Mars, and Asteroid 4Vesta. Terrestrial mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) is also used for comparison. The MORB demonstrated higher geochemical reactivity than most of the meteorite samples but caused the lowest acute pulmonary inflammation (API). Notably, the two martian meteorites generated some of the highest API but only the basaltic sample is significantly reactive geochemically. Furthermore, while there is a correlation between a meteorite's soluble iron content and its ability to generate acellular ROS, there is no direct correlation between a particle's ability to generate ROS acellularly and its ability to generate API. However, assorted in vivo API markers did demonstrate strong positive correlations with increasing bulk Fenton metal content. In summary, this comprehensive dataset allows for not only the toxicological evaluation of astromaterials but also clarifies important correlations between geochemistry and health.

Obesity in the Transition to Adulthood: Predictions across Race-Ethnicity, Immigrant Generation, and Sex

PubMed Central

Harris, Kathleen Mullan; Perreira, Krista; Lee, Dohoon

2009-01-01

Objectives With longitudinal data we traced how race, ethnic, and immigrant disparities in body mass index (BMI) change over time as adolescents (ages 11–19) transition to young adulthood (ages 20–28). Design We used growth curve modeling to estimate the pattern of change in BMI from adolescence through the transition to adulthood. Setting All participants in the study were residents of the United States enrolled in high school or junior high school during the 1994–95 school year. Participants We used nationally representative data on 20,000+ adolescents interviewed at Wave I (1994–95) of Add Health, followed in Wave II (1996) and Wave III (2001–02) when the sample was in early adulthood. Main Exposure(s) Exposures of interest include race-ethnicity, immigrant generation, and sex. Main Outcome Measure(s) Our main outcome measure is BMI. Results Findings indicate significant differences in both the level and change in BMI across age by sex, race-ethnicity, and immigrant generation. Females, second and third generation immigrants, and Hispanics and blacks experience more rapidly increasing BMI as adolescents age into young adulthood. Increases in BMI are relatively lower for males, first generation immigrants, and whites and Asians. Conclusions Disparities in BMI and percent overweight and obese widen with age as adolescents leave home and begin independent lives as young adults in their 20s. PMID:19884593

Soy-Based Therapeutic Baby Formulas: Testable Hypotheses Regarding the Pros and Cons.

PubMed

Westmark, Cara J

2016-01-01

Soy-based infant formulas have been consumed in the United States since 1909, and currently constitute a significant portion of the infant formula market. There are efforts underway to generate genetically modified soybeans that produce therapeutic agents of interest with the intent to deliver those agents in a soy-based infant formula platform. The threefold purpose of this review article is to first discuss the pros and cons of soy-based infant formulas, then present testable hypotheses to discern the suitability of a soy platform for drug delivery in babies, and finally start a discussion to inform public policy on this important area of infant nutrition.

Lead salt room-temperature MWIR FPA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, Paul F.; Jost, Steven R.; Barrett, John L.; Reese, Dan; Winn, Michael L.

2001-10-01

The development of low-cost uncooled thermal LWIR FPAs is resulting in the emergence of a new generation of infrared sensors for applications where affordability is the prerequisite for volume production. Both ferroelectric detector arrays and silicon-based microbolometers are finding numerous applications from gun sights to automotive FLIRs. There would be significant interest in a similar uncooled offering in the MWIR, but to date, thermal detectors have lacked sufficient sensitivity. The existing uncooled MWIR photon detector technology, based on polycrystalline lead salts, has been relegated to single-element detectors and relatively small linear arrays due to the high dark current and the stigma of being a 50-year-old technology.

Dynamic evolution characteristics of a fractional order hydropower station system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Xiang; Chen, Diyi; Yan, Donglin; Xu, Beibei; Wang, Xiangyu

2018-01-01

This paper investigates the dynamic evolution characteristics of the hydropower station by introducing the fractional order damping forces. A careful analysis of the dynamic characteristics of the generator shaft system is carried out under different values of fractional order. It turns out the vibration state of the axis coordinates has a certain evolution law with the increase of the fractional order. Significantly, the obtained law exists in the horizontal evolution and vertical evolution of the dynamical behaviors. Meanwhile, some interesting dynamical phenomena were found in this process. The outcomes of this study enrich the nonlinear dynamic theory from the engineering practice of hydropower stations.

Long term thermoelectric module testing system.

PubMed

D'Angelo, Jonathan; Hogan, Timothy

2009-10-01

Thermoelectric generators can be used for converting waste heat into electric power. Significant interest in developing new materials in recent years has led to the discovery of several promising thermoelectrics, however, there can be considerable challenges in developing the materials into working devices. Testing and feedback is needed at each step to gain valuable information for identification of difficulties, quality of the materials and modules, repeatability in fabrication, and longevity of the devices. This paper describes a long-term module testing system for monitoring the output power of a module over extended testing times. To evaluate the system, we have tested commercially available thermoelectric modules over a one month time period.

Quinidine revisited.

PubMed

Yang, Felix; Hanon, Sam; Lam, Patrick; Schweitzer, Paul

2009-04-01

One of the earliest antiarrhythmic drugs developed, quinidine had a significant role in the treatment of many arrhythmias. After concerns for increased risk of ventricular arrhythmia and death with quinidine emerged, the use of quinidine fell dramatically in favor of newer antiarrhythmic medications. However, recent trials have generated renewed interest in the use of quinidine. In particular, quinidine appears to be safe and efficacious in combination with verapamil for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. Quinidine has also been used successfully to treat idiopathic ventricular fibrillation, Brugada syndrome, and Short QT syndrome. Although it is one of the oldest drugs in our armamentarium, quinidine continues to have a role in modern cardiology.

The enzymes of bacterial census and censorship.

PubMed

Fast, Walter; Tipton, Peter A

2012-01-01

N-Acyl-L-homoserine lactones (AHLs) are a major class of quorum-sensing signals used by Gram-negative bacteria to regulate gene expression in a population-dependent manner, thereby enabling group behavior. Enzymes capable of generating and catabolizing AHL signals are of significant interest for the study of microbial ecology and quorum-sensing pathways, for understanding the systems that bacteria have evolved to interact with small-molecule signals, and for their possible use in therapeutic and industrial applications. The recent structural and functional studies reviewed here provide a detailed insight into the chemistry and enzymology of bacterial communication. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Litigation-Generated Science: Why Should We Care?

PubMed Central

Boden, Leslie I.; Ozonoff, David

2008-01-01

Background In a 1994 Ninth Circuit decision on the remand of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Judge Alex Kosinski wrote that science done for the purpose of litigation should be subject to more stringent standards of admissibility than other science. Objectives We analyze this proposition by considering litigation-generated science as a subset of science involving conflict of interest. Discussion Judge Kosinski's formulation suggests there may be reasons to treat science involving conflict of interest differently but raises questions about whether litigation-generated science should be singled out. In particular we discuss the similar problems raised by strategically motivated science done in anticipation of possible future litigation or otherwise designed to benefit the sponsor and ask what special treatment, if any, should be given to science undertaken to support existing or potential future litigation. Conclusion The problems with litigation-generated science are not special. On the contrary, they are very general and apply to much or most science that is relevant and reliable in the courtroom setting. PMID:18197310

Generation of transgenic mouse model using PTTG as an oncogene.

PubMed

Kakar, Sham S; Kakar, Cohin

2015-01-01

The close physiological similarity between the mouse and human has provided tools to understanding the biological function of particular genes in vivo by introduction or deletion of a gene of interest. Using a mouse as a model has provided a wealth of resources, knowledge, and technology, helping scientists to understand the biological functions, translocation, trafficking, and interaction of a candidate gene with other intracellular molecules, transcriptional regulation, posttranslational modification, and discovery of novel signaling pathways for a particular gene. Most importantly, the generation of the mouse model for a specific human disease has provided a powerful tool to understand the etiology of a disease and discovery of novel therapeutics. This chapter describes in detail the step-by-step generation of the transgenic mouse model, which can be helpful in guiding new investigators in developing successful models. For practical purposes, we will describe the generation of a mouse model using pituitary tumor transforming gene (PTTG) as the candidate gene of interest.

Litigation-generated science: why should we care?

PubMed

Boden, Leslie I; Ozonoff, David

2008-01-01

In a 1994 Ninth Circuit decision on the remand of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Judge Alex Kosinski wrote that science done for the purpose of litigation should be subject to more stringent standards of admissibility than other science. We analyze this proposition by considering litigation-generated science as a subset of science involving conflict of interest. Judge Kosinski's formulation suggests there may be reasons to treat science involving conflict of interest differently but raises questions about whether litigation-generated science should be singled out. In particular we discuss the similar problems raised by strategically motivated science done in anticipation of possible future litigation or otherwise designed to benefit the sponsor and ask what special treatment, if any, should be given to science undertaken to support existing or potential future litigation. The problems with litigation-generated science are not special. On the contrary, they are very general and apply to much or most science that is relevant and reliable in the courtroom setting.

Sublethal effects of imidacloprid on the fecundity, longevity, and enzyme activity of Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) and Rhopalosiphum padi (Linnaeus).

PubMed

Lu, Y-H; Zheng, X-S; Gao, X-W

2016-08-01

The aphid species Sitobion avenae and Rhopalosiphum padi are the most important pests in wheat growing regions of many countries. In this study, we investigated the sublethal effects of imidacloprid on fecundity, longevity, and enzyme activity in both aphid species by comparing 3-h exposure for one or three generations. Our results indicated that 3-h exposure to sublethal doses of imidacloprid for one generation had no discernible effect on the survival, fecundity, longevity, or enzyme activity levels of aphids. However, when pulse exposures to imidacloprid were sustained over three generations, both fecundity and longevity were significantly decreased in both S. avenae and R. padi. Interestingly, the fecundity of R. padi had almost recovered by the F5 generation, but its longevity was still deleteriously affected. These results indicated that R. padi laid eggs in shorter time lags and has a more fast resilience. The change in reproduction behavior may be a phenomenon of R. padi to compensate its early death. If this is stable for the next generation, it means that the next generation is more competitive than unexposed populations, which could be the reason underlying population outbreaks that occur after longer-term exposure to an insecticide. This laboratory-based study highlights the sublethal effects of imidacloprid on the longevity and fecundity of descendants and provides an empirical basis from which to consider management decisions for chemical control in the field.

Microparticle-Mediated Delivery of BMP4 for Generation of Meiosis-Competent Germ Cells from Embryonic Stem Cells.

PubMed

Esfandiari, Fereshteh; Ashtiani, Mohammad Kazemi; Sharifi-Tabar, Mehdi; Saber, Maryam; Daemi, Hamed; Ghanian, Mohammad Hossein; Shahverdi, Abdolhossein; Baharvand, Hossein

2017-03-01

Producing meiosis-competent germ cells (GCs) from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) is essential for developing advanced therapies for infertility. Here, a novel approach is presented for generation of GCs from ESCs. In this regard, microparticles (MPs) have been developed from alginate sulfate loaded with bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4). The results here show that BMP4 release from alginate sulfate MPs is significantly retarded by the sulfated groups compared to neat alginate. Then, BMP4-laden MPs are incorporated within the aggregates during differentiation of GCs from ESCs. It is observed that BMP4-laden MPs increase GC differentiation from ESCs at least twofold compared to the conventional soluble delivery method. Interestingly, following meiosis induction, Dazl, an intrinsic factor that enables GCs to enter meiosis, and two essential meiosis genes (Stra8 and Smc1b) are upregulated significantly in MP-induced aggregates compared to aggregates, which are formed by the conventional method. Together, these data show that controlled delivery of BMP4 during ESC differentiation into GC establish meiosis-competent GCs which can serve as an attractive GC source for reproductive medicine. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Generation of a Selective Small Molecule Inhibitor of the CBP/p300 Bromodomain for Leukemia Therapy.

PubMed

Picaud, Sarah; Fedorov, Oleg; Thanasopoulou, Angeliki; Leonards, Katharina; Jones, Katherine; Meier, Julia; Olzscha, Heidi; Monteiro, Octovia; Martin, Sarah; Philpott, Martin; Tumber, Anthony; Filippakopoulos, Panagis; Yapp, Clarence; Wells, Christopher; Che, Ka Hing; Bannister, Andrew; Robson, Samuel; Kumar, Umesh; Parr, Nigel; Lee, Kevin; Lugo, Dave; Jeffrey, Philip; Taylor, Simon; Vecellio, Matteo L; Bountra, Chas; Brennan, Paul E; O'Mahony, Alison; Velichko, Sharlene; Müller, Susanne; Hay, Duncan; Daniels, Danette L; Urh, Marjeta; La Thangue, Nicholas B; Kouzarides, Tony; Prinjha, Rab; Schwaller, Jürg; Knapp, Stefan

2015-12-01

The histone acetyltransferases CBP/p300 are involved in recurrent leukemia-associated chromosomal translocations and are key regulators of cell growth. Therefore, efforts to generate inhibitors of CBP/p300 are of clinical value. We developed a specific and potent acetyl-lysine competitive protein-protein interaction inhibitor, I-CBP112, that targets the CBP/p300 bromodomains. Exposure of human and mouse leukemic cell lines to I-CBP112 resulted in substantially impaired colony formation and induced cellular differentiation without significant cytotoxicity. I-CBP112 significantly reduced the leukemia-initiating potential of MLL-AF9(+) acute myeloid leukemia cells in a dose-dependent manner in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, I-CBP112 increased the cytotoxic activity of BET bromodomain inhibitor JQ1 as well as doxorubicin. Collectively, we report the development and preclinical evaluation of a novel, potent inhibitor targeting CBP/p300 bromodomains that impairs aberrant self-renewal of leukemic cells. The synergistic effects of I-CBP112 and current standard therapy (doxorubicin) as well as emerging treatment strategies (BET inhibition) provide new opportunities for combinatorial treatment of leukemia and potentially other cancers. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

Generation of a selective small molecule inhibitor of the CBP/p300 bromodomain for leukemia therapy

PubMed Central

Jones, Katherine; Meier, Julia; Olzscha, Heidi; Monteiro, Octovia; Martin, Sarah; Philpott, Martin; Tumber, Anthony; Filippakopoulos, Panagis; Yapp, Clarence; Wells, Christopher; Che, Ka Hing; Bannister, Andrew; Robson, Samuel; Kumar, Umesh; Parr, Nigel; Lee, Kevin; Lugo, Dave; Jeffrey, Philip; Taylor, Simon; Vecellio, Matteo L.; Bountra, Chas; Brennan, Paul E.; O’Mahony, Alison; Velichko, Sharlene; Müller, Susanne; Hay, Duncan; Daniels, Danette L.; Urh, Marjeta; La Thangue, Nicholas B.; Kouzarides, Tony; Prinjha, Rab; Schwaller, Jürg; Knapp, Stefan

2016-01-01

The histone acetyltransferases CBP/p300 are involved in recurrent leukemia-associated chromosomal translocations and are key regulators of cell growth. Therefore, efforts to generate inhibitors of CBP/p300 are of clinical value. We developed a specific and potent acetyl-lysine competitive protein-protein interaction inhibitor, I-CBP112, that targets the CBP/p300 bromodomains. Exposure of human and mouse leukemic cell lines to I-CBP112 resulted in substantially impaired colony formation and induced cellular differentiation without significant cytotoxicity. I-CBP112 significantly reduced the leukemia-initiating potential of MLL-AF9+ AML cells in a dose-dependent manner in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, I-CBP112 increased the cytotoxic activity of BET bromodomain inhibitor JQ1 as well as doxorubicin. Collectively we report the development and preclinical evaluation of a novel, potent inhibitor targeting CBP/p300 bromodomains that impairs aberrant self-renewal of leukemic cells. The synergistic effects of I-CBP112 and current standard therapy (doxorubicin) as well as emerging treatment strategies (BET inhibition) provide new opportunities for combinatorial treatment of leukemia and potentially other cancers. PMID:26552700

Sonoluminescence: A Galaxy of Nanostars Created in a Beaker

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wrbanek, John D.; Fralick, Gustave C.; Wrbanek, Susan Y.; Weiland, Kenneth E.

2005-01-01

As part of basic and applied research on advanced instrumentation technologies, the NASA Glenn Research Center is examining applications for sonoluminescence: ultrasonically produced glowing bubbles that are hotter than the Sun. In the last decade, those outside of the ultrasonic community have become interested in understanding sonoluminescence and in using some of its more interesting properties. First discovered in the 1930s as a byproduct of early work on sonar, the phenomenon is defined as the generation of light energy from sound waves. This glow, which was originally thought to be a form of static electricity, was found to be generated in flashes of much less than a billionth of a second that result when microscopic bubbles of air collapse. The temperature generated in the collapsing bubbles is at least 4 times that of the surface of the Sun.

Control of mobility in molecular organic semiconductors by dendrimer generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lupton, J. M.; Samuel, I. D.; Beavington, R.; Frampton, M. J.; Burn, P. L.; Bässler, H.

2001-04-01

Conjugated dendrimers are of interest as novel materials for light-emitting diodes. They consist of a luminescent chromophore at the core with highly branched conjugated dendron sidegroups. In these materials, light emission occurs from the core and is independent of generation. The dendron branching controls the separation between the chromophores. We present here a family of conjugated dendrimers and investigate the effect of dendron branching on light emission and charge transport. We apply a number of transport measurement techniques to thin films of a conjugated dendrimer in a light-emitting diode configuration to determine the effect of chromophore spacing on charge transport. We find that the mobility is reduced by two orders of magnitude as the size of the molecule doubles with increased branching or dendrimer generation. The degree of branching allows a unique control of mobility by molecular structure. An increase in chromophore separation also results in a reduction of intermolecular interactions, which reduces the red emission tail in film photoluminescence. We find that the steady-state charge transport is well described by a simple device model incorporating the effect of generation, and use the materials to shed light on the interpretation of transient electroluminescence data. We demonstrate the significance of the ability to tune the mobility in bilayer devices, where a more balanced charge transport can be achieved.

Metabolic rate associates with, but does not generate covariation between, behaviours in western stutter-trilling crickets, Gryllus integer.

PubMed

Krams, Indrikis A; Niemelä, Petri T; Trakimas, Giedrius; Krams, Ronalds; Burghardt, Gordon M; Krama, Tatjana; Kuusik, Aare; Mänd, Marika; Rantala, Markus J; Mänd, Raivo; Kekäläinen, Jukka; Sirkka, Ilkka; Luoto, Severi; Kortet, Raine

2017-03-29

The causes and consequences of among-individual variation and covariation in behaviours are of substantial interest to behavioural ecology, but the proximate mechanisms underpinning this (co)variation are still unclear. Previous research suggests metabolic rate as a potential proximate mechanism to explain behavioural covariation. We measured the resting metabolic rate (RMR), boldness and exploration in western stutter-trilling crickets, Gryllus integer , selected differentially for short and fast development over two generations. After applying mixed-effects models to reveal the sign of the covariation, we applied structural equation models to an individual-level covariance matrix to examine whether the RMR generates covariation between the measured behaviours. All traits showed among-individual variation and covariation: RMR and boldness were positively correlated, RMR and exploration were negatively correlated, and boldness and exploration were negatively correlated. However, the RMR was not a causal factor generating covariation between boldness and exploration. Instead, the covariation between all three traits was explained by another, unmeasured mechanism. The selection lines differed from each other in all measured traits and significantly affected the covariance matrix structure between the traits, suggesting that there is a genetic component in the trait integration. Our results emphasize that interpretations made solely from the correlation matrix might be misleading. © 2017 The Author(s).

Metabolic rate associates with, but does not generate covariation between, behaviours in western stutter-trilling crickets, Gryllus integer

PubMed Central

Trakimas, Giedrius; Krams, Ronalds; Burghardt, Gordon M.; Krama, Tatjana; Kuusik, Aare; Mänd, Marika; Rantala, Markus J.; Mänd, Raivo; Sirkka, Ilkka; Luoto, Severi; Kortet, Raine

2017-01-01

The causes and consequences of among-individual variation and covariation in behaviours are of substantial interest to behavioural ecology, but the proximate mechanisms underpinning this (co)variation are still unclear. Previous research suggests metabolic rate as a potential proximate mechanism to explain behavioural covariation. We measured the resting metabolic rate (RMR), boldness and exploration in western stutter-trilling crickets, Gryllus integer, selected differentially for short and fast development over two generations. After applying mixed-effects models to reveal the sign of the covariation, we applied structural equation models to an individual-level covariance matrix to examine whether the RMR generates covariation between the measured behaviours. All traits showed among-individual variation and covariation: RMR and boldness were positively correlated, RMR and exploration were negatively correlated, and boldness and exploration were negatively correlated. However, the RMR was not a causal factor generating covariation between boldness and exploration. Instead, the covariation between all three traits was explained by another, unmeasured mechanism. The selection lines differed from each other in all measured traits and significantly affected the covariance matrix structure between the traits, suggesting that there is a genetic component in the trait integration. Our results emphasize that interpretations made solely from the correlation matrix might be misleading. PMID:28330918

A conceptual framework for evaluating variable speed generator options for wind energy applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reddoch, T. W.; Lipo, T. A.; Hinrichsen, E. N.; Hudson, T. L.; Thomas, R. J.

1995-01-01

Interest in variable speed generating technology has accelerated as greater emphasis on overall efficiency and superior dynamic and control properties in wind-electric generating systems are sought. This paper reviews variable speed technology options providing advantages and disadvantages of each. Furthermore, the dynamic properties of variable speed systems are contrasted with synchronous operation. Finally, control properties of variable speed systems are examined.

The Association of Generation Status and Health Insurance Among US Children

PubMed Central

Miranda, Patricia Y.; Elewonibi, Bilikisu Reni; Hillemeier, Marianne M.

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) has the potential to reduce the number of uninsured children in the United States by as much as 40%. The extent to which immigrant families are aware of and interested in obtaining insurance for their children is unclear. METHODS: Data from the 2011–2012 National Survey of Children’s Health were analyzed to examine differences by immigrant generational status in awareness of children’s health insurance options. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) were calculated for each outcome variable that showed statistical significance by generation status. RESULTS: Barriers to obtaining insurance for children in immigrant (first- and second-generation) families include awareness of and experience with various health insurance options, perceived costs and benefits of insurance, structural/policy restrictions on eligibility, and lower likelihood of working in large organizations that offer employee insurance coverage. Although noncitizen immigrants are not covered by ACA insurance expansions, only 38% of first-generation families report being uninsured because of the inability to meet citizenship requirements. Most families in this sample also worked for employers with <50 employees, making them less likely to benefit from expansions in employer-based insurance. In multivariate analyses, third-generation families have increased odds of knowing how to enroll in health insurance (AOR 7.1 [3.6–13.0]) and knowing where to find insurance information (AOR 7.7 [3.8–15.4]) compared with first-generation families. CONCLUSIONS: ACA navigators and health services professionals should be aware of potential unique challenges to helping immigrant families negotiate Medicaid expansions and state and federal exchanges. PMID:25002670

The association of generation status and health insurance among U.S. children.

PubMed

BeLue, Rhonda; Miranda, Patricia Y; Elewonibi, Bilikisu Reni; Hillemeier, Marianne M

2014-08-01

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) has the potential to reduce the number of uninsured children in the United States by as much as 40%. The extent to which immigrant families are aware of and interested in obtaining insurance for their children is unclear. Data from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health were analyzed to examine differences by immigrant generational status in awareness of children's health insurance options. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) were calculated for each outcome variable that showed statistical significance by generation status. Barriers to obtaining insurance for children in immigrant (first- and second-generation) families include awareness of and experience with various health insurance options, perceived costs and benefits of insurance, structural/policy restrictions on eligibility, and lower likelihood of working in large organizations that offer employee insurance coverage. Although noncitizen immigrants are not covered by ACA insurance expansions, only 38% of first-generation families report being uninsured because of the inability to meet citizenship requirements. Most families in this sample also worked for employers with <50 employees, making them less likely to benefit from expansions in employer-based insurance. In multivariate analyses, third-generation families have increased odds of knowing how to enroll in health insurance (AOR 7.1 [3.6-13.0]) and knowing where to find insurance information (AOR 7.7 [3.8-15.4]) compared with first-generation families. ACA navigators and health services professionals should be aware of potential unique challenges to helping immigrant families negotiate Medicaid expansions and state and federal exchanges. Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The Gendering of Albert Einstein and Marie Curie in Children's Biographies: Some Tensions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Rachel E.; Jarrard, Amber R.; Tippins, Deborah J.

2009-01-01

Few twentieth century scientists have generated as much interest as Albert Einstein and Marie Currie. Their lives are centrally depicted in numerous children's biographies of famous scientists. Yet their stories reflect interesting paradoxes and tacit sets of unexplored sociocultural assumptions about gender in science education and the larger…

Calling STEM Experts: How Can Experts Contribute to Students' Increased STEM Engagement?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gamse, Beth C.; Martinez, Alina; Bozzi, Laurie

2017-01-01

Encouraging student interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is an urgent priority in the USA and abroad. How most effectively to generate and sustain student interest in and preparation for STEM education and careers remains a vexing question, as the content areas, target ages, instructional approaches, and specific purposes…

Transformative Parents: Facilitating Transformative Experiences and Interest with a Parent Involvement Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heddy, Benjamin C.; Sinatra, Gale M.

2017-01-01

This study reports the implementation of a parental involvement intervention coupled with small group discussions aimed at facilitating transformative experiences (TEs) in science courses (biology and chemistry) in an all-girls middle and high school. Specifically, the goal was to generate parental involvement, TE, and interest. Analyses showed…

Computer Games Development Experience and Appreciative Learning Approach for Creative Process Enhancement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leng, Eow Yee; Ali, Wan Zah bte Wan; Mahmud, Rosnaini bt.; Baki, Roselan

2010-01-01

Nurturing children into thinking creatively needs to take account of what interest them. Therefore, the study conducted engaged students with computer games development as it corresponded with the young generation's habits and interests. This was done with the purpose to enhance the creative process experienced by students. It involved 69…

TILLING for plant breeding.

PubMed

Sharp, Peter; Dong, Chongmei

2014-01-01

TILLING is widely used in plant functional genomics. Mutagenesis and SNP detection is combined to allow for the isolation of mutations in genes of interest. It can also be used as a plant breeding tool, whereby variation in known or candidate genes of interest to breeding programs is generated. Here we describe a simple low-cost TILLING procedure.

"Who Dunnit?": Learning Chemistry and Critical Thinking through Hands-On Forensic Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demetry, Chrysanthe; Nicoletti, Denise; Mix, Kimberlee; O'Connor, Kerri; Martin, Andrea

2002-01-01

Demonstrates how forensic science can be used as a framework for generating student interest and learning in chemistry and promoting critical thinking. The "Who Dunnit?" forensic science workshop was developed by undergraduate students and is one element of a two-week residential summer outreach program that seeks to develop interest in…

Making Learning Meaningful: Facilitating Interest Development and Transfer in At-Risk College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heddy, Benjamin C.; Sinatra, Gale M.; Seli, Helena; Taasoobshirazi, Gita; Mukhopadhyay, Ananya

2017-01-01

The Teaching for Transformative Experience in Science (TTES) model has shown to be a useful tool to generate learning and engagement in science. We investigated the effectiveness of TTES for facilitating transformative experience (TE), learning, the development of topic interest and transfer of course concepts to other courses employing a…

Mentoring the Next Generation of Faculty: Supporting Academic Career Aspirations among Doctoral Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curtin, Nicola; Malley, Janet; Stewart, Abigail J.

2016-01-01

We know little about the role of faculty mentoring in the development of interest in pursuing an academic career among doctoral students. Drawing on Social Cognitive Career Theory, this study examined the relationships between different kinds of mentoring (instrumental, psychosocial, and sponsorship) and academic career self-efficacy, interests,…

Computer-Generated Phase Diagrams for Binary Mixtures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jolls, Kenneth R.; And Others

1983-01-01

Computer programs that generate projections of thermodynamic phase surfaces through computer graphics were used to produce diagrams representing properties of water and steam and the pressure-volume-temperature behavior of most of the common equations of state. The program, program options emphasizing thermodynamic features of interest, and…

Cell Culture Made Easy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dye, Frank J.

1985-01-01

Outlines steps to generate cell samples for observation and experimentation. The procedures (which use ordinary laboratory equipment) will establish a short-term primary culture of normal mammalian cells. Information on culture vessels and cell division and a list of questions to generate student interest and involvement in the topics are…

Finite Element Analysis Generates an Increasing Interest in Dental Research: A Bibliometric Study.

PubMed

Diarra, Abdoulaziz; Mushegyan, Vagan; Naveau, Adrien

2016-01-01

The purpose was to provide a longitudinal overview of published studies that use finite element analysis in dental research, by using the SCI-expanded database of Web of Science(®) (Thomson Reuters). Eighty publications from 1999-2000 and 473 from 2009-2010 were retrieved. This literature grew faster than the overall dental literature. The number of publishing countries doubled. The main journals were American or English, and dealt with implantology. For the top 10 journals publishing dental finite element papers, the mean impact factor increased by 75% during the decade. Finite elements generate an increasing interest from dental authors and publishers worldwide.

Beyond the Divinyl Ketone: Innovations in the Generation and Nazarov Cyclization of Pentadienyl Cation Intermediates

PubMed Central

Spencer, William T.; Vaidya, Tulaza; Frontier, Alison J.

2013-01-01

The requirement for new strategies for synthesizing five-membered carbocycles has driven an expansion in the study of the Nazarov cyclization. This renewed interest in the reaction has led to the discovery of several interesting new methods for generating the pentadienyl cation intermediate central to the cyclization. Methods reviewed include carbon-heteroatom ionization, functionalization of a double bond, nucleophilic addition, or electrocyclic ring opening. Additional variations employ unconventional substrates to produce novel pentacycles, such as the iso- and imino-Nazarov. Herein, we provide an overview of these unconventional, yet highly useful versions of the Nazarov cyclization. PMID:24348092

Passive in-situ chemical sensor

DOEpatents

Morrell, Jonathan S [Farragut, TN; Ripley, Edward B [Knoxville, TN

2012-02-14

A chemical sensor for assessing a chemical of interest. In typical embodiments the chemical sensor includes a first thermocouple and second thermocouple. A reactive component is typically disposed proximal to the second thermal couple, and is selected to react with the chemical of interest and generate a temperature variation that may be detected by a comparison of a temperature sensed by the second thermocouple compared with a concurrent temperature detected by the first thermocouple. Further disclosed is a method for assessing a chemical of interest and a method for identifying a reaction temperature for a chemical of interest in a system.

In vivo measurement of the tissue oxygenation by time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy of protoporphyrin IX: strategies to minimize artefacts associated with photoproducts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerelli, Emmanuel; Huntosova, Veronika; Horvath, Denis; Wagnières, Georges

2017-02-01

The determination of the oxygen partial pressure (pO2) in real time in living biological tissues is of high interest for numerous therapeutics, including photodynamic therapy (PDT) and radiotherapy. The minimally invasive and real-time measurement of the pO2 also enables to obtain interesting fundamental information regarding the metabolic activities in cells and tissues. The development of time-resolved luminescence measurement (TRLM) methods combined with the availability of new oxygen-sensitive molecular probes is at the origin of the significant progress that have been achieved during these past decades to measure the pO2 in living organisms. These probes include porphyrins, such as aminolevulinic acid-induced protoporphyrin IX (PPIX), which is an approved photosensitizer. Using the photosensitizer to probe the pO2 is of high interest in PDT since the level of oxygen is measured at the precise location where the phototoxic mechanisms take place. However, PPIX has drawbacks to measure the pO2 by TRLM, including its significant photobleaching. Since the PPIX excitation during pO2 measurements leads to the generation of its photoproducts, we studied the impact of their luminescence on the measurement of the PPIX triplet state lifetime in solution and in vivo on the Chick's Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) model. We performed this study under various oxygen conditions. Our results indicate that perturbations induced by these photoproducts can be avoided if the PPIX luminescence is detected between 620 and 640 nm, or if PPIX is excited at 405 nm with light doses < 1 J/cm2.

Methods and Apparatus for Detecting Defects in an Object of Interest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartman, John K. (Inventor); Pearson, Lee H (Inventor)

2017-01-01

A method for detecting defects in an object of interest comprises applying an ultrasonic signal including a tone burst having a predetermined frequency and number of cycles into an object of interest, receiving a return signal reflected from the object of interest, and processing the return signal to detect defects in at least one inner material. The object may have an outer material and the at least one inner material that have different acoustic impedances. An ultrasonic sensor system includes an ultrasonic sensor configured to generate an ultrasonic signal having a tone burst at a predetermined frequency corresponding to a resonant frequency of an outer material of an object of interest.

Physiological role of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in cold acclimation of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yong; Yu, Dingqun; Luo, Ya; Wang, Xiaorong; Chen, Qing; Sun, Bo; Wang, Yan; Liu, Zejing; Tang, Haoru

2018-04-01

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in study of new resistance mechanism in fruit trees. All these regard the climate change and subsequent fruit production. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) catalyzes the first and rate-limiting step of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OPPP), and the expression of this enzyme is related to different biotic and abiotic stresses. Under accumulation of low temperature stress, the significant increase in G6PDH activity was found to be closely correlated to the levels of antioxidant enzymes, malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, sugar contents as well as changes of superoxide (O2•-). It is suggested that the enhancement of cold resistance of strawberry, which induced by cold acclimation, related to the significant increase in G6PDH activity. On one hand, G6PDH activates NADPH oxidase to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS); on the other hand, it may be involved in the activation of antioxidant enzymes, and accelerates many other important NADPH-dependent enzymatic reactions. Then further result in the elevation of membrane stability and cold resistance of strawberry. Interestingly, even though the plants were placed again under a temperature of 25°C for 1 d, the higher cold resistance, enzyme activities and soluble sugar content acquired.

Identification of Differentially Expressed miRNAs in Colorado Potato Beetles (Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say)) Exposed to Imidacloprid.

PubMed

Morin, Mathieu D; Lyons, Pierre J; Crapoulet, Nicolas; Boquel, Sébastien; Morin, Pier Jr

2017-12-16

The Colorado potato beetle ( Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say)) is a significant pest of potato plants that has been controlled for more than two decades by neonicotinoid imidacloprid. L. decemlineata can develop resistance to this agent even though the molecular mechanisms underlying this resistance are not well characterized. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short ribonucleic acids that have been linked to response to various insecticides in several insect models. Unfortunately, the information is lacking regarding differentially expressed miRNAs following imidacloprid treatment in L. decemlineata . In this study, next-generation sequencing and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were used to identify modulated miRNAs in imidacloprid-treated versus untreated L. decemlineata . This approach identified 33 differentially expressed miRNAs between the two experimental conditions. Of interest, miR-282 and miR-989, miRNAs previously shown to be modulated by imidacloprid in other insects, and miR-100, a miRNA associated with regulation of cytochrome P450 expression, were significantly modulated in imidacloprid-treated beetles. Overall, this work presents the first report of a miRNA signature associated with imidacloprid exposure in L. decemlineata using a high-throughput approach. It also reveals interesting miRNA candidates that potentially underly imidacloprid response in this insect pest.

Are Malaysian Diabetic Patients Ready to Use The New Generation of Health Care Service Delivery? A Telehealth Interest Assessment.

PubMed

Samiei, Vida; Wan Puteh, Sharifa Ezat; Abdul Manaf, Mohd Rizal; Abdul Latip, Khalib; Ismail, Aniza

2016-03-01

The idea of launching an internet-based self-management program for patients with diabetes led us to do a cross-sectional study to find out about the willingness, interest, equipment, and level of usage of computer and internet in a medium- to low-social class area and to find the feasibility of using e-telemonitoring systems for these patients. A total of 180 patients with type 2 diabetes participated in this study and fulfilled the self-administered questionnaire in Diabetes Clinic of Primary Medical Center of University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre; the response rate was 84%. We used the universal sampling method and assessed three groups of factors including sociodemographic, information and communication technology (ICT), willingness and interest, and disease factors. Our results showed that 56% of the patients with diabetes were interested to use such programs; majority of the patients were Malay, and patients in the age group of 51-60 years formed the largest group. Majority of these patients studied up to secondary level of education. Age, education, income, and money spent for checkup were significantly associated with the interest of patients with diabetes to the internet-based programs. ICT-related factors such as computer ownership, computer knowledge, access to the internet, frequency of using the internet and reasons of internet usage had a positive effect on patients' interest. Our results show that among low to intermediate social class of Malaysian patients with type 2 diabetes, more than 50% of them can and wanted to use the internet-based self-management programs. Furthermore, we also show that patients equipped with more ICT-related factors had more interest toward these programs. Therefore, we propose making ICT more affordable and integrating it into the health care system at primary care level and then extending it nationwide.

The Anthropology of Anthropologists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Paul R.

Anthropology as an academic discipline in the United States experienced an explosive growth during the late 1960's and early 1970's, when the Woodstock generation embraced anthropology. However, interest in anthropology as a discipline declined in the late 1970's and early 1980's, when the new work-oriented generation held anthropologists at arms…

Montana | Solar Research | NREL

Science.gov Websites

offers low-interest loans, corporate and personal tax credits, and property tax exemptions and reductions 35% against personal or corporate tax on the income generated by the investment. This credit is systems and can be availed for 10 years after installation of the system. Generation Facility Corporate

Generating "Random" Integers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffiths, Martin

2011-01-01

One of the author's undergraduate students recently asked him whether it was possible to generate a random positive integer. After some thought, the author realised that there were plenty of interesting mathematical ideas inherent in her question. So much so in fact, that the author decided to organise a workshop, open both to undergraduates and…

Rethinking Religion in Music Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, Adria R.

2011-01-01

A great deal of discussion of religious music in schools has been generated in our field. As we become increasingly sensitive to the diverse interests of the multiple stakeholders in public schools, issues of political correctness and pedagogical goals are raised. The author poses questions about religion and music education. To generate a…

Sugar Beet as an Energy Crop

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The combination of volatility in the oil market and finite oil resources and the effect on global climate change from the addition of CO2 to the atmosphere as a result of burning fossil fuels has increased the interest in sustainable energy generation from renewable biofuels. Most 1st generation bi...

Double Dissociation in the Anatomy of Socioemotional Disinhibition and Executive Functioning in Dementia

PubMed Central

Krueger, Casey E.; Laluz, Victor; Rosen, Howard J.; Neuhaus, John M.; Miller, Bruce L.; Kramer, Joel H.

2010-01-01

Objective To determine if socioemotional disinhibition and executive dysfunction are related to dissociable patterns of brain atrophy in neurodegenerative disease. Previous studies have indicated that behavioral and cognitive dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease are linked to atrophy in different parts of the frontal lobe, but these prior studies did not establish that these relationships were specific, which would best be demonstrated by a double dissociation. Method Subjects included 157 patients with neurodegenerative disease. A semi-automated parcellation program (Freesurfer) was used to generate regional cortical volumes from structural MRI scans. Regions of interest (ROIs) included anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Socioemotional disinhibition was measured using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Principal component analysis including three tasks of executive function (EF; verbal fluency, Stroop Interference, modified Trails) was used to generate a single factor score to represent EF. Results Partial correlations between ROIs, disinhibition, and EF were computed after controlling for total intracranial volume, MMSE, diagnosis, age, and education. Brain regions significantly correlated with disinhibition (ACC, OFC, IFG, and temporal lobes) and EF (MFG) were entered into separate hierarchical regressions to determine which brain regions predicted disinhibition and EF. OFC was the only brain region to significantly predict disinhibition and MFG significantly predicted executive functioning performance. A multivariate general linear model demonstrated a significant interaction between ROIs and cognitive-behavioral functions. Conclusions These results support a specific association between orbitofrontal areas and behavioral management as compared to dorsolateral areas and EF. PMID:21381829

DNA methylation and potential multigenerational epigenetic effects linked to uranium chronic low-dose exposure in gonads of males and females rats.

PubMed

Elmhiri, G; Gloaguen, C; Grison, S; Kereselidze, D; Elie, C; Tack, K; Benderitter, M; Lestaevel, P; Legendre, A; Souidi, M

2018-01-05

An increased health problem in industrialised countries is the contemporary concern of public and scientific community as well. This has been attributed in part to accumulated environmental pollutants especially radioactive substances and the use of nuclear power plants worldwide. However, the outcome of chronic exposure to low doses of a radionuclide such as uranium remains unknown. Recently, a paradigm shift in the perception of risk of radiotoxicology has emerged through investigating the possibility of transmission of biological effects over generations, in particular by epigenetic pathways. These processes are known for their crucial roles associated with the development of several diseases. The current work investigates the epigenetic effect of chronic exposure to low doses of uranium and its inheritance across generations. Materials and Methods To test this proposition, a rodent multigenerational model, males and females, were exposed to a non-toxic concentration of uranium (40mgL -1 drinking water) for nine months. The uranium effects on were evaluated over three generations (F0, F1 and F2) by analysing the DNA methylation profile and DNMT genes expression in ovaries and testes tissues. Here we report a significant hypermethylation of testes DNA (p <0.005) whereas ovaries showed hypomethylated DNA (p <0.005). Interestingly, this DNA methylation profile was significantly maintained across generations F0, F1 and F2. Furthermore, qPCR results of both tissues imply a significant change in the expression of DNA methyltransferase genes (DNMT 1 and DNMT3a/b) as well. Altogether, our work demonstrates for the first time a sex-dependance and inheritance of epigenetic marks, DNA methylation, as a biological response to the exposure to low doses of uranium. However, it is not clear which type of reproductive cell type is more responsive in this context. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Differentiation of organic and non-organic winter wheat cultivars from a controlled field trial by crystallization patterns.

PubMed

Kahl, Johannes; Busscher, Nicolaas; Mergardt, Gaby; Mäder, Paul; Torp, Torfinn; Ploeger, Angelika

2015-01-01

There is a need for authentication tools in order to verify the existing certification system. Recently, markers for analytical authentication of organic products were evaluated. Herein, crystallization with additives was described as an interesting fingerprint approach which needs further evidence, based on a standardized method and well-documented sample origin. The fingerprint of wheat cultivars from a controlled field trial is generated from structure analysis variables of crystal patterns. Method performance was tested on factors such as crystallization chamber, day of experiment and region of interest of the patterns. Two different organic treatments and two different treatments of the non-organic regime can be grouped together in each of three consecutive seasons. When the k-nearest-neighbor classification method was applied, approximately 84% of Runal samples and 95% of Titlis samples were classified correctly into organic and non-organic origin using cross-validation. Crystallization with additive offers an interesting complementary fingerprint method for organic wheat samples. When the method is applied to winter wheat from the DOK trial, organic and non-organic treated samples can be differentiated significantly based on pattern recognition. Therefore crystallization with additives seems to be a promising tool in organic wheat authentication. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Arbitrary shape region-of-interest fluoroscopy system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Tong; Le, Huy; Molloi, Sabee Y.

2002-05-01

Region-of-interest (ROI) fluoroscopy has previously been investigated as a method to reduce x-ray exposure to the patient and the operator. This ROI fluoroscopy technique allows the operator to arbitrarily determine the shape, size, and location of the ROI. A device was used to generate patient specific x-ray beam filters. The device is comprised of 18 step-motors that control a 16 X 16 matrix of pistons to form the filter from a deformable attenuating material. Patient exposure reductions were measured to be 84 percent for a 65 kVp beam. Operator exposure reduction was measured to be 69 percent. Due to the reduced x-ray scatter, image contrast was improved by 23 percent inside the ROI. The reduced gray level in the periphery was corrected using an experimentally determined compensation ratio. A running average interpolation technique was used to eliminate the artifacts from the ROI edge. As expected, the final corrected images show increased noise in the periphery. However, the anatomical structures in the periphery could still be visualized. This arbitrary shaped region of interest fluoroscopic technique was shown to be effective in terms of its ability to reduce patient and operator exposure without significant reduction in image quality. The ability to define an arbitrary shaped ROI should make the technique more clinically feasible.

The ergot alkaloid gene cluster: functional analyses and evolutionary aspects.

PubMed

Lorenz, Nicole; Haarmann, Thomas; Pazoutová, Sylvie; Jung, Manfred; Tudzynski, Paul

2009-01-01

Ergot alkaloids and their derivatives have been traditionally used as therapeutic agents in migraine, blood pressure regulation and help in childbirth and abortion. Their production in submerse culture is a long established biotechnological process. Ergot alkaloids are produced mainly by members of the genus Claviceps, with Claviceps purpurea as best investigated species concerning the biochemistry of ergot alkaloid synthesis (EAS). Genes encoding enzymes involved in EAS have been shown to be clustered; functional analyses of EAS cluster genes have allowed to assign specific functions to several gene products. Various Claviceps species differ with respect to their host specificity and their alkaloid content; comparison of the ergot alkaloid clusters in these species (and of clavine alkaloid clusters in other genera) yields interesting insights into the evolution of cluster structure. This review focuses on recently published and also yet unpublished data on the structure and evolution of the EAS gene cluster and on the function and regulation of cluster genes. These analyses have also significant biotechnological implications: the characterization of non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) involved in the synthesis of the peptide moiety of ergopeptines opened interesting perspectives for the synthesis of ergot alkaloids; on the other hand, defined mutants could be generated producing interesting intermediates or only single peptide alkaloids (instead of the alkaloid mixtures usually produced by industrial strains).

Understanding Power Electronics and Electrical Machines in Multidisciplinary Wind Energy Conversion System Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duran, M. J.; Barrero, F.; Pozo-Ruz, A.; Guzman, F.; Fernandez, J.; Guzman, H.

2013-01-01

Wind energy conversion systems (WECS) nowadays offer an extremely wide range of topologies, including various different types of electrical generators and power converters. Wind energy is also an application of great interest to students and with a huge potential for engineering employment. Making WECS the main center of interest when teaching…

No Teacher Left Inside: Preparing a New Generation of Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcum-Dietrich, Nanette; Marquez, Lynn; Gill, Susan E.; Medved, Christina

2011-01-01

It is ironic that although children often form lasting decisions, at a young age, about their aptitude for and interest in science we are least successful at preparing elementary teachers to nurture their students' science interests. This is despite the fact that most elementary teachers teach in contained classrooms where they are responsible for…

Stimulating Situational Interest and Student Questioning through Three Types of Historical Introductory Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Logtenberg, Albert; van Boxtel, Carla; van Hout-Wolters, Bernadette

2011-01-01

This study investigates questions students ask related to an introductory text about a new topic in the history classroom. The effects of a narrative, problematizing, and expository introductory text on the situational interest of students and the number and type of student-generated questions, are compared. Participants are 174 students in higher…

Politics: Interest, Participation and Education. Comparing the Republic of Ireland with Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruen, Jennifer

2014-01-01

In order to generate higher levels of interest in politics and participation in political processes, political or citizenship, education in schools must be at the heart of the curriculum and be characterised by active, learner-centred approaches. This paper hypothesises that, when compared with Germany, a more limited form of political education…

Tackling Obesity in Children through Physical Activity: A Perspective from the United Kingdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Kenneth R.

2004-01-01

Childhood obesity has become an emotive and serious problem in Europe. In the UK, it has generated a great deal of interest by the media, health professionals, food companies, scientists, and more recently, the government. Upward trends have been recorded in most countries, levels are interestingly variable, and the origins of this variation have…

A Logico-Structural, Worldview Analysis of the Interrelationship between Science Interest, Gender, and Concept of Nature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cobern, William W.; And Others

The purpose of this research was to provide information about gender-related worldview structures, among college students, that can inform the instructional decision making process. Information was generated in a logico-structural investigation of the interrelationship of gender, interest in science, and concept of nature. The strength of the…

Superoxide radical-generating compounds activate a predicted promoter site for paraquat-inducible genes of the Chromobacterium violaceum bacterium in a dose-dependent manner.

PubMed

Gabriel, J E; Guerra-Slompo, E P; de Souza, E M; de Carvalho, F A L; Madeira, H M F; de Vasconcelos, A T R

2015-08-21

The purpose of the present study was to functionally evaluate the influence of superoxide radical-generating compounds on the heterologous induction of a predicted promoter region of open reading frames for paraquat-inducible genes (pqi genes) revealed during genome annotation analyses of the Chromobacterium violaceum bacterium. A 388-bp fragment corresponding to a pqi gene promoter of C. violaceum was amplified using specific primers and cloned into a conjugative vector containing the Escherichia coli lacZ gene without a promoter. Assessments of the expression of the β-galactosidase enzyme were performed in the presence of menadione (MEN) and phenazine methosulfate (PMS) compounds at different final concentrations to evaluate the heterologous activation of the predicted promoter region of interest in C. violaceum induced by these substrates. Under these experimental conditions, the MEN reagent promoted highly significant increases in the expression of the β-galactosidase enzyme modulated by activating the promoter region of the pqi genes at all concentrations tested. On the other hand, significantly higher levels in the expression of the β-galactosidase enzyme were detected exclusively in the presence of the PMS reagent at a final concentration of 50 μg/mL. The findings described in the present study demonstrate that superoxide radical-generating compounds can activate a predicted promoter DNA motif for pqi genes of the C. violaceum bacterium in a dose-dependent manner.

Mode of transmission of schizophrenia.

PubMed

Ponnudurai, R; Jayakar, J

2010-06-01

Although the evidences for the phenomenon of "anticipation" and parental "imprinting" have been shown in schizophrenia, they are inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to test these hypotheses by examining three successive generations. 58 schizophrenic patients who had their maternal or paternal parent or grandparent, or both, affected with schizophrenia or related disorders were analyzed. Chi-square test was used to assess the association of the sex of the parent with more than one of the affected proband families. The differences in the age of onset of the illness between the successive three generations was calculated using the t-test. In comparison to mothers' affected families, a large proportion of the father side affected families had more than one of their offspring affected with the illness. The age of onset in probands was lower in comparison to that of those on the parental side and the difference was more significant when the paternal side was affected. Interestingly, when the age of onset in the grandparents was compared with either of the parental sides of the probands no difference emerged, indicating lack of support from this study for the theory of anticipation. At any rate, the age of onset of probands was significantly lower in comparison to that of the paternal grandfather side. Further, skipping of a generation in the process of transmission was noted in some families. It is hard to ignore our findings that suggest paternal side transmission. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of mitochondrially targeted carboxy proxyl nitroxide on Akt-mediated survival in Daudi cells: Significance of a dual mode of action

PubMed Central

Variar, Gokul; Pant, Tarun; Singh, Apoorva; Ravichandran, Abinaya; Swami, Sushant; Kalyanaraman, Balaraman; Dhanasekaran, Anuradha

2017-01-01

Vicious cycles of mutations and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation contribute to cancer progression. The use of antioxidants to inhibit ROS generation promotes cytostasis by affecting the mutation cycle and ROS-dependent survival signaling. However, cancer cells select mutations to elevate ROS albeit maintaining mitochondrial hyperpolarization (Δψm), even under hypoxia. From this perspective, the use of drugs that disrupt both ROS generation and Δψm is a viable anticancer strategy. Hence, we studied the effects of mitochondrially targeted carboxy proxyl nitroxide (Mito-CP) and a control ten carbon TPP moiety (Dec-TPP+) in the human Burkitt lymphoma cell line (Daudi) and normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells under hypoxia and normoxia. We found preferential localization, Δψm and adenosine triphosphate loss, and significant cytotoxicity by Mito-CP in Daudi cells alone. Interestingly, ROS levels were decreased and maintained in hypoxic and normoxic cancer cells, respectively, by Mito-CP but not Dec-TPP+, therefore preventing any adaptive signaling. Moreover, dual effects on mitochondrial bioenergetics and ROS by Mito-CP curtailed the cancer survival via Akt inhibition, AMPK-HIF-1α activation and promoted apoptosis via increased BCL2-associated X protein and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase expression. This dual mode of action by Mito-CP provides a better explanation of the application of antioxidants with specific relevance to cancerous transformation and adaptations in the Daudi cell line. PMID:28426671

Skeletal Adaptation to Intramedullary Pressure-Induced Interstitial Fluid Flow Is Enhanced in Mice Subjected to Targeted Osteocyte Ablation

PubMed Central

Kwon, Ronald Y.; Meays, Diana R.; Meilan, Alexander S.; Jones, Jeremiah; Miramontes, Rosa; Kardos, Natalie; Yeh, Jiunn-Chern; Frangos, John A.

2012-01-01

Interstitial fluid flow (IFF) is a potent regulatory signal in bone. During mechanical loading, IFF is generated through two distinct mechanisms that result in spatially distinct flow profiles: poroelastic interactions within the lacunar-canalicular system, and intramedullary pressurization. While the former generates IFF primarily within the lacunar-canalicular network, the latter generates significant flow at the endosteal surface as well as within the tissue. This gives rise to the intriguing possibility that loading-induced IFF may differentially activate osteocytes or surface-residing cells depending on the generating mechanism, and that sensation of IFF generated via intramedullary pressurization may be mediated by a non-osteocytic bone cell population. To begin to explore this possibility, we used the Dmp1-HBEGF inducible osteocyte ablation mouse model and a microfluidic system for modulating intramedullary pressure (ImP) to assess whether structural adaptation to ImP-driven IFF is altered by partial osteocyte depletion. Canalicular convective velocities during pressurization were estimated through the use of fluorescence recovery after photobleaching and computational modeling. Following osteocyte ablation, transgenic mice exhibited severe losses in bone structure and altered responses to hindlimb suspension in a compartment-specific manner. In pressure-loaded limbs, transgenic mice displayed similar or significantly enhanced structural adaptation to Imp-driven IFF, particularly in the trabecular compartment, despite up to ∼50% of trabecular lacunae being uninhabited following ablation. Interestingly, regression analysis revealed relative gains in bone structure in pressure-loaded limbs were correlated with reductions in bone structure in unpressurized control limbs, suggesting that adaptation to ImP-driven IFF was potentiated by increases in osteoclastic activity and/or reductions in osteoblastic activity incurred independently of pressure loading. Collectively, these studies indicate that structural adaptation to ImP-driven IFF can proceed unimpeded following a significant depletion in osteocytes, consistent with the potential existence of a non-osteocytic bone cell population that senses ImP-driven IFF independently and potentially parallel to osteocytic sensation of poroelasticity-derived IFF. PMID:22413015

Compass: a hybrid method for clinical and biobank data mining.

PubMed

Krysiak-Baltyn, K; Nordahl Petersen, T; Audouze, K; Jørgensen, Niels; Angquist, L; Brunak, S

2014-02-01

We describe a new method for identification of confident associations within large clinical data sets. The method is a hybrid of two existing methods; Self-Organizing Maps and Association Mining. We utilize Self-Organizing Maps as the initial step to reduce the search space, and then apply Association Mining in order to find association rules. We demonstrate that this procedure has a number of advantages compared to traditional Association Mining; it allows for handling numerical variables without a priori binning and is able to generate variable groups which act as "hotspots" for statistically significant associations. We showcase the method on infertility-related data from Danish military conscripts. The clinical data we analyzed contained both categorical type questionnaire data and continuous variables generated from biological measurements, including missing values. From this data set, we successfully generated a number of interesting association rules, which relate an observation with a specific consequence and the p-value for that finding. Additionally, we demonstrate that the method can be used on non-clinical data containing chemical-disease associations in order to find associations between different phenotypes, such as prostate cancer and breast cancer. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical name extraction based on automatic training data generation and rich feature set.

PubMed

Yan, Su; Spangler, W Scott; Chen, Ying

2013-01-01

The automation of extracting chemical names from text has significant value to biomedical and life science research. A major barrier in this task is the difficulty of getting a sizable and good quality data to train a reliable entity extraction model. Another difficulty is the selection of informative features of chemical names, since comprehensive domain knowledge on chemistry nomenclature is required. Leveraging random text generation techniques, we explore the idea of automatically creating training sets for the task of chemical name extraction. Assuming the availability of an incomplete list of chemical names, called a dictionary, we are able to generate well-controlled, random, yet realistic chemical-like training documents. We statistically analyze the construction of chemical names based on the incomplete dictionary, and propose a series of new features, without relying on any domain knowledge. Compared to state-of-the-art models learned from manually labeled data and domain knowledge, our solution shows better or comparable results in annotating real-world data with less human effort. Moreover, we report an interesting observation about the language for chemical names. That is, both the structural and semantic components of chemical names follow a Zipfian distribution, which resembles many natural languages.

Electrostatic Assembly of Nanomaterials for Hybrid Electrodes and Supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammond, Paula

2015-03-01

Electrostatic assembly methods have been used to generate a range of new materials systems of interest for electrochemical energy and storage applications. Over the past several years, it has been demonstrated that carbon nanotubes, metals, metal oxides, polymeric nanomaterials, and biotemplated materials systems can be incorporated into ultrathin films to generate supercapacitors and battery electrodes that illustrate significant energy density and power. The unique ability to control the incorporation of such a broad range of materials at the nanometer length scale allows tailoring of the final properties of these unique composite systems, as well as the capability of creating complex micron-scale to nanoporous morphologies based on the scale of the nanomaterial that is absorbed within the structure, or the conditions of self-assembly. Recently we have expanded these capabilities to achieve new electrodes that are templated atop electrospun polmer fiber scaffolds, in which the polymer can be selectively removed to achieve highly porous materials. Spray-layer-by-layer and filtration methods of functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes and polyaniline nanofibers enable the generation of electrode systems with unusually high surface. Incorporation of psuedocapacitive nanoparticles can enhance capacitive properties, and other catalytic or metallic nanoparticles can be implemented to enhance electrochemical or catalytic function.

UV-fibers: two decades of improvements for new applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, Karl-Friedrich; Khalilov, Valery K.

2015-03-01

Multimode UV-fibers with high-OH synthetic silica core and F-doped silica cladding have been available for over 40 years. At the beginning, the spectral UV-range above 250 nm wavelength was commonly used, because the generation of UV-absorbing defect centers prevented reliable light transfer below 250 nm; even light from a low-power broadband deuterium-lamp was sufficient to damage these UV-fibers of the 1st generation. However, even then, applications in the field of spectroscopy, laser light delivery, sensors and process control were discussed and improvements of fiber quality in this very interesting UVC range required by researchers and industrial end-users. Starting in 1993 with hydrogen-loaded fibers, further modification in preform and fiber manufacturing including additional fiber treatments lead to currently available hydrogen-free UV-fiber (4th generation) with significantly improved stability in the UVC, enabling routine use of optical fibers in this field. In addition to the UV-fiber improvements, some selected UV fiber-optic applications using broadband deuterium-lamps will be discussed. Finally, there is still room for further improvements, especially in combination with newly available pulsed UV light sources, which are low-cost, small sized and highly reliable.

First indication of the coherent unipolar diffraction radiation generated by relativistic electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naumenko, G.; Shevelev, M.

2018-05-01

As is generally known, the integral of the electric field strength over all time for usual (bipolar) radiation is zero. The first demonstration of the possibility of unipolar radiation generation has been considered theoretically by Bessonov in 1981 [E.G. Bessonov, Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz. 80 (1981) 852]. According to this work, the unipolar radiation (or strange electromagnetic waves) is radiation for which the integral of the electric field strength over the entire duration of a pulse differs significantly from zero. Later, several theoretical papers devoted to this phenomenon have appeared in the literature, where authors investigated mainly synchrotron radiation. However, despite the critical interest, the experimental investigations ignored this effect. In this paper we present results of the first experimental investigation of the unipolar radiation generated by a relativistic electron beam. To detect the unipolar radiation the detector that is sensitive to the selected direction of the electric field strength has been elaborated and tested. We used a designed detector to observe the coherent backward diffraction radiation appearing when a bunched electron beam travels in the vicinity of a flat conductive target. The asymmetry of the electric field strength of the coherent backward diffraction radiation has been demonstrated.

Measurement of Scientific Productivity in R&D Sector: Changing paradigm.

PubMed

Kumar, Abhishek; Srivastava, Alpana; Kumar, R P Jeevan; Tiwari, Rajesh K

2017-01-01

Scientific Productivity is a demand of policy makers for a judicious utilization of massive R&D budget allocated and utilized. A huge mass of intellectual assets is employed, which after investing manpower, infrastructure and lab consumables demand for a major outcome which contributes towards building nation's economy. Scientific productivity was only measured through publications or patents. Patents, earmarked as a strong parameter for innovation generation, where, Word Intellectual Property Organisation generated a data on applications for the top 20 offices for patents, where Australia, Brazil and Canada occupied top 3 positions. India ranked 9th with the total patent applications rising from 39762 (2010) to 42854 (2014) i.e. 15%, whereas, it contributes around 2% Patents (innovative productivity) on global scale. Many studies have come forward interestingly within scientific and academic domains in the form of measurement of scientific performance, however, development of productivity indicators and calculation of Scientific Productivity (SP) as a holistic evaluation system is a significant demand. SP, a herculean task is envisaged for productivity analysis and would submit significant factors towards fabricating an effective measurement engine in a holistic manner viable for an individual and organization, being supplementary to each other. This review projects the significance of performance measurement system in R&D through identification and standardization of key parameters. It also includes emphasis on inclusion of standardized parameters, effective for performance measurement which is applicable for scientists, technical staff as well as lab as a facility. This review aims at providing an insight to the evaluators, policy makers, and high level scientific panels to stimulate the scientific intellects on identified indicators so that their work proceeds to generate productive outcome contributing to the economic growth. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Role of macrophage migration inhibitory factor in the regulatory T cell response of tumor-bearing mice.

PubMed

Choi, Susanna; Kim, Hang-Rae; Leng, Lin; Kang, Insoo; Jorgensen, William L; Cho, Chul-Soo; Bucala, Richard; Kim, Wan-Uk

2012-10-15

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is involved in tumorigenesis by facilitating tumor proliferation and evasion of apoptosis; however, its role in tumor immunity is unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of MIF on the progression of the syngenic, CT26 colon carcinoma and the generation of tumor regulatory T cells (Tregs). The results showed that the tumor growth rate was significantly lower in MIF knockout (MIF(-/-)) mice than in wild-type (MIF(+/+)) mice. Flow cytometric analysis of both spleen and tumor cells revealed that MIF(-/-) mice had significantly lower levels of tumor-associated CD4(+)Tregs than MIF(+/+) mice. The splenic cells of MIF(-/-) mice also showed a decrease in CD8(+)Tregs, which was accompanied by an increase in CD8-induced tumor cytotoxicity. Interestingly, the inducible Treg response in spleen cells to anti-CD3/CD28 plus IL-2 plus TGF-β was greater in MIF(-/-) mice than in MIF(+/+) mice. Spleen cells of MIF(-/-) mice, stimulated with anti-CD3/CD28, produced lower levels of IL-2, but not TGF-β, than those of MIF(+/+) mice, which was recovered by the addition of recombinant MIF. Conversely, a neutralizing anti-MIF Ab blocked anti-CD3-induced IL-2 production by splenocytes of MIF(+/+) mice and suppressed the inducible Treg generation. Moreover, the administration of IL-2 into tumor-bearing MIF(-/-) mice restored the generation of Tregs and tumor growth. Taken together, our data suggest that MIF promotes tumor growth by increasing Treg generation through the modulation of IL-2 production. Thus, anti-MIF treatment might be useful in enhancing the adaptive immune response to colon cancers.

Bayesian hierarchical modelling of North Atlantic windiness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanem, E.; Breivik, O. N.

2013-03-01

Extreme weather conditions represent serious natural hazards to ship operations and may be the direct cause or contributing factor to maritime accidents. Such severe environmental conditions can be taken into account in ship design and operational windows can be defined that limits hazardous operations to less extreme conditions. Nevertheless, possible changes in the statistics of extreme weather conditions, possibly due to anthropogenic climate change, represent an additional hazard to ship operations that is less straightforward to account for in a consistent way. Obviously, there are large uncertainties as to how future climate change will affect the extreme weather conditions at sea and there is a need for stochastic models that can describe the variability in both space and time at various scales of the environmental conditions. Previously, Bayesian hierarchical space-time models have been developed to describe the variability and complex dependence structures of significant wave height in space and time. These models were found to perform reasonably well and provided some interesting results, in particular, pertaining to long-term trends in the wave climate. In this paper, a similar framework is applied to oceanic windiness and the spatial and temporal variability of the 10-m wind speed over an area in the North Atlantic ocean is investigated. When the results from the model for North Atlantic windiness is compared to the results for significant wave height over the same area, it is interesting to observe that whereas an increasing trend in significant wave height was identified, no statistically significant long-term trend was estimated in windiness. This may indicate that the increase in significant wave height is not due to an increase in locally generated wind waves, but rather to increased swell. This observation is also consistent with studies that have suggested a poleward shift of the main storm tracks.

On the Genetic and Environmental Correlations between Trait Emotional Intelligence and Vocational Interest Factors.

PubMed

Schermer, Julie Aitken; Petrides, Konstantinos V; Vernon, Philip A

2015-04-01

The phenotypic (observed), genetic, and environmental correlations were examined in a sample of adult twins between the four factors and global score of the trait emotional intelligence questionnaire (TEIQue) and the seven vocational interest factors of the Jackson Career Explorer (JCE). Multiple significant correlations were found involving the work style vocational interest factor (consisting of job security, stamina, accountability, planfulness, and interpersonal confidence) and the social vocational interest factor (which included interests in the social sciences, personal services, teaching, social services, and elementary education), both of which correlated significantly with all of the TEIQue variables (well-being, self-control, emotionality, sociability, and global trait EI). Following bivariate genetic analyses, most of the significant phenotypic correlations were found to also have significant genetic correlations as well as significant non-shared (unique) environmental correlations.

Meditate to Create: The Impact of Focused-Attention and Open-Monitoring Training on Convergent and Divergent Thinking

PubMed Central

Colzato, Lorenza S.; Ozturk, Ayca; Hommel, Bernhard

2012-01-01

The practice of meditation has seen a tremendous increase in the western world since the 60s. Scientific interest in meditation has also significantly grown in the past years; however, so far, it has neglected the idea that different type of meditations may drive specific cognitive-control states. In this study we investigate the possible impact of meditation based on focused-attention (FA) and meditation based on open-monitoring (OM) on creativity tasks tapping into convergent and divergent thinking. We show that FA meditation and OM meditation exert specific effect on creativity. First, OM meditation induces a control state that promotes divergent thinking, a style of thinking that allows many new ideas of being generated. Second, FA meditation does not sustain convergent thinking, the process of generating one possible solution to a particular problem. We suggest that the enhancement of positive mood induced by meditating has boosted the effect in the first case and counteracted in the second case. PMID:22529832

Sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS) for complex molecular surfaces and interfaces: Spectral lineshape measurement and analysis plus some controversial issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hong-Fei

2016-12-01

Sum-frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS) was first developed in the 1980s and it has been proven a uniquely sensitive and surface/interface selective spectroscopic probe for characterization of the structure, conformation and dynamics of molecular surfaces and interfaces. In recent years, there have been many progresses in the development of methodology and instrumentation in the SFG-VS toolbox that have significantly broadened the application to complex molecular surfaces and interfaces. In this review, after presenting a unified view on the theory and methodology focusing on the SFG-VS spectral lineshape, as well as the new opportunities in SFG-VS applications with such developments, some of the controversial issues that have been puzzling the community are discussed. The aim of this review is to present to the researchers and students interested in molecular surfaces and interfacial sciences up-to-date perspectives complementary to the existing textbooks and reviews on SFG-VS.

NF-κB activation impairs somatic cell reprogramming in ageing.

PubMed

Soria-Valles, Clara; Osorio, Fernando G; Gutiérrez-Fernández, Ana; De Los Angeles, Alejandro; Bueno, Clara; Menéndez, Pablo; Martín-Subero, José I; Daley, George Q; Freije, José M P; López-Otín, Carlos

2015-08-01

Ageing constitutes a critical impediment to somatic cell reprogramming. We have explored the regulatory mechanisms that constitute age-associated barriers, through derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from individuals with premature or physiological ageing. We demonstrate that NF-κB activation blocks the generation of iPSCs in ageing. We also show that NF-κB repression occurs during cell reprogramming towards a pluripotent state. Conversely, ageing-associated NF-κB hyperactivation impairs the generation of iPSCs by eliciting the reprogramming repressor DOT1L, which reinforces senescence signals and downregulates pluripotency genes. Genetic and pharmacological NF-κB inhibitory strategies significantly increase the reprogramming efficiency of fibroblasts from Néstor-Guillermo progeria syndrome and Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome patients, as well as from normal aged donors. Finally, we demonstrate that DOT1L inhibition in vivo extends lifespan and ameliorates the accelerated ageing phenotype of progeroid mice, supporting the interest of studying age-associated molecular impairments to identify targets of rejuvenation strategies.

On-Wafer Measurement of a Silicon-Based CMOS VCO at 324 GHz

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Samoska, Lorene; Man Fung, King; Gaier, Todd; Huang, Daquan; Larocca, Tim; Chang, M. F.; Campbell, Richard; Andrews, Michael

2008-01-01

The world s first silicon-based complementary metal oxide/semiconductor (CMOS) integrated-circuit voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) operating in a frequency range around 324 GHz has been built and tested. Concomitantly, equipment for measuring the performance of this oscillator has been built and tested. These accomplishments are intermediate steps in a continuing effort to develop low-power-consumption, low-phase-noise, electronically tunable signal generators as local oscillators for heterodyne receivers in submillimeter-wavelength (frequency > 300 GHz) scientific instruments and imaging systems. Submillimeter-wavelength imaging systems are of special interest for military and law-enforcement use because they could, potentially, be used to detect weapons hidden behind clothing and other opaque dielectric materials. In comparison with prior submillimeter- wavelength signal generators, CMOS VCOs offer significant potential advantages, including great reductions in power consumption, mass, size, and complexity. In addition, there is potential for on-chip integration of CMOS VCOs with other CMOS integrated circuitry, including phase-lock loops, analog- to-digital converters, and advanced microprocessors.

Towards the next generation of solid oxide fuel cells operating below 600 °c with chemically stable proton-conducting electrolytes.

PubMed

Fabbri, Emiliana; Bi, Lei; Pergolesi, Daniele; Traversa, Enrico

2012-01-10

The need for reducing the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) operating temperature below 600 °C is imposed by cost reduction, which is essential for widespread SOFC use, but might also disclose new applications. To this aim, high-temperature proton-conducting (HTPC) oxides have gained widespread interest as electrolyte materials alternative to oxygen-ion conductors. This Progress Report describes recent developments in electrolyte, anode, and cathode materials for protonic SOFCs, addressing the issue of chemical stability, processability, and good power performance below 600 °C. Different fabrication methods are reported for anode-supported SOFCs, obtained using state-of-the-art, chemically stable proton-conducting electrolyte films. Recent findings show significant improvements in the power density output of cells based on doped barium zirconate electrolytes, pointing out towards the feasibility of the next generation of protonic SOFCs, including a good potential for the development of miniaturized SOFCs as portable power supplies. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Microbial electrohydrogenesis linked to dark fermentation as integrated application for enhanced biohydrogen production: A review on process characteristics, experiences and lessons.

PubMed

Bakonyi, Péter; Kumar, Gopalakrishnan; Koók, László; Tóth, Gábor; Rózsenberszki, Tamás; Bélafi-Bakó, Katalin; Nemestóthy, Nándor

2018-03-01

Microbial electrohydrogenesis cells (MECs) are devices that have attracted significant attention from the scientific community to generate hydrogen gas electrochemically with the aid of exoelectrogen microorganisms. It has been demonstrated that MECs are capable to deal with the residual organic materials present in effluents generated along with dark fermentative hydrogen bioproduction (DF). Consequently, MECs stand as attractive post-treatment units to enhance the global H 2 yield as a part of a two-stage, integrated application (DF-MEC). In this review article, it is aimed (i) to assess results communicated in the relevant literature on cascade DF-MEC systems, (ii) describe the characteristics of each steps involved and (iii) discuss the experiences as well as the lessons in order to facilitate knowledge transfer and help the interested readers with the construction of more efficient coupled set-ups, leading eventually to the improvement of overall biohydrogen evolution performances. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hypoxia signaling controls postnatal changes in cardiac mitochondrial morphology and function

PubMed Central

Neary, Marianne T.; Ng, Keat-Eng; Ludtmann, Marthe H.R.; Hall, Andrew R.; Piotrowska, Izabela; Ong, Sang-Bing; Hausenloy, Derek J.; Mohun, Timothy J.; Abramov, Andrey Y.; Breckenridge, Ross A.

2014-01-01

Fetal cardiomyocyte adaptation to low levels of oxygen in utero is incompletely understood, and is of interest as hypoxia tolerance is lost after birth, leading to vulnerability of adult cardiomyocytes. It is known that cardiac mitochondrial morphology, number and function change significantly following birth, although the underlying molecular mechanisms and physiological stimuli are undefined. Here we show that the decrease in cardiomyocyte HIF-signaling in cardiomyocytes immediately after birth acts as a physiological switch driving mitochondrial fusion and increased postnatal mitochondrial biogenesis. We also investigated mechanisms of ATP generation in embryonic cardiac mitochondria. We found that embryonic cardiac cardiomyocytes rely on both glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle to generate ATP, and that the balance between these two metabolic pathways in the heart is controlled around birth by the reduction in HIF signaling. We therefore propose that the increase in ambient oxygen encountered by the neonate at birth acts as a key physiological stimulus to cardiac mitochondrial adaptation. PMID:24984146

National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) support for the Next Generation Science Standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buhr Sullivan, S. M.; Awad, A. A.; Manduca, C. A.

2014-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) represents the best opportunity for geosciences education since 1996, describing a vision of teaching excellence and placing Earth and space science on a par with other disciplines. However, significant, sustained support and relationship-building between disciplinary communities must be forthcoming in order to realize the potential. To realize the vision, teacher education, curricula, assessments, administrative support and workforce/college readiness expectations must be developed. The National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT), a geoscience education professional society founded in 1938, is comprised of members across all educational contexts, including undergraduate faculty, pre-college teachers, informal educators, geoscience education researchers and teacher educators. NAGT support for NGSS includes an upcoming workshop in collaboration with the American Geosciences Institute, deep collections of relevant digital learning resources, pertinent interest groups within the membership, professional development workshops, and more. This presentation will describe implications of NGSS for the geoscience education community and highlight some opportunities for the path forward.

Proton shock acceleration using a high contrast high intensity laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gauthier, Maxence; Roedel, Christian; Kim, Jongjin; Aurand, Bastian; Curry, Chandra; Goede, Sebastian; Propp, Adrienne; Goyon, Clement; Pak, Art; Kerr, Shaun; Ramakrishna, Bhuvanesh; Ruby, John; William, Jackson; Glenzer, Siegfried

2015-11-01

Laser-driven proton acceleration is a field of intense research due to the interesting characteristics of this novel particle source including high brightness, high maximum energy, high laminarity, and short duration. Although the ion beam characteristics are promising for many future applications, such as in the medical field or hybrid accelerators, the ion beam generated using TNSA, the acceleration mechanism commonly achieved, still need to be significantly improved. Several new alternative mechanisms have been proposed such as collisionless shock acceleration (CSA) in order to produce a mono-energetic ion beam favorable for those applications. We report the first results of an experiment performed with the TITAN laser system (JLF, LLNL) dedicated to the study of CSA using a high intensity (5x1019W/cm2) high contrast ps laser pulse focused on 55 μm thick CH and CD targets. We show that the proton spectrum generated during the interaction exhibits high-energy mono-energetic features along the laser axis, characteristic of a shock mechanism.

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

Rodgers, Theron M.; Madison, Jonathan D.; Tikare, Veena

Additive manufacturing (AM) is of tremendous interest given its ability to realize complex, non-traditional geometries in engineered structural materials. But, microstructures generated from AM processes can be equally, if not more, complex than their conventionally processed counterparts. While some microstructural features observed in AM may also occur in more traditional solidification processes, the introduction of spatially and temporally mobile heat sources can result in significant microstructural heterogeneity. While grain size and shape in metal AM structures are understood to be highly dependent on both local and global temperature profiles, the exact form of this relation is not well understood. Wemore » implement an idealized molten zone and temperature-dependent grain boundary mobility in a kinetic Monte Carlo model to predict three-dimensional grain structure in additively manufactured metals. In order to demonstrate the flexibility of the model, synthetic microstructures are generated under conditions mimicking relatively diverse experimental results present in the literature. Simulated microstructures are then qualitatively and quantitatively compared to their experimental complements and are shown to be in good agreement.« less

In Vitro Selection of pH-Activated DNA Nanostructures.

PubMed

Fong, Faye Yi; Oh, Seung Soo; Hawker, Craig J; Soh, H Tom

2016-12-05

We report the first in vitro selection of DNA nanostructures that switch their conformation when triggered by change in pH. Previously, most pH-active nanostructures were designed using known pH-active motifs, such as the i-motif or the triplex structure. In contrast, we performed de novo selections starting from a random library and generated nanostructures that can sequester and release Mipomersen, a clinically approved antisense DNA drug, in response to pH change. We demonstrate extraordinary pH-selectivity, releasing up to 714-fold more Mipomersen at pH 5.2 compared to pH 7.5. Interestingly, none of our nanostructures showed significant sequence similarity to known pH-sensitive motifs, suggesting that they may operate via novel structure-switching mechanisms. We believe our selection scheme is general and could be adopted for generating DNA nanostructures for many applications including drug delivery, sensors and pH-active surfaces. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Linear Response Equilibrium versus echo-planar encoding for fast high-spatial resolution 3D chemical shift imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, Rudolf Fritz; Baltes, Christof; Weiss, Kilian; Pazhenkottil, Aju; Rudin, Markus; Boesiger, Peter; Kozerke, Sebastian

2011-07-01

In this work Linear Response Equilibrium (LRE) and Echo-planar spectroscopic imaging (EPSI) are compared in terms of sensitivity per unit time and power deposition. In addition an extended dual repetition time scheme to generate broad stopbands for improved inherent water suppression in LRE is presented. The feasibility of LRE and EPSI for assessing cholesterol esters in human carotid plaques with high spatial resolution of 1.95 × 1.15 × 1.15 mm 3 on a clinical 3T MR system is demonstrated. In simulations and phantom experiments it is shown that LRE has comparable but lower sensitivity per unit time relative to EPSI despite stronger signal generated. This relates to the lower sampling efficiency in LRE relative to EPSI as a result of limited gradient performance on clinical MR systems. At the same time, power deposition of LRE is significantly reduced compared to EPSI making it an interesting niche application for in vivo high field spectroscopic imaging of metabolites within a limited bandwidth.

Study on generation investment decision-making considering multi-agent benefit for global energy internet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Pai; Huang, Yuehui; Jia, Yanbing; Liu, Jichun; Niu, Yi

2018-02-01

Abstract . This article has studies on the generation investment decision in the background of global energy interconnection. Generation investment decision model considering the multiagent benefit is proposed. Under the back-ground of global energy Interconnection, generation investors in different clean energy base not only compete with other investors, but also facing being chosen by the power of the central area, therefor, constructing generation investment decision model considering multiagent benefit can be close to meet the interests demands. Using game theory, the complete information game model is adopted to solve the strategies of different subjects in equilibrium state.

Evaluation Of Different Power Conditioning Options For Stirling Generators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garrigos, A.; Blanes, J. M.; Carrasco, J. A.; Maset, E.; Montalban, G.; Ejea, J.; Ferreres, A.; Sanchis, E.

2011-10-01

Free-piston Stirling engines are an interesting alternative for electrical power systems, especially in deep space missions where photovoltaic systems are not feasible. This kind of power generators contains two main parts, the Stirling machine and the linear alternator that converts the mechanical energy from the piston movement to electrical energy. Since the generated power is in AC form, several aspects should be assessed to use such kind of generators in a spacecraft power system: AC/DC topologies, power factor correction, power regulation techniques, integration into the power system, etc. This paper details power generator operation and explores different power conversion approaches.

The Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program (KDSAP): A Novel Translatable Model for Increasing Interest in Nephrology Careers

PubMed Central

Wu, Jingshing; Yeh, Albert C.; Shieh, Eric C.; Cui, Cheryl; Polding, Laura C.; Ahmed, Rayhnuma; Lim, Kenneth; Lu, Tzong-Shi; Rhee, Connie M.; Bonventre, Joseph V.

2014-01-01

Despite the increasing prevalence of CKD in the United States, there is a declining interest among United States medical graduates in nephrology as a career choice. Effective programs are needed to generate interest at early educational stages when career choices can be influenced. The Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program (KDSAP) is a novel program initiated at Harvard College that increases student knowledge of and interest in kidney health and disease, interest in nephrology career paths, and participation in kidney disease research. This model, built on physician mentoring, kidney screening of underserved populations, direct interactions with kidney patients, and opportunities to participate in kidney research, can be reproduced and translated to other workforce-challenged subspecialties. PMID:24876120

Channel scaling and field-effect mobility extraction in amorphous InZnO thin film transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sunghwan; Song, Yang; Park, Hongsik; Zaslavsky, A.; Paine, D. C.

2017-09-01

Amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOSs) based on indium oxides are of great interest for next generation ultra-high definition displays that require much smaller pixel driving elements. We describe the scaling behavior in amorphous InZnO thin film transistors (TFTs) with a significant decrease in the extracted field-effect mobility μFE with channel length L (from 39.3 to 9.9 cm2/V·s as L is reduced from 50 to 5 μm). Transmission line model measurements reveal that channel scaling leads to a significant μFE underestimation due to contact resistance (RC) at the metallization/channel interface. Therefore, we suggest a method of extracting correct μFE when the TFT performance is significantly affected by RC. The corrected μFE values are higher (45.4 cm2/V·s) and nearly independent of L. The results show the critical effect of contact resistance on μFE measurements and suggest strategies to determine accurate μFE when a TFT channel is scaled.

Joining psychiatric care and faith healing in a prayer camp in Ghana: randomised trial.

PubMed

Ofori-Atta, A; Attafuah, J; Jack, H; Baning, F; Rosenheck, R

2018-01-01

Care of people with serious mental illness in prayer camps in low-income countries generates human rights concerns and ethical challenges for outcome researchers. Aims To ethically evaluate joining traditional faith healing with psychiatric care including medications (Clinical trials.gov identifier NCT02593734). Residents of a Ghana prayer camp were randomly assigned to receive either indicated medication for schizophrenia or mood disorders along with usual prayer camp activities (prayers, chain restraints and fasting) (n = 71); or the prayer camp activities alone (n = 68). Masked psychologists assessed Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) outcomes at 2, 4 and 6 weeks. Researchers discouraged use of chaining, but chaining decisions remained under the control of prayer camp staff. Total BPRS symptoms were significantly lower in the experimental group (P = 0.003, effect size -0.48). There was no significant difference in days in chains. Joining psychiatric and prayer camp care brought symptom benefits but, in the short-run, did not significantly reduce days spent in chains. Declaration of interest None.

Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS). Phase 1: Industrial/academic experimenters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maisel, James E.; Nowlin, Robert W.

1992-01-01

This report presents the work done at Arizona State University under the ACTS Experimenters Program. The main thrust of the Program was to develop experiments to test, evaluate, and prove the commercial worthiness of the ACTS satellite which is scheduled for launch in 1993. To accomplish this goal, meetings were held with various governmental, industrial, and academic units to discuss the ACTS satellite and its technology and possible experiments that would generate industrial interest and support for ASU's efforts. Several local industries generated several experiments of their own. The investigators submitted several experiments of educational, medical, commercial, and technical value and interest. The disposition of these experimental proposals is discussed in this report.

Generation and characterisation of warm dense matter with intense lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riley, D.

2018-01-01

In this paper I discuss the subject of warm dense matter (WDM), which, apart from being of academic interest and relevant to inertial fusion capsules, is a subject of importance to those who wish to understand the formation and structure of planetary interiors and other astrophysical bodies. I broadly outline some key properties of WDM and go on to discuss various methods of generating samples in the laboratory using large laser facilities and outline some common techniques of diagnosis. It is not intended as a comprehensive review but rather a brief outline for scientists new to the field and those with an interest but not working in the field directly.

42 CFR 1001.952 - Exceptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... services to, or otherwise generate business for the entity if the investor uses any part of such loan to..., furnish items or services to, or otherwise generate business for the entity if the investor uses any part... for the entity if the investor uses any part of such loan to obtain the investment interest. (H) The...

Electricity restructuring and nuclear power renewal in Ontario: A glossary and list of acronyms. Backgrounder Number 13

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

Yeager, L.; Mills, C.

1997-12-31

This glossary is arranged in alphabetical order in three sections: Electrical planning and generation terms; electrical power and nuclear generation acronyms and abbreviations; and radiological quantities and units. The glossary provides a handy reference for those interested in policy issues involving the electricity sector.

First-Generation College Students: Personal Best Leadership Experiences and Intramural Sports Participation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milone, Joseph P.

2016-01-01

The phenomenon of interest in this exploratory case study was the self-reported leadership skills of first-generation college students who were actively participating in intramural sports. Specifically, the purpose was to describe participants' reports of engaging in behaviors or actions, during intramural sports, that are aligned with the…

Expanding the School Counselor Repertoire through STEM-Focused Career Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Christopher D.; Hardinge, Gail B.; Rokutani, Laurie J.

2012-01-01

The call to generate increased student interest in math and science careers continues to receive tremendous amounts of national attention, most recently in President Barack Obama's (2011) State of the Union address when he referred to the current climate as "our generation's Sputnik moment." Responses to this call focus predominantly on teacher…

Thinking of a Change: Health Education for the 2020 Generation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lohrmann, David K.

2011-01-01

In his March 2011 AAHE Scholar presentation, the author suggested several possible innovations in school health education that, if initiated, may better meet the needs and interests of two youngest generations--Millenials and 2020s. In this article, the author assesses the status of health education in schools, enumerates the characteristics of…

42 CFR 411.354 - Financial relationship, compensation, and ownership or investment interest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... into account, the volume or value of referrals or other business generated by the referring physician... volume or value of referrals or other business generated by the referring physician for the entity... aggregate compensation that varies with, or takes into account, the volume or value of referrals or other...

An Analysis of the Proverbs the Yorubans Live By

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tunde Bolaji, Ezekiel; Kehinde, Taye A.

2017-01-01

In the Yoruba society, proverbs have been and still remain powerful and effective instruments of transmitting ideas, motive, knowledge and social morality from generation to generations. This is because proverbs reflect societal values of the people. Like any other group of people, the Yorubas are interested in the maintenance of personal health…

Fostering an Entrepreneurial Mindset by Using a Design Thinking Approach in Entrepreneurship Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniel, Ana Dias

2016-01-01

Entrepreneurship education has generated considerable interest in recent decades, largely attributable to the evidence of the positive impact of small and medium-sized enterprises on economic growth, job creation, innovation and wealth generation. Since the first entrepreneurship course was held in 1947 at Harvard University, countless courses and…

First-Generation College Seniors: A Phenomenological Exploration of the Transitional Experience of the Final College Year

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Overton-Healy, Julia

2010-01-01

This study investigated the transitional experience of college seniors who are also first-generation status. This topic merits investigation because there is an increasing interest in various demographics of college students, and because college seniors represent an important retention demographic for American higher education, where the retention…

Predicting College Student Success: A Historical and Predictive Examination of High School Activities and Accomplishments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davey, Carla Mae

2010-01-01

According to generational theorists, the interests and experiences of incoming students have fluctuated over time, with Millennial students being more engaged and accomplished than their predecessors. This project explored data from 1974-2007 to determine the actual trends in engagement and accomplishments for three generations of students. Over…

Nanotechnology and stem cell therapy for cardiovascular diseases: potential applications.

PubMed

La Francesca, Saverio

2012-01-01

The use of stem cell therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases has generated significant interest in recent years. Limitations to the clinical application of this therapy center on issues of stem cell delivery, engraftment, and fate. Nanotechnology-based cell labeling and imaging techniques facilitate stem cell tracking and engraftment studies. Nanotechnology also brings exciting new opportunities to translational stem cell research as it enables the controlled engineering of nanoparticles and nanomaterials that can properly relate to the physical scale of cell-cell and cell-niche interactions. This review summarizes the most relevant potential applications of nanoscale technologies to the field of stem cell therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Characterization of a 1,4-. beta. -D-glucan synthase from Dictyostelium discoideum

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

Blanton, R.L.

1992-01-15

Various aspects of research concerning Dictyostelium discoideum are presented. The initial focus of this project was upon: the characterization of potential probes for the cellulose synthase (antibody and nucleic acid), the determination of the cultural induction conditions of cellulose synthesis, the solubilization of the enzyme activity, the development of a non-inhibitory disruption buffer, the generation and isolation of mutant strains deficient in cellulose synthesis, and the development of the capability to determine the degree of polymerization of the in vitro product. I have briefly summarized our most significant findings with only selected data sets being shown in this report inmore » the interest of brevity.« less

Nonlinear models for estimating GSFC travel requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buffalano, C.; Hagan, F. J.

1974-01-01

A methodology is presented for estimating travel requirements for a particular period of time. Travel models were generated using nonlinear regression analysis techniques on a data base of FY-72 and FY-73 information from 79 GSFC projects. Although the subject matter relates to GSFX activities, the type of analysis used and the manner of selecting the relevant variables would be of interest to other NASA centers, government agencies, private corporations and, in general, any organization with a significant travel budget. Models were developed for each of six types of activity: flight projects (in-house and out-of-house), experiments on non-GSFC projects, international projects, ART/SRT, data analysis, advanced studies, tracking and data, and indirects.

New Approach to Image Aerogels by Scanning Electron Microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solá, Francisco; Hurwitz, Frances; Yang, Jijing

2011-03-01

A new scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique to image poor electrically conductive aerogels is presented. The process can be performed by non-expert SEM users. We showed that negative charging effects on aerogels can be minimized significantly by inserting dry nitrogen gas close to the region of interest. The process involves the local recombination of accumulated negative charges with positive ions generated from ionization processes. This new technique made possible the acquisition of images of aerogels with pores down to approximately 3nm in diameter using a positively biased Everhart-Thornley (E-T) detector. Well-founded concepts based on known models will also be presented with the aim to explain the results qualitatively.

Soy-Based Therapeutic Baby Formulas: Testable Hypotheses Regarding the Pros and Cons

PubMed Central

Westmark, Cara J.

2017-01-01

Soy-based infant formulas have been consumed in the United States since 1909, and currently constitute a significant portion of the infant formula market. There are efforts underway to generate genetically modified soybeans that produce therapeutic agents of interest with the intent to deliver those agents in a soy-based infant formula platform. The threefold purpose of this review article is to first discuss the pros and cons of soy-based infant formulas, then present testable hypotheses to discern the suitability of a soy platform for drug delivery in babies, and finally start a discussion to inform public policy on this important area of infant nutrition. PMID:28149839

Precision diagnostics: moving towards protein biomarker signatures of clinical utility in cancer.

PubMed

Borrebaeck, Carl A K

2017-03-01

Interest in precision diagnostics has been fuelled by the concept that early detection of cancer would benefit patients; that is, if detected early, more tumours should be resectable and treatment more efficacious. Serum contains massive amounts of potentially diagnostic information, and affinity proteomics has risen as an accurate approach to decipher this, to generate actionable information that should result in more precise and evidence-based options to manage cancer. To achieve this, we need to move from single to multiplex biomarkers, a so-called signature, that can provide significantly increased diagnostic accuracy. This Opinion article focuses on the progress being made in identifying protein biomarker signatures of clinical utility, using blood-based proteomics.

Clinical judgement in the era of big data and predictive analytics.

PubMed

Chin-Yee, Benjamin; Upshur, Ross

2018-06-01

Clinical judgement is a central and longstanding issue in the philosophy of medicine which has generated significant interest over the past few decades. In this article, we explore different approaches to clinical judgement articulated in the literature, focusing in particular on data-driven, mathematical approaches which we contrast with narrative, virtue-based approaches to clinical reasoning. We discuss the tension between these different clinical epistemologies and further explore the implications of big data and machine learning for a philosophy of clinical judgement. We argue for a pluralistic, integrative approach, and demonstrate how narrative, virtue-based clinical reasoning will remain indispensable in an era of big data and predictive analytics. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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

Bradbury, Andrew M.

The invention relates to a novel phagemid display system for packaging phagemid DNA into phagemid particles which completely avoids the use of helper phage. The system of the invention incorporates the use of bacterial packaging cell lines which have been transformed with helper plasmids containing all required phage proteins but not the packaging signals. The absence of packaging signals in these helper plasmids prevents their DNA from being packaged in the bacterial cell, which provides a number of significant advantages over the use of both standard and modified helper phage. Packaged phagemids expressing a protein or peptide of interest, inmore » fusion with a phage coat protein such as g3p, are generated simply by transfecting phagemid into the packaging cell line.« less

Research culture and capacity in community health services: results of a structured survey of staff.

PubMed

Friesen, Emma L; Comino, Elizabeth J

2017-05-01

Developing research capacity is recognised as an important endeavour. However, little is known about the current research culture, capacity and supports for staff working in community-based health settings. A structured survey of Division of Community Health staff was conducted using the research capacity tool. The survey was disseminated by email and in paper format. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were analysed thematically. In total, 109 usable responses were received, giving a response rate of 26%. Respondents were predominately nurses (n=71, 65.7%), with ~50% reporting post-graduate vocational qualifications. The highest levels of skills or organisational success were in using evidence to plan, promote and guide clinical practice. Most participants were unsure of organisational and team level skills and success at generating research. Few reported recent experience in research-generating activities. Barriers to undertaking research included lack of skills, time and access to external support and funding. Lack of skills and success in accessing external funding and resources to protect research time or to 'buy-in' technical expertise appeared to exacerbate these barriers. Community health staff have limited capacity to generate research with current levels of skill, funding and time. Strategies to increase research capacity should be informed by knowledge of clinicians' research experience and interests, and target development of skills to generate research. Resources and funding are needed at the organisational and team levels to overcome the significant barriers to research generation reported.

Assessment of On-Site Power Opportunities in the Industrial Sector

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

Bryson, T.

2001-10-08

The purpose of this report is to identify the potential for on-site power generation in the U.S. industrial sector with emphasis on nine industrial groups called the ''Industries of the Future'' (IOFs) by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Through its Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT), the DOE has teamed with the IOFs to develop collaborative strategies for improving productivity, global competitiveness, energy usage and environmental performance. Total purchases for electricity and steam for the IOFs are in excess of $27 billion annually. Energy-related costs are very significant for these industries. The nine industrial groups are (1) Agriculture (SIC 1);more » (2) Forest products; (3) Lumber and wood products (SIC 24); (4) Paper and allied products (SIC 26); (5) Mining (SIC 11, 12, 14); (6) Glass (SIC 32); (7) Petroleum (SIC 29); (8) Chemicals (SIC 28); and (9) Metals (SIC 33): Steel, Aluminum, and Metal casting. Although not currently part of the IOF program, the food industry is included in this report because of its close relationship to the agricultural industry and its success with on-site power generation. On-site generation provides an alternative means to reduce energy costs, comply with environmental regulations, and ensure a reliable power supply. On-site generation can ease congestion in the local utility's electric grid. Electric market restructuring is exacerbating the price premium for peak electricity use and for reliability, creating considerable market interest in on-site generation.« less

Propagation of modulated electron and X-ray beams through matter and interactions with radio-frequency structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, J. R.; Miller, R. B.

2018-02-01

The generation and evolution of modulated particle beams and their interactions with resonant radiofrequency (RF) structures are of fundamental interest for both particle accelerator and vacuum electronic systems. When the constraint of propagation in a vacuum is removed, the evolution of such beams can be greatly affected by interactions with matter including scattering, absorption, generation of atmospheric plasma, and the production of multiple generations of secondary particles. Here, we study the propagation of 21 MeV and 25 MeV electron beams produced in S-band and L-band linear accelerators, and their interaction with resonant RF structures, under a number of combinations of geometry, including transmission through both air and metal. Both resonant and nonresonant interactions were observed, with the resonant interactions indicating that the RF modulation on the electron beam is at least partially preserved as the beam propagates through air and metal. When significant thicknesses of metal are placed upstream of a resonant structure, preventing any primary beam electrons from reaching the structure, RF signals could still be induced in the structures. This indicated that the RF modulation present on the electron beam was also impressed onto the x-rays generated when the primary electrons were stopped in the metal, and that this RF modulation was also present on the secondary electrons generated when the x-rays struck the resonant structures. The nature of these interactions and their sensitivities to changes in system configurations will be discussed.

Situational Interest in Engineering Design Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonderup Dohn, Niels

2013-08-01

The aim of the present mixed-method study was to investigate task-based situational interest of sixth grade students (n = 46), between 12 and 14 years old, during an eight-week engineering design programme in a Science & Technology-class. Students' interests were investigated by means of a descriptive interpretative analysis of qualitative data from classroom observations and informal interviews. The analysis was complemented by a self-report survey to validate findings and determine prevalence. The analysis revealed four main sources of interest: designing inventions, trial-and-error experimentation, achieved functionality of invention, and collaboration. These sources differ in terms of stimuli factors, such as novelty, autonomy (choice), social involvement, self-generation of interest, and task goal orientation. The study shows that design tasks stimulated interest, but only to the extent that students were able to self-regulate their learning strategies.

Ecological impacts of energy-wood harvests: lessons from whole-tree harvesting and natural disturbance

Treesearch

Alaina L. Berger; Brian Palik; Anthony W. D' Amato; Shawn Fraver; John B. Bradford; Keith Nislow; David King; Robert T. Brooks

2013-01-01

Recent interest in using forest residues and small-diameter material for biofuels is generating a renewed focus on harvesting impacts and forest sustainability. The rich legacy of research from whole-tree harvesting studies can be examined in light of this interest. Although this research largely focused on consequences for forest productivity, in particular carbon and...

Charge It! Translating Electric Vehicle Research Results to Engage 7th and 8th Grade Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egbue, Ona; Long, Suzanna; Ng, Ean-Harn

2015-01-01

Despite attempts to generate interest in science and technology careers, US students continue to show reduced interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors at the collegiate level. If girls are not engaged in STEM learning by the middle school level, studies show that they are even less likely to choose a science- or…

Fab! or Drab?: Increasing the Effectiveness of Teaching and Learning in Summer Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Omelicheva, Mariya Y.

2012-01-01

This article reviews the pitfalls and benefits of teaching and learning in summer school and identifies the lack of student interest as the key factor affecting the effectiveness of learning in the summer. The primary goal of this research is to investigate the impact of active learning strategies on generating student interest and improving their…

Using a Sequence of Number Pairs as an Example in Teaching Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mauch, Elizabeth; Shi, Yixun

2005-01-01

A sequence of number pairs can be used to generate many interesting examples in teaching mathematics subjects at various levels. It is often used in elementary or middle school mathematics classes to illustrate the concept of "patterns." In this paper the authors present a few interesting ways of using this sequence to form examples for high…

Jump into the Void? Factors Related to a Preferred Retirement Age: Gender, Social Interests, and Leisure Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicolaisen, Magnhild; Thorsen, Kirsten; Eriksen, Sissel H.

2012-01-01

Using the frameworks of the life course perspective and continuity theory, this study focuses on the association among working people between gender and specific leisure activities, social interests and individuals' preferred retirement age. The study is based on the first wave of the Norwegian Life Course, Aging and Generation (NorLAG) study,…

Practical system for the generation of pulsed quantum frequency combs.

PubMed

Roztocki, Piotr; Kues, Michael; Reimer, Christian; Wetzel, Benjamin; Sciara, Stefania; Zhang, Yanbing; Cino, Alfonso; Little, Brent E; Chu, Sai T; Moss, David J; Morandotti, Roberto

2017-08-07

The on-chip generation of large and complex optical quantum states will enable low-cost and accessible advances for quantum technologies, such as secure communications and quantum computation. Integrated frequency combs are on-chip light sources with a broad spectrum of evenly-spaced frequency modes, commonly generated by four-wave mixing in optically-excited nonlinear micro-cavities, whose recent use for quantum state generation has provided a solution for scalable and multi-mode quantum light sources. Pulsed quantum frequency combs are of particular interest, since they allow the generation of single-frequency-mode photons, required for scaling state complexity towards, e.g., multi-photon states, and for quantum information applications. However, generation schemes for such pulsed combs have, to date, relied on micro-cavity excitation via lasers external to the sources, being neither versatile nor power-efficient, and impractical for scalable realizations of quantum technologies. Here, we introduce an actively-modulated, nested-cavity configuration that exploits the resonance pass-band characteristic of the micro-cavity to enable a mode-locked and energy-efficient excitation. We demonstrate that the scheme allows the generation of high-purity photons at large coincidence-to-accidental ratios (CAR). Furthermore, by increasing the repetition rate of the excitation field via harmonic mode-locking (i.e. driving the cavity modulation at harmonics of the fundamental repetition rate), we managed to increase the pair production rates (i.e. source efficiency), while maintaining a high CAR and photon purity. Our approach represents a significant step towards the realization of fully on-chip, stable, and versatile sources of pulsed quantum frequency combs, crucial for the development of accessible quantum technologies.

What factors contribute to senior psychiatry residents' interest in geriatric psychiatry? a Delphi study.

PubMed

Lieff, S J; Clarke, D

2000-12-01

To generate hypotheses regarding factors that influence senior psychiatric residents, to consider treating geriatric patients in their future practices. Using the Delphi technique, designed to generate ideas and consensus, we asked psychiatry residents at the University of Toronto who had completed, or were completing, their geriatric rotation about the factors they thought might influence residents in devoting some of their practice to geriatric patients. Residents then rated the degree of influence of these factors which had been synthesized into a questionnaire. Twenty-six items were rated according to their degree of influence. The most influential item was positive clinical experiences with seniors. This was followed closely by supervisor characteristics such as enthusiasm, role modeling, competence, and mentoring. Interest in and comfort with the medical psychiatric and neuropsychiatric nature of the field were also felt to be influential. The factors that influence senior psychiatry resident interest in the practice of geriatric psychiatry are primarily educational and result from exposure to the field under optimal educational circumstances (positive clinical experiences and excellent supervisors). The medical and neuropsychiatric nature of the field also likely exerts a unique influence and should be considered in stimulating interest in this population.

GOTree Machine (GOTM): a web-based platform for interpreting sets of interesting genes using Gene Ontology hierarchies

PubMed Central

Zhang, Bing; Schmoyer, Denise; Kirov, Stefan; Snoddy, Jay

2004-01-01

Background Microarray and other high-throughput technologies are producing large sets of interesting genes that are difficult to analyze directly. Bioinformatics tools are needed to interpret the functional information in the gene sets. Results We have created a web-based tool for data analysis and data visualization for sets of genes called GOTree Machine (GOTM). This tool was originally intended to analyze sets of co-regulated genes identified from microarray analysis but is adaptable for use with other gene sets from other high-throughput analyses. GOTree Machine generates a GOTree, a tree-like structure to navigate the Gene Ontology Directed Acyclic Graph for input gene sets. This system provides user friendly data navigation and visualization. Statistical analysis helps users to identify the most important Gene Ontology categories for the input gene sets and suggests biological areas that warrant further study. GOTree Machine is available online at . Conclusion GOTree Machine has a broad application in functional genomic, proteomic and other high-throughput methods that generate large sets of interesting genes; its primary purpose is to help users sort for interesting patterns in gene sets. PMID:14975175

Insect-Specific Virus Discovery: Significance for the Arbovirus Community

PubMed Central

Bolling, Bethany G.; Weaver, Scott C.; Tesh, Robert B.; Vasilakis, Nikos

2015-01-01

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), especially those transmitted by mosquitoes, are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in humans and animals worldwide. Recent discoveries indicate that mosquitoes are naturally infected with a wide range of other viruses, many within taxa occupied by arboviruses that are considered insect-specific. Over the past ten years there has been a dramatic increase in the literature describing novel insect-specific virus detection in mosquitoes, which has provided new insights about viral diversity and evolution, including that of arboviruses. It has also raised questions about what effects the mosquito virome has on arbovirus transmission. Additionally, the discovery of these new viruses has generated interest in their potential use as biological control agents as well as novel vaccine platforms. The arbovirus community will benefit from the growing database of knowledge concerning these newly described viral endosymbionts, as their impacts will likely be far reaching. PMID:26378568

Pilot study of a sensory room in an acute inpatient psychiatric unit.

PubMed

Novak, Theresa; Scanlan, Justin; McCaul, Damien; MacDonald, Nathan; Clarke, Timothy

2012-10-01

The use of sensory rooms (also known as comfort rooms) to reduce seclusion rates has generated a great deal of interest. This study examined the outcomes associated with the introduction of a sensory room in an acute inpatient psychiatric unit. Consumers rated distress and staff rated a variety of disturbed behaviours before and after each use of the room. Items used during each episode were recorded. Use of the room was associated with significant reductions in distress and improvements in a range of disturbed behaviours. Those individuals who used the weighted blanket reported significantly greater reductions in distress and clinician-rated anxiety than those who did not. No changes were noted in rates of seclusion or aggression. The sensory room was an effective intervention to ameliorate distress and disturbed behaviour, although this did not translate into reductions in overall rates of seclusion or aggression. Weighted blankets appear to be particularly useful.

Optimisation Of a Magnetostrictive Wave Energy Converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mundon, T. R.; Nair, B.

2014-12-01

Oscilla Power, Inc. (OPI) is developing a patented magnetostrictive wave energy converter aimed at reducing the cost of grid-scale electricity from ocean waves. Designed to operate cost-effectively across a wide range of wave conditions, this will be the first use of reverse magnetostriction for large-scale energy production. The device architecture is a straightforward two-body, point absorbing system that has been studied at length by various researchers. A large surface float is anchored to a submerged heave (reaction) plate by multiple taut tethers that are largely made up of discrete, robust power takeoff modules that house the magnetostrictive generators. The unique generators developed by OPI utilize the phenomenon of reverse magnetostriction, which through the application of load to a specific low cost alloy, can generate significant magnetic flux changes, and thus create power through electromagnetic induction. Unlike traditional generators, the mode of operation is low-displacement, high-force, high damping which in combination with the specific multi-tether configuration creates some unique effects and interesting optimization challenges. Using an empirical approach with a combination of numerical tools, such as ORCAFLEX, and physical models, we investigated the properties and sensitivities of this system arrangement, including various heave plate geometries, with the overall goal of identifying the mass and hydrodynamic parameters required for optimum performance. Furthermore, through a detailed physical model test program at the University of New Hampshire, we were able to study in more detail how the heave plate geometry affects the drag and added mass coefficients. In presenting this work we will discuss how alternate geometries could be used to optimize the hydrodynamic parameters of the heave plate, allowing maximum inertial forces in operational conditions, while simultaneously minimizing the forces generated in extreme waves. This presentation will cover the significant findings from this research, including physical model results and identified sensitivity parameters. In addition, we will discuss some preliminary results from our large-scale ocean trial conducted in August & September of this year.

Construction of human artificial chromosome vectors by recombineering.

PubMed

Kotzamanis, George; Cheung, Wing; Abdulrazzak, Hassan; Perez-Luz, Sara; Howe, Steven; Cooke, Howard; Huxley, Clare

2005-05-23

Human artificial chromosomes (HACs) can be formed de novo by transfection of large fragments of cloned alphoid DNA into human HT1080 cells in tissue culture. In order to generate HACs carrying a gene of interest, one can either co-transfect the alphoid DNA and the gene of interest, or one can clone both into a single vector prior to transfection. Here we describe linking approximately 70 kb of alphoid DNA onto a 156-kb BAC carrying the human HPRT gene using Red homologous recombination in the EL350 Escherichia coli host [Lee et al., Genomics 73 (2001) 56-65]. A selectable marker and EGFP marker were then added by loxP/Cre recombination using the arabinose inducible cre gene in the EL350 bacteria. The final construct generates minichromosomes in HT1080 cells and the HPRT gene is expressed. The retrofitting vector can be used to add the approximately 70 kb of alphoid DNA to any BAC carrying a gene of interest to generate a HAC vector. The method can also be used to link any unrelated BAC or PAC insert onto another BAC clone. The EL350 bacteria are an excellent host for building up complex vectors by a combination of homologous and loxP/Cre recombination.

Factors that facilitate or inhibit interest of domestic students in the engineering PhD: A mixed methods study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howell Smith, Michelle C.

Given the increasing complexity of technology in our society, the United States has a growing demand for a more highly educated technical workforce. Unfortunately, the proportion of United States citizens earning a PhD in engineering has been declining and there is concern about meeting the economic, national security and quality of life needs of our country. This mixed methods sequential exploratory instrument design study identified factors that facilitate or inhibit interest in engineering PhD programs among domestic engineering undergraduate students in the United States. This study developed a testable theory for how domestic students become interested in engineering PhD programs and a measure of that process, the Exploring Engineering Interest Inventory (EEII). The study was conducted in four phases. The first phase of the study was a qualitative grounded theory exploration of interest in the engineering PhD. Qualitative data were collected from domestic engineering students, engineering faculty and industry professional who had earned a PhD in engineering. The second phase, instrument development, developed the Exploring Engineering Interest Inventory (EEII), a measurement instrument designed with good psychometric properties to test a series of preliminary hypotheses related to the theory generated in the qualitative phase. In the third phase of the study, the EEII was used to collect data from a larger sample of junior and senior engineering majors. The fourth phase integrated the findings from the qualitative and quantitative phases. Four factors were identified as being significant influences of interest in the engineering PhD: Personal characteristics, educational environment, misperceptions of the economic and personal costs, and misperceptions of engineering work. Recommendations include increasing faculty encouragement of students to pursue an engineering PhD and programming to correct the misperceptions of the costs of the engineering PhD and the nature of the work that PhD engineers do. The tested model provides engineering educators with information to help them prioritize their efforts to increase interest in the engineering PhD among domestic students.

Method of calibrating a fluid-level measurement system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodard, Stanley E. (Inventor); Taylor, Bryant D. (Inventor)

2010-01-01

A method of calibrating a fluid-level measurement system is provided. A first response of the system is recorded when the system's sensor(s) is (are) not in contact with a fluid of interest. A second response of the system is recorded when the system's sensor(s) is (are) fully immersed in the fluid of interest. Using the first and second responses, a plurality of expected responses of the system's sensor(s) is (are) generated for a corresponding plurality of levels of immersion of the sensor(s) in the fluid of interest.

Follow-up of participants in the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Scholars' Program, 2006 to 2012.

PubMed

Lam, Mindy Ching Wan; Sey, Michael Sl; Gregor, Jamie; Wong, Clarence

2014-02-01

The Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG) Scholars' Program (previously known as the Bright Lights Course) is designed to encourage trainees to consider a subspecialty career in gastroenterology. A formal analysis of the Scholars' Program performed in 2007 revealed that 82% of participants invited to the program pursued or were planning to pursue a career in gastroenterology. The positive results are consistent with the CAG's strategic plan of developing "the next generation of gastroenterology clinical practitioners, researchers, educators, and leaders" and to "attract, train, and retain the best and the brightest to gastroenterology". The present study was a follow-up analysis of participants in the Scholars' Program between 2006 and 2012. Although 93.1% of participants had an interest in gastroenterology before attending the Scholars' Program, the majority (68.7%) reported a greater interest in gastroenterology after the program. Similar to the study from 2007, the present study again illustrates the importance and success of the Scholars' Program in generating interest and retaining candidates in gastroenterology.

Laser speckle contrast imaging identifies ischemic areas on gastric tube reconstructions following esophagectomy

PubMed Central

Milstein, Dan M.J.; Ince, Can; Gisbertz, Suzanne S.; Boateng, Kofi B.; Geerts, Bart F.; Hollmann, Markus W.; van Berge Henegouwen, Mark I.; Veelo, Denise P.

2016-01-01

Abstract Gastric tube reconstruction (GTR) is a high-risk surgical procedure with substantial perioperative morbidity. Compromised arterial blood supply and venous congestion are believed to be the main etiologic factors associated with early and late anastomotic complications. Identifying low blood perfusion areas may provide information on the risks of future anastomotic leakage and could be essential for improving surgical techniques. The aim of this study was to generate a method for gastric microvascular perfusion analysis using laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) and to test the hypothesis that LSCI is able to identify ischemic regions on GTRs. Patients requiring elective laparoscopy-assisted GTR participated in this single-center observational investigation. A method for intraoperative evaluation of blood perfusion and postoperative analysis was generated and validated for reproducibility. Laser speckle measurements were performed at 3 different time pointes, baseline (devascularized) stomach (T0), after GTR (T1), and GTR at 20° reverse Trendelenburg (T2). Blood perfusion analysis inter-rater reliability was high, with intraclass correlation coefficients for each time point approximating 1 (P < 0.0001). Baseline (T0) and GTR (T1) mean blood perfusion profiles were highest at the base of the stomach and then progressively declined towards significant ischemia at the most cranial point or anastomotic tip (P < 0.01). After GTR, a statistically significant improvement in mean blood perfusion was observed in the cranial gastric regions of interest (P < 0.05). A generalized significant decrease in mean blood perfusion was observed across all GTR regions of interest during 20° reverse Trendelenburg (P < 0.05). It was feasible to implement LSCI intraoperatively to produce blood perfusion assessments on intact and reconstructed whole stomachs. The analytical design presented in this study resulted in good reproducibility of gastric perfusion measurements between different investigators. LSCI provides spatial and temporal information on the location of adequate tissue perfusion and may thus be an important aid in optimizing surgical and anesthesiological procedures for strategically selecting anastomotic site in patients undergoing esophagectomy with GTR. PMID:27336874

Laser speckle contrast imaging identifies ischemic areas on gastric tube reconstructions following esophagectomy.

PubMed

Milstein, Dan M J; Ince, Can; Gisbertz, Suzanne S; Boateng, Kofi B; Geerts, Bart F; Hollmann, Markus W; van Berge Henegouwen, Mark I; Veelo, Denise P

2016-06-01

Gastric tube reconstruction (GTR) is a high-risk surgical procedure with substantial perioperative morbidity. Compromised arterial blood supply and venous congestion are believed to be the main etiologic factors associated with early and late anastomotic complications. Identifying low blood perfusion areas may provide information on the risks of future anastomotic leakage and could be essential for improving surgical techniques. The aim of this study was to generate a method for gastric microvascular perfusion analysis using laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) and to test the hypothesis that LSCI is able to identify ischemic regions on GTRs.Patients requiring elective laparoscopy-assisted GTR participated in this single-center observational investigation. A method for intraoperative evaluation of blood perfusion and postoperative analysis was generated and validated for reproducibility. Laser speckle measurements were performed at 3 different time pointes, baseline (devascularized) stomach (T0), after GTR (T1), and GTR at 20° reverse Trendelenburg (T2).Blood perfusion analysis inter-rater reliability was high, with intraclass correlation coefficients for each time point approximating 1 (P < 0.0001). Baseline (T0) and GTR (T1) mean blood perfusion profiles were highest at the base of the stomach and then progressively declined towards significant ischemia at the most cranial point or anastomotic tip (P < 0.01). After GTR, a statistically significant improvement in mean blood perfusion was observed in the cranial gastric regions of interest (P < 0.05). A generalized significant decrease in mean blood perfusion was observed across all GTR regions of interest during 20° reverse Trendelenburg (P < 0.05).It was feasible to implement LSCI intraoperatively to produce blood perfusion assessments on intact and reconstructed whole stomachs. The analytical design presented in this study resulted in good reproducibility of gastric perfusion measurements between different investigators. LSCI provides spatial and temporal information on the location of adequate tissue perfusion and may thus be an important aid in optimizing surgical and anesthesiological procedures for strategically selecting anastomotic site in patients undergoing esophagectomy with GTR.

An Optimized Method for Manufacturing a Clinical Scale Dendritic Cell-Based Vaccine for the Treatment of Glioblastoma

PubMed Central

Pogliani, Simona; Pellegatta, Serena; Antozzi, Carlo; Baggi, Fulvio; Gellera, Cinzia; Pollo, Bianca; Parati, Eugenio A.; Finocchiaro, Gaetano; Frigerio, Simona

2012-01-01

Immune-based treatments represent a promising new class of therapy designed to boost the immune system to specifically eradicate malignant cells. Immunotherapy may generate specific anti-tumor immune responses, and dendritic cells (DC), professional antigen-presenting cells, are widely used in experimental cancer immunotherapy. Several reports describe methods for the generation of mature, antigen-pulsed DC for clinical use. Improved quality and standardization are desirable to obtain GMP-compliant protocols. In this study we describe the generation of DC from 31 Glioblastoma (GB) patients starting from their monocytes isolated by immunomagnetic CD14 selection using the CliniMACS® device. Upon differentiation of CD14+ with IL-4 and GM-CSF, DC were induced to maturation with TNF-α, PGE2, IL-1β, and IL-6. Whole tumor lysate was obtained, for the first time, in a closed system using the semi-automated dissociator GentleMACS®. The yield of proteins improved by 130% compared to the manual dissociation method. Interestingly the Mean Fluorescence Intensity for CD83 increased significantly in DC pulsed with “new method” lysate compared to DC pulsed with “classical method” lysate. Our results indicate that immunomagnetic isolation of CD14+ monocytes using the CliniMACS® device and their pulsing with whole tumor lysate proteins is a suitable method for clinical-scale generation of high quality, functional DC under GMP-grade conditions. PMID:23284979

The generation of diesel exhaust particle aerosols from a bulk source in an aerodynamic size range similar to atmospheric particles

PubMed Central

Cooney, Daniel J; Hickey, Anthony J

2008-01-01

The influence of diesel exhaust particles (DEP) on the lungs and heart is currently a topic of great interest in inhalation toxicology. Epidemiological data and animal studies have implicated airborne particulate matter and DEP in increased morbidity and mortality due to a number of cardiopulmonary diseases including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, and lung cancer. The pathogeneses of these diseases are being studied using animal models and cell culture techniques. Real-time exposures to freshly combusted diesel fuel are complex and require significant infrastructure including engine operations, dilution air, and monitoring and control of gases. A method of generating DEP aerosols from a bulk source in an aerodynamic size range similar to atmospheric DEP would be a desirable and useful alternative. Metered dose inhaler technology was adopted to generate aerosols from suspensions of DEP in the propellant hydrofluoroalkane 134a. Inertial impaction data indicated that the particle size distributions of the generated aerosols were trimodal, with count median aerodynamic diameters less than 100 nm. Scanning electron microscopy of deposited particles showed tightly aggregated particles, as would be expected from an evaporative process. Chemical analysis indicated that there were no major changes in the mass proportion of 2 specific aromatic hydrocarbons (benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[k]fluoranthene) in the particles resulting from the aerosolization process. PMID:19337412

Flow field topology of submerged jets with fractal generated turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cafiero, Gioacchino; Discetti, Stefano; Astarita, Tommaso

2015-11-01

Fractal grids (FGs) have been recently an object of numerous investigations due to the interesting capability of generating turbulence at multiple scales, thus paving the way to tune mixing and scalar transport. The flow field topology of a turbulent air jet equipped with a square FG is investigated by means of planar and volumetric particle image velocimetry. The comparison with the well-known features of a round jet without turbulence generators is also presented. The Reynolds number based on the nozzle exit section diameter for all the experiments is set to about 15 000. It is demonstrated that the presence of the grid enhances the entrainment rate and, as a consequence, the scalar transfer of the jet. Moreover, due to the effect of the jet external shear layer on the wake shed by the grid bars, the turbulence production region past the grid is significantly shortened with respect to the documented behavior of fractal grids in free-shear conditions. The organization of the large coherent structures in the FG case is also analyzed and discussed. Differently from the well-known generation of toroidal vortices due to the growth of azimuthal disturbances within the jet shear layer, the fractal grid introduces cross-wise disturbs which produce streamwise vortices; these structures, although characterized by a lower energy content, have a deeper streamwise penetration than the ring vortices, thus enhancing the entrainment process.

Triplet energy transfer and triplet exciton recycling in singlet fission sensitized organic heterojunctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamid, Tasnuva; Yambem, Soniya D.; Crawford, Ross; Roberts, Jonathan; Pandey, Ajay K.

2017-08-01

Singlet exciton fission is a process where an excited singlet state splits into two triplets, thus leading to generation of multiple excitons per absorbed photon in organic semiconductors. Herein, we report a detailed exciton management approach for multiexciton harvesting over a broadband region of the solar spectrum in singlet fission sensitized organic photodiodes. Through systematic studies on the model cascade of pentacene/rubrene/C60, we found that efficient photocurrent generation from pentacene can still occur despite the presence of a >10nm thick interlayer of rubrene in between the pentacene/C60 heterojunction. Our results show that thin rubrene interlayers of thickness < 5 nm are effective in maintaining the delicate balance between two free charge generation channels that progress independently via the electron and hole transfer routes. The contribution to photocurrent from pentacene despite having a reasonably thick rubrene interlayer, that too with higher triplet energy (T1=1.12 eV) than pentacene (T1= 0.86 eV), makes its operation a rather interesting result. We discuss the role of rubrene interlayer film discontinuity, triplet exciton reflection from rubrene interlayer and triplet energy transfer from rubrene to pentacene layer followed by diffusion of triplet excitons through rubrene as plausible mechanisms that would enable triplet excitons from pentacene to generate significant photocurrent in a multilayer organic heterojunction.

Impacts of marine renewable energy scheme operation on the eutrophication potential of the Severn Estuary, UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadiri, Margaret; Kay, David; Ahmadian, Reza; Bockelmann-Evans, Bettina; Falconer, Roger; Bray, Michaela

2013-04-01

In recent years there has being growing global interest in the generation of electricity from renewable resources. Amongst these, marine energy resource is now being considered to form a significant part of the energy mix, with plans for the implementation of several marine renewable energy schemes such as barrages and tidal stream turbines around the UK in the near future. Although marine energy presents a great potential for future electricity generation, there are major concerns over its potential impacts, particularly barrages, on the hydro-environment. Previous studies have shown that a barrage could significantly alter the hydrodynamic regime and tidal flow characteristics of an estuary, with changes to sediment transport (Kadiri et al., 2012). However, changes to nutrients have been overlooked to date. Hence, considerable uncertainty remains as to how a barrage would affect the trophic status of an estuary. This is particularly important because eutrophication can lead to algal toxin production and increased mortality of aquatic invertebrates and fish populations. Therefore, this study examines the impacts of the two different modes of operation of a barrage (i.e. ebb generation and flood-ebb generation) on the eutrophication potential of the Severn Estuary using a simplified model developed by the UK's Comprehensive Studies Task Team (CSTT). The model uses a set of equations and site-specific input data to predict equilibrium dissolved nutrient concentrations, phytoplankton biomass, light-controlled phytoplankton growth rate and primary production which are compared against CSTT set standards for assessing the eutrophic status of estuaries and coastal waters. The estuary volume and tidal flushing time under the two operating modes were estimated using a hydrodynamic model and field surveys were conducted to obtain dissolved nitrate and phosphate concentrations which served as input data. The predicted equilibrium dissolved nitrate and phosphate concentrations were slightly greater under ebb generation compared to flood-ebb generation. However, the concentrations did not exceed the CSTT standard indicating that hypernutrification is not likely to occur. Similarly, the predicted phytoplankton biomass and light-controlled growth rate under both ebb and flood-ebb generation were less than the CSTT standards suggesting no likelihood of eutrophication. The predicted phytoplankton production, however, was significantly greater under ebb generation compared to flood-ebb generation due to restricted tidal flushing decreasing nutrient dispersion and increasing the residence time of nutrient in the region upstream of the barrage. This study also examines the wider positive ecological implications of these findings for the Severn Estuary. Reference Kadiri, M., Ahmadian, R., Bockelmann-Evans, B., Rauen, W., and Falconer, R., 2012. A review of the potential water quality impacts of tidal renewable energy systems. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 16: 329- 341.

Bridging the Cultural Communication Gap Between America and Its Army

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-19

interest in serving in the military, versus 15% of boys.”12 This target market, also known as Generation Y , has different norms, beliefs and...Generation Y in order to know what values and beliefs are important to potential recruits. According to a Business Week cover story Feb. 15, 1999...marketing to the members of Generation Y is an entirely new game. This group, born between 1979 and 1994 are 60 million strong and view life

Optimal domain decomposition strategies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yoon, Yonghyun; Soni, Bharat K.

1995-01-01

The primary interest of the authors is in the area of grid generation, in particular, optimal domain decomposition about realistic configurations. A grid generation procedure with optimal blocking strategies has been developed to generate multi-block grids for a circular-to-rectangular transition duct. The focus of this study is the domain decomposition which optimizes solution algorithm/block compatibility based on geometrical complexities as well as the physical characteristics of flow field. The progress realized in this study is summarized in this paper.

Comparison of HIV- and EIAV-based vectors on their efficiency in transducing murine and human hematopoietic repopulating cells.

PubMed

Siapati, Elena K; Bigger, Brian W; Miskin, James; Chipchase, Daniel; Parsley, Kathryn L; Mitrophanous, Kyriacos; Themis, Mike; Thrasher, Adrian J; Bonnet, Dominique

2005-09-01

The use of lentiviral vectors for gene transfer into hematopoietic stem cells has raised considerable interest as these vectors can permanently integrate their genome into quiescent cells. Vectors based on alternative lentiviruses would theoretically be safer than HIV-1-based vectors and could also be used in HIV-positive patients, minimizing the risk of generating replication-competent virus. Here we report the use of third-generation equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV)- and HIV-1-based vectors with minimal viral sequences and absence of accessory proteins. We have compared their efficiency in transducing mouse and human hematopoietic stem cells both in vitro and in vivo to that of a previously documented second-generation HIV-1 vector. The third-generation EIAV- and HIV-based vectors gave comparable levels of transduction and transgene expression in both mouse and human NOD/SCID repopulating cells but were less efficient than the second-generation HIV-1 vector in human HSCs. For the EIAV vector this is possibly a reflection of the lower protein expression levels achieved in human cells, as vector copy number analysis revealed that this vector exhibited a trend to integrate equally efficiently compared to the third-generation HIV-1 vector in both mouse and human HSCs. Interestingly, the presence or absence of Tat in viral preparations did not influence the transduction efficiency of HIV-1 vectors in human HSCs.

Planetary Surface Exploration Using Raman Spectroscopy on Rovers and Landers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blacksberg, Jordana; Alerstam, E.; Maruyama, Y.; Charbon, E.; Rossman, G. R.

2013-10-01

Planetary surface exploration using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to probe the composition of rocks has recently become a reality with the operation of the mast-mounted ChemCam instrument onboard the Curiosity rover. Following this success, Raman spectroscopy has steadily gained support as a means for using laser spectroscopy to identify not just composition but mineral phases, without the need for sample preparation. The RLS Raman Spectrometer is included on the payload for the ExoMars mission, and a Raman spectrometer has been included in an example strawman payload for NASA’s Mars 2020 mission. Raman spectroscopy has been identified by the community as a feasible means for pre-selection of samples on Mars for subsequent return to Earth. We present a next-generation instrument that builds on the widely used green-Raman technique to provide a means for performing Raman spectroscopy without the background noise that is often generated by fluorescence of minerals and organics. Microscopic Raman spectroscopy with a laser spot size smaller than the grains of interest can provide surface mapping of mineralogy while preserving morphology. A very small laser spot size 1 µm) is often necessary to identify minor phases that are often of greater interest than the matrix phases. In addition to the difficulties that can be posed by fine-grained material, fluorescence interference from the very same material is often problematic. This is particularly true for many of the minerals of interest that form in environments of aqueous alteration and can be highly fluorescent. We use time-resolved laser spectroscopy to eliminate fluorescence interference that can often make it difficult or impossible to obtain Raman spectra. We will discuss significant advances leading to the feasibility of a compact time-resolved spectrometer, including the development of a new solid-state detector capable of sub-ns time resolution. We will present results on planetary analog minerals to demonstrate the instrument performance including fluorescence rejection.

The orphan estrogen-related receptor alpha and metabolic regulation: new frontiers.

PubMed

Ranhotra, Harmit S

2015-01-01

Metabolic homeostasis during long-term adaptation in animals is primarily achieved by controlling the expression of metabolic genes by a plethora of cellular transcription factors. The nuclear receptor (NR) superfamily in eukaryotes is an assembly of diverse receptors working as transcriptional regulators of multiple genes. The orphan estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRα) is one such receptor of the NR superfamily with significant influence on numerous metabolic and other genes. Although it is presently unknown as to which endogenous hormones or ligands activate ERRα, nevertheless it regulates a host of genes whose products participate in various metabolic pathways. Studies over the years show new and interesting data that add to the growing knowledge on ERRα and metabolic regulation. For instance, novel findings indicate existence of mTOR/ERRα regulatory axis and also that ERRα control PGC-1α expression which potentially have significant impact on cellular metabolism. Data show that ERRα exerts its metabolic control by regulating the expression of SIRT5 that influences oxygen consumption and ATP generation. Moreover, ERRα has a role in creatine and lactate uptake in skeletal muscle which is important towards energy generation and contraction. This review is focused on the new insights gained into ERRα regulation of metabolism, networks and pathways that have important consequences in maintaining metabolic homeostasis including development of cancer.

α-Syntrophin stabilizes catalase to reduce endogenous reactive oxygen species levels during myoblast differentiation.

PubMed

Moon, Jae Yun; Choi, Su Jin; Heo, Cheol Ho; Kim, Hwan Myung; Kim, Hye Sun

2017-07-01

α-Syntrophin is a component of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex that interacts with various intracellular signaling proteins in muscle cells. The α-syntrophin knock-down C2 cell line (SNKD), established by infecting lentivirus particles with α-syntrophin shRNA, is characterized by a defect in terminal differentiation and increase in cell death. Since myoblast differentiation is accompanied by intensive mitochondrial biogenesis, the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) is also increased during myogenesis. Two-photon microscopy imaging showed that excessive intracellular ROS accumulated during the differentiation of SNKD cells as compared with control cells. The formation of 4-hydroxynonenal adduct, a byproduct of lipid peroxidation during oxidative stress, significantly increased in differentiated SNKD myotubes and was dramatically reduced by epigallocatechin-3-gallate, a well-known ROS scavenger. Among antioxidant enzymes, catalase was significantly decreased during differentiation of SNKD cells without changes at the mRNA level. Of interest was the finding that the degradation of catalase was rescued by MG132, a proteasome inhibitor, in the SNKD cells. This study demonstrates a novel function of α-syntrophin. This protein plays an important role in the regulation of oxidative stress from endogenously generated ROS during myoblast differentiation by modulating the protein stability of catalase. © 2017 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Ethics and Policy Issues for Stem Cell Research and Pulmonary Medicine

PubMed Central

Lowenthal, Justin

2015-01-01

Stem cell research and related initiatives in regenerative medicine, cell-based therapy, and tissue engineering have generated considerable scientific and public interest. Researchers are applying stem cell technologies to chest medicine in a variety of ways: using stem cells as models for drug discovery, testing stem cell-based therapies for conditions as diverse as COPD and cystic fibrosis, and producing functional lung and tracheal tissue for physiologic modeling and potential transplantation. Although significant scientific obstacles remain, it is likely that stem cell-based regenerative medicine will have a significant clinical impact in chest medicine. However, stem cell research has also generated substantial controversy, posing a variety of ethical and regulatory challenges for research and clinical practice. Some of the most prominent ethical questions related to the use of stem cell technologies in chest medicine include (1) implications for donors, (2) scientific prerequisites for clinical testing and use, (3) stem cell tourism, (4) innovation and clinical use of emerging stem cell-based interventions, (5) responsible translation of stem cell-based therapies to clinical use, and (6) appropriate and equitable access to emerging therapies. Having a sense of these issues should help to put emerging scientific advances into appropriate context and to ensure the responsible clinical translation of promising therapeutics. PMID:25732448

Aptamers: multifunctional molecules for biomedical research.

PubMed

Banerjee, Jayeeta; Nilsen-Hamilton, Marit

2013-12-01

Aptamers are single-stranded oligonucleotides that fold into well-defined three-dimensional shapes, allowing them to bind their targets with high affinity and specificity. They can be generated through an in vitro process called "Systemic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment" and applied for specific detection, inhibition, and characterization of various targets like small organic and inorganic molecules, proteins, and whole cells. Aptamers have also been called chemical antibodies because of their synthetic origin and their similar modes of action to antibodies. They exhibit significant advantages over antibodies in terms of their small size, synthetic accessibility, and ability to be chemically modified and thus endowed with new properties. The first generation of aptamer drug "Macugen" was available for public use within 25 years of the discovery of aptamers. With others in the pipeline for clinical trials, this emerging field of medical biotechnology is raising significant interest. However, aptamers pose different problems for their development than for antibodies that need to be addressed to achieve practical applications. It is likely that current developments in aptamer engineering will be the basis for the evolution of improved future bioanalytical and biomedical applications. The present review discusses the development of aptamers for therapeutics, drug delivery, target validation and imaging, and reviews some of the challenges to fully realizing the promise of aptamers in biomedical applications.

Ethics and policy issues for stem cell research and pulmonary medicine.

PubMed

Lowenthal, Justin; Sugarman, Jeremy

2015-03-01

Stem cell research and related initiatives in regenerative medicine, cell-based therapy, and tissue engineering have generated considerable scientific and public interest. Researchers are applying stem cell technologies to chest medicine in a variety of ways: using stem cells as models for drug discovery, testing stem cell-based therapies for conditions as diverse as COPD and cystic fibrosis, and producing functional lung and tracheal tissue for physiologic modeling and potential transplantation. Although significant scientific obstacles remain, it is likely that stem cell-based regenerative medicine will have a significant clinical impact in chest medicine. However, stem cell research has also generated substantial controversy, posing a variety of ethical and regulatory challenges for research and clinical practice. Some of the most prominent ethical questions related to the use of stem cell technologies in chest medicine include (1) implications for donors, (2) scientific prerequisites for clinical testing and use, (3) stem cell tourism, (4) innovation and clinical use of emerging stem cell-based interventions, (5) responsible translation of stem cell-based therapies to clinical use, and (6) appropriate and equitable access to emerging therapies. Having a sense of these issues should help to put emerging scientific advances into appropriate context and to ensure the responsible clinical translation of promising therapeutics.

A Reserve-based Method for Mitigating the Impact of Renewable Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krad, Ibrahim

The fundamental operating paradigm of today's power systems is undergoing a significant shift. This is partially motivated by the increased desire for incorporating variable renewable energy resources into generation portfolios. While these generating technologies offer clean energy at zero marginal cost, i.e. no fuel costs, they also offer unique operating challenges for system operators. Perhaps the biggest operating challenge these resources introduce is accommodating their intermittent fuel source availability. For this reason, these generators increase the system-wide variability and uncertainty. As a result, system operators are revisiting traditional operating strategies to more efficiently incorporate these generation resources to maximize the benefit they provide while minimizing the challenges they introduce. One way system operators have accounted for system variability and uncertainty is through the use of operating reserves. Operating reserves can be simplified as excess capacity kept online during real time operations to help accommodate unforeseen fluctuations in demand. With new generation resources, a new class of operating reserves has emerged that is generally known as flexibility, or ramping, reserves. This new reserve class is meant to better position systems to mitigate severe ramping in the net load profile. The best way to define this new requirement is still under investigation. Typical requirement definitions focus on the additional uncertainty introduced by variable generation and there is room for improvement regarding explicit consideration for the variability they introduce. An exogenous reserve modification method is introduced in this report that can improve system reliability with minimal impacts on total system wide production costs. Another potential solution to this problem is to formulate the problem as a stochastic programming problem. The unit commitment and economic dispatch problems are typically formulated as deterministic problems due to fast solution times and the solutions being sufficient for operations. Improvements in technical computing hardware have reignited interest in stochastic modeling. The variability of wind and solar naturally lends itself to stochastic modeling. The use of explicit reserve requirements in stochastic models is an area of interest for power system researchers. This report introduces a new reserve modification implementation based on previous results to be used in a stochastic modeling framework. With technological improvements in distributed generation technologies, microgrids are currently being researched and implemented. Microgrids are small power systems that have the ability to serve their demand with their own generation resources and may have a connection to a larger power system. As battery technologies improve, they are becoming a more viable option in these distributed power systems and research is necessary to determine the most efficient way to utilize them. This report will investigate several unique operating strategies for batteries in small power systems and analyze their benefits. These new operating strategies will help reduce operating costs and improve system reliability.

Bioreactor Performance Parameters for an Industrially-Promising Methanotroph Methylomicrobium buryatense 5GB1

DOE PAGES

Gilman, Alexey; Laurens, Lieve M.; Puri, Aaron W.; ...

2015-11-16

Methane is a feedstock of interest for the future, both from natural gas and from renewable biogas sources. Methanotrophic bacteria have the potential to enable commercial methane bioconversion to value-added products such as fuels and chemicals. A strain of interest for such applications is Methylomicrobium buryatense 5GB1, due to its robust growth characteristics. But, to take advantage of the potential of this methanotroph, it is important to generate comprehensive bioreactor-based datasets for different growth conditions to compare bioprocess parameters. The datasets of growth parameters, gas utilization rates, and products (total biomass, extracted fatty acids, glycogen, excreted acids) were obtained formore » cultures of M. buryatense 5GB1 grown in continuous culture under methane limitation and O2 limitation conditions. Additionally, experiments were performed involving unrestricted batch growth conditions with both methane and methanol as substrate. All four growth conditions show significant differences. The most notable changes are the high glycogen content and high formate excretion for cells grown on methanol (batch), and high O2:CH4 utilization ratio for cells grown under methane limitation. The results presented here represent the most comprehensive published bioreactor datasets for a gamma-proteobacterial methanotroph. This information shows that metabolism by M. buryatense 5GB1 differs significantly for each of the four conditions tested. O2 limitation resulted in the lowest relative O2 demand and fed-batch growth on methane the highest. Future studies are needed to understand the metabolic basis of these differences. However, these results suggest that both batch and continuous culture conditions have specific advantages, depending on the product of interest.« less

Students' perceptions of laboratory science careers: changing ideas with an education module.

PubMed

Haun, Daniel; Leach, Argie; Lawrence, Louann; Jarreau, Patsy

2005-01-01

To assess the effectiveness of a Web-based education module in changing students' perceptions of laboratory science careers. Perception was measured with a short examination and then a Web-based exercise was presented. Following the exercise, the test was administered again. Frequency data from the pre-test and post-test were compared for changes in perception. The correlated pre-test/post-test pairs were also examined for opinion changes and these were analyzed for significance. Large parochial high schools in New Orleans, Louisiana. A small team visited the schools during their appointed class times for biology. Study participants were high school biology students in grades 9-10. Two-hundred-forty-five students participated (149 male and 96 female). A Web-based exercise on blood film examination was presented to the students in a classroom setting (www.mclno.org/labpartners/index_03.htm). The exercise contained focused messages about: (1) the numbers of healthcare workers acquiring AIDS from on-the-job exposure and (2) common career paths available to the laboratory science workforce. The shift in perception of: What medical service generates the most diagnostic data. Which professional group performs laboratory tests. The risk of acquiring AIDS while working in the healthcare setting. Interest in a science-related career. How much education is required to work in a science-related field. The intervention significantly shifted perception in all areas measured except that of interest in a science-related career. Many students perceive that the risk of acquiring AIDS while working in the healthcare setting is "high". Web-based presentations and similar partnerships with science teachers can change perceptions that might lead to increased interest in clinical laboratory science careers.

Results of a long-term community smoking cessation contest.

PubMed

Lando, H A; Hellerstedt, W L; Pirie, P L; Fruetel, J; Huttner, P

1991-01-01

Successive quit smoking contests undertaken as part of the Minnesota Heart Health Program had generated diminishing impact. The 1988 contest attempted to rejuvenate community interest and participation through a substantially extended enrollment period. Smokers were eligible for monthly prize drawings and a grand prize drawing by entering the contest at any point between June 1988 and January 1989 and remaining abstinent for at least one month. The contest was promoted through newspaper advertisements, contest flyers, schools, and a community-wide direct mail campaign. A total of 1,328 smokers returned initial interest cards and 918 (69.1%) of these smokers returned quit pledges. Self-reported abstinence for pledgers and nonpledgers was 16.7% and 9.2%, respectively. Survival analysis indicated significantly longer periods of abstinence for pledgers (p = .0001). The extended contest was successful in recruiting smokers (almost 7% of the entire Bloomington smoking population vs. 1% for a previous one-month contest), especially those with less than a high school education. The current contest required substantial expenditures. However, these costs could be dramatically reduced through innovative use of donated resources.

A Machine Learning Classifier for Fast Radio Burst Detection at the VLBA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagstaff, Kiri L.; Tang, Benyang; Thompson, David R.; Khudikyan, Shakeh; Wyngaard, Jane; Deller, Adam T.; Palaniswamy, Divya; Tingay, Steven J.; Wayth, Randall B.

2016-08-01

Time domain radio astronomy observing campaigns frequently generate large volumes of data. Our goal is to develop automated methods that can identify events of interest buried within the larger data stream. The V-FASTR fast transient system was designed to detect rare fast radio bursts within data collected by the Very Long Baseline Array. The resulting event candidates constitute a significant burden in terms of subsequent human reviewing time. We have trained and deployed a machine learning classifier that marks each candidate detection as a pulse from a known pulsar, an artifact due to radio frequency interference, or a potential new discovery. The classifier maintains high reliability by restricting its predictions to those with at least 90% confidence. We have also implemented several efficiency and usability improvements to the V-FASTR web-based candidate review system. Overall, we found that time spent reviewing decreased and the fraction of interesting candidates increased. The classifier now classifies (and therefore filters) 80%-90% of the candidates, with an accuracy greater than 98%, leaving only the 10%-20% most promising candidates to be reviewed by humans.

Plasticity and Kinky Chemistry of Carbon Nanotubes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srivastava, Deepak; Dzegilenko, Fedor

2000-01-01

Since their discovery in 1991, carbon nanotubes have been the subject of intense research interest based on early predictions of their unique mechanical, electronic, and chemical properties. Materials with the predicted unique properties of carbon nanotubes are of great interest for use in future generations of aerospace vehicles. For their structural properties, carbon nanotubes could be used as reinforcing fibers in ultralight multifunctional composites. For their electronic properties, carbon nanotubes offer the potential of very high-speed, low-power computing elements, high-density data storage, and unique sensors. In a continuing effort to model and predict the properties of carbon nanotubes, Ames accomplished three significant results during FY99. First, accurate values of the nanomechanics and plasticity of carbon nanotubes based on quantum molecular dynamics simulations were computed. Second, the concept of mechanical deformation catalyzed-kinky-chemistry as a means to control local chemistry of nanotubes was discovered. Third, the ease of nano-indentation of silicon surfaces with carbon nanotubes was established. The elastic response and plastic failure mechanisms of single-wall nanotubes were investigated by means of quantum molecular dynamics simulations.

Science, Policy, and Peer Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kennedy, D.

2006-12-01

These are intense times at the convergence between science and public policy. Because issues like climate change, stem cell research and environmental protection are being contested in choppy political water, political interests are being deployed to challenge science and researchers, and also to generate pseudo- scientific claims made in the interest of particular policy ends. In a number of cases reported in Science, administration officials have silenced their own employees, or withheld data selectively from draft reports. Added to that challenge to integrity, there is a new statutory environment that adds some complexity of its own. Beginning with the Data Quality Act, more familiarly the "Shelby Amendment," research results with significant economic impacts through regulation are now available through the Freedom of Information Act. Its successor, the Data Quality Act -- which opens a route of challenge to information released by government or gathered by others and used in advice or regulation has exposed scientists not only to having their primary data reanalyzed for the purposes of others, but to charges of research misconduct. These influences have made journal peer review more challenging in several ways, and I will outline some case examples.

A framework for the identification of long-term social avoidance in longitudinal datasets

PubMed Central

Levengood, Alexis; Foroughirad, Vivienne; Mann, Janet; Krzyszczyk, Ewa

2017-01-01

Animal sociality is of significant interest to evolutionary and behavioural ecologists, with efforts focused on the patterns, causes and fitness outcomes of social preference. However, individual social patterns are the consequence of both attraction to (preference for) and avoidance of conspecifics. Despite this, social avoidance has received far less attention than social preference. Here, we detail the necessary steps to generate a spatially explicit, iterative null model which can be used to identify non-random social avoidance in longitudinal studies of social animals. We specifically identify and detail parameters which will influence the validity of the model. To test the usability of this model, we applied it to two longitudinal studies of social animals (Eastern water dragons (Intellegama lesueurii) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus)) to identify the presence of social avoidances. Using this model allowed us to identify the presence of social avoidances in both species. We hope that the framework presented here inspires interest in addressing this critical gap in our understanding of animal sociality, in turn allowing for a more holistic understanding of social interactions, relationships and structure. PMID:28879006

Tomosynthesis imaging: At a translational crossroads

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

Dobbins, James T. III

2009-06-15

Tomosynthesis is a decades-old technique for section imaging that has seen a recent upsurge in interest due to its promise to provide three-dimensional information at lower dose and potentially lower cost than CT in certain clinical imaging situations. This renewed interest in tomosynthesis began in the late 1990s as a new generation of flat-panel detectors became available; these detectors were the one missing piece of the picture that had kept tomosynthesis from enjoying significant utilization earlier. In the past decade, tomosynthesis imaging has been investigated in a variety of clinical imaging situations, but the two most prominent have been inmore » breast and chest imaging. Tomosynthesis has the potential to substantially change the way in which breast cancer and pulmonary nodules are detected and managed. Commercial tomosynthesis devices are now available or on the horizon. Many of the remaining research activities with tomosynthesis will be translational in nature and will involve physicist and clinician alike. This overview article provides a forward-looking assessment of the translational questions facing tomosynthesis imaging and anticipates some of the likely research and clinical activities in the next five years.« less

A framework for the identification of long-term social avoidance in longitudinal datasets.

PubMed

Strickland, Kasha; Levengood, Alexis; Foroughirad, Vivienne; Mann, Janet; Krzyszczyk, Ewa; Frère, Celine H

2017-08-01

Animal sociality is of significant interest to evolutionary and behavioural ecologists, with efforts focused on the patterns, causes and fitness outcomes of social preference. However, individual social patterns are the consequence of both attraction to (preference for) and avoidance of conspecifics. Despite this, social avoidance has received far less attention than social preference. Here, we detail the necessary steps to generate a spatially explicit, iterative null model which can be used to identify non-random social avoidance in longitudinal studies of social animals. We specifically identify and detail parameters which will influence the validity of the model. To test the usability of this model, we applied it to two longitudinal studies of social animals (Eastern water dragons ( Intellegama lesueurii ) and bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops aduncus )) to identify the presence of social avoidances. Using this model allowed us to identify the presence of social avoidances in both species. We hope that the framework presented here inspires interest in addressing this critical gap in our understanding of animal sociality, in turn allowing for a more holistic understanding of social interactions, relationships and structure.

Natural products as potential anticonvulsants: caffeoylquinic acids.

PubMed

Kim, Hyo Geun; Oh, Myung Sook

2012-03-01

Current anticonvulsant therapies are generally directed at symptomatic treatment by suppressing excitability within the brain. Consequently, they have adverse effects such as cognitive impairment, dependence, and abuse. The need for more effective and less toxic anticonvulsants has generated renewed interest in natural products for the treatment of convulsions. Caffeoylquinic acids (CQs) are naturally occurring phenolic acids that are distributed widely in plants. There has been increasing interest in the biological activities of CQs in diseases of the central nervous system. In this issue, Nugroho et al. give evidence for the anticonvulsive effect of a CQ-rich extract from Aster glehni Franchet et Sckmidt. They optimized the extract solvent conditions, resulting in high levels of CQs and peroxynitrite-scavenging activity. Then, they investigated the sedative and anticonvulsive effects in pentobarbital- and pentylenetetrazole-induced models in mice. The CQ-rich extract significantly inhibited tonic convulsions as assessed by onset time, tonic extent, and mortality. They suggested that the CQ-rich extract from A. glehni has potential for treating convulsions. This report provides preclinical data which may be used for the development of anticonvulsants from natural products.

The Impact of CRISPR/Cas9-Based Genomic Engineering on Biomedical Research and Medicine.

PubMed

Go, D E; Stottmann, R W

2016-01-01

There has been prolonged and significant interest in manipulating the genome for a wide range of applications in biomedical research and medicine. An existing challenge in realizing this potential has been the inability to precisely edit specific DNA sequences. Past efforts to generate targeted double stranded DNA cleavage have fused DNA-targeting elements such as zinc fingers and DNA-binding proteins to endonucleases. However, these approaches are limited by both design complexity and inefficient, costineffective operation. The discovery of CRISPR/Cas9, a branch of the bacterial adaptive immune system, as a potential genomic editing tool holds the promise of facile targeted cleavage. Its novelty lies in its RNA-guided endonuclease activity, which enhances its efficiency, scalability, and ease of use. The only necessary components are a Cas9 endonuclease protein and an RNA molecule tailored to the gene of interest. This lowbarrier of adoption has facilitated a plethora of advances in just the past three years since its discovery. In this review, we will discuss the impact of CRISPR/Cas9 on biomedical research and its potential implications in medicine.

An incremental community detection method for social tagging systems using locality-sensitive hashing.

PubMed

Wu, Zhenyu; Zou, Ming

2014-10-01

An increasing number of users interact, collaborate, and share information through social networks. Unprecedented growth in social networks is generating a significant amount of unstructured social data. From such data, distilling communities where users have common interests and tracking variations of users' interests over time are important research tracks in fields such as opinion mining, trend prediction, and personalized services. However, these tasks are extremely difficult considering the highly dynamic characteristics of the data. Existing community detection methods are time consuming, making it difficult to process data in real time. In this paper, dynamic unstructured data is modeled as a stream. Tag assignments stream clustering (TASC), an incremental scalable community detection method, is proposed based on locality-sensitive hashing. Both tags and latent interactions among users are incorporated in the method. In our experiments, the social dynamic behaviors of users are first analyzed. The proposed TASC method is then compared with state-of-the-art clustering methods such as StreamKmeans and incremental k-clique; results indicate that TASC can detect communities more efficiently and effectively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brains creating stories of selves: the neural basis of autobiographical reasoning

PubMed Central

Cassol, Helena; Phillips, Christophe; Balteau, Evelyne; Salmon, Eric; Van der Linden, Martial

2014-01-01

Personal identity critically depends on the creation of stories about the self and one’s life. The present study investigates the neural substrates of autobiographical reasoning, a process central to the construction of such narratives. During functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning, participants approached a set of personally significant memories in two different ways: in some trials, they remembered the concrete content of the events (autobiographical remembering), whereas in other trials they reflected on the broader meaning and implications of their memories (autobiographical reasoning). Relative to remembering, autobiographical reasoning recruited a left-lateralized network involved in conceptual processing [including the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), inferior frontal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus and angular gyrus]. The ventral MPFC—an area that may function to generate personal/affective meaning—was not consistently engaged during autobiographical reasoning across participants but, interestingly, the activity of this region was modulated by individual differences in interest and willingness to engage in self-reflection. These findings support the notion that autobiographical reasoning and the construction of personal narratives go beyond mere remembering in that they require deriving meaning and value from past experiences. PMID:23482628

Temporal and social contexts of heroin-using populations. An illustration of the snowball sampling technique.

PubMed

Kaplan, C D; Korf, D; Sterk, C

1987-09-01

Snowball sampling is a method that has been used in the social sciences to study sensitive topics, rare traits, personal networks, and social relationships. The method involves the selection of samples utilizing "insider" knowledge and referral chains among subjects who possess common traits that are of research interest. It is especially useful in generating samples for which clinical sampling frames may be difficult to obtain or are biased in some way. In this paper, snowball samples of heroin users in two Dutch cities have been analyzed for the purpose of providing descriptions and limited inferences about the temporal and social contexts of their lifestyles. Two distinct heroin-using populations have been discovered who are distinguished by their life cycle stage. Significant contextual explanations have been found involving the passage from adolescent peer group to criminal occupation, the functioning of network "knots" and "outcroppings," and the frequency of social contact. It is suggested that the snowball sampling method may have utility in studying the temporal and social contexts of other populations of clinical interest.

Practice to Evidence: Using Evaluability Assessment to Generate Practice-Based Evidence in Rural South Georgia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honeycutt, Sally; Hermstad, April; Carvalho, Michelle L.; Arriola, Kimberly R. Jacob; Ballard, Denise; Escoffery, Cam; Kegler, Michelle C.

2017-01-01

Evidence from formal evaluation of real-world practice can address gaps in the public health knowledge base and provide information about feasible, relevant strategies for varied settings. Interest in evaluability assessment (EA) as an approach for generating practice-based evidence has grown. EA has been central to several structured assessment…

The Oil Game: Generating Enthusiasm for Geosciences in Urban Youth in Newark, NJ

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gates, Alexander E.; Kalczynski, Michael J.

2016-01-01

A hands-on game based upon principles of oil accumulation and drilling was highly effective at generating enthusiasm toward the geosciences in urban youth from underrepresented minority groups in Newark, NJ. Participating 9th-grade high school students showed little interest in the geosciences prior to participating in the oil game, even if they…

Development and Experimental Validation of a Thermoelectric Test Bench for Laboratory Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodríguez García, Antonio; Astrain Ulibarrena, David; Martínez Echeverri, Álvaro; Aranguren Garacochea, Patricia; Pérez Artieda, Gurutze

2013-01-01

The refrigeration process reduces the temperature of a space or a given volume while the power generation process employs a source of thermal energy to generate electrical power. Because of the importance of these two processes, training of engineers in this area is of great interest. In engineering courses it is normally studied the vapor…