Global model of zenith tropospheric delay proposed based on EOF analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Langlang; Chen, Peng; Wei, Erhu; Li, Qinzheng

2017-07-01

Tropospheric delay is one of the main error budgets in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements. Many empirical correction models have been developed to compensate this delay, and models which do not require meteorological parameters have received the most attention. This study established a global troposphere zenith total delay (ZTD) model, called Global Empirical Orthogonal Function Troposphere (GEOFT), based on the empirical orthogonal function (EOF, also known as geographically weighted PCAs) analysis method and the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) Atmosphere data from 2012 to 2015. The results showed that ZTD variation could be well represented by the characteristics of the EOF base function Ek and associated coefficients Pk. Here, E1 mainly signifies the equatorial anomaly; E2 represents north-south asymmetry, and E3 and E4 reflects regional variation. Moreover, P1 mainly reflects annual and semiannual variation components; P2 and P3 mainly contains annual variation components, and P4 displays semiannual variation components. We validated the proposed GEOFT model using tropospheric delay data of GGOS ZTD grid data and the tropospheric product of the International GNSS Service (IGS) over the year 2016. The results showed that GEOFT model has high accuracy with bias and RMS of -0.3 and 3.9 cm, respectively, with respect to the GGOS ZTD data, and of -0.8 and 4.1 cm, respectively, with respect to the global IGS tropospheric product. The accuracy of GEOFT demonstrating that the use of the EOF analysis method to characterize ZTD variation is reasonable.

Latitudinal dependence of diurnal and seasonal variations in the tropospheric zenith delay observed from GPS measurements within the longitudinal sector of 50oE to 130oE.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raju, Suresh; Saha, Korak; Anupama, K.; Parameswaran, Krishnaswamy

Ground based GPS finds potential applications in many atmospheric studies such as the spatial distribution of columnar water vapor as well as tidal oscillations in the atmosphere. As the zenith tropospheric delay (ZTD) derived from GPS data is a function of atmospheric pressure, temperature and watervapor, the effect of atmospheric oscillations could reflect more promi-nently in its temporal variations. The GPS data with very high temporal resolution (5 min.) from thirteen IGS stations in the longitudinal sector of 50o-130oE are used to establish its potential for studying the atmospheric tidal, intra-seasonal and planetary oscillations. Very prominent tidal (diurnal and semi-diurnal) oscillations observed at all these stations, with am-plitude of the diurnal variation as ˜0.5-12+0.5 mm and that of the semi-diurnal variation in the range ˜0.1-5+0.2 mm. Although 90% of the delay is contributed by the dry atmospheric pressure (which shows prominent semi-diurnal oscillations) the tidal oscillations in the ZTD is dominated by the diurnal component. This effect could be attributed to the temporal variations of atmospheric water vapor in a diurnal scale. The amplitude of these variations in general is largest near the equator and decreases with increase in latitude. Interestingly, this latitudinal trend matches very well with the latitude variation of the precipitable water vapor (as well as the actual precipitation) in this longitudinal region. Though the values of ZTD at stations very close to equator stations do not show any prominent seasonal variation, as the latitude increases the annual variation in ZTD becomes more distinct. A prominent peak in ZTD is observed during the July-August period, which matches well with the annual variation of atmospheric water vapor. This shows that the diurnal and seasonal variation of ZTD is mainly governed by the corresponding variations in atmospheric water vapor, even though its contribution to the total delay is around 10%. Keywords: GPS, Tropospheric delay, Atmospheric oscillations # Dr. K. Parameswaran is supported by CSIR through Emeritus Scientist Scheme. * corresponding author: koraksaha@gmail.com

Multipath noise reduction spread spectrum signals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meehan, Thomas K. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

The concepts of early-prompt delay tracking, multipath correction of early-prompt delay tracking from correlation shape, and carrier phase multipath correction are addressed. In early-prompt delay tracking, since multipath is always delayed with respect to the direct signals, the system derives phase and pseudorange observables from earlier correlation lags. In multipath correction of early-prompt delay tracking from correlation shape, the system looks for relative variations of amplitude across the code correlation function that do not match the predicted multipath-free code cross-correlation shape. The system then uses deviations from the multipath-free shape to infer the magnitude of multipath, and to generate corrections pseudorange observables. In carrier phase multipath correction, the system looks for variations of phase among plural early and prompt lags. The system uses the measured phase variations, along with the general principle that the multipath errors are larger for later lags, to infer the presence of multipath, and to generate corrections for carrier-phase observables.

Hospital variation in time to defibrillation after in-hospital cardiac arrest.

PubMed

Chan, Paul S; Nichol, Graham; Krumholz, Harlan M; Spertus, John A; Nallamothu, Brahmajee K

2009-07-27

Delays to defibrillation are associated with worse survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest, but the degree to which hospitals vary in defibrillation response times and hospital predictors of delays remain unknown. Using hierarchical models, we evaluated hospital variation in rates of delayed defibrillation (>2 minutes) and its impact on survival among 7479 adult inpatients with cardiac arrests at 200 hospitals within the National Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. Adjusted rates of delayed defibrillation varied substantially among hospitals (range, 2.4%-50.9%), with hospital-level effects accounting for a significant amount of the total variation in defibrillation delays after adjusting for patient factors. We found a 46% greater odds of patients with identical covariates getting delayed defibrillation at one randomly selected hospital compared with another. Among traditional hospital factors evaluated, however, only bed volume (reference category: <200 beds; 200-499 beds: odds ratio [OR], 0.62 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.48-0.80]; >or=500 beds: OR, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.53-1.04]) and arrest location (reference category: intensive care unit; telemetry unit: OR, 1.92 [95% CI, 1.65-2.22]; nonmonitored unit: OR, 1.90 [95% CI, 1.61-2.24]) were associated with differences in rates of delayed defibrillation. Wide variation also existed in adjusted hospital rates of survival to discharge (range, 5.3%-49.6%), with higher survival among hospitals in the top-performing quartile for defibrillation time (compared with the bottom quartile: OR for top quartile, 1.41 [95% CI, 1.11-1.77]). Rates of delayed defibrillation vary widely among hospitals but are largely unexplained by traditional hospital factors. Given its association with improved survival, future research is needed to better understand best practices in the delivery of defibrillation at top-performing hospitals.

The measurement of atmospheric water vapor - Radiometer comparison and spatial variations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rocken, C.; Johnson, J. M.; Ware, R. H.; Neilan, R. E.; Cerezo, M.; Jordan, J. R.; Falls, M. J..; Nelson, L. D.; Hayes, M.

1991-01-01

Two water vapor radiometer (WVR) experiments were conducted to evaluate whether such instruments are both suitable and necessary to correct for propagation effects that are induced by precipitable water vapor (PWV) on signals from GPS and VLBI. WVRs are suitable for these corrections if they provide wet path delays to better than 0.5 cm. They are needed if spatial variations of PWV result in complicated, direction-dependent propagation effects that are too complex to be parametrized in the GPS or VLBI geodetic solution. The suitability of radiometers was first addressed by comparing six airport WVRs for two weeks. While two WVRs showed an average wet path delay bias of only 0.1 cm, others were biased by 1-3 cm relative to each other and relative to radiosondes. The second experiment addressed the question whether radiometers are needed for the detection of inhomogeneities in the wet delay. Three JPL D-series radiometers were operated at three sites 50 km apart. The WVRs simultaneously sampled PWV at different azimuths and elevations in search of spatial variations of PWV. On one day of this second experiment evidence was found for spatial variations of the wet path delay as high as 20 percent of the total wet path delay.

Radiation Hardened Structured ASIC Platform with Compensation of Delay for Temperature and Voltage Variations for Multiple Redundant Temporal Voting Latch Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ardalan, Sasan (Inventor)

2018-01-01

The invention relates to devices and methods of maintaining the current starved delay at a constant value across variations in voltage and temperature to increase the speed of operation of the sequential logic in the radiation hardened ASIC design.

Sleep-wake profiles and circadian rhythms of core temperature and melatonin in young people with affective disorders.

PubMed

Carpenter, Joanne S; Robillard, Rébecca; Hermens, Daniel F; Naismith, Sharon L; Gordon, Christopher; Scott, Elizabeth M; Hickie, Ian B

2017-11-01

While disturbances of the sleep-wake cycle are common in people with affective disorders, the characteristics of these disturbances differ greatly between individuals. This heterogeneity is likely to reflect multiple underlying pathophysiologies, with different perturbations in circadian systems contributing to the variation in sleep-wake cycle disturbances. Such disturbances may be particularly relevant in adolescents and young adults with affective disorders as circadian rhythms undergo considerable change during this key developmental period. This study aimed to identify profiles of sleep-wake disturbance in young people with affective disorders and investigate associations with biological circadian rhythms. Fifty young people with affective disorders and 19 control participants (aged 16-31 years) underwent actigraphy monitoring for approximately two weeks to derive sleep-wake cycle parameters, and completed an in-laboratory assessment including evening dim-light saliva collection for melatonin assay and overnight continuous core body temperature measurement. Cluster analysis based on sleep-wake cycle parameters identified three distinct patient groups, characterised by 'delayed sleep-wake', 'disrupted sleep', and 'long sleep' respectively. The 'delayed sleep-wake' group had both delayed melatonin onset and core temperature nadir; whereas the other two cluster groups did not differ from controls on these circadian markers. The three groups did not differ on clinical characteristics. These results provide evidence that only some types of sleep-wake disturbance in young people with affective disorders are associated with fundamental circadian perturbations. Consequently, interventions targeting endogenous circadian rhythms to promote a phase shift may be particularly relevant in youth with affective disorders presenting with delayed sleep-wake cycles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Individual Variability in Delayed Auditory Feedback Effects on Speech Fluency and Rate in Normally Fluent Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chon, HeeCheong; Kraft, Shelly Jo; Zhang, Jingfei; Loucks, Torrey; Ambrose, Nicoline G.

2013-01-01

Purpose: Delayed auditory feedback (DAF) is known to induce stuttering-like disfluencies (SLDs) and cause speech rate reductions in normally fluent adults, but the reason for speech disruptions is not fully known, and individual variation has not been well characterized. Studying individual variation in susceptibility to DAF may identify factors…

Delayed Hospital Discharges of Older Patients: A Systematic Review on Prevalence and Costs.

PubMed

Landeiro, Filipa; Roberts, Kenny; Gray, Alastair Mcintosh; Leal, José

2017-05-23

To determine the prevalence of delayed discharges of elderly inpatients and associated costs. We searched Medline, Embase, Global Health, CAB Abstracts, Econlit, Web of Knowledge, EBSCO - CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, Health Management Information Consortium, and SCIE - Social Care Online for evidence published between 1990 and 2015 on number of days or proportion of delayed discharges for elderly inpatients in acute hospitals. Descriptive and regression analyses were conducted. Data on proportions of delayed discharges were pooled using a random effects logistic model and the association of relevant factors was assessed. Mean costs of delayed discharge were calculated in USD adjusted for Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). Of 64 studies included, 52 (81.3%) reported delayed discharges as proportions of total hospital stay and 9 (14.1%) estimated the respective costs for these delays. Proportions of delayed discharges varied widely, from 1.6% to 91.3% with a weighted mean of 22.8%. This variation was also seen in studies from the same country, for example, in the United Kingdom, they ranged between 1.6% and 60.0%. No factor was found to be significantly associated with delays. The mean costs of delayed discharge also varied widely (between 142 and 31,935 USD PPP adjusted), reflecting the variability in mean days of delay per patient. Delayed discharges occur in most countries and the associated costs are significant. However, the variability in prevalence of delayed discharges and available data on costs limit our knowledge of the full impact of delayed discharges. A standardization of methods is necessary to allow comparisons to be made, and additional studies are required-preferably by disease area-to determine the postdischarge needs of specific patient groups and the estimated costs of delays. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Automatic position calculating imaging radar with low-cost synthetic aperture sensor for imaging layered media

DOEpatents

Mast, J.E.

1998-08-18

An imaging system for analyzing structures comprises a radar transmitter and receiver connected to a timing mechanism that allows a radar echo sample to be taken at a variety of delay times for each radar pulse transmission. The radar transmitter and receiver are coupled to a position determining system that provides the x,y position on a surface for each group of samples measured for a volume from the surface. The radar transmitter and receiver are moved about the surface to collect such groups of measurements from a variety of x,y positions. Return signal amplitudes represent the relative reflectivity of objects within the volume and the delay in receiving each signal echo represents the depth at which the object lays in the volume and the propagation speeds of the intervening material layers. Successively deeper z-planes are backward propagated from one layer to the next with an adjustment for variations in the expected propagation velocities of the material layers that lie between adjacent z-planes. 10 figs.

Automatic position calculating imaging radar with low-cost synthetic aperture sensor for imaging layered media

DOEpatents

Mast, Jeffrey E.

1998-01-01

An imaging system for analyzing structures comprises a radar transmitter and receiver connected to a timing mechanism that allows a radar echo sample to be taken at a variety of delay times for each radar pulse transmission. The radar transmitter and receiver are coupled to a position determining system that provides the x,y position on a surface for each group of samples measured for a volume from the surface. The radar transmitter and receiver are moved about the surface to collect such groups of measurements from a variety of x,y positions. Return signal amplitudes represent the relative reflectivity of objects within the volume and the delay in receiving each signal echo represents the depth at which the object lays in the volume and the propagation speeds of the intervening material layers. Successively deeper z-planes are backward propagated from one layer to the next with an adjustment for variations in the expected propagation velocities of the material layers that lie between adjacent z-planes.

Measurement of total electron content of midlatitude ionosphere and protonosphere via Faraday rotation and group relay techniques using transmission from geostationary satellites ATS-3 and ATS-6

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paul, M. P.

1982-01-01

Measurement of integrated columnar electron content and total electron content for the local ionosphere and the overlying protonosphere via Faraday rotation and group delay techniques has proven very useful. A field station was established having the geographic location of 31.5 deg N latitude and 91.06 deg W longitude to accomplish these objectives. A polarimeter receiving system was set up in the beginning to measure the Faraday rotation of 137.35 MHz radio signal from geostationary satellite ATS 3 to yield the integrated columnar electron content of the local ionosphere. The measurement was continued regularly, and the analysis of the data thus collected provided a synopsis of the statistical variation of the ionosphere along with the transient variations that occurred during the periods of geomagnetic and other disturbances.

Way-Scaling to Reduce Power of Cache with Delay Variation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goudarzi, Maziar; Matsumura, Tadayuki; Ishihara, Tohru

The share of leakage in cache power consumption increases with technology scaling. Choosing a higher threshold voltage (Vth) and/or gate-oxide thickness (Tox) for cache transistors improves leakage, but impacts cell delay. We show that due to uncorrelated random within-die delay variation, only some (not all) of cells actually violate the cache delay after the above change. We propose to add a spare cache way to replace delay-violating cache-lines separately in each cache-set. By SPICE and gate-level simulations in a commercial 90nm process, we show that choosing higher Vth, Tox and adding one spare way to a 4-way 16KB cache reduces leakage power by 42%, which depending on the share of leakage in total cache power, gives up to 22.59% and 41.37% reduction of total energy respectively in L1 instruction- and L2 unified-cache with a negligible delay penalty, but without sacrificing cache capacity or timing-yield.

Internet stream synchronization using Concord

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sreenan, Cormac J.; Narendran, B.; Agrawal, Prathima; Shivakumar, Narayanan

1996-03-01

Using packet networks to transport multimedia introduces delay variations within and across streams, necessitating synchronization at the receiver. This requires stream data to be buffered prior to presentation, which also increases its total end to end delay. Concord recognizes that applications may wish to influence the underlying synchronization policy in terms of its effect on quality of service. It provides a single framework for synchronization within and across streams and employs an application specific tradeoff between packet losses, delay and inter- stream skew. We present a new predictive approach for synchronization and a selection of results from an extensive evaluation of Concord for use in the Internet. A trace driven simulator is used, allowing a direct comparison with alternative approaches. We demonstrate that Concord can operate with lower maximum delay and less variation in total end to end delay, which in turn can allow receiver buffer requirements to be reduced.

Backscatter and attenuation characterization of ventricular myocardium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, Allyson Ann

2009-12-01

This Dissertation presents quantitative ultrasonic measurements of the myocardium in fetal hearts and adult human hearts with the goal of studying the physics of sound waves incident upon anisotropic and inhomogeneous materials. Ultrasound has been used as a clinical tool to assess heart structure and function for several decades. The clinical usefulness of this noninvasive approach has grown with our understanding of the physical mechanisms underlying the interaction of ultrasonic waves with the myocardium. In this Dissertation, integrated backscatter and attenuation analyses were performed on midgestational fetal hearts to assess potential differences in the left and right ventricular myocardium. The hearts were interrogated using a 50 MHz transducer that enabled finer spatial resolution than could be achieved at more typical clinical frequencies. Ultrasonic data analyses demonstrated different patterns and relative levels of backscatter and attenuation from the myocardium of the left ventricle and the right ventricle. Ultrasonic data of adult human hearts were acquired with a clinical imaging system and quantified by their magnitude and time delay of cyclic variation of myocardial backscatter. The results were analyzing using Bayes Classification and ROC analysis to quantify potential advantages of using a combination of two features of cyclic variation of myocardial backscatter over using only one or the other feature to distinguish between groups of subjects. When the subjects were classified based on hemoglobin A1c, the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and the ratio of triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, differences in the magnitude and normalized time delay of cyclic variation of myocardial backscatter were observed. The cyclic variation results also suggested a trend toward a larger area under the ROC curve when information from magnitude and time delay of cyclic variation is combined using Bayes classification than when each feature is analyzed individually. Ultrasound continues to be a powerful tool that enables noninvasive quantification of material properties. The studies in this Dissertation show that understanding the physical mechanisms behind the interaction of sound waves with myocardium can reveal new information about the structure, composition and overall state of the heart.

A variation of noncontingent reinforcement in the treatment of aberrant behavior.

PubMed

Britton, L N; Carr, J E; Kellum, K K; Dozier, C L; Weil, T M

2000-01-01

We examined the effectiveness of a variation of noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) that incorporated a stimulus-delay procedure in the reduction of aberrant behavior maintained by positive reinforcement. Functional analyses for three individuals diagnosed with developmental disabilities indicated that their behaviors were maintained by positive reinforcement: one in the form of access to a tangible item, another by attention, and the third by physical contact. We implemented NCR with the delay procedure with two participants using reversal designs to evaluate effects. We also compared this NCR variation and DRO with the third participant to evaluate reinforcer-delivery rates. The variation of NCR was successful in reducing all aberrant behavior to near-zero levels. A comparison of reinforcer delivery between NCR with the stimulus-delay procedure and DRO demonstrated that the participant accessed more reinforcement with NCR. Results are discussed in the context of enhancing decelerative interventions with emphases on minimizing response effort for caregivers and maximizing access to reinforcement for the individuals.

14 CFR 417.221 - Time delay analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... occurs; (2) A flight safety official's decision and reaction time, including variation in human response... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Time delay analysis. 417.221 Section 417... OF TRANSPORTATION LICENSING LAUNCH SAFETY Flight Safety Analysis § 417.221 Time delay analysis. (a...

14 CFR 417.221 - Time delay analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... occurs; (2) A flight safety official's decision and reaction time, including variation in human response... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Time delay analysis. 417.221 Section 417... OF TRANSPORTATION LICENSING LAUNCH SAFETY Flight Safety Analysis § 417.221 Time delay analysis. (a...

14 CFR 417.221 - Time delay analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... occurs; (2) A flight safety official's decision and reaction time, including variation in human response... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Time delay analysis. 417.221 Section 417... OF TRANSPORTATION LICENSING LAUNCH SAFETY Flight Safety Analysis § 417.221 Time delay analysis. (a...

Neural Correlates of Alerting and Orienting Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

PubMed Central

Vázquez-Marrufo, Manuel; Galvao-Carmona, Alejandro; González-Rosa, Javier J.; Hidalgo-Muñoz, Antonio R.; Borges, Mónica; Ruiz-Peña, Juan Luis; Izquierdo, Guillermo

2014-01-01

Background A considerable percentage of multiple sclerosis patients have attentional impairment, but understanding its neurophysiological basis remains a challenge. The Attention Network Test allows 3 attentional networks to be studied. Previous behavioural studies using this test have shown that the alerting network is impaired in multiple sclerosis. The aim of this study was to identify neurophysiological indexes of the attention impairment in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients using this test. Results After general slowing had been removed in patients group to isolate the effects of each condition, some behavioral differences between them were obtained. About Contingent Negative Variation, a statistically significant decrement were found in the amplitude for Central and Spatial Cue Conditions for patient group (p<0.05). ANOVAs showed for the patient group a significant latency delay for P1 and N1 components (p<0.05) and a decrease of P3 amplitude for congruent and incongruent stimuli (p<0.01). With regard to correlation analysis, PASAT-3s and SDMT showed significant correlations with behavioral measures of the Attention Network Test (p<0.01) and an ERP parameter (CNV amplitude). Conclusions Behavioral data are highly correlated with the neuropsychological scores and show that the alerting and orienting mechanisms in the patient group were impaired. Reduced amplitude for the Contingent Negative Variation in the patient group suggests that this component could be a physiological marker related to the alerting and orienting impairment in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. P1 and N1 delayed latencies are evidence of the demyelination process that causes impairment in the first steps of the visual sensory processing. Lastly, P3 amplitude shows a general decrease for the pathological group probably indexing a more central impairment. These results suggest that the Attention Network Test give evidence of multiple levels of attention impairment, which could help in the assessment and treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients. PMID:24820333

Neural correlates of alerting and orienting impairment in multiple sclerosis patients.

PubMed

Vázquez-Marrufo, Manuel; Galvao-Carmona, Alejandro; González-Rosa, Javier J; Hidalgo-Muñoz, Antonio R; Borges, Mónica; Ruiz-Peña, Juan Luis; Izquierdo, Guillermo

2014-01-01

A considerable percentage of multiple sclerosis patients have attentional impairment, but understanding its neurophysiological basis remains a challenge. The Attention Network Test allows 3 attentional networks to be studied. Previous behavioural studies using this test have shown that the alerting network is impaired in multiple sclerosis. The aim of this study was to identify neurophysiological indexes of the attention impairment in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients using this test. After general slowing had been removed in patients group to isolate the effects of each condition, some behavioral differences between them were obtained. About Contingent Negative Variation, a statistically significant decrement were found in the amplitude for Central and Spatial Cue Conditions for patient group (p<0.05). ANOVAs showed for the patient group a significant latency delay for P1 and N1 components (p<0.05) and a decrease of P3 amplitude for congruent and incongruent stimuli (p<0.01). With regard to correlation analysis, PASAT-3s and SDMT showed significant correlations with behavioral measures of the Attention Network Test (p<0.01) and an ERP parameter (CNV amplitude). Behavioral data are highly correlated with the neuropsychological scores and show that the alerting and orienting mechanisms in the patient group were impaired. Reduced amplitude for the Contingent Negative Variation in the patient group suggests that this component could be a physiological marker related to the alerting and orienting impairment in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. P1 and N1 delayed latencies are evidence of the demyelination process that causes impairment in the first steps of the visual sensory processing. Lastly, P3 amplitude shows a general decrease for the pathological group probably indexing a more central impairment. These results suggest that the Attention Network Test give evidence of multiple levels of attention impairment, which could help in the assessment and treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients.

Photonic sensing based on variation of propagation properties of photonic crystal fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rothwell, John H.; Flavin, Dónal A.; MacPherson, William N.; Jones, Julian D.; Knight, Jonathan C.; Russell, Philip St. J.

2006-12-01

We report on a low-coherence interferometric scheme for the measurement of the strain and temperature dependences of group delay and dispersion in short, index-guiding, 'endlessly-single-mode' photonic crystal fibre elements in the 840 nm and 1550 nm regions. Based on the measurements, we propose two schemes for simultaneous strain and temperature measurement using a single unmodified PCF element, without a requirement for any compensating components, and we project the measurement accuracies of these schemes.

Effect and safety of early weight-bearing on the outcome after open-wedge high tibial osteotomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Lee, O-Sung; Ahn, Soyeon; Lee, Yong Seuk

2017-07-01

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of early weight-bearing by comparing clinical and radiological outcomes between early and traditional delayed weight-bearing after OWHTO. A rigorous and systematic approach was used. The methodological quality was also assessed. Results that are possible to be compared in two or more than two articles were presented as forest plots. A 95% confidence interval was calculated for each effect size, and we calculated the I 2 statistic, which presents the percentage of total variation attributable to the heterogeneity among studies. The random-effects model was used to calculate the effect size. Six articles were included in the final analysis. All case groups were composed of early full weight-bearing within 2 weeks. All control groups were composed of late full weight-bearing between 6 weeks and 2 months. Pooled analysis was possible for the improvement in Lysholm score, but there was no statistically significant difference shown between groups. Other clinical results were also similar between groups. Four studies reported mechanical femorotibial angle (mFTA) and this result showed no statistically significant difference between groups in the pooled analysis. Furthermore, early weight-bearing showed more favorable results in some radiologic results (osseointegration and patellar height) and complications (thrombophlebitis and recurrence). Our analysis supports that early full weight-bearing after OWHTO using a locking plate leads to improvement in outcomes and was comparable to the delayed weight-bearing in terms of clinical and radiological outcomes. On the contrary, early weight-bearing was more favorable with respect to some radiologic parameters and complications compared with delayed weight-bearing.

General relation between the group delay and dwell time in multicomponent electron systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, Feng; Lu, Junqiang

2016-10-01

For multicomponent electron scattering states, we derive a general relation between the Wigner group delay and the Bohmian dwell time. It is found that the definition of group delay should account for the phase of the spinor wave functions of propagating modes. The difference between the group delay and dwell time comes from both the interference delay and the decaying modes. For barrier tunneling of helical electrons on a surface of topological insulators, our calculations including the trigonal-warping term show that the decaying modes can contribute greatly to the group delay. The derived relation between the group delay and the dwell time is helpful to unify the two definitions of tunneling time in a quite general situation.

Time signal distribution in communication networks based on synchronous digital hierarchy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Imaoka, Atsushi; Kihara, Masami

1993-01-01

A new method that uses round-trip paths to accurately measure transmission delay for time synchronization is proposed. The performance of the method in Synchronous Digital Hierarchy networks is discussed. The feature of this method is that it separately measures the initial round trip path delay and the variations in round-trip path delay. The delay generated in SDH equipment is determined by measuring the initial round-trip path delay. In an experiment with actual SDH equipment, the error of initial delay measurement was suppressed to 30ns.

A test of water vapor radiometer-based troposphere calibration using VLBI observations on a 21-kilometer baseline

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Linfield, R. P.; Teitelbaum, L. P.; Skjerve, L. J.; Keihm, S. J.; Walter, S. J.; Mahoney, M. J.; Treuhaft, R. N.

1995-01-01

Simultaneous very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) and water vapor radiometer (WVR) measurements on a 21 km baseline showed that calibration by WVRs removed a significant fraction of the effect of tropospheric delay fluctuations for these experiments. From comparison of the residual delay variations within scans and between scans, the total tropospheric contribution t the delay residuals for each of the three 5 to 20 hour sessions was estimated as 1, 17, and 10%, with the first value being uncertain. The observed improvement in rms residual delay from WVR calibration during these three sessions was 4, 16, and 2%, respectively. The improvement is consistent with the estimated 2 to 3 mm path delay precision of current WVRs. The VLBI measurements, of natural radio sources, were conducted in April and May 1993 at Goldstone, California. Dual-frequency (2.3 and 8.4 GHz) observations were employed to remove the effects of charged particles from the data. Measurements with co-pointed WVRs, located within 50 m of the axis of each antenna, were performed to test the ability of the WVRs to calibrate line-of-sight path delays. Factors that made WVR performance assessment difficult included (1) the fact that the level of tropospheric fluctuations was smaller than is typical for Goldstone during these experiments and (2) VLBI delay variations on longer time scales (i.e., over multiple scans) contained uncalibrated instrumental effects (probably a result of slow temperature variations in the VLBI hardware) that were larger than the tropospheric effects.

Tunable delay time and Hartman effect in graphene magnetic barriers

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

Ban, Yue; Wang, Lin-Jun; Chen, Xi, E-mail: xchen@shu.edu.cn

2015-04-28

Tunable group delay and Hartman effect have been investigated for massless Dirac electrons in graphene magnetic barriers. In the presence of magnetic field, dwell time is found to be equal to net group delay plus the group delay contributing from the lateral shifts. The group delay times are discussed in both cases of normal and oblique incidence, to clarify the nature of Hartman effect. In addition, the group delay in transmission can be modulated from subluminality to superluminality by adjusting the magnetic field, which may also lead to potential applications in graphene-based microelectronics.

Delay time and Hartman effect in strain engineered graphene

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

Chen, Xi, E-mail: xchen@shu.edu.cn; Deng, Zhi-Yong; Ban, Yue, E-mail: yban@shu.edu.cn

2014-05-07

Tunneling times, including group delay and dwell time, are studied for massless Dirac electrons transmitting through a one-dimensional barrier in strain-engineered graphene. The Hartman effect, the independence of group delay on barrier length, is induced by the strain effect, and associated with the transmission gap and the evanescent mode. The influence of barrier height/length and strain modulus/direction on the group delay is also discussed, which provides the flexibility to control the group delay with applications in graphene-based devices. The relationship between group delay and dwell time is finally derived to clarify the nature of the Hartman effect.

The variation in breast density and its relationship to delayed wound healing: a prospective study of 40 reduction mammoplasties.

PubMed

Baldwin, C J; Kelly, E J; Batchelor, A G

2010-04-01

The proportions of glandular and adipose tissue within the breast vary. This study records the variation in density of breast tissue excised at 40 consecutive bilateral breast reductions. Age, body mass index (BMI), breast size and wound healing problems were related to breast density. The removed breast tissue was weighed and volume determined by water displacement. Delayed wound healing was defined as any breast unhealed after 2 weeks. The density of excised tissue varied between 0.8 and 1.2g/cm(3). There was no correlation between age or BMI and breast density. Delayed wound healing occurred in 32% of patients. There was no correlation between delayed wound healing and breast density. However, there was a direct relationship between increasing BMI and delayed wound healing. In this study, breast density varied by up to 50%. The density of breast tissue cannot be predicted by age, BMI or breast size. There is no relationship between delayed wound healing and breast density. Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Infraocclusion: Dental development and associated dental variations in singletons and twins.

PubMed

Odeh, Ruba; Townsend, Grant; Mihailidis, Suzanna; Lähdesmäki, Raija; Hughes, Toby; Brook, Alan

2015-09-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of selected dental variations in association with infraocclusion, as well as determining the effects of infraocclusion on dental development and tooth size, in singletons and twins. Two samples were analysed. The first sample comprised 1454 panoramic radiographs of singleton boys and girls aged 8-11 years. The second sample comprised dental models of 202 pairs of monozygotic and dizygotic twins aged 8-11 years. Adobe Photoshop CS5 was used to construct reference lines and measure the extent of infraocclusion (in mm) of primary molars on the panoramic radiographs and on 2D images obtained from the dental models. The panoramic radiographs were examined for the presence of selected dental variations and to assess dental development following the Demirjian and Willems systems. The twins' dental models were measured to assess mesiodistal crown widths. In the singleton sample there was a significant association of canines in an altered position during eruption and the lateral incisor complex (agenesis and/or small tooth size) with infraocclusion (P<0.001), but there was no significant association between infraocclusion and agenesis of premolars. Dental age assessment revealed that dental development was delayed in individuals with infraocclusion compared to controls. The primary mandibular canines were significantly smaller in size in the infraoccluded group (P<0.05). The presence of other dental variations in association with infraocclusion, as well as delayed dental development and reduced tooth size, suggests the presence of a pleiotropic effect. The underlying aetiological factors may be genetic and/or epigenetic. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multigranular integrated services optical network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Oliver; Yin, Leping; Xu, Huan; Liao, Ming

2006-12-01

Based on all-optical switches without requiring fiber delay lines and optical-electrical-optical interfaces, the multigranular optical switching (MGOS) network integrates three transport services via unified core control to efficiently support bursty and stream traffic of subwavelength to multiwavelength bandwidth. Adaptive robust optical burst switching (AR-OBS) aggregates subwavelength burst traffic into asynchronous light-rate bursts, transported via slotted-time light paths established by fast two-way reservation with robust blocking recovery control. Multiwavelength optical switching (MW-OS) decomposes multiwavelength stream traffic into a group of timing-related light-rate streams, transported via a light-path group to meet end-to-end delay-variation requirements. Optical circuit switching (OCS) simply converts wavelength stream traffic from an electrical-rate into a light-rate stream. The MGOS network employs decoupled routing, wavelength, and time-slot assignment (RWTA) and novel group routing and wavelength assignment (GRWA) to select slotted-time light paths and light-path groups, respectively. The selected resources are reserved by the unified multigranular robust fast optical reservation protocol (MG-RFORP). Simulation results show that elastic traffic is efficiently supported via AR-OBS in terms of loss rate and wavelength utilization, while connection-oriented wavelength traffic is efficiently supported via wavelength-routed OCS in terms of connection blocking and wavelength utilization. The GRWA-tuning result for MW-OS is also shown.

Global exponential stability of BAM neural networks with time-varying delays and diffusion terms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Li; Zhou, Qinghua

2007-11-01

The stability property of bidirectional associate memory (BAM) neural networks with time-varying delays and diffusion terms are considered. By using the method of variation parameter and inequality technique, the delay-independent sufficient conditions to guarantee the uniqueness and global exponential stability of the equilibrium solution of such networks are established.

Ultra wideband ground penetrating radar imaging of heterogeneous solids

DOEpatents

Warhus, J.P.; Mast, J.E.

1998-11-10

A non-invasive imaging system for analyzing engineered structures comprises pairs of ultra wideband radar transmitters and receivers in a linear array that are connected to a timing mechanism that allows a radar echo sample to be taken at a variety of delay times for each radar pulse transmission. The radar transmitters and receivers are coupled to a position determining system that provides the x,y position on a surface for each group of samples measured for a volume from the surface. The radar transmitter and receivers are moved about the surface, e.g., attached to the bumper of a truck, to collect such groups of measurements from a variety of x,y positions. Return signal amplitudes represent the relative reflectivity of objects within the volume and the delay in receiving each signal echo represents the depth at which the object lays in the volume and the propagation speeds of the intervening material layers. Successively deeper z-planes are backward propagated from one layer to the next with an adjustment for variations in the expected propagation velocities of the material layers that lie between adjacent z-planes. 11 figs.

Ultra wideband ground penetrating radar imaging of heterogeneous solids

DOEpatents

Warhus, John P.; Mast, Jeffrey E.

1998-01-01

A non-invasive imaging system for analyzing engineered structures comprises pairs of ultra wideband radar transmitters and receivers in a linear array that are connected to a timing mechanism that allows a radar echo sample to be taken at a variety of delay times for each radar pulse transmission. The radar transmitters and receivers are coupled to a position determining system that provides the x,y position on a surface for each group of samples measured for a volume from the surface. The radar transmitter and receivers are moved about the surface, e.g., attached to the bumper of a truck, to collect such groups of measurements from a variety of x,y positions. Return signal amplitudes represent the relative reflectivity of objects within the volume and the delay in receiving each signal echo represents the depth at which the object lays in the volume and the propagation speeds of the intervening material layers. Successively deeper z-planes are backward propagated from one layer to the next with an adjustment for variations in the expected propagation velocities of the material layers that lie between adjacent z-planes.

Maximum principle for a stochastic delayed system involving terminal state constraints.

PubMed

Wen, Jiaqiang; Shi, Yufeng

2017-01-01

We investigate a stochastic optimal control problem where the controlled system is depicted as a stochastic differential delayed equation; however, at the terminal time, the state is constrained in a convex set. We firstly introduce an equivalent backward delayed system depicted as a time-delayed backward stochastic differential equation. Then a stochastic maximum principle is obtained by virtue of Ekeland's variational principle. Finally, applications to a state constrained stochastic delayed linear-quadratic control model and a production-consumption choice problem are studied to illustrate the main obtained result.

Array-CGH analysis in Rwandan patients presenting development delay/intellectual disability with multiple congenital anomalies.

PubMed

Uwineza, Annette; Caberg, Jean-Hubert; Hitayezu, Janvier; Hellin, Anne Cecile; Jamar, Mauricette; Dideberg, Vinciane; Rusingiza, Emmanuel K; Bours, Vincent; Mutesa, Leon

2014-07-12

Array-CGH is considered as the first-tier investigation used to identify copy number variations. Right now, there is no available data about the genetic etiology of patients with development delay/intellectual disability and congenital malformation in East Africa. Array comparative genomic hybridization was performed in 50 Rwandan patients with development delay/intellectual disability and multiple congenital abnormalities, using the Agilent's 180 K microarray platform. Fourteen patients (28%) had a global development delay whereas 36 (72%) patients presented intellectual disability. All patients presented multiple congenital abnormalities. Clinically significant copy number variations were found in 13 patients (26%). Size of CNVs ranged from 0,9 Mb to 34 Mb. Six patients had CNVs associated with known syndromes, whereas 7 patients presented rare genomic imbalances. This study showed that CNVs are present in African population and show the importance to implement genetic testing in East-African countries.

Measurement method for determining the magnetic hysteresis effects of reluctance actuators by evaluation of the force and flux variation.

PubMed

Vrijsen, N H; Jansen, J W; Compter, J C; Lomonova, E A

2013-07-01

A measurement method is presented which identifies the magnetic hysteresis effects present in the force of linear reluctance actuators. The measurement method is applied to determine the magnetic hysteresis in the force of an E-core reluctance actuator, with and without pre-biasing permanent magnet. The force measurements are conducted with a piezoelectric load cell (Kistler type 9272). This high-bandwidth force measurement instrument is identified in the frequency domain using a voice-coil actuator that has negligible magnetic hysteresis and eddy currents. Specifically, the phase delay between the current and force of the voice-coil actuator is used for the calibration of the measurement instrument. This phase delay is also obtained by evaluation of the measured force and flux variation in the E-core actuator, both with and without permanent magnet on the middle tooth. The measured magnetic flux variation is used to distinguish the phase delay due to magnetic hysteresis from the measured phase delay between the current and the force of the E-core actuator. Finally, an open loop steady-state ac model is presented that predicts the magnetic hysteresis effects in the force of the E-core actuator.

Fish utilisation of wetland nurseries with complex hydrological connectivity.

PubMed

Davis, Ben; Johnston, Ross; Baker, Ronald; Sheaves, Marcus

2012-01-01

The physical and faunal characteristics of coastal wetlands are driven by dynamics of hydrological connectivity to adjacent habitats. Wetlands on estuary floodplains are particularly dynamic, driven by a complex interplay of tidal marine connections and seasonal freshwater flooding, often with unknown consequences for fish using these habitats. To understand the patterns and subsequent processes driving fish assemblage structure in such wetlands, we examined the nature and diversity of temporal utilisation patterns at a species or genus level over three annual cycles in a tropical Australian estuarine wetland system. Four general patterns of utilisation were apparent based on CPUE and size-structure dynamics: (i) classic nursery utlisation (use by recently settled recruits for their first year) (ii) interrupted peristence (iii) delayed recruitment (iv) facultative wetland residence. Despite the small self-recruiting 'facultative wetland resident' group, wetland occupancy seems largely driven by connectivity to the subtidal estuary channel. Variable connection regimes (i.e. frequency and timing of connections) within and between different wetland units (e.g. individual pools, lagoons, swamps) will therefore interact with the diversity of species recruitment schedules to generate variable wetland assemblages in time and space. In addition, the assemblage structure is heavily modified by freshwater flow, through simultaneously curtailing persistence of the 'interrupted persistence' group, establishing connectivity for freshwater spawned members of both the 'facultative wetland resident' and 'delayed recruitment group', and apparently mediating use of intermediate nursery habitats for marine-spawned members of the 'delayed recruitment' group. The diversity of utilisation pattern and the complexity of associated drivers means assemblage compositions, and therefore ecosystem functioning, is likely to vary among years depending on variations in hydrological connectivity. Consequently, there is a need to incorporate this diversity into understandings of habitat function, conservation and management.

Three Profiles of Language Abilities in Toddlers with an Expressive Vocabulary Delay: Variations on a Theme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Desmarais, Chantal; Sylvestre, Audette; Meyer, Francois; Bairati, Isabelle; Rouleau, Nancie

2010-01-01

Purpose: The presence of an expressive vocabulary delay (EVD) in the context of otherwise harmonious development has been the main criterion used to define language delay in 2-year-olds. To better understand the communicative functioning of these children, other variables must be considered. In this study, the aim was to delineate and characterize…

Low-temperature Ignition-delay Characteristics of Several Rocket Fuels with Mixed Acid in Modified Open-cup-type Apparatus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Riley O

1950-01-01

Summaries of low-temperature self-ignition data of various rocket fuels with mixed acid (nitric plus sulfuric) are presented. Several fuels are shown to have shorter ignition-delay intervals and less variation in delay intervals at moderate and sub-zero temperatures than crude N-ethylaniline (monoethylaniline),a rocket fuel in current use.

Effects of the gaseous and liquid water content of the atmosphere on range delay and Doppler frequency

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flock, W. L.

1981-01-01

When high precision is required for range measurement on Earth space paths, it is necessary to correct as accurately as possible for excess range delays due to the dry air, water vapor, and liquid water content of the atmosphere. Calculations based on representative values of atmospheric parameters are useful for illustrating the order of magnitude of the expected delays. Range delay, time delay, and phase delay are simply and directly related. Doppler frequency variations or noise are proportional to the time rate of change of excess range delay. Tropospheric effects were examined as part of an overall consideration of the capability of precision two way ranging and Doppler systems.

Electric organ discharge diversity in the genus Gymnotus: anatomo-functional groups and electrogenic mechanisms.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Cattáneo, A; Aguilera, P; Cilleruelo, E; Crampton, W G R; Caputi, A A

2013-04-15

Previous studies describe six factors accounting for interspecific diversity of electric organ discharge (EOD) waveforms in Gymnotus. At the cellular level, three factors determine the locally generated waveforms: (1) electrocyte geometry and channel repertoire; (2) the localization of synaptic contacts on electrocyte surfaces; and (3) electric activity of electromotor axons preceding the discharge of electrocytes. At the organismic level, three factors determine the integration of the EOD as a behavioral unit: (4) the distribution of different types of electrocytes and specialized passive tissue forming the electric organ (EO); (5) the neural mechanisms of electrocyte discharge coordination; and (6) post-effector mechanisms. Here, we reconfirm the importance of the first five of these factors based on comparative studies of a wider diversity of Gymnotus than previously investigated. Additionally, we report a hitherto unseen aspect of EOD diversity in Gymnotus. The central region of the EO (which has the largest weight on the conspecific-received field) usually exhibits a negative-positive-negative pattern where the delay between the early negative and positive peaks (determined by neural coordination mechanisms) matches the delay between the positive and late negative peaks (determined by electrocyte responsiveness). Because delays between peaks typically determine the peak power frequency, this matching implies a co-evolution of neural and myogenic coordination mechanisms in determining the spectral specificity of the intraspecific communication channel. Finally, we define four functional species groups based on EO/EOD structure. The first three exhibit a heterogeneous EO in which doubly innervated electrocytes are responsible for a main triphasic complex. Group I species exhibit a characteristic cephalic extension of the EO. Group II species exhibit an early positive component of putative neural origin, and strong EO auto-excitability. Group III species exhibit an early, slow, negative wave of abdominal origin, and variation in EO auto-excitability. Representatives of Group IV generate a unique waveform comprising a main positive peak followed by a small, load-dependent negative component.

Variability of Acoustic Transmissions in a Shallow Water Area,

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-05-01

as changes in the probability density and distribution functions, and the 17 PEILChJ4WO AA Aw i-m--t SACLANTCEN SR-46 test is sensitive to these...transducer on the bottom, i.e. no delay variations, and another with a lot of movements. The left parts of the figure show projections of spreading...change a lot from one ping group (matrix) to the next (see Figs. 9c and TOc). Comparing the runs tests (Figs. 9a and lOa) we see that there is a lot

Continuous light affects mineralization and delays osteoid incorporation in vertebral bone of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.).

PubMed

Wargelius, Anna; Fjelldal, Per Gunnar; Nordgarden, Ulla; Hansen, Tom

2009-03-01

In order to study the effects of photoperiod on fish bone, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) were exposed to two light regimes (natural and continuous light) from January until June. During the experimental period, several parameters related to the inorganic (minerals) and organic (osteoid) phases were measured. Changes in the organic phase were related to mechanical strength (yield-load) and the expression of the genes sonic hedgehog (shh) and collagen type I alpha 2 (col I). Co-variation between yield-load and the expression of both shh and col I were detected in both groups. It was also shown that fish on the continuous light regime had delayed activation of osteoid incorporation. Mineralization properties were measured with stiffness, mineral incorporation per day and expression of alkaline phosphatase (alp) and matrix Gla protein (mgp). Stiffness, mineral incorporation and gene expression followed the same trend in both light groups in late spring, whereas an increase in the expression of mgp and alp was detected in April, followed by significantly higher stiffness at last sampling in both light groups. These results indicate that constant light affects mineralization and delays osteoid incorporation in Atlantic salmon during the spring. However, in this experiment light treatment did not promote the development of vertebral deformities. Our results also suggest that shh can be used as a marker of osteoblast proliferation and col I a marker of osteoid incorporation, and that both alp and mgp expression could be associated with a rapid increase in mineralization in Atlantic salmon vertebrae.

Direct-reading group-delay measurement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trowbridge, D. L.

1978-01-01

Technique for measuring modulation signal retardation in microwave components gives direct plot of dependence of delay time on carrier frequency. Recorder sensitivity can be adjusted to give convenient scale factor for group delay. From family of such recordings, it is possible to observe changes in group delay due to temperature, mechanical stress, and other factors.

Predicting memory performance under conditions of proactive interference: immediate and delayed judgments of learning.

PubMed

Wahlheim, Christopher N

2011-07-01

Four experiments examined the monitoring accuracy of immediate and delayed judgments of learning (JOLs) under conditions of proactive interference (PI). PI was produced using paired-associate learning tasks that conformed to variations of classic A-B, A-D paradigms. Results revealed that the relative monitoring accuracy of interference items was better for delayed than for immediate JOLs. However, delayed JOLs were overconfident for interference items, but not for items devoid of interference. Intrusions retrieved prior to delayed JOLs produced inflated predictions of performance. These results show that delayed JOLs enhance monitoring accuracy in PI situations, except when intrusions are mistaken for target responses.

The effects of local nitroglycerin on the surgical delay procedure in prefabricated flaps by vascular implant in rats.

PubMed

Sá, Jairo Zacchê de; Aguiar, José Lamartine de Andrade; Cruz, Adriana Ferreira; Schuler, Alexandre Ricardo Pereira; Lima, José Ricardo Alves de; Marques, Olga Martins

2012-12-01

To evaluate the effect of local nitroglycerin on the viable area of a prefabricated flap for vascular implant in rats, and to investigate the surgical delay procedure. A femoral pedicle was implanted under the skin of the abdominal wall in forty Wistar rats. The animals were divided into four groups of ten: group 1 - without surgical delay procedure and local nitroglycerin; group 2 - with surgical delay procedure, but without local nitroglycerin; group 3 - without surgical delay procedure, but with local nitroglycerin; and group 4 - with simultaneous surgical delay procedure and local nitroglycerin. The percentages of the viable areas, in relation to the total flap, were calculated using AutoCAD R 14. The mean percentage value of the viable area was 8.9% in the group 1. 49.4% in the group 2; 8.4% in the group 3 and 1.1% in the group 4. There was significant difference between groups 1 and 2 (p=0.005), 1 and 4 (p=0.024), 2 and 3 (p=0.003), 2 and 4 (p=0.001). These results support the hypothesis that the closure of the arterial venous channels is responsible for the phenomenon of surgical delay procedure. Local nitroglycerin did not cause an increase in the prefabricated viable flap area by vascular implantation and decreased the viable flap area that underwent delay procedures.

Delayed neutron spectral data for Hansen-Roach energy group structure

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

Campbell, J.M.; Spriggs, G.D.

A detailed knowledge of delayed neutron spectra is important in reactor physics. It not only allows for an accurate estimate of the effective delayed neutron fraction {beta}{sub eff} but also is essential to calculating important reactor kinetic parameters, such as effective group abundances and the ratio of {beta}{sub eff} to the prompt neutron generation time. Numerous measurements of delayed neutron spectra for various delayed neutron precursors have been performed and reported in the literature. However, for application in reactor physics calculations, these spectra are usually lumped into one of the traditional six groups of delayed neutrons in accordance to theirmore » half-lives. Subsequently, these six-group spectra are binned into energy intervals corresponding to the energy intervals of a chosen nuclear cross-section set. In this work, the authors present a set of delayed neutron spectra that were formulated specifically to match Keepin`s six-group parameters and the 16-energy-group Hansen-Roach cross sections.« less

Differential Cued-Stroop Performance in Cognitively Asymptomatic Older Adults with Biomarker-Identified Risk for Alzheimer's Disease: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Patten, Ryan Van; Fagan, Anne M; Kaufman, David A S

2018-04-04

There exists a need for more sensitive measures, capable of detecting subtle cognitive decline due to Alzheimer's disease. To advance the literature in Alzheimer's disease by demonstrating that performance on a cued-Stroop task is impacted by preclinical Alzheimer's disease neuropathology. Twenty-nine cognitively asymptomatic older adults completed a computerized, cued-Stroop task in which accuracy rates and intraindividual variability in reaction times were the outcomes of interest. Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of Aβ42 and tau were measured and participants were then grouped according to a published p-tau/Aβ42 cutoff reflecting risk for Alzheimer's disease (preclinical Alzheimer's disease = 14; control = 15). ANOVAs indicated that accuracy rates did not differ between the groups but 4-second delay incongruent color-naming Stroop coefficient of variation reaction times were higher in the preclinical Alzheimer's disease group compared to the control group, reflecting increased within-person variability. Moreover, partial correlations showed no relationships between cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers and accuracy rates. However, increases in coefficient of variation reaction times correlated with decreased Aβ42 and increases in p-tau and the p-tau/Aβ42 ratio. Results supported the ability of the computerized, cued-Stroop task to detect subtle Alzheimer's disease neuropathology using a small cohort of cognitively asymptomatic older adults. The ongoing measurement of cued-Stroop coefficient of variation reaction times has both scientific and clinical utility in preclinical Alzheimer's disease. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Apparatus and Method for Compensating for Process, Voltage, and Temperature Variation of the Time Delay of a Digital Delay Line

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seefeldt, James (Inventor); Feng, Xiaoxin (Inventor); Roper, Weston (Inventor)

2013-01-01

A process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) compensation circuit and a method of continuously generating a delay measure are provided. The compensation circuit includes two delay lines, each delay line providing a delay output. The two delay lines may each include a number of delay elements, which in turn may include one or more current-starved inverters. The number of delay lines may differ between the two delay lines. The delay outputs are provided to a combining circuit that determines an offset pulse based on the two delay outputs and then averages the voltage of the offset pulse to determine a delay measure. The delay measure may be one or more currents or voltages indicating an amount of PVT compensation to apply to input or output signals of an application circuit, such as a memory-bus driver, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a synchronous DRAM, a processor or other clocked circuit.

Impulsive choice and pre-exposure to delays: iv. effects of delay- and immediacy-exposure training relative to maturational changes in impulsivity.

PubMed

Renee Renda, C; Rung, Jillian M; Hinnenkamp, Jay E; Lenzini, Stephanie N; Madden, Gregory J

2018-04-23

Impulsive choice describes preference for smaller, sooner rewards over larger, later rewards. Excessive delay discounting (i.e., rapid devaluation of delayed rewards) underlies some impulsive choices, and is observed in many maladaptive behaviors (e.g., substance abuse, gambling). Interventions designed to reduce delay discounting may provide therapeutic gains. One such intervention provides rats with extended training with delayed reinforcers. When compared to a group given extended training with immediate reinforcers, delay-exposed rats make significantly fewer impulsive choices. To what extent is this difference due to delay-exposure training shifting preference toward self-control or immediacy-exposure training (the putative control group) shifting preference toward impulsivity? The current study compared the effects of delay- and immediacy-exposure training to a no-training control group and evaluated within-subject changes in impulsive choice across 51 male Wistar rats. Delay-exposed rats made significantly fewer impulsive choices than immediacy-exposed and control rats. Between-group differences in impulsive choice were not observed in the latter two groups. While delay-exposed rats showed large, significant pre- to posttraining reductions in impulsive choice, immediacy-exposed and control rats showed small reductions in impulsive choice. These results suggest that extended training with delayed reinforcers reduces impulsive choice, and that extended training with immediate reinforcers does not increase impulsive choice. © 2018 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Polidocanol injection for chemical delay and its effect on the survival of rat dorsal skin flaps.

PubMed

Menevşe, Gülsüm Tetik; TeomanTellioglu, Ali; Altuntas, Nurgül; Cömert, Ayhan; Tekdemir, Ibrahim

2014-06-01

Surgical delay is an invasive method requiring a two-stage surgical procedure. Hence, methods that may serve as an alternative to surgical delay have become the focus of interest of research studies. From a conceptual view, any technique that interrupts the blood flow along the edges of a proposed flap will render the flap ischemic and induce a delay phenomenon. Polidocanol (Aethoxysklerol(®)-Kreussler) was initially used as a local anesthetic. Nowadays, it has been used as a sclerosing agent to treat telangiectasias and varicose veins. The aim of this experimental study was to investigate the effects of polidocanol injected around the periphery of a random flap as a sclerosing agent on flap delay and survival in a random flap model. A preliminary histopathologic study was performed on two rats to evaluate the sclerosing effect and distribution of polidocanol injection. After the preliminary study, the main study was carried out with three groups: group 1: dorsal flap (n = 10); group 2: dorsal flap + surgical delay (n = 10), group 3: dorsal flap + chemical delay (n = 10). Tissue samples obtained from the flap and injection area revealed destruction of intradermal vessels. The area affected with sclerosis was limited to 0.1 cm beyond the injection site. Mean viable flap areas were 52.1 ± 4.38% (44.0-58.2) in group 1, 64.8 ± 8.92% (57.2-89.2) in group 2, and 71.8 ± 5.18% (64.0-84.0) in group 3. A statistically highly significant difference was found between the surgical delay and chemical delay groups versus the group without delay (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). The difference between the mean viable flap areas was not statistically significant in the surgical and chemical delay groups (p = 0.056). In conclusion, this study has shown that polidocanol injection around the dorsal flap in the rat is a safe and easy method for nonsurgical delay. The results have shown a flap survival benefit that is superior to controls and equivalent to surgical delay. The clinical application of polidocanol, already in clinical practice for occlusal of telangiectasias, for surgical delay appears feasible. Copyright © 2014 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of delay in admission on the outcome of critically ill patients presenting to the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital from low income country.

PubMed

Khan, Badar Afzal; Shakeel, Nishi; Siddiqui, Emad Uddin; Kazi, Ghazala; Khan, Irum Qamar; Khursheed, Munawer; Feroze, Asher; Ejaz, Kiran; Khan, Sumaiya Tauseeq; Adel, Hatem

2016-05-01

To assess the impact of admission delay on the outcome of critical patients. The retrospective chart review was done at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised adult patients visiting the Emergency Department during 2010. Outcome measures assessed were total hospital length of stay, total cost of the visit and in-hospital mortality. Patients admitted within 6 hours of presentation at Emergency Department were defined as non-delayed. Data was analysed using SPSS 19. Of the 49,532 patients reporting at the Emergency Department during the study period, 17,968 (36.3%) were admitted. Of them 2356(13%) were admitted to special or intensive care units, 1595(67.7%) of this sub-group stayed in the Emergency Department for >6 hours before being shifted to intensive care. The study focussed on 325(0.65%) of the total patients; 164(50.5%) in the non-delayed group and 161(49.5%) in the delayed group. The admitting diagnosis of myocardial infarction (p=0.00) and acute coronary syndrome (p=0.01) was significantly more common in the non-delayed group compared to other diagnoses like cerebrovascular attacks (p=0.03) which was significantly more common in the delayed group. There was no significant difference in the hospital length of stay between the two groups (p>0.05). The Emergency Department cost was significantly increased in the delayed group (p<0.05), but there was no difference in the overall hospital cost between the groups (p>0.05). There was no significant difference in the delayed and non-delayed groups, but long Emergency Department stays are distressing for both physicians and patients.

Neural and personality correlates of individual differences related to the effects of acute tryptophan depletion on future reward evaluation.

PubMed

Demoto, Yoshihiko; Okada, Go; Okamoto, Yasumasa; Kunisato, Yoshihiko; Aoyama, Shiori; Onoda, Keiichi; Munakata, Ayumi; Nomura, Michio; Tanaka, Saori C; Schweighofer, Nicolas; Doya, Kenji; Yamawaki, Shigeto

2012-01-01

In general, humans tend to discount the value of delayed reward. An increase in the rate of discounting leads to an inability to select a delayed reward over a smaller immediate reward (reward-delay impulsivity). Although deficits in the serotonergic system are implicated in this reward-delay impulsivity, there is individual variation in response to serotonin depletion. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the effects of serotonin depletion on the ability to evaluate future reward are affected by individual personality traits or brain activation. Personality traits were assessed using the NEO-Five Factor Inventory and Temperament and Character Inventory. The central serotonergic levels of 16 healthy volunteers were manipulated by dietary tryptophan depletion. Subjects performed a delayed reward choice task that required the continuous estimation of reward value during functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. Discounting rates were increased in 9 participants, but were unchanged or decreased in 7 participants in response to tryptophan depletion. Participants whose discounting rate was increased by tryptophan depletion had significantly higher neuroticism and lower self-directedness. Furthermore, tryptophan depletion differentially affected the groups in terms of hemodynamic responses to the value of predicted future reward in the right insula. These results suggest that individuals who have high neuroticism and low self-directedness as personality traits are particularly vulnerable to the effect of low serotonin on future reward evaluation accompanied by altered brain activation patterns. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Direct measurement of group delay with joint time-frequency analysis of a white-light spectral interferogram.

PubMed

Deng, Yuqiang; Yang, Weijian; Zhou, Chun; Wang, Xi; Tao, Jun; Kong, Weipeng; Zhang, Zhigang

2008-12-01

We propose and demonstrate an analysis method to directly extract the group delay rather than the phase from the white-light spectral interferogram. By the joint time-frequency analysis technique, group delay is directly read from the ridge of wavelet transform, and group-delay dispersion is easily obtained by additional differentiation. The technique shows reasonable potential for the characterization of ultra-broadband chirped mirrors.

Reasons for delaying or engaging in early sexual initiation among adolescents in Nigeria

PubMed Central

Ankomah, Augustine; Mamman-Daura, Fatima; Omoregie, Godpower; Anyanti, Jennifer

2011-01-01

Background Annually, over 1 million births in Nigeria are to teenage mothers. Many of these pregnancies are unwanted and these mothers are also exposed to the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Sexual abstinence is a critical preventative health strategy. Several quantitative studies in Nigeria have identified the correlates and determinants of early sex, yet few have explored in depth the underlying reasons for early sex. This paper explores both the key factors that motivate some unmarried young people to engage in early sex and reasons why some delay. Methods This qualitative study was based on data from 30 focus group discussions held with unmarried 14- to 19-year-olds in four geographically and culturally dispersed Nigerian states. Focus groups were stratified by sexual experience to capture variations among different subgroups. Results Several reasons for early premarital sex were identified. The “push” factors included situations where parents exposed young female adolescents to street trading. “Pull” factors, particularly for males, included the pervasive viewing of locally produced movies, peer pressure and, for females, transactional sex (where adolescent girls exchange sex for gifts, cash, or other favors). Also noted were overtly coercive factors, including rape. There were also myths and misconceptions that “justified” early sexual initiation. Reasons cited for delay included religious injunction against premarital sex; disease prevention (especially HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome); fear of pregnancy, and linked to this, the fear of dropping out of school; and, for females, the fear of bringing shame to the family, which could lead to their inability to get a “good” husband in the future. Conclusion The differences observed between sexually active and abstinent adolescents were that the latter were more confident, had greater determination, and, most important, deployed refusal skills to delay first sex. Health promoters need to focus attention on educating adolescents in the skills needed to delay sexual debut. PMID:24600276

Five-year evolution of reperfusion strategies and early mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in France.

PubMed

El Khoury, Carlos; Bochaton, Thomas; Flocard, Elodie; Serre, Patrice; Tomasevic, Danka; Mewton, Nathan; Bonnefoy-Cudraz, Eric

2017-10-01

To assess 5-year evolutions in reperfusion strategies and early mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Using data from the French RESCUe network, we studied patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated in mobile intensive care units between 2009 and 2013. Among 2418 patients (median age 62 years; 78.5% male), 2119 (87.6%) underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention and 299 (12.4%) pre-hospital thrombolysis (94.0% of whom went on to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention). Use of primary percutaneous coronary intervention increased from 78.4% in 2009 to 95.9% in 2013 ( P trend <0.001). Median delays included: first medical contact to percutaneous coronary intervention centre 48 minutes; first medical contact to balloon inflation 94 minutes; and percutaneous coronary intervention centre to balloon inflation 43 minutes. Times from symptom onset to first medical contact and first medical contact to thrombolysis remained stable during 2009-2013, but times from symptom onset to first balloon inflation, and first medical contact to percutaneous coronary intervention centre to first balloon inflation decreased ( P<0.001). Among patients with known timings, 2146 (89.2%) had a first medical contact to percutaneous coronary intervention centre delay ⩽90 minutes, while 260 (10.8%) had a longer delay, with no significant variation over time. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention use increased over time in both delay groups, but was consistently higher in the ⩽90 versus >90 minutes delay group (83.0% in 2009 to 97.7% in 2013; P trend <0.001 versus 34.1% in 2009 to 79.2% in 2013; P trend <0.001). In-hospital (4-6%) and 30-day (6-8%) mortalities remained stable from 2009 to 2013. In the RESCUe network, the use of primary percutaneous coronary intervention increased from 2009 to 2013, in line with guidelines, but there was no evolution in early mortality.

Efficacy of Liposuction as a Delay Method for Improving Flap Survival.

PubMed

Orhan, Erkan; Erol, Yağmur Reyyan; Deren, Orgun; Altun, Serdar; Erdoğan, Bülent

2016-12-01

Flaps are often used in repairing tissue defects and partial or full flap loss is still an important morbidity cause. Several techniques have been tried to increase flap circulation but none of these could replace the delay technique. Our goal in this study is to show the efficacy of liposuction in delay of dorsal rat cutaneous flaps and improvement in flap survival. Twenty-four Wistar rats were used. The rats in group 1 received 9 × 3-sized caudally-based random pattern skin flaps. In group 2, liposuction was done under the tissue island spotted as the flap and after 14 days, standard flap surgery was done. In group 3, surgical delay was done and after 14 days, standard flap surgery was done. In group 4, liposuction was done under the tissue island spotted as the flap and standard flap surgery was done right after the liposuction. The rate of necrotic tissue in group 3 (surgical delay; mean % 13.7) was less than the rate in group 2 (liposuction delay; mean % 15.1), although the difference was not statistically significant. The necrosis rates in group 3 (surgical delay) and group 2 (liposuction delay) were less than the rates in both group 1 (only flap; mean % 41.5) and group 4 (liposuction flap; mean % 40.0) and this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). Liposuction can be an alternative to surgical delay as a less invasive method in the clinic. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Causes of delay in door-to-balloon time in south-east Asian patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

PubMed

Sim, Wen Jun; Ang, An Shing; Tan, Mae Chyi; Xiang, Wen Wei; Foo, David; Loh, Kwok Kong; Jafary, Fahim Haider; Watson, Timothy James; Ong, Paul Jau Lueng; Ho, Hee Hwa

2017-01-01

To evaluate causes and impact of delay in the door-to-balloon (D2B) time for patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). From January 2009 to December 2012, 1268 patients (86% male, mean age of 58 ± 12 years) presented to our hospital for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and underwent PPCI. They were divided into two groups: Non-delay defined as D2B time ≤ 90 mins and delay group defined as D2B time > 90 mins. Data were collected retrospectively on baseline clinical characteristics, mode of presentation, angiographic findings, therapeutic modality and inhospital outcome. 202 patients had delay in D2B time. There were more female patients in the delay group. They were older and tend to self-present to hospital. They were less likely to be smokers and have a higher prevalence of prior MI. The incidence of posterior MI was higher in the delay group. They also had a higher incidence of triple vessel disease. The 3 most common reasons for D2B delay was delay in the emergency department (39%), atypical clinical presentation (37.6%) and unstable medical condition requiring stabilisation/computed tomographic imaging (26.7%). The inhospital mortality was numerically higher in the delay group (7.4% versus 4.8%, p = 0.12). Delay in D2B occurred in 16% of our patients undergoing PPCI. Several key factors for delay were identified and warrant further intervention.

Hospital Variation in Time to Epinephrine for Non-Shockable In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

PubMed Central

Khera, Rohan; Chan, Paul S.; Donnino, Michael; Girotra, Saket

2016-01-01

Background For patients with in-hospital cardiac arrests due to non-shockable rhythms, delays in epinephrine administration beyond 5 minutes is associated with worse survival. However, the extent of hospital variation in delayed epinephrine administration and its impact on hospital-level outcomes is unknown. Methods Within Get with the Guidelines-Resuscitation, we identified 103,932 adult patients (≥18 years) at 548 hospitals with an in-hospital cardiac arrest due to a non-shockable rhythm who received at least 1 dose of epinephrine between 2000 to 2014. We constructed two-level hierarchical regression models to quantify hospital variation in rates of delayed epinephrine administration (>5 minutes) and its association with hospital rates of survival to discharge and survival with functional recovery. Results Overall, 13,213 (12.7%) patients had delays to epinephrine, and this rate varied markedly across hospitals (range: 0% to 53.8%). The odds of delay in epinephrine administration were 58% higher at one randomly selected hospital compared to a similar patient at another randomly selected hospitals (median odds ratio [OR] 1.58; 95% C.I. 1.51 – 1.64). Median risk-standardized survival rate was 12.0% (range: 5.4% to 31.9%) and risk-standardized survival with functional recovery was 7.4% (range: 0.9% to 30.8%). There was an inverse correlation between a hospital’s rate of delayed epinephrine administration and its risk-standardized rate of survival to discharge (ρ= −0.22, P<0.0001) and survival with functional recovery (ρ= −0.14, P=0.001). Compared to a median survival rate of 12.9% (interquartile range 11.1% to 15.4%) at hospitals in the lowest quartile of epinephrine delay, risk-standardized survival was 16% lower at hospitals in the quartile with the highest rate of epinephrine delays (10.8%, interquartile range: 9.7% to 12.7%). Conclusions Delays in epinephrine administration following in-hospital cardiac arrest are common and varies across hospitals. Hospitals with high rates of delayed epinephrine administration had lower rates of overall survival for in-hospital cardiac arrest due to non-shockable rhythm. Further studies are needed to determine if improving hospital performance on time to epinephrine administration, especially at hospitals with poor performance on this metric will lead to improved outcomes. PMID:27908910

Hospital Variation in Time to Epinephrine for Nonshockable In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.

PubMed

Khera, Rohan; Chan, Paul S; Donnino, Michael; Girotra, Saket

2016-12-20

For patients with in-hospital cardiac arrests attributable to nonshockable rhythms, delays in epinephrine administration beyond 5 minutes is associated with worse survival. However, the extent of hospital variation in delayed epinephrine administration and its effect on hospital-level outcomes is unknown. Within Get With The Guidelines-Resuscitation, we identified 103 932 adult patients (≥18 years) at 548 hospitals with an in-hospital cardiac arrest attributable to a nonshockable rhythm who received at least 1 dose of epinephrine between 2000 and 2014. We constructed 2-level hierarchical regression models to quantify hospital variation in rates of delayed epinephrine administration (>5 minutes) and its association with hospital rates of survival to discharge and survival with functional recovery. Overall, 13 213 (12.7%) patients had delays to epinephrine, and this rate varied markedly across hospitals (range, 0%-53.8%). The odds of delay in epinephrine administration were 58% higher at 1 randomly selected hospital in comparison with a similar patient at another randomly selected hospital (median odds ratio, 1.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.51-1.64). The median risk-standardized survival rate was 12.0% (range, 5.4%-31.9%), and the risk-standardized survival with functional recovery was 7.4% (range, 0.9%-30.8%). There was an inverse correlation between a hospital's rate of delayed epinephrine administration and its risk-standardized rate of survival to discharge (ρ=-0.22, P<0.0001) and survival with functional recovery (ρ=-0.14, P=0.001). In comparison with a median survival rate of 12.9% (interquartile range, 11.1%-15.4%) at hospitals in the lowest quartile of epinephrine delay, risk-standardized survival was 16% lower at hospitals in the quartile with the highest rate of epinephrine delays (10.8%; interquartile range, 9.7%-12.7%). Delays in epinephrine administration following in-hospital cardiac arrest are common and variy across hospitals. Hospitals with high rates of delayed epinephrine administration had lower rates of overall survival for in-hospital cardiac arrest attributable to nonshockable rhythm. Further studies are needed to determine whether improving hospital performance on time to epinephrine administration, especially at hospitals with poor performance on this metric, will lead to improved outcomes. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

A direct evaluation of the Geosat altimeter wet atmospheric range delay using very long baseline interferometry observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koblinsky, C. J.; Ryan, J.; Braatz, L.; Klosko, S. M.

1993-01-01

The overall accuracy of the U.S. Navy Geosat altimeter wet atmospheric range delay caused by refraction through the atmosphere is directly assessed by comparing the estimates made from the DMSP Special Sensor Microwave/Imager and the U.S. Navy Fleet Numerical Ocean Center forecast model for Geosat with measurements of total zenith columnar water vapor content from four VLBI sites. The assessment is made by comparing time series of range delay from various methods at each location. To determine the importance of diurnal variation in water vapor content in noncoincident estimates, the VLBI measurements were made at 15-min intervals over a few days. The VLBI measurements showed strong diurnal variations in columnar water vapor at several sites, causing errors of the order 3 cm rms in any noncoincident measurement of the wet troposphere range delay. These errors have an effect on studies of annual and interannual changes in sea level with Geosat data.

Delay and probability discounting of sexual and monetary outcomes in individuals with cocaine use disorders and matched controls.

PubMed

Johnson, Matthew W; Johnson, Patrick S; Herrmann, Evan S; Sweeney, Mary M

2015-01-01

Individuals with cocaine use disorders are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, partly due to higher rates of unprotected sex. Recent research suggests delay discounting of condom use is a factor in sexual HIV risk. Delay discounting is a behavioral economic concept describing how delaying an event reduces that event's value or impact on behavior. Probability discounting is a related concept describing how the uncertainty of an event decreases its impact on behavior. Individuals with cocaine use disorders (n = 23) and matched non-cocaine-using controls (n = 24) were compared in decision-making tasks involving hypothetical outcomes: delay discounting of condom-protected sex (Sexual Delay Discounting Task), delay discounting of money, the effect of sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk on likelihood of condom use (Sexual Probability Discounting Task), and probability discounting of money. The Cocaine group discounted delayed condom-protected sex (i.e., were more likely to have unprotected sex vs. wait for a condom) significantly more than controls in two of four Sexual Delay Discounting Task partner conditions. The Cocaine group also discounted delayed money (i.e., preferred smaller immediate amounts over larger delayed amounts) significantly more than controls. In the Sexual Probability Discounting Task, both groups showed sensitivity to STI risk, however the groups did not differ. The Cocaine group did not consistently discount probabilistic money more or less than controls. Steeper discounting of delayed, but not probabilistic, sexual outcomes may contribute to greater rates of sexual HIV risk among individuals with cocaine use disorders. Probability discounting of sexual outcomes may contribute to risk of unprotected sex in both groups. Correlations showed sexual and monetary results were unrelated, for both delay and probability discounting. The results highlight the importance of studying specific behavioral processes (e.g., delay and probability discounting) with respect to specific outcomes (e.g., monetary and sexual) to understand decision making in problematic behavior.

Delay and Probability Discounting of Sexual and Monetary Outcomes in Individuals with Cocaine Use Disorders and Matched Controls

PubMed Central

Johnson, Matthew W.; Johnson, Patrick S.; Herrmann, Evan S.; Sweeney, Mary M.

2015-01-01

Individuals with cocaine use disorders are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, partly due to higher rates of unprotected sex. Recent research suggests delay discounting of condom use is a factor in sexual HIV risk. Delay discounting is a behavioral economic concept describing how delaying an event reduces that event’s value or impact on behavior. Probability discounting is a related concept describing how the uncertainty of an event decreases its impact on behavior. Individuals with cocaine use disorders (n = 23) and matched non-cocaine-using controls (n = 24) were compared in decision-making tasks involving hypothetical outcomes: delay discounting of condom-protected sex (Sexual Delay Discounting Task), delay discounting of money, the effect of sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk on likelihood of condom use (Sexual Probability Discounting Task), and probability discounting of money. The Cocaine group discounted delayed condom-protected sex (i.e., were more likely to have unprotected sex vs. wait for a condom) significantly more than controls in two of four Sexual Delay Discounting Task partner conditions. The Cocaine group also discounted delayed money (i.e., preferred smaller immediate amounts over larger delayed amounts) significantly more than controls. In the Sexual Probability Discounting Task, both groups showed sensitivity to STI risk, however the groups did not differ. The Cocaine group did not consistently discount probabilistic money more or less than controls. Steeper discounting of delayed, but not probabilistic, sexual outcomes may contribute to greater rates of sexual HIV risk among individuals with cocaine use disorders. Probability discounting of sexual outcomes may contribute to risk of unprotected sex in both groups. Correlations showed sexual and monetary results were unrelated, for both delay and probability discounting. The results highlight the importance of studying specific behavioral processes (e.g., delay and probability discounting) with respect to specific outcomes (e.g., monetary and sexual) to understand decision making in problematic behavior. PMID:26017273

Prospective randomized study of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair using an early versus delayed postoperative physical therapy protocol.

PubMed

Cuff, Derek J; Pupello, Derek R

2012-11-01

This study evaluated patient outcomes and rotator cuff healing after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair using a postoperative physical therapy protocol with early passive motion compared with a delayed protocol that limited early passive motion. The study enrolled 68 patients (average age, 63.2 years) who met inclusion criteria. All patients had a full-thickness crescent-shaped tear of the supraspinatus that was repaired using a transosseous equivalent suture-bridge technique along with subacromial decompression. In the early group, 33 patients were randomized to passive elevation and rotation that began at postoperative day 2. In the delayed group, 35 patients began the same protocol at 6 weeks. Patients were monitored clinically for a minimum of 12 months, and rotator cuff healing was assessed using ultrasound imaging. Both groups had similar improvements in preoperative to postoperative American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores (early group: 43.9 to 91.9, P < .0001; delayed group: 41.0 to 92.8, P < .0001) and Simple Shoulder Test scores (early group: 5.5 to 11.1, P < .0001; delayed group: 5.1 to 11.1, P < .0001). There were no significant differences in patient satisfaction, rotator cuff healing, or range of motion between the early and delayed groups. Patients in the early group and delayed group both demonstrated very similar outcomes and range of motion at 1 year. There was a slightly higher rotator cuff healing rate in the delayed passive range of motion group compared with the early passive range of motion group (91% vs 85%). Copyright © 2012 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Compensation for Lithography Induced Process Variations during Physical Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chin, Eric Yiow-Bing

This dissertation addresses the challenge of designing robust integrated circuits in the deep sub micron regime in the presence of lithography process variability. By extending and combining existing process and circuit analysis techniques, flexible software frameworks are developed to provide detailed studies of circuit performance in the presence of lithography variations such as focus and exposure. Applications of these software frameworks to select circuits demonstrate the electrical impact of these variations and provide insight into variability aware compact models that capture the process dependent circuit behavior. These variability aware timing models abstract lithography variability from the process level to the circuit level and are used to estimate path level circuit performance with high accuracy with very little overhead in runtime. The Interconnect Variability Characterization (IVC) framework maps lithography induced geometrical variations at the interconnect level to electrical delay variations. This framework is applied to one dimensional repeater circuits patterned with both 90nm single patterning and 32nm double patterning technologies, under the presence of focus, exposure, and overlay variability. Studies indicate that single and double patterning layouts generally exhibit small variations in delay (between 1--3%) due to self compensating RC effects associated with dense layouts and overlay errors for layouts without self-compensating RC effects. The delay response of each double patterned interconnect structure is fit with a second order polynomial model with focus, exposure, and misalignment parameters with 12 coefficients and residuals of less than 0.1ps. The IVC framework is also applied to a repeater circuit with cascaded interconnect structures to emulate more complex layout scenarios, and it is observed that the variations on each segment average out to reduce the overall delay variation. The Standard Cell Variability Characterization (SCVC) framework advances existing layout-level lithography aware circuit analysis by extending it to cell-level applications utilizing a physically accurate approach that integrates process simulation, compact transistor models, and circuit simulation to characterize electrical cell behavior. This framework is applied to combinational and sequential cells in the Nangate 45nm Open Cell Library, and the timing response of these cells to lithography focus and exposure variations demonstrate Bossung like behavior. This behavior permits the process parameter dependent response to be captured in a nine term variability aware compact model based on Bossung fitting equations. For a two input NAND gate, the variability aware compact model captures the simulated response to an accuracy of 0.3%. The SCVC framework is also applied to investigate advanced process effects including misalignment and layout proximity. The abstraction of process variability from the layout level to the cell level opens up an entire new realm of circuit analysis and optimization and provides a foundation for path level variability analysis without the computationally expensive costs associated with joint process and circuit simulation. The SCVC framework is used with slight modification to illustrate the speedup and accuracy tradeoffs of using compact models. With variability aware compact models, the process dependent performance of a three stage logic circuit can be estimated to an accuracy of 0.7% with a speedup of over 50,000. Path level variability analysis also provides an accurate estimate (within 1%) of ring oscillator period in well under a second. Another significant advantage of variability aware compact models is that they can be easily incorporated into existing design methodologies for design optimization. This is demonstrated by applying cell swapping on a logic circuit to reduce the overall delay variability along a circuit path. By including these variability aware compact models in cell characterization libraries, design metrics such as circuit timing, power, area, and delay variability can be quickly assessed to optimize for the correct balance of all design metrics, including delay variability. Deterministic lithography variations can be easily captured using the variability aware compact models described in this dissertation. However, another prominent source of variability is random dopant fluctuations, which affect transistor threshold voltage and in turn circuit performance. The SCVC framework is utilized to investigate the interactions between deterministic lithography variations and random dopant fluctuations. Monte Carlo studies show that the output delay distribution in the presence of random dopant fluctuations is dependent on lithography focus and exposure conditions, with a 3.6 ps change in standard deviation across the focus exposure process window. This indicates that the electrical impact of random variations is dependent on systematic lithography variations, and this dependency should be included for precise analysis.

Moments of click-evoked otoacoustic emissions in human ears: group delay and spread, instantaneous frequency and bandwidth.

PubMed

Keefe, Douglas H

2012-11-01

A click-evoked otoacoustic emission (CEOAE) has group delay and spread as first- and second-order temporal moments varying over frequency, and instantaneous frequency and bandwidth as first- and second-order spectral moments varying over time. Energy-smoothed moments were calculated from a CEOAE database over 0.5-15 kHz bandwidth and 0.25-20 ms duration. Group delay and instantaneous frequency were calculated without phase unwrapping using a coherence synchrony measure that accurately classified ears with hearing loss. CEOAE moment measurements were repeatable in individual ears. Group delays were similar for CEOAEs and stimulus-frequency OAEs. Group spread is a frequency-specific measure of temporal spread in an emission, related to spatial spread across tonotopic generation sites along the cochlea. In normal ears, group delay and spread increased with frequency and decreased with level. A direct measure of cochlear tuning above 4 kHz was analyzed using instantaneous frequency and bandwidth. Synchronized spontaneous OAEs were present in most ears below 4 kHz, and confounded interpretation of moments. In ears with sensorineural hearing loss, group delay and spread varied with audiometric classification and amount of hearing loss; group delay differed between older males and females. CEOAE moments reveal clinically relevant information on cochlear tuning in ears with normal and impaired hearing.

Is it patience or motivation? On motivational confounds in intertemporal choice tasks.

PubMed

Paglieri, Fabio; Addessi, Elsa; Sbaffi, Agnese; Tasselli, Maria Isabella; Delfino, Alexia

2015-01-01

Intertemporal choices create a tension between amount maximization, which would favor the larger and later option (LL), and delay minimization, which would promote the smaller and sooner reward (SS). Two common interpretations of intertemporal choice behavior are discussed: looking at LL responses as indicative of self-control, and using intertemporal choices to assess delay aversion. We argue that both interpretations need to take into account motivational confounds, in order to be warranted by data. In intertemporal choices with prepotent, salient stimuli (e.g., food amounts, typically used with nonhuman primates), LL responses could also be indicative of failed inhibition of a "go for more" impulsive response-the opposite of self-control. Similarly, intertemporal choices can be used to measure delay aversion only with respect to the subject's baseline motivation to maximize the reinforcer in question, and this baseline is not always assessed in current experimental protocols. This concern is especially crucial in comparing intertemporal choices across different groups or manipulation. We focus in particular on the effects of reward types on intertemporal choices, presenting two experimental studies where the difference in behavior with monetary versus food rewards is the product of different baseline motivation, rather than variations in delay aversion. We conclude discussing the implications of these and other similar recent findings, which are far-reaching. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Postural control model interpretation of stabilogram diffusion analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterka, R. J.

2000-01-01

Collins and De Luca [Collins JJ. De Luca CJ (1993) Exp Brain Res 95: 308-318] introduced a new method known as stabilogram diffusion analysis that provides a quantitative statistical measure of the apparently random variations of center-of-pressure (COP) trajectories recorded during quiet upright stance in humans. This analysis generates a stabilogram diffusion function (SDF) that summarizes the mean square COP displacement as a function of the time interval between COP comparisons. SDFs have a characteristic two-part form that suggests the presence of two different control regimes: a short-term open-loop control behavior and a longer-term closed-loop behavior. This paper demonstrates that a very simple closed-loop control model of upright stance can generate realistic SDFs. The model consists of an inverted pendulum body with torque applied at the ankle joint. This torque includes a random disturbance torque and a control torque. The control torque is a function of the deviation (error signal) between the desired upright body position and the actual body position, and is generated in proportion to the error signal, the derivative of the error signal, and the integral of the error signal [i.e. a proportional, integral and derivative (PID) neural controller]. The control torque is applied with a time delay representing conduction, processing, and muscle activation delays. Variations in the PID parameters and the time delay generate variations in SDFs that mimic real experimental SDFs. This model analysis allows one to interpret experimentally observed changes in SDFs in terms of variations in neural controller and time delay parameters rather than in terms of open-loop versus closed-loop behavior.

Qualitative study of men's perceptions of why treatment delays occur in the UK for those with testicular cancer.

PubMed

Chapple, Alison; Ziebland, Sue; McPherson, Ann

2004-01-01

Many studies (but not all) have shown that for men with testicular cancer a longer treatment delay is associated with additional treatments, greater morbidity, and shorter survival. This paper explores patients' perspectives on why treatment delays occur. Qualitative study using narrative interviews Interviews in patient's homes throughout the United Kingdom (UK). Interviews with a maximum variation sample of 45 men with testicular cancer, recruited through general practitioners (GPs), urologists, support groups, and charities. Those who sought help relatively quickly responded to symptoms, had heard about testicular cancer in the media, had seen leaflets in GPs' surgeries, or knew others with this disease. Men delayed because they did not recognise signs and symptoms; feared appearing weak, a hypochondriac, or lacking in masculinity; recalled past illness or painful examinations; were embarrassed; feared the consequences of treatment; or lacked time to consult their doctors. Beliefs about symptoms and pessimistic associations with cancer also led to delay. Treatment delays also resulted from misdiagnosis or waiting lists. Whether or not men should be taught to examine themselves routinely to check for testicular cancer is much debated. This study suggests that it is important that men are aware of the normal shape and feel of their testicles, and may benefit from information about signs and symptoms of testicular cancer and the excellent cure rate. Information, provided in surgeries where men feel welcome, might encourage men to seek help promptly when a problem arises. Our study also suggests that GPs may need to accept a low threshold for ultrasound investigation of testicular symptoms and that the ultrasound service needs to be improved. These measures may further reduce mortality and morbidity.

The ionospheric eclipse factor method (IEFM) and its application to determining the ionospheric delay for GPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Y.; Tscherning, C. C.; Knudsen, P.; Xu, G.; Ou, J.

2008-01-01

A new method for modeling the ionospheric delay using global positioning system (GPS) data is proposed, called the ionospheric eclipse factor method (IEFM). It is based on establishing a concept referred to as the ionospheric eclipse factor (IEF) λ of the ionospheric pierce point (IPP) and the IEF’s influence factor (IFF) bar{λ}. The IEF can be used to make a relatively precise distinction between ionospheric daytime and nighttime, whereas the IFF is advantageous for describing the IEF’s variations with day, month, season and year, associated with seasonal variations of total electron content (TEC) of the ionosphere. By combining λ and bar{λ} with the local time t of IPP, the IEFM has the ability to precisely distinguish between ionospheric daytime and nighttime, as well as efficiently combine them during different seasons or months over a year at the IPP. The IEFM-based ionospheric delay estimates are validated by combining an absolute positioning mode with several ionospheric delay correction models or algorithms, using GPS data at an international Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) service (IGS) station (WTZR). Our results indicate that the IEFM may further improve ionospheric delay modeling using GPS data.

Design of a 0.13 µm SiGe Limiting Amplifier with 14.6 THz Gain-Bandwidth-Product

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Sehoon; Du, Xuan-Quang; Grözing, Markus; Berroth, Manfred

2017-09-01

This paper presents the design of a limiting amplifier with 1-to-3 fan-out implementation in a 0.13 µm SiGe BiCMOS technology and gives a detailed guideline to determine the circuit parameters of the amplifier for optimum high-frequency performance based on simplified gain estimations. The proposed design uses a Cherry-Hooper topology for bandwidth enhancement and is optimized for maximum group delay flatness to minimize phase distortion of the input signal. With regard to a high integration density and a small chip area, the design employs no passive inductors which might be used to boost the circuit bandwidth with inductive peaking. On a RLC-extracted post-layout simulation level, the limiting amplifier exhibits a gain-bandwidth-product of 14.6 THz with 56.6 dB voltage gain and 21.5 GHz 3 dB bandwidth at a peak-to-peak input voltage of 1.5 mV. The group delay variation within the 3 dB bandwidth is less than 0.5 ps and the power dissipation at a power supply voltage of 3 V including output drivers is 837 mW.

Real and hypothetical rewards

PubMed Central

Locey, Matthew L.; Jones, Bryan A.; Rachlin, Howard

2012-01-01

Laboratory studies of choice and decision making among real monetary rewards typically use smaller real rewards than those common in real life. When laboratory rewards are large, they are almost always hypothetical. In applying laboratory results meaningfully to real-life situations, it is important to know the extent to which choices among hypothetical rewards correspond to choices among real rewards and whether variation of the magnitude of hypothetical rewards affects behavior in meaningful ways. The present study compared real and hypothetical monetary rewards in two experiments. In Experiment 1, participants played a temporal discounting game that incorporates the logic of a repeated prisoner’s-dilemma (PD) type game versus tit-for-tat; choice of one alternative (“defection” in PD terminology) resulted in a small-immediate reward; choice of the other alternative (“cooperation” in PD terminology) resulted in a larger reward delayed until the following trial. The larger-delayed reward was greater for half of the groups than for the other half. Rewards also differed in type across groups: multiples of real nickels, hypothetical nickels or hypothetical hundred-dollar bills. All groups significantly increased choice of the larger delayed reward over the 40 trials of the experiment. Over the last 10 trials, cooperation was significantly higher when the difference between larger and smaller hypothetical rewards was greater. Reward type (real or hypothetical) made no significant difference in cooperation. In Experiment 2, real and hypothetical rewards were compared in social discounting – the decrease in value to the giver of a reward as social distance increases to the receiver of the reward. Social discount rates were well described by a hyperbolic function. Discounting rates for real and hypothetical rewards did not significantly differ. These results add to the evidence that results of experiments with hypothetical rewards validly apply in everyday life. PMID:22582110

Fish Utilisation of Wetland Nurseries with Complex Hydrological Connectivity

PubMed Central

Davis, Ben; Johnston, Ross; Baker, Ronald; Sheaves, Marcus

2012-01-01

The physical and faunal characteristics of coastal wetlands are driven by dynamics of hydrological connectivity to adjacent habitats. Wetlands on estuary floodplains are particularly dynamic, driven by a complex interplay of tidal marine connections and seasonal freshwater flooding, often with unknown consequences for fish using these habitats. To understand the patterns and subsequent processes driving fish assemblage structure in such wetlands, we examined the nature and diversity of temporal utilisation patterns at a species or genus level over three annual cycles in a tropical Australian estuarine wetland system. Four general patterns of utilisation were apparent based on CPUE and size-structure dynamics: (i) classic nursery utlisation (use by recently settled recruits for their first year) (ii) interrupted peristence (iii) delayed recruitment (iv) facultative wetland residence. Despite the small self-recruiting ‘facultative wetland resident’ group, wetland occupancy seems largely driven by connectivity to the subtidal estuary channel. Variable connection regimes (i.e. frequency and timing of connections) within and between different wetland units (e.g. individual pools, lagoons, swamps) will therefore interact with the diversity of species recruitment schedules to generate variable wetland assemblages in time and space. In addition, the assemblage structure is heavily modified by freshwater flow, through simultaneously curtailing persistence of the ’interrupted persistence’ group, establishing connectivity for freshwater spawned members of both the ‘facultative wetland resident’ and ‘delayed recruitment group’, and apparently mediating use of intermediate nursery habitats for marine-spawned members of the ‘delayed recruitment’ group. The diversity of utilisation pattern and the complexity of associated drivers means assemblage compositions, and therefore ecosystem functioning, is likely to vary among years depending on variations in hydrological connectivity. Consequently, there is a need to incorporate this diversity into understandings of habitat function, conservation and management. PMID:23152857

Studies on Instabilities in Long-Baseline Two-Way Satellite Time and Frequency Transfer (TWSTFT) Including a Troposphere Delay Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-01

TRANSFER ( TWSTFT ) INCLUDING A TROPOSPHERE DELAY MODEL D. Piester, A. Bauch Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) Bundesallee 100...Abstract Two-way satellite time and frequency transfer ( TWSTFT ) is one of the leading techniques for remote comparisons of atomic frequency standards...nanosecond level. These achievements are due to the fact that many delay variations of the transmitted signals cancel out in TWSTFT because of the

Now for Me, Later for Us? Effects of Group Context on Temporal Discounting

PubMed Central

Charlton, Shawn R.; Yi, Richard; Porter, Caitlin; Carter, Anne E.; Bickel, Warren; Rachlin, Howard

2013-01-01

Delayed rewards are less valuable than immediate rewards. This well-established finding has focused almost entirely on individual outcomes. However, are delayed rewards similarly discounted if they are shared by a group? The current article reports on three experiments exploring the effect of group context on delay discounting. Results indicate that discount rates of individual and group rewards were highly correlated, but that respondents were more willing to wait (decreased discounting) for shared outcomes than for individual outcomes. An explanatory model is proposed suggesting that decreased discount rates in group contexts may be due to the way the effects of both delay and social discounting are combined. That is, in a group context, a person values both a future reward (discounted by delay) and a present reward to another person (discounted by the social distance between them). The results are explained by a combined discount function containing a delay factor and a factor representing the social distance between the decision maker and group members. Practical implications of the fact that shared consequences can increase individual self-control are also discussed. PMID:23641123

Convergence to consensus in heterogeneous groups and the emergence of informal leadership.

PubMed

Gavrilets, Sergey; Auerbach, Jeremy; van Vugt, Mark

2016-07-14

When group cohesion is essential, groups must have efficient strategies in place for consensus decision-making. Recent theoretical work suggests that shared decision-making is often the most efficient way for dealing with both information uncertainty and individual variation in preferences. However, some animal and most human groups make collective decisions through particular individuals, leaders, that have a disproportionate influence on group decision-making. To address this discrepancy between theory and data, we study a simple, but general, model that explicitly focuses on the dynamics of consensus building in groups composed by individuals who are heterogeneous in preferences, certain personality traits (agreeability and persuasiveness), reputation, and social networks. We show that within-group heterogeneity can significantly delay democratic consensus building as well as give rise to the emergence of informal leaders, i.e. individuals with a disproportionately large impact on group decisions. Our results thus imply strong benefits of leadership particularly when groups experience time pressure and significant conflict of interest between members (due to various between-individual differences). Overall, our models shed light on why leadership and decision-making hierarchies are widespread, especially in human groups.

A Review of Best Practices for Intravenous Push Medication Administration.

PubMed

Lenz, Janelle R; Degnan, Daniel D; Hertig, John B; Stevenson, James G

In 2015, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) released safe practice guidelines for adult intravenous (IV) push medications. ISMP's most recent set of guidelines has added to a growing list of recommendations from professional groups on the safe use of IV medications. These recommendations and guidelines vary with regard to their audience, scope, and terminology. In some ways, these variations may contribute to confusion and delayed adoption of the standards. This report attempts to provide clarity about the rationale and background regarding the need for practice improvement, discussion of various guidelines, and practice mitigation strategies to improve patient safety.

Magnetoencephalographic Imaging of Auditory and Somatosensory Cortical Responses in Children with Autism and Sensory Processing Dysfunction

PubMed Central

Demopoulos, Carly; Yu, Nina; Tripp, Jennifer; Mota, Nayara; Brandes-Aitken, Anne N.; Desai, Shivani S.; Hill, Susanna S.; Antovich, Ashley D.; Harris, Julia; Honma, Susanne; Mizuiri, Danielle; Nagarajan, Srikantan S.; Marco, Elysa J.

2017-01-01

This study compared magnetoencephalographic (MEG) imaging-derived indices of auditory and somatosensory cortical processing in children aged 8–12 years with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; N = 18), those with sensory processing dysfunction (SPD; N = 13) who do not meet ASD criteria, and typically developing control (TDC; N = 19) participants. The magnitude of responses to both auditory and tactile stimulation was comparable across all three groups; however, the M200 latency response from the left auditory cortex was significantly delayed in the ASD group relative to both the TDC and SPD groups, whereas the somatosensory response of the ASD group was only delayed relative to TDC participants. The SPD group did not significantly differ from either group in terms of somatosensory latency, suggesting that participants with SPD may have an intermediate phenotype between ASD and TDC with regard to somatosensory processing. For the ASD group, correlation analyses indicated that the left M200 latency delay was significantly associated with performance on the WISC-IV Verbal Comprehension Index as well as the DSTP Acoustic-Linguistic index. Further, these cortical auditory response delays were not associated with somatosensory cortical response delays or cognitive processing speed in the ASD group, suggesting that auditory delays in ASD are domain specific rather than associated with generalized processing delays. The specificity of these auditory delays to the ASD group, in addition to their correlation with verbal abilities, suggests that auditory sensory dysfunction may be implicated in communication symptoms in ASD, motivating further research aimed at understanding the impact of sensory dysfunction on the developing brain. PMID:28603492

Extreme phenophase delays and their relationship with natural forcings in Beijing over the past 260 years.

PubMed

Liu, Yang; Zhang, Mingqing; Fang, Xiuqi

2018-03-20

By merging reconstructed phenological series from published articles and observations of China Phenology Observation Network (CPON), the first blooming date of Amygdalus davidiana (FBA) in Beijing between 1741 and 2000 is reconstructed. The Butterworth method is used to remove the multi-year variations for generating the phenological series of annual variations in the first blooming date of A. davidiana. The extreme delay years in the phenological series are identified using the percentage threshold method. The characteristics of the extreme delays and the correspondence of these events with natural forcings are analysed. The main results are as follows. In annual phenological series, the extreme delays appeared in single year as main feature, only A.D.1800-1801, 1816-1817 and 1983-1984 were the events of two consecutively extreme years. Approximately 85% of the extreme delays occurred during 1-2 years after the large volcanic eruptions (VEI ≥ 4) in the eastern rim or the western rim of the Pacific Ocean, as the same proportion of the extreme delays followed El Niño events. About 73% years of the extreme delays fall in the valleys of sunspot cycles or the Dalton minimum period in the year or the previous year. According to the certainty factor (CF), the large eruptions have the greatest influence to the extreme delays; sunspot activity is the second, and ENSO is the last one. The extreme phenological delayed year is most likely to occur after a large eruption, which particularly occurs during El Niño year and its previous several years were in the descending portion or valley of sunspot phase.

Extreme phenophase delays and their relationship with natural forcings in Beijing over the past 260 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yang; Zhang, Mingqing; Fang, Xiuqi

2018-03-01

By merging reconstructed phenological series from published articles and observations of China Phenology Observation Network (CPON), the first blooming date of Amygdalus davidiana (FBA) in Beijing between 1741 and 2000 is reconstructed. The Butterworth method is used to remove the multi-year variations for generating the phenological series of annual variations in the first blooming date of A. davidiana. The extreme delay years in the phenological series are identified using the percentage threshold method. The characteristics of the extreme delays and the correspondence of these events with natural forcings are analysed. The main results are as follows. In annual phenological series, the extreme delays appeared in single year as main feature, only A.D.1800-1801, 1816-1817 and 1983-1984 were the events of two consecutively extreme years. Approximately 85% of the extreme delays occurred during 1-2 years after the large volcanic eruptions (VEI ≥ 4) in the eastern rim or the western rim of the Pacific Ocean, as the same proportion of the extreme delays followed El Niño events. About 73% years of the extreme delays fall in the valleys of sunspot cycles or the Dalton minimum period in the year or the previous year. According to the certainty factor (CF), the large eruptions have the greatest influence to the extreme delays; sunspot activity is the second, and ENSO is the last one. The extreme phenological delayed year is most likely to occur after a large eruption, which particularly occurs during El Niño year and its previous several years were in the descending portion or valley of sunspot phase.

Estimation of heritability, evolvability and genetic correlations of two pollen and pistil traits involved in a sexual conflict over timing of stigma receptivity in Collinsia heterophylla (Plantaginaceae).

PubMed

Madjidian, Josefin A; Andersson, Stefan; Lankinen, Asa

2012-07-01

Heritable genetic variation is crucial for selection to operate, yet there is a paucity of studies quantifying such variation in interactive male/female sexual traits, especially those of plants. Previous work on the annual plant Collinsia heterophylla, a mixed-mating species, suggests that delayed stigma receptivity is involved in a sexual conflict: pollen from certain donors fertilize ovules earlier than others at the expense of reduced maternal seed set and lower levels of pollen competition. Parent-offspring regressions and sib analyses were performed to test for heritable genetic variation and co-variation in male and female interactive traits related to the sexual conflict. SOME heritable variation and evolvability were found for the female trait (delayed stigma receptivity in presence of pollen), but no evidence was found for genetic variation in the male trait (ability to fertilize ovules early). The results further indicated a marginally significant correlation between a male's ability to fertilize early and early stigma receptivity in offspring. However, despite potential indirect selection of these traits, antagonistic co-evolution may not occur given the lack of heritability of the male trait. To our knowledge, this is the first study of a plant or any hermaphrodite that examines patterns of genetic correlation between two interactive sexual traits, and also the first to assess heritabilities of plant traits putatively involved in a sexual conflict. It is concluded that the ability to delay fertilization in presence of pollen can respond to selection, while the pollen trait has lower evolutionary potential.

Group consensus control for networked multi-agent systems with communication delays.

PubMed

An, Bao-Ran; Liu, Guo-Ping; Tan, Chong

2018-05-01

This paper investigates group consensus problems in networked multi-agent systems (NMAS) with communication delays. Based on the sed state prediction scheme, the group consensus control protocol is designed to compensate the communication delay actively. In light of algebraic graph theories and matrix theories, necessary and(or) sufficient conditions of group consensus with respect to a given admissible control set are obtained for the NMAS with communication delays under mild assumptions. Finally, simulations are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results. Copyright © 2018 ISA. All rights reserved.

Is early cord clamping, delayed cord clamping or cord milking best?

PubMed

Vatansever, Binay; Demirel, Gamze; Ciler Eren, Elif; Erel, Ozcan; Neselioglu, Salim; Karavar, Hande Nur; Gundogdu, Semra; Ulfer, Gozde; Bahadir, Selcen; Tastekin, Ayhan

2018-04-01

To compare the antioxidant status of three cord clamping procedures (early clamping, delayed clamping and milking) by analyzing the thiol-disulfide balance. This randomized controlled study enrolled 189 term infants who were divided into three groups according to the cord clamping procedure: early clamping, delayed clamping and milking. Blood samples were collected from the umbilical arteries immediately after clamping, and the thiol/disulfide homeostasis was analyzed. The native and total thiol levels were significantly (p < .05) lower in the early cord clamping group compared with the other two groups. The disulfide/total thiol ratio was significantly (p = .026) lower in the delayed cord clamping and milking groups compared with the early clamping groups. Early cord clamping causes the production of more disulfide bonds and lower thiol levels, indicating that oxidation reactions are increased in the early cord clamping procedure compared with the delayed cord clamping and milking procedures. The oxidant capacity is greater with early cord clamping than with delayed clamping or cord milking. Delayed cord clamping or milking are beneficial in neonatal care, and we suggest that they be performed routinely in all deliveries.

Delayed extubation to nasal continuous positive airway pressure in the immature baboon model of bronchopulmonary dysplasia: lung clinical and pathological findings.

PubMed

Thomson, Merran A; Yoder, Bradley A; Winter, Vicki T; Giavedoni, Luis; Chang, Ling Yi; Coalson, Jacqueline J

2006-11-01

Using the 125-day baboon model of bronchopulmonary dysplasia treated with prenatal steroid and exogenous surfactant, we hypothesized that a delay of extubation from low tidal volume positive pressure ventilation to nasal continuous positive airway pressure at 5 days (delayed nasal continuous positive airway pressure group) would not induce more lung injury when compared with baboons aggressively weaned to nasal continuous positive airway pressure at 24 hours (early nasal continuous positive airway pressure group), because both received positive pressure ventilation. After delivery by cesarean section at 125 days (term: 185 days), infants received 2 doses of Curosurf (Chiesi Farmaceutica S.p.A., Parma, Italy) and daily caffeine citrate. The delay in extubation to 5 days resulted in baboons in the delayed nasal continuous positive airway pressure group having a lower arterial to alveolar oxygen ratio, high PaCO2, and worse respiratory function. The animals in the delayed nasal continuous positive airway pressure group exhibited a poor respiratory drive that contributed to more reintubations and time on mechanical ventilation. A few animals in both groups developed necrotizing enterocolitis and/or sepsis, but infectious pneumonias were not documented. Cellular bronchiolitis and peribronchiolar alveolar wall thickening were more frequently seen in the delayed nasal continuous positive airway pressure group. Bronchoalveolar lavage levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-8, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha, and growth-regulated oncogene-alpha were significantly increased in the delayed nasal continuous positive airway pressure group. Standard and digital morphometric analyses showed no significant differences in internal surface area and nodal measurements between the groups. Platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule vascular staining was not significantly different between the 2 nasal continuous positive airway pressure groups. Volutrauma and/or low-grade colonization of airways secondary to increased reintubations and ventilation times are speculated to play causative roles in the delayed nasal continuous positive airway pressure group findings.

The Effects of Financial Education on Impulsive Decision Making

PubMed Central

DeHart, William B.; Friedel, Jonathan E.; Lown, Jean M.; Odum, Amy L.

2016-01-01

Delay discounting, as a behavioral measure of impulsive choice, is strongly related to substance abuse and other risky behaviors. Therefore, effective techniques that alter delay discounting are of great interest. We explored the ability of a semester long financial education course to change delay discounting. Participants were recruited from a financial education course (n = 237) and an abnormal psychology course (n = 80). Both groups completed a delay-discounting task for $100 during the first two weeks (Time 1) of the semester as well as during the last two weeks (Time 2) of the semester. Participants also completed a personality inventory and financial risk tolerance scale both times and a delay-discounting task for $1,000 during Time 2. Delay discounting decreased in the financial education group at the end of the semester whereas there was no change in delay discounting in the abnormal psychology group. Financial education may be an effective method for reducing delay discounting. PMID:27442237

The Effects of Financial Education on Impulsive Decision Making.

PubMed

DeHart, William B; Friedel, Jonathan E; Lown, Jean M; Odum, Amy L

2016-01-01

Delay discounting, as a behavioral measure of impulsive choice, is strongly related to substance abuse and other risky behaviors. Therefore, effective techniques that alter delay discounting are of great interest. We explored the ability of a semester long financial education course to change delay discounting. Participants were recruited from a financial education course (n = 237) and an abnormal psychology course (n = 80). Both groups completed a delay-discounting task for $100 during the first two weeks (Time 1) of the semester as well as during the last two weeks (Time 2) of the semester. Participants also completed a personality inventory and financial risk tolerance scale both times and a delay-discounting task for $1,000 during Time 2. Delay discounting decreased in the financial education group at the end of the semester whereas there was no change in delay discounting in the abnormal psychology group. Financial education may be an effective method for reducing delay discounting.

Comparison of delayed versus immediate pushing during second stage of labor for nulliparous women with epidural anesthesia.

PubMed

Gillesby, Erica; Burns, Suzan; Dempsey, Amy; Kirby, Shirley; Mogensen, Kami; Naylor, Kelly; Petrella, Joann; Vanicelli, Rebecca; Whelan, Breon

2010-01-01

To determine if the use of delayed pushing after the onset of the second stage of labor decreases the time of active pushing and decreases maternal fatigue. Randomized clinical trial. Labor and delivery unit of a not-for-profit community hospital. Convenience sample of nulliparous laboring women with epidural anesthesia. Immediate or delayed pushing (2 hours) during the second stage of labor at the time of complete cervical dilatation. The length of pushing, total length of the second stage, and maternal fatigue. A total of 77 women were studied (immediate pushing group=39; delayed pushing=38). The immediate pushing group averaged 94 (± 57) minutes in active pushing, while the delayed pushing group averaged 68 (± 46) minutes, a statistically significant difference (p=.04). No significant differences were found in fatigue scores between the immediate and delayed pushing groups (p>.05). We found that by delaying the onset of active pushing for 2 hours after the beginning of the second stage of labor, the time that nulliparous women with epidural anesthesia spent in active pushing was significantly decreased by 27%. Although the delayed pushing group rested for up to 2 hours, the total time in the second stage of labor averaged only 59 minutes longer than the immediate pushing group. © 2010 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

Geodesy by radio interferometry - Water vapor radiometry for estimation of the wet delay

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elgered, G.; Davis, J. L.; Herring, T. A.; Shapiro, I. I.

1991-01-01

An important source of error in VLBI estimates of baseline length is unmodeled variations of the refractivity of the neutral atmosphere along the propagation path of the radio signals. This paper presents and discusses the method of using data from a water vapor radiomete (WVR) to correct for the propagation delay caused by atmospheric water vapor, the major cause of these variations. Data from different WVRs are compared with estimated propagation delays obtained by Kalman filtering of the VLBI data themselves. The consequences of using either WVR data or Kalman filtering to correct for atmospheric propagation delay at the Onsala VLBI site are investigated by studying the repeatability of estimated baseline lengths from Onsala to several other sites. The repeatability obtained for baseline length estimates shows that the methods of water vapor radiometry and Kalman filtering offer comparable accuracies when applied to VLBI observations obtained in the climate of the Swedish west coast. For the most frequently measured baseline in this study, the use of WVR data yielded a 13 percent smaller weighted-root-mean-square (WRMS) scatter of the baseline length estimates compared to the use of a Kalman filter. It is also clear that the 'best' minimum elevationi angle for VLBI observations depends on the accuracy of the determinations of the total propagation delay to be used, since the error in this delay increases with increasing air mass.

AGN Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Project. IV. Velocity-Delay Mapping of Broad Emission Lines in NGC 5548

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horne, Keith D.; Agn Storm Team

2015-01-01

Two-dimensional velocity-delay maps of AGN broad emission line regions can be recovered by modelling observations of reverberating emission-line profiles on the assumption that the line profile variations are driven by changes in ionising radiation from a compact source near the black hole. The observable light travel time delay resolves spatial structure on iso-delay paraboloids, while the doppler shift resolves kinematic structure along the observer's line-of-sight. Velocity-delay maps will be presented and briefly discussed for the Lyman alpha, CIV and Hbeta line profiles based on the HST and ground-based spectrophotometric monitoring of NGC 5548 during the 2014 AGN STORM campaign.

Clinical research for delayed hemorrhage after endoscopic sphincterotomy

PubMed Central

Wang, Yundong; Han, Zhen; Niu, Xiaoping; Jia, Yuliang; Yuan, Heming; Zhang, Guozheng; He, Chiyi

2015-01-01

To analyze the effect of delayed hemorrhage after endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) and compare the efficacy in improving complication between medicine treatment alone and medicine combined with endoscopic treatment. 1741 patients with EST admitted in Yijishan hospital of Wannan medical college from September 2009 to May 2014 were enrolled in this study. 32 cases suffered from delayed hemorrhage. The patients with delayed hemorrhage were evaluated through incision length of duodenal papilla, clinical manifestation, stool occult blood test and the difference of hemoglobin concentration between pre and post operation. 32 patients were divided into mild bleeding group, mild serious group and serious group through the speed and amount of bleeding. All cases in mild group accepted medicine treatment. Mild serious group were divided into medicine therapy group and medicine combined with endoscopic therapy group randomly. Serious group accepted vascular intervention therapy even traditional operation. The different treatments for delayed hemorrhage were judged by efficiency. The dates were analyzed by t-test or chi-square test. Nobody endured delayed hemorrhage who accepted small incision. Delayed hemorrhage was found in 7 patients out of 627 cases who accepted medium-large incision, 25 patients of 920 cases who accepted large incision. The patients who accepted lager EST were more dangerous than small EST (χ2=4.718, P=0.030) concerning delayed hemorrhage. 32 cases in 1741 patients suffered from delayed hemorrhage. 14 patients only have passed black stool after EST. Among 14 cases, 13 patients stop bleeding after medical therapy, and 1 case received endoscopic hemostasis. 15 cases with hematemesis or melena after EST, 7 patients who received combination therapy stop bleeding. 3 patients from 8 cases stop bleeding after single chemical treatment, 5 cases had to receive endoscopic hemostasis after ineffectual medical therapy. There are significant difference for concerning effect between combination therapy group and medical therapy group (P=0.026). 3 patients repeatedly vomited blood and develop to peripheral circulatory failure. Those patients all received vascular intervention therapy, 2 patients stop bleeding, 1 patient failed in vascular intervention therapy and given up emergency rescue and died. Large EST has more risks than small EST in concerning delayed hemorrhage. Delayed bleeding after EST should be treated by different levels. Adapted therapy should be recommend for patients with different levels bleeding. PMID:26131161

Modeling the Transformational Communications System Urban Land Mobile Satellite Channel

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-12-01

interference of time - delayed signals). The “slow” variations are usually associated with specific shadowing events by foliage, terrain or buildings. The...by F. P. Fontan et al. [24].......................11 Figure 4. Short, medium and long-term variation of signal strength with time . Long- term...long-term variation of signal strength with time . Long- term (“very slow”) variation is modeled by state transitions shown in Figure 3. C

A Direct Comparison of Self-Injurious and Stereotyped Motor Behavior Between Preschool-Aged Children With and Without Developmental Delays

PubMed Central

Spofford, Lisa; Dimian, Adele; Tervo, Raymond; MacLean, William E.; Symons, Frank J.

2016-01-01

Objective To compare the prevalence of self-injurious behavior (SIB) and stereotyped motor behavior (STY) of preschool-aged children with developmental delays (DD group) and their peers without developmental delays (TD group) using a standardized caregiver report scale. Methods The Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised was completed by caregivers of children with developmental delays and their peers without developmental delays. Frequency of occurrence and severity ratings for SIB and STY were compared between groups. Results SIB and STY were reported more often and at a greater level of severity in the DD group. Older chronological age was associated with more severe STY in the DD group but not the TD group. Gender was not related to STY or SIB for either group. Conclusions Differences in STY and SIB were evident between preschoolers with and without DD. Findings are discussed from developmental and behavioral psychology perspectives regarding the expression of repetitive behavior in developmentally at-risk pediatric populations. PMID:26514642

The Group Delay and Suppression Pattern of the Cochlear Microphonic Potential Recorded at the Round Window

PubMed Central

He, Wenxuan; Porsov, Edward; Kemp, David; Nuttall, Alfred L.; Ren, Tianying

2012-01-01

Background It is commonly assumed that the cochlear microphonic potential (CM) recorded from the round window (RW) is generated at the cochlear base. Based on this assumption, the low-frequency RW CM has been measured for evaluating the integrity of mechanoelectrical transduction of outer hair cells at the cochlear base and for studying sound propagation inside the cochlea. However, the group delay and the origin of the low-frequency RW CM have not been demonstrated experimentally. Methodology/Principal Findings This study quantified the intra-cochlear group delay of the RW CM by measuring RW CM and vibrations at the stapes and basilar membrane in gerbils. At low sound levels, the RW CM showed a significant group delay and a nonlinear growth at frequencies below 2 kHz. However, at high sound levels or at frequencies above 2 kHz, the RW CM magnitude increased proportionally with sound pressure, and the CM phase in respect to the stapes showed no significant group delay. After the local application of tetrodotoxin the RW CM below 2 kHz became linear and showed a negligible group delay. In contrast to RW CM phase, the BM vibration measured at location ∼2.5 mm from the base showed high sensitivity, sharp tuning, and nonlinearity with a frequency-dependent group delay. At low or intermediate sound levels, low-frequency RW CMs were suppressed by an additional tone near the probe-tone frequency while, at high sound levels, they were partially suppressed only at high frequencies. Conclusions/Significance We conclude that the group delay of the RW CM provides no temporal information on the wave propagation inside the cochlea, and that significant group delay of low-frequency CMs results from the auditory nerve neurophonic potential. Suppression data demonstrate that the generation site of the low-frequency RW CM shifts from apex to base as the probe-tone level increases. PMID:22470560

Optimal scan timing and intravenous route for contrast-enhanced computed tomography in patients after Fontan operation.

PubMed

Park, Eun-Ah; Lee, Whal; Chung, Se-Young; Yin, Yong Hu; Chung, Jin Wook; Park, Jae Hyung

2010-01-01

To determine the optimal scan timing and adequate intravenous route for patients having undergone the Fontan operation. A total of 88 computed tomographic images in 49 consecutive patients who underwent the Fontan operation were retrospectively evaluated and divided into 7 groups: group 1, bolus-tracking method with either intravenous route (n = 20); group 2, 1-minute-delay scan with single antecubital route (n = 36); group 3, 1-minute-delay scan with both antecubital routes (n = 2); group 4, 1-minute-delay scan with foot vein route (n = 3); group 5, 1-minute-delay scan with simultaneous infusion via both antecubital and foot vein routes (n = 2); group 6, 3-minute-delay scan with single antecubital route (n = 22); and group 7, 3-minute-delay scan with foot vein route (n = 3). The presence of beam-hardening artifact, uniform enhancement, and optimal enhancement was evaluated at the right pulmonary artery (RPA), left pulmonary artery (LPA), and Fontan tract. Optimal enhancement was determined when evaluation of thrombus was possible. Standard deviation was measured at the RPA, LPA, and Fontan tract. Beam-hardening artifacts of the RPA, LPA, and Fontan tract were frequently present in groups 1, 4, and 5. The success rate of uniform and optimal enhancement was highest (100%) in groups 6 and 7, followed by group 2 (75%). An SD of less than 30 Hounsfield unit for the pulmonary artery and Fontan tract was found in groups 3, 6, and 7. The optimal enhancement of the pulmonary arteries and Fontan tract can be achieved by a 3-minute-delay scan irrespective of the intravenous route location.

Seismicity, arrival time delays of the seismic phases and slowness characteristics study in Abu Dabbab area, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sami, Mahmoud; Hassoup, Awad; Hosny, Ahmed; Mohamed, Gadelkarem A.

2013-12-01

The temporal variations of seismicity from the Abu Dabbab area, 25 km west of the Red Sea coast, are collected from the Egyptian national seismic network (ENSN), which has magnified the detection capability in that area to ML < 1 earthquakes. These data show a sequence of the micro earthquake swarm during 2003-2011. This area has experienced larger shocks up to M = 6 during the 20th century and its seismicity is concentrated in a narrow spatial volume. We analyze the digital waveform data of about 1000 seismograms, recorded by portable network of 10 vertical component seismographs that are employed in a temporary survey experiment in the Abu Dabbab area in 2004, and the results indicate: firstly, there are similar waveform seismograms, which are classified into three groups. In each group a master event is identified. Then, the arrival time delays of the P and S phases (Δtp and Δts, respectively) are measured between the master event and its slave events. Δtp and Δts range between -0.01 and 0.02 s, respectively. These values are used to relocate the studied events. Secondly, the slowness vector (Δs) in 3-dimensional pattern, which is estimated using the genetic algorithms, is found Δsx = 0.0153, Δsy = 0.00093 and Δsz = 0.2086 s/km in the three spatial coordinates (X, Y and Z), respectively. These analyses demonstrate the inhomogeneities within the upper crust of the study area. Also, Δs shows little dependence of lateral distances and reasonably high slowness along the depth extent, which is consistent with the seismic velocity structure variations.

Minimally Invasive Radiation Biodosimetry and Evaluation of Organ Responses

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

radiation exposure, potentially leading to Acute Radiation Syndromes (ARS) and Delayed Effects of Acute ...underlying conditions and inherent variations. 2. KEYWORDS Radiation Biodosimetry, Radiation Biomarkers, microRNA, Acute Radiation Syndromes ... syndromes and delayed effects of acute radiation exposure. We expect to identify the circulating miRNA biomarkers as early predictors of late effects

Tsunami Speed Variations in Density-stratified Compressible Global Oceans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watada, S.

2013-12-01

Recent tsunami observations in the deep ocean have accumulated unequivocal evidence that tsunami traveltime delays compared with the linear long-wave tsunami simulations occur during tsunami propagation in the deep ocean. The delay is up to 2% of the tsunami traveltime. Watada et al. [2013] investigated the cause of the delay using the normal mode theory of tsunamis and attributed the delay to the compressibility of seawater, the elasticity of the solid earth, and the gravitational potential change associated with mass motion during the passage of tsunamis. Tsunami speed variations in the deep ocean caused by seawater density stratification is investigated using a newly developed propagator matrix method that is applicable to seawater with depth-variable sound speeds and density gradients. For a 4-km deep ocean, the total tsunami speed reduction is 0.45% compared with incompressible homogeneous seawater; two thirds of the reduction is due to elastic energy stored in the water and one third is due to water density stratification mainly by hydrostatic compression. Tsunami speeds are computed for global ocean density and sound speed profiles and characteristic structures are discussed. Tsunami speed reductions are proportional to ocean depth with small variations, except for in warm Mediterranean seas. The impacts of seawater compressibility and the elasticity effect of the solid earth on tsunami traveltime should be included for precise modeling of trans-oceanic tsunamis. Data locations where a vertical ocean profile deeper than 2500 m is available in World Ocean Atlas 2009. The dark gray area indicates the Pacific Ocean defined in WOA09. a) Tsunami speed variations. Red, gray and black bars represent global, Pacific, and Mediterranean Sea, respectively. b) Regression lines of the tsunami velocity reduction for all oceans. c)Vertical ocean profiles at grid points indicated by the stars in Figure 1.

Lie group classification of first-order delay ordinary differential equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorodnitsyn, Vladimir A.; Kozlov, Roman; Meleshko, Sergey V.; Winternitz, Pavel

2018-05-01

A group classification of first-order delay ordinary differential equations (DODEs) accompanied by an equation for the delay parameter (delay relation) is presented. A subset of such systems (delay ordinary differential systems or DODSs), which consists of linear DODEs and solution-independent delay relations, have infinite-dimensional symmetry algebras—as do nonlinear ones that are linearizable by an invertible transformation of variables. Genuinely nonlinear DODSs have symmetry algebras of dimension n, . It is shown how exact analytical solutions of invariant DODSs can be obtained using symmetry reduction.

Experimental demonstration of two methods for controlling the group delay in a system with photonic-crystal resonators coupled to a waveguide.

PubMed

Huo, Yijie; Sandhu, Sunil; Pan, Jun; Stuhrmann, Norbert; Povinelli, Michelle L; Kahn, Joseph M; Harris, James S; Fejer, Martin M; Fan, Shanhui

2011-04-15

We measure the group delay in an on-chip photonic-crystal device with two resonators side coupled to a waveguide. We demonstrate that such a group delay can be controlled by tuning either the propagation phase of the waveguide or the frequency of the resonators.

Genetic variation in melatonin pathway enzymes in children with autism spectrum disorder and comorbid sleep onset delay.

PubMed

Veatch, Olivia J; Pendergast, Julie S; Allen, Melissa J; Leu, Roberta M; Johnson, Carl Hirschie; Elsea, Sarah H; Malow, Beth A

2015-01-01

Sleep disruption is common in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Genes whose products regulate endogenous melatonin modify sleep patterns and have been implicated in ASD. Genetic factors likely contribute to comorbid expression of sleep disorders in ASD. We studied a clinically unique ASD subgroup, consisting solely of children with comorbid expression of sleep onset delay. We evaluated variation in two melatonin pathway genes, acetylserotonin O-methyltransferase (ASMT) and cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2). We observed higher frequencies than currently reported (p < 0.04) for variants evidenced to decrease ASMT expression and related to decreased CYP1A2 enzyme activity (p ≤ 0.0007). We detected a relationship between genotypes in ASMT and CYP1A2 (r(2) = 0.63). Our results indicate that expression of sleep onset delay relates to melatonin pathway genes.

Real-time precise orbit determination of LEO satellites using a single-frequency GPS receiver: Preliminary results of Chinese SJ-9A satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Xiucong; Han, Chao; Chen, Pei

2017-10-01

Spaceborne Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers are widely used for orbit determination of low-Earth-orbiting (LEO) satellites. With the improvement of measurement accuracy, single-frequency receivers are recently considered for low-cost small satellite missions. In this paper, a Schmidt-Kalman filter which processes single-frequency GPS measurements and broadcast ephemerides is proposed for real-time precise orbit determination of LEO satellites. The C/A code and L1 phase are linearly combined to eliminate the first-order ionospheric effects. Systematic errors due to ionospheric delay residual, group delay variation, phase center variation, and broadcast ephemeris errors, are lumped together into a noise term, which is modeled as a first-order Gauss-Markov process. In order to reduce computational complexity, the colored noise is considered rather than estimated in the orbit determination process. This ensures that the covariance matrix accurately represents the distribution of estimation errors without increasing the dimension of the state vector. The orbit determination algorithm is tested with actual flight data from the single-frequency GPS receiver onboard China's small satellite Shi Jian-9A (SJ-9A). Preliminary results using a 7-h data arc on October 25, 2012 show that the Schmidt-Kalman filter performs better than the standard Kalman filter in terms of accuracy.

Ground-Based GPS Sensing of Azimuthal Variations in Precipitable Water Vapor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kroger, P. M.; Bar-Sever, Y. E.

1997-01-01

Current models for troposphere delay employed by GPS software packages map the total zenith delay to the line-of-sight delay of the individual satellite-receiver link under the assumption of azimuthal homogeneity. This could be a poor approximation for many sites, in particular, those located at an ocean front or next to a mountain range. We have modified the GIPSY-OASIS II software package to include a simple non-symmetric mapping function (MacMillan, 1995) which introduces two new parameters.

Behavior Problems in Toddlers with and without Developmental Delays: Comparison of Treatment Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holtz, Casey A.; Carrasco, Jennifer M.; Mattek, Ryan J.; Fox, Robert A.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of an in-home parent management program for toddlers with behavior problems and developmental delays by comparing outcomes for a group of toddlers with developmental delays (n = 27) and a group of toddlers without developmental delays (n = 27). The majority of children lived in single…

Relation between delay and survival in 596 patients with breast cancer.

PubMed

Machiavelli, M; Leone, B; Romero, A; Perez, J; Vallejo, C; Bianco, A; Rodriguez, R; Estevez, R; Chacon, R; Dansky, C

1989-01-01

To evaluate the influence of delay between first symptom and first treatment upon survival the medical records of 596 patients with breast cancer were reviewed. The following intervals were considered: less than 3 months; 3-6 months and greater than 6 months. Patients in the less than 3 months delay group had a better distribution by clinical stages and a 10-year survival rate higher than those in the longer delay groups (p = 0.034). However, within each stage no statistically significant difference in survival according to delay was observed. A Cox multivariate analysis revealed that performance status and stage of disease were independent predictors of survival, but not delay. Assuming the best prognosis for patients with clinical stages I and II and less than 3 months delay, the group with longer delay times had 15 deaths over what would have been predicted. This adverse effect was observed almost exclusively among patients over age 50 (14/15).

Magma flow between summit and Pu`u `Ō`ō at K¯lauea Volcano, Hawai`i

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montagna, C. P.; Gonnermann, H. M.

2013-07-01

Volcanic eruptions are often accompanied by spatiotemporal migration of ground deformation, a consequence of pressure changes within magma reservoirs and pathways. We modeled the propagation of pressure variations through the east rift zone (ERZ) of K¯lauea Volcano, Hawai`i, caused by magma withdrawal during the early eruptive episodes (1983-1985) of the ongoing Pu`u `Ō`ō-Kupaianaha eruption. Eruptive activity at the Pu`u `Ō`ō vent was typically accompanied by abrupt deflation that lasted for several hours and was followed by a sudden onset of gradual inflation once the eruptive episode had ended. Similar patterns of deflation and inflation were recorded at K¯lauea's summit, approximately 15 km to the northwest, albeit with time delays of hours. These delay times can be reproduced by modeling the spatiotemporal changes in magma pressure and flow rate within an elastic-walled dike that traverses K¯lauea's ERZ. Key parameters that affect the behavior of the magma-dike system are the dike dimensions, the elasticity of the wall rock, the magma viscosity, and to a lesser degree the magnitude and duration of the pressure variations themselves. Combinations of these parameters define a transport efficiency and a pressure diffusivity, which vary somewhat from episode to episode, resulting in variations in delay times. The observed variations in transport efficiency are most easily explained by small, localized changes to the geometry of the magma pathway.

Randomized Controlled Trial of Early Versus Delayed Statin Therapy in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke: ASSORT Trial (Administration of Statin on Acute Ischemic Stroke Patient).

PubMed

Yoshimura, Shinichi; Uchida, Kazutaka; Daimon, Takashi; Takashima, Ryuzo; Kimura, Kazuhiro; Morimoto, Takeshi

2017-11-01

Several studies suggested that statins during hospitalization were associated with better disability outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke, but only 1 small randomized trial is available. We conducted a multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial in patients with acute ischemic strokes in 11 hospitals in Japan. Patients with acute ischemic stroke and dyslipidemia randomly received statins within 24 hours after admission in the early group or on the seventh day in the delayed group, in a 1:1 ratio. Statins were administered for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was patient disability assessed by modified Rankin Scale at 90 days. A total of 257 patients were randomized and analyzed (early 131, delayed 126). At 90 days, modified Rankin Scale score distribution did not differ between groups ( P =0.68), and the adjusted common odds ratio of the early statin group was 0.84 (95% confidence interval, 0.53-1.3; P =0.46) compared with the delayed statin group. There were 3 deaths at 90 days (2 in the early group, 1 in the delayed group) because of malignancy. Ischemic stroke recurred in 9 patients (6.9%) in the early group and 5 patients (4.0%) in the delayed group. The safety profile was similar between groups. Our randomized trial involving patients with acute ischemic stroke and dyslipidemia did not show any superiority of early statin therapy within 24 hours of admission compared with delayed statin therapy 7 days after admission to alleviate the degree of disability at 90 days after onset. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02549846. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Equalizer tap length requirement for mode group delay-compensated fiber link with weakly random mode coupling.

PubMed

Bai, Neng; Li, Guifang

2014-02-24

The equalizer tap length requirement is investigated analytically and numerically for differential modal group delay (DMGD) compensated fiber link with weakly random mode coupling. Each span of the DMGD compensated link comprises multiple pairs of fibers which have opposite signs of DMGD. The result reveals that under weak random mode coupling, the required tap length of the equalizer is proportional to modal group delay of a single DMGD compensated pair, instead of the total modal group delay (MGD) of the entire link. By using small DMGD compensation step sizes, the required tap length (RTL) can be potentially reduced by 2 orders of magnitude.

Galileo FOC Satellite Group Delay Estimation based on Raw Method and published IOV Metadata

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reckeweg, Florian; Schönemann, Erik; Springer, Tim; Enderle, Werner

2017-04-01

In December 2016, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) published the Galileo In-Orbit Validation (IOV) satellite metadata. These metadata include among others the so-called Galileo satellite group delays, which were measured in an absolute sense by the satellite manufacturer on-ground for all three Galileo frequency bands E1, E5 and E6. Therewith Galileo is the first Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) for which absolute calibration values for satellite on-board group delays have been published. The different satellite group delays for the three frequency bands lead to the fact that the signals will not be transmitted at exactly the same epoch. Up to now, due to the lack of absolute group delays, it is common practice in GNSS analyses to estimate and apply the differences of these satellite group delays, commonly known as differential code biases (DCBs). However, this has the drawback that the determination of the "raw" clock and the absolute ionosphere is not possible. The use of absolute bias calibrations for satellites and receivers is a major step into the direction of more realistic (in a physical sense) clock and atmosphere estimates. The Navigation Support Office at the European Space Operation Centre (ESOC) was from the beginning involved in the validation process of the Galileo metadata. For the work presented in this presentation we will use the absolute bias calibrations of the Galileo IOV satellites to estimate and validate the absolute receiver group delays of the ESOC GNSS network and vice versa. The receiver group delays have exemplarily been calibrated in a calibration campaign with an IFEN GNSS Signal-Simulator at ESOC. Based on the calibrated network, making use of the ionosphere constraints given by the IOV satellites, GNSS raw observations are processed to estimate satellite group delays for the operational Galileo (Full Operational Capability) FOC satellites. In addition, "raw" satellite clock offsets are estimated, which are free of the ionosphere-free bias, which is inherent to all common satellite clock products, generated with the standard ionosphere-free linear combination processing approach. In the raw observation processing method, developed by the Navigation Support Office at ESOC, no differences or linear combinations of GNSS observations are formed and ionosphere parameters and multi-signal group delay parameters can be jointly estimated by making use of all available code and phase observations on multiple frequencies.

Time delay can facilitate coherence in self-driven interacting-particle systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yongzheng; Lin, Wei; Erban, Radek

2014-12-01

Directional switching in a self-propelled particle model with delayed interactions is investigated. It is shown that the average switching time is an increasing function of time delay. The presented results are applied to studying collective animal behavior. It is argued that self-propelled particle models with time delays can explain the state-dependent diffusion coefficient measured in experiments with locust groups. The theory is further generalized to heterogeneous groups where each individual can respond to its environment with a different time delay.

The extent of variation in salinity tolerance of the minicore collection of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn.) germplasm.

PubMed

Krishnamurthy, Lakshmanan; Upadhyaya, Hari Deo; Purushothaman, Ramamoorthy; Gowda, Cholenahalli Lakkegowda Laxmipathi; Kashiwagi, Junichi; Dwivedi, Sangam Lal; Singh, Sube; Vadez, Vincent

2014-10-01

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn.) ranks third in production among the dry land cereals. It is widely cultivated in Africa and South Asia where soil salinization is a major production constraint. It is a potential crop for salt affected soils. To identify salt tolerant germplasm, the minicore finger millet germplasm (n=80) was screened for grain yield performance in a soil saturated with NaCl solution of 100 or 125mM. Genotype effect was significant for most traits, while salinity×genotype interaction was significant only in one year. Salinity delayed phenology, marginally reduced shoot biomass and grain yield. There was a large range of genotypic variation in grain yield under salinity and other traits. The yield loss was higher in accessions with prolific growth and yield potential was associated with saline yields. Based on saline yields, accessions were grouped in to four groups and the top tolerant group had 22 accessions with IE 4797 remaining at the top. Salinity had no adverse impact on grain yield of five accessions. Root anatomy in selected genotype of pearl and finger millet showed presence of porous cortex and well fortified endodermis in finger millet that can exclude Na(+) and enhance N absorption. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transmission of magmatic pressure changes at Kilauea volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montagna, C. P.; Gonnermann, H. M.

2012-12-01

Volcanic eruptions are often accompanied by spatiotemporal migration of ground deformation, a consequence of pressure changes within magma reservoirs and pathways. We have modeled the propagation of such pressure variations, caused by eruptive magma withdrawal during the early eruptive episodes of the ongoing Pu`u `O`o-Kupaianaha eruption of Kilauea volcano. Tilt measurements show that the onset of eruptive episodes at Pu`u `O`o was typically accompanied by abrupt deflation and followed by a sudden onset of gradual re-inflation, once the eruptive episode ended. Tilt of Kilauea's summit underwent similar patterns of deflation and inflation, albeit with a time delay of several hours during most episodes. The observed delay times can be reproduced by a numerical model of pressure variations within an elastic-walled dike that connects Kilauea's summit to its east rift zone. As pressure changes travel through the dike, the interplay between elastic response of the dike wall and viscous resistance of the fluid determines the delay time. An example of the ability of the model to reproduce observed tilt data is presented in Figure 1, which shows measured tilt at Pu`u `O`o during episode 18, together with measured and modeled tilt at Kilauea's summit. Magma withdrawal beneath Pu`u `O`o causes a decrease in pressure and deflation. This pressure change is estimated from observed ground deformation, and it constitutes the time-dependent model boundary condition at Pu`u `O`o, which propagates to Kilauea's summit. The resultant increase in magma flux causes deflation of Kilauea's Halema`uma`u magma reservoir and the change and time delay of tilt are reproduced by the model. The time delay depends on elasticity of the wall rock, dike dimensions, magma viscosity, as well as magnitude and duration of the pressure variations themselves. In addition, these parameters also affect the attenuation of the amplitude of the pressure variation, as it travels between Puu Oo and summit. Pressure changes propagate noticeably faster (slower) in a slightly wider (narrower) dike, as a consequence of smaller (larger) viscous dissipation. Time delays and amplitude of deflation-inflation events at Kilauea have the potential to provide information on effective transport properties of magmatic pathways and changes thereof over time.bserved and modeled change in normalized tilt at Pu`u `O`o and summit for episode 18 of the Pu`u `O`o eruption

Characterization of Days Based On Analysis of National Airspace System Performance Metrics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chatterji, Gano B.; Musaffar, Bassam; Meyn, Larry A.; Quon, Leighton K.

2006-01-01

Days of operations in the National Airspace System can be described in term of traffic demand, runway conditions, equipment outages, and surface and enroute weather conditions. These causes manifest themselves in terms of departure delays, arrival delays, enroute delays and traffic flow management delays, Traffic flow management initiatives such as, ground stops, ground delay programs, miles-in-trail restrictions, rerouting and airborne holding are imposed to balance the air traffic demand with respect to the available capacity, In order to maintain operational efficiency of the National Airspace System, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) maintains delay sad other statistics in the Air Traffic Operations Network (OPSNET) and the Aviation System Performance Metrics (ASPM) databases. OPSNET data includes reportable delays of fifteen minutes ox more experienced by Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) flights. Numbers of aircraft affected by departure delays, enroute delays, arrival delays and traffic flow delays are recorded in the OPSNET data. ASPM data consist of number of actual departures, number of canceled departures, percentage of on time departures, percentage of on time gate arrivals, taxi-out delays. taxi-in delays, gate delays, arrival delays and block delays. Surface conditions at the major U.S. airports are classified in terms of Instrument Meteorological Condition (IMC) and Visual Meteorological Condition (VMC) as a function of the time of the day in the ASPM data. The main objective of this paper is to use OPSNET and ASPM data to classify the days in the datasets into few distinct groups, where each group is separated from the other groups in terms of a distance metric. The motivations for classifying the days are two-fold, 1) to enable selection of days of traffic with particular operational characteristics for concept evaluation using system-wide simulation systems such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Airspace Concepts Evaluation Tool (ACES) and 2) to enable evaluation of a given day with respect to the characteristics of the classified groups. The first part of the paper is devoted to the analysis of major trends seen in the OPSNET and ASPM data. The second part of the paper is devoted to describing features or measures derived from the OPSNET and ASPM data that are suitable for characterizing days, and the classification algorithm used for grouping the days. Finally, the method for evaluating the characteristics of a given day with respect to the properties of the groups is described.

The influence of procedure delay on resource use: a national study of patients with open tibial fracture.

PubMed

Sears, Erika Davis; Burke, James F; Davis, Matthew M; Chung, Kevin C

2013-03-01

The purpose of this study was to (1) understand national variation in delay of emergency procedures in patients with open tibial fracture at the hospital level and (2) compare length of stay and cost in patients cared for at the best- and worst-performing hospitals for delay. The authors retrospectively analyzed the 2003 to 2009 Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Adult patients with open tibial fracture were included. Hospital probability of delay in performing emergency procedures beyond the day of admission was calculated. Multilevel linear regression random-effects models were created to evaluate the relationship between the treating hospital's tendency for delay (in quartiles) and the log-transformed outcomes of length of stay and cost. The final sample included 7029 patients from 332 hospitals. Patients treated at hospitals in the fourth (worst) quartile for delay were estimated to have 12 percent (95 percent CI, 2 to 21 percent) higher cost compared with patients treated at hospitals in the first quartile. In addition, patients treated at hospitals in the fourth quartile had an estimated 11 percent (95 percent CI, 4 to 17 percent) longer length of stay compared with patients treated at hospitals in the first quartile. Patients with open tibial fracture treated at hospitals with more timely initiation of surgical care had lower cost and shorter length of stay than patients treated at hospitals with less timely initiation of care. Policies directed toward mitigating variation in care may reduce unnecessary waste.

Effect of Delayed Bonding and Antioxidant Application on the Bond Strength to Enamel after Internal Bleaching.

PubMed

Kılınç, Halil İbrahim; Aslan, Tuğrul; Kılıç, Kerem; Er, Özgür; Kurt, Gökmen

2016-07-01

This study evaluated the effect of delayed bonding and antioxidant application (AA, 10% sodium ascorbate) after internal bleaching (35% carbamide peroxide) on the shear bond strength of an adhesive cement to enamel. Eighty-four human maxillary central incisors were endodontically treated. The control group remained unbleached with no AA. Experimental groups were all internally bleached. The buccal enamel was finished and polished with metallographic paper to a refinement of #600, in order to obtain a 5-mm(2) flat bonding area. An adhesive cement (Clearfil Esthetic) was placed into a plastic tube with internal diameter of 3 mm and a 3-mm height and cured on the enamel. Bonding occurred either immediately after bleaching (group Im), a 7-day delay (group 7), or a 14-day delay (group 14), and half the specimens were treated with antioxidant application (groups Im-AA, 7-AA, and 14-AA). Shear bond strength testing was performed on a universal testing machine, and data were analyzed with ANOVA and Fisher test (5%). Delaying of bonding is a useful factor for enhancing shear bond strength (p < 0.05), whereas AA only enhanced shear bond strength after 7 days delayed bleaching (p < 0.05). The highest bond strength was noted in groups 7-AA (20.51 ± 4.5 MPa), 14 (19.82 ± 4.6), 14-AA (20.27 ± 4.4), and control (20.51 ± 5.1), which were not significantly different from each other. After internal bleaching, adhesive cementation to enamel is recommended only when delayed 14 days, or delayed 7 days with sodium ascorbate application. © 2015 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

Teleseismic P-wave Delay Time Tomography of the southern Superior Province and Midcontinent Rift System (MRS) Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bollmann, T. A.; van der Lee, S.; Frederiksen, A. W.; Wolin, E.; Aleqabi, G. I.; Revenaugh, J.; Wiens, D. A.; Darbyshire, F. A.

2014-12-01

The Superior Province Rifting Earthscope Experiment (SPREE) and the northern midwest footprint of USArray's Transportable Array recorded continuous ground motion for a period of 2.5 years. From around 400 M>5.5 teleseismic earthquakes recorded at 337 stations, we measured body wave delay times for 255 of these earthquakes. The P wave delays are accumulated over more than 45 thousand wave paths with turning points in the lower mantle. We combine these delay times with a similar number delay times used in previous tomographic studies of the study region. The latter delay times stem from fewer stations, including Polaris and CNSN stations, and nearly a thousand earthquakes. We combine these two sets of delay times to image the three-dimensional distribution of seismic velocity variations beneath the southern Superior Province and surrounding provinces. This combined data coverage is illustrated in the accompanying figure for a total number of 447 stations . The coverage and the combined delays form the best configuration yet to image the three-dimensional distribution of seismic P and S-wave velocity variations beneath the southern Superior and surrounding provinces. Closely spaced stations (~12 km) along and across the MRS provide higher resolving power for lithospheric structure beneath the rift system. Conforming to expectations that the entire region is underlain by thick, cool lithosphere, a mean delay of -.55 +/- .54 s. This is very similar to the mean delays -.6s +/- .37s measured for this region before 2012. Event corrections range from -.2 +/-.54 s and correlate with tectonics for 80% of the earthquakes. An inversion of these nearly one hundred thousand P and around thirty thousand S-wave delay times for high-resolution P and S-wave velocity structure, respectively, does not show structures that are obviously related to the crustal signature of the MRS. None of structures imaged, align with or have a similar shape to the high Mid-continent Gravity Anomaly (MGA). However, a low-velocity structure is imaged in the lithosphere just east of the MGA.

Convergence to consensus in heterogeneous groups and the emergence of informal leadership

PubMed Central

Gavrilets, Sergey; Auerbach, Jeremy; van Vugt, Mark

2016-01-01

When group cohesion is essential, groups must have efficient strategies in place for consensus decision-making. Recent theoretical work suggests that shared decision-making is often the most efficient way for dealing with both information uncertainty and individual variation in preferences. However, some animal and most human groups make collective decisions through particular individuals, leaders, that have a disproportionate influence on group decision-making. To address this discrepancy between theory and data, we study a simple, but general, model that explicitly focuses on the dynamics of consensus building in groups composed by individuals who are heterogeneous in preferences, certain personality traits (agreeability and persuasiveness), reputation, and social networks. We show that within-group heterogeneity can significantly delay democratic consensus building as well as give rise to the emergence of informal leaders, i.e. individuals with a disproportionately large impact on group decisions. Our results thus imply strong benefits of leadership particularly when groups experience time pressure and significant conflict of interest between members (due to various between-individual differences). Overall, our models shed light on why leadership and decision-making hierarchies are widespread, especially in human groups. PMID:27412692

Delayed Face Recognition in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders

PubMed Central

Tehrani-Doost, Mehdi; Ghanbari-Motlagh, Maria; Shahrivar, Zahra

2012-01-01

Objective Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have great problems in social interactions including face recognition. There are many studies reporting deficits in face memory in individuals with ASDs. On the other hand, some studies indicate that this kind of memory is intact in this group. In the present study, delayed face recognition has been investigated in children and adolescents with ASDs compared to the age and sex matched typically developing group. Methods In two sessions, Benton Facial Recognition Test was administered to 15 children and adolescents with ASDs (high functioning autism and Asperger syndrome) and to 15 normal participants, ages 8-17 years. In the first condition, the long form of Benton Facial Recognition Test was used without any delay. In the second session, this test was administered with 15 seconds delay after one week. The reaction times and correct responses were measured in both conditions as the dependent variables. Results Comparison of the reaction times and correct responses in the two groups revealed no significant difference in delayed and non-delayed conditions. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed between the two conditions in ASDs patients when comparing the variables. Although a significant correlation (p<0.05) was found between delayed and non-delayed conditions, it was not significant in the normal group. Moreover, data analysis revealed no significant difference between the two groups in the two conditions when the IQ was considered as covariate. Conclusion In this study, it was found that the ability to recognize faces in simultaneous and delayed conditions is similar between adolescents with ASDs and their normal counterparts. PMID:22952545

Is immediate adjunctive CBT more beneficial than delayed CBT in treating depression?: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Rizvi, Sakina J; Zaretsky, Ari; Schaffer, Ayal; Levitt, Anthony

2015-03-01

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an efficacious first-line therapy for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Due to the limited accessibility of CBT, long wait lists result in delayed treatment, which may affect treatment outcomes. The goal of this pilot study was to obtain preliminary data from a randomized controlled trial to determine whether delayed CBT reduces the effectiveness of the therapy compared to immediate CBT in patients with MDD receiving pharmacotherapy. Patients were randomized to receive immediate CBT (n=18) or to begin CBT after 6 months (n=20) and received 14 weekly sessions, followed by two additional booster sessions. During the active treatment months, patients in the immediate group demonstrated reductions in scores on the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) that were similar to those in the delayed CBT group. However, when the analysis was performed using only data from patients in the delayed group who were still in a depressive episode, there was an overall greater decrease in BDI-II scores in the immediate group vs. the delayed group over the active treatment months, but not specifically at the 6-month endpoint. These findings suggest delays in depression treatment, similar to what occurs with real-world wait list times, may not have a significant impact on the effectiveness of CBT in patients who are already receiving treatment as usual. However, such delays may affect the effectiveness of CBT in those patients who remain depressed during the time delay. A larger trial is necessary to confirm these findings. (Journal of Psychiatric Practice 2015;21:107-113).

Teaching self-control to small groups of dually diagnosed adults.

PubMed

Dixon, M R; Holcomb, S

2000-01-01

The present study examined the use of a progressive delay procedure to teach self-control to two groups of dually diagnosed adults. When given a choice between an immediate smaller reinforcer and a larger delayed reinforcer, both groups chose the smaller reinforcer during baseline. During treatment, progressive increases in work requirements for gaining access to a larger reinforcer resulted in both groups selecting larger delayed reinforcers. The results are discussed with respect to increasing cooperative work behavior and self-control.

Describing-function analysis of a ripple regulator with slew-rate limits and time delays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wester, Gene W.

1990-01-01

The effects of time delays and slew-rate limits on the steady-state operating points and performance of a free-running ripple regulator are evaluated using describing-function analysis. The describing function of an ideal comparator (no time delays or slew rate limits) has no phase shift and is independent of frequency. It is found that turn-on delay and turn-off delay have different effects on gain and phase and cannot be combined. Comparator hysteresis affects both gain and phase; likewise, time delays generally affect both gain and phase. It is found that the effective time delay around the feedback loop is one half the sum of turn-on and turn-off delays, regardless of whether the delays are caused by storage time or slew rate limits. Expressions are formulated for the switching frequency, switch duty ratio, dc output, and output ripple. For the case of no hysteresis, a simple, graphical solution for the switching frequency is possible, and the resulting switching frequency is independent of first-order variations of input or load.

Delayed Rapid Response Team Activation Is Associated With Increased Hospital Mortality, Morbidity, and Length of Stay in a Tertiary Care Institution.

PubMed

Barwise, Amelia; Thongprayoon, Charat; Gajic, Ognjen; Jensen, Jeffrey; Herasevich, Vitaly; Pickering, Brian W

2016-01-01

To identify whether delays in rapid response team activation contributed to worse patient outcomes (mortality and morbidity). Retrospective observational cohort study including all rapid response team activations in 2012. Tertiary academic medical center. All those 18 years old or older who had a rapid response team call activated. Vital sign data were abstracted from individual patient electronic medical records for the 24 hours before the rapid response team activation took place. Patients were considered to have a delayed rapid response team activation if more than 1 hour passed between the first appearance in the record of an abnormal vital sign meeting rapid response team criteria and the activation of an rapid response team. None. A total of 1,725 patients were included in the analysis. Data were compared between those who had a delayed rapid response team activation and those who did not. Fifty seven percent patients met the definition of delayed rapid response team activation. Patients in high-frequency physiologic monitored environments were more likely to experience delay than their floor counterparts. In the no-delay group, the most common reasons for rapid response team activation were tachycardia/bradycardia at 29% (217/748), respiratory distress/low SpO2 at 28% (213/748), and altered level of consciousness at 23% (170/748) compared with respiratory distress/low SpO2 at 43% (423/977), tachycardia/bradycardia at 33% (327/977), and hypotension at 27% (261/977) in the delayed group. The group with no delay had a higher proportion of rapid response team calls between 8:00 and 16:00, whereas those with delay had a higher proportion of calls between midnight and 08:00. The delayed group had higher hospital mortality (15% vs 8%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.6; p = 0.005); 30-day mortality (20% vs 13%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.4; p = 0.02); and hospital length of stay (7 vs 6 d; relative prolongation, 1.10; p = 0.02) compared with the no-delay group. Delays in rapid response team activation occur frequently and are independently associated with worse patient mortality and morbidity outcomes.

A dynamic and ultrafast group delay tuning mechanism in two microcavities side-coupled with a waveguide system

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

Wang, Boyun; Wang, Tao, E-mail: wangtao@hust.edu.cn; Tang, Jian

2014-10-07

We theoretically propose a dynamic and ultrafast group delay tuning mechanism in two microcavities side-coupled to a waveguide system through external optical pump beams. The optical Kerr effect modulation method is applied to improve tuning rate with response time of subpicoseconds or even femtoseconds. The group delay of an all-optical analog to electromagnetically induced transparency effect can be controlled by tuning either the frequency of photonic crystal microcavities or the propagation phase of line waveguide. Group delay is controlled between 5.88 and 70.98 ps by dynamically tuning resonant frequencies of the microcavities. Alternatively, the group delay is controlled between 1.86more » and 12.08 ps by dynamically tuning the propagation phase of line waveguide. All observed schemes are analyzed rigorously through finite-difference time-domain simulations and coupled-mode formalism. Results show a new direction toward microstructure integration optical pulse trapping and all-optical dynamical storage of light devices in optical communication and quantum information processing.« less

Factors associated with delay in trauma team activation and impact on patient outcomes.

PubMed

Connolly, Rory; Woo, Michael Y; Lampron, Jacinthe; Perry, Jeffrey J

2017-09-05

Trauma code activation is initiated by emergency physicians using physiological and anatomical criteria, mechanism of injury, and patient demographic factors. Our objective was to identify factors associated with delayed trauma team activation. We assessed consecutive cases from a regional trauma database from January 2008 to March 2014. We defined a delay in trauma code activation as a time greater than 30 minutes from the time of arrival. We conducted univariate analysis for factors potentially influencing trauma team activation, and we subsequently used multiple logistic regression analysis models for delayed activation in relation to mortality, length of stay, and time to operative management. Patients totalling 846 were included for our analysis; 4.1% (35/846) of trauma codes were activated after 30 minutes. Mean age was 40.8 years in the early group versus 49.2 in the delayed group (p=0.01). Patients were over age 70 years in 7.6% in the early activation group versus 17.1% in the delayed group (p=0.04). There was no significant difference in sex, type of injury, injury severity, or time from injury between the two groups. There was no significant difference in mortality, median length of stay, or median time to operative management. Delayed activation is linked with increasing age with no clear link to increased mortality. Given the severe injuries in the delayed cohort that required activation of the trauma team, further emphasis on the older trauma patient and interventions to recognize this vulnerable population should be made.

Circadian phase, dynamics of subjective sleepiness and sensitivity to blue light in young adults complaining of a delayed sleep schedule.

PubMed

Moderie, Christophe; Van der Maren, Solenne; Dumont, Marie

2017-06-01

To assess factors that might contribute to a delayed sleep schedule in young adults with sub-clinical features of delayed sleep phase disorder. Two groups of 14 young adults (eight women) were compared: one group complaining of a delayed sleep schedule and a control group with an earlier bedtime and no complaint. For one week, each subject maintained a target bedtime reflecting their habitual sleep schedule. Subjects were then admitted to the laboratory for the assessment of circadian phase (dim light melatonin onset), subjective sleepiness, and non-visual light sensitivity. All measures were timed relative to each participant's target bedtime. Non-visual light sensitivity was evaluated using subjective sleepiness and salivary melatonin during 1.5-h exposure to blue light, starting one hour after target bedtime. Compared to control subjects, delayed subjects had a later circadian phase and a slower increase of subjective sleepiness in the late evening. There was no group difference in non-visual sensitivity to blue light, but we found a positive correlation between melatonin suppression and circadian phase within the delayed group. Our results suggest that a late circadian phase, a slow build-up of sleep need, and an increased circadian sensitivity to blue light contribute to the complaint of a delayed sleep schedule. These findings provide targets for strategies aiming to decreasing the severity of a sleep delay and the negative consequences on daytime functioning and health. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impulsive Choice, Alcohol Consumption, and Pre-Exposure to Delayed Rewards: II. Potential Mechanisms

PubMed Central

Stein, Jeffrey S.; Renda, C. Renee; Hinnenkamp, Jay E.; Madden, Gregory J.

2014-01-01

In a prior study (Stein et al., 2013), we reported that rats pre-exposed to delayed rewards made fewer impulsive choices, but consumed more alcohol (12% wt/vol), than rats pre-exposed to immediate rewards. To understand the mechanisms that produced these findings, we again pre-exposed rats to either delayed (17.5 s; n = 32) or immediate (n = 30) rewards. In post-tests, delay-exposed rats made significantly fewer impulsive choices at both 15- and 30-s delays to a larger, later food reward than the immediacy-exposed comparison group. Behavior in an open-field test provided little evidence of differential stress exposure between groups. Further, consumption of either 12% alcohol or isocaloric sucrose in subsequent tests did not differ between groups. Because Stein et al. introduced alcohol concentration gradually (3–12%), we speculate that their group differences in 12% alcohol consumption were not determined by alcohol’s pharmacological effects, but by another variable (e.g., taste) that was preserved as an artifact from lower concentrations. We conclude that pre-exposure to delayed rewards generalizes beyond the pre-exposure delay; however, this same experimental variable does not robustly influence alcohol consumption. PMID:25418607

Bifurcation Analysis and Chaos Control in a Modified Finance System with Delayed Feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jihua; Zhang, Erli; Liu, Mei

2016-06-01

We investigate the effect of delayed feedback on the finance system, which describes the time variation of the interest rate, for establishing the fiscal policy. By local stability analysis, we theoretically prove the existences of Hopf bifurcation and Hopf-zero bifurcation. By using the normal form method and center manifold theory, we determine the stability and direction of a bifurcating periodic solution. Finally, we give some numerical solutions, which indicate that when the delay passes through certain critical values, chaotic oscillation is converted into a stable equilibrium or periodic orbit.

Stoma creation: does onset of ostomy care education delay hospital length of stay?

PubMed

Rashidi, Laila; Long, Kevin; Hawkins, Melinda; Menon, Raman; Bellevue, Oliver

2016-05-01

Balancing patient safety with hospital length of stay (LOS) and associated cost is critically important. Subjectively, we have observed that patients undergoing ostomy creation early in the week have a shorter LOS. We retrospectively reviewed LOS based on day of the week the operation was performed. We reviewed 180 patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery with planned ostomy. Group 1 underwent surgery on Monday to Wednesday (n = 77), Group 2 on Thursday (n = 49), and Group 3 on Friday (n = 54). The average LOS for Group 1, 2, and 3 was 6.2, 4.9, and 7.2 days, respectively. The average number of visits with ostomy nursing for Group 1, 2, and 3 was 2.7, 1.8, and 2.3, respectively. Day of initial ostomy nursing visit was significantly correlated between the delay to initial visit and LOS with Group 3 delayed most. Patients with the longest delay to initial nurse visit had the longest LOS, with Friday operations being most delayed. A contributing factor may be absence of ostomy teaching over the weekend. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender Difference of Gastric Emptying in Healthy Volunteers and Patients with Functional Dyspepsia.

PubMed

Mori, Hideki; Suzuki, Hidekazu; Matsuzaki, Juntaro; Taniguchi, Kanami; Shimizu, Toshiyuki; Yamane, Tsuyoshi; Masaoka, Tatsuhiro; Kanai, Takanori

2017-01-01

Delayed gastric emptying is one of the reasons why functional dyspepsia (FD) occurs. The 13C-acetate breath test is widely used to evaluate gastric emptying. Nevertheless, the standard value of 13C-acetate breath test has not taken into account the gender difference of gastric emptying among healthy individuals. The main aim of this study was to readjust the standard value of 13C-acetate breath test in the light of gender differences. In addition, we clarified the prevalence and clinical characteristics of delayed gastric emptying in patients with FD using the modified standard values of 13C-acetate breath test. Fifty-two healthy individuals and 126 patients with patients with FD were enrolled. Gastric emptying was evaluated by the 13C-acetate breath test. The cut-off points of Tmax for the diagnosis of delayed gastric emptying were determined on the basis of results from healthy individuals making a distinction of genders. Gastroesophageal reflux symptoms, dyspeptic symptoms, scores of anxiety and depression, age, body mass index (BMI), smoking and alcohol consumption were compared between the delayed gastric emptying group and the non-delayed gastric emptying group. Since gastric emptying was delayed in healthy women compared with that in healthy men (Tmax, 53.6 ± 19.3 vs. 42.7 ± 16.9 min, p = 0.04), we set the cut-off points of Tmax at 60 min in men and at 75 min in women. In patients with FD, the prevalence of delayed gastric emptying was not different between men and women with the modified standard values of 13C-acetate breath test. (31.0 vs. 27.4%, p = 0.68). BMI was lower in the delayed gastric emptying group than in the non-delayed group among the male patients. Reflux symptoms were more severe in delayed gastric emptying group than in the non-delayed group among the female patients. The standard values of 13C-acetate breath test should be modified bearing the gender difference in mind. It provides us more appropriate information to understand the mechanisms of FD. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Effects of cockpit lateral stick characteristics on handling qualities and pilot dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell, David G.; Aponso, Bimal L.; Klyde, David H.

1992-01-01

This report presents the results of analysis of cockpit lateral control feel-system studies. Variations in feel-system natural frequency, damping, and command sensing reference (force and position) were investigated, in combination with variations in the aircraft response characteristics. The primary data for the report were obtained from a flight investigation conducted with a variable-stability airplane, with additional information taken from other flight experiments and ground-based simulations for both airplanes and helicopters . The study consisted of analysis of handling qualities ratings and extraction of open-loop, pilot-vehicle describing functions from sum-of-sines tracking data, including, for a limited subset of these data, the development of pilot models. The study confirms the findings of other investigators that the effects on pilot opinion of cockpit feel-system dynamics are not equivalent to a comparable level of added time delay, and until a more comprehensive set of criteria are developed, it is recommended that feel-system dynamics be considered a delay-inducing element in the aircraft response. The best correlation with time-delay requirements was found when the feel-system dynamics were included in the delay measurements, regardless of the command reference. This is a radical departure from past approaches.

Geodesy by radio interferometry: Water vapor radiometry for estimation of the wet delay

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

Elgered, G.; Davis, J.L.; Herring, T.A.

1991-04-10

An important source of error in very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) estimates of baseline length is unmodeled variations of the refractivity of the neutral atmosphere along the propagation path of the radio signals. The authors present and discuss the method of using data from a water vapor readiometer (WVR) to correct for the propagation delay caused by atmospheric water vapor, the major cause of these variations. Data from different WVRs are compared with estimated propagation delays obtained by Kalman filtering of the VLBI data themselves. The consequences of using either WVR data of Kalman filtering to correct for atmospheric propagation delay atmore » the Onsala VLBI site are investigated by studying the repeatability of estimated baseline lengths from Onsala to several other sites. The lengths of the baselines range from 919 to 7,941 km. The repeatability obtained for baseline length estimates shows that the methods of water vapor radiometry and Kalman filtering offer comparable accuracies when applied to VLBI observations obtained in the climate of the Swedish west coast. The use of WVR data yielded a 13% smaller weighted-root-mean-square (WRMS) scatter of the baseline length estimates compared to the use of a Kalman filter. It is also clear that the best minimum elevation angle for VLBI observations depends on the accuracy of the determinations of the total propagation delay to be used, since the error in this delay increases with increasing air mass. For use of WVR data along with accurate determinations of total surface pressure, the best minimum is about 20{degrees}; for use of a model for the wet delay based on the humidity and temperature at the ground, the best minimum is about 35{degrees}.« less

What Infant Memory Tells Us about Infantile Amnesia: Long-Term Recall and Deferred Imitation

PubMed Central

Meltzoff, Andrew N.

2013-01-01

Long-term recall memory was assessed using a nonverbal method requiring subjects to reenact a past event from memory (deferred imitation). A large sample of infants (N = 192), evenly divided between 14- and 16-months old, was tested across two experiments. A delay of 2 months was used in Experiment 1 and a delay of 4 months in Experiment 2. In both experiments two treatment groups were used, In one treatment group, motor practice (immediate imitation) was allowed before the delay was imposed; in the other group, subjects were prevented from motor practice before the delay. Age-matched control groups were used lo assess the spontaneous production of the target acts in the absence of exposure to the model in both experiments. The results demonstrated significant deferred imitation for both treatment groups at both delay intervals, and moreover showed that infants retained and imitated multiple acts. These findings suggest that infants have a nonverbal declarative memory system that supports the recall of past events across long-term delays. The implications of these findings for the multiple memory system debate in cognitive science and neuroscience and for theories of infantile amnesia are considered. PMID:7622990

Migrant Sexual Health Help-Seeking and Experiences of Stigmatization and Discrimination in Perth, Western Australia: Exploring Barriers and Enablers

PubMed Central

Agu, Josephine; Lobo, Roanna; Crawford, Gemma; Chigwada, Bethwyn

2016-01-01

Increasing HIV notifications amongst migrant and mobile populations to Australia is a significant public health issue. Generalizations about migrant health needs and delayed or deterred help-seeking behaviors can result from disregarding the variation between and within cultures including factors, such as drivers for migration and country of birth. This study explored barriers and enablers to accessing sexual health services, including experiences of stigma and discrimination, within a purposive sample of sub-Saharan African, Southeast Asian, and East Asian migrants. A qualitative design was employed using key informant interviews and focus group discussions. A total of 45 people with ages ranging from 18 to 50 years, participated in focus group discussions. Common barriers and enablers to help seeking behaviors were sociocultural and religious influence, financial constraints, and knowledge dissemination to reduce stigma. Additionally, common experiences of stigma and discrimination were related to employment and the social and self-isolation of people living with HIV. Overcoming barriers to accessing sexual health services, imparting sexual health knowledge, recognizing variations within cultures, and a reduction in stigma and discrimination will simultaneously accelerate help-seeking and result in better sexual health outcomes in migrant populations. PMID:27187423

Migrant Sexual Health Help-Seeking and Experiences of Stigmatization and Discrimination in Perth, Western Australia: Exploring Barriers and Enablers.

PubMed

Agu, Josephine; Lobo, Roanna; Crawford, Gemma; Chigwada, Bethwyn

2016-05-11

Increasing HIV notifications amongst migrant and mobile populations to Australia is a significant public health issue. Generalizations about migrant health needs and delayed or deterred help-seeking behaviors can result from disregarding the variation between and within cultures including factors, such as drivers for migration and country of birth. This study explored barriers and enablers to accessing sexual health services, including experiences of stigma and discrimination, within a purposive sample of sub-Saharan African, Southeast Asian, and East Asian migrants. A qualitative design was employed using key informant interviews and focus group discussions. A total of 45 people with ages ranging from 18 to 50 years, participated in focus group discussions. Common barriers and enablers to help seeking behaviors were sociocultural and religious influence, financial constraints, and knowledge dissemination to reduce stigma. Additionally, common experiences of stigma and discrimination were related to employment and the social and self-isolation of people living with HIV. Overcoming barriers to accessing sexual health services, imparting sexual health knowledge, recognizing variations within cultures, and a reduction in stigma and discrimination will simultaneously accelerate help-seeking and result in better sexual health outcomes in migrant populations.

A comprehensive review of prehospital and in-hospital delay times in acute stroke care.

PubMed

Evenson, K R; Foraker, R E; Morris, D L; Rosamond, W D

2009-06-01

The purpose of this study was to systematically review and summarize prehospital and in-hospital stroke evaluation and treatment delay times. We identified 123 unique peer-reviewed studies published from 1981 to 2007 of prehospital and in-hospital delay time for evaluation and treatment of patients with stroke, transient ischemic attack, or stroke-like symptoms. Based on studies of 65 different population groups, the weighted Poisson regression indicated a 6.0% annual decline (P<0.001) in hours/year for prehospital delay, defined from symptom onset to emergency department arrival. For in-hospital delay, the weighted Poisson regression models indicated no meaningful changes in delay time from emergency department arrival to emergency department evaluation (3.1%, P=0.49 based on 12 population groups). There was a 10.2% annual decline in hours/year from emergency department arrival to neurology evaluation or notification (P=0.23 based on 16 population groups) and a 10.7% annual decline in hours/year for delay time from emergency department arrival to initiation of computed tomography (P=0.11 based on 23 population groups). Only one study reported on times from arrival to computed tomography scan interpretation, two studies on arrival to drug administration, and no studies on arrival to transfer to an in-patient setting, precluding generalizations. Prehospital delay continues to contribute the largest proportion of delay time. The next decade provides opportunities to establish more effective community-based interventions worldwide. It will be crucial to have effective stroke surveillance systems in place to better understand and improve both prehospital and in-hospital delays for acute stroke care.

A Direct Comparison of Self-Injurious and Stereotyped Motor Behavior Between Preschool-Aged Children With and Without Developmental Delays.

PubMed

Hoch, John; Spofford, Lisa; Dimian, Adele; Tervo, Raymond; MacLean, William E; Symons, Frank J

2016-06-01

To compare the prevalence of self-injurious behavior (SIB) and stereotyped motor behavior (STY) of preschool-aged children with developmental delays (DD group) and their peers without developmental delays (TD group) using a standardized caregiver report scale. The Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised was completed by caregivers of children with developmental delays and their peers without developmental delays. Frequency of occurrence and severity ratings for SIB and STY were compared between groups. SIB and STY were reported more often and at a greater level of severity in the DD group. Older chronological age was associated with more severe STY in the DD group but not the TD group. Gender was not related to STY or SIB for either group. Differences in STY and SIB were evident between preschoolers with and without DD. Findings are discussed from developmental and behavioral psychology perspectives regarding the expression of repetitive behavior in developmentally at-risk pediatric populations. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The effect of topical minoxidil pretreatment on nonsurgical delay of rat cutaneous flaps: further studies.

PubMed

Gümüş, Nazım; Odemiş, Yusuf; Tuncer, Ersin; Yılmaz, Sarper

2013-08-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of topically applied minoxidil in the pharmacological delay phenomenon and to demonstrate the comparable microscopic and macroscopic changes between minoxidil-pretreated flaps and surgically delayed flaps. A modified version of the McFarlane flap was used. Group 1 rats, in which a caudally based dorsal skin flap was raised and sutured back, were the control group. In group II, minoxidil solution was spread over the marked skin flap area for 7 days. On the 7th day, a caudally based dorsal skin flap was elevated and then sutured back. Group III rats underwent a surgical delay procedure alone. On the 7th day after flap elevation, evaluation was done by histologic examination and calculation of the flap survival areas in all groups. The lowest flap survival rate appeared in group I and was statistically different from groups II and III. The mean surviving skin flap area in the minoxidil-pretreated group was significantly larger than that in the control group. After histologic evaluation, moderate angiogenesis was also detected in group II. We also found that surgical delay significantly reduced flap necrosis when compared to the minoxidil pretreatment group. According to our study, minoxidil may be considered an effective vasoactive agent for the stimulation of angiogenesis in rat cutaneous flaps and capable of achieving pharmacological delay and increasing flap survival. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Self-assembling peptide matrix for the prevention of esophageal stricture after endoscopic resection: a randomized controlled trial in a porcine model.

PubMed

Barret, M; Bordaçahar, B; Beuvon, F; Terris, B; Camus, M; Coriat, R; Chaussade, S; Batteux, F; Prat, F

2017-05-01

Esophageal stricture formation after extensive endoscopic resection remains a major limitation of endoscopic therapy for early esophageal neoplasia. This study assessed a recently developed self-assembling peptide (SAP) matrix as a wound dressing after endoscopic resection for the prevention of esophageal stricture. Ten pigs were randomly assigned to the SAP or the control group after undergoing a 5-cm-long circumferential endoscopic submucosal dissection of the lower esophagus. Esophageal diameter on endoscopy and esophagogram, weight variation, and histological measurements of fibrosis, granulation tissue, and neoepithelium were assessed in each animal. The rate of esophageal stricture at day 14 was 40% in the SAP-treated group versus 100% in the control group (P = 0.2). Median interquartile range (IQR) esophageal diameter at day 14 was 8 mm (2.5-9) in the SAP-treated group versus 4 mm (3-4) in the control group (P = 0.13). The median (IQR) stricture indexes on esophagograms at day 14 were 0.32 (0.14-0.48) and 0.26 (0.14-0.33) in the SAP-treated and control groups, respectively (P = 0.42). Median (IQR) weight variation during the study was +0.2 (-7.4; +1.8) and -3.8 (-5.4; +0.6) in the SAP-treated and control groups, respectively (P = 0.9). Fibrosis, granulation tissue, and neoepithelium were not significantly different between the groups. The application of SAP matrix on esophageal wounds after a circumferential endoscopic submucosal dissection delayed the onset of esophageal stricture in a porcine model. © International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Numerical modelling of multimode fibre-optic communication lines

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

Sidelnikov, O S; Fedoruk, M P; Sygletos, S

The results of numerical modelling of nonlinear propagation of an optical signal in multimode fibres with a small differential group delay are presented. It is found that the dependence of the error vector magnitude (EVM) on the differential group delay can be reduced by increasing the number of ADC samples per symbol in the numerical implementation of the differential group delay compensation algorithm in the receiver. The possibility of using multimode fibres with a small differential group delay for data transmission in modern digital communication systems is demonstrated. It is shown that with increasing number of modes the strong couplingmore » regime provides a lower EVM level than the weak coupling one. (fibre-optic communication lines)« less

40 CFR 798.6560 - Subchronic delayed neuro-toxicity of organophosphorus substances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... employed. (2) Number of animals. Ten hens should be used for each treatment and control group. (3) Control group—(i) General. A concurrent control group should be used. This group should be treated in a manner... control group(s). The highest dose level should result in toxic effects, preferably delayed neurotoxicity...

40 CFR 798.6560 - Subchronic delayed neuro-toxicity of organophosphorus substances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... employed. (2) Number of animals. Ten hens should be used for each treatment and control group. (3) Control group—(i) General. A concurrent control group should be used. This group should be treated in a manner... control group(s). The highest dose level should result in toxic effects, preferably delayed neurotoxicity...

40 CFR 798.6560 - Subchronic delayed neuro-toxicity of organophosphorus substances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... employed. (2) Number of animals. Ten hens should be used for each treatment and control group. (3) Control group—(i) General. A concurrent control group should be used. This group should be treated in a manner... control group(s). The highest dose level should result in toxic effects, preferably delayed neurotoxicity...

40 CFR 798.6560 - Subchronic delayed neuro-toxicity of organophosphorus substances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... employed. (2) Number of animals. Ten hens should be used for each treatment and control group. (3) Control group—(i) General. A concurrent control group should be used. This group should be treated in a manner... control group(s). The highest dose level should result in toxic effects, preferably delayed neurotoxicity...

40 CFR 798.6560 - Subchronic delayed neuro-toxicity of organophosphorus substances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... employed. (2) Number of animals. Ten hens should be used for each treatment and control group. (3) Control group—(i) General. A concurrent control group should be used. This group should be treated in a manner... control group(s). The highest dose level should result in toxic effects, preferably delayed neurotoxicity...

Annual reproductive synchronization in ovary and pineal gland function of female short-nosed fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx.

PubMed

Haldar, Chandana; Yadav, Rajesh; Alipreeta

2006-08-01

We studied the annual correlation of ovarian activity and pineal gland in relation with seasonal variation and gestation of a tropical zone short-nosed fruit bat Cynopterus sphinx. Female bats showed bimodal polyestry (February/March and September/October) in their reproductive cycle. Plasma estradiol concentration ran parallel with ovarian activity and had an inverse relation with pineal mass and peripheral melatonin concentration. Due to the delayed embryonic development in the uterus (October-March) of female bats, interestingly, the uterine activity did not show a parallel relation with ovarian activity and estradiol level. Further, compared with normal non-pregnant females, melatonin level was high during gestation and delayed embryonic development phase. This suggests that the reproductive synchrony and annual variation in ovarian activity of this nocturnal flying mammal differ from other common tropical mammals. The delayed embryonic development in bats might be an adaptive strategy for the unfavorable conditions of the seasons and might be regulated by high peripheral estradiol and melatonin concentration.

Exonic deletions of AUTS2 in Chinese patients with developmental delay and intellectual disability.

PubMed

Fan, Yanjie; Qiu, Wenjuan; Wang, Lili; Gu, Xuefan; Yu, Yongguo

2016-02-01

Genomic rearrangements involving dosage change of genes have been implicated in a range of developmental disorders. Increasing evidences suggest copy number variations (CNVs) of autism susceptibility candidate gene 2 (AUTS2) are associated with a syndromic form of developmental delay and intellectual disability. However, the genetic and clinical profiles involving AUTS2 variations have not been fully characterized in Asian patients yet, and the outcome of treatments has not been reported. Here we report de novo exonic deletions of AUTS2 detected by chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) in three Chinese children referred to the clinic for developmental delay, including two deletions involving only exon 6 (98.4 and 262 kb, respectively) and one deletion involving the C-terminal of AUTS2 (2147 kb). The phenotypic presentations of these three patients were described and compared with previous cases in literature. In addition, we presented the outcome of hormonal treatment for short stature in one patient. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comments on Strontium-90 in Surface Air in Relation to Stratospheric Fallout.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rangarajan, C.; Eapen, C. D.

1984-08-01

The time variation of the spring peak of stratospheric fallout is examined with surface air data of Cs-137 concentrations from about 30 stations in the zone 9 to 75°N and 80°W to 115°E. This study is likely to be more realistic than one derived from data confined to a particular meridian, such as the United States 80th meridian fallout sampling network. It is seen from an examination of the data that the spring peak of stratospheric fallout is progressively delayed with increasing latitude from 9 to 50°N. At latitudes beyond 50°N, no clear trend can be postulated due to limited data. The reason for this progressive delay in the appearance of the spring peak is likely to be due to changes in the circulation pattern, rather than variations in precipitation scavenging, as regions with different distributions of rainfall have the same progressive delay in the spring peak.

Traversal of electromagnetic pulses through dispersive media with negative refractive index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nanda, L.; Ramakrishna, S. A.

2017-05-01

We investigate the traversal of electromagnetic pulses through dispersive media with negative refractive index in such a way that no resonant effects come into play. It has been verified that for evanescent waves, the definitions of the group delay and the reshaping delay times get interchanged in comparison to the propagating waves. We show that for a negative refractive index medium (NRM) with ɛ(ω)=μ(ω), the reshaping delay time identically vanishes for propagating waves. The total delay time in NRM is otherwise contributed by both the group and the reshaping delay times, whereas for the case of broadband pulses in NRM the total delay time is always subluminal.

Aridity promotes bet hedging via delayed hatching: a case study with two temporary pond crustaceans along a latitudinal gradient.

PubMed

Pinceel, Tom; Vanschoenwinkel, Bram; Hawinkel, Wouter; Tuytens, Karen; Brendonck, Luc

2017-05-01

Climate change does affect not only average rainfall and temperature but also their variation, which can reduce the predictability of suitable conditions for growth and reproduction. This situation is problematic for inhabitants of temporary waters whose reproductive success depends on rainfall and evaporation that determine the length of the aquatic phase. For organisms with long-lived dormant life stages, bet hedging models suggest that a fraction of these should stay dormant during each growing season to buffer against the probability of total reproductive failure in variable environments. Thus far, however, little empirical evidence supports this prediction in aquatic organisms. We study geographic variation in delayed hatching of dormant eggs in natural populations of two crustaceans, Branchinella longirostris and Paralimnadia badia, that occur in temporary rock pools along a 725 km latitudinal aridity gradient in Western Australia. Consistent with bet hedging theory, populations of both species were characterised by delayed hatching under common garden conditions and hatching fractions decreased towards the drier end of the gradient where the probability of reproductive success was shown to be lower. This decrease was most pronounced in the species with the longer maturation time, presumably because it is more sensitive to the higher prevalence of short inundations. Overall, these findings illustrate that regional variation in climate can be reflected in differential investment in bet hedging and hints at a higher importance of delayed hatching to persist when the climate becomes harsher. Such strategies could become exceedingly relevant as determinants of vulnerability under climate change.

The differences in clinical aspect between specific language impairment and global developmental delay.

PubMed

Kim, Seong Woo; Jeon, Ha Ra; Park, Eun Ji; Chung, Hee Jung; Song, Jung Eun

2014-12-01

To compare and analyze the clinical characteristics of children with delayed language acquisition due to two different diagnoses, which were specific language impairment (SLI, a primarily delayed language development) and global developmental delay (GDD, a language delay related to cognitive impairment). Among 1,598 children who had visited the developmental delay clinic from March 2005 to February 2011, 467 children who were diagnosed with GDD and 183 children who were diagnosed with SLI were included in this study. All children were questioned about past, family, and developmental history, and their language competences and cognitive function were assessed. Some children got electroencephalography (EEG), in case of need. The presence of the perinatal risk factors showed no difference in two groups. In the children with GDD, they had more delayed acquisition of independent walking and more frequent EEG abnormalities compared with the children with SLI (p<0.01). The positive family history of delayed language development was more prevalent in children with SLI (p<0.01). In areas of language ability, the quotient of receptive language and expressive language did not show any meaningful statistical differences between the two groups. Analyzing in each group, the receptive language quotient was higher than expressive language quotient in both group (p<0.01). In the GDD group, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID-II) showed a marked low mental and motor quotient while the Wechsler Intelligence Scale showed low verbal and nonverbal IQ. In the SLI group, the BSID-II and Wechsler Intelligence Scale showed low scores in mental area and verbal IQ but sparing motor area and nonverbal IQ. The linguistic profiles of children with language delay could not differentiate between SLI and GDD. The clinicians needed to be aware of these developmental issues, and history taking and clinical evaluation, including cognitive assessment, could be helpful to diagnose adequately and set the treatment plan for each child.

Controlled environment life support system: Calcium-related leaf injuries on plants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tibbitts, T. W.

1986-01-01

Calcium related injuries to plants grown in controlled environments under conditions which maximize plant growth rates are described. Procedures to encourage movement of calcium into developing leaves of lettuce plants were investigated. The time course and pattern of calcium accumulation was determined to develop effective control procedures for this injury, termed tipburn. Procedures investigated were: (1) increasing the relative humidity to saturation during the dark period and altering root temperatures, (2) maximizing water stress during light and minimizing water stress during dark periods, (3) shortening the light-dark cycle lengths in combination with elevated moisture levels during the dark cycles, (4) reducing nutrient concentrations and (5) vibrating the plants. Saturated humidities at night increased the rate of growth and the large fluctuation in plant water potential encouraged calcium movement to the young leaves and delayed tipburn. Root temperature regulation between 15 and 26 C was not effective in preventing tipburn. Attempts to modulate water stress produced little variation, but no difference in tipburn development. Variations in light-dark cycle lengths also had no effect on calcium concentrations within developing leaves and no variation in tipburn development. Low concentrations of nutrient solution delayed tipburn, presumably because of greater calcium transport in the low concentration plants. Shaking of the plants did not prevent tipburn, but did delay it slightly.

Regional variations in upper mantle compressional velocities beneath southern California 1. Post-shock temperatures: Their experimental determination, calculation, and implications, 2.. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raikes, S. A.

1978-01-01

The compressional velocity within the upper mantle beneath Southern California is investigated through observations of the dependence of teleseismic P-delays at all stations of the array on the distance and azimuth to the event. The variation of residuals with azimuth was found to be as large as 1.3 sec at a single station; the delays were stable as a function of time, and no evidence was found for temporal velocity variations related to seismic activity in the area. These delays were used in the construction of models for the upper mantle P-velocity structure to depths of 150 km, both by ray tracing and inversion techniques. The models exhibit considerable lateral heterogeneity including a region of low velocity beneath the Imperial Valley, and regions of increased velocity beneath the Sierra Nevada and much of the Transverse Ranges. The development is described of a technique for the experimental determination of post-shock temperatures, and its application to several metals and silicates shocked to pressures in the range 5 to 30 GPa. The technique utilizes an infra-red radiation detector to determine the brightness temperature of the free surface of the sample after the shock wave has passed through it.

Seismic velocity anisotropy and heterogeneity beneath the Mantle Electromagnetic and Tomography Experiment (MELT) region of the East Pacific Rise from analysis of P and S body waves

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hammond, W.C.; Toomey, D.R.

2003-01-01

We use teleseismic P and S delay times and shear wave splitting measurements to constrain isotropic and anisotropic heterogeneity in the mantle beneath the southern East Pacific Rise (SEPR). The data comprise 462 P and S delay times and 18 shear wave splitting observations recorded during the Mantle Electromagnetic and Tomography (MELT) Experiment. We estimate the mantle melt content (F) and temperature (T) variation from the isotropic velocity variation. Our results indicate that the maximum variation in F beneath our array is between zero and ???1.2%, and maximum variation in T is between zero and ???100 K. We favor an explanation having partial contributions from both T and F. We approximate the seismic anisotropy of the upper mantle with hexagonal symmetry, consistent with the assumption of two dimensionality of mantle flow. Our new tomographic technique uses a nonlinear inversion of P and slow S polarization delay times to simultaneously solve for coupled VP and VS heterogeneity throughout the model and for the magnitude of anisotropy within discrete domains. The domain dimensions and the dip of the anisotropy are fixed for each inversion but are varied in a grid search, obtaining the misfit of the models to the body wave delay data and to split times of vertically propagating S waves. The data misfit and the isotropic heterogeneity are sensitive to domain dimensions and dip of anisotropy. In a region centered beneath the SEPR the best average dip of the hexagonal symmetry axis is horizontal or dipping shallowly (<30??) west. Given the resolution of our data, a subaxial region characterized by vertically aligned symmetry axes may exist but is limited to be <80 km deep. We infer that the mantle flow beneath the SEPR is consistent with shallow asthenospheric return flow from the direction of the South Pacific superswell.

Transfer effects of manipulating temporal constraints on learning a two-choice reaction time task with low stimulus-response compatibility.

PubMed

Chen, David D; Pei, Laura; Chan, John S Y; Yan, Jin H

2012-10-01

Recent research using deliberate amplification of spatial errors to increase motor learning leads to the question of whether amplifying temporal errors may also facilitate learning. We investigated transfer effects caused by manipulating temporal constraints on learning a two-choice reaction time (CRT) task with varying degrees of stimulus-response compatibility. Thirty-four participants were randomly assigned to one of the three groups and completed 120 trials during acquisition. For every fourth trial, one group was instructed to decrease CRT by 50 msec. relative to the previous trial and a second group was instructed to increase CRT by 50 msec. The third group (the control) was told not to change their responses. After a 5-min. break, participants completed a 40-trial no-feedback transfer test. A 40-trial delayed transfer test was administered 24 hours later. During acquisition, the Decreased Reaction Time group responded faster than the two other groups, but this group also made more errors than the other two groups. In the 5-min. delayed test (immediate transfer), the Decreased Reaction Time group had faster reaction times than the other two groups, while for the 24-hr. delayed test (delayed transfer), both the Decreased Reaction Time group and Increased Reaction Time group had significantly faster reaction times than the control. For delayed transfer, both Decreased and Increased Reaction Time groups reacted significantly faster than the control group. Analyses of error scores in the transfer tests indicated revealed no significant group differences. Results were discussed with regard to the notion of practice variability and goal-setting benefits.

Subband-Based Group Delay Segmentation of Spontaneous Speech into Syllable-Like Units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagarajan, T.; Murthy, H. A.

2004-12-01

In the development of a syllable-centric automatic speech recognition (ASR) system, segmentation of the acoustic signal into syllabic units is an important stage. Although the short-term energy (STE) function contains useful information about syllable segment boundaries, it has to be processed before segment boundaries can be extracted. This paper presents a subband-based group delay approach to segment spontaneous speech into syllable-like units. This technique exploits the additive property of the Fourier transform phase and the deconvolution property of the cepstrum to smooth the STE function of the speech signal and make it suitable for syllable boundary detection. By treating the STE function as a magnitude spectrum of an arbitrary signal, a minimum-phase group delay function is derived. This group delay function is found to be a better representative of the STE function for syllable boundary detection. Although the group delay function derived from the STE function of the speech signal contains segment boundaries, the boundaries are difficult to determine in the context of long silences, semivowels, and fricatives. In this paper, these issues are specifically addressed and algorithms are developed to improve the segmentation performance. The speech signal is first passed through a bank of three filters, corresponding to three different spectral bands. The STE functions of these signals are computed. Using these three STE functions, three minimum-phase group delay functions are derived. By combining the evidence derived from these group delay functions, the syllable boundaries are detected. Further, a multiresolution-based technique is presented to overcome the problem of shift in segment boundaries during smoothing. Experiments carried out on the Switchboard and OGI-MLTS corpora show that the error in segmentation is at most 25 milliseconds for 67% and 76.6% of the syllable segments, respectively.

Impact of delay to treatment upon survival in 1067 patients with breast-cancer.

PubMed

Rabinovich, M; Vallejo, C; Perez, J; Rodriguez, R; Cuevas, M; Machiavelli, M; Lacava, J; Leone, B; Romero, A; Mickiewicz, E; Chacon, R; Estevez, R

1993-02-01

The medical records of 1067 patients with breast cancer were reviewed to evaluate the influence of delay between first symptom and first treatment upon survival. Three delay intervals were considered: <3 months; 3-6 months and >6 months. At a follow-up of 120 months, survival analyses identified a statistically significant difference (p=0.029) favoring patients with <3 months delay in the whole cohort, and in the group of women aged 50 or older (p=0.001). No differences were found when survival according to delay was considered within each clinical stage. A Cox multivariate analysis revealed that performance status, stage, age and menopausal status were significant predictors of survival for the whole group of patients. However, delay was an independent prognostic factor in patients with age greater-than-or-equal-to 50. In summary, 38/1067 patients (3.1%) could have been adversely affected by a >3 months delay between first symptom and first treatment. Better survival rate for patients with a short delay would obey to a greater number of patients in favorable stages and a higher proportion of women aged 50 or older in this group.

Altering impulsive decision making with an acceptance-based procedure.

PubMed

Morrison, Kate L; Madden, Gregory J; Odum, Amy L; Friedel, Jonathan E; Twohig, Michael P

2014-09-01

Delay discounting is one facet of impulsive decision making and involves subjectively devaluing a delayed outcome. Steeply discounting delayed rewards is correlated with substance abuse and other problematic behaviors. To the extent that steep delay discounting underlies these clinical disorders, it would be advantageous to find psychosocial avenues for reducing delay discounting. Acceptance-based interventions may prove useful as they may help to decrease the distress that arises while waiting for a delayed outcome. The current study was conducted to determine if a 60-90 minute acceptance-based training would change delay discounting rates among 30 undergraduate university students in comparison to a waitlist control. Measures given at pre- and posttraining included a hypothetical monetary delay discounting task, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), and the Distress Tolerance Scale. Those assigned to the treatment group decreased their discounting of delayed money, but not distress intolerance or psychological inflexibility when compared to the waitlist control group. After the waiting period, the control group received the intervention. Combining all participants' pre- to posttreatment data, the acceptance-based treatment significantly decreased discounting of monetary rewards and increased distress tolerance. The difference in AAQ-II approached significance. Acceptance-based treatments may be a worthwhile option for decreasing delay discounting rates and, consequently, affecting the choices that underlie addiction and other problematic behaviors. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Enhanced equivalence class formation by the delay and relational functions of meaningful stimuli.

PubMed

Arntzen, Erik; Nartey, Richard K; Fields, Lanny

2015-05-01

Undergraduates in six groups of 10 attempted to form three 3-node 5-member equivalence classes (A → B → C → D → E) under the simultaneous protocol. In five of six groups, all stimuli were abstract shapes; in the PIC group, C stimuli were pictures with the remainder being abstract shapes. Before class formation, participants in the Identity-S and Identity-D groups were given preliminary training to form identity conditional discriminations with the C stimuli using simultaneous and 6 s delayed matching-to-sample procedures, respectively. In the Arbitrary-S and Arbitrary-D groups, before class formation, arbitrary conditional discriminations were formed between C and X stimuli using simultaneous and 6 s delayed matching-to-sample procedures, respectively. With no preliminary training, classes in the PIC and ABS groups were formed by 80% and 0% of participants, respectively. After preliminary training, class formation (yield) increased with delay, regardless of relational type. For each of the two delays, yield was slightly greater after forming arbitrary- instead of identity-relations. Yield was greatest, however, when a class contained a meaningful stimulus (PIC). During failed class formation, probes produced experimenter-defined relations, participant-defined relations, and unsystematic responding; delay, but not the relation type in preliminary training influenced relational and indeterminate responding. These results suggest how meaningful stimuli enhance equivalence class formation. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Measurement of multipath delay profile in land mobile satellite channels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ikegami, Tetsushi; Arakaki, Yoshiya; Wakana, Hiromitsu; Suzuki, Ryutaro

1993-01-01

Mobile satellite communication channel has been evaluated mainly with fading statistics of signal. When bandwidth of transmitting signal becomes wider, frequency selectivity of fading becomes a significant factor of the channel. Channel characteristics, not only signal variation but multipath delay spread should be evaluated. A multipath measurement system is proposed and developed for mobile satellite applications. With this system and ETS-V satellite, multipath delay profiles are measured in various environments including Tokyo metropolis and Sapporo city at 1.5 GHz. Results show that the maximum excess delay is within 1 microsec and the maximum delay spread is 0.2 microsecs at elevation angles of 40 to 47 degrees. In wideband signal transmission of about 1 MHz and more, designers should consider the effect of selective fading due to the multipath of land mobile satellite channel.

Dynamics of localized structures in reaction-diffusion systems induced by delayed feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurevich, Svetlana V.

2013-05-01

We are interested in stability properties of a single localized structure in a three-component reaction-diffusion system subjected to the time-delayed feedback. We shall show that variation in the product of the delay time and the feedback strength leads to complex dynamical behavior of the system, including formation of target patterns, spontaneous motion, and spontaneous breathing as well as various complex structures, arising from combination of different oscillatory instabilities. In the case of spontaneous motion, we provide a bifurcation analysis of the delayed system and derive an order parameter equation for the position of the localized structure, explicitly describing its temporal evolution in the vicinity of the bifurcation point. This equation is a subject to a nonlinear delay differential equation, which can be transformed to the normal form of the pitchfork drift bifurcation.

Delay of gratification: a comparison study of children with Down syndrome, moderate intellectual disability and typical development.

PubMed

Cuskelly, M; Gilmore, L; Glenn, S; Jobling, A

2016-09-01

Self-regulation has been found to be an important contributor to a range of outcomes, with delay of gratification (a self-regulatory skill) predicting better academic, social and personal functioning. There is some evidence that individuals with Down syndrome have difficulty with delay of gratification. We investigated the question of whether this difficulty is common to intellectual disability irrespective of aetiology, or whether it presents a particular problem for those with Down syndrome. The latter was considered a possibility because of language difficulties in this group. Three groups of children with a mean MA between 36 and 60 months participated in the study: children with Down syndrome (n = 32), children with a moderate intellectual disability from a cause other than Down syndrome (n = 26) and typically developing children (n = 50). Children completed a series of measures of language and cognitive functioning and participated in a delay of gratification task. The group of children with Down syndrome delayed for a significantly shorter time than either of the other two groups that did not differ from each other. Receptive language was associated with delay time for the children with Down syndrome but not for the typically developing group, nor for the group with moderate intellectual disability. Children with Down syndrome appear to have a particular difficulty with delay of gratification. Language abilities would seem to be implicated in this difficulty, although further examination of this hypothesis is required. © 2016 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Can Early Rehabilitation after Total Hip Arthroplasty Reduce Its Major Complications and Medical Expenses? Report from a Nationally Representative Cohort.

PubMed

Chiung-Jui Su, Daniel; Yuan, Kuo-Shu; Weng, Shih-Feng; Hong, Rong-Bin; Wu, Ming-Ping; Wu, Hing-Man; Chou, Willy

2015-01-01

To investigate whether early rehabilitation reduces the occurrence of posttotal hip arthroplasty (THA) complications, adverse events, and medical expenses within one postoperative year. We retrospectively retrieve data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Patients who had undergone THA during the period from 1998 to 2010 were recruited, matched for propensity scores, and divided into 2 groups: early rehabilitation (Early Rehab) and delayed rehabilitation (Delayed Rehab). Eight hundred twenty of 999 THA patients given early rehabilitation treatments were matched to 205 of 233 THA patients given delayed rehabilitation treatments. The Delayed Rehab group had significantly (all p < 0.001) higher medical and rehabilitation expenses and more outpatient department (OPD) visits than the Early Rehab group. In addition, the Delayed Rehab group was associated with more prosthetic infection (odds ratio (OR): 3.152; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.211-8.203; p < 0.05) than the Early Rehab group. Early rehabilitation can significantly reduce the incidence of prosthetic infection, total rehabilitation expense, total medical expenses, and number of OPD visits within the first year after THA.

Influence of age on delayed surgical treatment of proximal femoral fractures

PubMed Central

Gomes, Lisiane Pinto; do Nascimento, Leandra Delfim; Campos, Tulio Vinicius de Oliveira; Paiva, Edson Barreto; de Andrade, Marco Antonio Percope; Guimarães, Henrique Cerqueira

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE : To investigate the influence of patients' age on the delay between diagnosis and surgical treatment of proximal femoral fractures METHODS : This is a retrospective study, con-ducted at a tertiary university hospital, including all patients admitted with proximal femoral fractures between March 2013 and March 2014. The participants were categorized into four groups according to age levels. The groups were compared according to demographics, comorbidities, fracture type, trau-ma circumstances, and time between diagnosis and surgical procedure RESULTS : One hundred and sixty one patients were included, 37 adults and 124 elderly. Among adults, the mean delay between diagnosis and surgical procedure was 6.4±5.3 days; among elderly the delay was 9.5±7.6 days. There was a progressive increase in the delay from the young-adults group through the elderly individuals (Kruskal-Wallis: 13.7; p=0.003) CONCLUSION : In spite of being the patients most susceptible to complications due to surgical delay, the elderly individuals pre-sented the longest delays from admission to surgical treatment. Level of Evidence III, Retrospective Study. PMID:27057145

Is It Possible to Increase Flap Viability by Hydrostatic Dilation?: An Experimental Study in the Rat Abdominal Fasciocutaneous Flap Model.

PubMed

Sahin, Cihan; Aysal, Bilge Kagan; Ergun, Ozge

2016-08-01

Ergun et al previously demonstrated the efficacy of hydrostatic dilation in a TRAM flap model in an experimental study. We investigated the effect of hydrostatic dilation on a fasciocutaneous flap model. Eighteen female Wistar rats were equally divided into 3 groups, of which 1 served as a control. In the second, the abdominal fasciocutaneous flap surgical delay procedure was performed by division of the left superficial inferior epigastric (SIE) vessels. In the third, hydrostatic dilation was performed on the left SIE artery and vein, with a mean pressure of 300 mm Hg, while elevating the flap on the right-sided SIE pedicle. The groups were compared by microangiography and by the survival ratio of abdominal flaps 7 days after elevation. The mean (SD) flap necrosis rates were as follows: control group, 44.75% (4.31%); delay group, 33.32% (7.11%); and hydrostatic dilation group, 32.51% (5.03%). There was a significant difference between the control group and the other 2 groups (P < 0.05). There was no difference between the delay and hydrostatic dilation groups with respect to surface area necrosis. The microangiographies showed remarkable increased vascularity in the delay and hydrostatic dilation groups. Hydrostatic dilation is a new method of enhancing flap viability that could be used in clinical cases in place of surgical delay once further studies and clinical trials are completed.

Effects of Delay Duration on the WMS Logical Memory Performance of Older Adults with Probable Alzheimer's Disease, Probable Vascular Dementia, and Normal Cognition.

PubMed

Montgomery, Valencia; Harris, Katie; Stabler, Anthony; Lu, Lisa H

2017-05-01

To examine how the duration of time delay between Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) Logical Memory I and Logical Memory II (LM) affected participants' recall performance. There are 46,146 total Logical Memory administrations to participants diagnosed with either Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), or normal cognition in the National Alzheimer's Disease Coordinating Center's Uniform Data Set. Only 50% of the sample was administered the standard 20-35 min of delay as specified by WMS-R and WMS-III. We found a significant effect of delay time duration on proportion of information retained for the VaD group compared to its control group, which remained after adding LMI raw score as a covariate. There was poorer retention of information with longer delay for this group. This association was not as strong for the AD and cognitively normal groups. A 24.5-min delay was most optimal for differentiating AD from VaD participants (47.7% classification accuracy), an 18.5-min delay was most optimal for differentiating AD versus normal participants (51.7% classification accuracy), and a 22.5-min delay was most optimal for differentiating VaD versus normal participants (52.9% classification accuracy). Considering diagnostic implications, our findings suggest that test administration should incorporate precise tracking of delay periods. We recommend a 20-min delay with 18-25-min range. Poor classification accuracy based on LM data alone is a reminder that story memory performance is only one piece of data that contributes to complex clinical decisions. However, strict adherence to the recommended range yields optimal data for diagnostic decisions. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Immediate compared with delayed pushing in the second stage of labor: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Tuuli, Methodius G; Frey, Heather A; Odibo, Anthony O; Macones, George A; Cahill, Alison G

2012-09-01

To estimate whether immediate or delayed pushing in the second stage of labor optimizes spontaneous vaginal delivery and other perinatal outcomes. We searched electronic databases MEDLINE and CINHAL through August 2011 without restrictions. The search terms used were MeSH headings, text words, and word variations of the words or phrases labor, laboring down, passive descent, passive second stage, physiologic second stage, spontaneous pushing, pushing, or bearing down. We searched for randomized controlled trials comparing immediate with delayed pushing in the second stage of labor. The primary outcome was spontaneous vaginal delivery. Secondary outcomes were instrumental delivery, cesarean delivery, duration of the second stage, duration of active pushing, and other maternal and neonatal outcomes. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Q test and I2. Pooled relative risks (RRs) and weighted mean differences were calculated using random-effects models. Twelve randomized controlled trials (1,584 immediate and 1,531 delayed pushing) met inclusion criteria. Overall, delayed pushing was associated with an increased rate of spontaneous vaginal delivery compared with immediate pushing (61.5% compared with 56.9%, pooled RR 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.15). This increase was smaller and not statistically significant among high-quality studies (59.0% compared with 54.9%, pooled RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.98-1.26) but larger and statistically significant in lower-quality studies (81.0% compared with 71.0%%, pooled RR 1.13, 95% CI 1.02-1.24). Operative vaginal delivery rates were high in most studies and not significantly different between the two groups (33.7% compared with 37.4%, pooled RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.76-1.06). Delayed pushing was associated with prolongation of the second stage (weighted mean difference 56.92 minutes, 95% CI 42.19-71.64) and shortened duration of active pushing (weighted mean difference -21.98 minutes, 95% CI -31.29 to -12.68). Studies to date suggest there are few clinical differences in outcomes with immediate compared with delayed pushing in the second stage of labor, especially when high-quality studies are pooled. Effects on maternal and neonatal outcomes remain uncertain.

The thin hot plume beneath Iceland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, R.M.; Nolet, G.; Morgan, W.J.; Vogfjord, K.; Bergsson, B.H.; Erlendsson, P.; Foulger, G.R.; Jakobsdottir, S.; Julian, B.R.; Pritchard, M.; Ragnarsson, S.; Stefansson, R.

1999-01-01

We present the results of a seismological investigation of the frequency-dependent amplitude variations across Iceland using data from the HOTSPOT array currently deployed there. The array is composed of 30 broad-band PASSCAL instruments. We use the parameter t(*), defined in the usual manner from spectral ratios (Halderman and Davis 1991), to compare observed S-wave amplitude variations with those predicted due to both anelastic attenuation and diffraction effects. Four teleseismic events at a range of azimuths are used to measure t(*). A 2-D vertical cylindrical plume model with a Gaussian-shaped velocity anomaly is used to model the variations. That part of t(*) caused by attenuation was estimated by tracing a ray through IASP91, then superimposing our plume model velocity anomaly and calculating the path integral of 1/vQ. That part of t(*) caused by diffraction was estimated using a 2-D finite difference code to generate synthetic seismograms. The same spectral ratio technique used for the data was then used to extract a predicted t(*). The t(*) variations caused by anelastic attenuation are unable to account for the variations we observe, but those caused by diffraction do. We calculate the t(*) variations caused by diffraction for different plume models and obtain our best-fit plume, which exhibits good agreement between the observed and measured t(*). The best-fit plume model has a maximum S-velocity anomaly of - 12 per cent and falls to 1/e of its maximum at 100 km from the plume centre. This is narrower than previous estimates from seismic tomography, which are broadened and damped by the methods of tomography. This velocity model would suggest greater ray theoretical traveltime delays than observed. However, we find that for such a plume, wave-front healing effects at frequencies of 0.03-0.175 Hz (the frequency range used to pick S-wave arrivals) causes a 40 per cent reduction in traveltime delay, reducing the ray theoretical delay to that observed.

[Radiation-induced modification of human somatic cell chromosome sensitivity to the testing mutagenic exposure of bleomycin in vitro in lung cancer patients in delayed terms following Chernobyl accident].

PubMed

Pilinskaia, M A; Dybskiĭ, S S; Dybskaia, E B; Shvaĭko, L I

2012-01-01

By using modified "G2-bleomycin sensitivity assay" above background level of cytogenetic effect considered as a marker of hidden chromosome instability (HCI) has been investigated in 3 groups--liquidators of Chernobyl accident (occupational group 1), patients with lung cancer who denied conscious contact--with ionizing radiation (group of comparison), liquidators with lung cancer (occupational group 2). Significant interindividual variations of cytogenetic effects induced with bleomycin and the lack of positive correlation between background and above background frequencies of chromosome aberrations have been shown in all observed groups. It had been established that occupational group 2 was the most burdened group by expression of the above background cytogenetic effect and, accordingly, number of persons with HCI. The data obtained permit to suggest the existence of the association between radiation-induced increase of individual sensitivity to testing mutagenic exposure and the realization of cancer in persons exposed to ionizing radiation. The results show acceptability of "G2-bleomycin sensitivity assay" under the cytogenetic examination of irradiated contingents for determining HCI as one of informative markers of predisposition to oncopathology.

Pharmacokinetics of brotizolam in renal failure

PubMed Central

Evers, J.; Renner, E.; Bechtel, W. D.

1983-01-01

1 Kinetics of brotizolam (0.25 mg) were studied in patients with different degrees of renal failure after single and repeated oral ingestion. Serum levels were analysed by radio-immunoassay. 2 Patients were divided into three groups according to their renal function, i.e. creatinine clearance values of 45-80, 15-45, or less than 15 ml/min. 3 The mean elimination half-life was 6.9-8.15 h, with a considerable variation of the peak concentration and elimination half-life in slight to moderate renal failure. There was no delay in elimination in severe renal failure and there was no drug accumulation. 4 No dose adjustment is necessary for brotizolam in renal failure. PMID:6661376

Estimating Accurate Relative Spacecraft Angular Position from DSN VLBI Phases Using X-Band Telemetry or DOR Tones

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bagri, Durgadas S.; Majid, Walid

2009-01-01

At present spacecraft angular position with Deep Space Network (DSN) is determined using group delay estimates from very long baseline interferometer (VLBI) phase measurements employing differential one way ranging (DOR) tones. As an alternative to this approach, we propose estimating position of a spacecraft to half a fringe cycle accuracy using time variations between measured and calculated phases as the Earth rotates using DSN VLBI baseline(s). Combining fringe location of the target with the phase allows high accuracy for spacecraft angular position estimate. This can be achieved using telemetry signals of at least 4-8 MSamples/sec data rate or DOR tones.

Language Delay in 3-Year-Old Children With ADHD Symptoms.

PubMed

Rohrer-Baumgartner, Nina; Zeiner, Pål; Eadie, Patricia; Egeland, Jens; Gustavson, Kristin; Reichborn-Kjennerud, Ted; Aase, Heidi

2016-10-01

Little is known about cognition in preschoolers with ADHD and language delay (LD). The objective was to investigate cognitive functions in preschoolers with ADHD symptoms and LD compared with children with ADHD symptoms only and to estimate the frequency of children with ADHD symptoms, co-occurring language delay, and delays on cognitive measures. Participants were recruited from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. The teacher report of expressive language and the cognitive tests from 119 3-year-old children with parent reported ADHD symptoms and LD were compared with those of 258 children with ADHD symptoms only. The ADHD + LD group performed significantly worse than the ADHD group on most language-related measures. There were no differences between the groups on most nonverbal measures. Single measures had a limited potential of differentiating between the groups. ADHD symptoms and co-occurring LD in preschoolers were characterized by cognitive deficits associated with both disorders, not with global neurodevelopmental delay. © The Author(s) 2013.

Role of working memory in transformation of visual and motor representations for use in mental simulation.

PubMed

Gabbard, Carl; Lee, Jihye; Caçola, Priscila

2013-01-01

This study examined the role of visual working memory when transforming visual representations to motor representations in the context of motor imagery. Participants viewed randomized number sequences of three, four, and five digits, and then reproduced the sequence by finger tapping using motor imagery or actually executing the movements; movement duration was recorded. One group viewed the stimulus for three seconds and responded immediately, while the second group had a three-second view followed by a three-second blank screen delay before responding. As expected, delay group times were longer with each condition and digit load. Whereas correlations between imagined and executed actions (temporal congruency) were significant in a positive direction for both groups, interestingly, the delay group's values were significantly stronger. That outcome prompts speculation that delay influenced the congruency between motor representation and actual execution.

Operative Outcome and Patient Satisfaction in Early and Delayed Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy for Acute Cholecystitis

PubMed Central

Hokkam, Emad N.

2014-01-01

Introduction. Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy is usually associated with reduced hospital stay, sick leave, and health care expenditures. Early diagnosis and treatment of acute cholecystitis reduce both mortality and morbidity and the accurate diagnosis requires specific diagnostic criteria of clinical data and imaging studies. Objectives. To compare early versus delayed laparoscopic cholecystectomy regarding the operative outcome and patient satisfaction. Patients and Methods. Patients with acute cholecystitis were divided into two groups, early (A) and delayed (B) cholecystectomy. Diagnosis of acute cholecystitis was confirmed by clinical examination, laboratory data, and ultrasound study. The primary end point was operative and postoperative outcome and the secondary was patient's satisfaction. Results. The number of readmissions in delayed treatment group B was three times in 10% of patients, twice in 23.3%, and once in 66.7% while the number of readmissions was once only in patients in group A and the mean total hospital stays were higher in group B than in group A. The overall patient's satisfaction was 92.66 ± 6.8 in group A compared with 75.34 ± 12.85 in group B. Conclusion. Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy resulted in significant reduction in length of hospital stay and accepted rate of operative complications and conversion rates when compared with delayed techniques. PMID:25197568

Personalising exercise recommendations for brain health: considerations and future directions.

PubMed

Barha, Cindy K; Galea, Liisa A; Nagamatsu, Lindsay S; Erickson, Kirk I; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa

2017-04-01

The societal value of strategies that delay the onset and progression of dementia cannot be overstated. Physical activity-unstructured and structured-is a promising, cost-effective strategy for the promotion of brain health. However, a large degree of variation exists in its efficacy. Therefore, to increase its utility as 'medication' for healthy cognitive ageing, it is imperative to identify key moderators and mediators of the positive effects of targeted exercise training on brain health. In this commentary, we focus on the type of targeted exercise training, the determinants of individual variation, including biological sex and genotypic factors, and the mechanisms by which exercise exerts its influence on the brain. We argue that a better understanding of these factors will allow for evidence-based, personalised, tailored exercise recommendations that go beyond the one-size-fits-all approach to successfully combat dementia. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Classic conditioning in aged rabbits: delay, trace, and long-delay conditioning.

PubMed

Solomon, P R; Groccia-Ellison, M E

1996-06-01

Young (0.5 years) and aged (2+, 3+, and 4+ years) rabbits underwent acquisition of the classically conditioned nictitating membrane response in a delay (500-ms conditioned stimulus [CS], 400-ms interstimulus interval [ISI]), long-delay (1,000-ms CS, 900-ms ISI), or trace (500-ms CS, 400-ms stimulus-free period) paradigm. Collapsing across age groups, there is a general tendency for animals to acquire trace conditioning more slowly than delay conditioning. Collapsing across conditioning paradigms, there is a general tendency for aged animals to acquire more slowly than younger animals. Of greater significance, however, are the age differences in the different conditioning paradigms. In the delay and long-delay paradigms, significant conditioning deficits first appeared in the 4(+)-year-old group. In the trace conditioning paradigm, significant conditioning deficits became apparent in the 2(+)-year-old animals.

Social Reinforcement Delays in Free-Flying Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.)

PubMed Central

Craig, David Philip Arthur; Grice, James W.; Varnon, Chris A.; Gibson, B.; Sokolowski, Michel B. C.; Abramson, Charles I.

2012-01-01

Free-flying honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) reactions were observed when presented with varying schedules of post-reinforcement delays of 0 s, 300 s, or 600 s. We measured inter-visit-interval, response length, inter-response-time, and response rate. Honey bees exposed to these post-reinforcement delay intervals exhibit one of several patterns compared to groups not encountering delays, and had longer inter-visit-intervals. We observed no group differences in inter-response time. Honey bees with higher response rates tended to not finish the experiment. The removal of the delay intervals increased response rates for those subjects that completed the trials. PMID:23056425

The Use of Milrinone in Patients with Delayed Cerebral Ischemia Following Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Lannes, Marcelo; Zeiler, Frederick; Guichon, Céline; Teitelbaum, Jeanne

2017-03-01

The purpose of this article is to provide a systematic review of the evidence supporting the use of milrinone for the management of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Primary outcomes were functional neurological status and the incidence of cerebral infarction. Search strategies adapted to the different databases were developed by a professional librarian. Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library database, Web of Science, SCOPUS, BIOSIS, Global Health, Health Star, Open SIGLE, Google Scholar and the New York Academy of Medicine Gray Literature were searched as well as clinical trials databases and the proceedings of several scientific meetings. Quality of the evidence for these outcomes across studies was adjudicated using the GRADE Working Group criteria. The search resulted in 284 citations after elimination of duplicates. Of those 9 conference proceedings and 15 studies met inclusion criteria and consisted of case reports, case series and two comparative studies: one non-randomized study with physiological outcomes only and a case series with historical controls. There was considerable variation in dosing and in co-interventions and no case control or randomized controlled studies were found. There is currently only very low quality evidence to support the use of milrinone to improve important outcomes in patients with delayed cerebral ischemia secondary to subarachnoid hemorrhage. Further research is needed to clarify the value and risks of this medication in patients with SAH.

The Problem of Delayed Causation in a Video Game: Constant, Varied, and Filled Delays

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Michael E.; Nguyen, Nam

2009-01-01

A first-person shooter video game was adapted for the study of causal decision making within dynamic environments. The video game included groups of three potential targets. Participants chose which of the three targets in each group was producing distal explosions. The actual source of the explosion effect varied in the delay between the firing…

[Comparison of effect between early and delayed in primary intramedullary nailing combined with locked plate fixation for the treatment of multi-segments tibial fractures of type].

PubMed

Gao, Wei-qiang; Hu, Jiang-hai; Gu, Zhu-chao; Zhang, Huai-xian; Min, Peng; Zhang, Lin-jun; Yu, Wen-wen; Wang, Guang-lin

2015-02-01

To compare the clinical results of early and delayed intramedullary nailing and locked plating for the treatment of multi-segments tibial fractures of type AO/ASIF-42C2. Between January 2010 and January 2013,45 patients with multi-segments closed tibial fractures of AO/ASIF-42C2 were treated by early primary intramedullary nailing and locked plating in 20 cases as early group and delayed in 25 cases as delayed group. In early group,20 cases included 13 males and 7 females with an average age of (37.9±14.3) years old ranging from 20 to 56 years;according to soft tissue injury Tscherne classification, 8 fractures were frade I,12 were grade II. In delayed group, 25 cases included 17 males and 8 females with an average age of (38.7±17.2) years old ranging from 24 to 55 years,4 fractures were grade I ,19 were grade II ,2 were grade III. The operative time, blood loss, hospital stay,fracture healing time and complications were recorded. At final follow-up, the Johner-Wruhs score were used to evaluate functional efficacy, and the posterior-anterior and lateral X-ray to evaluate fracture reduction and alignment. All the patients were followed up for (12.5±2.5) months in early group and (13.2±2.8) months in delayed group (P>0.05). No wounds infections were happened. At the last follow-up, the mean range of knee joint was 10°-0°-120°. According to Johner-Wruhs scoring,there were 15 cases in excellent,3 in good,fair in 2 in early group; 21 in excellent,2 in good,2 in fair. The average operative time,blood loss had no significant differences between two groups (P>0.05), but hospital stay in early group was significantly shorter than those in delayed group(P<0.05). Average fracture healing time of early group and delayed group were (5.3±2.6) months and (6.0±2.9) months, respectively (P>0.05). For multi-segments tibial fractures of type AO/ASIF-42C2 with preoperative minor soft tissue injuries lighter of Tscherne grade I or II, early primary intramedullary nailing and locked plating does not significantly increase the postoperative incidence of soft tissue complications for patients. The early and delayed primary intramedullary nailing and locked plating for treatment of AO/ASIF-42C2 proximal third tibial fractures can get similar curative effect.

Term babies with delayed cord clamping: an approach in preventing anemia (.).

PubMed

Ertekin, Arif Aktug; Nihan Ozdemir, Nilufer; Sahinoglu, Zeki; Gursoy, Tugba; Erbil, Nazan; Kaya, Erdal

2016-09-01

We investigated the effects of delayed and early clamping of the cord on the hematologic status of the baby at birth and at the end of second month. Umbilical cord of 74 babies were clamped in the first 30 s (Group 1) and 76 were clamped at 90-120 s (Group 2). Levels of hemoglobin, hematocrit, iron and ferritin were analyzed from the umbilical cord blood at birth and from the venous samples at the end of second month. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, iron and ferritin levels of cord blood were similar in both groups. However, their levels other than ferritin were higher in Group 2 at the end of second month. Two babies had respiratory distress and twelve neonates received phototherapy in Group 2 whereas only five neonates received phototherapy in Group 1. Term babies to whom delayed cord clamping was performed had improved hematological parameters at the end of second month. Therefore, delaying cord clamping in these babies may be a favorible approach in preventing anemia.

Neuroprotective effects of silymarin on ischemia-induced delayed neuronal cell death in rat hippocampus.

PubMed

Hirayama, Koki; Oshima, Hideki; Yamashita, Akiko; Sakatani, Kaoru; Yoshino, Atsuo; Katayama, Yoichi

2016-09-01

We examined the effects of silymarin, which was extracted from Silybum marianum, on delayed neuronal cell death in the rat hippocampus. Rats were divided into four groups: sham-operated rats (sham group), rats which underwent ischemic surgery (control group), rats which were treated with silymarin before and after ischemic surgery (pre group), and rats which were treated with silymarin after ischemic surgery only (post group). We performed the ischemic surgery by occluding the bilateral carotid arteries for 20min and sacrificed the rats one week after the surgery. Silymarin was administered orally at 200mg/kg body weight. Smaller numbers of delayed cell deaths were noted in the rat CA1 region of the pre- and post-groups, and no significant difference was observed between these groups. There were few apoptotic cell deaths in all groups. Compared to the control group, significantly fewer cell deaths by autophagy were found in the pre- and post-group. We concluded that silymarin exerts a preservation effect on delayed neuronal cell death in the rat hippocampus and this effect has nothing to do with the timing of administering of silymarin. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Robust and Multi-Weighted Approach to Estimating Topographically Correlated Tropospheric Delays in Radar Interferograms

PubMed Central

Zhu, Bangyan; Li, Jiancheng; Chu, Zhengwei; Tang, Wei; Wang, Bin; Li, Dawei

2016-01-01

Spatial and temporal variations in the vertical stratification of the troposphere introduce significant propagation delays in interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) observations. Observations of small amplitude surface deformations and regional subsidence rates are plagued by tropospheric delays, and strongly correlated with topographic height variations. Phase-based tropospheric correction techniques assuming a linear relationship between interferometric phase and topography have been exploited and developed, with mixed success. Producing robust estimates of tropospheric phase delay however plays a critical role in increasing the accuracy of InSAR measurements. Meanwhile, few phase-based correction methods account for the spatially variable tropospheric delay over lager study regions. Here, we present a robust and multi-weighted approach to estimate the correlation between phase and topography that is relatively insensitive to confounding processes such as regional subsidence over larger regions as well as under varying tropospheric conditions. An expanded form of robust least squares is introduced to estimate the spatially variable correlation between phase and topography by splitting the interferograms into multiple blocks. Within each block, correlation is robustly estimated from the band-filtered phase and topography. Phase-elevation ratios are multiply- weighted and extrapolated to each persistent scatter (PS) pixel. We applied the proposed method to Envisat ASAR images over the Southern California area, USA, and found that our method mitigated the atmospheric noise better than the conventional phase-based method. The corrected ground surface deformation agreed better with those measured from GPS. PMID:27420066

A Robust and Multi-Weighted Approach to Estimating Topographically Correlated Tropospheric Delays in Radar Interferograms.

PubMed

Zhu, Bangyan; Li, Jiancheng; Chu, Zhengwei; Tang, Wei; Wang, Bin; Li, Dawei

2016-07-12

Spatial and temporal variations in the vertical stratification of the troposphere introduce significant propagation delays in interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) observations. Observations of small amplitude surface deformations and regional subsidence rates are plagued by tropospheric delays, and strongly correlated with topographic height variations. Phase-based tropospheric correction techniques assuming a linear relationship between interferometric phase and topography have been exploited and developed, with mixed success. Producing robust estimates of tropospheric phase delay however plays a critical role in increasing the accuracy of InSAR measurements. Meanwhile, few phase-based correction methods account for the spatially variable tropospheric delay over lager study regions. Here, we present a robust and multi-weighted approach to estimate the correlation between phase and topography that is relatively insensitive to confounding processes such as regional subsidence over larger regions as well as under varying tropospheric conditions. An expanded form of robust least squares is introduced to estimate the spatially variable correlation between phase and topography by splitting the interferograms into multiple blocks. Within each block, correlation is robustly estimated from the band-filtered phase and topography. Phase-elevation ratios are multiply- weighted and extrapolated to each persistent scatter (PS) pixel. We applied the proposed method to Envisat ASAR images over the Southern California area, USA, and found that our method mitigated the atmospheric noise better than the conventional phase-based method. The corrected ground surface deformation agreed better with those measured from GPS.

Psychosocial correlates of immediate versus delayed reconstruction of the breast.

PubMed

Wellisch, D K; Schain, W S; Noone, R B; Little, J W

1985-11-01

Two groups of consecutive patients from two different plastic surgical practice populations were evaluated to determine psychosocial differences between those who underwent immediate (n = 25) versus delayed (n = 38) breast reconstruction. Psychological assessment consisted of a standardized symptom inventory (BSI) and a specially designed self-report questionnaire investigating reactions unique to mastectomy and reconstruction. Both groups were extremely equivalent with regard to sociodemographic data, with the typical subject being a well-educated and employed Caucasian wife. Verbal reports of physical complaints revealed no significant differences between the two groups except for difficulty with arm movement, which was statistically higher for the immediate group (p = 0.006.). This difference most likely was due to the axillary dissection being performed simultaneously at the time of reconstruction. The relationship between timing of reconstruction and self-reported distress over the mastectomy experience revealed that only 25 percent of the women who underwent immediate repair reported "high distress" in recalling their mastectomy surgery compared with 60 percent of the delayed reconstruction group (p = 0.02). In reference to the two scales measuring psychological symptoms, a general trend was present, with the delayed group scoring higher (although not statistically significantly) on 9 of our 12 scales. Ninety-six percent of the immediate group and 89 percent of the delayed group reported satisfaction with results.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effect of healing time on bone-implant contact of orthodontic micro-implants: a histologic study.

PubMed

Ramazanzadeh, Barat Ali; Fatemi, Kazem; Dehghani, Mahboobe; Mohtasham, Nooshin; Jahanbin, Arezoo; Sadeghian, Hamed

2014-01-01

Objectives. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of immediate and delayed loading of orthodontic micro-implants on bone-implant contact. Materials and Methods. Sixty four micro-implants were implanted in dog's jaw bone. The micro-implants were divided into loaded and unloaded (control) groups. The control group had two subgroups: four and eight weeks being implanted. The loaded group had two subgroups of immediate loading and delayed (after four weeks healing) loading. Loaded samples were subjected to 200g load for four weeks. After sacrificing the animals micro-implants and surrounding tissues were observed histologically. Bone-implant contact ratios (BIC) were calculated and different groups' results were compared by three-way ANOVA. Results. Mean survival rate was 96.7% in general. Survival rates were 96.7%, 94.4% and 100% for control, immediate and delayed loaded groups, respectively. BIC values were not significantly different in loaded and control groups, immediate and delayed loading groups, and pressure and tension sides. Mandibular micro-implants had significantly higher BIC than maxillary ones in immediate loading, 4-weeks control, and 8-weeks control groups (P = 0.021, P = 0.009, P = 0.003, resp.). Conclusion Immediate or delayed loading of micro-implants in dog did not cause significant difference in Bone-implant contact which could be concluded that healing time had not significant effect on micro-implant stability.

Effect of Healing Time on Bone-Implant Contact of Orthodontic Micro-Implants: A Histologic Study

PubMed Central

Ramazanzadeh, Barat Ali; Fatemi, Kazem; Dehghani, Mahboobe; Mohtasham, Nooshin; Jahanbin, Arezoo; Sadeghian, Hamed

2014-01-01

Objectives. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of immediate and delayed loading of orthodontic micro-implants on bone-implant contact. Materials and Methods. Sixty four micro-implants were implanted in dog's jaw bone. The micro-implants were divided into loaded and unloaded (control) groups. The control group had two subgroups: four and eight weeks being implanted. The loaded group had two subgroups of immediate loading and delayed (after four weeks healing) loading. Loaded samples were subjected to 200g load for four weeks. After sacrificing the animals micro-implants and surrounding tissues were observed histologically. Bone-implant contact ratios (BIC) were calculated and different groups' results were compared by three-way ANOVA. Results. Mean survival rate was 96.7% in general. Survival rates were 96.7%, 94.4% and 100% for control, immediate and delayed loaded groups, respectively. BIC values were not significantly different in loaded and control groups, immediate and delayed loading groups, and pressure and tension sides. Mandibular micro-implants had significantly higher BIC than maxillary ones in immediate loading, 4-weeks control, and 8-weeks control groups (P = 0.021, P = 0.009, P = 0.003, resp.). Conclusion Immediate or delayed loading of micro-implants in dog did not cause significant difference in Bone-implant contact which could be concluded that healing time had not significant effect on micro-implant stability. PMID:25006463

Effective Desynchronization by Nonlinear Delayed Feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popovych, Oleksandr V.; Hauptmann, Christian; Tass, Peter A.

2005-04-01

We show that nonlinear delayed feedback opens up novel means for the control of synchronization. In particular, we propose a demand-controlled method for powerful desynchronization, which does not require any time-consuming calibration. Our technique distinguishes itself by its robustness against variations of system parameters, even in strongly coupled ensembles of oscillators. We suggest our method for mild and effective deep brain stimulation in neurological diseases characterized by pathological cerebral synchronization.

Propellant Crack Tip Ignition and Propagation under Rapid Pressurization

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-10-01

that the ignition-delay time decreases and the heat flux to the propellant surface increases as the pressurization rate is increased. The decrease in...leading to ignition. The model predicts the experimental obseriation that the ignition delay time decreases as the pressurization rate is increased...pressurization rate on both crack propagation velocity and time variation of crack shape was studied. Experimental results indicated that the crack velocity

Integrated Doppler Correction to TWSTFT Using Round-Trip Measurement

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-11-01

42 nd Annual Precise Time and Time Interval (PTTI) Meeting 251 INTEGRATED DOPPLER CORRECTION TO TWSTFT USING ROUND-TRIP MEASUREMENT Yi...Frequency Transfer ( TWSTFT ) data. It is necessary to correct the diurnal variation for comparing the time-scale difference. We focus on the up-/downlink...delay difference caused by satellite motion. In this paper, we propose to correct the TWSTFT data by using round-trip delay measurement. There are

Interaction of emitted sonar pulses and simulated echoes in a false killer whale: an evoked-potential study.

PubMed

Supin, Alexander Ya; Nachtigall, Paul E; Breese, Marlee

2011-09-01

Auditory evoked potentials (AEP) were recorded during echolocation in a false killer whale Pseudorca crassidens. An electronically synthesized and played-back (simulated) echo was triggered by an emitted biosonar pulse, and its intensity was proportional to that of the emitted click. The delay and transfer factor of the echo relative to the emitted click was controlled by the operator. The echo delay varied from 2 to 16 ms (by two-fold steps), and the transfer factor varied within ranges from -45 to -30 dB at the 2-ms delay to -60 to -45 dB at the 16-ms delay. Echo-related AEPs featured amplitude dependence both on echo delay at a constant transfer factor (the longer the delay, the higher amplitude) and on echo transfer factor at a constant delay (the higher transfer factor, the higher amplitude). Conjunctional variation of the echo transfer factor and delay kept the AEP amplitude constant when the delay to transfer factor trade was from -7.1 to -8.4 dB per delay doubling. The results confirm the hypothesis that partial forward masking of the echoes by the preceding emitted sonar pulses serves as a time-varying automatic gain control in the auditory system of echolocating odontocetes. © 2011 Acoustical Society of America

Dynamics of landslide model with time delay and periodic parameter perturbations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostić, Srđan; Vasović, Nebojša; Franović, Igor; Jevremović, Dragutin; Mitrinovic, David; Todorović, Kristina

2014-09-01

In present paper, we analyze the dynamics of a single-block model on an inclined slope with Dieterich-Ruina friction law under the variation of two new introduced parameters: time delay Td and initial shear stress μ. It is assumed that this phenomenological model qualitatively simulates the motion along the infinite creeping slope. The introduction of time delay is proposed to mimic the memory effect of the sliding surface and it is generally considered as a function of history of sliding. On the other hand, periodic perturbation of initial shear stress emulates external triggering effect of long-distant earthquakes or some non-natural vibration source. The effects of variation of a single observed parameter, Td or μ, as well as their co-action, are estimated for three different sliding regimes: β < 1, β = 1 and β > 1, where β stands for the ratio of long-term to short-term stress changes. The results of standard local bifurcation analysis indicate the onset of complex dynamics for very low values of time delay. On the other side, numerical approach confirms an additional complexity that was not observed by local analysis, due to the possible effect of global bifurcations. The most complex dynamics is detected for β < 1, with a complete Ruelle-Takens-Newhouse route to chaos under the variation of Td, or the co-action of both parameters Td and μ. These results correspond well with the previous experimental observations on clay and siltstone with low clay fraction. In the same regime, the perturbation of only a single parameter, μ, renders the oscillatory motion of the block. Within the velocity-independent regime, β = 1, the inclusion and variation of Td generates a transition to equilibrium state, whereas the small oscillations of μ induce oscillatory motion with decreasing amplitude. The co-action of both parameters, in the same regime, causes the decrease of block's velocity. As for β > 1, highly-frequent, limit-amplitude oscillations of initial stress give rise to oscillatory motion. Also for β > 1, in case of perturbing only the initial shear stress, with smaller amplitude, velocity of the block changes exponentially fast. If the time delay is introduced, besides the stress perturbation, within the same regime, the co-action of Td (Td < 0.1) and small oscillations of μ induce the onset of deterministic chaos.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy in treatment of delayed bone-tendon healing.

PubMed

Wang, Lin; Qin, Ling; Lu, Hong-bin; Cheung, Wing-hoi; Yang, Hu; Wong, Wan-nar; Chan, Kai-ming; Leung, Kwok-sui

2008-02-01

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy is indicated for treatment of chronic injuries of soft tissues and delayed fracture healing and nonunion. No investigation has been conducted to study the effect of shock wave on delayed healing at the bone-tendon junction. Shock wave promotes osteogenesis, regeneration of fibrocartilage zone, and remodeling of healing tissue in delayed healing of bone-tendon junction surgical repair. Controlled laboratory study. Twenty-eight mature rabbits were used for establishing a delayed healing model at the patella-patellar tendon complex after partial patellectomy and then divided into control and shock wave groups. In the shock wave group, a single shock wave treatment was given at week 6 postoperatively to the patella-patellar tendon healing complex. Seven samples were harvested at week 8 and 7 samples at week 12 for radiologic, densitometric, histologic, and mechanical evaluations. Radiographic measurements showed 293.4% and 185.8% more new bone formation at the patella-patellar tendon healing junction in the shock wave group at weeks 8 and 12, respectively. Significantly better bone mineral status was found in the week 12 shock wave group. Histologically, the shock wave group showed more advanced remodeling in terms of better alignment of collagen fibers and thicker and more mature regenerated fibrocartilage zone at both weeks 8 and 12. Mechanical testing showed 167.7% and 145.1% higher tensile load and strength in the shock wave group at week 8 and week 12, respectively, compared with controls. Extracorporeal shock wave promotes osteogenesis, regeneration of fibrocartilage zone, and remodeling in the delayed bone-to-tendon healing junction in rabbits. These results provide a foundation for future clinical studies toward establishment of clinical indication for treatment of delayed bone-to-tendon junction healing.

Objective measures of sleep and dim light melatonin onset in adolescents and young adults with delayed sleep phase disorder compared to healthy controls.

PubMed

Saxvig, Ingvild W; Wilhelmsen-Langeland, Ane; Pallesen, Ståle; Vedaa, Oystein; Nordhus, Inger H; Sørensen, Eli; Bjorvatn, Bjørn

2013-08-01

Delayed sleep phase disorder is characterized by a delay in the timing of the major sleep period relative to conventional norms. The sleep period itself has traditionally been described as normal. Nevertheless, it is possible that sleep regulatory mechanism disturbances associated with the disorder may affect sleep duration and/or architecture. Polysomnographic data that may shed light on the issue are scarce. Hence, the aim of this study was to examine polysomnographic measures of sleep in adolescents and young adults with delayed sleep phase disorder, and to compare findings to that of healthy controls. A second aim was to estimate dim light melatonin onset as a marker of circadian rhythm and to investigate the phase angle relationship (time interval) between dim light melatonin onset and the sleep period. Data from 54 adolescents and young adults were analysed, 35 diagnosed with delayed sleep phase disorder and 19 healthy controls. Results show delayed timing of sleep in participants with delayed sleep phase disorder, but once sleep was initiated no group differences in sleep parameters were observed. Dim light melatonin onset was delayed in participants with delayed sleep phase disorder, but no difference in phase angle was observed between the groups. In conclusion, both sleep and dim light melatonin onset were delayed in participants with delayed sleep phase disorder. The sleep period appeared to occur at the same circadian phase in both groups, and once sleep was initiated no differences in sleep parameters were observed. © 2013 European Sleep Research Society.

Subjective value of risky foods for individual domestic chicks: a hierarchical Bayesian model.

PubMed

Kawamori, Ai; Matsushima, Toshiya

2010-05-01

For animals to decide which prey to attack, the gain and delay of the food item must be integrated in a value function. However, the subjective value is not obtained by expected profitability when it is accompanied by risk. To estimate the subjective value, we examined choices in a cross-shaped maze with two colored feeders in domestic chicks. When tested by a reversal in food amount or delay, chicks changed choices similarly in both conditions (experiment 1). We therefore examined risk sensitivity for amount and delay (experiment 2) by supplying one feeder with food of fixed profitability and the alternative feeder with high- or low-profitability food at equal probability. Profitability varied in amount (groups 1 and 2 at high and low variance) or in delay (group 3). To find the equilibrium, the amount (groups 1 and 2) or delay (group 3) of the food in the fixed feeder was adjusted in a total of 18 blocks. The Markov chain Monte Carlo method was applied to a hierarchical Bayesian model to estimate the subjective value. Chicks undervalued the variable feeder in group 1 and were indifferent in group 2 but overvalued the variable feeder in group 3 at a population level. Re-examination without the titration procedure (experiment 3) suggested that the subjective value was not absolute for each option. When the delay was varied, the variable option was often given a paradoxically high value depending on fixed alternative. Therefore, the basic assumption of the uniquely determined value function might be questioned.

Evaluation of takayasu arteritis with delayed contrast-enhanced MR imaging by a free-breathing 3D IR turbo FLASH.

PubMed

Liu, Min; Liu, Weifang; Li, Haoyuan; Shu, Xiaoming; Tao, Xincao; Zhai, Zhenguo

2017-12-01

The primary aim of our case-control study was to observe delayed contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in patients with Takayasu arteritis (TA) in comparison with magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Twenty-seven patients including 15 with active TA and 12 with stable TA who underwent both aortic MRA and DCE-MRI were included. A total of 27 sex- and age-matched healthy volunteers were enrolled as the control group. MRA were obtained with T1WI-volume-interpolated breath-hold examination sequence or fast low-angle shot (FLASH) sequence. DCE-MRI was acquired with a free-breathing three-dimensional inversion recovery Turbo fast low-angle shot (3D IR Turbo FLASH). Neither stenosis nor delayed enhancement of arterial wall was shown in the control group. In patients with stable TA, arterial stenosis was observed on MRA. On DCE-MR, delayed enhancement of arterial walls could be observed in the active TA group but not in the stable TA group or the control group. Stenotic arteries on MRA were comparable in the active TA and stable TA (χ = 2.70, P = .259); however, delayed enhancement of arterial walls in the active-TA group were more than those in the stable group (χ = 27.00, P < .001). Our results suggest that DCE-MRI with the free-breathing 3D IR Turbo FLASH sequence could assess TA and delayed enhancement on DCE-MRI is one characteristics of the active TA. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

The reality of cancer treatment in a developing country: the effects of delayed TKI treatment on survival, cytogenetic and molecular responses in chronic myeloid leukaemia patients.

PubMed

Kurtovic-Kozaric, Amina; Hasic, Azra; Radich, Jerald P; Bijedic, Vildan; Nefic, Hilada; Eminovic, Izet; Kurtovic, Sabira; Colakovic, Ferida; Kozaric, Mirza; Vranic, Semir; Bovan, Nada S

2016-02-01

Cancer patients in developing and low-income countries have limited access to target therapies. For example, tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy for chronic myeloid leukaemia patients (CML) is often delayed. In Bosnia, 16% of patients received immediate TKI treatment (<3 months of diagnosis), while 66% of patients received therapy after a median 14-month wait period. To assess the effect of delayed treatment on outcome, three patient groups were studied according to the time they received TKI treatment (0-5 months, 6-12 months and >13 months delay). The primary endpoints were complete cytogenetic (CCyR) and major molecular response (MMR) at 12 months. At 12 months of therapy, CCyR and MMR rates on imatinib decreased significantly: CCyR was achieved in 67% of patients in the immediate imatinib treatment group, 18% of patients in 6-12 months group and 15% of patients in >13 months wait group. MMR rates at 12 months occurred in 10% of patients with immediate treatment, 6% of those in 6-12 months group and 0% of patients in >13 months wait group. However, CCyR and MMR rates in patients on nilotinib were not associated with duration of treatment delay. Our data suggests that the deleterious effect of a prolonged TKI therapy delay may be ameliorated by the more active TKI nilotinib. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Skeletal maturity of the hand in an East African group from Sudan.

PubMed

Elamin, Fadil; Abdelazeem, Nihal; Elamin, Ahmed; Saif, Duaa; Liversidge, Helen M

2017-08-01

Studies of skeletal maturity from Africa indicate a delay, reflected in a negative relative skeletal age (RSA). This study aims to evaluate the influence of age, socioeconomic status (SES) and nutritional status on skeletal maturation in a large sample of children from North Sudan. The sample consisted 665 males and 1018 females from 3-25 years from Khartoum. Height, weight, age of menarche and, SES were recorded of patients attending for dental treatment. Skeletal age was assigned from hand-wrist radiographs using the Greulich-Pyle (GP) atlas (1952). RSA (difference between skeletal and chronological ages) was compared in groups divided by age, sex, height-for-age and body-mass-index z scores, and SES. Spearman's correlation and student t-test was used to compare groups. Delayed skeletal age was noted across all age in boys. In girls, a delay was observed between ages 6-10, while advancement occurred between ages 13-18. Maturity was delayed in low height groups (p < .05) and low SES groups. RSA was negatively associated with HAZ in low SES males (R = -0.0.27, p < .001) and low SES females (R = -0.32, p < .001). There were statistically significant skeletal delays in North Sudanese males and most pre-menarche females, low height and low SES groups. Post-menarche females were advanced relative to males and GP references. Low SES impacts were statistically correlated to skeletal delay. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Influence of Procedure Delay on Resource Utilization: A National Study of Patients with Open Tibial Fracture

PubMed Central

Sears, Erika Davis; Burke, James F.; Davis, Matthew M.; Chung, Kevin C.

2016-01-01

Background The purpose of this study is to 1) understand national variation in delay of emergency procedures in patients with open tibial fracture at the hospital level and 2) compare length of stay (LOS) and cost in patients cared for at the best and worst performing hospitals for delay. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the 2003 – 2009 Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Adult patients with primary diagnosis of open tibial fracture were selected for inclusion. We calculated hospital probability of delay of emergency procedures beyond the day of admission (day 0). Multilevel linear regression random effects models were created to evaluate the relationship between the treating hospital’s tendency for delay (in quartiles) and the log-transformed outcomes of LOS and cost, while adjusting for patient and hospital variables. Results The final sample included 7,029 patients from 332 hospitals. Adjusted analyses demonstrate that patients treated at hospitals in the fourth (worst) quartile for delay were estimated to have 12% (95% CI 2–21%) higher cost compared to patients treated at hospitals in the first quartile. In addition, patients treated at hospitals in the fourth quartile had an estimated 11% (CI 4–17%) longer LOS compared to patients treated at hospitals in the first quartile. Conclusions Patients with open tibial fracture treated at hospitals with more timely initiation of surgical care had lower cost and shorter LOS than patients treated at hospitals with less timely initiation of care. Policies directed toward mitigating variation in care are not only beneficial for patient outcomes, but may also reduce unnecessary waste. Level II (Prognostic) PMID:23142940

Spatio-Temporal Variability of the Phase of Total Ozone Quasi-Decennial Oscillations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Visheratin, K. N.

2017-12-01

The SBUV/SBUV2 (65° S-65° N) and Bodeker Scientific (90° S-90° N) satellite databases have been used for composite and cross-wavelet analyses of the spatio-temporal variability of phase relations between a 11-year cycle of solar activity (SA) and quasi-decennial oscillations (QDOs) of total ozone content (TOC). For globally average TOC values, the QDO maxima coincide in phase with the solar-activity maxima, and amplitude variations of TOC correlate with those of the 11-year solar cycle. According to the analysis of amplitude and phase of QDOs for the zonal average TOC fields, a QDO amplitude is about 6-7 Dobson Units (DU) in the high northern and southern latitudes, and it does not exceed 2-3 DU in the tropic regions. The latitudinal TOC variations are distinguished by a delay of the quasi-decennial oscillation phase in the southern latitudes in comparison with the northern latitudes. The TOC maxima phase coincides with the SA maxima phase in the tropic regions; the TOC variations go ahead of the SA variations, on average, in moderate and high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere; the TOC variations are behind the SA variations in the Southern Hemisphere. The phase delay between TOC QDO maxima in the northern and southern latitudes appears to increase in the course of time, and the TOC quasi-decennial variations in the Arctic and Antarctic subpolar regions occur approximately in an antiphase over the last two decades.

Multi-objective LQR with optimum weight selection to design FOPID controllers for delayed fractional order processes.

PubMed

Das, Saptarshi; Pan, Indranil; Das, Shantanu

2015-09-01

An optimal trade-off design for fractional order (FO)-PID controller is proposed with a Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) based technique using two conflicting time domain objectives. A class of delayed FO systems with single non-integer order element, exhibiting both sluggish and oscillatory open loop responses, have been controlled here. The FO time delay processes are handled within a multi-objective optimization (MOO) formalism of LQR based FOPID design. A comparison is made between two contemporary approaches of stabilizing time-delay systems withinLQR. The MOO control design methodology yields the Pareto optimal trade-off solutions between the tracking performance and total variation (TV) of the control signal. Tuning rules are formed for the optimal LQR-FOPID controller parameters, using median of the non-dominated Pareto solutions to handle delayed FO processes. Copyright © 2015 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Efficient Offloading Scheme For MEC System Considering Delay and Energy Consumption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yanhua; Hao, Zhe; Zhang, Yanhua

2018-01-01

With the increasing numbers of mobile devices, mobile edge computing (MEC) which provides cloud computing capabilities proximate to mobile devices in 5G networks has been envisioned as a promising paradigm to enhance users experience. In this paper, we investigate a joint consideration of delay and energy consumption offloading scheme (JCDE) for MEC system in 5G heterogeneous networks. An optimization is formulated to minimize the delay as well as energy consumption of the offloading system, which the delay and energy consumption of transmitting and calculating tasks are taken into account. We adopt an iterative greedy algorithm to solve the optimization problem. Furthermore, simulations were carried out to validate the utility and effectiveness of our proposed scheme. The effect of parameter variations on the system is analysed as well. Numerical results demonstrate delay and energy efficiency promotion of our proposed scheme compared with another paper’s scheme.

Premixed autoignition in compressible turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konduri, Aditya; Kolla, Hemanth; Krisman, Alexander; Chen, Jacqueline

2016-11-01

Prediction of chemical ignition delay in an autoignition process is critical in combustion systems like compression ignition engines and gas turbines. Often, ignition delay times measured in simple homogeneous experiments or homogeneous calculations are not representative of actual autoignition processes in complex turbulent flows. This is due the presence of turbulent mixing which results in fluctuations in thermodynamic properties as well as chemical composition. In the present study the effect of fluctuations of thermodynamic variables on the ignition delay is quantified with direct numerical simulations of compressible isotropic turbulence. A premixed syngas-air mixture is used to remove the effects of inhomogeneity in the chemical composition. Preliminary results show a significant spatial variation in the ignition delay time. We analyze the topology of autoignition kernels and identify the influence of extreme events resulting from compressibility and intermittency. The dependence of ignition delay time on Reynolds and turbulent Mach numbers is also quantified. Supported by Basic Energy Sciences, Dept of Energy, United States.

Delay compensation - Its effect in reducing sampling errors in Fourier spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zachor, A. S.; Aaronson, S. M.

1979-01-01

An approximate formula is derived for the spectrum ghosts caused by periodic drive speed variations in a Michelson interferometer. The solution represents the case of fringe-controlled sampling and is applicable when the reference fringes are delayed to compensate for the delay introduced by the electrical filter in the signal channel. Numerical results are worked out for several common low-pass filters. It is shown that the maximum relative ghost amplitude over the range of frequencies corresponding to the lower half of the filter band is typically 20 times smaller than the relative zero-to-peak velocity error, when delayed sampling is used. In the lowest quarter of the filter band it is more than 100 times smaller than the relative velocity error. These values are ten and forty times smaller, respectively, than they would be without delay compensation if the filter is a 6-pole Butterworth.

Time-delayed feedback control of breathing localized structures in a three-component reaction-diffusion system.

PubMed

Gurevich, Svetlana V

2014-10-28

The dynamics of a single breathing localized structure in a three-component reaction-diffusion system subjected to time-delayed feedback is investigated. It is shown that variation of the delay time and the feedback strength can lead either to stabilization of the breathing or to delay-induced periodic or quasi-periodic oscillations of the localized structure. A bifurcation analysis of the system in question is provided and an order parameter equation is derived that describes the dynamics of the localized structure in the vicinity of the Andronov-Hopf bifurcation. With the aid of this equation, the boundaries of the stabilization domains as well as the dependence of the oscillation radius on delay parameters can be explicitly derived, providing a robust mechanism to control the behaviour of the breathing localized structure in a straightforward manner. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Impact of time delay on the dynamics of SEIR epidemic model using cellular automata

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Natasha; Gupta, Arvind Kumar

2017-04-01

The delay of an infectious disease is significant when aiming to predict its strength and spreading patterns. In this paper the SEIR ​(susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered) epidemic spread with time delay is analyzed through a two-dimensional cellular automata model. The time delay corresponding to the infectious span, predominantly, includes death during the latency period in due course of infection. The advancement of whole system is described by SEIR transition function complemented with crucial factors like inhomogeneous population distribution, birth and disease independent mortality. Moreover, to reflect more realistic population dynamics some stochastic parameters like population movement and connections at local level are also considered. The existence and stability of disease free equilibrium is investigated. Two prime behavioral patterns of disease dynamics is found depending on delay. The critical value of delay, beyond which there are notable variations in spread patterns, is computed. The influence of important parameters affecting the disease dynamics on basic reproduction number is also examined. The results obtained show that delay plays an affirmative role to control disease progression in an infected host.

Radar wideband digital beamforming based on time delay and phase compensation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Wei; Jiang, Defu

2018-07-01

In conventional phased array radars, analogue time delay devices and phase shifters have been used for wideband beamforming. These methods suffer from insertion losses, gain mismatches and delay variations, and they occupy a large chip area. To solve these problems, a compact architecture of digital array antennas based on subarrays was considered. In this study, the receiving beam patterns of wideband linear frequency modulation (LFM) signals were constructed by applying analogue stretch processing via mixing with delayed reference signals at the subarray level. Subsequently, narrowband digital time delaying and phase compensation of the tone signals were implemented with reduced arithmetic complexity. Due to the differences in amplitudes, phases and time delays between channels, severe performance degradation of the beam patterns occurred without corrections. To achieve good beamforming performance, array calibration was performed in each channel to adjust the amplitude, frequency and phase of the tone signal. Using a field-programmable gate array, wideband LFM signals and finite impulse response filters with continuously adjustable time delays were implemented in a polyphase structure. Simulations and experiments verified the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed digital beamformer.

System for sensing droplet formation time delay in a flow cytometer

DOEpatents

Van den Engh, Ger; Esposito, Richard J.

1997-01-01

A droplet flow cytometer system which includes a system to optimize the droplet formation time delay based on conditions actually experienced includes an automatic droplet sampler which rapidly moves a plurality of containers stepwise through the droplet stream while simultaneously adjusting the droplet time delay. Through the system sampling of an actual substance to be processed can be used to minimize the effect of the substances variations or the determination of which time delay is optimal. Analysis such as cell counting and the like may be conducted manually or automatically and input to a time delay adjustment which may then act with analysis equipment to revise the time delay estimate actually applied during processing. The automatic sampler can be controlled through a microprocessor and appropriate programming to bracket an initial droplet formation time delay estimate. When maximization counts through volume, weight, or other types of analysis exists in the containers, the increment may then be reduced for a more accurate ultimate setting. This may be accomplished while actually processing the sample without interruption.

Educating health care professionals on human trafficking.

PubMed

Grace, Aimee M; Lippert, Suzanne; Collins, Kristin; Pineda, Noelle; Tolani, Alisha; Walker, Rebecca; Jeong, Monica; Trounce, Milana Boukhman; Graham-Lamberts, Caroline; Bersamin, Melina; Martinez, Jeremy; Dotzler, Jennifer; Vanek, John; Storfer-Isser, Amy; Chamberlain, Lisa J; Horwitz, Sarah M

2014-12-01

The US Department of State estimates that there are between 4 and 27 million individuals worldwide in some form of modern slavery. Recent studies have demonstrated that 28% to 50% of trafficking victims in the United States encountered health care professionals while in captivity, but were not identified and recognized. This study aimed to determine whether an educational presentation increased emergency department (ED) providers' recognition of human trafficking (HT) victims and knowledge of resources to manage cases of HT. The 20 largest San Francisco Bay Area EDs were randomized into intervention (10 EDs) or delayed intervention comparison groups (10 EDs) to receive a standardized educational presentation containing the following: background about HT, relevance of HT to health care, clinical signs in potential victims, and referral options for potential victims. Participants in the delayed intervention group completed a pretest in the period the immediate intervention group received the educational presentation, and all participants were assessed immediately before (pretest) and after (posttest) the intervention. The intervention effect was tested by comparing the pre-post change in the intervention group to the change in 2 pretests in the delayed intervention group adjusted for the effect of clustering within EDs. The 4 primary outcomes were importance of knowledge of HT to the participant's profession (5-point Likert scale), self-rated knowledge of HT (5-point Likert scale), knowledge of who to call for potential HT victims (yes/no), and suspecting that a patient was a victim of HT (yes/no). There were 258 study participants from 14 EDs; 141 from 8 EDs in the intervention group and 117 from 7 EDs in the delayed intervention comparison group, of which 20 served as the delayed intervention comparison group. Participants in the intervention group reported greater increases in their level of knowledge about HT versus those in the delayed intervention comparison group (1.42 vs -0.15; adjusted difference = 1.57 [95% confidence interval, 1.02-2.12]; P < 0.001). Pretest ratings of the importance of knowledge about HT to the participant's profession were high in both groups and there was no intervention effect (0.31 vs 0.55; -0.24 [-0.90-0.42], P = 0.49). Knowing who to call for potential HT victims increased from 7.2% to 59% in the intervention group and was unchanged (15%) in the delayed intervention comparison group (61.4% [28.5%-94.4%]; P < 0.01). The proportion of participants who suspected their patient was a victim of HT increased from 17% to 38% in the intervention group and remained unchanged (10%) in the delayed intervention comparison group (20.9 [8.6%-33.1%]; P < 0.01). A brief educational intervention increased ED provider knowledge and self-reported recognition of HT victims.

Limits to Forecasting Precision for Outbreaks of Directly Transmitted Diseases

PubMed Central

Drake, John M

2006-01-01

Background Early warning systems for outbreaks of infectious diseases are an important application of the ecological theory of epidemics. A key variable predicted by early warning systems is the final outbreak size. However, for directly transmitted diseases, the stochastic contact process by which outbreaks develop entails fundamental limits to the precision with which the final size can be predicted. Methods and Findings I studied how the expected final outbreak size and the coefficient of variation in the final size of outbreaks scale with control effectiveness and the rate of infectious contacts in the simple stochastic epidemic. As examples, I parameterized this model with data on observed ranges for the basic reproductive ratio (R 0) of nine directly transmitted diseases. I also present results from a new model, the simple stochastic epidemic with delayed-onset intervention, in which an initially supercritical outbreak (R 0 > 1) is brought under control after a delay. Conclusion The coefficient of variation of final outbreak size in the subcritical case (R 0 < 1) will be greater than one for any outbreak in which the removal rate is less than approximately 2.41 times the rate of infectious contacts, implying that for many transmissible diseases precise forecasts of the final outbreak size will be unattainable. In the delayed-onset model, the coefficient of variation (CV) was generally large (CV > 1) and increased with the delay between the start of the epidemic and intervention, and with the average outbreak size. These results suggest that early warning systems for infectious diseases should not focus exclusively on predicting outbreak size but should consider other characteristics of outbreaks such as the timing of disease emergence. PMID:16435887

The effectiveness of parent participation in occupational therapy for children with developmental delay

PubMed Central

Lin, Chien-Lin; Lin, Chin-Kai; Yu, Jia-Jhen

2018-01-01

Introduction This study aims to explore the impact of Parent Participation Program on the development of developmental delay children. Methods Pretest-posttest equivalent-group experimental design study was used in this paper. A total of 30 pairs of developmental delay children aged 0–72 months and their parents participated into this study. They were divided into two groups, namely control group and experimental group, according to parents’ wishes. The objects of study in control group received 16 courses of direct rehabilitation therapy; those in experimental group received 8 courses of direct rehabilitation therapy and 8 courses of instruction and tracking of Parent Participation Program. The duration of the intervention was 8 weeks. All cases should be evaluated before and after the intervention, to analyze the difference before and after intervention and among groups. The statistical methods in this paper included descriptive analysis, Chi-square test, independent sample t-test, pair-sample t-test. Results and conclusion The intervention of Parent Participation Occupational Program has positive impact on the development of developmental delay children in various fields. Among all the intervention results, the progress of the experimental group is 1.895 times more than that of the control group. With parent involvement, Parent Participation Occupational Therapy can promote the cognitive ability, language ability, action ability (gross and fine movement), social competence and self-care ability of children with developmental delay. Finally, the researcher presents suggestions and directions for future research in accordance with the results. PMID:29503546

Immediate Extinction Attenuates Spontaneous Recovery and Reinstatement in a Passive Avoidance Paradigm.

PubMed

Briggs, James F; Fava, Devin A

2016-08-01

Recent research suggests that extinction occurring shortly after fear conditioning attenuates spontaneous recovery and reinstatement of fear. Two experiments investigated whether immediate extinction would prevent spontaneous recovery and reinstatement of fear using a passive avoidance paradigm. In Experiment 1, naive female adult rats (N = 40) received extinction training either immediately or 24 hours (delayed) after fear conditioning. Both extinction groups showed a significant reduction in fear at a 1-day test. At a 15-day test, spontaneous recovery was observed in the delayed extinction group while the immediate extinction group continued to show significant extinction. In Experiment 2, using a naive group of adult female rats (N = 16), the extinction result was replicated in both the immediate and delayed extinction groups at the 1-day interval. Reinstatement of fear, elicited by foot-shock in a neutral environment, was observed for the delayed group but not for the immediate group. By utilizing the passive-avoidance paradigm, these experiments replicate and extend previous findings that immediate extinction attenuates spontaneous recovery and reinstatement of fear. © The Author(s) 2016.

Phase and group delay of S-band megawatt Cassegrain diplexer and S-band megawatt transmit filter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lay, R.

1977-01-01

The phase characteristics and group delay of the S-band Megawatt Cassegrain Diplexer (MCD) and S-band Megawatt Transmit Filter (MTF) are reported. These phase measurements on the MCD and MTF were done in response to the need to obtain the total DSS hardware ground delay required for very long baseline interferometry and ranging radio metric measurements.

Early Compared With Delayed Physician Rounds on Patient Satisfaction of Postpartum Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Roberts, Robyn P; Blackwell, Sean C; Brown, Kelly M; Pedroza, Claudia; Sibai, Baha M; Tyson, Jon E

2016-08-01

To investigate whether delayed timing of physician rounds improves patient satisfaction for postpartum women. Women were randomized to early (5-7 AM) or delayed (8-10 AM) physician rounding. Women with stillbirth, high-risk pregnancy, or complications precluding delayed rounding were excluded. At discharge, women completed a modified Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. The primary outcome was rating of the hospital. Secondary outcomes included patient assessment of patient-physician communication, various hospital experiences, and timing of maternal and neonatal discharge. We estimated that 74 women were needed to detect a 20% difference in rating of the hospital (0-10 score) between groups (assumption P=.05, power 90%). Given limited information on primary outcome, an a priori plan was in place to conduct the study for 2 months. One hundred fifty-two women were randomized (n=76 early rounding; n=76 delayed rounding). More women had a cesarean delivery in the early compared with the delayed rounding group (47.4% compared with 22.4%). Median rating of the hospital was higher in the delayed as compared with the early rounding group (9.0 [7.0-9.0] compared with 7.0 [6.0-8.0]; P<.01). Median scores regarding physician communication and perception of hospital experiences were higher in the delayed compared with the early group (8.0 [7.0-9.0] compared with 6.0 [5.0-7.0]; P<.001). Adjustment for delivery mode did not alter results (P<.01). No differences in timing of maternal (P=.47) or neonatal hospital discharge (P=.35) were observed. Postpartum women receiving delayed physician rounding were more satisfied with their hospital experience and patient-physician communication without prolonging maternal or neonatal discharge. ClinicalTrials.gov, https://clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02432573.

Detection and characterization of Budd-Chiari syndrome with inferior vena cava obstruction: Comparison of fixed and flexible delayed scan time of computed tomography venography.

PubMed

Zhou, Peng-Li; Wu, Gang; Han, Xin-Wei; Bi, Yong-Hua; Zhang, Wen-Guang; Wu, Zheng-Yang

2017-06-01

To compare the results of computed tomography venography (CTV) with a fixed and a flexible delayed scan time for Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) with inferior vena cava (IVC) obstruction. A total of 209 consecutive BCS patients with IVC obstruction underwent either a CTV with a fixed delayed scan time of 180s (n=87) or a flexible delayed scan time for good image quality according to IVC blood flow in color Doppler ultrasonography (n=122). The IVC blood flow velocity was measured using a color Doppler ultrasound prior to CT scan. Image quality was classified as either good, moderate, or poor. Image quality, surrounding structures and the morphology of the IVC obstruction were compared between the two groups using a χ 2 -test or paired or unpaired t-tests as appropriate. Inter-observer agreement was assessed using Kappa statistics. There was no significant difference in IVC blood flow velocity between the two groups. Overall image quality, surrounding structures and IVC obstruction morphology delineation on the flexible delayed scan time of CTV images were rated better relative to those obtained by fixed delayed scan time of CTV images (p<0.001). Evaluation of CTV data sets was significantly facilitated with flexible delayed scan time of CTV. There were no significant differences in Kappa statistics between Group A and Group B. The flexible delayed scan time of CTV was associated with better detection and more reliable characterization of BCS with IVC obstruction compared to a fixed delayed scan time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparing Motor Skills in Autism Spectrum Individuals With and Without Speech Delay

PubMed Central

Barbeau, Elise B.; Meilleur, Andrée‐Anne S.; Zeffiro, Thomas A.

2015-01-01

Movement atypicalities in speed, coordination, posture, and gait have been observed across the autism spectrum (AS) and atypicalities in coordination are more commonly observed in AS individuals without delayed speech (DSM‐IV Asperger) than in those with atypical or delayed speech onset. However, few studies have provided quantitative data to support these mostly clinical observations. Here, we compared perceptual and motor performance between 30 typically developing and AS individuals (21 with speech delay and 18 without speech delay) to examine the associations between limb movement control and atypical speech development. Groups were matched for age, intelligence, and sex. The experimental design included: an inspection time task, which measures visual processing speed; the Purdue Pegboard, which measures finger dexterity, bimanual performance, and hand‐eye coordination; the Annett Peg Moving Task, which measures unimanual goal‐directed arm movement; and a simple reaction time task. We used analysis of covariance to investigate group differences in task performance and linear regression models to explore potential associations between intelligence, language skills, simple reaction time, and visually guided movement performance. AS participants without speech delay performed slower than typical participants in the Purdue Pegboard subtests. AS participants without speech delay showed poorer bimanual coordination than those with speech delay. Visual processing speed was slightly faster in both AS groups than in the typical group. Altogether, these results suggest that AS individuals with and without speech delay differ in visually guided and visually triggered behavior and show that early language skills are associated with slower movement in simple and complex motor tasks. Autism Res 2015, 8: 682–693. © 2015 The Authors Autism Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Autism Research PMID:25820662

Outcomes associated with initial versus later vancomycin use in patients with complicated skin and skin-structure infections.

PubMed

Itani, Kamal M F; Akhras, Kasem S; Stellhorn, Robert; Quintana, Alvaro; Budd, David; Merchant, Sanjay

2009-01-01

Delayed coverage of pathogens including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in pneumonia and bacteraemia has been associated with increased mortality and length of hospital stay (LOS). However, less is known about the impact of delayed appropriate coverage in complicated skin and skin-structure infections (cSSSIs). To evaluate the clinical and economic outcomes associated with early versus late use of vancomycin in the management of patients hospitalized for cSSSIs. Retrospective analysis was performed using an inpatient claims database of >500 US hospitals in 2005. Using prescription claims, patients with primary or secondary cSSSI admissions were classified into three groups: 1 = early vancomycin monotherapy; 2 = early vancomycin combination therapy; 3 = late vancomycin therapy. Outcomes studied included LOS and inpatient hospital costs. One-way analysis of variance was used for unadjusted analysis and multivariate regression methods were used to control for co-variates. A total of 34,942 patients (27.78% of all patients with cSSSIs) were treated with vancomycin. Mean age was 54.7 years and 54.3% of the patients were males. Mean unadjusted total LOS was 8.46, 9.44 and 13.2 days, and hospital costs in 2005 values were USD10 211.94, USD12 361.94 and USD18 344.00 for groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. In-hospital mortality rate was highest in group 3 (4.18%) and lowest in group 1 (1.75%). Generalized linear models used to control for potential confounding variables between early versus late vancomycin use suggest that among cSSSI patients late vancomycin use is an independent predictor of higher LOS and costs. In this large inpatient database, later vancomycin use in patients with cSSSIs appears to be significantly associated with higher LOS and total costs.

Outcome of renal transplantation with and without intra-operative diuretics.

PubMed

Hanif, F; Macrae, A N; Littlejohn, M G; Clancy, M J; Murio, E

2011-01-01

This paper presents an e-survey of current clinical practice of use of intra-operative diuretics during renal transplantation in the United Kingdom and a study to compare outcome of renal transplants carried out with or without intra-operative diuretics in our centre. An e-mail questionnaire to renal transplant surgeons exploring their practice of renal transplantation with or without intra-operative diuretics, the type of a diuretic/s if used and the relevant doses. An observational study comparing the outcome of renal transplant recipients, group no-diuretics (GND, n = 80) carried out from 2004 to 2008 versus group diuretics (GD n = 69) renal transplant recipients who received intra-operative diuretics over a one year period is presented. Outcome measures were incidence of delayed graft function and a comparison of graft survival in both groups. Forty surgeons answered from 18 transplant centres with a response rate of 67%. 13 surgeons do not use diuretics. Mannitol is used by 10/40, Furosemide 6/40 and 11 surgeons use a combination of both. In comparative study there was no significant overall difference in one year graft survival of GD versus GND (N = 65/69, 94% and 75/80, 94% respectively, p = 0.08) and the incidence of delayed graft function was also comparable (16/69, 23% and 21/80, 26% respectively, p = 0.07). The donor characteristics in both groups were comparable. The study showed variation in clinical practice on the use of intra-operative diuretics in renal transplantation and it did not demonstrate that the use of diuretics can improve renal graft survival. Copyright © 2011 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mapping patients' experiences from initial symptoms to gout diagnosis: a qualitative exploration.

PubMed

Liddle, Jennifer; Roddy, Edward; Mallen, Christian D; Hider, Samantha L; Prinjha, Suman; Ziebland, Sue; Richardson, Jane C

2015-09-14

To explore patients' experiences from initial symptoms to receiving a diagnosis of gout. Data from in-depth semistructured interviews were used to construct themes to describe key features of patients' experiences of gout diagnosis. A maximum variation sample of 43 UK patients with gout (29 men; 14 women; age range 32-87 years) were recruited from general practices, rheumatology clinics, gout support groups and through online advertising. Severe joint pain, combined with no obvious signs of physical trauma or knowledge of injury, caused confusion for patients attempting to interpret their symptoms. Reasons for delayed consultation included self-diagnosis and/or self-medication, reluctance to seek medical attention, and financial/work pressures. Factors potentially contributing to delayed diagnosis after consultation included reported misdiagnosis, attacks in joints other than the first metatarsophalangeal joint, and female gender. The limitations in using serum uric acid (SUA) levels for diagnostic purposes were not always communicated effectively to patients, and led to uncertainty and lack of confidence in the accuracy of the diagnosis. Resistance to the diagnosis occurred in response to patients' beliefs about the causes of gout and characteristics of the people likely to be affected. Diagnosis prompted actions, such as changes in diet, and evidence was found of self-monitoring of SUA levels. This study is the first to report data specifically about patients' pathways to initial consultation and subsequent experiences of gout diagnosis. A more targeted approach to information provision at diagnosis would improve patients' experiences. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Anterior delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage values predict joint failure after periacetabular osteotomy.

PubMed

Kim, Sang Do; Jessel, Rebecca; Zurakowski, David; Millis, Michael B; Kim, Young-Jo

2012-12-01

Several available compositional MRIs seem to detect early osteoarthritis before radiographic appearance. Delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) has been most frequently used in clinical studies and reportedly predicts premature joint failure in patients undergoing Bernese periacetabular osteotomies (PAOs). We asked, given regional variations in biochemical composition in dysplastic hips, whether the dGEMRIC index of the anterior joint would better predict premature joint failure after PAOs than the coronal dGEMRIC index as previously reported. We retrospectively reviewed 43 hips in 41 patients who underwent Bernese PAO for hip dysplasia. Thirty-seven hips had preserved joints after PAOs and six were deemed premature failures based on pain, joint space narrowing, or subsequent THA. We used dGEMRIC to determine regional variations in biochemical composition. Preoperative demographic and clinical outcome score, radiographic measures of osteoarthritis and severity of dysplasia, and dGEMRIC indexes from different hip regions were analyzed in a multivariable regression analysis to determine the best predictor of premature joint failure. Minimum followup was 24 months (mean, 32 months; range, 24-46 months). The two cohorts were similar in age and sex distribution. Severity of dysplasia was similar as measured by lateral center-edge, anterior center-edge, and Tönnis angles. Preoperative pain, joint space width, Tönnis grade, and coronal and sagittal dGEMRIC indexes differed between groups. The dGEMRIC index in the anterior weightbearing region of the hip was lower in the prematurely failed group and was the best predictor. Success of PAO depends on the amount of preoperative osteoarthritis. These degenerative changes are seen most commonly in the anterior joint. The dGEMRIC index of the anterior joint may better predict premature joint failure than radiographic measures of hip osteoarthritis and coronal dGEMRIC index. Level II, prognostic study. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

The use of clopidogrel (Plavix) in patients undergoing nonelective orthopaedic surgery.

PubMed

Nydick, Jason A; Farrell, Eric D; Marcantonio, Andrew J; Hume, Eric L; Marburger, Robert; Ostrum, Robert F

2010-06-01

To assess the effects of Plavix on patients requiring nonelective orthopaedic surgery. Retrospective cohort study. University-affiliated teaching institutions. The orthopaedic trauma registry was used to retrospectively identify all patients taking clopidogrel (Plavix; Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals, Bridgewater, NJ) who required nonelective orthopaedic surgery from 2004 to 2008. Twenty-nine patients were identified on Plavix (PG) and 32 matched patients in the control group not taking Plavix (NPG). The Plavix group was separated into those with a surgical delay less than 5 days of the last dose (PG < 5) (n = 28) and a delay greater than 5 days (PG > 5) (n = 1). A randomized age- and injury-matched control group not on Plavix was separated with surgical delay less than 5 days (NPG < 5) (n = 29) and delay greater than 5 days (NPG > 5) (n = 3). A retrospective review was performed comparing pre- and postoperative hemoglobin, blood transfusion requirements, surgical delay, 30-day mortality, and postoperative complications. Statistical analyses were performed using the Student t test and chi square test to identify differences between the groups. : The mean preoperative hemoglobin of the PG and the NPG was 11.2 g/dL and 12.3 g/dL (P = 0.03). Transfusion rates were similar with 18 of 28 in the PG compared with 13 of 29 in the NPG (P = 0.22). The mean surgical delay between the PG and NPG was 1.88 and 1.68 days (P = 0.64). Overall complications between the PG and NPG was nine of 28 and nine of 29 (P = 0.92). In both groups, two patients had postoperative wound drainage, which resolved without intervention. One patient in each group required revision surgery for nonunion. The 30-day mortality in the Plavix group was zero of 28 (0%) compared with one of 29 (3%) in the control group (cardiac arrest) (P = 0.32). In this study, there were no serious complications or increased transfusion requirements in the Plavix group. Avoiding surgical delay for patients on Plavix requiring nonelective orthopaedic surgery appears to be safe. The goal should be early operative intervention to decrease the morbidity and mortality of surgical delay. This is especially true for patients with hip fractures, which was the most common nonelective orthopaedic surgery required of patients on Plavix in this study.

Heterogeneity of residuals from comparison of GNSS and raytracing based troposphere slant total delays, as an indicator of hydrometeors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hordyniec, Paweł; Rohm, Witold; Kapłon, Jan

2017-04-01

Post-fit residuals from Precise Point Positioning (PPP) carry the troposphere information except of multipath and residual antenna Phase Centre Variations (PCVs), when precise satellite orbits and clocks were introduced. Slant total delay (STD) of GNSS signal is a sum of a priori slant hydrostatic delay, estimated wet delay, asymetry introduced by the estimated zenith total delay (ZTD) horizontal gradients and a post-fit residual reduced by the systematic (site-dependant) effect. It was revealed, that application of reduced post-fit residuls to the slant total delays obtained from GNSS data processing increases the discrepancy with slant delays from raytracing (RT) through the Numerical Weather Model (NWM). One of the possible sources of that effect is neglected influence of hydrometeors in raytracing procedures. If the assumption of hydrometeor information existence in the PPP post-fit residuals is correct, we expect the diversity of slant delay discrepancies for satellite-receiver rays pointing or not the hydrometeors. Paper presents the spatial and temporal correlation analysis of the slant delay residuals (GNSS - RT) with hydrometeor phenomena recorded during the COST ES1206 GNSS4SWEC benchmark period (May 5th - June 29th, 2013). It presents the discussion of the results from different GNSS PPP slant delay estimation approaches including coordinates unconstraining or heavy constraining, and the calculation of slant delays with and without ZTD horizontal gradients estimation.

Crustal origin of trench-parallel shear-wave fast polarizations in the Central Andes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wölbern, I.; Löbl, U.; Rümpker, G.

2014-04-01

In this study, SKS and local S phases are analyzed to investigate variations of shear-wave splitting parameters along two dense seismic profiles across the central Andean Altiplano and Puna plateaus. In contrast to previous observations, the vast majority of the measurements reveal fast polarizations sub-parallel to the subduction direction of the Nazca plate with delay times between 0.3 and 1.2 s. Local phases show larger variations of fast polarizations and exhibit delay times ranging between 0.1 and 1.1 s. Two 70 km and 100 km wide sections along the Altiplano profile exhibit larger delay times and are characterized by fast polarizations oriented sub-parallel to major fault zones. Based on finite-difference wavefield calculations for anisotropic subduction zone models we demonstrate that the observations are best explained by fossil slab anisotropy with fast symmetry axes oriented sub-parallel to the slab movement in combination with a significant component of crustal anisotropy of nearly trench-parallel fast-axis orientation. From the modeling we exclude a sub-lithospheric origin of the observed strong anomalies due to the short-scale variations of the fast polarizations. Instead, our results indicate that anisotropy in the Central Andes generally reflects the direction of plate motion while the observed trench-parallel fast polarizations likely originate in the continental crust above the subducting slab.

Formation Control over Delayed Communication Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Secchi, Cristian; Fantuzzi, Cesare

In this Chapter we address the problem of formation control of a group of robots that exchange information over a communication network characterized by a non negligible delay. We consider the Virtual Body Artificial Potential approach for stabilizing a group of robots at a desired formation. We show that it is possible to model the controlled group of robots as a port-Hamiltonian system and we exploit the scattering framework to achieve a passive behavior of the controlled system and to stabilize the robots in the desired formation independently of any communication delay.

Application of Signal Analysis to the Climate

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

The primary ingredient of the Anthropogenic Global Warming hypothesis, namely, the assumption that additional atmospheric carbon dioxide substantially raises the global temperature, is studied. This is done by looking at the data of temperature and CO2, both in the time domain and in the phase domain of periodic data. Bicentenary measurements are analyzed and a relaxation model is introduced in the form of an electronic equivalent circuit. The effects of this relaxation manifest themselves in delays in the time domain and correlated phase shifts in the phase domain. For extremely long relaxation time constants, the delay is maximally one-quarter period, which for the yearly-periodic signal means 3 months. This is not in line with the analyzed data, the latter showing delays of 9 (−3) months. These results indicate a reverse function of cause and effect, with temperature being the cause for atmospheric CO2 changes, rather than their effect. These two hypotheses are discussed on basis of literature, where it was also reported that CO2 variations are lagging behind temperature variations. PMID:27350978

Investigation of a Nonlinear Control System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flugge-Lotz, I; Taylor, C F; Lindberg, H E

1958-01-01

A discontinuous variation of coefficients of the differential equation describing the linear control system before nonlinear elements are added is studied in detail. The nonlinear feedback is applied to a second-order system. Simulation techniques are used to study performance of the nonlinear control system and to compare it with the linear system for a wide variety of inputs. A detailed quantitative study of the influence of relay delays and of a transport delay is presented.

A comparison of pecking generated by serial, delay, and trace autoshaping procedures1

PubMed Central

Newlin, Robert J.; LoLordo, Vincent M.

1976-01-01

Pigeons were exposed to serial, delay, and trace autoshaping procedures. In Experiment I, all conditioned stimuli (CSs) were changes in illumination of the response key. The number of trials to acquisition of the keypeck increased from serial, to 4-sec delay, 8-sec delay, and 8-sec trace procedures, in that order. In Experiment II, which used a longer intertrial interval, trials to criterion increased from 8-sec delay, to 28-sec delay, 8-sec trace, and 28-sec trace procedures, in that order. In Experiment III, two groups received serial procedures in which the first CS was either a tone or a houselight, and the second was a keylight. The tone group acquired the key peck more rapidly than the houselight group. Early in conditioning in these experiments, and when the conditioned stimulus was a change in the keylight, there was a short latency to the onset of pecking and pecking was directed at the CS. After extensive conditioning, or when the CS was relatively diffuse, pecking still occurred, but had a longer latency and was not reliably directed toward the conditioned stimulus. PMID:16811907

Dietary Choline Levels Modify the Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure in Rats

PubMed Central

Idrus, Nirelia M.; Breit, Kristen R.; Thomas, Jennifer D.

2018-01-01

Prenatal alcohol exposure can cause a range of physical and behavioral alterations; however, the outcome among children exposed to alcohol during pregnancy varies widely. Some of this variation may be due to nutritional factors. Indeed, higher rates of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are observed in countries where malnutrition is prevalent. Epidemiological studies have shown that many pregnant women throughout the world may not be consuming adequate levels of choline, an essential nutrient critical for brain development, and a methyl donor. In this study, we examined the influence of dietary choline deficiency on the severity of fetal alcohol effects. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to receive diets containing 40, 70, or 100% recommended choline levels. A group from each diet condition was exposed to ethanol (6.0 g/kg/day) from gestational day 5 to 20 via intubation. Pair-fed and ad lib lab chow control groups were also included. Physical and behavioral development was measured in the offspring. Prenatal alcohol exposure delayed motor development, and 40% choline altered performance on the cliff avoidance task, independent of one another. However, the combination of low choline and prenatal alcohol produced the most severe impairments in development. Subjects exposed to ethanol and fed the 40% choline diet exhibited delayed eye openings, significantly fewer successes in hind limb coordination, and were significantly overactive compared to all other groups. These data suggest that suboptimal intake of a single nutrient can exacerbate some of ethanol’s teratogenic effects, a finding with important implications for the prevention of FASD. PMID:27888055

Dietary choline levels modify the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure in rats.

PubMed

Idrus, Nirelia M; Breit, Kristen R; Thomas, Jennifer D

Prenatal alcohol exposure can cause a range of physical and behavioral alterations; however, the outcome among children exposed to alcohol during pregnancy varies widely. Some of this variation may be due to nutritional factors. Indeed, higher rates of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are observed in countries where malnutrition is prevalent. Epidemiological studies have shown that many pregnant women throughout the world may not be consuming adequate levels of choline, an essential nutrient critical for brain development, and a methyl donor. In this study, we examined the influence of dietary choline deficiency on the severity of fetal alcohol effects. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to receive diets containing 40, 70, or 100% recommended choline levels. A group from each diet condition was exposed to ethanol (6.0g/kg/day) from gestational day 5 to 20 via intubation. Pair-fed and ad lib lab chow control groups were also included. Physical and behavioral development was measured in the offspring. Prenatal alcohol exposure delayed motor development, and 40% choline altered performance on the cliff avoidance task, independent of one another. However, the combination of low choline and prenatal alcohol produced the most severe impairments in development. Subjects exposed to ethanol and fed the 40% choline diet exhibited delayed eye openings, significantly fewer successes in hindlimb coordination, and were significantly overactive compared to all other groups. These data suggest that suboptimal intake of a single nutrient can exacerbate some of ethanol's teratogenic effects, a finding with important implications for the prevention of FASD. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Stable group delay cable

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clements, P. A.

1975-01-01

It was found that group delay is function of pressure in air dielectric coaxial cable. For example, 600-ft air dielectric cable will change phase 10 deg at 150 MHz when air pressure in cable changes from zero to 20 psi.

Pain and discomfort following immediate and delayed loading by overdentures in the single mandibular implant study (SMIS).

PubMed

Mundt, T; Passia, N; Att, W; Heydecke, G; Freitag-Wolf, S; Luthardt, R G; Kappel, S; Konstantinidis, I K; Stiesch, M; Wolfart, S; Kern, M

2017-03-01

This randomized clinical trial compares immediate and delayed loading of single implants to support mandibular overdentures. The aim of this preliminary analysis is to test the hypothesis whether patients with immediate loading will experience less pain and discomfort through the intervention than patients with delayed loading. Edentulous patients in nine German dental schools received a midline implant with a length of 11 mm. Implants with a minimum insertion torque of 30 Ncm and an implant stability quotient of ≥60 were randomly allocated to group A for immediate loading using ball attachments or to group B for delayed loading after 3 months. Patients completed questionnaires with 100-mm visual analogue scales about the items pain, pain during chewing, swelling, bleeding, and perception of the intervention at the day of surgery and 1, 2, 3, and 7 days, thereafter. Groups were compared by Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests (P ≤ 0.05). The questionnaires of 81 patients in group A and 74 patients in group B were completed. The medians for pain and discomfort were moderate (<30). Participants of group A felt significantly more pain from the first day and more swelling from the third day after implantation than participants of group B. The individual perception of interventions showed no significant differences between groups. Immediate loading evoked more postoperative pain and swelling than the two stages of delayed loading. Immediate loading of a single mandibular midline implant supporting overdentures should be carefully considered.

Analysis of Bone Height Changes after Maxillary Sinus Augmentation with Simultaneous and Delayed Placement of Dental Implants: A Clinical and Radiographic Study.

PubMed

Yin, Lihua; Yu, Zhanhai; Chen, Zhuofan; Huang, Baoxin; Zhang, Kailiang; Zhou, Ailing; Li, Xiangxin

2016-08-01

To retrospectively assess the changes of the vertical height of the maxillary sinus floor after augmentation with simultaneous and delayed placement of implants. In total, 38 patients with 76 implants were involved; vertical bone height of the sinus floor was radiographically measured at different stages including preoperation, immediately postsurgery, 6 and 12 months postsurgery, and 6 and 24 months postfunctional loading. Sinus augmentation significantly increased vertical bone height of the sinus floor for both the simultaneous and delayed groups. The survival rate was 100% in the simultaneous group and 95.46% in the delayed group. For simultaneous placement, the vertical bone height of the sinus floor at 6 and 12 months postsurgery was significantly less than that immediately postsurgery. For both groups, augmented bone height of the sinus floor showed significant decrease from 6 months to 24 months postfunctional loading. The mean value of final bone augmentation was 5.85 mm for simultaneous placement and 5.80 mm for delayed placements. Sinus augmentation with simultaneous and delayed placement of implants led to similar survival rates and bone augmentation. Resorption of augmentative bone was evident at 24 months postfunctional loading in both cases. © 2015 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

The Richness of Task-Evoked Hemodynamic Responses Defines a Pseudohierarchy of Functionally Meaningful Brain Networks

PubMed Central

Orban, Pierre; Doyon, Julien; Petrides, Michael; Mennes, Maarten; Hoge, Richard; Bellec, Pierre

2015-01-01

Functional magnetic resonance imaging can measure distributed and subtle variations in brain responses associated with task performance. However, it is unclear whether the rich variety of responses observed across the brain is functionally meaningful and consistent across individuals. Here, we used a multivariate clustering approach that grouped brain regions into clusters based on the similarity of their task-evoked temporal responses at the individual level, and then established the spatial consistency of these individual clusters at the group level. We observed a stable pseudohierarchy of task-evoked networks in the context of a delayed sequential motor task, where the fractionation of networks was driven by a gradient of involvement in motor sequence preparation versus execution. In line with theories about higher-level cognitive functioning, this gradient evolved in a rostro-caudal manner in the frontal lobe. In addition, parcellations in the cerebellum and basal ganglia matched with known anatomical territories and fiber pathways with the cerebral cortex. These findings demonstrate that subtle variations in brain responses associated with task performance are systematic enough across subjects to define a pseudohierarchy of task-evoked networks. Such networks capture meaningful functional features of brain organization as shaped by a given cognitive context. PMID:24729172

Trauma patients who present in a delayed fashion: a unique and challenging population.

PubMed

Kao, Mary J; Nunez, Hector; Monaghan, Sean F; Heffernan, Daithi S; Adams, Charles A; Lueckel, Stephanie N; Stephen, Andrew H

2017-02-01

A proportion of trauma patients present for evaluation in a delayed fashion after injury, likely due to a variety of medical and nonmedical reasons. There has been little investigation into the characteristics and outcomes of trauma patients who present delayed. We hypothesize that trauma patients who present in a delayed fashion are a unique population at risk of increased trauma-related complications. This was a retrospective review from 2010-2015 at a Level I trauma center. Patients were termed delayed if they presented >24 hours after injury. Patients admitted within 24 hours of their injury were the comparison group. Charts were reviewed for demographics, mechanism, comorbidities, complications and outcomes. A subgroup analysis was done on patients who suffered falls. During the 5-y period, 11,705 patients were admitted. A total of 588 patients (5%) presented >24 h after their injury. Patients in the delayed group were older (65 versus 55 y, P < 0.001) and more likely to have psychiatric comorbidities (33% vs. 24%, P = 0.0001) than the control group. They were also more likely to suffer substance withdrawal (8.9% vs. 4.1%, P < 0.001) but had toxicology testing for drugs and alcohol done at significantly lower rates. Patients that presented delayed after falls were similar in age and injury severity score (ISS) but more likely to suffer substance withdrawal when compared to those with falls that presented within 24 hours. Patients with falls that presented delayed had toxicology testing at significantly lower rates than the comparison group. Trauma patients that present to the hospital in a delayed fashion have unique characteristics and are more likely to suffer negative outcomes including substance withdrawal. Future goals will include exploring strategies for early intervention, such as automatic withdrawal monitoring and social work referral for all patients who present in a delayed fashion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stability of formation control using a consensus protocol under directed communications with two time delays and delay scheduling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cepeda-Gomez, Rudy; Olgac, Nejat

2016-01-01

We consider a linear algorithm to achieve formation control in a group of agents which are driven by second-order dynamics and affected by two rationally independent delays. One of the delays is in the position and the other in the velocity information channels. These delays are taken as constant and uniform throughout the system. The communication topology is assumed to be directed and fixed. The formation is attained by adding a supplementary control term to the stabilising consensus protocol. In preparation for the formation control logic, we first study the stability of the consensus, using the recent cluster treatment of characteristic roots (CTCR) paradigm. This effort results in a unique depiction of the non-conservative stability boundaries in the domain of the delays. However, CTCR requires the knowledge of the potential stability switching loci exhaustively within this domain. The creation of these loci is done in a new surrogate coordinate system, called the 'spectral delay space (SDS)'. The relative stability is also investigated, which has to do with the speed of reaching consensus. This step leads to a paradoxical control design concept, called the 'delay scheduling', which highlights the fact that the group behaviour may be enhanced by increasing the delays. These steps lead to a control strategy to establish a desired group formation that guarantees spacing among the agents. Example case studies are presented to validate the underlying analytical derivations.

Both Low Temperature and Shorter Duration of Food Availability Delay Testicular Regression and Affect the Daily Cycle in Body Temperature in a Songbird.

PubMed

Dawson, Alistair

Photoperiodic control of reproduction in birds is based on two processes, a positive effect leading to gonadal maturation and an inhibitory effect subsequently inducing regression. Nonphotoperiodic cues can modulate photoperiodic control, particularly the inhibitory process. In previous studies of common starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), (1) restriction of food availability to 8 h after dawn had little effect on testicular maturation but dramatically delayed subsequent regression and (2) lower ambient temperature also had little effect during maturation but delayed regression. Could the effects of food restriction and temperature share a common underlying mechanism? Four groups of starlings were kept on a simulated natural cycle in photoperiod in a 2 × 2 factorial experimental design. Two groups were held under an ambient temperature of 16°C, and the other two were held under 6°C. One of each of these groups had food provided ad lib., and in the other two groups access to food was denied 7 h after dawn. In both the ad lib. food groups and the food-restricted groups, lower temperature had little effect on testicular maturation but delayed subsequent regression and molt. In both the 16°C groups and the 6°C groups, food restriction had no effect on testicular maturation but delayed regression and molt. The daily cycle in body temperature was recorded in all groups when the photoperiod had reached 12L∶12D, the photoperiod at which regression is initiated. In both 6°C groups, nighttime body temperature was lower than in the 16°C groups, a characteristic of shorter photoperiods. In the two ad lib. food groups high daytime temperature was maintained until dusk, whereas in the two food-restricted groups body temperature began to decrease after food withdrawal. Thus, both lower temperature and food restriction delayed regression, as if the photoperiod was shorter than it actually was, and both resulted in daily cycles in body temperature that reflected cycles under shorter photoperiods. This implies that the daily cycle in body temperature is possibly a common pathway through which nonphotoperiodic cues may operate.

Ethanol induces impulsive-like responding in a delay-of-reward operant choice procedure: impulsivity predicts autoshaping.

PubMed

Tomie, A; Aguado, A S; Pohorecky, L A; Benjamin, D

1998-10-01

Autoshaping conditioned responses (CRs) are reflexive and targeted motor responses expressed as a result of experience with reward. To evaluate the hypothesis that autoshaping may be a form of impulsive responding, within-subjects correlations between performance on autoshaping and impulsivity tasks were assessed in 15 Long-Evans hooded rats. Autoshaping procedures [insertion of retractable lever conditioned stimulus (CS) followed by the response-independent delivery of food (US)] were followed by testing for impulsive-like responding in a two-choice lever-press operant delay-of-reward procedure (immediate small food reward versus delayed large food reward). Delay-of-reward functions revealed two distinct subject populations. Subjects in the Sensitive group (n=7) were more impulsive-like, increasing immediate reward choices at longer delays for large reward, while those in the Insensitive group (n=8) responded predominantly on only one lever. During the prior autoshaping phase, the Sensitive group had performed more autoshaping CRs, and correlations revealed that impulsive subjects acquired the autoshaping CR in fewer trials. In the Sensitive group, acute injections of ethanol (0, 0.25, 0.50, 1.00, 1.50 g/kg) given immediately before delay-of-reward sessions yielded an inverted U-shaped dose-response curve with increased impulsivity induced by the 0.25, 0.50, and 1.00 g/kg doses of ethanol, while choice strategy of the Insensitive group was not influenced by ethanol dose. Ethanol induced impulsive-like responding only in rats that were flexible in their response strategy (Sensitive group), and this group also performed more autoshaping CRs. Data support the hypothesis that autoshaping and impulsivity are linked.

Comparing Real-time Versus Delayed Video Assessments for Evaluating ACGME Sub-competency Milestones in Simulated Patient Care Environments

PubMed Central

Stiegler, Marjorie; Hobbs, Gene; Martinelli, Susan M; Zvara, David; Arora, Harendra; Chen, Fei

2018-01-01

Background Simulation is an effective method for creating objective summative assessments of resident trainees. Real-time assessment (RTA) in simulated patient care environments is logistically challenging, especially when evaluating a large group of residents in multiple simulation scenarios. To date, there is very little data comparing RTA with delayed (hours, days, or weeks later) video-based assessment (DA) for simulation-based assessments of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) sub-competency milestones. We hypothesized that sub-competency milestone evaluation scores obtained from DA, via audio-video recordings, are equivalent to the scores obtained from RTA. Methods Forty-one anesthesiology residents were evaluated in three separate simulated scenarios, representing different ACGME sub-competency milestones. All scenarios had one faculty member perform RTA and two additional faculty members perform DA. Subsequently, the scores generated by RTA were compared with the average scores generated by DA. Variance component analysis was conducted to assess the amount of variation in scores attributable to residents and raters. Results Paired t-tests showed no significant difference in scores between RTA and averaged DA for all cases. Cases 1, 2, and 3 showed an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.67, 0.85, and 0.50 for agreement between RTA scores and averaged DA scores, respectively. Analysis of variance of the scores assigned by the three raters showed a small proportion of variance attributable to raters (4% to 15%). Conclusions The results demonstrate that video-based delayed assessment is as reliable as real-time assessment, as both assessment methods yielded comparable scores. Based on a department’s needs or logistical constraints, our findings support the use of either real-time or delayed video evaluation for assessing milestones in a simulated patient care environment. PMID:29736352

Acute Cellular Rejection in ABO-Incompatible Renal Transplant Recipients Receiving Rituximab Is Associated with Delayed-Onset Neutropenia.

PubMed

Uchida, Junji; Iwai, Tomoaki; Nishide, Shunji; Kabei, Kazuya; Kuwabara, Nobuyuki; Yamasaki, Takeshi; Naganuma, Toshihide; Kumada, Norihiko; Takemoto, Yoshiaki; Nakatani, Tatsuya

2017-07-25

BACKGROUND Rituximab induces long-lasting B cell depletion in the peripheral blood and increases the levels of proinflammatory cytokines associated with regulatory B cell depletion. Previous reports showed that B cell-related cytokine release after administration of rituximab may induce acute cellular rejection (ACR) and delayed-onset neutropenia. The present study was conducted to investigate the correlation between acute rejection and delayed-onset neutropenia in ABO-incompatible renal transplant recipients who underwent administration of rituximab for 1 year after transplantation. MATERIAL AND METHODS From June 2006 to July 2015, 47 patients with chronic renal failure received ABO-incompatible renal transplant with rituximab induction at Osaka City University Hospital. All 47 patients underwent plasmapheresis due to removal of anti-A/B antibodies and administration of rituximab, and their transplants were carried out successfully. We investigated the correlation between ACR and delayed-onset neutropenia in ABO-incompatible renal transplant recipients who underwent administration of rituximab for 1 year after transplantation. RESULTS Fourteen patients (29.8%) experienced ACR (group A), and 33 recipients did not develop ACR (group B). The frequency of delayed-onset neutropenia was higher in group A than in group B (p=0.0503). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the frequency of ACR correlated significantly with the prevalence of delayed-onset neutropenia. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicated that ACR in ABO-incompatible renal transplant recipients receiving rituximab was associated with delayed-onset neutropenia.

[Comparison on Oral versus Intravenous Proton Pump Inhibitors for Prevention of Bleeding after Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection of Gastric Lesions].

PubMed

Jung, Yeoun Su; Kim, Kyeong Ok; Lee, Si Hyung; Jang, Byung Ik; Kim, Tae Nyeun

2016-02-01

Although intravenous proton pump inhibitor (PPI) has been used for the prevention of post endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) bleeding, the route of administration has not been confirmed. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of intravenous and oral PPI administration for the prevention of delayed post ESD bleeding. Total 166 consecutive patients were randomly assigned to 30 mg lansoprazol twice a day (PO group) and 120 mg pantoprazole intravenous injection (IV group) for 48 hours. Finally, 65 patients in PO group and 87 patients in IV group were analyzed. After ESD, all patients underwent follow up endoscopy after 24 hours and were observed the symptoms of bleeding up to 60 days after ESD. Age, sex and use of anticoagulants were not different between groups. At follow up endoscopy after 24 hours, oozing and exposed vessel was noted in 4.6% of PO group and 8.0% of IV group and there was no significant difference. Delayed bleeding occurred in 4 of 65 patients (6.2%) in the PO group and 8 of 87 patients (9.2%) in the IV group (p>0.999). By multivariate analysis, oozing or exposed vessels at follow up endoscopy were risk factors for delayed bleeding (OR=17.5, p=0.022). There was no significant difference in the delayed bleeding, length of hospital stay according to the administration route. Bleeding stigmata at follow up endoscopy was risk factor of delayed bleeding. Oral PPI administration can cost-effectively replace IV PPI for prevention of post ESD bleeding.

Effect of early realignment on length and delayed repair of postpelvic fracture urethral injury.

PubMed

Koraitim, Mamdouh M

2012-04-01

To determine the effect of early realignment of posterior urethral injury on the length and delayed repair of ensuing urethral defect. We reviewed the medical records of 120 patients with a pelvic fracture urethral defect who were referred for delayed repair from elsewhere from 1995 to 2009. The review was focused on 5 variables: initial management of urethral injury, length of urethral defect, type of delayed repair, continence, and erectile function. Of the patients, 26 were excluded from the study and 94 were categorized as having been initially treated by realignment (42 patients, group 1) or suprapubic cystostomy (52 patients, group 2). Urethral defects ≤ 2 cm in length were found in 28 patients (67%) in group 1 versus 22 (42%) in group 2. Defects >2 cm were found in 14 patients (33%) in group 1 versus 30 (58%) in group 2. The repair was accomplished by a simple perineal operation in 32 (76%) and 30 (58%) patients in groups 1 and 2, respectively. An elaborated perineal or perineo-abdominal procedure was required in 10 (24%) and 22 (42%) patients in groups 1 and 2, respectively (all P < .05). Incontinence occurred in 1 patient in group 1. Impotence developed in 10 (28%) of 36 realigned adults and in 2 (5%) of 38 adults with suprapubic cystostomy. Early realignment of posterior urethral injury decreases the length of the ensuing urethral defect and facilitates its delayed repair. Incontinence and impotence appear to result from the injury itself and not the treatment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Contemporary Patterns of Early Coronary Angiography Use in Patients With Non-ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction in the United States: Insights From the National Cardiovascular Data Registry Acute Coronary Treatment and Intervention Outcomes Network Registry.

PubMed

Malta Hansen, Carolina; Wang, Tracy Y; Chen, Anita Y; Chiswell, Karen; Bhatt, Deepak L; Enriquez, Jonathan R; Henry, Timothy; Roe, Matthew T

2018-02-26

The study sought to characterize patient- and hospital-level variation in early angiography use among non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) patients. Contemporary implementation of guideline recommendations for early angiography use in NSTEMI patients in the United States have not been described. The study analyzed NSTEMI patients included in ACTION (Acute Coronary Treatment and Intervention Outcomes Network) registry (2012 to 2014) who underwent in-hospital angiography. Timing of angiography was categorized as early (≤24 h) vs. delayed (>24 h). The study evaluated factors associated with early angiography, hospital-level variation in early angiography use, and the relationship with quality-of-care measures. A total of 79,760 of 138,688 (57.5%) patients underwent early angiography. Factors most strongly associated with delayed angiography included weekend or holiday presentation, lower initial troponin ratio values, higher initial creatinine values, heart failure on presentation, and older age. Median hospital-level use of early angiography was 58.5% with wide variation across hospitals (21.7% to 100.0%). Patient characteristics did not differ substantially across hospitals grouped by tertiles of early angiography use (low, middle, and high). Hospitals in the highest tertile tended to more commonly use guideline-recommended medications and had higher defect-free care quality scores. In contemporary U.S. practice, high-risk clinical characteristics were associated with lower use of early angiography in NSTEMI patients; hospital-level use of early angiography varied widely despite few differences in case mix. Hospitals that most commonly utilized early angiography also had higher quality-of-care metrics, highlighting the need for improved NSTEMI guideline adherence. Copyright © 2018 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Protocol for a multicentre, prospective, population-based cohort study of variation in practice of cholecystectomy and surgical outcomes (The CholeS study).

PubMed

Vohra, Ravinder S; Spreadborough, Philip; Johnstone, Marianne; Marriott, Paul; Bhangu, Aneel; Alderson, Derek; Morton, Dion G; Griffiths, Ewen A

2015-01-12

Cholecystectomy is one of the most common general surgical operations performed. Despite level one evidence supporting the role of cholecystectomy in the management of specific gallbladder diseases, practice varies between surgeons and hospitals. It is unknown whether these variations account for the differences in surgical outcomes seen in population-level retrospective data sets. This study aims to investigate surgical outcomes following acute, elective and delayed cholecystectomies in a multicentre, contemporary, prospective, population-based cohort. UK and Irish hospitals performing cholecystectomies will be recruited utilising trainee-led research collaboratives. Two months of consecutive, adult patient data will be included. The primary outcome measure of all-cause 30-day readmission rate will be used in this study. Thirty-day complication rates, bile leak rate, common bile duct injury, conversion to open surgery, duration of surgery and length of stay will be measured as secondary outcomes. Prospective data on over 8000 procedures is anticipated. Individual hospitals will be surveyed to determine local policies and service provision. Variations in outcomes will be investigated using regression modelling to adjust for confounders. Research ethics approval is not required for this study and has been confirmed by the online National Research Ethics Service (NRES) decision tool. This novel study will investigate how hospital-level surgical provision can affect patient outcomes, using a cross-sectional methodology. The results are essential to inform commissioning groups and implement changes within the National Health Service (NHS). Dissemination of the study protocol is primarily through the trainee-led research collaboratives and the Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons (AUGIS). Individual centres will have access to their own results and the collective results of the study will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at relevant surgical conferences. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Piloted simulator study of allowable time delay in pitch flight control system of a transport airplane with negative static stability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grantham, William D.; Smith, Paul M.; Person, Lee H., Jr.; Meyer, Robert T.; Tingas, Stephen A.

1987-01-01

A piloted simulation study was conducted to determine the permissible time delay in the flight control system of a 10-percent statically unstable transport airplane during cruise flight conditions. The math model used for the simulation was a derivative Lockheed L-1011 wide-body jet transport. Data were collected and analyzed from a total of 137 cruising flights in both calm- and turbulent-air conditions. Results of this piloted simulation study verify previous findings that show present military specifications for allowable control-system time delay may be too stringent when applied to transport-size airplanes. Also, the degree of handling-qualities degradation due to time delay is shown to be strongly dependent on the source of the time delay in an advanced flight control system. Maximum allowable time delay for each source of time delay in the control system, in addition to a less stringent overall maximum level of time delay, should be considered for large aircraft. Preliminary results also suggest that adverse effects of control-system time delay may be at least partially offset by variations in control gearing. It is recommended that the data base include different airplane baselines, control systems, and piloting tasks with many pilots participating, so that a reasonable set of limits for control-system time delay can be established to replace the military specification limits currently being used.

Delayed embryonic development in the Indian short-nosed fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx.

PubMed

Meenakumari, Karukayil J; Krishna, Amitabh

2005-01-01

The unusual feature of the breeding cycle of Cynopterus sphinx at Varanasi is the significant variation in gestation length of the two successive pregnancies of the year. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the prolongation of the first pregnancy in C. sphinx is due to delayed embryonic development. The first (winter) pregnancy commences in late October and lasts until late March and has a gestation period of about 150 days. The second (summer) pregnancy commences in April and lasts until the end of July or early August with a gestation period of about 125 days. Changes in the size and weight of uterine cornua during the two successive pregnancies suggest retarded embryonic growth during November and December. Histological analysis during the period of retarded embryonic development in November and December showed a slow gastrulation process. The process of amniogenesis was particularly slow. When the embryos attained the early primitive streak stage, their developmental rate suddenly increased considerably. During the summer pregnancy, on the other hand, the process of gastrulation was much faster and proceeded quickly. A comparison of the pattern of embryonic development for 4 consecutive years consistently showed retarded or delayed embryonic development during November and December. The time of parturition and post-partum oestrus showed only a limited variation from 1 year to another. This suggests that delayed embryonic development in C. sphinx may function to synchronize parturition among females. The period of delayed embryonic development in this species clearly coincides with the period of fat deposition. The significance of this correlation warrants further investigation.

Characterization of the Correct Mandibular Premolar Region for Delayed Dental Implantation in Beagle Dogs.

PubMed

Xie, Chenxi; Fu, Xiaoming; Xu, Ling; Xu, Sheng

2018-05-01

For delayed dental implantation into the mandible, the implant size should be chosen according to the characteristics of that bone. This study investigated anatomic features of the mandible in beagle dogs, to develop recommendations regarding the correct implantation region and available bone area for delayed dental implantation surgery. We used 20 healthy male beagle dogs to create delayed dental implantation models. The dogs' mandibles underwent cone beam CT (CBCT) imaging; the locations of the middle mental foramen and canine root apex were measured on CBCT images. The dogs then were euthanized and their mandibles measured by using a digital vernier caliper. In addition, the correct implantation region and available bone areas were evaluated. The data obtained by using the 2 measuring methods were compared statistically. The results showed that the positions of the middle mental foramen and canine root apex were relatively fixed, with little variation. The implantation and available bone regions showed little variation among dogs and did not differ significantly between the 2 measuring methods. In conclusion, the correct implantation region (mean ± 1 SD) in the beagle mandible for delayed dental implantation surgery was 17.53 ± 0.46 mm in width. The recommended available bone areas (height × width) were 7.22 ± 0.68 mm × 5.32 ± 0.49 mm (P2), 8.21 ± 0.71 mm × 5.81 ± 0.56 mm (P3), and 9.17 ± 0.65 mm × 6.39 ± 0.56 mm (P4) in the premolar region.

The treatment of posterior urethral disruption associated with pelvic fractures: comparative experience of early realignment versus delayed urethroplasty.

PubMed

Mouraviev, Vladimir B; Coburn, Michael; Santucci, Richard A

2005-03-01

Urological treatment of the patient with severe mechanical trauma and urethral disruption remains controversial. Debate continues regarding the advisability of early realignment vs delayed open urethroplasty. We analyzed our experience with 96 patients to determine the long-term results of the 2 approaches. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 191 men with posterior urethral disruption after severe blunt pelvic injury between 1984 and 2001, of whom 96 survived. Data on 57 patients who underwent early realignment were compared to those on 39 treated with delayed urethroplasty with an average 8.8-year followup (range 1 to 22). All patients were evaluated postoperatively for incontinence, impotence and urethral strictures. The majority of patients had severe concomitant organ injuries (78%) and severe pelvic fractures (76%). The overall mortality rate was 51%. Diagnosis of urethral rupture was based on clinical findings and retrograde urethrography. Strictures developed in 49% of the early realignment group and in 100% of the suprapubic tube group. Impotence (33.6%) and incontinence (17.7%) were less frequent in the early realignment group than in the delayed reconstruction group (42.1% and 24.9%, respectively). Patients with delayed reconstruction underwent an average of 3.1 procedures compared with an average of 1.6 in the early realignment group. Early realignment may provide better outcomes than delayed open urethroplasty after posterior urethral disruption. Increased complications are not seen and, although it can be inconvenient in the massively injured patient, it appears to be a worthwhile maneuver.

Educating Health Care Professionals on Human Trafficking

PubMed Central

Grace, Aimee M.; Lippert, Suzanne; Collins, Kristin; Pineda, Noelle; Tolani, Alisha; Walker, Rebecca; Jeong, Monica; Trounce, Milana Boukhman; Graham-Lamberts, Caroline; Bersamin, Melina; Martinez, Det. Jeremy; Dotzler, Det. Jennifer; Vanek, Lt John; Storfer-Isser, Amy; Chamberlain, Lisa J.; Horwitz, Sarah M.

2015-01-01

Background The US Department of State estimates that there are between 4 and 27 million individuals worldwide in some form of modern slavery. Recent studies have demonstrated that 28% to 50% of trafficking victims in the United States encountered health care professionals while in captivity, but were not identified and recognized. This study aimed to determine whether an educational presentation increased emergency department (ED) providers' recognition of human trafficking (HT) victims and knowledge of resources to manage cases of HT. Methods The 20 largest San Francisco Bay Area EDs were randomized into intervention (10 EDs) or delayed intervention comparison groups (10 EDs) to receive a standardized educational presentation containing the following: background about HT, relevance of HT to health care, clinical signs in potential victims, and referral options for potential victims. Participants in the delayed intervention group completed a pretest in the period the immediate intervention group received the educational presentation, and all participants were assessed immediately before (pretest) and after (posttest) the intervention. The intervention effect was tested by comparing the pre–post change in the intervention group to the change in 2 pretests in the delayed intervention group adjusted for the effect of clustering within EDs. The 4 primary outcomes were importance of knowledge of HT to the participant's profession (5-point Likert scale), self-rated knowledge of HT (5-point Likert scale), knowledge of who to call for potential HT victims (yes/no), and suspecting that a patient was a victim of HT (yes/no). Findings There were 258 study participants from 14 EDs; 141 from 8 EDs in the intervention group and 117 from 7 EDs in the delayed intervention comparison group, of which 20 served as the delayed intervention comparison group. Participants in the intervention group reported greater increases in their level of knowledge about HT versus those in the delayed intervention comparison group (1.42 vs −0.15; adjusted difference = 1.57 [95% confidence interval, 1.02–2.12]; P < 0.001). Pretest ratings of the importance of knowledge about HT to the participant's profession were high in both groups and there was no intervention effect (0.31 vs 0.55; −0.24 [−0.90–0.42], P = 0.49). Knowing who to call for potential HT victims increased from 7.2% to 59% in the intervention group and was unchanged (15%) in the delayed intervention comparison group (61.4% [28.5%–94.4%]; P < 0.01). The proportion of participants who suspected their patient was a victim of HT increased from 17% to 38% in the intervention group and remained unchanged (10%) in the delayed intervention comparison group (20.9 [8.6%– 33.1%]; P < 0.01). Interpretation A brief educational intervention increased ED provider knowledge and self-reported recognition of HT victims. PMID:25407038

Effects of a Responsiveness-Focused Intervention in Family Child Care Homes on Children’s Executive Function

PubMed Central

Merz, Emily C.; Landry, Susan H.; Johnson, Ursula Y.; Williams, Jeffrey M.; Jung, Kwanghee

2016-01-01

Caregiver responsiveness has been theorized and found to support children’s early executive function (EF) development. This study examined the effects of an intervention that targeted family child care provider responsiveness on children’s EF. Family child care providers were randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups or a control group. An intervention group that received a responsiveness-focused online professional development course and another intervention group that received this online course plus weekly mentoring were collapsed into one group because they did not differ on any of the outcome variables. Children (N = 141) ranged in age from 2.5 to 5 years (mean age = 3.58 years; 52% female). At pretest and posttest, children completed delay inhibition tasks (gift delay-wrap, gift delay-bow) and conflict EF tasks (bear/dragon, dimensional change card sort), and parents reported on the children’s level of attention problems. Although there were no main effects of the intervention on children’s EF, there were significant interactions between intervention status and child age for delay inhibition and attention problems. The youngest children improved in delay inhibition and attention problems if they were in the intervention rather than the control group, whereas older children did not. These results suggest that improving family child care provider responsive behaviors may facilitate the development of certain EF skills in young preschool-age children. PMID:26941476

Does Early Versus Delayed Active Range of Motion Affect Rotator Cuff Healing After Surgical Repair? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PubMed

Kluczynski, Melissa A; Isenburg, Maureen M; Marzo, John M; Bisson, Leslie J

2016-03-01

The timing of passive range of motion (ROM) after surgical repair of the rotator cuff (RC) has been shown to affect healing. However, it is unknown if early or delayed active ROM affects healing. To determine whether early versus delayed active ROM affects structural results of RC repair surgery. Systematic review and meta-analysis. A systematic review of articles published between January 2004 and April 2014 was conducted. Structural results were compared for early (<6 weeks after surgery) versus delayed (≥6 weeks after surgery) active ROM using chi-square and Fisher exact tests, as well as relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs. The analyses were stratified by tear size and repair method. A total of 37 studies (2251 repairs) were included in the analysis, with 10 (649 repairs) in the early group and 27 (1602 repairs) in the delayed group. For tears ≤3 cm, the risk of a structural tendon defect was higher in the early versus delayed group for transosseous plus single-row suture anchor repairs (39.7% vs 24.3%; RR, 1.63 [95% CI, 1.28-2.08]). For tears >3 cm, the risk of a structural tendon defect was higher in the early versus delayed group for suture bridge repairs (48% vs 17.5%; RR, 2.74 [95% CI, 1.59-4.73]) and all repair methods combined (40.5% vs 26.7%; RR, 1.52 [95% CI, 1.17-1.97]). For tears >5 cm, the risk of structural tendon defect was higher in the early versus delayed group for suture bridge repairs (100% vs 16.7%; RR, 6.00 [95% CI, 1.69-21.26]). There were no statistically significant associations for tears measuring ≤1, 1-3, or 3-5 cm. Early active ROM was associated with increased risk of a structural defect for small and large RC tears, and thus might not be advisable after RC repair. © 2015 The Author(s).

Ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction enhances delayed BMC delivery and attenuates post-infarction cardiac remodelling by inducing engraftment signals.

PubMed

Chen, Yanmei; Zhang, Chuanxi; Shen, Shuxin; Guo, Shengcun; Zhong, Lintao; Li, Xinzhong; Chen, Guojun; Chen, Gangbin; He, Xiang; Huang, Chixiong; He, Nvqin; Liao, Wangjun; Liao, Yulin; Bin, Jianping

2016-12-01

Delayed administration of bone marrow cells (BMCs) at 2-4 weeks after successful reperfusion in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) does not improve cardiac function. The reduction in engraftment signals observed following this time interval might impair the effects of delayed BMC treatment. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) treatment could increase engraftment signals, enhance the delivery of delayed BMCs and subsequently attenuate post-infarction cardiac remodelling. A myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) model was induced in Wistar rats via left coronary ligation for 45 min followed by reperfusion. Western blotting revealed that engraftment signals peaked at 7 days post-I/R and were dramatically lower at 14 days post-I/R. The lower engraftment signals at 14 days post-I/R could be triggered by UTMD treatment at a mechanical index of 1.0-1.9. The troponin I levels in the 1.9 mechanical index group were higher than in the other groups. Simultaneous haematoxylin and eosin staining and fluorescence revealed that the number of engrafted BMCs in the ischaemic zone was greater in the group treated with both UTMD and delayed BMC transplantation than in the control groups (P<0.05). Both UTMD and delayed BMC transplantation improved cardiac function and decreased cardiac fibrosis at 4 weeks after treatment, as compared with control groups (both P<0.05). Histopathology demonstrated that UTMD combined with delayed BMC transplantation increased capillary density, myocardial cell proliferation and c-kit + cell proliferation. These findings indicated that UTMD treatment could induce engraftment signals and enhance homing of delayed BMCs to ischaemic myocardium, attenuating post-infarction cardiac remodelling by promoting neovascularization, cardiomyogenesis and expansion of cardiac c-kit + cells. © 2016 The Author(s). published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

Critical appraisal of arguments for the delayed-start design proposed as alternative to the parallel-group randomized clinical trial design in the field of rare disease.

PubMed

Spineli, Loukia M; Jenz, Eva; Großhennig, Anika; Koch, Armin

2017-08-17

A number of papers have proposed or evaluated the delayed-start design as an alternative to the standard two-arm parallel group randomized clinical trial (RCT) design in the field of rare disease. However the discussion is felt to lack a sufficient degree of consideration devoted to the true virtues of the delayed start design and the implications either in terms of required sample-size, overall information, or interpretation of the estimate in the context of small populations. To evaluate whether there are real advantages of the delayed-start design particularly in terms of overall efficacy and sample size requirements as a proposed alternative to the standard parallel group RCT in the field of rare disease. We used a real-life example to compare the delayed-start design with the standard RCT in terms of sample size requirements. Then, based on three scenarios regarding the development of the treatment effect over time, the advantages, limitations and potential costs of the delayed-start design are discussed. We clarify that delayed-start design is not suitable for drugs that establish an immediate treatment effect, but for drugs with effects developing over time, instead. In addition, the sample size will always increase as an implication for a reduced time on placebo resulting in a decreased treatment effect. A number of papers have repeated well-known arguments to justify the delayed-start design as appropriate alternative to the standard parallel group RCT in the field of rare disease and do not discuss the specific needs of research methodology in this field. The main point is that a limited time on placebo will result in an underestimated treatment effect and, in consequence, in larger sample size requirements compared to those expected under a standard parallel-group design. This also impacts on benefit-risk assessment.

On the theory of singular optimal controls in dynamic systems with control delay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mardanov, M. J.; Melikov, T. K.

2017-05-01

An optimal control problem with a control delay is considered, and a more broad class of singular (in classical sense) controls is investigated. Various sequences of necessary conditions for the optimality of singular controls in recurrent form are obtained. These optimality conditions include analogues of the Kelley, Kopp-Moyer, R. Gabasov, and equality-type conditions. In the proof of the main results, the variation of the control is defined using Legendre polynomials.

Pre-school children with and without developmental delay: behaviour problems and parenting stress over time.

PubMed

Baker, B L; McIntyre, L L; Blacher, J; Crnic, K; Edelbrock, C; Low, C

2003-01-01

Children with intellectual disability are at heightened risk for behaviour problems and diagnosed mental disorder. The present authors studied the early manifestation and continuity of problem behaviours in 205 pre-school children with and without developmental delays. Behaviour problems were quite stable over the year from age 36-48 months. Children with developmental delays were rated higher on behaviour problems than their non-delayed peers, and were three times as likely to score in the clinical range. Mothers and fathers showed high agreement in their rating of child problems, especially in the delayed group. Parenting stress was also higher in the delayed group, but was related to the extent of behaviour problems rather than to the child's developmental delay. Over time, a transactional model fit the relationship between parenting stress and behaviour problems: high parenting stress contributed to a worsening in child behaviour problems over time, and high child behaviour problems contributed to a worsening in parenting stress. Findings for mothers and fathers were quite similar.

Bone age in children with obstetrical brachial plexus palsy: effect of peripheral nerve injury on skeletal maturation.

PubMed

Oktay, Fügen; Cömert, Didem; Gökkaya, Nilüfer Kutay Ordu; Ozbudak, Sibel Demir; Uysal, Hilmi

2014-02-01

The purpose of this retrospective study was to analyze the effect of peripheral nerve injury on the skeletal maturation process. The bone ages of the affected and unaffected hand-wrists of 42 children with obstetrical brachial palsy were determined according to the Greulich and Pyle atlas. In 23 patients, the bone ages of the both sides were identical (bone-age-symmetrical group), in 19 patients the bone age of the affected side was delayed (bone-age-delayed group). The mean bone age of the affected side was delayed 0.48 ± 0.25 years that of the unaffected side (P = .000), and the delay of bone age was inversely correlated with chronological age (R (2) = .45, P < .02) in the bone-age-delayed group. Skeletal retardation can be recognized after appearance of ossification centers by plain radiography, dating from the third month of life, in early infancy. Thus, bone age determination method might be helpful for predicting potential future limb shortness.

BMP-2/PLGA delayed-release microspheres composite graft, selection of bone particulate diameters, and prevention of aseptic inflammation for bone tissue engineering.

PubMed

Ji, Ye; Xu, Gong Ping; Zhang, Zhi Peng; Xia, Jing Jun; Yan, Jing Long; Pan, Shang Ha

2010-03-01

Autogenous bone grafts are widely used in the repair of bone defects. Growth factors such as bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) can induce bone regeneration and enhance bone growth. The combination of an autogenous bone graft and BMP-2 may provide a better osteogenic effect than either treatment alone, but BMP-2 is easily inactivated in body fluid. The objective of this study was to develop a technique that can better preserve the in vivo activity of BMP-2 incorporated in bone grafts. In this study, we first prepared BMP-2/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) delayed-release microspheres, and then combined collagen, the delayed-release microspheres, and rat autologous bone particulates to form four groups of composite grafts with different combinations: collagen in group A; collagen combined with bone particulates in group B; collagen combined with BMP-2/PLGA delayed-release microspheres in group C; and collagen combined with both bone particulates and BMP-2/PLGA delayed-release microspheres in group D. The four groups of composite grafts were implanted into the gluteus maximus pockets in rats. The ectopic osteogenesis and ALP level in group D (experimental group) were compared with those in groups A, B, and C (control groups) to study whether it had higher osteogenic capability. Results showed that the composite graft design increased the utility of BMP-2 and reduced the required dose of BMP-2 and volume of autologous bone. The selection of bone particulate diameter had an impact on the osteogenetic potential of bone grafts. Collagen prevented the occurrence of aseptic inflammation and improved the osteoinductivity of BMP-2. These results showed that this composite graft design is effective and feasible for use in bone repair.

Estimates of delays in diagnosis of cervical cancer in Nepal

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer related deaths among women in Nepal. The long symptom to diagnosis interval means that women have advanced disease at presentation. The aim of this study was to identify, estimate and describe the extent of different delays in diagnosis of cervical cancer in Nepal. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in two tertiary cancer hospitals of Nepal. Face to face interview and medical records review were carried out among 110 cervical cancer patients. Total diagnostic delay was categorized into component delays: patient delay, health care providers delay, referral delay and diagnostic waiting time. Results Total 110 patients recruited in the study represented 40 districts from all three ecological regions of the country. Median total diagnostic delay was 157 days with more than three fourth (77.3%) of the patients having longer total diagnostic delay of >90 days. Out of the total diagnostic delay, median patient delay, median health care provider delay, median referral delay and median diagnostic waiting time were 68.5 days, 40 days, 5 days and 9 days respectively. Majority of the patients had experienced longer delay of each type except referral delay. Fifty seven percent of the patients had experienced longer patient delay of >60 days, 90% had suffered longer health care provider delay of >1 week, 31.8% had longer referral delay of >1 week and 66.2% had waited >1 week at diagnostic center for final diagnosis. Variation in each type of delay was observed among women with different attributes and in context of health care service delivery. Conclusions Longer delays were observed in all the diagnostic pathways except for referral delay and diagnostic waiting time. Among the delays, patient delay is of crucial importance because of its longer span, although health care provider delay is equally important. In the context of limited screening services in Nepal, the efforts should be to reduce the diagnostic delay especially patient and health care provider delay for early detection and reduction of mortality rate of cervical cancer. PMID:24533670

Effects of food availability and climate on activity patterns of western black-crested gibbons in an isolated forest fragment in southern Yunnan, China.

PubMed

Ni, Qingyong; Xie, Meng; Grueter, Cyril C; Jiang, Xuelong; Xu, Huailiang; Yao, Yongfang; Zhang, Mingwang; Li, Yan; Yang, Jiandong

2015-10-01

The critically endangered western black-crested gibbon (Nomascus concolor) is distributed in isolated habitat fragments in northern Vietnam, northwestern Laos, and southwestern China. To assess the behavioral adaptation of this species to forest fragments and its response to seasonal variation in food availability and climate, we present activity patterns of a group inhabiting an isolated forest based on two year-long studies in southern Yunnan, China. Annually, the gibbons spent nearly half of their active time resting, followed by moving and feeding. In both study periods, the time allocated to activities varied significantly between months, and was affected by food availability and climate factors. The group delayed retirement when tree fruit was abundant, and they decreased time spent moving and playing during periods of low fruit availability. In the cold months, the gibbons decreased time spent moving, and they decreased active time and resting time when rainfall was high. The results suggest that the group may seek to maximize net energy intake like energy maximizers when high quality food is most available, and adopt an energy-conserving strategy during periods of lower food availability and temperature. The gibbons showed similar diurnal variation in activity patterns to a group inhabiting a continuous forest at Dazhaizi, Mt. Wuliang, central Yunnan. However, they had a longer active period, and devoted more time to resting but less time to feeding. The individuals also spent lower percentages of time engaged in social behavior than those at Dazhaizi. These differences may be due to their smaller home range and unusual group composition caused by habitat fragmentation.

Seasonal Variation in Pigeon Body Weight and Delayed Matching-to-sample Performance

PubMed Central

Sargisson, Rebecca J; McLean, Ian G; Brown, Glenn S; White, K Geoffrey

2007-01-01

The weights of 5 pigeons with free access to food, monitored over 3 calendar years in the laboratory, were found to fluctuate with season. All pigeons were at their heaviest in the winter and were lightest in the summer. Five different pigeons performed a standard delayed matching-to-sample task for 44 weeks from January to November. Their weights were held at 85% of their summer free-feeding weights, making their predicted deprivation level higher in the winter relative to predicted winter free-feeding weights. Slopes of forgetting functions fit to weekly response totals for each pigeon were shallower in winter, showing an improvement in accuracy with longer delays. Thus, delayed matching-to-sample performance may have been affected by the practice of maintaining the pigeons at a constant body weight throughout the calendar year. PMID:18047229

A collection of articles on S/X-band experiment zero delay ranging tests, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Otoshi, T. Y. (Editor)

1975-01-01

Articles are presented which are concerned with the development of special test equipment and a dual-frequency zero delay device (ZDD) that were required for range tests and the measurement of ground station delays for the Mariner-Venus-Mercury 1973 S/X-band experiment. Test data obtained at DSS 14 after installation of the ZDD on the 64-m antenna are given. It is shown that large variations of range were observed as a function of antenna elevation angle and were sensitive to antenna location. A ranging calibration configuration that was subsequently developed and a technique for determining the appropriate Z-correction are described. Zero delay test data at DSS 14 during the Mariner 10 Venus-Mercury-Encounter periods (1974 days 12-150) are presented. The theoretical analysis and experimental verifications are included of the effects of multipath and effects of discontinuities on range delay measurements. A movable subreflector technique and the multipath theory were used to isolate principal multipath errors on the 64-m antenna and to enable a more accurate determination of the actual ground station range delay.

Accelerated long-term forgetting in children with temporal lobe epilepsy.

PubMed

Gascoigne, Michael B; Smith, Mary Lou; Barton, Belinda; Webster, Richard; Gill, Deepak; Lah, Suncica

2014-07-01

Adults with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) have been found to have accelerated long-term forgetting, but this phenomenon has not yet been investigated in children. Although deficits in recall of materials after short (20- to 30-minute) delays have been shown to slowly emerge from childhood to adolescence in patients with TLE, it is unknown whether such a trend will also be found in recall of materials after long delays. This study examined the presence of accelerated long-term forgetting in children with TLE and how it relates to chronological age. Twenty-three children with TLE and 58 healthy controls of similar age, sex distribution and socioeconomic status completed a battery of neuropsychological tests, including standardised tests of story recall and design location, as well as two experimental tests requiring the learning of words and design locations to a criterion, both of which assessed recall after short (30-min) and long (7-day) delays. Word recall at the 7-day delay (relative to the 30-min recall) was significantly poorer in the TLE group, compared to the control group. The TLE group also exhibited worse 30-min recall performance on a standardised test of story recall. Individual patient analyses revealed dissociation between performance on the experimental and standardised verbal memory tests; children who were impaired on the experimental test (7-day delay) were not impaired on the standardised test (30-min delay). Compared to controls, patients with a left-hemisphere seizure focus recalled fewer words at short and long delays while patients with an abnormal hippocampus recalled fewer words at the long delay. No between-group differences were found with respect to the design location task. Age negatively correlated with the recall of words after short- and long-term delays within the TLE group, where older age was associated with worse memory. This association was not present in the control group. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show evidence of accelerated long-term forgetting in children with TLE, which could not be explained by poor performance on standardised memory tests. Additionally, these results suggest that the developmental trajectory of long-term memory in children with TLE is similar to that of short-term memory: deficits emerge gradually, therefore older children are more likely to present with long-term memory deficits. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thalidomide for Control Delayed Vomiting in Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy.

PubMed

Han, Zhengxiang; Sun, Xuan; Jiang, Guan; Du, Xiuping

2016-11-01

To explore the efficacy and safety of thalidomide for the treatment of delayed vomiting, induced by chemotherapy in cancer patients. Randomized, double-blind controlled study. The Oncology Department of Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu Xuzhou, China, from January 2012 to January 2014. A total of 78 cancer patients, who had delayed vomiting observed from 24 hours to 1 week after chemotherapy, were included in the study. Patients were divided in a treatment group (40 patients, 51.28%) and a control group (38 patients, 48.71%). The treatment group received thalidomide at an oral dose of 100 mg per night; 50 mg was added daily up to a dose of 200 mg per night, if the curative effect was suboptimal and the medicine was tolerated. Both the treatment and the control groups received a drip of 10 mg azasetron 30 minutes before chemotherapy. The control group only proportions of antiemetic effects and adverse reactions were compared using the c2 test. Antiemetic effects and adverse reactions were assessed from Odds Ratios (OR) with 95% Confidence Intervals(95% CI). The effective control rate of delayed vomiting in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group (c2=5.174, p=0.023). No significant difference was found between the two groups in other adverse effects of chemotherapy. Karnofsky scores or the overall self-evaluation of the patients (p>0.05). Thalidomide can effectively control the delayed vomiting of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and the adverse reactions of the agent can be tolerated.

The behavior of seasonal variations in induced seismicity in the Koyna-Warna region, western India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smirnov, V. B.; Srinagesh, D.; Ponomarev, A. V.; Chadha, R.; Mikhailov, V. O.; Potanina, M. G.; Kartashov, I. M.; Stroganova, S. M.

2017-07-01

Based on the earthquake catalog data for the Koyna-Warna region of induced seismicity in western India, the seasonal variations in seismic activity associated with annual fluctuations in the reservoir water level are analyzed over the time span of the entire history of seismological observations in this region. The regularities in the time changes in the structure of seasonal variations are revealed. The seasonal seismic activity is minimal in May-June when the reservoir level is lowest. During the remaining part of the year, the activity has three peaks: the fall peak in September, winter peak in November-December, and spring peak in February-March. The first mentioned peak, which falls in the phase of the water level reaching its maximal seasonal value is considered as the immediate response of the fluid saturated medium to the additional loading under the weight of reservoir water. The two subsequent maxima concur with the decline phase in the reservoir level and are interpreted as the delayed response associated with the changes in the properties of the medium due to water diffusion. It is shown that the intensities of the immediate and delayed responses to the seasonal water level variations both vary with time as does their ratio. The probable factors affecting the variations in the intensity of the seasonal components of the reservoir-induced seismicity are discussed.

Tuning the group delay of optical wave packets in liquid-crystal light valves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bortolozzo, U.; Residori, S.; Huignard, J. P.

2009-05-01

By performing two-wave mixing experiments in a liquid-crystal light valve, optical pulses are slowed down to group velocities as slow as a few tenths of mm/s, corresponding to a very large group index. We present experiments and model of the slow-light process occurring in the liquid-crystal light valve, showing that this is characterized by multiple-beam diffraction in the Raman-Nath regime. Depending on the initial frequency detuning between pump and signal, the different output order beams are distinguished by different group delays. The group delay can be tuned by changing the main parameters of the experiment: the detuning between the pump and the input wave packet, the strength of the nonlinearity, and the intensity of the pump beam.

Timing of Etonogestrel Implant Insertion After Dilation and Evacuation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Cowett, Allison A; Ali, Rose; Cooper, Mary A; Evans, Mark; Conzuelo, Gabriel; Cremer, Miriam

2018-05-01

To compare the 6-month use rate of the etonogestrel implant placed immediately after dilation and evacuation (D&E) with placement 2-4 weeks postprocedure. This is a randomized controlled trial of women seeking abortion between 14 0/7 and 23 5/7 weeks of gestation and desiring the etonogestrel contraceptive implant at an urban family planning clinic. Participants were randomized to device insertion immediately after the D&E compared with delayed insertion in 2-4 weeks. The primary outcome was implant use rate at 6 months after insertion and was determined by follow-up phone interviews. Secondary outcomes included repeat pregnancy rates and method satisfaction. The sample size of 120 participants was calculated based on a power of 0.80 to demonstrate a 20% difference in implant use rates between groups assuming 40% of women overall are not using the device 6 months after the procedure. Between November 2015 and October 2016, 148 participants were enrolled. Seventy-three participants (49.3%) were randomized to and underwent immediate implant insertion after D&E. The remaining 75 (50.6%) were randomized to delayed insertion. There were no significant differences in sociodemographic characteristics between the groups. Placement rate was 100% in the immediate group compared with 42.7% in the delayed group (P<.01). At 6 months, 40 of 43 (93%) women from the immediate group who completed follow-up continued use of the implant, whereas 19 of 30 (63.3%) women from the delayed group who completed follow-up were using the device (P=.002). Follow-up rates were low at 58.9% in the immediate group compared with 40.0% in the delayed group. Women were more likely to be using the etonogestrel implant at 6 months after D&E if they underwent immediate compared with delayed insertion. The very high loss to follow-up rate makes it difficult to draw conclusions about acceptability of the device and pregnancy rates. ClinicalTrials.gov, 02037919.

Immediate versus delayed postpartum use of levonorgestrel contraceptive implants: a randomized controlled trial in Uganda.

PubMed

Averbach, Sarah; Kakaire, Othman; Kayiga, Herbert; Lester, Felicia; Sokoloff, Abby; Byamugisha, Josaphat; Dehlendorf, Christine; Steinauer, Jody

2017-11-01

Use of long-acting, highly effective contraception has the potential to improve women's ability to avoid short interpregnancy intervals, which are associated with an increased risk of maternal morbidity and mortality, and preterm delivery. In Uganda, contraceptive implants are not routinely available during the immediate postpartum period. The purpose of this study was to compare the proportion of women using levonorgestrel contraceptive implants at 6 months after delivery in women randomized to immediate or delayed insertion. This was a randomized controlled trial among women in Kampala, Uganda. Women who desired contraceptive implants were randomly assigned to insertion of a 2-rod contraceptive implant system containing 75 mg of levonorgestrel immediately following delivery (within 5 days of delivery and before discharge from the hospital) or delayed insertion (6 weeks postpartum). The primary outcome was implant utilization at 6 months postpartum. From June to October 2015, 205 women were randomized, 103 to the immediate group and 102 to the delayed group. Ninety-three percent completed the 6 month follow-up visit. At 6 months, implant use was higher in the immediate group compared with the delayed group (97% vs 68%; P < .001), as was the use of any highly effective contraceptive (98% vs 81%; P = .001). Women in the immediate group were more satisfied with the timing of implant placement. If given the choice, 81% of women in the immediate group and 63% of women in the delayed group would choose the same timing of placement again (P = .01). There were no serious adverse events in either group. Offering women the option of initiating contraceptive implants in the immediate postpartum period has the potential to increase contraceptive utilization, decrease unwanted pregnancies, prevent short interpregnancy intervals, and help women achieve their reproductive goals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of delayed auditory feedback on stuttering with and without central auditory processing disorders.

PubMed

Picoloto, Luana Altran; Cardoso, Ana Cláudia Vieira; Cerqueira, Amanda Venuti; Oliveira, Cristiane Moço Canhetti de

2017-12-07

To verify the effect of delayed auditory feedback on speech fluency of individuals who stutter with and without central auditory processing disorders. The participants were twenty individuals with stuttering from 7 to 17 years old and were divided into two groups: Stuttering Group with Auditory Processing Disorders (SGAPD): 10 individuals with central auditory processing disorders, and Stuttering Group (SG): 10 individuals without central auditory processing disorders. Procedures were: fluency assessment with non-altered auditory feedback (NAF) and delayed auditory feedback (DAF), assessment of the stuttering severity and central auditory processing (CAP). Phono Tools software was used to cause a delay of 100 milliseconds in the auditory feedback. The "Wilcoxon Signal Post" test was used in the intragroup analysis and "Mann-Whitney" test in the intergroup analysis. The DAF caused a statistically significant reduction in SG: in the frequency score of stuttering-like disfluencies in the analysis of the Stuttering Severity Instrument, in the amount of blocks and repetitions of monosyllabic words, and in the frequency of stuttering-like disfluencies of duration. Delayed auditory feedback did not cause statistically significant effects on SGAPD fluency, individuals with stuttering with auditory processing disorders. The effect of delayed auditory feedback in speech fluency of individuals who stutter was different in individuals of both groups, because there was an improvement in fluency only in individuals without auditory processing disorder.

Is size the only determinant of delayed abdominal closure in pediatric liver transplant?

PubMed

Khorsandi, Shirin Elizabeth; Day, Arthur William Raven; Cortes, Miriam; Deep, Akash; Dhawan, Anil; Vilca-Melendez, Hector; Heaton, Nigel

2017-03-01

The aim was to determine the factors associated with the use of delayed abdominal closure in pediatric liver transplantation (LT) and whether this affected outcome. From a prospectively maintained database, transplants performed in children (≤18 years) were identified (October 2010 to March 2015). Primary abdominal closure was defined as mass closure performed at time of transplant. Delayed abdominal closure was defined as mass closure not initially performed at the same time as transplant; 230 children underwent LT. Of these, 176 (76.5%) had primary closure. Age was similar between the primary and delayed groups (5.0 ± 4.9 versus 3.9 ± 5.0 years; P = 0.13). There was no difference in the graft-to-recipient weight ratio (GRWR) in the primary and delayed groups (3.4 ± 2.8 versus 4.1 ± 2.1; P = 0.12). Children with acute liver failure (ALF) were more likely to experience delayed closure then those with chronic liver disease (CLD; P < 0.001). GRWR was similar between the ALF and CLD (3.4 ± 2.4 versus 3.6 ± 2.7; P = 0.68). Primary closure children had a shorter hospital stay (P < 0.001), spent fewer days in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU; P = 0.001), and required a shorter duration of ventilation (P < 0.001). Vascular complications (arterial and venous) were similar (primary 8.2% versus delayed 5.6%; P = 0.52). Graft (P = 0.42) and child survival (P = 0.65) in the primary and delayed groups were similar. Considering timing of mass closure after transplant, patients in the early delayed closure group (<6 weeks) were found to experience a shorter time of ventilation (P = 0.03) and in PICU (P = 0.003). In conclusion, ALF was the main determinant of delayed abdominal closure rather than GRWR. The optimal time for delayed closure is within 6 weeks. The use of delayed abdominal closure does not adversely affect graft/child survival. Liver Transplantation 23 352-360 2017 AASLD. © 2016 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Highly precise acoustic calibration method of ring-shaped ultrasound transducer array for plane-wave-based ultrasound tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terada, Takahide; Yamanaka, Kazuhiro; Suzuki, Atsuro; Tsubota, Yushi; Wu, Wenjing; Kawabata, Ken-ichi

2017-07-01

Ultrasound computed tomography (USCT) is promising for a non-invasive, painless, operator-independent and quantitative system for breast-cancer screening. Assembly error, production tolerance, and aging-degradation variations of the hardwire components, particularly of plane-wave-based USCT systems, may hamper cost effectiveness, precise imaging, and robust operation. The plane wave is transmitted from a ring-shaped transducer array for receiving the signal at a high signal-to-noise-ratio and fast aperture synthesis. There are four signal-delay components: response delays in the transmitters and receivers and propagation delays depending on the positions of the transducer elements and their directivity. We developed a highly precise calibration method for calibrating these delay components and evaluated it with our prototype plane-wave-based USCT system. Our calibration method was found to be effective in reducing delay errors. Gaps and curves were eliminated from the plane wave, and echo images of wires were sharpened in the entire imaging area.

Ramathibodi Language Development Questionnaire: A Newly Developed Screening Tool for Detection of Delayed Language Development in Children Aged 18-30 Months.

PubMed

Chuthapisith, Jariya; Wantanakorn, Pornchanok; Roongpraiwan, Rawiwan

2015-08-01

To develop a parental questionnaire for screening children with delayed language development in primary care settings. Ramathibodi Language Development (RLD) questionnaire was developed and completed by groups of 40 typically developing children age 18 to 30 months old and 30 children with delayed language development. The mean score was significantly lower in the delay language group (6.7 ± 1.9), comparing with the typically developing group (9.6 ± 0.7). The optimal ROC curve cut-off score was 8 with corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 98% and 72%, respectively. The corresponding area under the curve was 0.96 (95% CI = 0.92-0.99). The RLD questionnaire was the promising language developmental screening instrument that easily utilized in well-child examination settings.

Inflammatory cytokine levels in synovial fluid 3, 4 days postoperatively and its correlation with early-phase functional recovery after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a cohort study.

PubMed

Inoue, Makiko; Muneta, Takeshi; Ojima, Miyoko; Nakamura, Kaori; Koga, Hideyuki; Sekiya, Ichiro; Okazaki, Mutsumi; Tsuji, Kunikazu

2016-12-01

Synovial fluid was collected prior to and at 3 to 4 days after ACL reconstruction to investigate the correlation between inflammatory cytokine levels in the acute phase after surgery and physical functional recovery at 3 months postoperatively.  For this purpose, 79 patients with ACL reconstruction using semitendinosus tendons were included in the study. Median days from injury to surgery were 80 days (13-291 days). Synovial fluid was obtained just before surgery and at 3 to 4 days after surgery. Physical activity of each patient was evaluated at 3 months postoperatively, and scored from 0 (hard to walk) to 5 (run). Patients able to jog (score 4) or run (score 5) were considered as the "quick recovery" group and others (scores 1-3) as the "delayed recovery" group. Physical activity recovery scores in the early surgery group (preoperative period less than 60 days; Group I) were significantly better than those in the delayed surgery group (Group II). Among the cytokines tested, TNF-alpha and IL10 levels in synovial fluid were significantly higher in Group II at 3 to 4 days postoperatively, while levels of these cytokines were quite comparable preoperatively between the groups. Increased IL1-beta expression was noted in the delayed recovery group at 3 to 4 days postoperatively. In addition, levels of IL6, IL10 and IFN-gamma also tended to increase in patients with delayed recovery. Delayed ACL reconstruction increases levels of inflammatory cytokines in synovial fluid after surgery and correlates with a prolonged recovery of short-period physical activity of the patients.

Suitable closure for post-duodenal endoscopic resection taking medical costs into consideration

PubMed Central

Mori, Hirohito; Ayaki, Maki; Kobara, Hideki; Fujihara, Shintaro; Nishiyama, Noriko; Matsunaga, Tae; Yachida, Tatsuo; Masaki, Tsutomu

2015-01-01

AIM: To compare closure methods, closure times and medical costs between two groups of patients who had post-endoscopic resection (ER) artificial ulcer floor closures. METHODS: Nineteen patients with duodenal adenoma, early duodenal cancer, and subepithelial tumors that received ER between September 2009 and September 2014 at Kagawa University Hospital and Ehime Rosai Hospital, an affiliated hospital of Kagawa University, were included in the study. We retrospectively compared two groups of patients who received post-ER artificial ulcer floor closure: the conventional clip group vs the over-the-scope clip (OTSC) group. Delayed bleeding, procedure time of closure, delayed perforation, total number of conventional clips and OTSCs and medical costs were analyzed. RESULTS: Although we observed delayed bleeding in three patients in the conventional clip group, we observed no delayed bleeding in the OTSC group (P = 0.049). We did not observe perforation in either group. The mean procedure times for ulcer closure were 33.26 ± 12.57 min and 9.71 ± 2.92 min, respectively (P = 0.0001). The resection diameters were 18.8 ± 1.30 mm and 22.9 ± 1.21 mm for the conventional clip group and the OTSC group, respectively, with significant difference (P = 0.039). As for medical costs, the costs of all conventional clips were USD $1257 and the costs of OTSCs were $7850 (P = 0.005). If the post-ER ulcer is under 20 mm in diameter, a conventional clip closure may be more suitable with regard to the prevention of delayed perforation and to medical costs. CONCLUSION: If the post-ER ulcer is over 20 mm, the OTSC closure should be selected with regard to safety and reliable closure even if there are high medical costs. PMID:25954101

Thyroidectomy as primary treatment optimizes body mass index in patients with hyperthyroidism.

PubMed

Schneider, David F; Nookala, Ratnam; Jaraczewski, Taylor J; Chen, Herbert; Solorzano, Carmen C; Sippel, Rebecca S

2014-07-01

The purpose of this study was to determine how the timing of thyroidectomy influenced postoperative weight change. We conducted a two-institution study, identifying patients treated with total thyroidectomy for hyperthyroidism. Patients were classified as 'early' if they were referred for surgery as the first treatment option, or 'delayed' if they were previously treated with radioactive iodine (RAI). Groups were compared with the Student's t-test or χ (2) test where appropriate. There were 204 patients undergoing thyroidectomy for hyperthyroidism. Of these, 171 patients were classified as early and 33 were classified as delayed. Overall, patients gained 6.0 % ± 0.8 of their preoperative body weight at last follow-up. Preoperative body mass indexes (BMIs) were similar between groups (p = 0.98), and the median follow-up time was 388 days (range 15-1,584 days). Both groups gained weight until they achieved a normal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) postoperatively. After achieving a normal TSH, the early group stabilized or lost weight (-0.2 lbs/day), while the delayed group continued to gain weight (0.02 lbs/day; p = 0.61). At last follow-up, there were significantly more patients in the delayed group who increased their BMI category compared with the early group (42.4 vs. 21.6 %; p = 0.01). Twice as many patients in the delayed group moved up or into an unhealthy BMI category (overweight or obese) compared with the early group (39.4 vs. 19.3 %; p = 0.01). Compared with patients initially treated with RAI, patients with hyperthyroidism who underwent surgery as the first treatment were less likely to become overweight or obese postoperatively.

Lipid composition and lidocaine effect on immediate and delayed injection pain following propofol administration.

PubMed

Zirak, Nahid; Bameshki, Alireza; Yazdani, Mohammadjavad; Gilani, Mehryar Taghavi

2016-01-01

Propofol has been used for the induction and maintenance of anesthesia. However, patients experience vascular pain during its injection. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of the lipid type used in propofol preparations and that of lidocaine on the immediate and delayed vascular pain induced by propofol administration. In this double-blinded clinical study, 150 patients at American Society of Anesthesiologists level I-II were randomly divided into three equally sized groups. A propofol with medium and long-chain triglycerides (propofol-MCT/LCT) was administered to the first group. The second group received propofol containing propofol-LCT, and the third group received propofol-LCT and pretreatment lidocaine 20 mg. The incidence and the intensity of immediate (during injection) and delayed injection pain (after 20 s) were evaluated on a verbal analog scale (1-10) until patients' unconsciousness. Sample size was calculated with SigmaPlot version 12.5 software. Data were analyzed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16, one-way analysis of variance, and post-hoc Tukey. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The demographic parameters of the three groups were similar. The lidocaine group experienced the least immediate vascular pain. The intensity of pain was highest in the propofol-LCT group (P = 0.04). Additionally, the intensity of delayed pain was lowest in the propofol-MCT/LCT group (P = 0.01). The incidence of pain associated with the propofol administration was 26.5, 44, and 18%, respectively, in propofol-MCT/LCT, propofol-LCT, and lidocaine and propofol-LCT groups. The results indicate an effect of the lipid type on delayed pain reduction, especially propofol-MCT/LCT. On the other hand, the lidocaine decreases immediate propofol-LCT vascular pain.

Suitable closure for post-duodenal endoscopic resection taking medical costs into consideration.

PubMed

Mori, Hirohito; Ayaki, Maki; Kobara, Hideki; Fujihara, Shintaro; Nishiyama, Noriko; Matsunaga, Tae; Yachida, Tatsuo; Masaki, Tsutomu

2015-05-07

To compare closure methods, closure times and medical costs between two groups of patients who had post-endoscopic resection (ER) artificial ulcer floor closures. Nineteen patients with duodenal adenoma, early duodenal cancer, and subepithelial tumors that received ER between September 2009 and September 2014 at Kagawa University Hospital and Ehime Rosai Hospital, an affiliated hospital of Kagawa University, were included in the study. We retrospectively compared two groups of patients who received post-ER artificial ulcer floor closure: the conventional clip group vs the over-the-scope clip (OTSC) group. Delayed bleeding, procedure time of closure, delayed perforation, total number of conventional clips and OTSCs and medical costs were analyzed. Although we observed delayed bleeding in three patients in the conventional clip group, we observed no delayed bleeding in the OTSC group (P = 0.049). We did not observe perforation in either group. The mean procedure times for ulcer closure were 33.26 ± 12.57 min and 9.71 ± 2.92 min, respectively (P = 0.0001). The resection diameters were 18.8 ± 1.30 mm and 22.9 ± 1.21 mm for the conventional clip group and the OTSC group, respectively, with significant difference (P = 0.039). As for medical costs, the costs of all conventional clips were USD $1257 and the costs of OTSCs were $7850 (P = 0.005). If the post-ER ulcer is under 20 mm in diameter, a conventional clip closure may be more suitable with regard to the prevention of delayed perforation and to medical costs. If the post-ER ulcer is over 20 mm, the OTSC closure should be selected with regard to safety and reliable closure even if there are high medical costs.

76 FR 68734 - Taking and Importing Marine Mammals: Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Navy Training Exercises...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-07

... marine mammal is likely to travel during the time associated with the TDFD's time delay, and that... Navy provided the approximate distance that an animal would typically travel within a given time-delay... Speed and Length of Time-Delay Potential distance Species group Swim speed Time-delay traveled Delphinid...

Electrically-Tunable Group Delays Using Quantum Wells in a Distributed Bragg Reflector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, Thomas R., Jr.; Loehr, John P.; Fork, Richard L.; Cole, Spencer; Jones, Darryl K.; Keys, Andrew

1999-01-01

There is a growing interest in the fabrication of semiconductor optical group delay lines for the development of phased arrays of Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (VCSELs). We present a novel structure incorporating In(x)GA(1-x)As quantum wells in the GaAs quarter-wave layers of a GaAs/AlAs distributed Bragg reflector (DBR). Application of an electric field across the quantum wells leads to red shifting and peak broadening of the el-hhl exciton peak via the quantum-confined Stark effect. Resultant changes in the index of refraction thereby provide a means for altering the group delay of an incident laser pulse. We discuss the tradeoffs between the maximum amount of change in group delay versus absorption losses for such a device. We also compare a simple theoretical model to experimental results, and discuss both angle and position tuning of the BDR band edge resonance relative to the exciton absorption peak. The advantages of such monolithically grown devices for phased-array VCSEL applications will be detailed.

The Effects of Social Skills Groups for Young Children with Social Delays

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koyama, Takanori

2011-01-01

This study was conducted as a program evaluation of an existing social skills program. A review of literature identified a limited number of empirical studies on group-based social skills training for young children with social delays. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of social skills groups as well as the effects of homework…

The effects of an extensive exercise programme on the progression of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Devenney, Kate E; Sanders, Marit L; Lawlor, Brian; Olde Rikkert, Marcel G M; Schneider, Stefan

2017-03-22

Exercise interventions to prevent dementia and delay cognitive decline have gained considerable attention in recent years. Human and animal studies have demonstrated that regular physical activity targets brain function by increasing cognitive reserve. There is also evidence of structural changes caused by exercise in preventing or delaying the genesis of neurodegeneration. Although initial studies indicate enhanced cognitive performance in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) following an exercise intervention, little is known about the effect of an extensive, controlled and regular exercise regimen on the neuropathology of patients with MCI. This study aims to determine the effects of an extensive exercise programme on the progression of MCI. This randomised controlled clinical intervention study will take place across three European sites. Seventy-five previously sedentary patients with a clinical diagnosis of MCI will be recruited at each site. Participants will be randomised to one of three groups. One group will receive a standardised 1-year extensive aerobic exercise intervention (3 units of 45 min/week). The second group will complete stretching and toning (non-aerobic) exercise (3 units of 45 min/week) and the third group will act as the control group. Change in all outcomes will be measured at baseline (T0), after six months (T1) and after 12 months (T2). The primary outcome, cognitive performance, will be determined by a neuropsychological test battery (CogState battery, Trail Making Test and Verbal fluency). Secondary outcomes include Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), cardiovascular fitness, physical activity, structural changes of the brain, quality of life measures and measures of frailty. Furthermore, outcome variables will be related to genetic variations on genes related to neurogenesis and epigenetic changes in these genes caused by the exercise intervention programme. The results will add new insights into the prevailing notion that exercise may slow the rate of cognitive decline in MCI. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02913053.

Effect of Group Setting on Gross Motor Performance in Children 3-5 Years Old with Motor Delays.

PubMed

Fay, Deanne; Wilkinson, Tawna; Wagoner, Michelle; Brooks, Danna; Quinn, Lauren; Turnell, Andrea

2017-02-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in gross motor performance of children 3-5 years of age with motor delays when assessed individually compared to assessment in a group setting among peers with typical development (TD). Twenty children with motor delays and 42 children with TD were recruited from a preschool program. A within-subject repeated measures design was used; each child with delay was tested both in an individual setting and in a group setting with two to four peers with TD. Testing sessions were completed 4-8 days apart. Ten different motor skills from the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 were administered. Performance of each item was videotaped and scored by a blinded researcher. Overall gross motor performance was significantly different (p < .05) between the two settings, with 14 of 20 children demonstrating better performance in the group setting. In particular, children performed better on locomotion items (p < .05). The higher scores for locomotion in the group setting may be due to the influence of competition, motivation, or modeling. Assessing a child in a group setting is recommended as part of the evaluation process.

Steps Toward Determination of the Size and Structure of the Broad-Line Region in Active Galactic Nuclei XVI: A 13 Year Study of Spectral Variability in NGC 5548

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterson, B. M.; Berlind, P.; Bertram, R.; Bischoff, K.; Bochkarev, N. G.; Burenkov, A. N.; Calkins, M.; Carrasco, L.; Chavushyan, V. H.

2002-01-01

We present the final installment of an intensive 13 year study of variations of the optical continuum and broad H beta emission line in the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548. The database consists of 1530 optical continuum measurements and 1248 H beta measurements. The H beta variations follow the continuum variations closely, with a typical time delay of about 20 days. However, a year-by-year analysis shows that the magnitude of emission-line time delay is correlated with the mean continuum flux. We argue that the data are consistent with the simple model prediction between the size of the broad-line region and the ionizing luminosity, r is proportional to L(sup 1/2)(sub ion). Moreover, the apparently linear nature of the correlation between the H beta response time and the nonstellar optical continuum F(sub opt) arises as a consequence of the changing shape of the continuum as it varies, specifically F(sub opt) is proportional to F(sup 0.56)(sub UV).

Is delayed surgery related to worse outcomes in native left-sided endocarditis?

PubMed

Tepsuwan, Thitipong; Rimsukcharoenchai, Chartaroon; Tantraworasin, Apichat; Woragidpoonpol, Surin; Schuarattanapong, Suphachai; Nawarawong, Weerachai

2016-05-01

Timing of surgery in the management of infective endocarditis is controversial, and there is still no definite conclusion on how early the surgery should be performed. This study focuses on the outcomes of surgery during the active period of infective endocarditis in consideration of the duration after diagnosis. One hundred and thirty-four patients with active native valve infective endocarditis who underwent surgery from January 2006 to December 2013 were reviewed retrospectively. They were divided in 2 groups based on timing of surgery: early group (first week after diagnosis, n = 37) and delayed group (2 to 6 weeks after diagnosis, n = 97). Compared to the delayed group, the early group had significantly more patients in New York Heart Association class IV (81% vs. 43.3%), more mechanically ventilated (54.1% vs. 18.6%), more on inotropic support (62.2% vs. 38.1%), and hence a worse EuroSCORE II (14.8% vs. 8.8%). Operative mortality was comparable (5.4% vs. 10.3%) and 7-year survival was similar (77.4% vs. 74.6%). On multivariable regression analysis, delayed surgery did not impact on short- and long-term outcomes. Preoperative cardiac arrest and infection with Haemophilus, Actinobacillus, Cardiobacterium, Eikenella, or Kingella were risk factors for higher operative mortality. Predictors of poor 7-year survival were diabetes mellitus and acute renal failure. Delayed surgery is not associated with worse outcomes. Both early and delayed approaches are safe and provide acceptable results. Timing of surgery should be tailored to each patient's clinical status, not based on duration of endocarditis alone. © The Author(s) 2016.

Delay correlation analysis and representation for vital complaint VHDL models

DOEpatents

Rich, Marvin J.; Misra, Ashutosh

2004-11-09

A method and system unbind a rise/fall tuple of a VHDL generic variable and create rise time and fall time generics of each generic variable that are independent of each other. Then, according to a predetermined correlation policy, the method and system collect delay values in a VHDL standard delay file, sort the delay values, remove duplicate delay values, group the delay values into correlation sets, and output an analysis file. The correlation policy may include collecting all generic variables in a VHDL standard delay file, selecting each generic variable, and performing reductions on the set of delay values associated with each selected generic variable.

Clinical and Radiographic Assessment of Three-Implant-Supported Fixed-Prosthesis Rehabilitation of the Edentulous Mandible: Immediate Versus Delayed Loading.

PubMed

Primo, Bruno Tochetto; Mezzari, Leonardo Marcos; da Fontoura Frasca, Luís Carlos; Linderman, Raquel; Rivaldo, Elken Gomes

To evaluate and compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes of mandibular rehabilitation with fixed prostheses on three implants with immediate versus delayed loading. The sample comprised 21 patients who underwent treatment with immediate loading and 23 who received delayed loading. All had worn their prostheses for at least 18 months. Radiographic evaluation of bone loss was carried out in Adobe Photoshop CS5 by a single calibrated examiner using digitized panoramic radiographs. Clinical examination of the technical conditions of the prosthetic device assessed the condition of the acrylic resin base, dental occlusion, metal framework, presence of cover screws, screw fixation of the prosthesis and abutments, length of cantilever (effort) and resistance arms, presence of plaque on prosthetic abutments, and hygiene of the prosthesis. One implant failed in each group, resulting in a 95.23% treatment success rate with immediate loading and 95.65% with delayed loading (no statistically significant between-group difference). In the immediate-loading group, the mean bone loss was 1.96 ± 0.73 mm around central implants and 1.64 ± 0.84 mm at distal implants. In the delayed-loading group, the mean bone loss was 1.85 ± 0.67 mm around central implants and 1.70 ± 0.77 mm at distal implants. According to Student t test, there was no significant within-group difference in bone loss and no difference between the immediate-loading and delayed-loading groups. The only prosthesis-related complications that differed significantly between groups were "condition of the acrylic base," "occlusion," and "presence of right cover screw." There was no statistically significant association of lever arm ratio with peri-implant bone loss or bone loss on the mesial surfaces compared to the distal surfaces of the distal implants. The three-implant-supported fixed prosthesis protocol tested in this study proved to be a viable therapeutic strategy for mandibular edentulous patients with maxillary complete dentures, regardless of whether loading was immediate or delayed, with no difference in peri-implant bone loss.

Delay Discounting of Losses in Alcohol Use Disorders and Antisocial Psychopathology: Effects of a Working Memory Load.

PubMed

Gerst, Kyle R; Gunn, Rachel L; Finn, Peter R

2017-10-01

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are associated with increased discounting of delayed rewards and reduced executive working memory (eWM) capacity. This association is amplified when comorbid with antisocial psychopathology (AP). Furthermore, recent studies suggest that reduced WM capacity is associated with disinhibited decisions reflected by increased impulsive decision making on the delay discounting of rewards task. While discounting of delayed rewards is well studied, the discounting of delayed losses has received significantly less experimental attention. The current study investigated (i) the rate of discounting of delayed losses in individuals with AUD only (n = 61), AUD with comorbid AP (n = 79) and healthy controls (n = 64); (ii) the relationship between eWM capacity and discounting of delayed losses; and (iii) the effect of a WM load on discounting of delayed losses. Discounting performance was assessed using a computerized discounting of delayed losses task. Results showed that the AUD-only and AUD-AP groups had higher rates of discounting of delayed losses and lower eWM capacity compared to the control groups. Lower individual eWM capacity was associated with increased discounting of delayed losses. However, WM load did not increase discounting rates overall. These results support the hypothesis that greater discounting of delayed losses is associated with AUD and comorbid AP problems and lower individual eWM capacity. Copyright © 2017 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Refining the classification of children with selective mutism: a latent profile analysis.

PubMed

Cohan, Sharon L; Chavira, Denise A; Shipon-Blum, Elisa; Hitchcock, Carla; Roesch, Scott C; Stein, Murray B

2008-10-01

The goal of this study was to develop an empirically derived classification system for selective mutism (SM) using parent-report measures of social anxiety, behavior problems, and communication delays. The sample consisted of parents of 130 children (ages 5-12) with SM. Results from latent profile analysis supported a 3-class solution made up of an anxious-mildly oppositional group, an anxious-communication delayed group, and an exclusively anxious group. Follow-up tests indicated significant group differences on measures of SM symptom severity, externalizing problems, and expressive/receptive language abilities. These results suggest that, although social anxiety is typically a prominent feature of SM, children with the disorder are also likely to present with communication delays and/or mild behavior problems.

Follow-up of children suffering from lead poisoning or at risk of lead poisoning in Greater Paris, 1992--2002.

PubMed

Rollin, L; Carré, N; Garnier, R

2008-12-01

It is essential for children suffering from or at risk of lead poisoning to have regular follow-up, and specifically for their blood lead (Pb) levels to be monitored. The present study assessed the occurrence of late follow-up testing of blood lead levels in children in Greater Paris, and factors related to such delays. Since 1992, the SSSIILF has been systematically recording data on lead levels in blood tests conducted for screening and follow-up in Greater Paris. For Pb greater or equal to 45 microg/dL (Group 4), a further blood lead test has to be done within three weeks. For levels of 25 microg/dL < or = Pb < 45 microg/dL (Group 3) and 10 microg/dL < or = Pb < 25 microg/dL (Group 2), a second test must be done within 6 months. For Pb less than 10 microg/dL combined with one or more risk factors (Group 1: children at risk of poisoning), a second test is required within 6 to 12 months. Children aged 1 to 6 years who were screened between 1992 and 2002 were selected. The occurrence of late follow-up testing was estimated, and the independent effect of each variable associated with a delay was measured using a logistic regression model. Delays in re-testing were reported for 66.9% of Group 4 children (n=356), 45.3% of Group 3 children (n=921), 74.1% of Group 2 children (n=5,466), and 88.7% of Group 1 children (n=15,612). In the three groups with Pb greater or equal to 10 microg/dL, there was better follow-up (i.e. less delay to re-testing) for children screened most recently, those whose initial blood lead test results were elevated, those who lived in sub-standard housing built before 1949, and those who lived in suburban districts of Paris. The delay was longer for children aged 4 to 6 compared to younger children. When the size of the group was large enough, these differences were significant. In Group 1, similar results were observed except for a home address in a suburban district. Furthermore, follow-up was better for children of Sub-Saharan African parents, children whose initial prescription had been issued by a "PMI" mother/child healthcare centre and children from large families. Despite substantial delays in carrying out follow-up blood lead level testing, these delays were shorter for the populations with the greatest exposure.

Transmission and group-delay characterization of coupled resonator optical waveguides apodized through the longitudinal offset technique.

PubMed

Doménech, J D; Muñoz, P; Capmany, J

2011-01-15

In this Letter, the amplitude and group delay characteristics of coupled resonator optical waveguides apodized through the longitudinal offset technique are presented. The devices have been fabricated in silicon-on-insulator technology employing deep ultraviolet lithography. The structures analyzed consisted of three racetracks resonators uniform (nonapodized) and apodized with the aforementioned technique, showing a delay of 5 ± 3 ps and 4 ± 0.5 ps over 1.6 and 1.4 nm bandwidths, respectively.

Monetary delay discounting in gambling and cocaine dependence with personality comorbidities.

PubMed

Albein-Urios, Natalia; Martinez-González, José M; Lozano, Oscar; Verdejo-Garcia, Antonio

2014-11-01

Cocaine addiction and pathological gambling are commonly associated with steeper (impulsive) discounting of delayed rewards, which promotes ongoing drug and gambling behaviors. However, it is yet unclear whether impulsive delay discounting is a stable trait in cocaine and gambling disorders during abstinence, and whether it is significantly impacted by dysfunctional personality beliefs. The aim of this study was to compare the delay discounting rates of four groups: 47 cocaine users with comorbid personality disorders, 41 cocaine users without psychiatric comorbidities, 28 pathological gamblers without psychiatric comorbidities, and 36 healthy comparison individuals. We also examined the association between dysfunctional personality beliefs and delay discounting rates. Participants completed the Kirby Delay Discounting Questionnaire and the Beck Personality Belief Questionnaire as part of a larger battery. We used non-parametric tests to compare discounting rates between the groups, and bivariate correlation analyses to examine the association between beliefs and discounting rates within each of the groups. We found that discounting rates were significantly higher in individuals with disordered gambling compared to controls. Specifically in cocaine users with Cluster B personality disorders, higher discounting rates were associated with the intensity of "dependent" dysfunctional beliefs (e.g., "I am needy and weak"). Conclusion:We conclude that impulsive delay discounting is increased in gambling relative to controls and linked to personality beliefs in cocaine users with Cluster B personality disorders. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

G-CSF in solid tumor chemotherapy: a tailored regimen reduces febrile neutropenia, treatment delays and direct costs.

PubMed

Tsavaris, Nicolas; Kosmas, Christos; Gouveris, Panagiotis; Vadiak, Maria; Dimitrakopoulos, Antonis; Karadima, Dimitra; Pagouni, Efterpi; Panagiotakopoulos, George; Tzima, Evanthia; Ispoglou, Sevasti; Sakelariou, Dimitris; Koufos, Christos

2004-02-01

Current guidelines do not recommend G-CSF for patients with risk factors for neutropenia. One-hundred patients undergoing chemotherapy were randomized to treatment with G-CSF at 5 Kg/kg for established febrile neutropenia (ANC <1000/microl) (Group A) or G-CSF at 263 Kg/day if ANC was 1500/microl or less on the day of the expected nadir, with the duration of treatment determined by the severity of neutropenia (Group B). The number of doses of G-CSF was similar in the two groups. There were 34 cases of febrile neutropenia in Group A, but none in Group B (p=0.0001). Hospital admission for febrile neutropenia, antibiotic use and delays in chemotherapy were all significantly more common in Group A. Total direct costs were estimated to be 66, 646 for Group A and 47, 119 for Group B. Tailoring treatment does not increase G-CSF use, but significantly reduces febrile neutropenia and treatment delays and lowers direct costs.

Residual delay maps unveil global patterns of atmospheric nonlinearity and produce improved local forecasts

PubMed Central

Sugihara, George; Casdagli, Martin; Habjan, Edward; Hess, Dale; Dixon, Paul; Holland, Greg

1999-01-01

We use residual-delay maps of observational field data for barometric pressure to demonstrate the structure of latitudinal gradients in nonlinearity in the atmosphere. Nonlinearity is weak and largely lacking in tropical and subtropical sites and increases rapidly into the temperate regions where the time series also appear to be much noisier. The degree of nonlinearity closely follows the meridional variation of midlatitude storm track frequency. We extract the specific functional form of this nonlinearity, a V shape in the lagged residuals that appears to be a basic feature of midlatitude synoptic weather systems associated with frontal passages. We present evidence that this form arises from the relative time scales of high-pressure versus low-pressure events. Finally, we show that this nonlinear feature is weaker in a well regarded numerical forecast model (European Centre for Medium-Range Forecasts) because small-scale temporal and spatial variation is smoothed out in the grided inputs. This is significant, in that it allows us to demonstrate how application of statistical corrections based on the residual-delay map may provide marked increases in local forecast accuracy, especially for severe weather systems. PMID:10588685

Day-to-day variations in the amplitude of the soil temperature cycle and impact on adult eclosion timing of the onion fly.

PubMed

Tanaka, Kazuhiro; Watari, Yasuhiko

2017-06-01

The onion fly Delia antiqua advances its eclosion timing with decreasing temperature amplitude to compensate for a depth-dependent phase delay of the zeitgeber. To elucidate whether or not naturally occurring day-to-day variations in the amplitude of soil temperature cycle disturb this compensatory response, we monitored daily variations in the temperature amplitude in natural soils and evaluated the impact on adult eclosion timing. Our results indicated that both median and variance of the soil temperature amplitude become smaller as depth increases. Insertion of a larger temperature fluctuation into the thermoperiod with smaller temperature amplitude induced a stronger phase delay, while insertion of a smaller temperature fluctuation into the thermoperiod with larger temperature amplitude had a weaker phase-advancing effect. It is therefore expected that larger diurnal temperature fluctuations disturb the compensatory response, particularly if they occur at deeper locations, while smaller temperature fluctuations do so only at shallower locations. Under natural conditions, however, the probability of occurrence of smaller or larger temperature fluctuations in shallower or deeper soils, respectively, is relatively small. Thus, naturally occurring day-to-day variations in the temperature amplitude rarely disturb the compensatory response, thereby having a subtle or negligible impact on adult eclosion timing.

Chronobiology of serum iron concentration in subjects of different ages at different geographic locations.

PubMed

Nicolau, G Y; Haus, E; Lakatua, D J; Bogdan, C; Plîngă, L; Irvine, P; Popescu, M; Petrescu, E; Sackett-Lundeen, L; Swoyer, J

1987-01-01

The circadian rhythm in serum iron concentration was studied in 61 elderly men (74 +/- 6 years of age) and 93 women (78 +/- 8 years of age) in Bucharest, Romania, in 81 clinically healthy boys and 103 girls (11 +/- 1.5 years of age) in Tîrgovişte, Romania, in 4 elderly men and 19 women (71 +/- 5 years of age) and in 75 young-adult men (24 +/- 11 years of age) and 52 women (24 +/- 9 years of age) in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. Six samples were obtained from each subject around a 24-hour span. The sampling sessions in the elderly subjects in Romania and in the children extended over all four seasons. A circadian rhythm statistically verified by Cosinor analysis was evident in all groups in both locations. A statistically significant sex difference with lower circadian mean (mesor) and a lower amplitude in the women was found in the Romanian elderly subjects. The children in Romania showed no sex difference in any circadian rhythm parameters. The young adult subjects in Minnesota showed a significantly higher mesor and a phase delay in the men as compared with the women. The elderly subjects of both sexes at both geographic locations had a lower circadian mesor than the young adults and the children. In the Romanian elderly subjects also the circadian amplitude was lower, which was not the case in the Minnesotans. While the acrophase in the elderly subjects and in the children in Romania was comparable (0928 and 0932 local time resp.), the young adults in Minnesota showed in comparison to the Romanians a phase delay (1132 local time) and the elderly in Minnesota showed a phase advance (0732 local time) in comparison to all other groups. The latter finding will have to be confirmed by more extensive studies. In the elderly subjects in Romania the circadian rhythm in serum iron concentration was in phase with the circadian rhythms in total serum bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase but showed significant phase differences from the circadian rhythms in serum albumin, urea nitrogen (BUN), gammaglutamyl transferase (Gamma-GT), serum globulins, glucose, insulin and total serum proteins. The elderly subjects in Romania showed a statistically significant circadian phase delay in summer as compared to fall but showed no seasonal variation of the mesor. The children showed a circadian phase advance in fall as compared to the other seasons and a seasonal variation of their mesor with higher values in spring and summer as compared with winter and fall.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Effect of a comprehensive health education program on pre-hospital delay intentions in high-risk stroke population and caregivers.

PubMed

Yang, Li; Zhao, Qiuli; Zhu, Xuemei; Shen, Xiaoying; Zhu, Yulan; Yang, Liu; Gao, Wei; Li, Minghui

2017-08-01

Many factors influence pre-hospital delays in the event of stroke. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a comprehensive educational program for decreasing pre-hospital delays in high-risk stroke population. We enrolled 220 high-risk stroke population and caregivers from six urban communities in Harbin from May 2013 to May 2015, and randomly divided them into intervention and control groups. We implemented a comprehensive educational program (intervention group), comprising public lectures, instructional brochures, case videos, simulations, and role-playing from May 2013 to May 2015. We delivered conventional oral education in the control group. We compared stroke pre-hospital delay behavioral intention (SPDBI), pre-hospital stroke symptom coping test (PSSCT), and stroke pre-symptoms alert test (SPSAT) results between the groups before and 6, 12, and 18 months after health intervention. There were significant differences between before and after intervention (P < 0.01). SPDBI, PSSCT, and SPSAT scores were significantly different between the groups (P < 0.01). The interaction between time and intervention method was significant (P < 0.01). According to multivariate repeated measures analysis of variance, SPDBI, PSSCT, and SPSAT scores were significantly different at each time after intervention (P < 0.05). The comprehensive educational program was significantly effective in decreasing SPDBI, improving knowledge, enhancing stroke pre-symptoms alert, and reducing the possibility of pre-hospital delays.

a Study of Multiplexing Schemes for Voice and Data.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sriram, Kotikalapudi

Voice traffic variations are characterized by on/off transitions of voice calls, and talkspurt/silence transitions of speakers in conversations. A speaker is known to be in silence for more than half the time during a telephone conversation. In this dissertation, we study some schemes which exploit speaker silences for an efficient utilization of the transmission capacity in integrated voice/data multiplexing and in digital speech interpolation. We study two voice/data multiplexing schemes. In each scheme, any time slots momentarily unutilized by the voice traffic are made available to data. In the first scheme, the multiplexer does not use speech activity detectors (SAD), and hence the voice traffic variations are due to call on/off only. In the second scheme, the multiplexer detects speaker silences using SAD and transmits voice only during talkspurts. The multiplexer with SAD performs digital speech interpolation (DSI) as well as dynamic channel allocation to voice and data. The performance of the two schemes is evaluated using discrete-time modeling and analysis. The data delay performance for the case of English speech is compared with that for the case of Japanese speech. A closed form expression for the mean data message delay is derived for the single-channel single-talker case. In a DSI system, occasional speech losses occur whenever the number of speakers in simultaneous talkspurt exceeds the number of TDM voice channels. In a buffered DSI system, speech loss is further reduced at the cost of delay. We propose a novel fixed-delay buffered DSI scheme. In this scheme, speech fill-in/hangover is not required because there are no variable delays. Hence, all silences that naturally occur in speech are fully utilized. Consequently, a substantial improvement in the DSI performance is made possible. The scheme is modeled and analyzed in discrete -time. Its performance is evaluated in terms of the probability of speech clipping, packet rejection ratio, DSI advantage, and the delay.

Effect of SSRI antidepressants on ejaculation: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study with fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, and sertraline.

PubMed

Waldinger, M D; Hengeveld, M W; Zwinderman, A H; Olivier, B

1998-08-01

Depression is a common cause of sexual dysfunction, but also antidepressant medication is often associated with sexual side effects. This article includes two related studies. The first double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted in men with lifelong rapid ejaculation and aimed to assess putative differences between the major selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, and sertraline) with regard to their ejaculation-delaying effect. Sixty men with an intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT) of 1 minute or less were randomly assigned to receive fluoxetine 20 mg/day, fluvoxamine 100 mg/day, paroxetine 20 mg/day, sertraline 50 mg/day, or placebo for 6 weeks. During the 1-month baseline and 6-week treatment periods, the men measured their IELT at home using a stopwatch. The trial was completed by 51 men. During the 6-week treatment period, the geometric mean IELT in the placebo group was constant at approximately 20 seconds. Analysis of variance revealed a between-groups difference in the evolution of IELT delay (p = 0.0004); in the paroxetine, fluoxetine, and sertraline groups there was a gradual increase to about 110 seconds, whereas in the fluvoxamine group, IELT was increased to only approximately 40 seconds. The paroxetine, fluoxetine, and sertraline groups differed significantly (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.017, respectively) from placebo but the fluvoxamine group did not (p = 0.38). Compared with baseline, paroxetine exerted the strongest delay in ejaculation, followed by fluoxetine and sertraline. There was no clinically relevant delay in ejaculation with fluvoxamine. In men with lifelong rapid ejaculation, paroxetine delayed ejaculation most strongly, whereas fluvoxamine delayed ejaculation the least. The second double-blind, placebo-controlled study was carried out in men with lifelong rapid ejaculation (IELT < or = 1 minute) and in men with lifelong less-rapid ejaculation (IELT > 1 minute) to investigate whether data about SSRI-induced delayed ejaculation in men with rapid ejaculation may be extrapolated to men with less-rapid ejaculation. After measurement of IELT at home (using a stopwatch) during a 1-month baseline assessment, 32 men with an IELT of 1 minute or less (group 1) or more than 1 minute (group 2) were randomly assigned to receive paroxetine 20 mg/day or placebo for 6 weeks in a double-blind manner. Patients continued to measure their IELTs at home during the 6 weeks of the study. At baseline, 24 patients consistently had IELTs of one minute or less (group 1), and eight patients had IELTs of more than 1 minute (group 2). The geometric mean IELT was 14 seconds in group 1 and 83 seconds in group 2. Twelve patients in group 1 and five in group 2 were randomized to the paroxetine 20 mg/day. The percentage increase in the geometric mean IELT compared with baseline in patients treated with paroxetine was 420% (95% confidence interval [CI], 216-758%) in group 1 and 480% (95% CI, 177-1,118%) in group 2 (p = 0.81). After 6 weeks of treatment with paroxetine, the geometric mean IELT was 92 seconds in group 1 and 602 seconds in group 2 (p < 0.001). Therefore, the paroxetine-induced percentage increase in IELT seems to be independent of the baseline IELT. This suggests that ejaculation-delaying side effects of some SSRIs investigated in men with lifelong rapid ejaculation may be generalized to men with less-rapid ejaculation.

Prospective Memory Deficits in Ecstasy Users: Effects of Longer Ongoing Task Delay Interval

PubMed Central

WEINBORN, MICHAEL; WOODS, STEVEN PAUL; NULSEN, CLAIRE; PARK, KATHERINE

2011-01-01

Ecstasy use has been associated with neurotoxicity and neurocognitive impairment in a variety of domains, including prospective memory (ProM), which involves the delayed execution of a previously encoded intention in response to a specific cue. The present study adopted the multiprocess theory of ProM to evaluate the hypothesis that ecstasy users would evidence differentially impaired ProM on longer versus shorter ongoing task delays. Ecstasy (n = 31) users, high-risk alcohol users (n = 21) and healthy nonusers (n = 31) completed the short (2-min) and long (15-min) delay ProM scales of the Memory for Intentions Screening Test. Results showed a significant group by ProM delay interaction, such that ecstasy users performed comparably to the comparison groups on short-delay trials, but were impaired on long-delay ProM, particularly for time-based cues. Among the ecstasy users, long-delay ProM was positively associated with risky decision-making, but not with retrospective memory or other aspects of executive functions. These findings suggest that ecstasy users may be particularly susceptible to deficits in strategic target monitoring and maintenance of cue-intention pairings over longer ProM delays. Findings are discussed in the context of their potential everyday functioning (e.g., academic, vocational) and treatment implications for ecstasy users. PMID:22047194

Diabetes mellitus affects the biomechanical function of the callus and the expression of TGF-beta1 and BMP2 in an early stage of fracture healing.

PubMed

Xu, M T; Sun, S; Zhang, L; Xu, F; Du, S L; Zhang, X D; Wang, D W

2016-01-01

Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) are important regulators of bone repair and regeneration. In this study, we examined whether TGF-β1 and BMP-2 expressions were delayed during bone healing in type 1 diabetes mellitus. Tibial fractures were created in 95 diabetic and 95 control adult male Wistar rats of 10 weeks of age. At 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 weeks after fracture induction, five rats were sacrificed from each group. The expressions of TGF-β1 and BMP2 in the fractured tibias were measured by immunohistochemistry and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, weekly for the first 5 weeks post-fracture. Mechanical parameters (bending rigidity, torsional rigidity, destruction torque) of the healing bones were also assessed at 3, 4, and 5 weeks post-fracture, after the rats were sacrificed. The bending rigidity, torsional rigidity and destruction torque of the two groups increased continuously during the healing process. The diabetes group had lower mean values for bending rigidity, torsional rigidity and destruction torque compared with the control group (P<0.05). TGF-β1 and BMP-2 expression were significantly lower (P<0.05) in the control group than in the diabetes group at postoperative weeks 1, 2, and 3. Peak levels of TGF-β1 and BMP-2 expression were delayed by 1 week in the diabetes group compared with the control group. Our results demonstrate that there was a delayed recovery in the biomechanical function of the fractured bones in diabetic rats. This delay may be associated with a delayed expression of the growth factors TGF-β1 and BMP-2.

Validation of early image acquisitions following Tc-99 m sestamibi injection using a semiconductors camera of cadmium-zinc-telluride.

PubMed

Meyer, Celine; Weinmann, Pierre

2017-08-01

Cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) cameras allow to decrease significantly the acquisition time of myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), but the duration of the examination is still long. Therefore, this study was performed to test the feasibility of early imaging following injection of Tc-99 m sestamibi using a CZT camera. Seventy patients underwent both an early and a delayed image acquisition after exercise stress test (n = 30), dipyridamole stress test (n = 20), and at rest (n = 20). After injection of Tc-99 m sestamibi, the early image acquisition started on average within 5 minutes for the exercise and rest groups, and 3 minutes 30 seconds for the dipyridamole group. Two independent observers evaluated image quality and extracardiac uptake on four-point scales. The difference between early and later images for each patient was scored on a five-point scale. The image quality and extracardiac uptake of early and delayed image acquisitions were not different for the three groups (P > .05). There was no significant difference between early and delayed image acquisitions in the exercise, dipyridamole, and rest groups, respectively, in 63%, 40%, and 80% of cases. In the exercise group and rest group, a defect was only present in early MPI, respectively, in 13% and 20% of cases. A defect was only present in delayed images in 10% of cases in the exercise group and in 45% of cases in the dipyridamole group. There was no difference between early and later image acquisitions in terms of quality. This protocol reduces the length of the procedure for the patient. Beginning with early image acquisitions may help to overcome the artifacts that are observed at the delayed time.

Effect of a single intraoperative high-dose ATG-Fresenius on delayed graft function in donation after cardiac-death donor renal allograft recipients: a randomized study.

PubMed

van den Hoogen, Martijn W F; Kho, Marcia M L; Abrahams, Alferso C; van Zuilen, Arjan D; Sanders, Jan-Stephan; van Dijk, Marja; Hilbrands, Luuk B; Weimar, Willem; Hoitsma, Andries J

2013-04-01

Reducing the incidence of delayed graft function after transplant with donation after cardiac death donor renal allografts would facilitate managing recipients during their first weeks after a transplant. To reduce this incidence, in most studies, induction therapy with depleting anti-T-lymphocyte antibodies is coupled with a reduction of the dosage of the calcineurin inhibitor. The separate effect of anti-T-cell therapy on the incidence and duration of delayed graft function is therefore difficult to assess. We performed a randomized study to evaluate the effect of a single intraoperative high-dose of anti-T-lymphocyte immunoglobulin (ATG)-Fresenius (9 mg/kg body weight) on the incidence of delayed graft function. Eligible adult recipients of a first donation after cardiac death donor renal allograft were randomly assigned to ATG-Fresenius or no induction therapy. Maintenance immunosuppression consisted of tacrolimus, in an unadjusted dose, mycophenolate mofetil, and steroids. The study was prematurely terminated because of a lower-than-anticipated inclusion rate. Baseline characteristics were comparable in the ATG-Fresenius group (n=28) and the control group (n=24). Twenty-two patients in the ATG-Fresenius group (79%) had delayed graft function, compared with 13 in the control group (54%; P = .06). Allograft and patient survival were comparable in both groups. Serious adverse events occurred more frequently in the ATG-Fresenius group than they did in the control group (57% vs 29%; P < .05). Intraoperative administration of a single high-dose of ATG-Fresenius in donation after cardiac death donor renal allograft recipients, followed by triple immunosuppression with an unadjusted tacrolimus dose, seems ineffective to reduce the incidence of delayed graft function. Moreover, this was associated with a higher rate of serious adverse events (EudraCT-number, 2007-000210-36.).

Mobile technology habits: patterns of association among device usage, intertemporal preference, impulse control, and reward sensitivity.

PubMed

Wilmer, Henry H; Chein, Jason M

2016-10-01

Mobile electronic devices are playing an increasingly pervasive role in our daily activities. Yet, there has been very little empirical research investigating how mobile technology habits might relate to individual differences in cognition and affect. The research presented in this paper provides evidence that heavier investment in mobile devices is correlated with a relatively weaker tendency to delay gratification (as measured by a delay discounting task) and a greater inclination toward impulsive behavior (i.e., weaker impulse control, assessed behaviorally and through self-report) but is not related to individual differences in sensitivity to reward. Analyses further demonstrated that individual variation in impulse control mediates the relationship between mobile technology usage and delay of gratification. Although based on correlational results, these findings lend some backing to concerns that increased use of portable electronic devices could have negative impacts on impulse control and the ability to appropriately valuate delayed rewards.

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

D'Huys, Otti, E-mail: otti.dhuys@phy.duke.edu; Haynes, Nicholas D.; Lohmann, Johannes

Autonomous Boolean networks are commonly used to model the dynamics of gene regulatory networks and allow for the prediction of stable dynamical attractors. However, most models do not account for time delays along the network links and noise, which are crucial features of real biological systems. Concentrating on two paradigmatic motifs, the toggle switch and the repressilator, we develop an experimental testbed that explicitly includes both inter-node time delays and noise using digital logic elements on field-programmable gate arrays. We observe transients that last millions to billions of characteristic time scales and scale exponentially with the amount of time delaysmore » between nodes, a phenomenon known as super-transient scaling. We develop a hybrid model that includes time delays along network links and allows for stochastic variation in the delays. Using this model, we explain the observed super-transient scaling of both motifs and recreate the experimentally measured transient distributions.« less

Propagation effects on radio range and noise in earth-space telecommunications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flock, W. L.; Slobin, S. D.; Smith, E. K.

1982-01-01

Attention is given to the propagation effects on radio range and noise in earth-space telecommunications. The use of higher frequencies minimizes ionospheric effects on propagation, but tropospheric effects often increase or dominate. For paths of geostationary satellites, and beyond, the excess range delay caused by the ionosphere and plasmasphere is proportional to the total electron content along the path and inversely proportional to frequency squared. The delay due to dry air is usually of the order of a few meters while the delay due to water vapor (a few tens of centimeters) is responsible for most of the temporal variation in the range delay for clean air. For systems such as that of the Voyager spacecraft, and for attenuation values up to about 10 dB, increased sky noise degrades the received signal-to-noise ratio more than does the reduction in signal level due to attenuation.

Study of atomic coherence effects in multi-level V+Ξ system involving Rydberg state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaur, Amanjot; Singh, Neeraj; Kaur, Paramjit

2018-06-01

We present theoretical model to investigate the influence of hyperfine levels on the atomic coherences of V+Ξ Rydberg system. Using density matrix formulation, an analytical expression of atomic coherence for weak probe field is derived. The closely spaced hyperfine levels cause asymmetry and red shift while wavelength mismatching induced due to Rydberg state leads to reduction in magnitude and broadening of group index, absorption and dispersion profiles for moving atoms. Our system shows both Rydberg Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) with subluminal behavior and Rydberg Electromagnetically induced absorption (EIA) with superluminal propagation by adjusting the strengths of control and switching fields. Variation of group index with probe detuning reveals anomalous dispersion regions at Autler-Townes doublet positions. Group index for Doppler-broadened atoms at resonance condition has lower magnitude as compared to the stationary atoms and hence the group delay time of the pulse is also reduced. We also explore in-depth non-degenerate four-wave mixing (FWM) which is ignited due to the presence of three electromagnetic (e.m.) fields and concurrently, establish relationship between FWM and multi-photon atomic coherence. The transient behavior is also studied for practical realization of our considered system as optical switch.

AdVEGF-All6A+ Preconditioning of Murine Ischemic Skin Flaps Is Comparable to Surgical Delay.

PubMed

Gersch, Robert P; Fourman, Mitchell S; Phillips, Brett T; Nasser, Ahmed; McClain, Steve A; Khan, Sami U; Dagum, Alexander B; Bui, Duc T

2015-08-01

Surgical flap delay is commonly used in preconditioning reconstructive flaps to prevent necrosis. However, staged procedures are not ideal. Pharmacologic up-regulation of angiogenic and arteriogenic factors before flap elevation poses a nonsurgical approach to improve flap survival. Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into control (n = 16), surgical delay (Delay), AdNull, AdEgr-1, and AdVEGF (n ≥ 9/group) groups. Delay rats had a 9 cm × 3 cm cranial based pedicle skin flap incised 10 days prior to elevation. Adenoviral groups received 28 intradermal injections (10(9) pu/animal total) throughout the distal two thirds of the flap 1 week prior to elevation. At postoperative day (POD) 0 flaps were elevated and silicone sheeting was placed between flap and wound bed. Perfusion analysis in arbitrary perfusion units of the ischemic middle third of the flap using laser Doppler imaging was conducted preoperatively and on POD 0, 3, and 7. Clinical and histopathologic assessments of the skin flaps were performed on POD 7. AdVEGF (50.8 ± 10.9 APU) and AdEgr-1 (39.3 ± 10.6 APU) perfusion levels were significantly higher than controls (16.5 ± 4.2 APU) on POD 7. Delay models were equivalent to controls (25.9 ± 6.8 APU). AdVEGF and Delay animals showed significantly more viable surface area on POD 7 (14.4 ± 1.3 cm(2), P < 0.01 and 12.4 ± 1.2 cm(2), P < 0.05, respectively) compared with Controls (8.7 ± 0.7 cm(2)). AdVEGF preconditioning resulted in flap survival comparable to surgical delay. Adenoviral preconditioning maintained perfusion levels postoperatively while surgical delay did not.

AdVEGF-All6A+ Preconditioning of Murine Ischemic Skin Flaps Is Comparable to Surgical Delay

PubMed Central

Gersch, Robert P.; Fourman, Mitchell S.; Phillips, Brett T.; Nasser, Ahmed; McClain, Steve A.; Khan, Sami U.; Dagum, Alexander B.

2015-01-01

Background: Surgical flap delay is commonly used in preconditioning reconstructive flaps to prevent necrosis. However, staged procedures are not ideal. Pharmacologic up-regulation of angiogenic and arteriogenic factors before flap elevation poses a nonsurgical approach to improve flap survival. Methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into control (n = 16), surgical delay (Delay), AdNull, AdEgr-1, and AdVEGF (n ≥ 9/group) groups. Delay rats had a 9 cm × 3 cm cranial based pedicle skin flap incised 10 days prior to elevation. Adenoviral groups received 28 intradermal injections (109 pu/animal total) throughout the distal two thirds of the flap 1 week prior to elevation. At postoperative day (POD) 0 flaps were elevated and silicone sheeting was placed between flap and wound bed. Perfusion analysis in arbitrary perfusion units of the ischemic middle third of the flap using laser Doppler imaging was conducted preoperatively and on POD 0, 3, and 7. Clinical and histopathologic assessments of the skin flaps were performed on POD 7. Results: AdVEGF (50.8 ± 10.9 APU) and AdEgr-1 (39.3 ± 10.6 APU) perfusion levels were significantly higher than controls (16.5 ± 4.2 APU) on POD 7. Delay models were equivalent to controls (25.9 ± 6.8 APU). AdVEGF and Delay animals showed significantly more viable surface area on POD 7 (14.4 ± 1.3 cm2, P < 0.01 and 12.4 ± 1.2 cm2, P < 0.05, respectively) compared with Controls (8.7 ± 0.7 cm2). Conclusions: AdVEGF preconditioning resulted in flap survival comparable to surgical delay. Adenoviral preconditioning maintained perfusion levels postoperatively while surgical delay did not. PMID:26495207

Delayed repair of the peripheral nerve: a novel model in the rat sciatic nerve.

PubMed

Wu, Peng; Spinner, Robert J; Gu, Yudong; Yaszemski, Michael J; Windebank, Anthony J; Wang, Huan

2013-03-30

Peripheral nerve reconstruction is seldom done in the acute phase of nerve injury due to concomitant injuries and the uncertainty of the extent of nerve damage. A proper model that mimics true clinical scenarios is critical but lacking. The aim of this study is to develop a standardized, delayed sciatic nerve repair model in rats and validate the feasibility of direct secondary neurrorraphy after various delay intervals. Immediately or 1, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks after sciatic nerve transection, nerve repair was carried out. A successful tension-free direct neurorraphy (TFDN) was defined when the gap was shorter than 4.0 mm and the stumps could be reapproximated with 10-0 stitches without detachment. Compound muscle action potential (CMAP) was recorded postoperatively. Gaps between the two nerve stumps ranged from 0 to 9 mm, the average being 1.36, 2.85, 3.43, 3.83 and 6.4 mm in rats with 1, 4, 6, 8 and 12 week delay, respectively. The rate of successful TFDN was 78% overall. CMAP values of 1 and 4 week delay groups were not different from the immediate repair group, whereas CMAP amplitudes of 6, 8 and 12 week delay groups were significantly lower. A novel, standardized delayed nerve repair model is established. For this model to be sensitive, the interval between nerve injury and secondary repair should be at least over 4 weeks. Thereafter the longer the delay, the more challenging the model is for nerve regeneration. The choice of delay intervals can be tailored to meet specific requirements in future studies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of delayed polymerization time and bracket manipulation on orthodontic resin modified glass ionomer adhesive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilbert, Danielle Wiggins

This study examined the effect of varying delayed polymerization times in combination with bracket manipulation on shear bond strength (SBS), degree of conversion (DC), and adhesive remnant index (ARI) score when using a resin modified glass ionomer (RMGI) adhesive. Specimens were divided into three groups of clinically relevant delay times (0.5, 2, and 4-min) to simulate the delay that frequently occurs between bracket placement and manipulation and subsequent light curing. Based on an analysis of variance (alpha=.05), the SBS was not significantly different between the three groups. While one of the goals of this study was to be the first study to quantify DC of RMGI using Raman microspectroscopy, several challenges, including weak peak signal with and without fluorescence, were encountered and as a result, DC could not be determined. A significant difference (p<0.05) in ARI score was detected between the 0.5-min and 4.0-min delay groups with more adhesive remaining on the bracket with increasing delay time. A Spearman correlation between SBS and ARI indicated no positive association between SBS and ARI measures across delay times. The results of this study suggest that clinically relevant delay times of 0.5, 2, and 4-min do not negatively impact the SBS of a RMGI adhesive. However, with increasing delay time, the results suggest that more adhesive might remain on the bracket during debonding. With more adhesive remaining on the bracket, this could be beneficial in that less adhesive needs to be removed from enamel by grinding at the time of bracket removal when orthodontic treatment is completed.

Screen-and-treat approaches for cervical cancer prevention in low-resource settings: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Denny, Lynette; Kuhn, Louise; De Souza, Michelle; Pollack, Amy E; Dupree, William; Wright, Thomas C

2005-11-02

Non-cytology-based screen-and-treat approaches for cervical cancer prevention have been developed for low-resource settings, but few have directly addressed efficacy. To determine the safety and efficacy of 2 screen-and-treat approaches for cervical cancer prevention that were designed to be more resource-appropriate than conventional cytology-based screening programs. Randomized clinical trial of 6555 nonpregnant women, aged 35 to 65 years, recruited through community outreach and conducted between June 2000 and December 2002 at ambulatory women's health clinics in Khayelitsha, South Africa. All patients were screened using human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing and visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA). Women were subsequently randomized to 1 of 3 groups: cryotherapy if she had a positive HPV DNA test result; cryotherapy if she had a positive VIA test result; or to delayed evaluation. Biopsy-confirmed high-grade cervical cancer precursor lesions and cancer at 6 and 12 months in the HPV DNA and VIA groups compared with the delayed evaluation (control) group; complications after cryotherapy. The prevalence of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cancer (CIN 2+) was significantly lower in the 2 screen-and-treat groups at 6 months after randomization than in the delayed evaluation group. At 6 months, CIN 2+ was diagnosed in 0.80% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40%-1.20%) of the women in the HPV DNA group and 2.23% (95% CI, 1.57%-2.89%) in the VIA group compared with 3.55% (95% CI, 2.71%-4.39%) in the delayed evaluation group (P<.001 and P = .02 for the HPV DNA and VIA groups, respectively). A subset of women underwent a second colposcopy 12 months after enrollment. At 12 months the cumulative detection of CIN 2+ among women in the HPV DNA group was 1.42% (95% CI, 0.88%-1.97%), 2.91% (95% CI, 2.12%-3.69%) in the VIA group, and 5.41% (95% CI, 4.32%-6.50%) in the delayed evaluation group. Although minor complaints, such as discharge and bleeding, were common after cryotherapy, major complications were rare. Both screen-and-treat approaches are safe and result in a lower prevalence of high-grade cervical cancer precursor lesions compared with delayed evaluation at both 6 and 12 months. Trial Registration http://clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00233727.

An evaluation of in-office flexible fiber-optic biopsies for laryngopharyngeal lesions.

PubMed

Lee, Francisco; Smith, Kristine A; Chandarana, Shamir; Matthews, T Wayne; Bosch, J Douglas; Nakoneshny, Steven C; Dort, Joseph C

2018-05-09

Operative endoscopy and flexible fiber-optic in-office tissue biopsy are common techniques to assess suspicious laryngopharyngeal lesions. The primary outcome was the delay to the initiation of treatment. Secondary outcomes were delay to biopsy, histopathological diagnosis, and assessment at a multidisciplinary oncology clinic. A retrospective analysis was performed to assess the relative delays between these approaches to biopsy of laryngopharyngeal lesions. There were 114 patients in the study cohort; 44 in-office and 70 operative endoscopic biopsies). The mean delay from consultation to biopsy was 17.4 days for the operative endoscopy group and 1.3 days for the in-office group. The mean delay from initial otolaryngology consultation to initiation of treatment was 51.7 days and 44.6 days for the operative endoscopy and in-office groups, respectively. In-office biopsy reduced the time from initial consultation to biopsy. The temporal gains via in-office biopsy did not translate into faster access to treatment. This outcome highlights the opportunity to improve access to treatment for patients with early diagnosis.

Wide coverage by volume CT: benefits for cardiac imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sablayrolles, Jean-Louis; Cesmeli, Erdogan; Mintandjian, Laura; Adda, Olivier; Dessalles-Martin, Diane

2005-04-01

With the development of new technologies, computed tomography (CT) is becoming a strong candidate for non-invasive imaging based tool for cardiac disease assessment. One of the challenges of cardiac CT is that a typical scan involves a breath hold period consisting of several heartbeats, about 20 sec with scanners having a longitudinal coverage of 2 cm, and causing the image quality (IQ) to be negatively impacted since beat to beat variation is high likely to occur without any medication, e.g. beta blockers. Because of this and the preference for shorter breath hold durations, a CT scanner with a wide coverage without the compromise in the spatial and temporal resolution of great clinical value. In this study, we aimed at determining the optimum scan duration and the delay relative to beginning of breath hold, to achieve high IQ. We acquired EKG data from 91 consecutive patients (77 M, 14 F; Age: 57 +/- 14) undergoing cardiac CT exams with contrast, performed on LightSpeed 16 and LightSpeed Pro16. As an IQ metric, we adopted the standard deviation of "beat-to-beat variation" (stdBBV) within a virtual scan period. Two radiologists evaluated images by assigning a score of 1 (worst) to 4 best). We validated stdBBV with the radiologist scores, which resulted in a population distribution of 9.5, 9.5, 31, and 50% for the score groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Based on the scores, we defined a threshold for stdBBV and identified an optimum combination of virtual scan period and a delay. With the assumption that the relationship between the stdBBV and diagnosable scan IQ holds, our analysis suggested that the success rate can be improved to 100% with scan durations equal or less than 5 sec with a delay of 1 - 2 sec. We confirmed the suggested conclusion with LightSpeed VCT (GE Healthcare Technologies, Waukesha, WI), which has a wide longitudinal coverage, fine isotropic spatial resolution, and high temporal resolution, e.g. 40 mm coverage per rotation of 0.35 sec. Under the light of this study, LightSpeed VCT lends itself to be a clinically tested unique platform to achieve routine cardiac imaging.

Social factors influencing natal dispersal in male white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus).

PubMed

Jack, Katharine M; Sheller, Claire; Fedigan, Linda M

2012-04-01

White-faced capuchin males disperse from their natal group at around 4.5 years of age, but there is much variation in dispersal timing: our youngest confirmed disperser was 19 months and the oldest 11 years old. In this study, we investigate possible factors influencing dispersal decisions in this species. Between 1983 and 2010, 64 males were born into three study groups in Santa Rosa National Park, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, and Costa Rica. As of August 2010, 21 died or were presumed dead (<14 months), 13 remained natal residents, and 30 were presumed dispersers. We used backward logistic regression to identify proximate factors that predict the occurrence of male natal dispersal. The occurrence of a takeover (significant positive association) and group size (nonsignificant negative association) were included in the model. Male age, number of maternal brothers, and number of adult males were not significant predictors of natal dispersal. The resultant model correctly classified 97% of dispersed and 89% of resident natal males, for an overall success rate of 95%. The occurrence of a group takeover was the strongest predictor of male dispersal, with natal males being 18.7 times more likely to disperse in the context of a group takeover than during peaceful times. A linear regression model showed that the tenure length of a male's probable father influences the age of natal dispersal, explaining 15% of the observed variation in age. However, when our oldest disperser was removed (an outlier) this effect disappeared. Collectively, these results indicate that group instability, as evidenced by the occurrence of a takeover, shorter tenure length of a natal male's father, and smaller group size, triggers natal dispersal in this species while the converse leads to a delay. These data add to our growing evidence of the enormous impact that takeovers have on the behavioral ecology of this species. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Dexamethasone therapy for preventing delayed encephalopathy after carbon monoxide poisoning.

PubMed

Li, Q; Song, J J; Zhang, H Y; Fu, K; Lan, H B; Deng, Y

2015-01-01

We investigated dexamethasone therapy for preventing delayed encephalopathy after carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Eighty healthy male rats were exposed to CO and randomly divided into four groups: hyperbaric oxygen treatment (H), treatment (D), combined hyperbaric and dexamethasone treatment (C), and a control (M) group in which the rats inhaled CO to coma in the hyperbaric oxygen chamber, then were removed without further treatment. Twelve rats were put into the hyperbaric oxygen chamber and treated with air for 60 min (N) group. An eight arm maze was used to evaluate cognitive and memory abilities of these mice. Serum myelin basic protein (MBP) levels were evaluated using ELISA, and magnetic resonance imaging was used to observe brain demyelination and morbidity associated with delayed encephalopathy. A sample of the hippocampus from each group was examined by light microscopy. Cognitive and memory functions decreased in the control group M. Three days after CO poisoning, the serum MBP level of each group increased significantly. On Day 10 after CO poisoning, the MBP levels in groups C and D decreased significantly, but returned to normal on Day 18. MBP levels in the M and H groups were elevated at all time points. Brain MRIs showed significant differences among C, D, H and control M groups. Hematoxylin & eosin staining of the hippocampus showed greater damage in the control M and H groups. Early dexamethasone treatment may be useful for preventing delayed encephalopathy after CO poisoning and may reduce serum MBP levels.

Perception of Construction Participants in Construction delays: A case study in Tamilnadu, India.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rathinakumar, V.; Vignesh, T.; Dhivagar, K.

2017-07-01

Delays in the construction industry are universal fact, which affects the construction participants. The research work spotlights on determining the prevailing delays in the cities of Tamil Nadu, as perceived by the participants. After a few field level interactions, a questionnaire was framed and administered to the participants i.e., Consultants (50 Nos.), contractors (50 Nos.) and clients (150 Nos.) to understand their perception on the causes of delays. The factors for delay was categorized into 4 groups say Improper project planning, Design related issues, Finance related issues and Resource related issues. The responses were analysed using the SPSS software by applying ANOVA and Regression analysis. From the analysis, it was found that the personal financial problems of the client dominantly affect the entire construction progress and the subsequent design changes by the clients, Inadequate early project planning, labour related issues. Also, the delay groups were found to be the improper project planning and the Resource related issues.

Relationships between motives to become a physical therapist, delayed graduation, and perceptions of school and internship learning among physical therapy students.

PubMed

Kota, Munetsugu; Kudo, Hiroyuki; Okita, Kazuhiko

2018-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study is to reveal the relationships between physical therapy students' motives to become physical therapists and their academic performance. This was investigated by their experience of delayed or non-delayed graduation, and their perceptions of learning in school and internship. [Subjects and Methods] Subjects were 245 physical therapists participating in a newcomer orientation by the Hiroshima Prefectural Physical Therapy Association in May, 2017. Subjects' basic attributes and their responses to specially created questionnaires were investigated. [Results] Seventeen of 193 physical therapists in their first year experienced delayed graduation. There were differences between the delayed graduation group and the non-delayed graduation group about motives for becoming a physical therapist. Moreover, there were significant relationships between motives for becoming a physical therapist and perceptions of learning in school as opposed to internship. [Conclusion] We conclude that motives for becoming a physical therapist are related to academic performance.

Relationships between motives to become a physical therapist, delayed graduation, and perceptions of school and internship learning among physical therapy students

PubMed Central

Kota, Munetsugu; Kudo, Hiroyuki; Okita, Kazuhiko

2018-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study is to reveal the relationships between physical therapy students’ motives to become physical therapists and their academic performance. This was investigated by their experience of delayed or non-delayed graduation, and their perceptions of learning in school and internship. [Subjects and Methods] Subjects were 245 physical therapists participating in a newcomer orientation by the Hiroshima Prefectural Physical Therapy Association in May, 2017. Subjects’ basic attributes and their responses to specially created questionnaires were investigated. [Results] Seventeen of 193 physical therapists in their first year experienced delayed graduation. There were differences between the delayed graduation group and the non-delayed graduation group about motives for becoming a physical therapist. Moreover, there were significant relationships between motives for becoming a physical therapist and perceptions of learning in school as opposed to internship. [Conclusion] We conclude that motives for becoming a physical therapist are related to academic performance. PMID:29410584

Precise delay measurement through combinatorial logic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burke, Gary R. (Inventor); Chen, Yuan (Inventor); Sheldon, Douglas J. (Inventor)

2010-01-01

A high resolution circuit and method for facilitating precise measurement of on-chip delays for FPGAs for reliability studies. The circuit embeds a pulse generator on an FPGA chip having one or more groups of LUTS (the "LUT delay chain"), also on-chip. The circuit also embeds a pulse width measurement circuit on-chip, and measures the duration of the generated pulse through the delay chain. The pulse width of the output pulse represents the delay through the delay chain without any I/O delay. The pulse width measurement circuit uses an additional asynchronous clock autonomous from the main clock and the FPGA propagation delay can be displayed on a hex display continuously for testing purposes.

Intraspecific priority effects modify compensatory responses to changes in hatching phenology in an amphibian.

PubMed

Murillo-Rincón, Andrea P; Kolter, Nora A; Laurila, Anssi; Orizaola, Germán

2017-01-01

In seasonal environments, modifications in the phenology of life-history events can alter the strength of time constraints experienced by organisms. Offspring can compensate for a change in timing of hatching by modifying their growth and development trajectories. However, intra- and interspecific interactions may affect these compensatory responses, in particular if differences in phenology between cohorts lead to significant priority effects (i.e. the competitive advantage that early-hatching individuals have over late-hatching ones). Here, we conducted a factorial experiment to determine whether intraspecific priority effects can alter compensatory phenotypic responses to hatching delay in a synchronic breeder by rearing moor frog (Rana arvalis) tadpoles in different combinations of phenological delay and food abundance. Tadpoles compensated for the hatching delay by speeding up their development, but only when reared in groups of individuals with identical hatching phenology. In mixed phenology groups, strong competitive effects by non-delayed tadpoles prevented the compensatory responses and delayed larvae metamorphosed later than in single phenology treatments. Non-delayed individuals gained advantage from developing with delayed larvae by increasing their developmental and growth rates as compared to single phenology groups. Food shortage prolonged larval period and reduced mass at metamorphosis in all treatments, but it did not prevent compensatory developmental responses in larvae reared in single phenology groups. This study demonstrates that strong intraspecific priority effects can constrain the compensatory growth and developmental responses to phenological change, and that priority effects can be an important factor explaining the maintenance of synchronic life histories (i.e. explosive breeding) in seasonal environments. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2016 British Ecological Society.

Extracorporeal shockwave enhanced regeneration of fibrocartilage in a delayed tendon-bone insertion repair model.

PubMed

Chow, Dick Ho Kiu; Suen, Pui Kit; Huang, Le; Cheung, Wing-Hoi; Leung, Kwok-Sui; Ng, Chun; Shi, San Qiang; Wong, Margaret Wan Nar; Qin, Ling

2014-04-01

Fibrous tissue is often formed in delayed healing of tendon bone insertion (TBI) instead of fibrocartilage. Extracorporeal shockwave (ESW) provides mechanical cues and upregulates expression of fibrocartilage-related makers and cytokines. We hypothesized that ESW would accelerate fibrocartilage regeneration at the healing interface in a delayed TBI healing model. Partial patellectomy with shielding at the TBI interface was performed on 32 female New Zealand White Rabbits for establishing this delayed TBI healing model. The rabbits were separated into the control and ESW group for evaluations at postoperative week 8 and 12. Shielding was removed at week 4 and a single ESW treatment was applied at week 6. Fibrocartilage regeneration was evaluated histomorphologically and immunohistochemically. Vickers hardness of the TBI matrix was measured by micro-indentation. ESW group showed higher fibrocartilage area, thickness, and proteoglycan deposition than the control in week 8 and 12. ESW increased expression of SOX9 and collagen II significantly in week 8 and 12, respectively. ESW group showed a gradual transition of hardness from bone to fibrocartilage to tendon, and had a higher Vickers hardness than the control group at week 12. In conclusion, ESW enhanced fibrocartilage regeneration at the healing interface in a delayed TBI healing model. © 2013 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A simple, physiologically-based model of sea turtle remigration intervals and nesting population dynamics: Effects of temperature.

PubMed

Neeman, Noga; Spotila, James R; O'Connor, Michael P

2015-09-07

Variation in the yearly number of sea turtles nesting at rookeries can interfere with population estimates and obscure real population dynamics. Previous theoretical models suggested that this variation in nesting numbers may be driven by changes in resources at the foraging grounds. We developed a physiologically-based model that uses temperatures at foraging sites to predict foraging conditions, resource accumulation, remigration probabilities, and, ultimately, nesting numbers for a stable population of sea turtles. We used this model to explore several scenarios of temperature variation at the foraging grounds, including one-year perturbations and cyclical temperature oscillations. We found that thermally driven resource variation can indeed synchronize nesting in groups of turtles, creating cohorts, but that these cohorts tend to break down over 5-10 years unless regenerated by environmental conditions. Cohorts were broken down faster at lower temperatures. One-year perturbations of low temperature had a synchronizing effect on nesting the following year, while high temperature perturbations tended to delay nesting in a less synchronized way. Cyclical temperatures lead to cyclical responses both in nesting numbers and remigration intervals, with the amplitude and lag of the response depending on the duration of the cycle. Overall, model behavior is consistent with observations at nesting beaches. Future work should focus on refining the model to fit particular nesting populations and testing further whether or not it may be used to predict observed nesting numbers and remigration intervals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhanced sensitivity of a passive optical cavity by an intracavity dispersive medium

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

Smith, David D.; Department of Physics, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama 35899; Myneni, Krishna

2009-07-15

The pushing of the modes of a Fabry-Perot cavity by an intracavity rubidium cell is measured. The scale factor of the modes is increased by the anomalous dispersion and is inversely proportional to the sum of the effective group index and an additional cavity delay factor that arises from the variation of the Rb absorption over a free spectral range. This additional positive feedback further increases the effect of the anomalous dispersion and goes to zero at the lasing threshold. The mode width does not grow as fast as the scale factor as the intracavity absorption is increased resulting inmore » enhanced measurement sensitivities. For absorptions larger than the scale factor pole, the atom-cavity response is multivalued and mode splitting occurs.« less

Analysis of signals propagating in a phononic crystal PZT layer deposited on a silicon substrate.

PubMed

Hladky-Hennion, Anne-Christine; Vasseur, Jérôme; Dubus, Bertrand; Morvan, Bruno; Wilkie-Chancellier, Nicolas; Martinez, Loïc

2013-12-01

The design of a stop-band filter constituted by a periodically patterned lead zirconate titanate (PZT) layer, polarized along its thickness, deposited on a silicon substrate and sandwiched between interdigitated electrodes for emission/reception of guided elastic waves, is investigated. The filter characteristics are theoretically evaluated by using finite element simulations: dispersion curves of a patterned PZT layer with a specific pattern geometry deposited on a silicon substrate present an absolute stop band. The whole structure is modeled with realistic conditions, including appropriate interdigitated electrodes to propagate a guided mode in the piezoelectric layer. A robust method for signal analysis based on the Gabor transform is applied to treat transmitted signals; extract attenuation, group delays, and wave number variations versus frequency; and identify stop-band filter characteristics.

Could head circumference be used to screen for autism in young males with developmental delay?

PubMed

Gray, Kylie M; Taffe, John; Sweeney, Deborah J; Forster, Sheridan; Tonge, Bruce J

2012-04-01

Research has suggested an abnormal acceleration in head circumference growth in children with autism within the first 12 months of life. This study aimed to examine head circumference at birth and head circumference growth rates in young children with autism and developmental delay, and young children with developmental delay without autism. This study assessed head circumference at birth and rate of change in head circumference in young children with autism (n=86) and children with developmental delay without autism (n=40). For both groups of children, head circumference at birth and head circumference growth were compared with Centers for Disease Control normative data. No differences were found between the group of children with autism and developmental delay compared with the group with developmental delay only. However, when the sample was compared with a range of selected Centers for Disease Control normative medians, the children with autism were found to have significantly smaller head circumferences at birth and significantly larger head circumference at 18.5 months of age. These results are discussed in relation to the potential of accelerated head circumference growth as an early marker for autism. This study failed to find a difference in the head circumferences of children with autism and developmental delay and children with developmental delay only, thus suggesting that head circumference measurement has limited value as an early marker for autism. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2011 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Comparison of anxiety and child-care education characteristics of mothers who have children with or without speech delays.

PubMed

Özdaş, Talih; Şahlı, Ayşe Sanem; Özdemir, Behiye Sarıkaya; Belgin, Erol

2018-01-05

Speech delay in a child could be the cause and/or result of the emotional disorder. The child rearing attitude that the parents have accepted could have both positive and negative effects on the personality of the child. The current study aimed to investigate the sociodemographic features and the mothers' anxiety of children with speech delay. One hundred five mothers with children aged between 3 and 6 years with speech delays were included in the patient group, and 105 mothers who have children aged between 3 and 6 years with normal speech and language development were included in the control group. An information form questionnaire including demographic characteristics, the Family Life and Childrearing Attitude Scale (PARI - Parental Attitude Research Instrument) and beck anxiety scale were requested from all mothers in the patient and the control groups. In the current study, there was a significant difference between the groups in terms of gender (p=0.001). According to Parental Attitude Research Instrument, the mean of mothers of the children with speech delays was higher than the mean of mothers of normal children in terms of the answers to overprotective mother aspect (p<0.01). The mothers of children with speech delays had more overprotective motherhood attitudes; however, the difference in terms of the answers to the aspects of democratic attitude and provision of equality, refusal to be a housewife, husband-wife conflict, and suppression and discipline were not statistically significant. The beck anxiety scale, a significant difference was detected between the two groups (p<0.01). It was found that the mothers of children with speech delays had more severe levels of anxiety. The social structure of the family, the attitudes and the behaviors of the mother, and the anxiety levels of the mothers have important effects on child development. Thus, it is necessary to perform further studies related to speech delays, in which many factors play a role in the etiology. Copyright © 2017 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Hyperventilation assists proarrhythmia development during delayed repolarization in clofilium-treated, anaesthetized, mechanically ventilated rabbits.

PubMed

Papp, H; Sarusi, A; Farkas, A S; Takacs, H; Kui, P; Vincze, D; Ivany, E; Varro, A; Papp, J G; Forster, T; Farkas, A

2016-10-01

Hyperventilation reduces partial pressure of CO 2 (PCO 2 ) in the blood, which results in hypokalaemia. Hypokalaemia helps the development of the life-threatening torsades de pointes type ventricular arrhythmia (TdP) evoked by repolarization delaying drugs. This implies that hyperventilation may assist the development of proarrhythmic events. Therefore, this study experimentally investigated the effect of hyperventilation on proarrhythmia development during delayed repolarization. Phenylephrine (an α 1 -adrenoceptor agonist) and clofilium (as a representative repolarization delaying agent inhibiting the rapid component of the delayed rectifier potassium current, I Kr ) were administered intravenously to pentobarbital-anaesthetized, mechanically ventilated, open chest rabbits. ECG was recorded, and the onset times and incidences of the arrhythmias were determined. Serum K + , pH and PCO 2 were measured in arterial blood samples. Clofilium prolonged the rate corrected QT interval. TdP occurred in 15 animals (TdP+ group), and did not occur in 14 animals (TdP- group). We found a strong, positive, linear correlation between serum K + and PCO 2 . There was no relationship between the occurrence of TdP and the baseline K + and PCO 2 values. However, a positive, linear correlation was found between the onset time of the first arrhythmias and the K + and PCO 2 values. The regression lines describing the relationship between PCO 2 and onset time of first arrhythmias were parallel in the TdP+ and TdP- groups, but the same PCO 2 resulted in earlier arrhythmia onset in the TdP+ group than in the TdP- group. We conclude that hyperventilation and hypocapnia with the resultant hypokalaemia assist the multifactorial process of proarrhythmia development during delayed repolarization. This implies that PCO 2 and serum K + should be controlled tightly during mechanical ventilation in experimental investigations and clinical settings when repolarization-delaying drugs are applied.

Evaluation of atrial electromechanical conduction delay in case of hemodynamically insignificant rheumatic heart disease: A tissue Doppler study.

PubMed

Cagdas, Metin; Velibey, Yalcin; Guvenc, Tolga Sinan; Gungor, Baris; Guzelburc, Ozge; Calik, Nazmi; Ugur, Murat; Tekkesin, Ahmet Ilker; Gurkan, Kadir; Eren, Mehmet

2015-01-01

Atrial electromechanical delay (AEMD) that reflects delayed conduction may show us the clinical reflection of pathological changes in the atria. The main objective of the present study is to investigate AEMD in patients who had previous rheumatic carditis but without hemodynamically significant valvular disease. A total of 40 patients, previously diagnosed as rheumatic carditis but without significant valvular stenosis/regurgitation and atrial enlargement; and 39 age- and-sex matched controls were enrolled for the present study. Parameters of AEMD (lateral mitral annulus electromechanical delay, septal mitral annulus electromechanical delay and lateral tricuspid annulus electromechanical delay) were measured with tissue Doppler echocardiography and left intra-atrial and inter-atrial conduction times were calculated accordingly. A 24h ambulatory Holter monitoring was used in both groups to detect atrial fibrillation episodes and quantify atrial extrasystoles. Parameters of AEMD, including left intra-atrial and inter-atrial conduction times of subjects in the study group were longer compared to the control group (23.7 ± 7.0 vs. 18.3 ± 6.2). Increased AEMD is observed in patients with previous rheumatic carditis and no significant valvular stenosis/regurgitation and atrial enlargement, which may partly explain the increased incidence of atrial fibrillation observed in these patients.

Effects of point massage of liver and stomach channel combined with pith and trotter soup on postpartum lactation start time.

PubMed

Luo, Qiong; Hu, Yin; Zhang, Hui

2017-10-01

Delay in lactation initiation causes maternal anxiety and subsequent adverse impact on maternal exclusive breast feeding. It is important to explore a safe and convenient way to promote lactation initiation. The feasibility of point massage of liver and stomach channel combined with pith and trotter soup on prevention of delayed lactation initiation was investigated in the present study. 320 women were enrolled and randomly divided into four groups, control group (80 women), point massage group (80 women), pith and trotter soup group (80 women), and massage + soup group (80 women) to compare the lactation initiation time. We found that women in point massage group, pith and trotter soup group and massage + soup group had earlier initiation of lactation compared with control group. Women in massage + soup group had the earliest initiation time of lactation. There were significant differences between massage + soup group and pith and trotter soup group. But, there were no significant differences between massage + soup group and massage group. We conclude that point massage of the liver and stomach channel is easy to operate and has the preventive effect on delayed lactation initiation. Impact statement What is already known on this subject: Initiation of lactation is a critical period in postpartum milk secretion. Delays in lactation initiation lead to maternal anxiety and have an adverse impact on maternal exclusive breastfeeding. Sucking frequently by babies and mammary massage might be effective but insufficient for delayed lactation initiation. What the results of this study add: We found in the present study that lactation initiation is significantly earlier in women receiving routine nursing combined with point massage of liver and stomach channel, or pith trotters soup, or massage of liver and stomach channel with pith and trotters soup than in a control group receiving routine nursing. These three methods are all effective, while the most effective method is point massage combined with pith trotter soup. There was no maternal drug allergy, postpartum bleeding or other adverse reactions noted in all women. What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research: The present study suggested that the application of point massage in clinic might be useful for preventing lack of milk postpartum by delayed lactation initiation and improving the exclusive breastfeeding rate. Further research might explore that molecular mechanism of lactation promotion by point massage using blood samples or animal models.

Immediate postpartum levonorgestrel intrauterine device insertion and breast-feeding outcomes: a noninferiority randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Turok, David K; Leeman, Lawrence; Sanders, Jessica N; Thaxton, Lauren; Eggebroten, Jennifer L; Yonke, Nicole; Bullock, Holly; Singh, Rameet; Gawron, Lori M; Espey, Eve

2017-12-01

Immediate postpartum levonorgestrel intrauterine device insertion is increasing in frequency in the United States, but few studies have investigated the effect of early placement on breast-feeding outcomes. This study examined the effect of immediate vs delayed postpartum levonorgestrel intrauterine device insertion on breast-feeding outcomes. We conducted this noninferiority randomized controlled trial at the University of Utah and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Centers from February 2014 through March 2016. Eligible women were pregnant and planned to breast-feed, spoke English or Spanish, were aged 18-40 years, and desired a levonorgestrel intrauterine device. Enrolled women were randomized 1:1 to immediate postpartum insertion or delayed insertion at 4-12 weeks' postpartum. Prespecified exclusion criteria included delivery <37.0 weeks' gestational age, chorioamnionitis, postpartum hemorrhage, contraindications to levonorgestrel intrauterine device insertion, and medical complications of pregnancy that could affect breast-feeding. We conducted per-protocol analysis as the primary approach, as it is considered the standard for noninferiority studies; we also report the alternative intent-to-treat analysis. We powered the study for the primary outcome, breast-feeding continuation at 8 weeks, to detect a 15% noninferiority margin between groups, requiring 132 participants in each arm. The secondary study outcome, time to lactogenesis, used a validated measure, and was analyzed by survival analysis and log rank test. We followed up participants for ongoing data collection for 6 months. Only the data analysis team was blinded to the intervention. We met the enrollment target with 319 participants, but lost 34 prior to randomization and excluded an additional 26 for medical complications prior to delivery. The final analytic sample included 132 in the immediate group and 127 in the delayed group. Report of any breast-feeding at 8 weeks in the immediate group (79%; 95% confidence interval, 70-86%) was noninferior to that of the delayed group (84%; 95% confidence interval, 76-91%). The 5% difference in breast-feeding continuation at 8 weeks between the groups fell within the noninferiority margin (95% confidence interval, -5.6 to 15%). Time to lactogenesis (mean ± SD) in the immediate group, 65.3 ± 25.7 hours, was noninferior to that of the delayed group, 63.6 ± 21.6 hours. The mean difference between groups was 1.7 hours (95% confidence interval, -4.8 to 8.2 hours), noninferior by log-rank test. A total of 24 intrauterine device expulsions occurred in the immediate group compared to 2 in the delayed group (19% vs 2%, P < .001), consistent with the known higher expulsion rate with immediate vs delayed postpartum intrauterine device insertion. No intrauterine device perforations occurred in either group. Our results of noninferior breast-feeding outcomes between women with immediate and delayed postpartum levonorgestrel intrauterine device insertion suggest that immediate postpartum intrauterine device insertion is an acceptable option for women planning to breast-feed and use the levonorgestrel intrauterine device. Expulsion rates are higher with immediate postpartum levonorgestrel intrauterine device insertion compared to delayed insertion, but this disadvantage may be outweighed by the advantages of immediate initiation of contraception. Providers should offer immediate postpartum intrauterine device insertion to breast-feeding women planning to use the levonorgestrel intrauterine device. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bifurcation analysis of delay-induced resonances of the El-Niño Southern Oscillation

PubMed Central

Krauskopf, Bernd; Sieber, Jan

2014-01-01

Models of global climate phenomena of low to intermediate complexity are very useful for providing an understanding at a conceptual level. An important aspect of such models is the presence of a number of feedback loops that feature considerable delay times, usually due to the time it takes to transport energy (for example, in the form of hot/cold air or water) around the globe. In this paper, we demonstrate how one can perform a bifurcation analysis of the behaviour of a periodically forced system with delay in dependence on key parameters. As an example, we consider the El-Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which is a sea-surface temperature (SST) oscillation on a multi-year scale in the basin of the Pacific Ocean. One can think of ENSO as being generated by an interplay between two feedback effects, one positive and one negative, which act only after some delay that is determined by the speed of transport of SST anomalies across the Pacific. We perform here a case study of a simple delayed-feedback oscillator model for ENSO, which is parametrically forced by annual variation. More specifically, we use numerical bifurcation analysis tools to explore directly regions of delay-induced resonances and other stability boundaries in this delay-differential equation model for ENSO. PMID:25197254

Novel RF Interrogation of a Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor Using Bidirectional Modulation of a Mach-Zehnder Electro-Optical Modulator

PubMed Central

Choi, Sang-Jin; Mao, Wankai; Pan, Jae-Kyung

2013-01-01

We propose and experimentally demonstrate the novel radio-frequency (RF) interrogation of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor using bidirectional modulation of a Mach-Zehnder electro-optical modulator (MZ-EOM). Based on the microwave photonic technique and active detection, the transfer function of the proposed system was obtained, and the time delay was calculated from the change in the free spectral range (FSR) at different wavelengths over the optimal measuring range. The results show that the time delay and the wavelength variation have a good linear relationship, with a gradient of 9.31 ps/nm. An actual measurement taken with a sensing FBG for temperature variation shows the relationship with a gradient of 0.93 ps/10 °C. The developed system could be used for FBG temperature or strain sensing and other multiplexed sensor applications. PMID:23820744

ITG: A New Global GNSS Tropospheric Correction Model

PubMed Central

Yao, Yibin; Xu, Chaoqian; Shi, Junbo; Cao, Na; Zhang, Bao; Yang, Junjian

2015-01-01

Tropospheric correction models are receiving increasing attentions, as they play a crucial role in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Most commonly used models to date include the GPT2 series and the TropGrid2. In this study, we analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of existing models and developed a new model called the Improved Tropospheric Grid (ITG). ITG considers annual, semi-annual and diurnal variations, and includes multiple tropospheric parameters. The amplitude and initial phase of diurnal variation are estimated as a periodic function. ITG provides temperature, pressure, the weighted mean temperature (Tm) and Zenith Wet Delay (ZWD). We conducted a performance comparison among the proposed ITG model and previous ones, in terms of meteorological measurements from 698 observation stations, Zenith Total Delay (ZTD) products from 280 International GNSS Service (IGS) station and Tm from Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) products. Results indicate that ITG offers the best performance on the whole. PMID:26196963

RESPIRATION AND INTENSITY DEPENDENCE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS IN CHLORELLA

PubMed Central

Brackett, Frederick S.; Olson, Rodney A.; Crickard, Robert G.

1953-01-01

1. Respiration changes as a result of illumination. 2. In the absence of glucose or other supply of substrate, respiration decays in the dark showing at least two types—a fast decay in a few minutes and a slow decay lasting hours. 3. Respiratory response to illumination is delayed. 4. Intermittent illumination (in the absence of glucose, etc.) produces a periodic variation in respiration with a delay or phase lag. 5. Periodic variation of respiration may produce a higher average value in the dark than in the light due to the lag and depending upon the period of intermittent illumination. 6. Based upon average respiration values our data confirm the Kok effect. 7. Interpolated values of respiration, however, result in photosynthetic rates which are linearly dependent upon intensity of illumination. 8. Thus the quantum efficiency is found to be independent of intensity, over the wide range of intensities investigated. PMID:13035068

Mutational screening in patients with profound sensorineural hearing loss and neurodevelopmental delay: Description of a novel m.3861A > C mitochondrial mutation in the MT-ND1 gene.

PubMed

Ammar, Marwa; Tabebi, Mouna; Sfaihi, Lamia; Alila-Fersi, Olfa; Maalej, Marwa; Felhi, Rahma; Chabchoub, Imen; Keskes, Leila; Hachicha, Mongia; Fakhfakh, Faiza; Mkaouar-Rebai, Emna

2016-06-10

Mitochondrial diseases caused by mitochondrial dysfunction are a clinically and genetically, heterogeneous group of disorders involving multiple organs, particularly tissues with high-energy demand. Hearing loss is a recognized symptom of a number of mitochondrial diseases and can result from neuronal or cochlear dysfunction. The tissue affected in this pathology is most probably the cochlear hair cells, which are essential for hearing function since they are responsible for maintaining the ionic gradients necessary for sound signal transduction. Several mitochondrial DNA mutations have been associated with hearing loss and since mitochondria are crucial for the cellular energy supply in many tissues, most of these mtDNA mutations affect several tissues and will cause syndromic hearing loss. In the present study, we described 2 patients with sensorineural hearing loss and neurodevelopmental delay in whom we tested mitochondrial genes described to be associated with syndromic hearing loss. One of these patients showed a novel heteroplasmic mitochondrial mutation m.3861A > C (W185C) which lead to a loss of stability of the ND1 protein since it created a new hydrogen bund between the unique created cystein C185 and the A182 residue. In the second patient, we detected two novel heteroplasmic variations m.12350C > A (T5N) and m.14351T > C (E108G) respectively in the MT-ND5 and the MT-ND6 genes. The TopPred II prediction for the E108G variation revealed a decrease of the hydrophobicity in the mutated MT-ND6. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hamiltonian structure of classical N-body systems of finite-size particles subject to EM interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cremaschini, C.; Tessarotto, M.

2012-01-01

An open issue in classical relativistic mechanics is the consistent treatment of the dynamics of classical N-body systems of mutually interacting particles. This refers, in particular, to charged particles subject to EM interactions, including both binary interactions and self-interactions ( EM-interacting N- body systems). The correct solution to the question represents an overriding prerequisite for the consistency between classical and quantum mechanics. In this paper it is shown that such a description can be consistently obtained in the context of classical electrodynamics, for the case of a N-body system of classical finite-size charged particles. A variational formulation of the problem is presented, based on the N -body hybrid synchronous Hamilton variational principle. Covariant Lagrangian and Hamiltonian equations of motion for the dynamics of the interacting N-body system are derived, which are proved to be delay-type ODEs. Then, a representation in both standard Lagrangian and Hamiltonian forms is proved to hold, the latter expressed by means of classical Poisson Brackets. The theory developed retains both the covariance with respect to the Lorentz group and the exact Hamiltonian structure of the problem, which is shown to be intrinsically non-local. Different applications of the theory are investigated. The first one concerns the development of a suitable Hamiltonian approximation of the exact equations that retains finite delay-time effects characteristic of the binary interactions and self-EM-interactions. Second, basic consequences concerning the validity of Dirac generator formalism are pointed out, with particular reference to the instant-form representation of Poincaré generators. Finally, a discussion is presented both on the validity and possible extension of the Dirac generator formalism as well as the failure of the so-called Currie "no-interaction" theorem for the non-local Hamiltonian system considered here.

A Comparison of Motor Delays in Young Children: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Developmental Delay, and Developmental Concerns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Provost, Beth; Lopez, Brian R.; Heimerl, Sandra

2007-01-01

This study assessed motor delay in young children 21-41 months of age with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and compared motor scores in children with ASD to those of children without ASD. Fifty-six children (42 boys, 14 girls) were in three groups: children with ASD, children with developmental delay (DD), and children with developmental concerns…

An interpolated activity during the knowledge-of-results delay interval eliminates the learning advantages of self-controlled feedback schedules.

PubMed

Carter, Michael J; Ste-Marie, Diane M

2017-03-01

The learning advantages of self-controlled knowledge-of-results (KR) schedules compared to yoked schedules have been linked to the optimization of the informational value of the KR received for the enhancement of one's error-detection capabilities. This suggests that information-processing activities that occur after motor execution, but prior to receiving KR (i.e., the KR-delay interval) may underlie self-controlled KR learning advantages. The present experiment investigated whether self-controlled KR learning benefits would be eliminated if an interpolated activity was performed during the KR-delay interval. Participants practiced a waveform matching task that required two rapid elbow extension-flexion reversals in one of four groups using a factorial combination of choice (self-controlled, yoked) and KR-delay interval (empty, interpolated). The waveform had specific spatial and temporal constraints, and an overall movement time goal. The results indicated that the self-controlled + empty group had superior retention and transfer scores compared to all other groups. Moreover, the self-controlled + interpolated and yoked + interpolated groups did not differ significantly in retention and transfer; thus, the interpolated activity eliminated the typically found learning benefits of self-controlled KR. No significant differences were found between the two yoked groups. We suggest the interpolated activity interfered with information-processing activities specific to self-controlled KR conditions that occur during the KR-delay interval and that these activities are vital for reaping the associated learning benefits. These findings add to the growing evidence that challenge the motivational account of self-controlled KR learning advantages and instead highlights informational factors associated with the KR-delay interval as an important variable for motor learning under self-controlled KR schedules.

Delayed versus immediate pushing in second stage of labor.

PubMed

Kelly, Mary; Johnson, Eileen; Lee, Vickie; Massey, Liz; Purser, Debbie; Ring, Karen; Sanderson, Stephanye; Styles, Juanita; Wood, Deb

2010-01-01

Comparison of two different methods for management of second stage of labor: immediate pushing at complete cervical dilation of 10 cm and delayed pushing 90 minutes after complete cervical dilation. This study was a randomized clinical trial in a labor and delivery unit of a not-for-profit community hospital. A sample of 44 nulliparous mothers with continuous epidural anesthesia were studied after random assignment to treatment groups. Subjects were managed with either immediate or delayed pushing during the second stage of labor at the time cervical dilation was complete. The primary outcome measure was the length of pushing during second stage of labor. Secondary outcomes included length of second stage of labor, maternal fatigue and perineal injuries, and fetal heart rate decelerations. Two-tailed, unpaired Student's t-tests and Chi-square analysis were used for data analysis. Level of significance was set at p < .01 following a Bonferroni correction for multiple t-tests. A total of 44 subjects received the study intervention (N = 28 immediate pushing; N = 16 delayed pushing). The delayed pushing group had significantly shorter amount of time spent in pushing compared with the immediate pushing group (38.9 +/- 6.9 vs. 78.7 +/- 7.9 minutes, respectively, p = .002). Maternal fatigue scores, perineal injuries, and fetal heart rate decelerations were similar for both groups. Delaying pushing for up to 90 minutes after complete cervical dilation resulted in a significant decrease in the time mothers spent pushing without a significant increase in total time in second stage of labor.In clinical practice, healthcare providers sometimes resist delaying the onset of pushing after second stage of labor has begun because of a belief it will increase labor time. This study's finding of a 51% reduction in pushing time when mothers delay pushing for up to 90 minutes, with no significant increase in overall time for second stage of labor, disputes that concern.

InSAR atmospheric correction using Himawari-8 Geostationary Meteorological Satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinoshita, Y.; Nimura, T.; Furuta, R.

2017-12-01

The atmospheric delay effect is one of the limitations for the accurate surface displacement detection by Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR). Many previous studies have attempted to mitigate the neutral atmospheric delay in InSAR (e.g. Jolivet et al. 2014; Foster et al. 2006; Kinoshita et al. 2013). Hanssen et al. (2001) investigated the relationship between the 27 hourly observations of GNSS precipitable water vapor (PWV) and the infrared brightness temperature derived from visible satellite imagery, and showed a good correlation. Here we showed a preliminary result of the newly developed method for the neutral atmospheric delay correction using the Himawari-8 Japanese geostationary meteorological satellite data. The Himawari-8 satellite is the Japanese state-of-the-art geostationary meteorological satellite that has 16 observation channels and has spatial resolutions of 0.5 km (visible) and 2.0 km (near-infrared and infrared) with an time interval of 2.5 minutes around Japan. To estimate the relationship between the satellite brightness temperature and the atmospheric delay amount. Since the InSAR atmospheric delay is principally the same as that in GNSS, we at first compared the Himawari-8 data with the GNSS zenith tropospheric delay data derived from the Japanese dense GNSS network. The comparison of them showed that the band with the wavelength of 6.9 μm had the highest correlation to the GNSS observation. Based on this result, we developed an InSAR atmospheric delay model that uses the Himawari-8 6.9 μm band data. For the model validation, we generated InSAR images from the ESA's C-band Sentinel-1 SLC data with the GAMMA SAR software. We selected two regions around Tokyo and Sapporo (both in Japan) as the test sites because of the less temporal decorrelation. The validation result showed that the delay model reasonably estimate large scale phase variation whose spatial scale was on the order of over 20 km. On the other hand, phase variations of a few km scale were not estimated by the model. This would be due to the horizontal resolution of the input data (2 km in the 6.9 μm band). In the presentation we will show these results and the progress after the abstract submission, and discuss the limitation of our method and the future research plan.

Managing variation in demand: lessons from the UK National Health Service.

PubMed

Walley, Paul; Silvester, Kate; Steyn, Richard

2006-01-01

Managers within the U.S. healthcare system are becoming more aware of the impact of variation in demand on healthcare processes. The UK National Health Service provides a prime example of a system that has experienced the consequences when the issue is not dealt with satisfactorily, having suffered from excessive queues for a prolonged period. These delays are mostly caused by a lack of attention to variation and inappropriate responses to the queues, rather than a capacity shortage. A number of collaborative programs recently have come to grips with many of the causes of the queues in both elective care and emergency care. Although there are still areas that need large-scale improvement, good progress has been made, especially within emergency care. The authors of this article have acted as technical advisors to a number of these improvement programs and have been able to document many of the practices that have helped to reduce or eliminate unnecessary queues and delays across the 200 sites in England that have 24-hour emergency care facilities. Local program managers at these sites continuously reported progress for a period of 18 months. A number of important lessons for both the design and control of healthcare processes have emerged from the collaborative work. These lessons focus on understanding and measurement of demand, capacity planning, reduction of introduced variation, segmentation and streaming of work, process design, capacity yield management, and measurement of variation.

The Effect of Chronic Alprazolam Intake on Memory, Attention, and Psychomotor Performance in Healthy Human Male Volunteers.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Zahid Sadek; Morshed, Mohammed Monzur; Shahriar, Mohammad; Bhuiyan, Mohiuddin Ahmed; Islam, Sardar Mohd Ashraful; Bin Sayeed, Muhammad Shahdaat

2016-01-01

Alprazolam is used as an anxiolytic drug for generalized anxiety disorder and it has been reported to produce sedation and anterograde amnesia. In the current study, we randomly divided 26 healthy male volunteers into two groups: one group taking alprazolam 0.5 mg and the other taking placebo daily for two weeks. We utilized the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) software to assess the chronic effect of alprazolam. We selected Paired Associates Learning (PAL) and Delayed Matching to Sample (DMS) tests for memory, Rapid Visual Information Processing (RVP) for attention, and Choice Reaction Time (CRT) for psychomotor performance twice: before starting the treatment and after the completion of the treatment. We found statistically significant impairment of visual memory in one parameter of PAL and three parameters of DMS in alprazolam group. The PAL mean trial to success and total correct matching in 0-second delay, 4-second delay, and all delay situation of DMS were impaired in alprazolam group. RVP total hits after two weeks of alprazolam treatment were improved in alprazolam group. But such differences were not observed in placebo group. In our study, we found that chronic administration of alprazolam affects memory but attentive and psychomotor performance remained unaffected.

The Effect of Chronic Alprazolam Intake on Memory, Attention, and Psychomotor Performance in Healthy Human Male Volunteers

PubMed Central

Chowdhury, Zahid Sadek; Morshed, Mohammed Monzur; Shahriar, Mohammad; Bhuiyan, Mohiuddin Ahmed; Islam, Sardar Mohd. Ashraful

2016-01-01

Alprazolam is used as an anxiolytic drug for generalized anxiety disorder and it has been reported to produce sedation and anterograde amnesia. In the current study, we randomly divided 26 healthy male volunteers into two groups: one group taking alprazolam 0.5 mg and the other taking placebo daily for two weeks. We utilized the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) software to assess the chronic effect of alprazolam. We selected Paired Associates Learning (PAL) and Delayed Matching to Sample (DMS) tests for memory, Rapid Visual Information Processing (RVP) for attention, and Choice Reaction Time (CRT) for psychomotor performance twice: before starting the treatment and after the completion of the treatment. We found statistically significant impairment of visual memory in one parameter of PAL and three parameters of DMS in alprazolam group. The PAL mean trial to success and total correct matching in 0-second delay, 4-second delay, and all delay situation of DMS were impaired in alprazolam group. RVP total hits after two weeks of alprazolam treatment were improved in alprazolam group. But such differences were not observed in placebo group. In our study, we found that chronic administration of alprazolam affects memory but attentive and psychomotor performance remained unaffected. PMID:27462136

One-dimensional photonic crystals for code-division multiple access

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shamino Yuanliang

One-dimensional photonic crystals exhibit reduced group velocity and huge dispersion at their rejection band edge frequencies. Therefore they are natural candidates as optical delay lines, dispersion compensators, and pulse reshapers. Using wavelength tunable pulses spectrally sliced from a mode-locked fiber laser, the transmission mode measurement was performed in the time domain with single picosecond resolution. Group delays and dispersion were measured with an autocorrelator as an ultrafast optical detector and cross-correlator. Our experimental results agree qualitatively with the theoretical and simulation predictions. A maximum group delay of 10 ps for a commercial 3 mm long uniform fiber Bragg grating and that of 22.6 ps for a research laboratory fabricated 1 cm grating were measured, corresponding to a group velocity 66% of the speed of light in bare fiber. We have also demonstrated in the overlap transmission region of a grating pair both gratings contribute to the group delay while the group velocity dispersion was canceled, resulting in additive delay in transmission with minimal pulse reshaping. This compound grating configuration was further expanded as specially designed grating sequence encoders and decoders in matched filter CDMA. The transmitter grating sequence temporally stretched the input pulse into a long time scale low peak intensity pseudorandom noise, while the conjugate grating sequence in the receiver performed pulse reconstruction and data recovery. A temporal FWHM contrast ratio of 2.5 and a peak intensity contrast ratio of 10 between the correctly and incorrectly decoded signals were achieved. Armed with more sophisticated grating designs we believe this would be a powerful solution to CDMA orthogonal code requirements.

Delay in Diagnosis of Celiac Disease in Patients Without Gastrointestinal Complaints.

PubMed

Paez, Marco A; Gramelspacher, Anna Maria; Sinacore, James; Winterfield, Laura; Venu, Mukund

2017-11-01

The purpose of our study is to investigate the delay in diagnosis of patients with biopsy-proven celiac disease in those who present with gastrointestinal complaints vs nongastrointestinal complaints at our tertiary care center. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects approximately 1% of the population worldwide. Celiac disease can have variable clinical presentations; it can be characterized by predominately gastrointestinal symptoms, or it may present without any gastrointestinal symptoms. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 687 adult patients who carried the diagnosis of celiac disease. Patients included had biopsy-proven celiac disease and were categorized based on presence or absence of gastrointestinal symptoms prior to their diagnosis. There were 101 patients with biopsy-proven celiac disease that met inclusion criteria. Fifty-two patients presented with gastrointestinal symptoms and 49 had nongastrointestinal complaints. Results from Mann-Whitney statistical analysis showed a median delay in diagnosis of 2.3 months for the gastrointestinal symptoms group and 42 months for the nongastrointestinal group (P <.001); 43.2% of patients with nongastrointestinal symptoms had abnormal thyroid-stimulating hormone, as opposed to 15.5% in the gastrointestinal symptom group (P = .004). Of patients with nongastrointestinal symptoms, 69.4% had anemia, compared with 11.5% of the gastrointestinal symptom group (P <.001). The majority of patients in the nongastrointestinal symptom group, 68%, were noted to have abnormal bone density scans, compared with 41% in the gastrointestinal symptom group. No sex differences were noted on chi-squared analysis between the 2 groups (P = .997). Although there is growing awareness of celiac disease, the delay in diagnosis for patients without gastrointestinal symptoms remains prolonged, with an average delay of 3.5 years. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Grammar in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: The Case of Binding in Williams Syndrome and Autism With and Without Language Impairment

PubMed Central

Modyanova, Nadya; Wexler, Ken

2013-01-01

This study investigates whether distinct neurodevelopmental disorders show distinct patterns of impairments in particular grammatical abilities and the relation of those grammatical patterns to general language delays and intellectual disabilities. We studied two disorders (autism and Williams syndrome [WS]) and two distinct properties (Principle A that governs reflexives and Principle B that, together with its associated pragmatic rule, governs pronouns) of the binding module of grammar. These properties are known to have markedly different courses of acquisition in typical development. We compare the knowledge of binding in children with autism with language impairment (ALI) and those with normal language (ALN) to that of children with WS, matched on age to the ALN group, and on age and nonverbal mental age (MA) to the ALI group, as well as to two groups of typically developing (TD) controls, matched on nonverbal MA to ALI and ALN groups. Our results reveal a remarkably different pattern of comprehension of personal pronouns and reflexives in ALI as opposed to ALN, WS, and two groups of TD controls. All five groups demonstrated an equal delay in their comprehension of personal pronouns, in line with widely reported delays in TD literature, argued to be due to delayed pragmatic abilities. However, and most strikingly, the ALI group also showed a pronounced difficulty in comprehension of reflexive pronouns, and particularly of the knowledge that the antecedent of a reflexive must c-command it. The revealed pattern confirms the existence of a particular impairment concerning Principle A in this module of grammar, unrelated to general language delays or cognitive deficits generally present in a large portion of individuals with autism as well as WS, or to general pragmatic deficits, known to be particularly prevalent in the population with autism. PMID:25170241

The Efficacy of Parent Counseling and Support Groups on the Stress Levels, Self-Esteem and Degree of Coping of Parents of Developmentally Delayed or Handicapped Children Who Are Involved in an Infant Intervention Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

La Fountain, Rebecca; Geoffroy, Kevin

This study was conducted to investigate the effect that a parent support group and a counseling group had on the stress levels, self-esteem, and degree of coping of parents (N=48) of developmentally delayed or handicapped infants enrolled in an infant intervention program. It was hypothesized that, compared to parents in the control group, parents…

The fragility of intergroup relations: divergent effects of delayed audiovisual feedback in intergroup and intragroup interaction.

PubMed

Pearson, Adam R; West, Tessa V; Dovidio, John F; Powers, Stacie Renfro; Buck, Ross; Henning, Robert

2008-12-01

Intergroup interactions between racial or ethnic majority and minority groups are often stressful for members of both groups; however, the dynamic processes that promote or alleviate tension in intergroup interaction remain poorly understood. Here we identify a behavioral mechanism-response delay-that can uniquely contribute to anxiety and promote disengagement from intergroup contact. Minimally acquainted White, Black, and Latino participants engaged in intergroup or intragroup dyadic conversation either in real time or with a subtle temporal disruption (1-s delay) in audiovisual feedback. Whereas intergroup dyads reported greater anxiety and less interest in contact after engaging in delayed conversation than after engaging in real-time conversation, intragroup dyads reported less anxiety in the delay condition than they did after interacting in real time. These findings have theoretical and practical implications for understanding intergroup communication and social dynamics and for promoting positive intergroup contact.

Hyperresponsive Sensory Patterns in Young Children with Autism, Developmental Delay, and Typical Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baranek, Grace T.; Boyd, Brian A.; Poe, Michele D.; David, Fabian J.; Watson, Linda R.

2007-01-01

The nature of hyperresponsiveness to sensory stimuli in children with autism, using a new observational measure, the SPA, was examined. Three groups of young participants were assessed (autism, developmental delay, typical). Across all groups, MA was a predictor of hyperresponsiveness, such that aversion to multisensory toys decreased as MA…

Delay discounting in opioid use disorder: Differences between heroin and prescription opioid users.

PubMed

Karakula, Sterling L; Weiss, Roger D; Griffin, Margaret L; Borges, Allison M; Bailey, Allen J; McHugh, R Kathryn

2016-12-01

Among those with opioid use disorder, heroin use is associated with poorer prognosis relative to use of prescription opioids alone. However, relatively little is known about distinguishing features between those who use heroin relative to those who use prescription opioids. In the present study we evaluated differences in delay discounting in those with opioid use disorder based on primary opioid of use. Delay discounting is associated with a range of negative outcomes and is an important therapeutic target in this population. Treatment-seeking adults with opioid dependence completed self-report measures including past-month opioid use and the Monetary Choice Questionnaire (Kirby and Marakovic, 1996; Kirby et al., 1999), a measure of delay discounting. Participants were divided into two groups based on whether they used any heroin in the past 30days or only prescription opioids, and delay discounting scores were compared between the groups. Group differences in sociodemographic or clinical variables were included in the analysis as covariates. Results from a forward stepwise linear regression indicated that heroin use was associated with significantly higher delay discounting (B=-0.99, SE B =0.34, t=-2.88, p=0.005), even when considering covariates. Adults with opioid dependence who exclusively used prescription opioids had lower delay discounting relative to those who used heroin. This finding contributes further to the literature suggesting that heroin use is associated with greater clinical severity among those with opioid use disorder. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Systems for controlling the intensity variations in a laser beam and for frequency conversion thereof

DOEpatents

Skupsky, S.; Craxton, R.S.; Soures, J.

1990-10-02

In order to control the intensity of a laser beam so that its intensity varies uniformly and provides uniform illumination of a target, such as a laser fusion target, a broad bandwidth laser pulse is spectrally dispersed spatially so that the frequency components thereof are spread apart. A disperser (grating) provides an output beam which varies spatially in wavelength in at least one direction transverse to the direction of propagation of the beam. Temporal spread (time delay) across the beam is corrected by using a phase delay device (a time delay compensation echelon). The dispersed beam may be amplified with laser amplifiers and frequency converted (doubled, tripled or quadrupled in frequency) with nonlinear optical elements (birefringent crystals). The spectral variation across the beam is compensated by varying the angle of incidence on one of the crystals with respect to the crystal optical axis utilizing a lens which diverges the beam. Another lens after the frequency converter may be used to recollimate the beam. The frequency converted beam is recombined so that portions of different frequency interfere and, unlike interference between waves of the same wavelength, there results an intensity pattern with rapid temporal oscillations which average out rapidly in time thereby producing uniform illumination on target. A distributed phase plate (also known as a random phase mask), through which the spectrally dispersed beam is passed and then focused on a target, is used to provide the interference pattern which becomes nearly modulation free and uniform in intensity in the direction of the spectral variation. 16 figs.

Systems for controlling the intensity variations in a laser beam and for frequency conversion thereof

DOEpatents

Skupsky, Stanley; Craxton, R. Stephen; Soures, John

1990-01-01

In order to control the intensity of a laser beam so that its intensity varies uniformly and provides uniform illumination of a target, such as a laser fusion target, a broad bandwidth laser pulse is spectrally dispersed spatially so that the frequency components thereof are spread apart. A disperser (grating) provides an output beam which varies spatially in wavelength in at least one direction transverse to the direction of propagation of the beam. Temporal spread (time delay) across the beam is corrected by using a phase delay device (a time delay compensation echelon). The dispersed beam may be amplified with laser amplifiers and frequency converted (doubled, tripled or quadrupled in frequency) with nonlinear optical elements (birefringent crystals). The spectral variation across the beam is compensated by varying the angle of incidence on one of the crystals with respect to the crystal optical axis utilizing a lens which diverges the beam. Another lens after the frequency converter may be used to recollimate the beam. The frequency converted beam is recombined so that portions of different frequency interfere and, unlike interference between waves of the same wavelength, there results an intensity pattern with rapid temoral oscillations which average out rapidly in time thereby producing uniform illumination on target. A distributed phase plate (also known as a random phase mask), through which the spectrally dispersed beam is passed and then focused on a target, is used to provide the interference pattern which becomes nearly modulation free and uniform in intensity in the direction of the spectral variation.

Seismic anisotropy and its precursory change before eruptions at Piton de la Fournaise volcano, La Réunion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savage, M. K.; Ferrazzini, V.; Peltier, A.; Rivemale, E.; Mayor, J.; Schmid, A.; Brenguier, F.; Massin, F.; Got, J.-L.; Battaglia, J.; DiMuro, A.; Staudacher, T.; Rivet, D.; Taisne, B.; Shelley, A.

2015-05-01

The Piton de la Fournaise volcano exhibits frequent eruptions preceded by seismic swarms and is a good target to test hypotheses about magmatically induced variations in seismic wave properties. We use a permanent station network and a portable broadband network to compare seismic anisotropy measured via shear wave splitting with geodetic displacements, ratios of compressional to shear velocity (Vp/Vs), earthquake focal mechanisms, and ambient noise correlation analysis of surface wave velocities and to examine velocity and stress changes from 2000 through 2012. Fast directions align radially to the central cone and parallel to surface cracks and fissures, suggesting stress-controlled cracks. High Vp/Vs ratios under the summit compared with low ratios under the flank suggest spatial variations in the proportion of fluid-filled versus gas-filled cracks. Secular variations of fast directions (ϕ) and delay times (dt) between split shear waves are interpreted to sense changing crack densities and pressure. Delay times tend to increase while surface wave velocity decreases before eruptions. Rotations of ϕ may be caused by changes in either stress direction or fluid pressure. These changes usually correlate with GPS baseline changes. Changes in shear wave splitting measurements made on multiplets yield several populations with characteristic delay times, measured incoming polarizations, and fast directions, which change their proportion as a function of time. An eruption sequence on 14 October 2010 yielded over 2000 shear wave splitting measurements in a 14 h period, allowing high time resolution measurements to characterize the sequence. Stress directions from a propagating dike model qualitatively fit the temporal change in splitting.

Early weight bearing versus delayed weight bearing in medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Lansdaal, Joris Radboud; Mouton, Tanguy; Wascher, Daniel Charles; Demey, Guillaume; Lustig, Sebastien; Neyret, Philippe; Servien, Elvire

2017-12-01

The need for a period of non-weight bearing after medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy remains controversial. It is hypothesized that immediate weight bearing after medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy would have no difference in functional scores at one year compared to delayed weight bearing. Fifty patients, median age 54 years (range 40-65), with medial compartment osteoarthritis, underwent a medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy utilizing a locking plate without bone grafting. Patients were randomized into an Immediate or a Delayed (2 months) weight bearing group. All patients were assessed at one-year follow-up and the two groups compared. The primary outcome measure was the IKS score. Secondary outcome measures included the IKDC score, the VAS pain score and rate of complications. The functional scores significantly improved in both groups. The IKS score increased from 142 ± 31 to 171 ± 26 in the Immediate group (p < 0.001) and from 148 ± 22 to 178 ± 23 in the Delayed group (p < 0.001). The IKDC score increased from 49 ± 17 pre-operatively to 68 ± 14 one-year post-operatively in the Immediate group (p < 0.0001) and from 44 ± 16 to 69 ± 19 in the Delayed group (p < 0.001). The average VAS for pain 2 months after surgery was 3 ± 3 in the Immediate group and 3 ± 2 in the Delayed (n.s.). There was no significant difference between the two groups in any of the outcome measures. The mean mechanical femorotibial angle changed from 6° of varus (0°-15° of varus, SD = 3°) to 4° of valgus (5°-11° of valgus, SD = 3°) in the Immediate group and from 5° of varus (0°-10° of varus, SD = 3°) to 3° of valgus (2° of varus to 8° of valgus, SD = 3°) in the Delayed group. No difference was seen between groups, and no loss of correction was observed in any patient. Two cases of non-union occurred, one in each group. One infection and one deep vein thrombosis occurred in the Immediate group. Immediate weight bearing after medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy had no effect on functional scores at 1 year follow-up and did not significantly increase the complication rate. Immediate weight bearing after medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy appears to be safe and can allow some patients a quicker return to activities of daily living and a decreased convalescence period. II.

[Characteristics of growth and development in children from families at social risk].

PubMed

Stojadinović, A

2001-01-01

Body height and weight are important indicators of children's health status. There are many evidences that children from disadvantaged families have lower height and weight than children of the same age from families without social risk. The aim of this study was to investigate characteristics of growth and development of children from economically disadvantaged families. The study was partly retrospective and partly prospective. The retrospective study included 509 children from disadvantaged families hospitalized at the Institute of Child and Adolescent Health Care in Novi Sad, during a five-year period. The prospective study included 90 children from disadvantaged families (experimental group) and 132 children from families without social risk (control group) hospitalized at the Institute during a six month period. Height/length, weight, head circumference, and psychomotor/intellectual development have been examined. In the retrospective study results were compared with theoretically expected values, whereas the prospective study results of experimental and control group were compared. In the retrospective study that included only children from disadvantaged families, 136 (26.7%) children had height/length, 173 (34%) had weight, and 86 (16.9%) children had head circumference below 10th percentile. Delay in psychomotor/intellectual development was established in 177 (34.8%) children. Children from families with social risk have significantly more often height/length, weight, head circumference and developmental delay than theoretically expected. In the prospective study 40 (44.4%) children from experimental group had height/length, 29 (32.2%) had weight, 20 (22.2%) children had head circumference below 10th percentile, and 17 (26.2%) had delay in psychomotor/intellectual development. Children from disadvantaged families (experimental group) significantly more often had delay in growth and development comparing with children from families without social risk (control group). Children from disadvantaged families significantly more often exhibit delay in growth and development, comparing with children of the same age from families without social risk. Therefore, pediatricians should consider social risk factors whenever treating children with growth or developmental delay.

Single-blind randomized clinical trial to evaluate clinical and radiological outcomes after one year of immediate versus delayed implant placement supporting full-arch prostheses

PubMed Central

Pellicer-Chover, Hilario; Peñarrocha-Oltra, David; Bagán, Leticia; Fichy-Fernandez, Antonio J.; Canullo, Luigi

2014-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate and compare peri-implant health, marginal bone loss and success of immediate and delayed implant placement for rehabilitation with full-arch fixed prostheses. Material and Methods: The present study was a prospective, randomized, single-blind, clinical preliminary trial. Patients were randomized into two treatment groups. In Group A implants were placed immediately post-extraction and in Group B six months after extraction. The following control time-points were established: one week, six months and twelve months after loading. Measurements were taken of peri-implant crevicular fluid volume, plaque index, gingival retraction, keratinized mucosa, probing depth, modified gingival index and presence of mucositis. Implant success rates were evaluated for the two groups. The study sample included fifteen patients (nine women and six men) with a mean average age of 63.7 years. One hundred and forty-four implants were placed: 76 placed in healed sites and 68 placed immediately. Results: At the moment of prosthetic loading, keratinized mucosa width and probing depth were higher in immediate implants than delayed implants, with statistically significant differences. However, after six and twelve months, differences between groups had disappeared. Bone loss was 0.54 ± 0.39 mm for immediate implants and 0.66 ± 0.25 mm for delayed implants (p=0.201). No implants failed in either group. Conclusions: The present study with a short follow-up and a small sample yielded no statistically significant differences in implant success and peri-implant marginal bone loss between immediate and delayed implants with fixed full-arch prostheses. Peri-implant health showed no statistically significant differences for any of the studied parameters (crevicular fluid volume, plaque index, gingival retraction, keratinized mucosa, probing depth, modified gingival index and presence of mucositis) at the twelve-month follow-up. Key words:Immediate implants, delayed implants, peri-implant health, success rate. PMID:24316712

Assessment of atrial electromechanical delay in children with acute rheumatic fever.

PubMed

Ciftel, Murat; Turan, Ozlem; Simşek, Ayşe; Kardelen, Fırat; Akçurin, Gayaz; Ertuğ, Halil

2014-02-01

There may be an increase in the risk of atrial arrhythmia due to left atrial enlargement and the influence on conduction system in acute rheumatic fever. The aim of this study is to investigate atrial electromechanical delay and P-wave dispersion in patients with acute rheumatic fever. A total of 48 patients diagnosed with acute rheumatic fever and 40 volunteers of similar age, sex, and body mass index were included in the study. The study groups were compared for M-mode echocardiographic parameters, interatrial electromechanical delay, intra-atrial electromechanical delay, and P-wave dispersion. Maximum P-wave duration, P-wave dispersion, and interatrial electromechanical delay were significantly higher in patients with acute rheumatic fever compared with the control group (p < 0.001). However, there was no difference in terms of intra-atrial electromechanical delay (p > 0.05). For patients with acute rheumatic fever, a positive correlation was identified between the left atrium diameter and the P-wave dispersion and interatrial electromechanical delay (r = 0.524 and p < 0.001, and r = 0.351 and p = 0.014, respectively). Furthermore, an important correlation was also identified between the P-wave dispersion and the interatrial electromechanical delay (r = 0.494 and p < 0.001). This study shows the prolongation of P-wave dispersion and interatrial electromechanical delay in acute rheumatic fever. Left atrial enlargement can be one of the underlying reasons for the increase in P-wave dispersion and interatrial electromechanical delay.

Better Working Memory and Motor Inhibition in Children Who Delayed Gratification

PubMed Central

Yu, Junhong; Kam, Chi-Ming; Lee, Tatia M. C.

2016-01-01

Background: Despite the extensive research on delayed gratification over the past few decades, the neurocognitive processes that subserve delayed gratification remains unclear. As an exploratory step in studying these processes, the present study aims to describe the executive function profiles of children who were successful at delaying gratification and those who were not. Methods: A total of 138 kindergarten students (65 males, 73 females; Mage = 44 months, SD = 3.5; age range = 37–53 months) were administered a delayed gratification task, a 1-back test, a Day/night Stroop test and a Go/no-go test. The outcome measures of these tests were then analyzed between groups using a Multivariate Analysis of Variance, and subsequently a Multivariate Analysis of Covariance incorporating age as a covariate. Results: Children who were successful in delaying gratification were significantly older and had significantly better outcomes in the 1-back test and go/no-go test. With the exception of the number of hits in the go/no-go test, all other group differences remained significant after controlling for age. Conclusion: Children who were successful in delaying gratification showed better working memory and motor inhibition relative to those who failed the delayed gratification task. The implications of these findings are discussed. PMID:27493638

Encoding of Spatio-Temporal Input Characteristics by a CA1 Pyramidal Neuron Model

PubMed Central

Pissadaki, Eleftheria Kyriaki; Sidiropoulou, Kyriaki; Reczko, Martin; Poirazi, Panayiota

2010-01-01

The in vivo activity of CA1 pyramidal neurons alternates between regular spiking and bursting, but how these changes affect information processing remains unclear. Using a detailed CA1 pyramidal neuron model, we investigate how timing and spatial arrangement variations in synaptic inputs to the distal and proximal dendritic layers influence the information content of model responses. We find that the temporal delay between activation of the two layers acts as a switch between excitability modes: short delays induce bursting while long delays decrease firing. For long delays, the average firing frequency of the model response discriminates spatially clustered from diffused inputs to the distal dendritic tree. For short delays, the onset latency and inter-spike-interval succession of model responses can accurately classify input signals as temporally close or distant and spatially clustered or diffused across different stimulation protocols. These findings suggest that a CA1 pyramidal neuron may be capable of encoding and transmitting presynaptic spatiotemporal information about the activity of the entorhinal cortex-hippocampal network to higher brain regions via the selective use of either a temporal or a rate code. PMID:21187899

Acoustical Measurement of Nonlinear Internal Waves Using the Inverted Echo Sounder

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-05

showed that the vertical round-trip travel time of an acoustic pulse allowed measurement of the variation of thermal stratification caused by internal...translate from distance to time , note that reflection from a position 56 m from zenith to a PIES at 1024-m depth would have a delay time of 2 ms. Note that...approximation of the travel time scatter, the delay to the arrival of the dis- tribution peak tp is directly related to the width b: t p 5 t 0 1 b. (24) The

Effect of metrology time delay on overlay APC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlson, Alan; DiBiase, Debra

2002-07-01

The run-to-run control strategy of lithography APC is primarily composed of a feedback loop as shown in the diagram below. It is known that the insertion of a time delay in a feedback loop can cause degradation in control performance and could even cause a stable system to become unstable, if the time delay becomes sufficiently large. Many proponents of integrated metrology methods have cited the damage caused by metrology time delays as the primary justification for moving from a stand-alone to integrated metrology. While there is little dispute over the qualitative form of this argument, there has been very light published about the quantitative effects under real fab conditions - precisely how much control is lost due to these time delays. Another issue regarding time delays is that the length of these delays is not typically fixed - they vary from lot to lot and in some cases this variance can be large - from one hour on the short side to over 32 hours on the long side. Concern has been expressed that the variability in metrology time delays can cause undesirable dynamics in feedback loops that make it difficult to optimize feedback filters and gains and at worst could drive a system unstable. By using data from numerous fabs, spanning many sizes and styles of operation, we have conducted a quantitative study of the time delay effect on overlay run- to-run control. Our analysis resulted in the following conclusions: (1) There is a significant and material relationship between metrology time delay and overlay control under a variety of real world production conditions. (2) The run-to-run controller can be configured to minimize sensitivity to time delay variations. (3) The value of moving to integrated metrology can be quantified.

Family Caregiver Depressive Symptom and Grief Outcomes from the ENABLE III Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Dionne-Odom, J. Nicholas; Azuero, Andres; Lyons, Kathleen D.; Hull, Jay G.; Prescott, Anna T.; Tosteson, Tor; Frost, Jennifer; Dragnev, Konstantin H.; Bakitas, Marie A

2016-01-01

Context Little is known about whether early palliative care (EPC) support for family caregivers (CGs) impacts depressive symptoms and grief after care recipients die. Objectives To assess after-death CG depressive symptom and grief scores for early compared to delayed group CGs. Methods We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) (10/2010-9/2013) of an EPC telehealth intervention for CGs (n=123) initiated at the time of care recipients' advanced cancer diagnosis (early group) or 12 weeks later (delayed group) in a rural comprehensive cancer center, affiliated clinics, and a Veterans Administration medical center. The ENABLE [Educate, Nurture, Advise, Before Life Ends] CG intervention consisted of three weekly sessions, monthly follow-up, and a bereavement call. CGs completed the Center for Epidemiological Study-Depression scale (CESD) and the Prigerson Inventory of Complicated Grief-Short Form (PG13) 8-12 weeks after care recipients' deaths. Crude and covariate-adjusted between-group differences were estimated and tested using general linear models. Results For care recipients who died (n=70), 44 CGs (early: n=19; delayed: n=25) completed after-death questionnaires. Mean depressive symptom scores (CESD) for the early group was 14.6 (standard deviation [SD]=10.7) and for the delayed group was 17.6 (SD=11.8). Mean complicated grief scores (PG13) for the early group was 22.7 (SD=4.9) and for the delayed group was 24.9 (SD=6.9). Adjusted between-group differences were not statistically significant (CESD: d=0.07, P=0.88; PG13: d=-0.21, P=0.51). Conclusion CGs' depressive symptom and complicated grief scores 8-12 weeks after care recipients' deaths were not statistically different based on the timing of EPC support. The impact of timing of CG EPC interventions on CGs bereavement outcomes requires further investigation. PMID:27265814

Lipid composition and lidocaine effect on immediate and delayed injection pain following propofol administration

PubMed Central

Zirak, Nahid; Bameshki, Alireza; Yazdani, Mohammadjavad; Gilani, Mehryar Taghavi

2016-01-01

Background: Propofol has been used for the induction and maintenance of anesthesia. However, patients experience vascular pain during its injection. Aims: The objective of this study was to compare the effect of the lipid type used in propofol preparations and that of lidocaine on the immediate and delayed vascular pain induced by propofol administration. Materials and Methods: In this double-blinded clinical study, 150 patients at American Society of Anesthesiologists level I-II were randomly divided into three equally sized groups. A propofol with medium and long-chain triglycerides (propofol-MCT/LCT) was administered to the first group. The second group received propofol containing propofol-LCT, and the third group received propofol-LCT and pretreatment lidocaine 20 mg. The incidence and the intensity of immediate (during injection) and delayed injection pain (after 20 s) were evaluated on a verbal analog scale (1–10) until patients’ unconsciousness. Statistical Analysis: Sample size was calculated with SigmaPlot version 12.5 software. Data were analyzed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16, one-way analysis of variance, and post-hoc Tukey. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The demographic parameters of the three groups were similar. The lidocaine group experienced the least immediate vascular pain. The intensity of pain was highest in the propofol-LCT group (P = 0.04). Additionally, the intensity of delayed pain was lowest in the propofol-MCT/LCT group (P = 0.01). The incidence of pain associated with the propofol administration was 26.5, 44, and 18%, respectively, in propofol-MCT/LCT, propofol-LCT, and lidocaine and propofol-LCT groups. Conclusion: The results indicate an effect of the lipid type on delayed pain reduction, especially propofol-MCT/LCT. On the other hand, the lidocaine decreases immediate propofol-LCT vascular pain. PMID:26957686

Comparison of Early and Delayed Open Reduction and Internal Fixation for Treating Closed Tibial Pilon Fractures.

PubMed

Tang, Xin; Liu, Lei; Tu, Chong-qi; Li, Jian; Li, Qi; Pei, Fu-xing

2014-07-01

The timing of surgery for osteosynthesis of type C pilon (AO/OTA) fractures remains controversial. The aim of this study was to determine the outcome of early and delayed open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for treating closed type C pilon fractures. Forty-six patients with closed type C pilon fractures matched according to age, gender, soft tissue conditions, and fracture pattern were divided into group A (early group: underwent surgery within 36 hours of the injury) or group B (delayed group: underwent surgery 10 days to 3 weeks postinjury after the soft tissue swelling subsided). In the delayed group, 9 patients were treated first by temporary external fixation. All the closed fractures were managed by ORIF with locking plates. At follow-up, the clinical and radiographic results were retrospectively analyzed. The mean follow-up time was 25.8 months (range, 14 to 48 months) in group A and 26.0 months (range, 15 to 44 months) in group B. There was no significant difference (P > .05) between the 2 groups regarding the rate of soft tissue complication, the rate of fracture union, and the final functional score. The patients in group A had a significantly shorter mean time to fracture union (21.5 ± 4.0 weeks vs 23.3 ± 3.7 weeks, P < .05), operating time (84.3 ± 12.1 months vs 100.6 ± 13.7 months, P < .01), and hospital stay (7.6 ± 2.6 days vs 15.2 ± 4.2 days, P < .01). If soft tissue conditions are acceptable, early ORIF for treating closed type C pilon fractures can be safe and effective, with similar rates of wound complication, fracture union, and final good functional recovery but shorter operative time, union time, and hospital stay. These results favorably compare with delayed ORIF treatment. Level III, retrospective comparative study. © The Author(s) 2014.

Hospital factors impact variation in emergency department length of stay more than physician factors.

PubMed

Krall, Scott P; Cornelius, Angela P; Addison, J Bruce

2014-03-01

To analyze the correlation between the many different emergency department (ED) treatment metric intervals and determine if the metrics directly impacted by the physician correlate to the "door to room" interval in an ED (interval determined by ED bed availability). Our null hypothesis was that the cause of the variation in delay to receiving a room was multifactorial and does not correlate to any one metric interval. We collected daily interval averages from the ED information system, Meditech©. Patient flow metrics were collected on a 24-hour basis. We analyzed the relationship between the time intervals that make up an ED visit and the "arrival to room" interval using simple correlation (Pearson Correlation coefficients). Summary statistics of industry standard metrics were also done by dividing the intervals into 2 groups, based on the average ED length of stay (LOS) from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2008 Emergency Department Summary. Simple correlation analysis showed that the doctor-to-discharge time interval had no correlation to the interval of "door to room (waiting room time)", correlation coefficient (CC) (CC=0.000, p=0.96). "Room to doctor" had a low correlation to "door to room" CC=0.143, while "decision to admitted patients departing the ED time" had a moderate correlation of 0.29 (p <0.001). "New arrivals" (daily patient census) had a strong correlation to longer "door to room" times, 0.657, p<0.001. The "door to discharge" times had a very strong correlation CC=0.804 (p<0.001), to the extended "door to room" time. Physician-dependent intervals had minimal correlation to the variation in arrival to room time. The "door to room" interval was a significant component to the variation in "door to discharge" i.e. LOS. The hospital-influenced "admit decision to hospital bed" i.e. hospital inpatient capacity, interval had a correlation to delayed "door to room" time. The other major factor affecting department bed availability was the "total patients per day." The correlation to the increasing "door to room" time also reflects the effect of availability of ED resources (beds) on the patient evaluation time. The time that it took for a patient to receive a room appeared more dependent on the system resources, for example, beds in the ED, as well as in the hospital, than on the physician.

Learning and memory performance in breast cancer survivors 2 to 6 years post-treatment: the role of encoding versus forgetting.

PubMed

Root, James C; Andreotti, Charissa; Tsu, Loretta; Ellmore, Timothy M; Ahles, Tim A

2016-06-01

Our previous retrospective analysis of clinically referred breast cancer survivors' performance on learning and memory measures found a primary weakness in initial encoding of information into working memory with intact retention and recall of this same information at a delay. This suggests that survivors may misinterpret cognitive lapses as being due to forgetting when, in actuality, they were not able to properly encode this information at the time of initial exposure. Our objective in this study was to replicate and extend this pattern of performance to a research sample to increase the generalizability of this finding in a sample in which subjects were not clinically referred for cognitive issues. We contrasted learning and memory performance between breast cancer survivors on endocrine therapy 2 to 6 years post-treatment with age- and education-matched healthy controls. We then stratified lower- and higher-performing breast cancer survivors to examine specific patterns of learning and memory performance. Contrasts were generated for four aggregate visual and verbal memory variables from the California Verbal Learning Test-2 (CVLT-2) and the Brown Location Test (BLT): Single-trial Learning: Trial 1 performance, Multiple-trial Learning: Trial 5 performance, Delayed Recall: Long-delay Recall performance, and Memory Errors: False-positive errors. As predicted, breast cancer survivors' performance as a whole was significantly lower on Single-trial Learning than the healthy control group but exhibited no significant difference in Delayed Recall. In the secondary analysis contrasting lower- and higher-performing survivors on cognitive measures, the same pattern of lower Single-trial Learning performance was exhibited in both groups, with the additional finding of significantly weaker Multiple-trial Learning performance in the lower-performing breast cancer group and intact Delayed Recall performance in both groups. As with our earlier finding of weaker initial encoding with intact recall in a cohort of clinically referred breast cancer survivors, our results indicate this same profile in a research sample of breast cancer survivors. Further, when the breast cancer group was stratified by lower and higher performance, both groups exhibited significantly lower performance on initial encoding, with more pronounced encoding weakness in the lower-performing group. As in our previous research, survivors did not lose successfully encoded information over longer delays, either in the lower- or higher-performing group, again arguing against memory decay in survivors. The finding of weaker initial encoding of information together with intact delayed recall in survivors points to specific treatment interventions in rehabilitation of cognitive dysfunction. The finding of weaker initial encoding of information together with intact delayed recall in survivors points to specific treatment interventions in rehabilitation of cognitive dysfunction and is discussed.

Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes With Early Compared With Delayed Pushing Among Nulliparous Women

PubMed Central

Yee, Lynn M.; Sandoval, Grecio; Bailit, Jennifer; Reddy, Uma M.; Wapner, Ronald J.; Varner, Michael W.; Caritis, Steve N.; Prasad, Mona; Tita, Alan T.N.; Saade, George; Sorokin, Yoram; Rouse, Dwight J.; Blackwell, Sean C.; Tolosa, Jorge E.

2016-01-01

Objective To describe factors associated with delayed pushing and evaluate the relationship between delayed pushing and perinatal outcomes in nulliparous women with singleton term gestations. Methods This was a secondary analysis of NICHD Assessment of Perinatal Excellence (APEX) cohort of 115,502 women and their neonates born in 25 U.S. hospitals from 2008-2011. Nulliparous women with singleton, cephalic, nonanomalous term births who achieved 10 cm cervical dilation were included. Women in whom pushing was delayed by ≥60 minutes (delayed group) were compared with those who initiated pushing within 30 minutes (early group). Multivariable regression analyses were used to assess the independent association of delayed pushing with mode of delivery, length of second stage and other maternal and perinatal outcomes (significance defined as p<0.05). Results Of 21,034 women in the primary analysis sample, pushing was delayed in 18.4% (n=3870). Women who were older, privately insured, or non-Hispanic white, as well as those who had induction or augmentation of labor, diabetes, or epidural analgesia were more likely to have delayed pushing. Delayed pushing was more common when the second stage began during daytime hours or in hospitals with dedicated 24-hour obstetric anesthesia, although differences were small. After adjusting for differences in baseline and labor characteristics including center, women in the delayed group had longer mean durations of the second stage (191 vs. 84 min, p<0.001) and of active pushing (86 vs. 76 min, p<0.001). Delayed pushing was associated with greater rates of cesarean delivery (11.2% vs 5.1%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.63-2.12), operative vaginal delivery (aOR 1.26, 95% CI 1.14-1.40), postpartum hemorrhage (aOR 1.43, 95% CI 1.05-1.95) and blood transfusion (aOR 1.51, 95% CI 1.04-2.17). Delayed pushing was not associated with increased odds of adverse neonatal outcomes compared with early pushing. Conclusion In this large birth cohort, delayed pushing was associated with longer second stage duration, increased odds of cesarean delivery, and increased odds of postpartum hemorrhage, but was not associated with neonatal morbidity. PMID:27741203

Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes With Early Compared With Delayed Pushing Among Nulliparous Women.

PubMed

Yee, Lynn M; Sandoval, Grecio; Bailit, Jennifer; Reddy, Uma M; Wapner, Ronald J; Varner, Michael W; Caritis, Steve N; Prasad, Mona; Tita, Alan T N; Saade, George; Sorokin, Yoram; Rouse, Dwight J; Blackwell, Sean C; Tolosa, Jorge E

2016-11-01

To describe factors associated with delayed pushing and evaluate the relationship between delayed pushing and perinatal outcomes in nulliparous women with singleton term gestations. This was a secondary analysis of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Assessment of Perinatal Excellence cohort of 115,502 women and their neonates born in 25 U.S. hospitals from 2008 to 2011. Nulliparous women with singleton, cephalic, nonanomalous term births who achieved 10-cm cervical dilation were included. Women in whom pushing was delayed by 60 minutes or greater (delayed group) were compared with those who initiated pushing within 30 minutes (early group). Multivariable regression analyses were used to assess the independent association of delayed pushing with mode of delivery, length of the second stage, and other maternal and perinatal outcomes (significance defined as P<.05). Of 21,034 women in the primary analysis sample, pushing was delayed in 18.4% (n=3,870). Women who were older, privately insured, or non-Hispanic white as well as those who had induction or augmentation of labor, diabetes, or epidural analgesia were more likely to have delayed pushing. Delayed pushing was more common when the second stage began during daytime hours or in hospitals with dedicated 24-hour obstetric anesthesia, although differences were small. After adjusting for differences in baseline and labor characteristics including center, women in the delayed group had longer mean durations of the second stage (191 compared with 84 minutes, P<.001) and of active pushing (86 compared with 76 minutes, P<.001). Delayed pushing was associated with greater rates of cesarean delivery (11.2% compared with 5.1%; adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.63-2.12), operative vaginal delivery (adjusted OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.14-1.40), postpartum hemorrhage (adjusted OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.05-1.95), and blood transfusion (adjusted OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.04-2.17). Delayed pushing was not associated with increased odds of adverse neonatal outcomes compared with early pushing. In this large birth cohort, delayed pushing was associated with longer second stage duration, increased odds of cesarean delivery, and increased odds of postpartum hemorrhage, but was not associated with neonatal morbidity.

Heterogeneity and plasticity in the development of language: a 17-year follow-up of children referred early for possible autism.

PubMed

Pickles, Andrew; Anderson, Deborah K; Lord, Catherine

2014-12-01

Delayed, abnormal language is a common feature of autism and language therapy often a significant component of recommended treatment. However, as with other disorders with a language component, we know surprisingly little about the language trajectories and how varied these might be across different children. Thus, we know little about how and when language problems might resolve, whether there are periods of relative stability or lack of change and what periods might offer more favourable circumstances for intervention. Expressive and receptive language was measured on six occasions between age 2 and 19 on a cohort of 192 children initially referred for autism. Latent class growth models were fitted to characterize the patterns of heterogeneous development. Latent class growth analysis identified seven classes. Between age 6 and 19, all classes tracked in parallel. Between ages 2 and 6, development was more heterogeneous with considerable variation in relative progress. In all groups, receptive and expressive language developed very largely in tandem. The results confirmed previous analysis of children with specific language impairment where progress beyond age 6 was remarkably uniform. Greater variation was evident before this age with some groups making clearly better or worse progress compared to others. While this developmental heterogeneity may simply be a reflection of variation in preexisting and unchanging biological disposition, it may also reflect, at least in part, greater sensitivity in the early years to environments that are more or less supportive of language development. These findings contribute to the case for the importance of early intervention. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Neurophysiological Distinction between Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder

PubMed Central

Mathalon, Daniel H.; Hoffman, Ralph E.; Watson, Todd D.; Miller, Ryan M.; Roach, Brian J.; Ford, Judith M.

2009-01-01

Schizoaffective disorder (SA) is distinguished from schizophrenia (SZ) based on the presence of prominent mood symptoms over the illness course. Despite this clinical distinction, SA and SZ patients are often combined in research studies, in part because data supporting a distinct pathophysiological boundary between the disorders are lacking. Indeed, few studies have addressed whether neurobiological abnormalities associated with SZ, such as the widely replicated reduction and delay of the P300 event-related potential (ERP), are also present in SA. Scalp EEG was acquired from patients with DSM-IV SA (n = 15) or SZ (n = 22), as well as healthy controls (HC; n = 22) to assess the P300 elicited by infrequent target (15%) and task-irrelevant distractor (15%) stimuli in separate auditory and visual ”oddball” tasks. P300 amplitude was reduced and delayed in SZ, relative to HC, consistent with prior studies. These SZ abnormalities did not interact with stimulus type (target vs. task-irrelevant distractor) or modality (auditory vs. visual). Across sensory modality and stimulus type, SA patients exhibited normal P300 amplitudes (significantly larger than SZ patients and indistinguishable from HC). However, P300 latency and reaction time were both equivalently delayed in SZ and SA patients, relative to HC. P300 differences between SA and SZ patients could not be accounted for by variation in symptom severity, socio-economic status, education, or illness duration. Although both groups show similar deficits in processing speed, SA patients do not exhibit the P300 amplitude deficits evident in SZ, consistent with an underlying pathophysiological boundary between these disorders. PMID:20140266

Effects of delay to reinforcement on the choice between cocaine and food in rhesus monkeys.

PubMed

Woolverton, William L; Anderson, Karen G

2006-05-01

Although a delay between behavior and reinforcer has been shown to weaken behavior, little is known about the effects of delay on drug choice. The present study examined effects of delay between lever press and reinforcer presentation on the choice between a drug and non-drug reinforcer and between different drug doses. Monkeys (n=4) were allowed to choose 32 times/day between cocaine and four food pellets. The delay between lever press and a preferred dose of cocaine (0.05 mg/kg/injection) was increased systematically from 0 to 240 s, while the delay to food remained at 0 s. A second group of monkeys (n=4) was allowed to choose between 0.05 mg/kg/injection and a lower dose of cocaine (0.025 mg/kg/injection). Next, a delay that resulted in less than 20% choice of 0.05 mg/kg/injection cocaine was selected and delay to the alternative was varied. Results were similar across groups. The choice of 0.05 mg/kg/injection approximated 100% at 0 delay and decreased to near 0 as delay increased. As the delay to alternative was subsequently increased from 0 to 240 s, choice of 0.05 mg/kg/injection increased, though full cocaine choice was not generally restored. The delay estimated to maintain 50% choice (indifference point) was lower for the cocaine-food choice (mean=64 s) than for the cocaine-cocaine choice (mean=207 s). This experiment demonstrates that the choice between cocaine and a non-drug or drug alternative can be modified by increasing the interval between behavior and drug injection. Overall, the results are consistent with a temporal discounting model of drug choice.

Mechanical induction of critically delayed bone healing in sheep: radiological and biomechanical results.

PubMed

Schell, Hanna; Thompson, Mark S; Bail, Hermann J; Hoffmann, Jan-Erik; Schill, Alexander; Duda, Georg N; Lienau, Jasmin

2008-10-20

This study aimed to mechanically produce a standardized ovine model for a critically delayed bone union. A tibial osteotomy was stabilized with either a rigid (group I) or mechanically critical (group II) external fixator in sheep. Interfragmentary movements and ground reaction forces were monitored throughout the healing period of 9 weeks. After sacrifice at 6 weeks, 9 weeks and 6 months, radiographs were taken and the tibiae were examined mechanically. Interfragmentary movements were considerably larger in group II throughout the healing period. Unlike group I, the operated limb in group II did not return to full weight bearing during the treatment period. Radiographic and mechanical observations showed significantly inferior bone healing in group II at 6 and 9 weeks compared to group I. After 6 months, five sheep treated with the critical fixator showed radiological bridging of the osteotomy, but the biomechanical strength of the repair was still inferior to group I at 9 weeks. The remaining three animals had even developed a hypertrophic non-union. In this study, mechanical instability was employed to induce a critically delayed healing model in sheep. In some cases, this approach even led to the development of a hypertrophic non-union. The mechanical induction of critical bone healing using an external fixation device is a reasonable attempt to investigate the patho-physiological healing cascade without suffering from any biological intervention. Therefore, the presented ovine model provides the basis for a comparative evaluation of mechanisms controlling delayed and standard bone healing.

Cellular effects of mitomycin-C on human corneas after photorefractive keratectomy.

PubMed

Rajan, Madhavan S; O'Brart, David P S; Patmore, Anne; Marshall, John

2006-10-01

To investigate the effects of mitomycin-C (MMC) on epithelial and keratocyte cell kinetics after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) using an in vitro human cornea model. Department of Academic Ophthalmology, Rayne Institute, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom. Twenty-four human eye-bank corneas were placed in a specially designed acrylic corneal holder and cultured using the air-interface organ culture technique for up to 4 weeks. The corneas were divided into 3 groups. Group 1 consisted of 8 human corneas that had -9.00 diopter (D) myopic PRK without MMC application. Group 2 consisted of 8 corneas that had -9.00 D PRK with MMC (0.2 microg/mL) application for 1 minute on the stromal surface after ablation. Group 3 consisted of 8 corneas that had -9.00 D PRK with 2-minute exposure to MMC (0.2 microg/mL). Temporal events in epithelial and keratocyte cell kinetics were evaluated using digital imaging, confocal microscopy, and light microscopy. Epithelial latency was significantly delayed with MMC application in Groups 2 and 3 (P<.001). Epithelial migration was delayed in Group 3 (2-minute exposure) compared to migration in Group 2 (P<.04), with a consequent delay in epithelial closure (P<.001). Group 3 corneas had poorly differentiated epithelium that was significantly thinner than in Groups 1 and 2 (P<.0001). A significant delay in keratocyte regeneration occurred after MMC application (P<.0005). At 4 weeks, the anterior stromal cell density was significantly lower in Group 3 than Group 2 (P<.001). There were no significant differences in the mid- and posterior stromal keratocyte density between the groups. Results suggest that epithelial healing after MMC is characterized by prolonged latency and decreased migration rate dependent on exposure time. Mitomycin C application did not result in increased loss of keratocytes, but it significantly delayed keratocyte repopulation in the anterior stroma. The use of MMC 0.2 microg/mL for 1 minute resulted in optimum modulation of healing characterized by reduced keratocyte activation with normal epithelial differentiation.

Effect of Delay on Search Decisions in a Task-Oriented Reading Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mañá, Amelia; Vidal-Abarca, Eduardo; Salmerón, Ladislao

2017-01-01

The goal of this study was to determine the effect of setting a delay between reading a text and answering comprehension questions on "when"-to-search and "what"-to-search decisions in a task-oriented reading environment. Fifty-five eighth-grade students were randomly divided into two groups. One group read one text, answered…

High Dose Proton Pump Inhibitor Infusion Versus Bolus Injection for the Prevention of Bleeding After Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection: Prospective Randomized Controlled Study.

PubMed

Choi, Cheol Woong; Kang, Dae Hwan; Kim, Hyung Wook; Hong, Joung Boom; Park, Su Bum; Kim, Su Jin; Cho, Mong

2015-07-01

A high dose of continuous intravenous infusion of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) is the standard treatment for peptic ulcer bleeding. The optimal dose for the prevention of bleeding after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether stronger acid suppression more effectively prevents bleeding and high risk ulcer stigma (HRS) after gastric ESD. A total of 273 patients who underwent ESD were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: the continuous infusion group and the bolus injection group. Second-look endoscopy was performed on the following day after ESD. The incidences and risk factors of HRS identified by second-look endoscopy and delayed bleeding were analyzed. There were no differences in the incidences of HRS and delayed bleeding between two treatment groups. The incidence of HRS was 15.8 % (43/273) and the gross morphology (flat or depressed) was identified as a significant factor associated with HRS. The incidence of delayed bleeding was 8.4 % (23/273) and the gross morphology (flat) and the presence of submucosal invasive cancer were identified as the associated risk factors for delayed bleeding. The incidences of delayed bleeding and HRS identified by second-look endoscopy were not affected by PPI infusion methods. Flat or depressed morphologic lesions and submucosal invasive cancer should be closely monitored.

Clinical and economic analysis of delayed administration of antithymocyte globulin for induction therapy in kidney transplantation.

PubMed

McGillicuddy, John W; Taber, David J; Pilch, Nicole A; Kohout, Ryan K; Bratton, Charles F; Chavin, Kenneth D; Baliga, Prabhakar K

2013-03-01

The increasing number of marginal deceased kidney donors and an aging recipient population, prolonged hospitalization, and increased costs have destabilized the economic viability of kidney transplants. To determine if a delay in the administration of the day-of-discharge dose of rabbit antithymocyte globulin would result in equivalent clinical outcomes with cost savings. Single-center, prospective, observational before-and-after study of adult kidney transplant recipients who received induction with rabbit antithymocyte globulin.Intervention-Patients who received a transplant between June 2006 and February 2009 and received rabbit antithymocyte globulin served as the control group. Patients who received a transplant between March 2009 and August 2010 and received rabbit antithymocyte globulin had the day-of-discharge dose delayed to the following day and administered in the clinic. A total of 231 patients (146 in the control group, 85 in the study group) were included. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were similar in the 2 groups. Patients who had delayed administration of rabbit antithymocyte globulin had shorter stays (3.9 vs 3.1 days, P< .001) and reduced inpatient costs for rabbit antithymocyte globulin (mean $860/patient); these changes were achieved without affecting acute rejection rates (5% vs 5%, P> .99) or readmission rates. In conclusion, delayed inpatient administration of rabbit antithymocyte globulin provided identical clinical outcomes while helping to reduce inpatient costs and increase timely discharges.

Effect of Immediate and Delayed High-Strain Loading on Tendon-to-Bone Healing After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

PubMed Central

Packer, Jonathan D.; Bedi, Asheesh; Fox, Alice J.; Gasinu, Selom; Imhauser, Carl W.; Stasiak, Mark; Deng, Xiang-Hua; Rodeo, Scott A.

2014-01-01

Background: We previously demonstrated, in a rat anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) graft reconstruction model, that the delayed application of low-magnitude-strain loading resulted in improved tendon-to-bone healing compared with that observed after immediate loading and after prolonged immobilization. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of higher levels of strain loading on tendon-to-bone healing. Methods: ACL reconstruction was carried out in a rat model in three randomly assigned groups: high-strain daily loading beginning on either (1) postoperative day one (immediate-loading group; n = 7) or (2) postoperative day four (delayed-loading group; n = 11) or (3) after prolonged immobilization (immobilized group; n = 8). Animals were killed two weeks after surgery and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and biomechanical testing of the bone-tendon-bone complex were carried out. Results: The delayed-loading group had greater tissue mineral density than either the immediate-loading or immobilized group (mean [and standard deviation], 813.0 ± 24.9 mg/mL compared with 778.4 ± 32.6 mg/mL and 784.9 ± 26.4 mg/mL, respectively; p < 0.05). There was a trend toward greater bone volume per total volume fraction in both the immobilized and the delayed-loading group compared with the immediate-loading group (0.24 ± 0.03 and 0.23 ± 0.06 compared with 0.20 ± 0.05; p = 0.06). Trabecular thickness was greater in the immobilized group compared with the immediate-loading group (106.5 ± 23.0 μm compared with 72.6 ± 10.6 μm; p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in failure load or stiffness between the immobilized group and either high-strain cyclic-loading group. Conclusions: Immediate application of high-strain loading appears to have a detrimental effect on healing in this rat model. Any beneficial effects of delayed loading on the healing tendon-bone interface (after a brief period of immobilization) may be offset by the detrimental effects of excessive strain levels or by the detrimental effects of stress deprivation on the graft. Clinical Relevance: The timing and magnitude of mechanical load on a healing rat ACL reconstruction graft may have important implications for postoperative rehabilitation. Avoidance of exercises that cause high graft strain in the early postoperative period may lead to improved tendon-to-bone healing in humans. PMID:24806014

Patterns of prospective memory impairment among individuals with depression: the influence of cue type and delay interval.

PubMed

Li, Yanqi Ryan; Weinborn, Michael; Loft, Shayne; Maybery, Murray

2013-07-01

The present study investigated the impact of cue type and delay interval on prospective memory performance in depressed, compared to non-depressed, individuals using a clinically relevant measure, the Memory for Intentions Screening Test. The depressed group demonstrated impaired performance on time-based, but not event-based, prospective memory tasks relative to the nondepressed group. The depressed group also demonstrated impaired prospective memory on tasks with longer delay intervals (15 min), but not on tasks with shorter delay intervals (2 min). These data support theoretical frameworks that posit that depression is associated with deficits in cognitive initiative (i.e., reduced ability to voluntarily direct attention to relevant tasks) and thus that depressed individuals are susceptible to poor performance on strategically demanding tasks. The results also raise multiple avenues for developing interventions (e.g., implementation intentions) to improve prospective memory performance among individuals with depression, with potential implications for medication and other treatment adherence.

Education on the Brain: A Partnership Between a Pediatric Primary Care Center and Neurology Residency.

PubMed

Zwemer, Eric; Bernson-Leung, Miya; Rea, Corinna; Patel, Archana A; Guerriero, Rejean; Urion, David K; Toomey, Sara L

2018-01-01

The national shortage of pediatric neurologists is worsening, yet referral rates by pediatricians are high. Suboptimal training of pediatric residents in care of patients with neurologic disease may be a contributing factor. We formed a partnership between the Boston Children's Primary Care at Longwood clinic and Child Neurology Residency Training Program. The educational intervention included lectures, observed neurologic examinations, in-person and virtual triage, and an electronic medical record-based consult system. Residents in other primary care clinics served as the comparison group. Intervention-group residents reported significantly improved confidence in diagnosis of chronic/recurrent headache, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and developmental delay; initial management of ADHD and developmental delay; and secondary management of ADHD, developmental delay, and concussion/traumatic brain injury. Comparison-group residents reported significantly improved confidence only in diagnosis of developmental delay. Our multipronged intervention is a promising approach to improving pediatric resident training in pediatric neurology and may be generalizable to subspecialty collaborations for other residency programs.

Autism and Classical Eyeblink Conditioning: Performance Changes of the Conditioned Response Related to Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis

PubMed Central

Welsh, John P.; Oristaglio, Jeffrey T.

2016-01-01

Changes in the timing performance of conditioned responses (CRs) acquired during trace and delay eyeblink conditioning (EBC) are presented for diagnostic subgroups of children having autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged 6–15 years. Children diagnosed with autistic disorder (AD) were analyzed separately from children diagnosed with either Asperger’s syndrome or Pervasive developmental disorder (Asp/PDD) not otherwise specified and compared to an age- and IQ-matched group of children who were typically developing (TD). Within-subject and between-groups contrasts in CR performance on sequential exposure to trace and delay EBC were analyzed to determine whether any differences would expose underlying functional heterogeneities of the cerebral and cerebellar systems, in ASD subgroups. The EBC parameters measured were percentage CRs, CR onset latency, and CR peak latency. Neither AD nor Asp/PDD groups were impaired in CR acquisition during trace or delay EBC. Both AD and Asp/PDD altered CR timing, but not always in the same way. Although the AD group showed normal CR timing during trace EBC, the Asp/PDD group showed a significant 27 and 28 ms increase in CR onset and peak latency, respectively, during trace EBC. In contrast, the direction of the timing change was opposite during delay EBC, during which the Asp/PDD group showed a significant 29 ms decrease in CR onset latency and the AD group showed a larger 77 ms decrease in CR onset latency. Only the AD group showed a decrease in CR peak latency during delay EBC, demonstrating another difference between AD and Asp/PDD. The difference in CR onset latency during delay EBC for both AD and Asp/PDD was due to an abnormal prevalence of early onset CRs that were intermixed with CRs having normal timing, as observed both in CR onset histograms and mean CR waveforms. In conclusion, significant heterogeneity in EBC performance was apparent between diagnostic groups, and this may indicate that EBC performance can report the heterogeneity in the neurobiological predispositions for ASD. The findings will inform further explorations with larger cohorts, different sensory modalities, and different EBC paradigms and provide a reference set for future EBC studies of children having ASD and non-human models. PMID:27563293

Gain-scheduling multivariable LPV control of an irrigation canal system.

PubMed

Bolea, Yolanda; Puig, Vicenç

2016-07-01

The purpose of this paper is to present a multivariable linear parameter varying (LPV) controller with a gain scheduling Smith Predictor (SP) scheme applicable to open-flow canal systems. This LPV controller based on SP is designed taking into account the uncertainty in the estimation of delay and the variation of plant parameters according to the operating point. This new methodology can be applied to a class of delay systems that can be represented by a set of models that can be factorized into a rational multivariable model in series with left/right diagonal (multiple) delays, such as, the case of irrigation canals. A multiple pool canal system is used to test and validate the proposed control approach. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimation of network path segment delays

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

Nichols, Kathleen Marie

A method for estimation of a network path segment delay includes determining a scaled time stamp for each packet of a plurality of packets by scaling a time stamp for each respective packet to minimize a difference of at least one of a frequency and a frequency drift between a transport protocol clock of a host and a monitoring point. The time stamp for each packet is provided by the transport protocol clock of the host. A corrected time stamp for each packet is determined by removing from the scaled time stamp for each respective packet, a temporal offset betweenmore » the transport protocol clock and the monitoring clock by minimizing a temporal delay variation of the plurality of packets traversing a segment between the host and the monitoring point.« less

Comparison of in-situ delay monitors for use in Adaptive Voltage Scaling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pour Aryan, N.; Heiß, L.; Schmitt-Landsiedel, D.; Georgakos, G.; Wirnshofer, M.

2012-09-01

In Adaptive Voltage Scaling (AVS) the supply voltage of digital circuits is tuned according to the circuit's actual operating condition, which enables dynamic compensation to PVTA variations. By exploiting the excessive safety margins added in state-of-the-art worst-case designs considerable power saving is achieved. In our approach, the operating condition of the circuit is monitored by in-situ delay monitors. This paper presents different designs to implement the in-situ delay monitors capable of detecting late but still non-erroneous transitions, called Pre-Errors. The developed Pre-Error monitors are integrated in a 16 bit multiplier test circuit and the resulting Pre-Error AVS system is modeled by a Markov chain in order to determine the power saving potential of each Pre-Error detection approach.

Delayed endovascular aortic repair is associated with reduced in-hospital mortality in patients with blunt thoracic aortic injury.

PubMed

Marcaccio, Christina L; Dumas, Ryan P; Huang, Yanlan; Yang, Wei; Wang, Grace J; Holena, Daniel N

2018-02-13

The traditional approach to stable blunt thoracic aortic injury (BTAI) endorsed by the Society for Vascular Surgery is early (<24 hours) thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). Recently, some studies have shown improved mortality in stable BTAI patients repaired in a delayed manner (≥24 hours). However, the indications for use of delayed TEVAR for BTAI are not well characterized, and its overall impact on the patient's survival remains poorly understood. We sought to determine whether delayed TEVAR is associated with a decrease in mortality compared with early TEVAR in this population. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult patients with BTAI (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision diagnosis code 901.0) who underwent TEVAR (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision procedure code 39.73) from 2009 to 2013 using the National Sample Program data set. Missing physiologic data were imputed using chained multiple imputation. Patients were parsed into groups based on the timing of TEVAR (early, <24 hours, vs delayed, ≥24 hours). The χ 2 , Mann-Whitney, and Fisher exact tests were used to compare baseline characteristics and outcomes of interest between groups. Multivariable logistic regression for mortality was performed that included all variables significant at P ≤ .2 in univariate analyses. A total of 2045 adult patients with BTAI were identified, of whom 534 (26%) underwent TEVAR. Patients with missing data on TEVAR timing were excluded (n = 27), leaving a total of 507 patients for analysis (75% male; 69% white; median age, 40 years [interquartile range, 27-56 years]; median Injury Severity Score [ISS], 34 [interquartile range, 26-41]). Of these, 378 patients underwent early TEVAR and 129 underwent delayed TEVAR. The two groups were similar with regard to age, sex, race, ISS, and presenting physiology. Mortality was 11.9% in the early TEVAR group vs 5.4% in the delayed group, with the early group displaying a higher odds of death (odds ratio, 2.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-5.36; P = .042). After adjustment for age, ISS, and admission physiology, the association between early TEVAR and mortality was preserved (adjusted odds ratio, 2.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-5.67; P = .047). Consistent with current Society for Vascular Surgery recommendations, more BTAI patients underwent early TEVAR than delayed TEVAR during the study period. However, delayed TEVAR was associated with significantly reduced mortality in this population. Together, these findings support a need for critical appraisal and clarification of existing practice guidelines in management of BTAI. Future studies should seek to understand this survival disparity and to determine optimal selection of patients for early vs delayed TEVAR. Copyright © 2017 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of rater training on reliability and accuracy of mini-CEX scores: a randomized, controlled trial.

PubMed

Cook, David A; Dupras, Denise M; Beckman, Thomas J; Thomas, Kris G; Pankratz, V Shane

2009-01-01

Mini-CEX scores assess resident competence. Rater training might improve mini-CEX score interrater reliability, but evidence is lacking. Evaluate a rater training workshop using interrater reliability and accuracy. Randomized trial (immediate versus delayed workshop) and single-group pre/post study (randomized groups combined). Academic medical center. Fifty-two internal medicine clinic preceptors (31 randomized and 21 additional workshop attendees). The workshop included rater error training, performance dimension training, behavioral observation training, and frame of reference training using lecture, video, and facilitated discussion. Delayed group received no intervention until after posttest. Mini-CEX ratings at baseline (just before workshop for workshop group), and four weeks later using videotaped resident-patient encounters; mini-CEX ratings of live resident-patient encounters one year preceding and one year following the workshop; rater confidence using mini-CEX. Among 31 randomized participants, interrater reliabilities in the delayed group (baseline intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] 0.43, follow-up 0.53) and workshop group (baseline 0.40, follow-up 0.43) were not significantly different (p = 0.19). Mean ratings were similar at baseline (delayed 4.9 [95% confidence interval 4.6-5.2], workshop 4.8 [4.5-5.1]) and follow-up (delayed 5.4 [5.0-5.7], workshop 5.3 [5.0-5.6]; p = 0.88 for interaction). For the entire cohort, rater confidence (1 = not confident, 6 = very confident) improved from mean (SD) 3.8 (1.4) to 4.4 (1.0), p = 0.018. Interrater reliability for ratings of live encounters (entire cohort) was higher after the workshop (ICC 0.34) than before (ICC 0.18) but the standard error of measurement was similar for both periods. Rater training did not improve interrater reliability or accuracy of mini-CEX scores. clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT00667940

Ionospheric limitations to time transfer by satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knowles, S. H.

1983-01-01

The ionosphere can contribute appreciable group delay and phase change to radio signals traversing it; this can constitute a fundamental limitation to the accuracy of time and frequency measurements using satellites. Because of the dispersive nature of the ionosphere, the amount of delay is strongly frequency-dependent. Ionospheric compensation is necessary for the most precise time transfer and frequency measurements, with a group delay accuracy better than 10 nanoseconds. A priori modeling is not accurate to better than 25%. The dual-frequency compensation method holds promise, but has not been rigorously experimentally tested. Irregularities in the ionosphere must be included in the compensation process.

Thermal coefficient of delay for various coaxial and fiber-optic cables

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lutes, G. F.; Diener, W.

1989-01-01

Data are presented on the thermal coefficient of delay for various coaxial and fiber optic cables, as measured by the Frequency and Timing Systems Engineering Group and the Time and Frequency Systems Research Group. The measured pressure coefficient of delay is also given for the air-dielectric coaxial cables. A description of the measurement method and a description of each of the cables and its use at JPL and in the DSN are included. An improvement in frequency and phase stability by a factor of ten is possible with the use of fiber optics.

A randomized controlled trial of qigong for fibromyalgia

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Introduction Fibromyalgia is difficult to treat and requires the use of multiple approaches. This study is a randomized controlled trial of qigong compared with a wait-list control group in fibromyalgia. Methods One hundred participants were randomly assigned to immediate or delayed practice groups, with the delayed group receiving training at the end of the control period. Qigong training (level 1 Chaoyi Fanhuan Qigong, CFQ), given over three half-days, was followed by weekly review/practice sessions for eight weeks; participants were also asked to practice at home for 45 to 60 minutes per day for this interval. Outcomes were pain, impact, sleep, physical function and mental function, and these were recorded at baseline, eight weeks, four months and six months. Immediate and delayed practice groups were analyzed individually compared to the control group, and as a combination group. Results In both the immediate and delayed treatment groups, CFQ demonstrated significant improvements in pain, impact, sleep, physical function and mental function when compared to the wait-list/usual care control group at eight weeks, with benefits extending beyond this time. Analysis of combined data indicated significant changes for all measures at all times for six months, with only one exception. Post-hoc analysis based on self-reported practice times indicated greater benefit with the per protocol group compared to minimal practice. Conclusions This study demonstrates that CFQ, a particular form of qigong, provides long-term benefits in several core domains in fibromyalgia. CFQ may be a useful adjuvant self-care treatment for fibromyalgia. Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov NCT00938834. PMID:22863206

Effects of Untreated Periodontitis on Osseointegration of Dental Implants in a Beagle Dog Model.

PubMed

Lee, Daehyun; Sohn, Byungjin; Kim, Kyoung Hwa; Kim, Sungtae; Koo, Ki-Tae; Kim, Tae-Il; Seol, Yang-Jo; Lee, Yong-Moo; Rhyu, In-Chul; Ku, Young

2016-10-01

There have been previous studies on the relationship between periodontitis and peri-implantitis, but limited information is available on how periodontitis affects osseointegration and wound healing of newly placed dental implants adjacent to natural teeth. The objective of the present experiment is to evaluate healing around dental implants adjacent to teeth with untreated experimental periodontitis. The study included six male beagle dogs. Scaling and plaque control procedures were performed on three dogs (control group). In the other three dogs (experimental group), retraction cords and ligature wires were placed subgingivally around all premolars and the first molars. Induced experimental periodontitis was confirmed after 3 months. Each control or experimental group was divided into two subgroups depending on the timing of implant placement (immediate/delayed). Twelve dental implants (two implants for each dog) were placed immediately, and the other 12 dental implants (two implants for each dog) were placed 2 months after extraction. The animals were sacrificed 2 months after implant placement. Histologic and histometric analyses were performed. Four implants (three from the immediate placement group and one from the delayed placement group) failed in the experimental group. There were significant differences in the percentage of bone-to-implant contact and marginal bone volume density between the control and experimental groups. Both parameters were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group (P <0.05). There was a tendency toward more marginal bone loss in the experimental group than the control group. Immediate placement of implants is associated with a higher failure rate compared with delayed placement. Untreated experimental periodontitis was correlated with compromised osseointegration in the implants with delayed placement.

Effects of delayed finishing/polishing on surface roughness, hardness and gloss of tooth-coloured restorative materials.

PubMed

Yazici, A Ruya; Tuncer, Duygu; Antonson, Sibel; Onen, Alev; Kilinc, Evren

2010-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of delayed finishing/polishing on the surface roughness, hardness and gloss of tooth-coloured restorative materials. Four different tooth-coloured restoratives: a flowable resin composite- Tetric Flow, a hybrid resin composite- Venus, a nanohybrid resin composite- Grandio, and a polyacid modified resin composite- Dyract Extra were used. 30 specimens were made for each material and randomly assigned into three groups. The first group was finished/polished immediately and the second group was finished/polished after 24 hours. The remaining 10 specimens served as control. The surface roughness of each sample was recorded using a laser profilometer. Gloss measurements were performed using a small-area glossmeter. Vickers microhardness measurements were performed from three locations on each specimen surface under 100g load and 10s dwell time. Data for surface roughness and hardness were analyzed by Kruskal Wallis test and data for gloss were subjected to one-way ANOVA and Tukey test (P <.05). The smoothest surfaces were obtained under Mylar strip for all materials. While there were no significant differences in surface roughness of immediate and delayed finished/polished Dyract Extra samples, immediately finished/polished Venus and Grandio samples showed significantly higher roughness than the delayed polished samples (P <.05). In Tetric Flow samples, immediately finishing/polishing provided smoother surface than delayed finishing/polishing (P <.05). The highest gloss values were recorded under Mylar strip for all materials. While delayed finishing/polishing resulted in a significantly higher gloss compared to immediate finishing/polishing in Venus samples (P <.05), no differences were observed between delayed or immediate finishing/polishing for the other materials (P>.05). The lowest hardness values were found under Mylar strip. Delayed finishing/polishing significantly increased the hardness of all materials. The effect of delayed finishing/polishing on surface roughness, gloss and hardness appears to be material dependent.

Propagation of light through small clouds of cold interacting atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jennewein, S.; Sortais, Y. R. P.; Greffet, J.-J.; Browaeys, A.

2016-11-01

We demonstrate experimentally that a dense cloud of cold atoms with a size comparable to the wavelength of light can induce large group delays on a laser pulse when the laser is tightly focused on it and is close to an atomic resonance. Delays as large as -10 ns are observed, corresponding to "superluminal" propagation with negative group velocities as low as -300 m /s . Strikingly, this large delay is associated with a moderate extinction owing to the very small size of the dense cloud. It implies that a large phase shift is imprinted on the continuous laser beam. Our system may thus be useful for applications to quantum technologies, such as variable delay line for individual photons or phase imprint between two beams at the single-photon level.

Feasibility of Routinely Offering Early Combined Antiretroviral Therapy to HIV-infected Infants in a Resource-limited Country: The ANRS-PediaCAM Study in Cameroon.

PubMed

Tejiokem, Mathurin Cyrille; Warszawski, Josiane; Ateba Ndongo, Francis; Tetang Ndiang, Suzie; Ndongo, Jean Audrey; Owona, Félicité; Ngoupo, Paul Alain; Tchendjou, Patrice; Kfutwah, Anfumbom; Penda, Ida Calixte; Faye, Albert

2015-10-01

Early diagnosis of HIV is increasingly available for infants in resource-limited settings. We assessed the timing of events until combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) initiation in infants diagnosed before 7 months of age in Cameroon. The ANRS-PediaCAM cohort included HIV-infected infants followed from birth associated with prevention of mother-to-child transmission activities (group 1) or diagnosed for any other reason before 7 months of age (group 2). All infants were offered free cART early after diagnosis. Frequency and factors associated with no or delayed cART initiation, were studied using univariable and multivariable logistic regressions. Between 2007 and 2011, 210 HIV-infected infants (group 1: 69; group 2: 141) were included. Fewer group 1 (14.3%) than group 2 (59.1%) infants were symptomatic (World Health Organization stage 3 or 4). Overall, 5.7% (n = 12) died before receiving any cART. Of the remaining 198 infants, 3.0% (n = 6) were not treated. The median age at initiating cART was 4.1 months [interquartile range (IQR): 3.2-5.6]. The median time until cART initiation after HIV testing was 6.2 weeks (IQR: 4.4-9.4) in group 1 and 5.1 weeks (IQR: 2.9-9.4) in group 2. No or delayed cART, observed for 37.9% (75 of 198) of the infants, was associated with clinical site [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 4.8; 95% confidence interval: (2.1-11.2)], late diagnosis [aOR: 2.0 (0.9-4.1)], and delayed pretherapeutic biological assessment [aOR: 3.7 (1.4-10.0)]. Although most children included were treated before age 7 months, the initiation of therapy was delayed for more than 1 in 3. The period around HIV diagnosis is critical and should be better managed to reduce delays before cART initiation.

Outcomes of Fat-Augmented Latissimus Dorsi (FALD) Flap Versus Implant-Based Latissimus Dorsi Flap for Delayed Post-radiation Breast Reconstruction.

PubMed

Demiri, Efterpi C; Dionyssiou, Dimitrios D; Tsimponis, Antonios; Goula, Christina-Olga; Pavlidis, Leonidas C; Spyropoulou, Georgia-Alexandra

2018-06-01

Although free abdominal flaps constitute the gold standard in post-radiation delayed breast reconstruction, latissimus dorsi-based methods offer alternative reconstructive options. This retrospective study aims to compare outcomes of delayed breast reconstruction using the fat-augmented latissimus dorsi (FALD) autologous reconstruction and the latissimus dorsi-plus-implant reconstruction in irradiated women. We reviewed the files of 47 post-mastectomy irradiated patients (aged 29-73 years), who underwent delayed latissimus dorsi-based breast reconstruction between 2010 and 2016. Twenty-three patients (Group A) had an extended FALD flap and twenty-four patients (Group B) an implant-based latissimus dorsi reconstruction. Patients' age, BMI, pregnancies, volume of injected fat, implant size, postoperative complications, and secondary surgical procedures were recorded and analyzed. Age, BMI, pregnancies, and donor-site complications were similar in both groups (p > 0.05). Mean fat volume injected initially was 254 cc (ranged 130-380 cc/session); mean implant volume was 323 cc (ranged 225-420 cc). Breast complications were significantly fewer in Group A (one wound dehiscence, two oily cysts) compared to Group B (three cases with wound dehiscence, two extrusions, thirteen severe capsular contractions). Non-statistically significant difference was documented for secondary procedures between groups; although the mean number of additional surgeries/patient was higher in Group A, they referred to secondary lipofilling, whereas in Group B they were revision surgeries for complications. The FALD flap constitutes an alternative method for delayed autologous reconstruction after post-mastectomy irradiation, avoiding implant-related complications. Although additional fat graft sessions might be required, it provides an ideal autogenous reconstructive option for thin nulliparous women, with a small opposite breast and adequate fat donor sites. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Methotrexate Elimination When Coadministered With Levetiracetam.

PubMed

Reeves, David; DiDominick, Sarah; Finn, Suzanne; Kim, Hyeon Jin; Shake, Amanda

2016-12-01

Delayed elimination of methotrexate was previously reported in 2 patients receiving concomitant levetiracetam. To explore the potential interaction between methotrexate and levetiracetam in patients receiving high-dose methotrexate. This retrospective study reviewed the records of 81 adults receiving 280 cycles of methotrexate to determine the effects of levetiracetam on methotrexate elimination. Institutional review board approval was obtained. Levetiracetam was administered in 33 (12%) cycles of methotrexate. Patients receiving levetiracetam had significantly lower 24-hour methotrexate concentrations compared with those not receiving levetiracetam (2.91 vs 7.37 µmol/L, P = 0.005). Despite this difference, concentrations at 48 and 72 hours were similar between groups. Times to nontoxic methotrexate concentration (<0.1 µmol/L) were the same regardless of the presence of levetiracetam. The frequency of delayed elimination at 24, 48, and 72 hours was similar in both groups as was the frequency of delayed elimination at any time point. Cox regression demonstrated that levetiracetam was not a significant predictor of time to nontoxic methotrexate concentration (P = 0.796; HR = 1.058; 95% CI = 0.692-1.617), and logistic regression demonstrated that levetiracetam was not a significant predictor of delayed elimination at any time point. Levetiracetam use was similar between groups when comparing patients experiencing delayed elimination at any time point with those without delayed elimination (13% vs 10%, respectively, P = 0.527). This study does not support the previous reports of a significant interaction between levetiracetam and methotrexate. A clinically significant interaction is unlikely in those without additional risk factors for delayed elimination. © The Author(s) 2016.

Longitudinal patterns of semantic and episodic memory in frontotemporal lobar degeneration and Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Xie, Sharon X; Libon, David J; Wang, Xingmei; Massimo, Lauren; Moore, Peachie; Vesely, Luisa; Khan, Alea; Chatterjee, Anjan; Coslett, H Branch; Hurtig, Howard I; Liang, Tsao-Wei; Grossman, Murray

2010-03-01

The longitudinal assessment of episodic and semantic memory was obtained from 236 patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD, n = 128) and with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD, n = 108), including patients with a social comportment/dysexecutive (SOC/EXEC) disorder, progressive nonfluent aphasia (PNFA), semantic dementia (SemD), and corticobasal syndrome (CBS). At the initial assessment, AD patients obtained a lower score on the delayed free recall test than other patients. Longitudinal analyses for delayed free recall found converging performance, with all patients reaching the same level of impairment as AD patients. On the initial evaluation for delayed recognition, AD patients also obtained lower scores than other groups. Longitudinal analyses for delayed recognition test performance found that AD patients consistently produced lower scores than other groups and no convergence between AD and other dementia groups was seen. For semantic memory, there were no initial between-group differences. However, longitudinal analyses for semantic memory revealed group differences over illness duration, with worse performance for SemD versus AD, PNFA, SOC/EXEC, and CBS patients. These data suggest the presence of specific longitudinal patterns of impairment for episodic and semantic memory in AD and FTLD patients suggesting that all forms of dementia do not necessarily converge into a single phenotype.

Data analysis of a dense GPS network operated during the ESCOMPTE campaign: first results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walpersdorf, A.; Bock, O.; Doerflinger, E.; Masson, F.; van Baelen, J.; Somieski, A.; Bürki, B.

The experiment GPS/H 2O involving 17 GPS receivers has been operated for two weeks in June 2001 in a dense network around Marseille. This project was integrated into the ESCOMPTE campaign. This paper will focus on the GPS analysis in preparation of the tomographic inversion of GPS slant delays. As first results, GPS tropospheric parameters zenith delays and horizontal gradients have been extracted. For a first visualization of the humidity field overlying the network, zenith delays have been transformed into precipitable water. Successive humidity fields are presented for a period of sudden drop in humidity, indicating some spatial resolution in the small network. The time series of horizontal gradients evaluated at individual sites are compared to correlated zenith delay variations over the whole network (horizontal gradient of zenith delays), showing that in the small size network horizontal atmospheric structure is reflected by both types of parameters. To compare these two quantities, scaling of zenith delays due to different station altitudes was necessary. In this way, a GPS internal validation of the individual gradients by comparison with the horizontal gradient of zenith delays has been established. Differential features along transects across the network indicate a good spatial resolution of tropospheric phenomena, encouraging for the further tomographic exploitation of the data. Moreover, individual and zenith delay gradients weight differently atmospheric horizontal gradients occurring at different heights. This different sensitivity has been used for a first identification of a vertical atmospheric structure from GPS tropospheric delays, by observing an inclined frontal zone crossing the network.

Temporal variations of electron density and temperature in Kr/Ne/H2 photoionized plasma induced by nanosecond pulses from extreme ultraviolet source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saber, I.; Bartnik, A.; Wachulak, P.; Skrzeczanowski, W.; Jarocki, R.; Fiedorowicz, H.

2017-06-01

Spectral investigations of low-temperature photoionized plasmas created in a Kr/Ne/H2 gas mixture were performed. The low-temperature plasmas were generated by gas mixture irradiation using extreme ultraviolet pulses from a laser-plasma source. Emission spectra in the ultraviolet/visible range from the photoionized plasmas contained lines that mainly corresponded to neutral atoms and singly charged ions. Temporal variations in the plasma electron temperature and electron density were studied using different characteristic emission lines at various delay times. Results, based on Kr II lines, showed that the electron temperature decreased from 1.7 to 0.9 eV. The electron densities were estimated using different spectral lines at each delay time. In general, except for the Hβ line, in which the electron density decreased from 3.78 × 1016 cm-3 at 200 ns to 5.77 × 1015 cm-3 at 2000 ns, most of the electron density values measured from the different lines were of the order of 1015 cm-3 and decreased slightly while maintaining the same order when the delay time increased. The time dependences of the measured and simulated intensities of a spectral line of interest were also investigated. The validity of the partial or full local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) conditions in plasma was explained based on time-resolved electron density measurements. The partial LTE condition was satisfied for delay times in the 200 ns to 1500 ns range. The results are summarized, and the dominant basic atomic processes in the gas mixture photoionized plasma are discussed.

Standard and double-dose intravenous proton pump inhibitor injections for prevention of bleeding after endoscopic resection.

PubMed

Jung, Sung Woo; Kim, Seung Young; Choe, Jung Wan; Hyun, Jong Jin; Jung, Young Kul; Koo, Ja Seol; Yim, Hyung Joon; Lee, Sang Woo

2017-04-01

Endoscopic resection is commonly used to remove gastric neoplasms. However, effective dosing or scheduling of proton pump inhibitors for the prevention of delayed bleeding after endoscopic resection remains unclear. One hundred sixty-six patients with gastric adenoma or early gastric cancer were enrolled. After an endoscopic procedure, each subject was randomly assigned to 40 mg every 24 h (standard dose group) or 40 mg every 12 h (double-dose group) of intravenous pantoprazole for 48 h. Second-look endoscopy was performed on day 2 after endoscopic resection to compare signs of rebleeding and ulcer status between the two groups. Eighty-one patients of the standard dose group and 81 of the double-dose group were analyzed. There were no significant differences in the incidence of delayed bleeding events (1.3% vs 6.2%, P = 0.21) and bleeding ulcer at the second-look endoscopy (6.2% vs 3.9%, P = 0.69) between standard and double-dose groups. There were no other significant variables associated with delayed bleeding or bleeding ulcer on second-look endoscopy. Intravenous pantoprazole 40 mg every 24 h or 12 h for 2 days after endoscopic resection was equally effective for the prevention of delayed bleeding. © 2016 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Lesions Responsible for Delayed Oral Transit Time in Post-stroke Dysphagia.

PubMed

Moon, Hyun Im; Yoon, Seo Yeon; Yi, Tae Im; Jeong, Yoon Jeong; Cho, Tae Hwan

2018-06-01

Some stroke patients show oral phase dysphagia, characterized by a markedly prolonged oral transit time that hinders oral feeding. The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical characteristics and lesions responsible for delayed swallowing. We reviewed 90 patients with stroke. The oral processing time plus the postfaucial aggregation time required to swallow semisolid food was assessed. The patients were divided into two groups according to oral transit time, and we analyzed the differences in characteristics such as demographic factors, lesion factors, and cognitive function. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the predictors of delayed oral transit time. Lesion location and volume were measured on brain magnetic resonance images. We generated statistic maps of lesions related to delayed oral phase in swallowing using voxel-based lesion symptom mapping (VLSM). The group of patients who showed delayed oral transit time had significantly low cognitive function. Also, in a regression model, delayed oral phase was predicted with low K-MMSE (Korean version of the Mini Mental Status Exam). Using VLSM, we found the lesion location to be associated with delayed oral phase after adjusting for K-MMSE score. Although these results did not reach statistical significance, they showed the lesion pattern with predominant distribution in the left frontal lobe. Delayed oral phase in post-stroke patients was not negligible clinically. Patients' cognitive impairments affect the oral transit time. When adjusting it, we found a trend that the lesion responsible for delayed oral phase was located in the left frontal lobe, though the association did not reach significance. The delay might be related to praxis function.

Hyperactivity, drugs and attention deficit.

PubMed

Pozzi, M; Hartley, L

1984-09-01

Thirty-two hyperactive children who were under imipramine or methylphenidate medication took part in the experiment. The children were asked to learn a set of paired associate pictures containing a salient, central, figure and a secondary figure below. Free recall of all pictures was scored both immediately and seven days later. The children were subdivided into four groups according to the classical state-dependent learning paradigm. Group 1 was withdrawn from medication on both trials, groups 2 and 3 were withdrawn from medication on the first or second trial and group 4 received medication on both trials. No drug effects were found in immediate total recall. Delayed free recall was improved when original learning was under the drug state. This result was related to the proposal that arousing words are better remembered in delayed recall. Delayed recall of the secondary stimuli was particularly improved by the drugs during learning. Drug state dependency of the children's memory was also shown.

[Efficacy of the keyword mnemonic method in adults].

PubMed

Campos, Alfredo; Pérez-Fabello, María José; Camino, Estefanía

2010-11-01

Two experiments were used to assess the efficacy of the keyword mnemonic method in adults. In Experiment 1, immediate and delayed recall (at a one-day interval) were assessed by comparing the results obtained by a group of adults using the keyword mnemonic method in contrast to a group using the repetition method. The mean age of the sample under study was 59.35 years. Subjects were required to learn a list of 16 words translated from Latin into Spanish. Participants who used keyword mnemonics that had been devised by other experimental participants of the same characteristics, obtained significantly higher immediate and delayed recall scores than participants in the repetition method. In Experiment 2, other participants had to learn a list of 24 Latin words translated into Spanish by using the keyword mnemonic method reinforced with pictures. Immediate and delayed recall were significantly greater in the keyword mnemonic method group than in the repetition method group.

Diagnostic delay in Crohn's disease is associated with a complicated disease course and increased operation rate.

PubMed

Schoepfer, Alain M; Dehlavi, Mohamed-Ali; Fournier, Nicolas; Safroneeva, Ekaterina; Straumann, Alex; Pittet, Valérie; Peyrin-Biroulet, Laurent; Michetti, Pierre; Rogler, Gerhard; Vavricka, Stephan R

2013-11-01

The impact of diagnostic delay (a period from appearance of first symptoms to diagnosis) on the clinical course of Crohn's disease (CD) is unknown. We examined whether length of diagnostic delay affects disease outcomes. Data from the Swiss IBD cohort study were analyzed. Patients were recruited from university centers (68%), regional hospitals (14%), and private practices (18%). The frequencies of occurrence of bowel stenoses, internal fistulas, perianal fistulas, and CD-related surgery (intestinal and perianal) were analyzed. A total of 905 CD patients (53.4% female, median age at diagnosis 26 (20-36) years) were stratified into four groups according to the quartiles of diagnostic delay (0-3, 4-9, 10-24, and ≥25 months, respectively). Median diagnostic delay was 9 (3-24) months. The frequency of immunomodulator and/or antitumor necrosis factor drug use did not differ among the four groups. The length of diagnostic delay was positively correlated with the occurrence of bowel stenosis (odds ratio (OR) 1.76, P=0.011 for delay of ≥25 months) and intestinal surgery (OR 1.76, P=0.014 for delay of 10-24 months and OR 2.03, P=0.003 for delay of ≥25 months). Disease duration was positively associated and non-ileal disease location was negatively associated with bowel stenosis (OR 1.07, P<0.001, and OR 0.41, P=0.005, respectively) and intestinal surgery (OR 1.14, P<0.001, and OR 0.23, P<0.001, respectively). The length of diagnostic delay is correlated with an increased risk of bowel stenosis and CD-related intestinal surgery. Efforts should be undertaken to shorten the diagnostic delay.

Patterns of Early Skill Attainment and Loss in Young Children with Autism

PubMed Central

Thurm, Audrey; Manwaring, Stacy S.; Luckenbaugh, David A.; Lord, Catherine; Swedo, Susan E.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to extend the literature on the ontogeny of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by examining early attainment and loss of specific sociocommunicative skills in children with autism (AUT; n = 125), pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS; n = 42), nonspectrum developmental delays (n = 46), and typical development (n = 31). The ages of skill attainment and loss were obtained from a caregiver interview. The findings indicated that children with AUT, PDD-NOS, and developmental delays diverged from typically developing children in attainment of sociocommunicative skills early in the first year of life. Loss of at least one skill was reported in a majority of children with AUT and PDD-NOS. Significant delays in attainment of skills were also reported in children who lost skills. The wide variation in skill attainment and loss reported across children indicates that symptom onset and regression may be best represented continuously, with at least some early delay and loss present for a great majority of children with ASD. PMID:24274034

Patterns of skill attainment and loss in young children with autism.

PubMed

Thurm, Audrey; Manwaring, Stacy S; Luckenbaugh, David A; Lord, Catherine; Swedo, Susan E

2014-02-01

The purpose of this study was to extend the literature on the ontogeny of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by examining early attainment and loss of specific sociocommunicative skills in children with autism (AUT; n = 125), pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS; n = 42), nonspectrum developmental delays (n = 46), and typical development (n = 31). The ages of skill attainment and loss were obtained from a caregiver interview. The findings indicated that children with AUT, PDD-NOS, and developmental delays diverged from typically developing children in attainment of sociocommunicative skills early in the first year of life. Loss of at least one skill was reported in a majority of children with AUT and PDD-NOS. Significant delays in attainment of skills were also reported in children who lost skills. The wide variation in skill attainment and loss reported across children indicates that symptom onset and regression may be best represented continuously, with at least some early delay and loss present for a great majority of children with ASD.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy before mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction may predict post-mastectomy radiotherapy, reduce delayed complications and improve the choice of reconstruction.

PubMed

Mannu, G S; Navi, A; Morgan, A; Mirza, S M; Down, S K; Farooq, N; Burger, A; Hussien, M I

2012-01-01

Adjuvant post-mastectomy radiotherapy (RT), which is often unpredicted, is known to increase complications following immediate breast reconstruction (IBR). To investigate the role of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLN) in predicting RT and improving the choice of IBR. All patients who had mastectomy and IBR between January 2004 and January 2007 were reviewed retrospectively. Axillary staging (clearance or SLN) was performed at the same time until October 2005 (Group 1), when the Unit's protocol was updated to perform SLN initially prior to mastectomy and IBR (Group 2). Patients in Group 2 with positive SLN were offered either a delayed reconstruction or a temporary subpectoral immediate tissue expander, while all options were offered if SLN was negative and in Group 1 patients. One hundred and thirty-nine patients were reviewed. 20 patients received unexpected RT in Group 1 (14 tissue expander, 4 Latissimus Dorsi flap with an implant and 2 DIEP flaps) compared to 11 patients in Group 2 who had a temporary tissue expander due to expected RT (P=0.03). Unexpected RT caused delayed complications in 14 patients (70%) compared to no delayed complications in patients who received expected RT in Group 2. SLN biopsy before IBR helps to predict RT and avoids its complications on breast reconstruction. Patients with positive SLN biopsy are best offered a temporary subpectoral tissue expander for IBR. Copyright © 2012 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The usefulness of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging performed in the acute phase as an early predictor of delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae in acute carbon monoxide poisoning.

PubMed

Kim, Y S; Cha, Y S; Kim, M S; Kim, H J; Lee, Y S; Youk, H; Kim, H I; Kim, O H; Cha, K-C; Kim, H; Lee, K H; Hwang, S O

2018-06-01

Delayed onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms after apparent recovery from acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning has been described as delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae (DNS). No previous study has determined whether early use of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) can predict which patients will develop DNS in the acute CO poisoning. This retrospective observational study was performed on adult patients with acute CO poisoning consecutively treated over a 17-month period. All included patients with acute CO poisoning underwent DWI to evaluate brain injury within 72 h after CO exposure. DWI was evaluated as follows: (1) presence of pathology, (2) number of pathologies, (3) asymmetry, and (4) location of pathology. Patients were divided into two groups. The DNS group was composed of patients with delayed sequelae, while the non-DNS group included patients with no sequelae. A total of 102 patients with acute CO poisoning were finally enrolled in this study. DNS developed in 10 patients (9.8%). Between the DNS group and the non-DNS group, presence of pathology on DWI and initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) showed significant difference. There was also a statistical difference between the non-DNS group and DNS group in terms of CO exposure time, troponin I, rhabdomyolysis, acute kidney injury, and pneumonia. The presence of pathology in DWI and initial GCS (cutoff: <12) at the emergency department served as an early predictors of DNS.

Turning a low Q fiber resonator into a high-sensitivity displacement sensor using slow light concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bravo, Mikel; Angulo-Vinuesa, Xabier; Martin-Lopez, Sonia; Lopez-Amo, Manuel; Gonzalez-Herraez, Miguel

2013-05-01

High-Q resonators have been widely used for sensing purposes. High Q factors normally lead to sharp spectral peaks which accordingly provide a strong sensitivity in spectral interrogation methods. In this work we employ a low-Q ring resonator to develop a high sensitivity sub-micrometric resolution displacement sensor. We use the slow-light effects occurring close to the critical coupling regime to achieve high sensitivity in the device. By tuning the losses in the cavity close to the critical coupling, extremely high group delay variations can be achieved, which in turn introduce strong enhancements of the absorption of the structure. We first validate the concept using an Optical Vector Analyzer (OVA) and then we propose a simple functional scheme for achieving a low-cost interrogation of this kind of sensors.

Regularity of daily life in relation to personality, age, gender, sleep quality and circadian rhythms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monk, T. H.; Petrie, S. R.; Hayes, A. J.; Kupfer, D. J.

1994-01-01

A diary-like instrument to measure lifestyle regularity (the 'Social Rhythm Metric'-SRM) was given to 96 subjects (48 women, 48 men), 39 of whom repeated the study after at least one year, with additional objective measures of rest/activity. Lifestyle regularity as measured by the SRM related to age, morningness, subjective sleep quality and time-of-day variations in alertness, but not to gender, extroversion or neuroticism. Statistically significant test-retest correlations of about 0.4 emerged for SRM scores over the 12-30 month delay. Diary-based estimates of bedtime and waketime appeared fairly reliable. In a further study of healthy young men, 4 high SRM scorers ('regular') had a deeper nocturnal body temperature trough than 5 low SRM scorers ('irregular'), suggesting a better functioning circadian system in the 'regular' group.

Research governance: where did it come from, what does it mean?

PubMed

Shaw, Sara; Boynton, Petra M; Greenhalgh, Trisha

2005-11-01

For a variety of historical and social reasons, research has become increasingly formalized and regulated. This change has potential benefits (reduction in fraud and misconduct, protection of vulnerable groups, financial probity) but also disadvantages (increased paperwork, time delays, constraints on research freedom). The terms 'research' and 'governance' mean different things in different contexts. Even with explicit guidance, ambiguities must be resolved by human judgement. Variation in the nature and outcome of approval decisions is therefore a fact of life. The type of approval needed for a research study depends on the official remit of the approval body, the question to be addressed; the methods to be used; the context in which the work will take place; the level of analysis and interpretation; and the plans for how the findings will be presented and used.

Research governance: where did it come from, what does it mean?

PubMed Central

Shaw, Sara; Boynton, Petra M; Greenhalgh, Trisha

2005-01-01

For a variety of historical and social reasons, research has become increasingly formalized and regulated. This change has potential benefits (reduction in fraud and misconduct, protection of vulnerable groups, financial probity) but also disadvantages (increased paperwork, time delays, constraints on research freedom). The terms ‘research’ and ‘governance’ mean different things in different contexts. Even with explicit guidance, ambiguities must be resolved by human judgement. Variation in the nature and outcome of approval decisions is therefore a fact of life. The type of approval needed for a research study depends on the official remit of the approval body, the question to be addressed; the methods to be used; the context in which the work will take place; the level of analysis and interpretation; and the plans for how the findings will be presented and used. PMID:16260798

Olfactory stimuli as context cues in human memory.

PubMed

Cann, A; Ross, D A

1989-01-01

Olfactory stimuli were used as context cues in a recognition memory paradigm. Male college students were exposed to 50 slides of the faces of college females while in the presence of a pleasant or an unpleasant odor. During the acquisition phase, ratings of physical attractiveness of the slides were collected. After a 48-hr delay, a recognition test was given using the original 50 slides and 50 new slides. The recognition test was conducted with either the original odor or the alternative odor present. A no-odor control group did not receive olfactory cues. The attractiveness ratings indicated that the odor variations had no effect on these social judgments. Analyses of d' scores, hits, and false alarms for the recognition performance indicated support for the predicted interaction in which presence of the same odor at both sessions led to better overall performance.

Immediate vs. Delayed Feedback in a Computer-Managed Test: Effects on Long-Term Retention. Technical Report, March 1976-August 1976.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sturges, Persis T.

This experiment was designed to test the effect of immediate and delayed feedback on retention of learning in an educational situation. Four groups of college undergraduates took a multiple-choice computer-managed test. Three of these groups received informative feedback (the entire item with the correct answer identified) either: (1) immediately…

Distortion-product otoacoustic emission reflection-component delays and cochlear tuning: estimates from across the human lifespan.

PubMed

Abdala, Carolina; Guérit, François; Luo, Ping; Shera, Christopher A

2014-04-01

A consistent relationship between reflection-emission delay and cochlear tuning has been demonstrated in a variety of mammalian species, as predicted by filter theory and models of otoacoustic emission (OAE) generation. As a step toward the goal of studying cochlear tuning throughout the human lifespan, this paper exploits the relationship and explores two strategies for estimating delay trends-energy weighting and peak picking-both of which emphasize data at the peaks of the magnitude fine structure. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) at 2f1-f2 were recorded, and their reflection components were extracted in 184 subjects ranging in age from prematurely born neonates to elderly adults. DPOAEs were measured from 0.5-4 kHz in all age groups and extended to 8 kHz in young adults. Delay trends were effectively estimated using either energy weighting or peak picking, with the former method yielding slightly shorter delays and the latter somewhat smaller confidence intervals. Delay and tuning estimates from young adults roughly match those obtained from SFOAEs. Although the match is imperfect, reflection-component delays showed the expected bend (apical-basal transition) near 1 kHz, consistent with a break in cochlear scaling. Consistent with other measures of tuning, the term newborn group showed the longest delays and sharpest tuning over much of the frequency range.

Modulating Tone to Promote Motor Development Using a Neurofacilitation of Developmental Reaction (NFDR) Approach in Children with Neurodevelopmental Delay

PubMed Central

Batra, Vijay; Batra, Meenakshi; Pandey, Ravindra Mohan; Sharma, Vijai Prakash; Agarwal, Girdhar Gopal

2015-01-01

Objective To compare the efficacy of a Neurofacilitation of Developmental Reaction (NFDR) approach with that of a Conventional approach in the modulation of tone in children with neurodevelopmental delay. Methods Experimental control design. A total of 30 spastic children ranging in age from 4 to 7 years with neurodevelopmental delay were included. Baseline evaluations of muscle tone and gross motor functional performance abilities were performed. The children were allocated into two intervention groups of 15 subjects each. In groups A and B, the NFDR and conventional approaches were applied, respectively, for 3 months and were followed by subsequent re-evaluations. Results Between group analyses were performed using independent t test for tone and primitive reflex intensity and a Mann-Whitney U test for gross motor functional ability. For the within-group analyses, paired t tests were used for tone and primitive reflex intensity, and a Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for gross motor functional ability. Conclusion The NFDR approach/technique prepares the muscle to undergo tonal modulation and thereby enhances motor development and improves the motor functional performance abilities of the children with neurodevelopmental delay. PMID:28239268

[Analysis of the causes of postoperative delayed hemorrhage of low temperature plasma tonsillectomy in children].

PubMed

Ye, Yuhua; Wang, Zhinan; Xu, Zhiqiang

2015-03-01

Probe into the causes of postoperative delayed hemorrhage of low temperature plasma tonsillectomy in children. The methods of retrospective analysis the difference of postoperative bleeding time and bleeding rate between tonsillectomy by the low temperature plasma and the traditional cold surgical devices in 2-14 years old children. Plasma group contained the tonsillectomy by low temperature plasma between the March in 2012 to the August in 2013. Traditional group contained the tonsillectomy by traditional cold surgical devices between the March in 2005 to the August in 2006. In the 1,000 cases of plasma group, 19 cases occurred postoperative hemorrhage, the hemorrhage rate was 1. 9%. Four cases occurred postoperative primary hemorrhage in 8 hours after operation, the postoperative primary hemorrhage rate was 0. 4%. Fifteen cases occurred postoperative delayed hemorrhage, the delayed hemorrhage rate was 1. 50%, the bleeding time was 2-13 days after operation, the average number was 7. 5 days. Nine cases had wound infection and 6 cases had eaten some food improperly in these 15 cases. And in these eaten improperly cases, 4 children had eaten fruit and hard food, 2 children had eaten a little food who lost their weight. In 860 cases of the traditional group, 29 cases occurred postoperative hemorrhage, the hemorrhage rate was 3. 37%. 26 cases occurred postoperative primary hemorrhage in 8 hours after operation, the postoperative primary hemorrhage rate was 3. 02%. Three cases occurred postoperative delayed hemorrhage, the delayed hemorrhage rate was 0. 35%, the bleeding time was 2-6 days, the average number was 4 days. It is preferable for chileren to having low temperature plasma tonsillectomy. The causes of postoperative delayed hemorrhage of low temperature plasma tonsillectomy in children are probably related to the postoperative infection, the differences of operation skills, the method of stop bleeding, eating the wrong foods, irritating cough, improper nursing and so on.

The 11-year long-term follow-up study from the randomized BENEFIT CIS trial

PubMed Central

Edan, Gilles; Freedman, Mark S.; Montalbán, Xavier; Hartung, Hans-Peter; Hemmer, Bernhard; Fox, Edward J.; Barkhof, Frederik; Schippling, Sven; Schulze, Andrea; Pleimes, Dirk; Pohl, Christoph; Sandbrink, Rupert; Suarez, Gustavo; Wicklein, Eva-Maria

2016-01-01

Objective: To assess outcomes for patients treated with interferon beta-1b immediately after clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) or after a short delay. Methods: Participants in BENEFIT (Betaferon/Betaseron in Newly Emerging MS for Initial Treatment) were randomly assigned to receive interferon beta-1b (early treatment) or placebo (delayed treatment). After conversion to clinically definite multiple sclerosis (CDMS) or 2 years, patients on placebo could switch to interferon beta-1b or another treatment. Eleven years after randomization, patients were reassessed. Results: Two hundred seventy-eight (59.4%) of the original 468 patients (71.3% of those eligible at participating sites) were enrolled (early: 167 [57.2%]; delayed: 111 [63.1%]). After 11 years, risk of CDMS remained lower in the early-treatment arm compared with the delayed-treatment arm (p = 0.0012), with longer time to first relapse (median [Q1, Q3] days: 1,888 [540, not reached] vs 931 [253, 3,296]; p = 0.0005) and lower overall annualized relapse rate (0.21 vs 0.26; p = 0.0018). Only 25 patients (5.9%, overall; early, 4.5%; delayed, 8.3%) converted to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. Expanded Disability Status Scale scores remained low and stable, with no difference between treatment arms (median [Q1, Q3]: 2.0 [1.0, 3.0]). The early-treatment group had better Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task–3 total scores (p = 0.0070). Employment rates remained high, and health resource utilization tended to be low in both groups. MRI metrics did not differ between groups. Conclusions: Although the delay in treatment was relatively short, several clinical outcomes favored earlier treatment. Along with low rates of disability and disease progression in both groups, this supports the value of treatment at CIS. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01795872. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class IV evidence that early compared to delayed treatment prolongs time to CDMS in CIS after 11 years. PMID:27511182

Typical versus delayed speech onset influences verbal reporting of autistic interests.

PubMed

Chiodo, Liliane; Majerus, Steve; Mottron, Laurent

2017-01-01

The distinction between autism and Asperger syndrome has been abandoned in the DSM-5. However, this clinical categorization largely overlaps with the presence or absence of a speech onset delay which is associated with clinical, cognitive, and neural differences. It is unknown whether these different speech development pathways and associated cognitive differences are involved in the heterogeneity of the restricted interests that characterize autistic adults. This study tested the hypothesis that speech onset delay, or conversely, early mastery of speech, orients the nature and verbal reporting of adult autistic interests. The occurrence of a priori defined descriptors for perceptual and thematic dimensions were determined, as well as the perceived function and benefits, in the response of autistic people to a semi-structured interview on their intense interests. The number of words, grammatical categories, and proportion of perceptual / thematic descriptors were computed and compared between groups by variance analyses. The participants comprised 40 autistic adults grouped according to the presence ( N  = 20) or absence ( N  = 20) of speech onset delay, as well as 20 non-autistic adults, also with intense interests, matched for non-verbal intelligence using Raven's Progressive Matrices. The overall nature, function, and benefit of intense interests were similar across autistic subgroups, and between autistic and non-autistic groups. However, autistic participants with a history of speech onset delay used more perceptual than thematic descriptors when talking about their interests, whereas the opposite was true for autistic individuals without speech onset delay. This finding remained significant after controlling for linguistic differences observed between the two groups. Verbal reporting, but not the nature or positive function, of intense interests differed between adult autistic individuals depending on their speech acquisition history: oral reporting of intense interests was characterized by perceptual dominance for autistic individuals with delayed speech onset and thematic dominance for those without. This may contribute to the heterogeneous presentation observed among autistic adults of normal intelligence.

Understanding neural system dynamics through task modulation and measurement of functional MRI amplitude, latency, and width

PubMed Central

Bellgowan, P. S. F.; Saad, Z. S.; Bandettini, P. A.

2003-01-01

Estimates of hemodynamic amplitude, delay, and width were combined to investigate system dynamics involved in lexical decision making. Subjects performed a lexical decision task using word and nonword stimuli rotated 0°, 60°, or 120°. Averaged hemodynamic responses to repeated stimulation were fit to a Gamma-variate function convolved with a heavyside function of varying onset and duration to estimate each voxel's activation delay and width. Consistent with prolonged reaction times for the rotated stimuli and nonwords, the motor cortex showed delayed hemodynamic onset for both conditions. Language areas such as the lingual gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, fusiform gyrus, and precuneus all showed delayed hemodynamic onsets to rotated stimuli but not to nonword stimuli. The inferior frontal gyrus showed both increased onset latency for rotated stimuli and a wider hemodynamic response to nonwords, consistent with prolonged processing in this area during the lexical decision task. Phonological processing areas such as superior temporal and angular gyrus showed no delay or width difference for rotated stimuli. These results suggest that phonological routes but not semantic routes to the lexicon can proceed regardless of stimulus orientation. This study demonstrates the utility of estimating hemodynamic delay and width in addition to amplitude allowing for more quantitative measures of brain function such as mental chronometry. PMID:12552093

Preventing delayed diagnosis of cancer: clinicians’ views on main problems and solutions

PubMed Central

Car, Lorainne Tudor; Papachristou, Nikolaos; Urch, Catherine; Majeed, Azeem; El–Khatib, Mona; Aylin, Paul; Atun, Rifat; Car, Josip; Vincent, Charles

2016-01-01

Background Delayed diagnosis is a major contributing factor to the UK’s lower cancer survival compared to many European countries. In the UK, there is a significant national variation in early cancer diagnosis. Healthcare providers can offer an insight into local priorities for timely cancer diagnosis. In this study, we aimed to identify the main problems and solutions relating to delay cancer diagnosis according to cancer care clinicians. Methods We developed and implemented a new priority–setting approach called PRIORITIZE and invited North West London cancer care clinicians to identify and prioritize main causes for and solutions to delayed diagnosis of cancer care. Results Clinicians identified a number of concrete problems and solutions relating to delayed diagnosis of cancer. Raising public awareness, patient education as well as better access to specialist care and diagnostic testing were seen as the highest priorities. The identified suggestions focused mostly on the delays during referrals from primary to secondary care. Conclusions Many identified priorities were feasible, affordable and converged around common themes such as public awareness, care continuity and length of consultation. As a timely, proactive and scalable priority–setting approach, PRIORITZE could be implemented as a routine preventative system for determining patient safety issues by frontline staff. PMID:28028437

Obtaining reliable phase-gradient delays from otoacoustic emission data.

PubMed

Shera, Christopher A; Bergevin, Christopher

2012-08-01

Reflection-source otoacoustic emission phase-gradient delays are widely used to obtain noninvasive estimates of cochlear function and properties, such as the sharpness of mechanical tuning and its variation along the length of the cochlear partition. Although different data-processing strategies are known to yield different delay estimates and trends, their relative reliability has not been established. This paper uses in silico experiments to evaluate six methods for extracting delay trends from reflection-source otoacoustic emissions (OAEs). The six methods include both previously published procedures (e.g., phase smoothing, energy-weighting, data exclusion based on signal-to-noise ratio) and novel strategies (e.g., peak-picking, all-pass factorization). Although some of the methods perform well (e.g., peak-picking), others introduce substantial bias (e.g., phase smoothing) and are not recommended. In addition, since standing waves caused by multiple internal reflection can complicate the interpretation and compromise the application of OAE delays, this paper develops and evaluates two promising signal-processing strategies, the first based on time-frequency filtering using the continuous wavelet transform and the second on cepstral analysis, for separating the direct emission from its subsequent reflections. Altogether, the results help to resolve previous disagreements about the frequency dependence of human OAE delays and the sharpness of cochlear tuning while providing useful analysis methods for future studies.

Predictive Value of the School-leaving Grade and Prognosis of Different Admission Groups for Academic Performance and Continuity in the Medical Course – a Longitudinal Study

PubMed Central

Kadmon, Guni; Resch, Franz; Duelli, Roman; Kadmon, Martina

2014-01-01

Background: The school-leaving GPA and the time since completion of secondary education are the major criteria for admission to German medical schools. However, the predictive value of the school-leaving grade and the admission delay have not been thoroughly examined since the amendment of the Medical Licensing Regulations and the introduction of reformed curricula in 2002. Detailed information on the prognosis of the different admission groups is also missing. Aim: To examine the predictive values of the school-leaving grade and the age at enrolment for academic performance and continuity throughout the reformed medical course. Methods: The study includes the central admission groups “GPA-best” and “delayed admission” as well as the primary and secondary local admission groups of three consecutive cohorts. The relationship between the criteria academic performance and continuity and the predictors school-leaving GPA, enrolment age, and admission group affiliation were examined up to the beginning of the final clerkship year. Results: The academic performance and the prolongation of the pre-clinical part of undergraduate training were significantly related to the school-leaving GPA. Conversely, the dropout rate was related to age at enrolment. The students of the GPA-best group and the primary local admission group performed best and had the lowest dropout rates. The students of the delayed admission group and secondary local admission group performed significantly worse. More than 20% of these students dropped out within the pre-clinical course, half of them due to poor academic performance. However, the academic performance of all of the admission groups was highly variable and only about 35% of the students of each group reached the final clerkship year within the regular time. Discussion: The school-leaving grade and age appear to have different prognostic implications for academic performance and continuity. Both factors have consequences for the delayed admission group. The academic prognosis of the secondary local admission group is as problematic as that of the delayed admission group. Additional admission instruments would be necessary, in order to recognise potentially able applicants independently of their school-leaving grade and to avoid the secondary admission procedure. PMID:24872856

Increasing Social Behaviors in Young Children with Social-Communication Delays in a Group Arrangement in Preschool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lane, Justin D.; Gast, David L.; Ledford, Jennifer R.; Shepley, Collin

2017-01-01

Young children with disabilities are less likely to display age-appropriate social behaviors than same-age peers with typical social development, especially children who display social-communication delays. In this study, two concurrently operating single case designs were used to evaluate the use of progressive time delay (PTD) to teach children…

77 FR 33718 - Taking and Importing Marine Mammals: Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Navy Training Exercises...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-07

...). Here, the Navy identifies the distance that a marine mammal is likely to travel during the time... typically travel within a given time-delay period (Table 1). Based on acoustic propagation modeling... Speed and Length of Time-Delay Potential Species group Swim speed Time-delay (min) distance traveled (yd...

Individual Differences in Maternal Stress, Child Temperament and Mother-Child Interaction with Developmentally Delayed Preschoolers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcovitch, Sharon; And Others

Parental stress and supports, child temperament and mother-child interaction in free play were assessed in three groups of families of delayed preschoolers: 40 children with Down's Syndrome, 29 children with neurological impairments, and 40 children with delayed development of unknown etiology. In addition to a number of instruments completed by…

The Effects of Aging on Time Reproduction in Delayed Free-Recall

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rakitin, B.C.; Stern, Y.; Malapani, C.

2005-01-01

The experiments presented here demonstrate that normal aging amplifies differences in time production occurring in delayed free-recall testing. Experiment 1 compared the time production ability of two healthy aged groups as well as college-aged participants. During the test session, which followed a 24-h delay and omitted all feedback and examples…

Effect of delayed diagnosis on disease course and management of Churg-Strauss syndrome: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Sokołowska, Barbara; Szczeklik, Wojciech; Mastalerz, Lucyna; Kuczia, Paweł; Wodkowski, Michał; Stodółkiewicz, Edyta; Macioł, Karolina; Musiał, Jacek

2013-03-01

Delayed diagnosis in patients with Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is largely attributed to the variable and nonspecific presentation of the disease's initial symptoms. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of delayed diagnosis on the course of CSS. We conducted a retrospective study of 30 CSS patients followed up in our department. In each patient, we assessed the delay in CSS diagnosis (the time when patients already fulfilled four out of six of the American College of Rheumatology criteria and the diagnosis was not yet established), the disease activity at the time of diagnosis, and organ involvement during CSS course. A median value of 2 weeks was chosen as the cutoff point after which the diagnosis was considered as delayed. Sixteen patients were diagnosed before (group 1) and 14 patients after this cutoff point (group 2). In group 2, we found a higher Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score at the moment of diagnosis (20.4 vs 25.1, p < 0.05) and a more severe disease course, resulting in more frequent hospitalization rates (0.64 vs 2.26/year, p < 0.00001), higher corticosteroids dose requirements (5.87 vs 11.57 mg/day converted to methylprednisolone, p < 0.0001), and additional immunosuppressive therapy administration (56.2 vs 92.8 %, p < 0.05) to maintain disease remission. All six perinuclear pattern of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibobodies (pANCA)-positive patients (20 %) were found in group 1. Concluding, the delay in diagnosis of CSS of more than 2 weeks was found to be associated with a disease course that was more severe. The presence of the pANCA antibodies may occasionally facilitate establishment of the diagnosis.

Midwives in India: a delayed cord clamping intervention using simulation.

PubMed

Faucher, M A; Riley, C; Prater, L; Reddy, M P

2016-09-01

Iron deficiency is a prevalent health problem in India affecting women and newborns. Delayed umbilical cord clamping at birth is a safe and effective means for increasing serum iron levels in newborns up to 6 months of age. The study aim was to increase the utilization of delayed cord clamping in a group of midwives working in Hyderabad, India. A single group pre- and post-test design was used to evaluate knowledge, beliefs and practice before and after a delayed cord clamping intervention including follow-up at 10 months after the original intervention. The intervention included lectures and simulation. Results show significant increases in knowledge and positive beliefs about the practice of delayed cord clamping. Simulation was effective for eliciting important feedback related to learning. Results represent a small group of midwives working with a non-profit foundation in Southern India. Language discordancy and cultural norms in this group of midwives may have influenced results. Knowledge, beliefs and practice related to delayed cord clamping were all significantly improved after the intervention. The Knowledge to Action framework using simulation is an effective cross-cultural method for implementing education about evidence-based practice. Midwives are invested in learning practices that promote public health. Changing institutional policy may have limitations without first considering normative practice. Using simulation combined with institutional health policy appears to result in significant uptake of practice change. Qualitative studies exploring the interconnections between cultural norms and decision making may be informative about promoting practice change particularly in this setting. Upscaling midwifery has been recommended to improve maternal and child health in India. © 2016 International Council of Nurses.

A modelling tool for capacity planning in acute and community stroke services.

PubMed

Monks, Thomas; Worthington, David; Allen, Michael; Pitt, Martin; Stein, Ken; James, Martin A

2016-09-29

Mathematical capacity planning methods that can take account of variations in patient complexity, admission rates and delayed discharges have long been available, but their implementation in complex pathways such as stroke care remains limited. Instead simple average based estimates are commonplace. These methods often substantially underestimate capacity requirements. We analyse the capacity requirements for acute and community stroke services in a pathway with over 630 admissions per year. We sought to identify current capacity bottlenecks affecting patient flow, future capacity requirements in the presence of increased admissions, the impact of co-location and pooling of the acute and rehabilitation units and the impact of patient subgroups on capacity requirements. We contrast these results to the often used method of planning by average occupancy, often with arbitrary uplifts to cater for variability. We developed a discrete-event simulation model using aggregate parameter values derived from routine administrative data on over 2000 anonymised admission and discharge timestamps. The model mimicked the flow of stroke, high risk TIA and complex neurological patients from admission to an acute ward through to community rehab and early supported discharge, and predicted the probability of admission delays. An increase from 10 to 14 acute beds reduces the number of patients experiencing a delay to the acute stroke unit from 1 in every 7 to 1 in 50. Co-location of the acute and rehabilitation units and pooling eight beds out of a total bed stock of 26 reduce the number of delayed acute admissions to 1 in every 29 and the number of delayed rehabilitation admissions to 1 in every 20. Planning by average occupancy would resulted in delays for one in every five patients in the acute stroke unit. Planning by average occupancy fails to provide appropriate reserve capacity to manage the variations seen in stroke pathways to desired service levels. An appropriate uplift from the average cannot be based simply on occupancy figures. Our method draws on long available, intuitive, but underused mathematical techniques for capacity planning. Implementation via simulation at our study hospital provided valuable decision support for planners to assess future bed numbers and organisation of the acute and rehabilitation services.

Generation of optimum vertical profiles for an advanced flight management system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sorensen, J. A.; Waters, M. H.

1981-01-01

Algorithms for generating minimum fuel or minimum cost vertical profiles are derived and examined. The option for fixing the time of flight is included in the concepts developed. These algorithms form the basis for the design of an advanced on-board flight management system. The variations in the optimum vertical profiles (resulting from these concepts) due to variations in wind, takeoff mass, and range-to-destination are presented. Fuel savings due to optimum climb, free cruise altitude, and absorbing delays enroute are examined.

Assessment of sella turcica area and skeletal maturation patterns of children with unilateral cleft lip and palate.

PubMed

Cesur, E; Altug, A T; Toygar-Memikoglu, U; Gumru-Celikel, D; Tagrikulu, B; Erbay, E

2018-05-01

The aim of this case-control study was to assess sella turcica area and skeletal maturity in children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and compare with those of non-cleft children. A total of 85 UCLP patients aged 7.5-17.08 years (Group 1: age 7-11 years, Group 2: age 11-14 years and Group 3: age 14-18 years) were compared with 85 control subjects without clefts who were divided into similar age groups. Hand-wrist radiographs and cervical vertebra maturation stages (CVMS) were used to evaluate growth. Lateral cephalograms were traced, and reference points of sella were determined. Sella turcica area was measured using a digital planimeter. Comparison of overall growth on hand-wrist radiographs revealed no significant difference between cleft and non-cleft subjects. However, according to the chronological age groups, Group 1-UCLP showed statistically significant delay in skeletal maturation when compared with the age-matched control subjects (P = .05). This difference was due to the delay among male subjects (P = .05). As for CVMS, more significant maturation delay was observed in Group 1-UCLP (P = .001) and was attributable to both male and female subjects (P = .05). Comparison of sella turcica area showed no significant difference between UCLP patients and controls. Although children with CLP showed significant delay in growth when they are younger compared with the non-cleft children, sella turcica area measurements were similar for individuals in both groups. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Tolerable hearing-aid delays: IV. effects on subjective disturbance during speech production by hearing-impaired subjects.

PubMed

Stone, Michael A; Moore, Brian C J

2005-04-01

We assessed the effects of time delay in a hearing aid on subjective disturbance and reading rates while the user of the aid was speaking, using hearing-impaired subjects and real-time processing. The time delay was constant across frequency. A digital signal processor was programmed as a four-channel, fast-acting, wide-dynamic-range compression hearing aid. One of four delays could be selected on the aid to produce a total delay of 13, 21, 30, or 40 msec between microphone and receiver. Twenty-five subjects, mostly with near-symmetric hearing impairment of cochlear origin, were fitted bilaterally with behind-the-ear aids connected to the processor. The aids were programmed with insertion gains prescribed by the CAMEQ loudness equalization procedure for each subject and ear. Subjects were asked to read aloud from scripts: speech production rates were measured and subjective ratings of the disturbance of the delay were obtained. Subjects required some training to recognize the effects of the delay to rate it consistently. Subjective disturbance increased progressively with increasing delay and was a nonmonotonic function of low-frequency hearing loss. Subjects with mild or severe low-frequency hearing loss were generally less disturbed by the delay than those with moderate loss. Disturbance ratings tended to decrease over successive tests. Word production rates were not significantly affected by delay over the range of delays tested. The results follow a pattern similar to those presented in , obtained using a simulation of hearing loss and normally hearing subjects, except for the nonmonotonic variation of disturbance with low-frequency hearing loss. We hypothesize that disturbance is maximal when the levels in the ear canal of the low-frequency components are similar for the unaided and aided sounds. A rating of 3, which is probably just acceptable, was obtained for delays ranging from 14 to 30 msec, depending on the hearing loss. Some acclimatization to the subjective disturbance occurred over a time scale of about 1 hour.

Assessment of progressively delayed prompts on guided skill learning in rats.

PubMed

Reid, Alliston K; Futch, Sara E; Ball, Katherine M; Knight, Aubrey G; Tucker, Martha

2017-03-01

We examined the controlling factors that allow a prompted skill to become autonomous in a discrete-trials implementation of Touchette's (1971) progressively delayed prompting procedure, but our subjects were rats rather than children with disabilities. Our prompted skill was a left-right lever-press sequence guided by two panel lights. We manipulated (a) the effectiveness of the guiding lights prompt and (b) the presence or absence of a progressively delayed prompt in four groups of rats. The less effective prompt yielded greater autonomy than the more effective prompt. The ability of the progressively delayed prompt procedure to produce behavioral autonomy depended upon characteristics of the obtained delay (trial duration) rather than on the pending prompt. Sequence accuracy was reliably higher in unprompted trials than in prompted trials, and this difference was maintained in the 2 groups that received no prompts but yielded equivalent trial durations. Overall sequence accuracy decreased systematically as trial duration increased. Shorter trials and their greater accuracy were correlated with higher overall reinforcement rates for faster responding. Waiting for delayed prompts (even if no actual prompt was provided) was associated with lower overall reinforcement rate by decreasing accuracy and by lengthening trials. These findings extend results from previous studies regarding the controlling factors in delayed prompting procedures applied to children with disabilities.

Inhaled foreign bodies: presentation, management and value of history and plain chest radiography in delayed presentation.

PubMed

Sersar, Sameh Ibrahim; Rizk, Walid Hassan; Bilal, Maha; El Diasty, Mohammed M; Eltantawy, Tarik Abudlla; Abdelhakam, Bahaa Badry; Elgamal, Adel Mohamed F; Bieh, Alaa Ali Abou

2006-01-01

To assess the clinical and management aspects of tracheobronchial foreign body (FB) in children and adults; to judge the influence of the operator's experience on the outcome of the procedure and to evaluate the factors associated with delayed diagnosis of FB aspiration (FBA) in children; and to compare clinical, radiologic and bronchoscopic findings in the patients with suspected FB inhalation (FBI). Retrospective review of a 10-year experience (from 1995 to 2005), involving a 1512-bed Mansoura university hospital and a 184-bed Mansoura emergency hospital. Three thousand three hundred patients underwent rigid bronchoscopy for suspected FBI between 1995 and 2005 in Mansoura, Egypt. The data were analyzed in 3 groups: the patients with negative bronchoscopy for FBI (group 1), early (group 2), and delayed diagnosis (group 3). Foreign body was removed using the rigid bronchoscope with or without using the extracting forceps (Egyptian novel technique; Sersar technique). The penetration syndrome and decreased breath sounds were determined in a significantly higher number of the patients with FBI. The plain chest radiography revealed radiopaque foreign bodies (FBs) in 23.56% of all patients with FBI. Pneumonia and atelectasis were more common in the groups with negative bronchoscopy and with delayed diagnosis (P < 0.01). The FBs were mostly of vegetable origin, such as seeds and peanuts. The Egyptian novel (Sersar) technique was used since 2004 April in 100 cases (4.62%) with a history of FBI (pins and or small rounded materials). It was successful in 73 cases of nonimpacted inhaled pins. Bronchoscopy is indicated on appropriate history and on suspicion. To prevent delayed diagnosis, characteristic symptoms, and clinical and radiologic signs of FBI should be checked in all suspected cases. Because clinical and radiologic findings of FBI in delayed cases may mimic other disorders, the clinician must be aware of the likelihood of FBI. C-4.

Intermittent catheterization with a hydrophilic-coated catheter delays urinary tract infections in acute spinal cord injury: a prospective, randomized, multicenter trial.

PubMed

Cardenas, Diana D; Moore, Katherine N; Dannels-McClure, Amy; Scelza, William M; Graves, Daniel E; Brooks, Monifa; Busch, Anna Karina

2011-05-01

To investigate whether intermittent catheterization (IC) with a hydrophilic-coated catheter delays the onset of the first symptomatic urinary tract infection (UTI) and reduces the number of symptomatic UTIs in patients with acute spinal cord injury (SCI) compared with IC with standard, uncoated catheters. A prospective, randomized, parallel-group trial. Fifteen North American SCI centers. Participants were followed up while in the hospital or rehabilitation unit (institutional period) and up to 3 months after institutional discharge (community period). The maximal study period was 6 months. A total of 224 subjects with traumatic SCI of less than 3 months' duration who use IC. The participants were randomized within 10 days of starting IC to either single-use hydrophilic-coated (SpeediCath) or polyvinyl chloride uncoated (Conveen) catheters. The time from the first catheterization to the first antibiotic-treated symptomatic UTI was measured as well as the total number of symptomatic UTIs during the study period. The time to the first antibiotic-treated symptomatic UTI was significantly delayed in the hydrophilic-coated catheter group compared with the uncoated catheter group. The delay corresponded to a 33% decrease in the daily risk of developing the first symptomatic UTI among participants who used the hydrophilic-coated catheter. In the institutional period, the incidence of antibiotic-treated symptomatic UTIs was reduced by 21% (P < .05) in the hydrophilic-coated catheter group. The use of a hydrophilic-coated catheter for IC is associated with a delay in the onset of the first antibiotic-treated symptomatic UTI and with a reduction in the incidence of symptomatic UTI in patients with acute SCI during the acute inpatient rehabilitation. Using a hydrophilic-coated catheter could minimize UTI-related complications, treatment costs, and rehabilitation delays in this group of patients, and reduce the emergence of antibiotic-resistant organisms. Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nonlinear femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy using a power-encoded soliton delay line.

PubMed

Saint-Jalm, Sarah; Andresen, Esben Ravn; Bendahmane, Abdelkrim; Kudlinski, Alexandre; Rigneault, Hervé

2016-01-01

We show femtosecond time-resolved nonlinear pump-probe spectroscopy using a fiber soliton as the probe pulse. Furthermore, we exploit soliton dynamics to record an entire transient trace with a power-encoded delay sweep. The power-encoded delay line takes advantage of the dependency of the soliton trajectory in the (λ,z) space upon input power; the difference in accumulated group delay between trajectories converts a fast power sweep into a fast delay sweep. We demonstrate the concept by performing transient absorption spectroscopy in a test sample and validate it against a conventional pump-probe setup.

Risk factors for delay in symptomatic presentation: a survey of cancer patients

PubMed Central

Forbes, L J L; Warburton, F; Richards, M A; Ramirez, A J

2014-01-01

Background: Delay in symptomatic presentation leading to advanced stage at diagnosis may contribute to poor cancer survival. To inform public health approaches to promoting early symptomatic presentation, we aimed to identify risk factors for delay in presentation across several cancers. Methods: We surveyed 2371 patients with 15 cancers about nature and duration of symptoms using a postal questionnaire. We calculated relative risks for delay in presentation (time from symptom onset to first presentation >3 months) by cancer, symptoms leading to diagnosis and reasons for putting off going to the doctor, controlling for age, sex and deprivation group. Results: Among 1999 cancer patients reporting symptoms, 21% delayed presentation for >3 months. Delay was associated with greater socioeconomic deprivation but not age or sex. Patients with prostate (44%) and rectal cancer (37%) were most likely to delay and patients with breast cancer least likely to delay (8%). Urinary difficulties, change of bowel habit, systemic symptoms (fatigue, weight loss and loss of appetite) and skin symptoms were all common and associated with delay. Overall, patients with bleeding symptoms were no more likely to delay presentation than patients who did not have bleeding symptoms. However, within the group of patients with bleeding symptoms, there were significant differences in risk of delay by source of bleeding: 35% of patients with rectal bleeding delayed presentation, but only 9% of patients with urinary bleeding. A lump was a common symptom but not associated with delay in presentation. Twenty-eight percent had not recognised their symptoms as serious and this was associated with a doubling in risk of delay. Embarrassment, worry about what the doctor might find, being too busy to go to the doctor and worry about wasting the doctor's time were also strong risk factors for delay, but were much less commonly reported (<6%). Interpretation: Approaches to promote early presentation should aim to increase awareness of the significance of cancer symptoms and should be designed to work for people of the lowest socioeconomic status. In particular, awareness that rectal bleeding is a possible symptom of cancer should be raised. PMID:24918824

Naturally Inspired Firefly Controller For Stabilization Of Double Inverted Pendulum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srikanth, Kavirayani; Nagesh, Gundavarapu

2015-12-01

A double inverted pendulum plant as an established model that is analyzed as part of this work was tested under the influence of time delay, where the controller was fine tuned using a firefly algorithm taking into considering the fitness function of variation of the cart position and to minimize the cart position displacement and still stabilize it effectively. The naturally inspired algorithm which imitates the fireflies definitely is an energy efficient method owing to the inherent logic of the way the fireflies respond collectively and has shown that critical time delays makes the system healthy.

Effect of delayed polymerization time and bracket manipulation on orthodontic bracket bonding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponikvar, Michael J.

This study examined the effect of bracket manipulation in combination with delayed polymerization times on orthodontic bracket shear bond strength and degree of resin composite conversion. Orthodontics brackets were bonded to extracted third molars in a simulated oral environment after a set period of delayed polymerization time and bracket manipulation. After curing the bracket adhesive, each bracket underwent shear bond strength testing followed by micro-Raman spectroscopy analysis to measure the degree of conversion of the resin composite. Results demonstrated the shear bond strength and the degree of conversion of ceramic brackets did not vary over time. However, with stainless steel brackets there was a significant effect (p ≤ 0.05) of delay time on shear bond strength between the 0.5 min and 10 min bracket groups. In addition, stainless steel brackets showed significant differences related to degree of conversion over time between the 0.5 min and 5 min groups, in addition to the 0.5 min and 10 min groups. This investigation suggests that delaying bracket adhesive polymerization up to a period of 10 min then adjusting the orthodontic bracket may increase both shear bond strength and degree of conversion of stainless steel brackets while having no effect on ceramic brackets.

Assessment of atrial electromechanical delay and left atrial mechanical functions in patients with psoriasis vulgaris.

PubMed

Aksan, Gökhan; Nar, Gökay; Soylu, Korhan; İnci, Sinan; Yuksel, Serkan; Ocal, Hande Serra; Yuksel, Esra Pancar; Gulel, Okan

2015-04-01

Increased frequency of atrial fibrillation (AF) has been demonstrated in psoriasis cases. Prolongation of the duration of atrial electromechanical delay (AEMD) is a well-known characteristic of the atrium, which is vulnerable to AF. In the current study, our aims are to investigate AEMD durations and mechanical functions of the left atrium (LA) in patients with psoriasis. A total of 90 patients, 45 with psoriasis vulgaris and 45 as the control group, were included in the study. Atrial electromechanical coupling (PA) and intra- and inter-atrial electromechanical delay (IA-AEMD) were measured with tissue Doppler echocardiography. P-wave dispersion (PWD) was calculated from the 12-lead electrocardiogram. The severity of the disease was evaluated by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index. The durations of PA lateral and PA septal were significantly high in the psoriasis group when compared with the control group (47.7 ± 9.8 vs. 57.1 ± 8.4 msec, P < 0.001 and 38.6 ± 9.9 vs. 43.6 ± 8 msec, P = 0.016, respectively). The durations of IA-AEMD, intra-right electromechanical delay, and intra-left electromechanical delay in the psoriasis group were significantly prolonged compared with the control group (15.2 ± 4.1 vs. 21.7 ± 5.6 msec, P < 0.001; 6 ± 2.5 vs. 8.7 ± 2.7 msec, P < 0.001; and 9.1 ± 3.9 vs. 13.5 ± 5.2 msec, P < 0.001; respectively). PWD was significantly higher in patients with psoriasis vulgaris compared with controls (36.1 ± 7.9 vs. 40.2 ± 9.1 msec, P = 0.043). In the present study, we found prolongation in the durations of AEMD and PWD in the psoriasis group compared with the control group. These results might be an early predictor of AF and other arrhythmias. © 2014, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Optical Path Difference Fluctations at the CHARA Interferometric Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merand, A.; ten Brummelaar, T. A.; McAlister, H. A.; Ridgway, S. T.; Sturmann, J.; Sturmann, L.; Turner, N. H.; Bagnuolo, W. G.; Hrynevych, M.; Shure, M. A.

2001-05-01

Commissioning observations at the CHARA Array have been carried out with the two south telescopes, with a telescope separation of 34 meters. Due to the size of the array (>340 meters across) and the optical delay geometry, the beams travel horizontal distances of approximately 200 meters, with a number of reflections in the telescope coude area and the optical delay and beam combination areas. Stellar and laboratory observations have been analyzed to determine the variations of the optical path, as revealed by shifts in the interference pattern. The power spectra of the OPD variations are diagnostic of the atmospheric turbulence characteristics, and of any internal vibrations in the laboratory. Results of the OPD analysis will be compared to similar studies at other interferometric facilities. The CHARA Array, a six-telescope O/IR interferometric array operated by Georgia State University on Mt. Wilson, Calfornia, was funded by the National Science Foundation, the W.M. Keck Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and Georgia State University.

Global characteristics of stream flow seasonality and variability

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dettinger, M.D.; Diaz, Henry F.

2000-01-01

Monthly stream flow series from 1345 sites around the world are used to characterize geographic differences in the seasonality and year-to-year variability of stream flow. Stream flow seasonality varies regionally, depending on the timing of maximum precipitation, evapotranspiration, and contributions from snow and ice. Lags between peaks of precipitation and stream flow vary smoothly from long delays in high-latitude and mountainous regions to short delays in the warmest sectors. Stream flow is most variable from year to year in dry regions of the southwest United States and Mexico, the Sahel, and southern continents, and it varies more (relatively) than precipitation in the same regions. Tropical rivers have the steadiest flows. El Nin??o variations are correlated with stream flow in many parts of the Americas, Europe, and Australia. Many stream flow series from North America, Europe, and the Tropics reflect North Pacific climate, whereas series from the eastern United States, Europe, and tropical South America and Africa reflect North Atlantic climate variations.

Cost Averted With Timely Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in the Management of Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection in Alberta, Canada.

PubMed

Waye, Arianna; Atkins, Kerry; Kao, Dina

2016-10-01

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is highly effective in treating recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (RCDI). However, the ideal timing for offering FMT remains to be determined. Furthermore, the direct medical costs averted with timely FMT have not been examined. A retrospective review of the Edmonton FMT program database included patients who received FMT for RCDI (October 2012 to September 2014). They were divided into 2 groups: those who received FMT after 2 recurrences (the timely FMT group) and those who received FMT after at least 3 recurrences (the delayed FMT group). The primary outcome was the difference in direct medical costs related to hospital admissions and emergency room visits due to CDI between the 2 groups. The secondary outcomes were RCDI cure rate and duration of RCDI in each group. A total of 75 patients were included: 30 received timely FMT, whereas 45 received delayed FMT. The mean difference in hospital length of stay and emergency room visits related to CDI were 13.8 days shorter and 1.3 visits fewer with timely FMT, associated with a mean cost saving of $29,842 per patient. Sensitivity analysis was performed to examine the effect of outliers and comorbities on the differential costs, and it was found that the differences in average cost per patient were more pronounced in those with Charlson comorbidity index ≥3 compared with those with scores of 0 to 2. The cure rate was 94% (timely FMT group) and 93% (delayed FMT group). The mean duration of RCDI was 109 days (timely FMT group) and 281 days (delayed FMT group). Timely FMT can provide significant cost savings to health-care systems, especially for patients with multiple comorbidities.

Thyroidectomy as Primary Treatment Optimizes BMI in Patients with Hyperthyroidism

PubMed Central

Schneider, David F.; Nookala, Ratnam; Jaraczewski, Taylor J.; Chen, Herbert; Solorzano, Carmen C.; Sippel, Rebecca S.

2014-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine how the timing of thyroidectomy influenced postoperative weight change. Methods We conducted a two institution study, identifying patients treated with total thyroidectomy for hyperthyroidism. Patients were classified as “early” if they were referred for surgery as the first treatment option or “delayed” if they were previously treated with radioactive iodine. Groups were compared with the student's t-test or Chi-squared test where appropriate. Results There were 204 patients undergoing thyroidectomy for hyperthyroidsim. 171 patients were classified as early and 33 were delayed. Overall, patients gained 6.0% ± 0.8 of their preoperative body weight at last follow-up. Preoperative BMIs were similar between groups (p= 0.98), and the median follow-up time was 388 days (range 15 – 1,584 days). Both groups gained weight until they achieved a normal TSH postoperatively. After achieving a normal TSH, the early group stabilized or lost weight (-0.2 lbs/day) while the delayed group continued to gain weight (0.02 lbs/day, p = 0.61). At last follow-up, there were significantly more patients in the delayed group who increased their BMI category compared to the early group (42.4% vs. 21.6%, p = 0.01). Twice as many patients in the delayed group moved up or into an unhealthy BMI category (overweight or obese) compared to the early group (39.4% vs. 19.3%, p = 0.01). Conclusions Compared to patients initially treated with radioactive iodine, patients with hyperthyroidism who underwent surgery as the first treatment were less likely to become overweight or obese postoperatively. PMID:24522995

Neurological Development of Children With Isolated Robin Sequence Treated With Nasopharyngeal Intubation in Early Infancy.

PubMed

Alencar, Tatiane Romanini Rodrigues; Marques, Ilza Lazarini; Bertucci, Alvaro; Prado-Oliveira, Rosana

2017-05-01

The study assessed the neurodevelopment of children with isolated Robin sequence (IRS) and evaluated if children treated exclusively with nasopharyngeal intubation (NPI) present delay in neurological development. The prospective and cross-sectional study was conducted at the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, Brazil. Children with IRS were divided into two groups according to the type of treatment in early infancy: 38 were treated with NPI (more severe cases) and 24 with postural treatment (less severe cases). Regarding interventions, children were assessed at 2 to 6 years of age using the Denver II Developmental Screening Test (Denver II) and Neurological Evolutionary Examination (NEE). According to Denver II, 73.7% in the NPI group and 79.2% in the postural group presented normal development. This result was similar to the results of different studies in the literature with typical population. Considering all areas of development, there were no significant differences in Denver II between the NPI and postural groups (P = .854). In the NPI group, 89.5% of children and 87.5% in the postural group presented normal development in NEE. Language was the most affected area, as 18.4% and 20.8% of children in NPI and postural group, respectively, presented risk for delay in the Denver II. The increased risk for delay in language area was probably due to anatomical conditions of the muscles involved in speech, and to hearing oscillations, as 47.4% in NPI group and 58.3% in postural group underwent myringotomy. IRS treated with NPI had neurological development similar to those in less severe cases. Children treated exclusively with NPI did not present delay in neurological development.

Hazard perception skills of young drivers with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can be improved with computer based driver training: An exploratory randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Bruce, C R; Unsworth, C A; Dillon, M P; Tay, R; Falkmer, T; Bird, P; Carey, L M

2017-12-01

Young drivers with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are at higher risk of road traffic injuries than their peers. Increased risk correlates with poor hazard perception skill. Few studies have investigated hazard perception training using computer technology with this group of drivers. *Determine the presence and magnitude of the between-group and within- subject change in hazard perception skills in young drivers with ADHD who receive Drive Smart training. *Determine whether training-facilitated change in hazard perception is maintained over time. This was a feasibility study, randomised control trial conducted in Australia. The design included a delayed treatment for the control group. Twenty-five drivers with a diagnosis of ADHD were randomised to the Immediate Intervention or Delayed Intervention group.The Immediate Intervention group received a training session using a computer application entitled Drive Smart. The Delayed Intervention group watched a documentary video initially (control condition), followed by the Drive Smart computer training session. The participant's hazard perception skill was measured using the Hazard Perception Test (HPT). After adjusting for baseline scores, there was a significant betweengroup difference in post-intervention HPT change scores in favour of the Immediate Intervention group. The magnitude of the effect was large. There was no significant within-group delayed intervention effect. A significant maintenance effect was found at 6-week follow-up for the Immediate Intervention group. The hazard perception skills of participants improved following training with large effect size and some maintenance of gain. A multimodal approach to training is indicated to facilitate maintenance. A full-scale trial is feasible. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spectral characterization of differential group delay in uniform fiber Bragg gratings.

PubMed

Bette, S; Caucheteur, C; Wuilpart, M; Mégret, P; Garcia-Olcina, R; Sales, S; Capmany, J

2005-12-12

In this paper, we completely study the wavelength dependency of differential group delay (DGD) in uniform fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) exhibiting birefringence. An analytical expression of DGD is established. We analyze the impact of grating parameters (physical length, index modulation and apodization profile) on the wavelength dependency of DGD. Experimental results complete the paper. A very good agreement between theory and experience is reported.

Improving Early Reading Skills in Young Children through an iPad App: Small-Group Instruction and Observational Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chai, Zhen

2017-01-01

This study evaluated the effectiveness of using a researcher-developed iPad app with a 0- to 5-s constant time delay procedure to improve phonological awareness skills of young children with mild developmental delays in a small-group arrangement in a rural public elementary school in Southwest United States. The study was conducted using a…

Data-Gathering Scheme Using AUVs in Large-Scale Underwater Sensor Networks: A Multihop Approach

PubMed Central

Khan, Jawaad Ullah; Cho, Ho-Shin

2016-01-01

In this paper, we propose a data-gathering scheme for hierarchical underwater sensor networks, where multiple Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are deployed over large-scale coverage areas. The deployed AUVs constitute an intermittently connected multihop network through inter-AUV synchronization (in this paper, synchronization means an interconnection between nodes for communication) for forwarding data to the designated sink. In such a scenario, the performance of the multihop communication depends upon the synchronization among the vehicles. The mobility parameters of the vehicles vary continuously because of the constantly changing underwater currents. The variations in the AUV mobility parameters reduce the inter-AUV synchronization frequency contributing to delays in the multihop communication. The proposed scheme improves the AUV synchronization frequency by permitting neighboring AUVs to share their status information via a pre-selected node called an agent-node at the static layer of the network. We evaluate the proposed scheme in terms of the AUV synchronization frequency, vertical delay (node→AUV), horizontal delay (AUV→AUV), end-to-end delay, and the packet loss ratio. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme significantly reduces the aforementioned delays without the synchronization time-out process employed in conventional works. PMID:27706042

Data-Gathering Scheme Using AUVs in Large-Scale Underwater Sensor Networks: A Multihop Approach.

PubMed

Khan, Jawaad Ullah; Cho, Ho-Shin

2016-09-30

In this paper, we propose a data-gathering scheme for hierarchical underwater sensor networks, where multiple Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are deployed over large-scale coverage areas. The deployed AUVs constitute an intermittently connected multihop network through inter-AUV synchronization (in this paper, synchronization means an interconnection between nodes for communication) for forwarding data to the designated sink. In such a scenario, the performance of the multihop communication depends upon the synchronization among the vehicles. The mobility parameters of the vehicles vary continuously because of the constantly changing underwater currents. The variations in the AUV mobility parameters reduce the inter-AUV synchronization frequency contributing to delays in the multihop communication. The proposed scheme improves the AUV synchronization frequency by permitting neighboring AUVs to share their status information via a pre-selected node called an agent-node at the static layer of the network. We evaluate the proposed scheme in terms of the AUV synchronization frequency, vertical delay (node→AUV), horizontal delay (AUV→AUV), end-to-end delay, and the packet loss ratio. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme significantly reduces the aforementioned delays without the synchronization time-out process employed in conventional works.

Individual dispersal delays in a cooperative breeder: Ecological constraints, the benefits of philopatry and the social queue for dominance.

PubMed

Nelson-Flower, Martha J; Wiley, Elizabeth M; Flower, Tom P; Ridley, Amanda R

2018-03-20

Delayed dispersal is a key step in the evolution of familial animal societies and cooperative breeding. However, no consensus has been reached on the ecological and social circumstances driving delayed dispersal. Here, we test predictions from the ecological constraints and benefits of philopatry hypotheses as well as the recently proposed dual benefits hypothesis to better understand the evolution of group-living and cooperative breeding. Furthermore, we consider how individual social circumstances within groups affect dispersal decisions. We examine 11 years of life-history information on a wild population of cooperatively breeding southern pied babblers Turdoides bicolor. We investigate the effects of ecological conditions, natal-group membership and individual social context on male and female dispersal delays, disperser survival and acquisition of dominance. Female dispersal decisions are generally unconstrained by ecological or social circumstances. In contrast, males disperse in response to relaxed ecological constraints, decreases in nepotistic tolerance or when low social rank in the queue for dominance decreases their likelihood of gaining a dominant breeding position. Early dispersal by end-of-queue males often leads to a head-of-queue subordinate position in a non-natal group, thereby increasing access to dominant breeding positions. However, males and females remaining in natal groups gain benefits of philopatry via increased survival and, for head-of-queue males, very high likelihood of acquisition of a breeding position. Overall, predictions from the dual benefits hypothesis best describe these results, while some predictions from each of the ecological constraints and benefits of philopatry hypotheses were supported. The benefits of living and working together (collective action benefits) in large stable groups are of central importance in shaping dispersal delays in southern pied babbler societies. In addition, position in the subordinate social queue for dominance is the key in determining access to reproduction, particularly for males. This research highlights the importance of considering the costs and benefits of individual social circumstances in dispersal decisions and illustrates how the dual benefits hypothesis offers new perspectives in understanding delayed dispersal. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2018 British Ecological Society.

Variation in seed dormancy quantitative trait loci in Arabidopsis thaliana originating from one site.

PubMed

Silady, Rebecca A; Effgen, Sigi; Koornneef, Maarten; Reymond, Matthieu

2011-01-01

A Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) analysis was performed using two novel Recombinant Inbred Line (RIL) populations, derived from the progeny between two Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes collected at the same site in Kyoto (Japan) crossed with the reference laboratory strain Landsberg erecta (Ler). We used these two RIL populations to determine the genetic basis of seed dormancy and flowering time, which are assumed to be the main traits controlling life history variation in Arabidopsis. The analysis revealed quantitative variation for seed dormancy that is associated with allelic variation at the seed dormancy QTL DOG1 (for Delay Of Germination 1) in one population and at DOG6 in both. These DOG QTL have been previously identified using mapping populations derived from accessions collected at different sites around the world. Genetic variation within a population may enhance its ability to respond accurately to variation within and between seasons. In contrast, variation for flowering time, which also segregated within each mapping population, is mainly governed by the same QTL.

Incidence of delayed hair re-growth, pruritus, and urinary retention after epidural anaesthesia in dogs.

PubMed

Kalchofner Guerrero, K S; Guerrero, T G; Schweizer-Kölliker, M; Ringer, S K; Hässig, M; Bettschart-Wolfensberger, R

2014-04-16

Delayed hair re-growth, pruritus and urinary retention are known complications after epidural anaesthesia in dogs. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the effect of epidurally administered drugs on the occurrence of these complications in dogs. Ninety dogs were included in this study. Eighty client-owned dogs undergoing surgery were randomly assigned to one of three epidural treatment groups: either morphine and bupivacaine (MB), bupivacaine (B), or saline solution 0.9% (S) was administered epidurally to these patients. Ten dogs were only clipped in the lumbosacral area (C). Follow-up started 4 weeks after clipping and was performed every 4-5 weeks in cases of delayed hair re-growth or pruritus. Hair re-growth in the lumbosacral area was observed and compared to hair re-growth in the surgical field and the fentanyl patch area. Cytological analysis and a trichogram were performed if hair re-growth was delayed after 6 months. Time interval to first urination postoperatively was recorded (n = 80). Hair re-growth was delayed in 11 dogs (12.2%; B: n = 7, S: n = 2, MB: n = 1, C: n = 1) with no differences between groups. Pruritus was evident in two dogs (2.2%; MB: n = 1, S: n = 1). After 6 months, hair had started to re-grow in all but one dog (B). After 10 months the coat of this dog had re-grown. Time to first urination did not differ between groups. No direct correlation between the particular drugs injected epidurally and delayed hair re-growth, pruritus and urinary retention could be shown. Dog owners should be informed that hair re-growth after epidural anaesthesia could be markedly delayed.

Assessing renal function with daclizumab induction and delayed tacrolimus introduction in liver transplant recipients.

PubMed

Calmus, Yvon; Kamar, Nassim; Gugenheim, Jean; Duvoux, Christophe; Ducerf, Christian; Wolf, Philippe; Samuel, Didier; Vanlemmens, Claire; Neau-Cransac, Martine; Salamé, Ephrem; Chazouillères, Olivier; Declerck, Nicole; Pageaux, Georges-Philippe; Dubel, Laurence; Rostaing, Lionel

2010-06-27

Calcineurin inhibitor-induced renal dysfunction is a major problem in liver transplantation. Interleukin-2 receptor antagonist induction followed by delayed tacrolimus (Tac) administration may minimize the renal insult without compromising immunoprotection. This open, randomized, multicenter trial evaluated the benefit of daclizumab induction with delayed Tac on renal function at 6 months; an observational study was continued for 18 months. Liver transplant patients with a 12-hr serum creatinine (SrC) level less than 180 micromol/L received either delayed Tac with daclizumab induction (n=98) or standard Tac (n=101) both combined with mycophenolate mofetil and steroids. The primary endpoint was the incidence of SrC level more than 130 micrommol/L at 6 months. The incidence was 22.4% with delayed Tac and 29.7% with standard Tac (P=ns), which remained unchanged at 12 months (21.6% and 23.9%) but increasing slightly at 24 months (29.0% and 32.9%), respectively. A post hoc analysis of renal function was done based on patients stratification by SrC at 12 hr (100 micromol/L) showing no difference in SrC values at 6 months regardless of the 12-hr values despite a trend toward better estimated glomerular filtration rate for patients with 12-hr value less than 100 micromol/L in the delayed Tac group. Biopsy-proven acute rejection was similar at 6 months (17.5% and 18.75%), 12 months (23.5% and 23.8%), and 24 months (24.5% and 25.7%), respectively. Patient and graft survival in both groups were comparable and good. Similar types and incidences of adverse events were reported in both groups at all time. Delay of Tac does not benefit renal function in liver transplant recipients with a good renal function at baseline.

Using the Three Delays Model to Examine Civil Registration Barriers in Indonesia.

PubMed

Bennouna, Cyril; Feldman, Brooke; Usman, Rahmadi; Adiputra, Rama; Kusumaningrum, Santi; Stark, Lindsay

2016-01-01

The Three Delays Model has proven a useful framework for examining barriers to seeking obstetric care and preventing maternal and child mortality. This article demonstrates the applicability of the Three Delays Model to the case of civil registration in rural Indonesia and examines ways that efforts to strengthen civil registration services can draw on lessons from maternal and child health programming. Twenty focus group discussions were conducted using a participatory ranking exercise in four Indonesian districts. Focus groups were stratified into four groups: (1) government officials involved in civil registration, (2) civil society organization members that assist communities in civil registration, and (3) female and (4) male community members. Transcripts were analyzed using constant comparative method and thematic analysis, revealing barriers that communities commonly faced in accessing civil registration services. In examining the categories and themes related to these barriers, the research team found a significant overlap with the factors and phases of the Three Delays Model. Participants were delayed from seeking registration services by a range of sociocultural factors and by the perceived inaccessibility and poor quality of services. Once they decided to seek care, long distances to services and poor transportation options delayed their access to registration offices. Finally, a series of bottlenecks in service provision created extended delays once applicants reached registration offices. Ownership of civil registration documents in Indonesia remains exceptionally low, with just over half of children and youth possessing a birth certificate. To strengthen civil registration and health systems more generally, it is important to understand the factors that enable and constrain civil registration, how these factors relate to one another, and how they change over a child's life.

Using the Three Delays Model to Examine Civil Registration Barriers in Indonesia

PubMed Central

Bennouna, Cyril; Feldman, Brooke; Usman, Rahmadi; Adiputra, Rama; Kusumaningrum, Santi

2016-01-01

The Three Delays Model has proven a useful framework for examining barriers to seeking obstetric care and preventing maternal and child mortality. This article demonstrates the applicability of the Three Delays Model to the case of civil registration in rural Indonesia and examines ways that efforts to strengthen civil registration services can draw on lessons from maternal and child health programming. Twenty focus group discussions were conducted using a participatory ranking exercise in four Indonesian districts. Focus groups were stratified into four groups: (1) government officials involved in civil registration, (2) civil society organization members that assist communities in civil registration, and (3) female and (4) male community members. Transcripts were analyzed using constant comparative method and thematic analysis, revealing barriers that communities commonly faced in accessing civil registration services. In examining the categories and themes related to these barriers, the research team found a significant overlap with the factors and phases of the Three Delays Model. Participants were delayed from seeking registration services by a range of sociocultural factors and by the perceived inaccessibility and poor quality of services. Once they decided to seek care, long distances to services and poor transportation options delayed their access to registration offices. Finally, a series of bottlenecks in service provision created extended delays once applicants reached registration offices. Ownership of civil registration documents in Indonesia remains exceptionally low, with just over half of children and youth possessing a birth certificate. To strengthen civil registration and health systems more generally, it is important to understand the factors that enable and constrain civil registration, how these factors relate to one another, and how they change over a child’s life. PMID:27992515

Global Hopf bifurcation analysis on a BAM neural network with delays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Chengjun; Han, Maoan; Pang, Xiaoming

2007-01-01

A delayed differential equation that models a bidirectional associative memory (BAM) neural network with four neurons is considered. By using a global Hopf bifurcation theorem for FDE and a Bendixon's criterion for high-dimensional ODE, a group of sufficient conditions for the system to have multiple periodic solutions are obtained when the sum of delays is sufficiently large.

Memory consolidation in aging and MCI after 1 week

PubMed Central

Walsh, Christine M; Wilkins, Sarah; Bettcher, Brianne Magouirk; Butler, Christopher R; Miller, Bruce L; Kramer, Joel H

2014-01-01

Objective To assess consolidation in amnestic mild cognitive (aMCI) impairment, controlling for differences in initial learning and using a protracted delay period for recall. Methods Fifteen individuals with MCI were compared to fifteen healthy older adult controls on a story learning task. Subjects were trained to criteria to equalize initial learning across subjects. Recall was tested at both the 30-minute typically used delay and a 1-week delay used to target consolidation. Results Using repeated measures ANOVAs adjusted for age, we found group × time point interactions across the entire task between the final trial and 30-minute delay, and again between the 30-minute and 1-week delay periods, with MCI having greater declines in recall as compared to controls. Significant group main effects were also found, with MCI recalling less than controls. Conclusion Consolidation was impaired in aMCI as compared to controls. Our findings indicate that MCI-related performance typically measured at 30 minutes underestimates MCI-associated memory deficits. This is the first study to isolate consolidation by controlling for initial learning differences and using a protracted delay period to target consolidation in an MCI sample. PMID:24219610

Family Caregiver Depressive Symptom and Grief Outcomes From the ENABLE III Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Dionne-Odom, J Nicholas; Azuero, Andres; Lyons, Kathleen D; Hull, Jay G; Prescott, Anna T; Tosteson, Tor; Frost, Jennifer; Dragnev, Konstantin H; Bakitas, Marie A

2016-09-01

Little is known about whether early palliative care (EPC) support for family caregivers (CGs) impacts depressive symptoms and grief after care recipients die. To assess after-death CG depressive symptom and grief scores for early compared to delayed group CGs. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (10/2010-9/2013) of an EPC telehealth intervention for CGs (n = 123) initiated at the time of care recipients' advanced cancer diagnosis (early group) or 12 weeks later (delayed group) in a rural comprehensive cancer center, affiliated clinics, and a Veterans Administration medical center. The ENABLE [Educate, Nurture, Advise, Before Life Ends] CG intervention consisted of three weekly sessions, monthly follow-up, and a bereavement call. CGs completed the Center for Epidemiological Study-Depression (CES-D) scale and the Prigerson Inventory of Complicated Grief-Short Form (PG13) 8-12 weeks after care recipients' deaths. Crude and covariate-adjusted between-group differences were estimated and tested using general linear models. For care recipients who died (n = 70), 44 CGs (early: n = 19; delayed: n = 25) completed after-death questionnaires. Mean depressive symptom scores (CES-D) for the early group was 14.6 (SD = 10.7) and for the delayed group was 17.6 (SD = 11.8). Mean complicated grief scores (PG13) for the early group was 22.7 (SD = 4.9) and for the delayed group was 24.9 (SD = 6.9). Adjusted between-group differences were not statistically significant (CES-D: d = 0.07, P = 0.88; PG13: d = -0.21, P = 0.51). CGs' depressive symptom and complicated grief scores 8-12 weeks after care recipients' deaths were not statistically different based on the timing of EPC support. The impact of timing of CG EPC interventions on CGs bereavement outcomes requires further investigation. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Controlled patterns of daytime light exposure improve circadian adjustment in simulated night work.

PubMed

Dumont, Marie; Blais, Hélène; Roy, Joanie; Paquet, Jean

2009-10-01

Circadian misalignment between the endogenous circadian signal and the imposed rest-activity cycle is one of the main sources of sleep and health troubles in night shift workers. Timed bright light exposure during night work can reduce circadian misalignment in night workers, but this approach is limited by difficulties in incorporating bright light treatment into most workplaces. Controlled light and dark exposure during the daytime also has a significant impact on circadian phase and could be easier to implement in real-life situations. The authors previously described distinctive light exposure patterns in night nurses with and without circadian adaptation. In the present study, the main features of these patterns were used to design daytime light exposure profiles. Profiles were then tested in a laboratory simulation of night work to evaluate their efficacy in reducing circadian misalignment in night workers. The simulation included 2 day shifts followed by 4 consecutive night shifts (2400-0800 h). Healthy subjects (15 men and 23 women; 20-35 years old) were divided into 3 groups to test 3 daytime light exposure profiles designed to produce respectively a phase delay (delay group, n=12), a phase advance (advance group, n=13), or an unchanged circadian phase (stable group, n=13). In all 3 groups, light intensity was set at 50 lux during the nights of simulated night work. Salivary dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) showed a significant phase advance of 2.3 h (+/-1.3 h) in the advance group and a significant phase delay of 4.1 h (+/-1.3 h) in the delay group. The stable group showed a smaller but significant phase delay of 1.7 h (+/-1.6 h). Urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s) acrophases were highly correlated to salivary DLMOs. Urinary aMT6s acrophases were used to track daily phase shifts. They showed that phase shifts occurred rapidly and differed between the 3 groups by the 3rd night of simulated night work. These results show that significant phase shifts can be achieved in night workers by controlling daytime light exposure, with no nighttime intervention.

Spontaneous ignition delay characteristics of hydrocarbon fuel-air mixtures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lefebvre, A. H.; Freeman, W. G.; Cowell, L. H.

1986-01-01

The influence of pressure on the autoignition characteristics of homogeneous mixtures of hydrocarbon fuels in air is examined. Autoignition delay times are measured for propane, ethylene, methane, and acetylene in a continuous flow apparatus featuring a multi-point fuel injector. Results are presented for mixture temperatures from 670K to 1020K, pressures from 1 to 10 atmospheres, equivalence ratios from 0.2 to 0.7, and velocities from 5 to 30 m/s. Delay time is related to pressure, temperature, and fuel concentration by global reaction theory. The results show variations in global activation energy from 25 to 38 kcal/kg-mol, pressure exponents from 0.66 to 1.21, and fuel concentration exponents from 0.19 to 0.75 for the fuels studied. These results are generally in good agreement with previous studies carried out under similar conditions.

Rap system of stress stimulation can promote bone union after lower tibial bone fracture: a clinical research.

PubMed

Yao, Jian-fei; Shen, Jia-zuo; Li, Da-kun; Lin, Da-sheng; Li, Lin; Li, Qiang; Qi, Peng; Lian, Ke-jian; Ding, Zhen-qi

2012-01-01

Lower tibial bone fracture may easily cause bone delayed union or nonunion because of lacking of dynamic mechanical load. Research Group would design a new instrument as Rap System of Stress Stimulation (RSSS) to provide dynamic mechanical load which would promote lower tibial bone union postoperatively. This clinical research was conducted from January 2008 to December 2010, 92 patients(male 61/female 31, age 16-70 years, mean 36.3 years) who suffered lower tibial bone closed fracture were given intramedullary nail fixation and randomly averagely separated into experimental group and control group(according to the successively order when patients went for the admission procedure). Then researchers analysed the clinical healing time, full weight bearing time, VAS (Visual Analogue Scales) score and callus growth score of Lane-Sandhu in 3,6,12 months postoperatively. The delayed union and nonunion rates were compared at 6 and 12 months separately. All the 92 patients had been followed up (mean 14 months). Clinical bone healing time in experimental group was 88.78±8.80 days but control group was 107.91±9.03 days. Full weight bearing time in experimental group was 94.07±9.81 days but control group was 113.24±13.37 days respectively (P<0.05). The delayed union rate in 6 months was 4.3% in experimental group but 10.9% in control group(P<0.05). The nonunion rate in 12 months was 6.5% in experimental group but 19.6% in control group(P<0.05). In 3, 6, 12 months postoperatively, VAS score and Lane-Sandhu score in experimental group had more significantly difference than them in control group. RSSS can intermittently provide dynamic mechanical load and stimulate callus formation, promote lower tibial bone union, reduce bone delayed union or nonunion rate. It is an adjuvant therapy for promoting bone union after lower tibial bone fracture.

Corrections of stratified tropospheric delays in SAR interferometry: Validation with global atmospheric models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doin, Marie-Pierre; Lasserre, Cécile; Peltzer, Gilles; Cavalié, Olivier; Doubre, Cécile

2010-05-01

The main limiting factor on the accuracy of Interferometric SAR measurements (InSAR) comes from phase propagation delays through the troposphere. The delay can be divided into a stratified component, which correlates with the topography and often dominates the tropospheric signal, and a turbulent component. We use Global Atmospheric Models (GAM) to estimate the stratified phase delay and delay-elevation ratio at epochs of SAR acquisitions, and compare them to observed phase delay derived from SAR interferograms. Three test areas are selected with different geographic and climatic environments and with large SAR archive available. The Lake Mead, Nevada, USA is covered by 79 ERS1/2 and ENVISAT acquisitions, the Haiyuan Fault area, Gansu, China, by 24 ERS1/2 acquisitions, and the Afar region, Republic of Djibouti, by 91 Radarsat acquisitions. The hydrostatic and wet stratified delays are computed from GAM as a function of atmospheric pressure P, temperature T, and water vapor partial pressure e vertical profiles. The hydrostatic delay, which depends on ratio P/T, varies significantly at low elevation and cannot be neglected. The wet component of the delay depends mostly on the near surface specific humidity. GAM predicted delay-elevation ratios are in good agreement with the ratios derived from InSAR data away from deforming zones. Both estimations of the delay-elevation ratio can thus be used to perform a first order correction of the observed interferometric phase to retrieve a ground motion signal of low amplitude. We also demonstrate that aliasing of daily and seasonal variations in the stratified delay due to uneven sampling of SAR data significantly bias InSAR data stacks or time series produced after temporal smoothing. In all three test cases, the InSAR data stacks or smoothed time series present a residual stratified delay of the order of the expected deformation signal. In all cases, correcting interferograms from the stratified delay removes all these biases. We quantify the standard error associated with the correction of the stratified atmospheric delay. It varies from one site to another depending on the prevailing atmospheric conditions, but remains bounded by the standard deviation of the daily fluctuations of the stratified delay around the seasonal average. Finally we suggest that the phase delay correction can potentially be improved by introducing a non-linear dependence to the elevation derived from GAM.

Corrections of stratified tropospheric delays in SAR interferometry: Validation with global atmospheric models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doin, M.-P.; Lasserre, C.; Peltzer, G.; Cavalié, O.; Doubre, C.

2009-09-01

The main limiting factor on the accuracy of Interferometric SAR measurements (InSAR) comes from phase propagation delays through the troposphere. The delay can be divided into a stratified component, which correlates with the topography and often dominates the tropospheric signal, and a turbulent component. We use Global Atmospheric Models (GAM) to estimate the stratified phase delay and delay-elevation ratio at epochs of SAR acquisitions, and compare them to observed phase delay derived from SAR interferograms. Three test areas are selected with different geographic and climatic environments and with large SAR archive available. The Lake Mead, Nevada, USA is covered by 79 ERS1/2 and ENVISAT acquisitions, the Haiyuan Fault area, Gansu, China, by 24 ERS1/2 acquisitions, and the Afar region, Republic of Djibouti, by 91 Radarsat acquisitions. The hydrostatic and wet stratified delays are computed from GAM as a function of atmospheric pressure P, temperature T, and water vapor partial pressure e vertical profiles. The hydrostatic delay, which depends on ratio P/ T, varies significantly at low elevation and cannot be neglected. The wet component of the delay depends mostly on the near surface specific humidity. GAM predicted delay-elevation ratios are in good agreement with the ratios derived from InSAR data away from deforming zones. Both estimations of the delay-elevation ratio can thus be used to perform a first order correction of the observed interferometric phase to retrieve a ground motion signal of low amplitude. We also demonstrate that aliasing of daily and seasonal variations in the stratified delay due to uneven sampling of SAR data significantly bias InSAR data stacks or time series produced after temporal smoothing. In all three test cases, the InSAR data stacks or smoothed time series present a residual stratified delay of the order of the expected deformation signal. In all cases, correcting interferograms from the stratified delay removes all these biases. We quantify the standard error associated with the correction of the stratified atmospheric delay. It varies from one site to another depending on the prevailing atmospheric conditions, but remains bounded by the standard deviation of the daily fluctuations of the stratified delay around the seasonal average. Finally we suggest that the phase delay correction can potentially be improved by introducing a non-linear dependence to the elevation derived from GAM.

Treatment reduction for children and young adults with low-risk acute lymphoblastic leukaemia defined by minimal residual disease (UKALL 2003): a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Vora, Ajay; Goulden, Nick; Wade, Rachel; Mitchell, Chris; Hancock, Jeremy; Hough, Rachael; Rowntree, Clare; Richards, Sue

2013-03-01

Minimal residual disease (MRD) is the most sensitive and specific predictor of relapse risk in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) during remission. We assessed whether treatment intensity could be adjusted for children and young adults according to MRD risk stratification. Between Oct 1, 2003 and June 30, 2011, consecutive children and young adults (aged 1-25 years) with ALL from the UK and Ireland were recruited. Eligible patients were categorised into clinical standard, intermediate, and high risk groups on the basis of a combination of National Cancer Institute (NCI) criteria, cytogenetics, and early response to induction therapy, which was assessed by bone marrow blast counts taken at days 8 (NCI high-risk patients) and 15 (NCI standard-risk patients) after induction began. Clinical standard-risk and intermediate-risk patients were assessed for MRD. Those classified as MRD low risk (undetectable MRD at the end of induction [day 29] or detectable MRD at day 29 that became undetectable by week 11) were randomly assigned to receive one or two delayed intensification courses. Patients had received induction, consolidation, and interim maintenance therapy before they began delayed intensification. Delayed intensification consisted of pegylated asparaginase on day 4; vincristine, dexamethasone (alternate weeks), and doxorubicin for 3 weeks; and 4 weeks of cyclophosphamide and cytarabine. Computer randomisation was done with stratification by MRD result and balancing for sex, age, and white blood cell count at diagnosis by method of minimisation. Patients, clinicians, and data analysts were not masked to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was event-free survival (EFS), which was defined as time to relapse, secondary tumour, or death. Our aim was to rule out a 7% reduction in EFS in the group given one delayed intensification course relative to that given two delayed intensification courses. Analyses were by intention to treat. This trial is registered, number ISRCTN07355119. Of 3207 patients registered in the trial overall, 521 MRD low-risk patients were randomly assigned to receive one (n=260) or two (n=261) delayed intensification courses. Median follow-up of these patients was 57 months (IQR 42-72). We recorded no significant difference in EFS between the group given one delayed intensification (94·4% at 5 years, 95% CI 91·1-97·7) and that given two delayed intensifications (95·5%, 92·8-98·2; unadjusted odds ratio 1·00, 95% CI 0·43-2·31; two-sided p=0·99). The difference in 5-year EFS between the two groups was 1·1% (95% CI -5·6 to 2·5). 11 patients (actuarial relapse at 5 years 5·6%, 95% CI 2·3-8·9) given one delayed intensification and six (2·4%, 0·2-4·6) given two delayed intensifications relapsed (p=0·23). Three patients (1·2%, 0-2·6) given two delayed intensifications died of treatment-related causes compared with none in the group given one delayed intensification (p=0·08). We recorded no significant difference between groups for serious adverse events and grade 3 or 4 toxic effects; however, the second delayed intensification course was associated with one (<1%) treatment-related death, and 74 episodes of grade 3 or 4 toxic effects in 45 patients (17%). Treatment reduction is feasible for children and young adults with ALL who are predicted to have a low risk of relapse on the basis of rapid clearance of MRD by the end of induction therapy. Medical Research Council and Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developmental Trajectories for Children With Dyslexia and Low IQ Poor Readers

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Reading difficulties are found in children with both high and low IQ and it is now clear that both groups exhibit difficulties in phonological processing. Here, we apply the developmental trajectories approach, a new methodology developed for studying language and cognitive impairments in developmental disorders, to both poor reader groups. The trajectory methodology enables identification of atypical versus delayed development in datasets gathered using group matching designs. Regarding the cognitive predictors of reading, which here are phonological awareness, phonological short-term memory (PSTM) and rapid automatized naming (RAN), the method showed that trajectories for the two groups diverged markedly. Children with dyslexia showed atypical development in phonological awareness, while low IQ poor readers showed developmental delay. Low IQ poor readers showed atypical PSTM and RAN development, but children with dyslexia showed developmental delay. These divergent trajectories may have important ramifications for supporting each type of poor reader, although all poor readers showed weakness in all areas. Regarding auditory processing, the developmental trajectories were very similar for the two poor reader groups. However, children with dyslexia demonstrated developmental delay for auditory discrimination of Duration, while the low IQ children showed atypical development on this measure. The data show that, regardless of IQ, poor readers have developmental trajectories that differ from typically developing children. The trajectories approach enables differences in trajectory classification to be identified across poor reader group, as well as specifying the individual nature of these trajectories. PMID:27110928

Genetic basis of delay discounting in frequent gamblers: examination of a priori candidates and exploration of a panel of dopamine-related loci

PubMed Central

Gray, Joshua C; MacKillop, James

2014-01-01

Introduction Delay discounting is a behavioral economic index of impulsivity that reflects preferences for small immediate rewards relative to larger delayed rewards. It has been consistently linked to pathological gambling and other forms of addictive behavior, and has been proposed to be a behavioral characteristic that may link genetic variation and risk of developing addictive disorders (i.e., an endophenotype). Studies to date have revealed significant associations with polymorphisms associated with dopamine neurotransmission. The current study examined associations between delay discounting and both previously linked variants and a novel panel of dopamine-related variants in a sample of frequent gamblers. Methods Participants were 175 weekly gamblers of European ancestry who completed the Monetary Choice Questionnaire to assess delay discounting preferences and provided a DNA via saliva. Results In a priori tests, two loci previously associated with delayed reward discounting (rs1800497 and rs4680) were not replicated, however, the long form of DRD4 VNTR was significantly associated with lower discounting of delayed rewards. Exploratory analysis of the dopamine-related panel revealed 11 additional significant associations in genes associated with dopamine synthesis, breakdown, reuptake, and receptor function (DRD3, SLC6A3, DDC, DBH, and SLC18A2). An aggregate genetic risk score from the nominally significant loci accounted for 17% of the variance in discounting. Mediational analyses largely supported the presence of indirect effects between the associated loci, delay discounting, and pathological gambling severity. Conclusions These findings do not replicate previously reported associations but identify several novel candidates and provide preliminary support for a systems biology approach to understand the genetic basis of delay discounting. PMID:25365808

Reorganization of equivalence classes: effects of preliminary training and meaningful stimuli.

PubMed

Arntzen, Erik; Nartey, Richard K; Fields, Lanny

2018-05-01

In Condition 1, adults learned the baseline relations for the three equivalence classes A1-B1-C1-D1-E1, A2-B2-C2-D2-E2, and A3-B3-C3-D3-E3. Classes contained abstract shapes in the ABS and four preliminary training groups. Each class in the PIC group contained one picture and four abstract shapes. Before class formation for four other groups, preliminary training involved establishing identity (CC) or arbitrary (CX) relations either with or without a delay. Without preliminary training, classes formed with low and high likelihoods in the ABS and PIC groups, respectively. Preliminary training with no delay produced modest increases in class formation, while preliminary training with delay produced large increases in class formation. Condition 2 replicated Condition 1 but with training of reassigned BC and CD relations that linked C from one class to B and D from another class: B1-C2, B2-C3, B3-C1, C2-D1, C3-D2, and C1-D3. Subsequent tests assessed the emergence of the reorganized classes A1-B1-C2-D1-E1, A2-B2-C3-D2-E2, and A3-B3-C1-D3-E3. All preliminary training procedures increased likelihood of forming the reorganized classes to the level seen in the PIC group. Greater gains were produced by preliminary training with no delays than with delays. Test performances also showed how preliminary training influenced baseline acquisition speed and participant-defined relations. © 2018 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Reading Comprehension in Quiet and in Noise: Effects on Immediate and Delayed Recall in Relation to Tinnitus and High-Frequency Hearing Thresholds.

PubMed

Brännström, K Jonas; Waechter, Sebastian

2018-06-01

A common complaint by people with tinnitus is that they experience that the tinnitus causes attention and concentration problems. Previous studies have examined how tinnitus influences cognitive performance on short and intensive cognitive tasks but without proper control of hearing status. To examine the impact tinnitus and high-frequency hearing thresholds have on reading comprehension in quiet and in background noise. A between-group design with matched control participants. One group of participants with tinnitus (n = 20) and an age and gender matched control group without tinnitus (n = 20) participated. Both groups had normal hearing thresholds (20 dB HL at frequencies 0.125 to 8 kHz). Measurements were made assessing hearing thresholds and immediate and delayed recall using a reading comprehension test in quiet and in noise. All participants completed the Swedish version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and participants with tinnitus also completed the Tinnitus Questionnaire. The groups did not differ in immediate nor delayed recall. Accounting for the effect of age, a significant positive correlation was found between best ear high-frequency pure tone average (HF-PTA; 10000, 12500, and 14000 Hz) and the difference score between immediate and delayed recall in noise. Tinnitus seems to have no effect on immediate and delayed recall in quiet or in background noise when hearing status is controlled for. The detrimental effect of background noise on the processes utilized for efficient encoding into long-term memory is larger in participants with better HF-PTA. More specifically, when reading in noise, participants with better HF-PTA seem to recall less information than participants with poorer HF-PTA. American Academy of Audiology.

Retrieval cue and delay interval influence the relationship between prospective memory and activities of daily living in older adults.

PubMed

Tierney, Savanna M; Bucks, Romola S; Weinborn, Michael; Hodgson, Erica; Woods, Steven Paul

2016-01-01

Older adults commonly experience mild declines in everyday functioning and the strategic aspects of prospective memory (PM). This study used multiprocess theory to examine whether the strategic demands of retrieval cue type (event vs. time based) and delay interval length (2 vs. 15 min) influence the relationship between PM and activities of daily living (ADLs) in older adults. Participants included 97 community-dwelling older adults recruited from the Western Australia Participant Pool. Participants were administered the Memory for Intentions Screening Test (MIST) and Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ) as part of a larger neurocognitive assessment. A knowledgeable informant completed the Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire (ADLQ), from which a cutpoint of ≥ 1 was used to classify participants into "ADL normal" (n = 37) or "mild ADL problems" (n = 60) groups. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) controlling for age was conducted with ADL group as the between-subjects factor and either MIST or PRMQ cue and delay scores as the within-subjects factors. We observed a significant ADL group by PM interaction on the MIST, with pair-wise analyses showing that the mild ADL problems group performed worse than ADL normal participants on the 15-min time-based scale (p < .001, Cohen's d = 0.71). No other MIST or PRMQ cue-delay variable differed between the two ADL groups (ps > .10). Findings indicate that decrements in strategically demanding cue monitoring and detection over longer PM delays may partly explain older adults' mild problems in everyday functioning. Findings may inform neuropsychological interventions aimed at maintaining ADL independence and enhancing quality of life in older adults.

Relatively short diagnostic delays (<8 hours) produce morbidity and mortality in blunt small bowel injury: an analysis of time to operative intervention in 198 patients from a multicenter experience.

PubMed

Fakhry, S M; Brownstein, M; Watts, D D; Baker, C C; Oller, D

2000-03-01

Blunt small bowel injury (SBI) is uncommon, and its timely diagnosis may be difficult. The impact of operative delays on morbidity and mortality has been unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of diagnostic delays to morbidity and mortality in blunt SBI. Patients with blunt SBI with perforation were identified from the registries of eight trauma centers (1989-1997). Patients with duodenal injuries were excluded. Data were extracted by individual chart review. Patients were classified as multi-trauma (group 1) or near-isolated SBI (group 2 with Abbreviated Injury Scale score < 2 for other body areas). Time to operation and its impact on mortality and morbidity was determined for each patient. A total of 198 patients met inclusion criteria: 66.2% were male, mean age was 35.2 years (range, 1-90 years) and mean Injury Severity Score was 16.7 (range, 9-47). 100 patients had multiple injuries (group 1). There were 21 deaths (10.6%) with 9 (4.5%) attributable to delay in operation for SBI. In patients with near-isolated SBI, the incidence of mortality increased with time to operative intervention (within 8 hours: 2%; 8-16 hours: 9.1%; 16-24 hours: 16.7%; greater than 24 hours: 30.8%, p = 0.009) as did the incidence of complications. Delays as short as 8 hours 5 minutes and 11 hours 15 minutes were associated with mortality attributable to SBI. The rates of delay in diagnosis were not significantly associated with age, gender, intoxication, transfer status, or presence of associated injuries. Delays in the diagnosis of SBI are directly responsible for almost half the deaths in this series. Even relatively brief delays (as little as 8 hours) result in morbidity and mortality directly attributable to "missed" SBI. Further investigation into the prompt diagnosis of this injury is needed.

Effects of delayed treatment with combined GDNF and continuous electrical stimulation on spiral ganglion cell survival in deafened guinea pigs.

PubMed

Scheper, Verena; Paasche, Gerrit; Miller, Josef M; Warnecke, Athanasia; Berkingali, Nurdanat; Lenarz, Thomas; Stöver, Timo

2009-05-01

Electrical stimulation (ES) of spiral ganglion cells (SGC) via a cochlear implant is the standard treatment for profound sensor neural hearing loss. However, loss of hair cells as the morphological correlate of sensor neural hearing loss leads to deafferentation and death of SGC. Although immediate treatment with ES or glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) can prevent degeneration of SGC, only few studies address the effectiveness of delayed treatment. We hypothesize that both interventions have a synergistic effect and that even delayed treatment would protect SGC. Therefore, an electrode connected to a pump was implanted into the left cochlea of guinea pigs 3 weeks after deafening. The contralateral untreated cochleae served as deafened intraindividual controls. Four groups were set up. Control animals received intracochlear infusion of artificial perilymph (AP/-). The experimental groups consisted of animals treated with AP in addition to continuous ES (AP/ES) or treated with GDNF alone (GDNF/-) or GDNF combined with continuous ES (GDNF/ES). Acoustically and electrically evoked auditory brain stem responses were recorded. All animals were killed 48 days after deafening; their cochleae were histologically evaluated. Survival of SGC increased significantly in the GDNF/- and AP/ES group compared with the AP/- group. A highly significant increase in SGC density was observed in the GDNF/ES group compared with the control group. Additionally, animals in the GDNF/ES group showed reduced EABR thresholds. Thus, delayed treatment with GDNF and ES can protect SGC from degeneration and may improve the benefits of cochlear implants.

Puberty, sexual milestones and abuse: how are they related in eating disorder patients?

PubMed

Schmidt, U; Evans, K; Tiller, J; Treasure, J

1995-03-01

In order to assess the relationship pubertal development, sexual milestones and childhood sexual abuse in women with eating disorders, 44 patients with restricting anorexia nervosa (RAN), 26 with bulimic anorexia nervosa (BAN), 29 with bulimia nervosa and also with a history of anorexia nervosa (BN/HistAN), and 69 with bulimia nervosa but without a history of anorexia nervosa (BN) completed questionnaires on pubertal and sexual development and unpleasant sexual experiences. Forty-four female college students complete the sexual development questionnaire only. Different eating disorder groups were found to be similar in terms of their pubertal development. All eating disorder groups showed delays in aspects of their psychosexual development (age at first kiss, masturbation, genital fondling and first sexual intercourse) compared with the control group, although to a different degree. The RAN group was delayed on almost all sexual milestones whereas the other groups were delayed on only some. On some variables, most noticeably on first sexual intercourse, restricters also were more delayed than the other eating disorder groups. Similarly, the median number of sexual partners differed significantly between groups (RAN = 1, BAN = 2, BN/HistAN = 4, BN = 4, controls = 5, P < 0.0001). Eating disorder patients, in particular RAN patients, were less positive about sexual relationships than controls, but did not differ from controls in attitudes to masturbation, marriage, children or pregnancy. Of the eating disorder patients 22-31% had been sexually abused during childhood. A history of abuse affected attitudes to masturbation, but did not appear to affect sexual development.

Timing of urinary catheter removal after uncomplicated total abdominal hysterectomy: a prospective randomized trial.

PubMed

Ahmed, Magdy R; Sayed Ahmed, Waleed A; Atwa, Khaled A; Metwally, Lobna

2014-05-01

To assess whether immediate (0h), intermediate (after 6h) or delayed (after 24h) removal of an indwelling urinary catheter after uncomplicated abdominal hysterectomy can affect the rate of re-catheterization due to urinary retention, rate of urinary tract infection, ambulation time and length of hospital stay. Prospective randomized controlled trial conducted at Suez Canal University Hospital, Egypt. Two hundred and twenty-one women underwent total abdominal hysterectomy for benign gynecological diseases and were randomly allocated into three groups. Women in group A (73 patients) had their urinary catheter removed immediately after surgery. Group B (81 patients) had the catheter removed 6h post-operatively while in group C (67 patients) the catheter was removed after 24h. The main outcome measures were the frequency of urinary retention, urinary tract infections, ambulation time and length of hospital stay. There was a significantly higher number of urinary retention episodes requiring re-catheterization in the immediate removal group compared to the intermediate and delayed removal groups (16.4% versus 2.5% and 0% respectively). Delayed urinary catheter removal was associated with a higher incidence of urinary tract infections (15%), delayed ambulation time (10.3h) and longer hospital stay (5.6 days) compared to the early (1.4%, 4.1h and 3.2 days respectively) and intermediate (3.7%, 6.8h and 3.4 days respectively) removal groups. Removal of the urinary catheter 6h postoperatively appears to be more advantageous than early or late removal in cases of uncomplicated total abdominal hysterectomy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Serum neuron-specific enolase as an early predictor of delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae in patients with acute carbon monoxide poisoning.

PubMed

Cha, Y S; Kim, H; Do, H H; Kim, H I; Kim, O H; Cha, K-C; Lee, K H; Hwang, S O

2018-03-01

Delayed onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms after apparent recovery from acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning has been described as delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae (DNS). To date, there have been no studies on the utility of serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE), a marker of neuronal cell damage, as a predictive marker of DNS in acute CO poisoning. This retrospective observational study was performed on adult patients with acute CO poisoning consecutively treated over a 9-month period. Serum NSE was measured after emergency department arrival, and patients were divided into two groups. The DNS group comprised patients with delayed sequelae, while the non-DNS group included patients with none of these sequelae. A total of 98 patients with acute CO poisoning were enrolled in this study. DNS developed in eight patients. The median NSE value was significantly higher in the DNS group than in the non-DNS group. There was a statistical difference between the non-DNS group and the DNS group in terms of CO exposure time, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), loss of consciousness, creatinine kinase, and troponin I. GCS and NSE were the early predictors of development of DNS. The area under the curve according to the receiver operating characteristic curves of GCS, serum NSE, and GCS combined with serum NSE were 0.922, 0.836, and 0.969, respectively. In conclusion, initial GCS and NSE served as early predictors of development of DNS. Also, NSE might be a useful additional parameter that could improve the prediction accuracy of initial GCS.

Spectral models for early time SN 2011fe observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baron, E.; Hoeflich, P.; Friesen, Brian; Sullivan, M.; Hsiao, E.; Ellis, R. S.; Gal-Yam, A.; Howell, D. A.; Nugent, P. E.; Dominguez, I.; Krisciunas, K.; Phillips, M. M.; Suntzeff, N.; Wang, L.; Thomas, R. C.

2015-12-01

We use observed UV through near-IR spectra to examine whether SN 2011fe can be understood in the framework of Branch-normal Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) and to examine its individual peculiarities. As a benchmark, we use a delayed-detonation model with a progenitor metallicity of Z⊙/20. We study the sensitivity of features to variations in progenitor metallicity, the outer density profile, and the distribution of radioactive nickel. The effect of metallicity variations in the progenitor have a relatively small effect on the synthetic spectra. We also find that the abundance stratification of SN 2011fe resembles closely that of a delayed-detonation model with a transition density that has been fit to other Branch-normal SNe Ia. At early times, the model photosphere is formed in material with velocities that are too high, indicating that the photosphere recedes too slowly or that SN 2011fe has a lower specific energy in the outer ≈0.1 M⊙ than does the model. We discuss several explanations for the discrepancies. Finally, we examine variations in both the spectral energy distribution and in the colours due to variations in the progenitor metallicity, which suggests that colours are only weak indicators for the progenitor metallicity, in the particular explosion model that we have studied. We do find that the flux in the U band is significantly higher at maximum light in the solar metallicity model than in the lower metallicity model and the lower metallicity model much better matches the observed spectrum.

Conjugate observation of electron microburst groups by Bremsstrahlung X-ray and riometer techniques

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

Siren, J.C.; Rosenberg, T.J.; Detrick, D.

1980-12-01

The first evidence is reported of simultaneous conjugate electron microburst group precipitation. Groups of bremsstrahlung X ray microbursts (E>25 keV) were observed during a substorm recovery phase by a balloon-borne scintillation counter over Roberval, Quebec, Canada. The microburst groups were accompanied one-to-one by time-delayed and broadened pulses of ionospheric absorption measured by a high sensitivity 30-MHz riometer at Siple Station, Antarctica (Lapprox. =4.1). For the interval of highest correlation, the absolute lag between the two data sets was 4 +- 1 s, to the limit of the relative timing accuracy. Approximately 2 s of the observed lag had been introducesmore » by a low-pass filter in the riometer data acquistion unit. The remainder (2 s) was due to the ionospheric recombination process, which evidently had a response time (tauapprox.5 s) during this event much shorter than that ordinarily associated with the D region of the ionosphere. Model calculations of the ionspheric response to time-varying precipitation, derived from the profile of the measurement X ray flux, provide a consistent picture of simultaneous microburst group precipitation at conjugate points, absolute absorption and the electron spectrum derived from X rays, the degree of variation in absorption and X ray fluxes, and the characteristic ionospheric time constant at the altitude of maximum energy deposition.« less

Minimalist-design, high-functionality, micro-ring resonator-based optical filter with narrow linewidth and low group delay using Looped Back Over- and Under-coupled Resonator (LOBOUR)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Bo; Dingel, Benjamin B.; Cui, Weili

2013-01-01

We present a minimalist design but high functionality micro-ring resonator based optical filter with narrow linewidth and low group delay using a novel design we called LOBOUR for LOoped-Back Over- and Under- Coupled Resonator (LOBOUR). The characteristics of both narrow linewidth and low group delay (low chromatic dispersion) generally do not come together especially when using a single ring resonator. The Cascaded Over- and Under-Coupled Resonator (COUR) design was able to achieve this goal but introduced many practical fabrication issues. Here, we present an alternative design to COUR which uses only one ring resonator and without fabrication and manufacturing issues. It can achieve 50 dB extinction ratio and tens of ps performance. We also present important parameter selection mapping for LOBOUR.

Ultra-low-power and robust digital-signal-processing hardware for implantable neural interface microsystems.

PubMed

Narasimhan, S; Chiel, H J; Bhunia, S

2011-04-01

Implantable microsystems for monitoring or manipulating brain activity typically require on-chip real-time processing of multichannel neural data using ultra low-power, miniaturized electronics. In this paper, we propose an integrated-circuit/architecture-level hardware design framework for neural signal processing that exploits the nature of the signal-processing algorithm. First, we consider different power reduction techniques and compare the energy efficiency between the ultra-low frequency subthreshold and conventional superthreshold design. We show that the superthreshold design operating at a much higher frequency can achieve comparable energy dissipation by taking advantage of extensive power gating. It also provides significantly higher robustness of operation and yield under large process variations. Next, we propose an architecture level preferential design approach for further energy reduction by isolating the critical computation blocks (with respect to the quality of the output signal) and assigning them higher delay margins compared to the noncritical ones. Possible delay failures under parameter variations are confined to the noncritical components, allowing graceful degradation in quality under voltage scaling. Simulation results using prerecorded neural data from the sea-slug (Aplysia californica) show that the application of the proposed design approach can lead to significant improvement in total energy, without compromising the output signal quality under process variations, compared to conventional design approaches.

Individual variation in the neural processes of motor decisions in the stop signal task: the influence of novelty seeking and harm avoidance personality traits.

PubMed

Hu, Jianping; Lee, Dianne; Hu, Sien; Zhang, Sheng; Chao, Herta; Li, Chiang-Shan R

2016-06-01

Personality traits contribute to variation in human behavior, including the propensity to take risk. Extant work targeted risk-taking processes with an explicit manipulation of reward, but it remains unclear whether personality traits influence simple decisions such as speeded versus delayed responses during cognitive control. We explored this issue in an fMRI study of the stop signal task, in which participants varied in response time trial by trial, speeding up and risking a stop error or slowing down to avoid errors. Regional brain activations to speeded versus delayed motor responses (risk-taking) were correlated to novelty seeking (NS), harm avoidance (HA) and reward dependence (RD), with age and gender as covariates, in a whole brain regression. At a corrected threshold, the results showed a positive correlation between NS and risk-taking responses in the dorsomedial prefrontal, bilateral orbitofrontal, and frontopolar cortex, and between HA and risk-taking responses in the parahippocampal gyrus and putamen. No regional activations varied with RD. These findings demonstrate that personality traits influence the neural processes of executive control beyond behavioral tasks that involve explicit monetary reward. The results also speak broadly to the importance of characterizing inter-subject variation in studies of cognition and brain functions.

Local equilibrium and the second law of thermodynamics for irreversible systems with thermodynamic inertia.

PubMed

Glavatskiy, K S

2015-10-28

Validity of local equilibrium has been questioned for non-equilibrium systems which are characterized by delayed response. In particular, for systems with non-zero thermodynamic inertia, the assumption of local equilibrium leads to negative values of the entropy production, which is in contradiction with the second law of thermodynamics. In this paper, we address this question by suggesting a variational formulation of irreversible evolution of a system with non-zero thermodynamic inertia. We introduce the Lagrangian, which depends on the properties of the normal and the so-called "mirror-image" systems. We show that the standard evolution equations, in particular, the Maxwell-Cattaneo-Vernotte equation, can be derived from the variational procedure without going beyond the assumption of local equilibrium. We also argue that the second law of thermodynamics in non-equilibrium should be understood as a consequence of the variational procedure and the property of local equilibrium. For systems with instantaneous response this leads to the standard requirement of the local instantaneous entropy production being always positive. However, if a system is characterized by delayed response, the formulation of the second law of thermodynamics should be altered. In particular, the quantity, which is always positive, is not the instantaneous entropy production, but the entropy production averaged over a proper time interval.

Serotonin Transporter Promoter Region (5-HTTLPR) Polymorphism Is Not Associated With Paroxetine-Induced Ejaculation Delay in Dutch Men With Lifelong Premature Ejaculation

PubMed Central

Janssen, Paddy K.C.; Zwinderman, Aeilko H.; Olivier, Berend

2014-01-01

Purpose To investigate the association between the 5-HT-transporter-gene-linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR) polymorphism and 20-mg paroxetine-induced ejaculation delay in men with lifelong premature ejaculation (LPE). Materials and Methods This was a prospective study of 10 weeks of paroxetine treatment in 54 men with LPE. Intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT) was measured by stopwatch. Controls consisted of 92 Caucasian men. All men with LPE were genotyped for the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism. Allele frequencies and genotypes of short (S) and long (L) variants of the polymorphism were compared between patients and controls. Associations between the LL, SL, and SS genotypes and fold increase of mean IELT were investigated. Results Of the 54 patients, 43 (79.6%) responded to 20-mg paroxetine treatment with an ejaculation delay, whereas 11 patients (20.4%) did not respond; 44%, 18%, and 18% of the patients showed a fold increase in mean IELT of 2-10, 10-20, and more than 20, respectively. Of the 54 men, 14 (25.9%) had the LL genotype, 29 (53.7%) had the SL genotype, and 11 (20.4%) had the SS genotype. In the 92 controls, the LL, SL, and SS genotypes were present in 27 (29.3%), 41 (44.6%), and 24 (26.1%), respectively. No statistically significant differences were found in 5-HTTLPR allelic variations or in 5-HTTLPR gene variations. In all men treated with 20 mg paroxetine, analysis of variance of the natural logarithm of fold increase in the IELT showed no statistically significant difference according to genotype (p=0.83). Conclusions The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism is not associated with daily 20-mg paroxetine treatment-induced ejaculation delay in men with LPE. PMID:24578810

The Genetic Control of Reproductive Development under High Ambient Temperature.

PubMed

Ejaz, Mahwish; von Korff, Maria

2017-01-01

Ambient temperature has a large impact on reproductive development and grain yield in temperate cereals. However, little is known about the genetic control of development under different ambient temperatures. Here, we demonstrate that in barley (Hordeum vulgare), high ambient temperatures accelerate or delay reproductive development depending on the photoperiod response gene PHOTOPERIOD1 (Ppd-H1) and its upstream regulator EARLY FLOWERING3 (HvELF3). A natural mutation in Ppd-H1 prevalent in spring barley delayed floral development and reduced the number of florets and seeds per spike, while the wild-type Ppd-H1 or a mutant Hvelf3 allele accelerated floral development and maintained the seed number under high ambient temperatures. High ambient temperature delayed the expression phase and reduced the amplitude of clock genes and repressed the floral integrator gene FLOWERING LOCUS T1 independently of the genotype. Ppd-H1-dependent variation in flowering time under different ambient temperatures correlated with relative expression levels of the BARLEY MADS-box genes VERNALIZATION1 (HvVRN1), HvBM3, and HvBM8 in the leaf. Finally, we show that Ppd-H1 interacts with regulatory variation at HvVRN1. Ppd-H1 only accelerated floral development in the background of a spring HvVRN1 allele with a deletion in the regulatory intron. The full-length winter Hvvrn1 allele was strongly down-regulated, and flowering was delayed by high temperatures irrespective of Ppd-H1 Our findings demonstrate that the photoperiodic and vernalization pathways interact to control flowering time and floret fertility in response to ambient temperature in barley. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

The Genetic Control of Reproductive Development under High Ambient Temperature1[OPEN

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Ambient temperature has a large impact on reproductive development and grain yield in temperate cereals. However, little is known about the genetic control of development under different ambient temperatures. Here, we demonstrate that in barley (Hordeum vulgare), high ambient temperatures accelerate or delay reproductive development depending on the photoperiod response gene PHOTOPERIOD1 (Ppd-H1) and its upstream regulator EARLY FLOWERING3 (HvELF3). A natural mutation in Ppd-H1 prevalent in spring barley delayed floral development and reduced the number of florets and seeds per spike, while the wild-type Ppd-H1 or a mutant Hvelf3 allele accelerated floral development and maintained the seed number under high ambient temperatures. High ambient temperature delayed the expression phase and reduced the amplitude of clock genes and repressed the floral integrator gene FLOWERING LOCUS T1 independently of the genotype. Ppd-H1-dependent variation in flowering time under different ambient temperatures correlated with relative expression levels of the BARLEY MADS-box genes VERNALIZATION1 (HvVRN1), HvBM3, and HvBM8 in the leaf. Finally, we show that Ppd-H1 interacts with regulatory variation at HvVRN1. Ppd-H1 only accelerated floral development in the background of a spring HvVRN1 allele with a deletion in the regulatory intron. The full-length winter Hvvrn1 allele was strongly down-regulated, and flowering was delayed by high temperatures irrespective of Ppd-H1. Our findings demonstrate that the photoperiodic and vernalization pathways interact to control flowering time and floret fertility in response to ambient temperature in barley. PMID:28049855