Oral Chinese Herbal Medicine Combined with Pharmacotherapy for Stable COPD: A Systematic Review of Effect on BODE Index and Six Minute Walk Test

PubMed Central

Chen, Xiankun; May, Brian; Di, Yuan Ming; Zhang, Anthony Lin; Lu, Chuanjian; Xue, Charlie Changli; Lin, Lin

2014-01-01

This systematic review evaluated the effects of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) plus routine pharmacotherapy (RP) on the objective outcome measures BODE index, 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) in individuals with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Searches were conducted of six English and Chinese databases (PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, CNKI and CQVIP) from their inceptions until 18th November 2013 for randomized controlled trials involving oral administration of CHM plus RP compared to the same RP, with BODE Index and/or 6MWT/D as outcomes. Twenty-five studies were identified. BODE Index was used in nine studies and 6MWT/D was used in 22 studies. Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Weaknesses were identified in most studies. Six studies were judged as ‘low’ risk of bias for randomisation sequence generation. Twenty-two studies involving 1,834 participants were included in the meta-analyses. The main meta-analysis results showed relative benefits for BODE Index in nine studies (mean difference [MD] −0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] −0.94, −0.47) and 6MWT/D in 17 studies (MD 54.61 meters, 95%CI 33.30, 75.92) in favour of the CHM plus RP groups. The principal plants used were Astragalus membranaceus, Panax ginseng and Cordyceps sinensis. A. membranaceus was used in combination with other herbs in 18 formulae in 16 studies. Detailed sub-group and sensitivity analyses were conducted. Clinically meaningful benefits for BODE Index and 6MWT were found in multiple studies. These therapeutic effects were promising but need to be interpreted with caution due to variations in the CHMs and RPs used and methodological weakness in the studies. These issues should be addressed in future trials. PMID:24622390

Titius-Bode laws in the solar system. 2: Build your own law from disk models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubrulle, B.; Graner, F.

1994-02-01

Simply respecting both scale and rotational invariance, it is easy to construct an endless collection of theoretical models predicting a Titius-Bode law, irrespective to their physical content. Due to the numerous ways to get the law and its intrinsic arbitrariness, it is not a useful constraint on theories of solar system formation. To illustrate the simple elegance of scale-invariant methods, we explicitly cook up one of the simplest examples, an infinitely thin cold gaseous disk rotating around a central object. In that academic case, the Titius-Bode law holds during the linear stage of the gravitational instability. The time scale of the instability is of the order of a self-gravitating time scale, (G rhod)-1/2, where rhod is the disk density. This model links the separation between different density maxima with the ratio MD/MC of the masses of the disk and the central object; for instance, MD/MC of the order of 0.18 roughly leads to the observed separation between the planets. We discuss the boundary conditions and the limit of the Wentzel-Kramer-Brillouin (WKB) approximation.

A physical interpretation of the Titius-Bode rule and its connection to the closed orbits of Bertrandʼs theorem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christodoulou, Dimitris M.; Kazanas, Demosthenes

2017-12-01

We consider the geometric Titius-Bode rule for the semimajor axes of planetary orbits. We derive an equivalent rule for the midpoints of the segments between consecutive orbits along the radial direction and we interpret it physically in terms of the work done in the gravitational field of the Sun by particles whose orbits are perturbed around each planetary orbit. On such energetic grounds, it is not surprising that some exoplanets in multiple-planet extrasolar systems obey the same relation. However, it is surprising that this simple interpretation of the Titius-Bode rule also reveals new properties of the bound closed orbits predicted by Bertrand’s theorem, which has been known since 1873.

Education, Democracy, and Social Discourse: A Contemporary Response to George S. Counts and Boyd H. Bode

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, William J.

2013-01-01

Education, once known as the "great equalizer," is now being called to task for its tendency to disenfranchise and to legitimate inequality due to its obedience to the tenets of capitalism. Two of the nation's greatest educational thinkers, George S. Counts and Boyd H. Bode provided "instructions" for parents and teachers…

Ephemerides and information: Investigations on the content of Berlin calendars up to Bode's Astronomisches Jahrbuch. (German Title: Ephemeriden und Informationen: Inhaltliche Untersuchungen Berliner Kalender bis zu Bodes Astronomischem Jahrbuch)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamel, Jürgen

This contributions investigates a line of tradition which started already with the oldest calenders, i.e. to add an `educating' appendix. As a wide-spread medium, calendars were suitable for the dissemination of astrological views, the explanation of astronomical facts, of important activities for the home and the stable, for health protection, agriculture, and social connections. The calendars of the Berlin Academy, authored by Gottfried Kirch and his successors, fit well into this picture: also astrology played an important role. Kirch had added to his ephemerides of 1681 to 1692 own and other observations and contributions. This lead to a form, which superseded `normal' calenders, a form in which also Johann Elert Bode's Berliner Astronomisches Jahrbuch appeared from 1776 to 1829.

What's New is What's Old: Use of Bode's Integral Theorem (circa 1945) to Provide Insight for 21st Century Spacecraft Attitude Control System Design Tuning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruth, Mike; Lebsock, Ken; Dennehy, Neil

2010-01-01

This paper revisits the Bode integral theorem, first described in 1945 for feedback amplifier design, in the context of modern satellite Attitude Control System (ACS) design tasks. Use of Bode's Integral clarifies in an elegant way the connection between open-loop stability margins and closed-loop bandwidth. More importantly it shows that there is a very strong tradeoff between disturbance rejection below the satellite controller design bandwidth, and disturbance amplification in the 'penalty region' just above the design bandwidth. This information has been successfully used to re-tune the control designs for several NASA science-mission satellites. The Appendix of this paper contains a complete summary of the relevant integral conservation theorems for stable, unstable, and non-minimum- phase plants.

Using a generalized version of the Titius-Bode relation to extrapolate the patterns seen in Kepler multi-exoplanet systems, and estimate the average number of planets in circumstellar habitable zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lineweaver, Charles H.

2015-08-01

The Titius-Bode (TB) relation’s successful prediction of the period of Uranus was the main motivation that led to the search for another planet between Mars and Jupiter. This search led to the discovery of the asteroid Ceres and the rest of the asteroid belt. The TB relation can also provide useful hints about the periods of as-yet-undetected planets around other stars. In Bovaird & Lineweaver (2013) [1], we used a generalized TB relation to analyze 68 multi-planet systems with four or more detected exoplanets. We found that the majority of exoplanet systems in our sample adhered to the TB relation to a greater extent than the Solar System does. Thus, the TB relation can make useful predictions about the existence of as-yet-undetected planets in Kepler multi-planet systems. These predictions are one way to correct for the main obstacle preventing us from estimating the number of Earth-like planets in the universe. That obstacle is the incomplete sampling of planets of Earth-mass and smaller [2-5]. In [6], we use a generalized Titius-Bode relation to predict the periods of 228 additional planets in 151 of these Kepler multiples. These Titius-Bode-based predictions suggest that there are, on average, 2±1 planets in the habitable zone of each star. We also estimate the inclination of the invariable plane for each system and prioritize our planet predictions by their geometric probability to transit. We highlight a short list of 77 predicted planets in 40 systems with a high geometric probability to transit, resulting in an expected detection rate of ~15 per cent, ~3 times higher than the detection rate of our previous Titius-Bode-based predictions.References: [1] Bovaird, T. & Lineweaver, C.H (2013) MNRAS, 435, 1126-1138. [2] Dong S. & Zhu Z. (2013) ApJ, 778, 53 [3] Fressin F. et al. (2013) ApJ, 766, 81 [4] Petigura E. A. et al. (2013) PNAS, 110, 19273 [5] Silburt A. et al. (2014), ApJ (arXiv:1406.6048v2) [6] Bovaird, T., Lineweaver, C.H. & Jacobsen, S.K. (2015, in

Predictions for Uranus from a radiometric Bode's law. [planetary magnetic moment estimated from radio emission flux density

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Desch, M. D.; Kaiser, M. L.

1984-01-01

Determinations by spacecraft of the low-frequency radio spectra and radiation beam geometry of the magnetospheres of earth, Jupiter, and Saturn now permit a reliable assessment of the overall efficiency of the solar wind in stimulating intense, nonthermal radio bursts from these magnetospheres. It is found that earlier estimates of how magnetospheric radio output scales with the solar wind energy input must be greatly revised, with the result that, while the efficiency is much lower than previously thought, it is remarkably uniform from planet to planet. A 'radimetric Bode's law' is formulated from which a planet's magnetic moment can be estimated from its radio emission output. This law is applied to estimate the low-frequency radio power likely to be measured for Uranus by Voyager 2. It is shown how measurements of Uranus's radio flux can be used to estimate the planetary magnetic moment and solar wind stand-off distance before the in situ measurements.

Field data-based mathematical modeling by Bode equations and vector fitting algorithm for renewable energy applications.

PubMed

Sabry, A H; W Hasan, W Z; Ab Kadir, M Z A; Radzi, M A M; Shafie, S

2018-01-01

The power system always has several variations in its profile due to random load changes or environmental effects such as device switching effects when generating further transients. Thus, an accurate mathematical model is important because most system parameters vary with time. Curve modeling of power generation is a significant tool for evaluating system performance, monitoring and forecasting. Several numerical techniques compete to fit the curves of empirical data such as wind, solar, and demand power rates. This paper proposes a new modified methodology presented as a parametric technique to determine the system's modeling equations based on the Bode plot equations and the vector fitting (VF) algorithm by fitting the experimental data points. The modification is derived from the familiar VF algorithm as a robust numerical method. This development increases the application range of the VF algorithm for modeling not only in the frequency domain but also for all power curves. Four case studies are addressed and compared with several common methods. From the minimal RMSE, the results show clear improvements in data fitting over other methods. The most powerful features of this method is the ability to model irregular or randomly shaped data and to be applied to any algorithms that estimating models using frequency-domain data to provide state-space or transfer function for the model.

Field data-based mathematical modeling by Bode equations and vector fitting algorithm for renewable energy applications

PubMed Central

W. Hasan, W. Z.

2018-01-01

The power system always has several variations in its profile due to random load changes or environmental effects such as device switching effects when generating further transients. Thus, an accurate mathematical model is important because most system parameters vary with time. Curve modeling of power generation is a significant tool for evaluating system performance, monitoring and forecasting. Several numerical techniques compete to fit the curves of empirical data such as wind, solar, and demand power rates. This paper proposes a new modified methodology presented as a parametric technique to determine the system’s modeling equations based on the Bode plot equations and the vector fitting (VF) algorithm by fitting the experimental data points. The modification is derived from the familiar VF algorithm as a robust numerical method. This development increases the application range of the VF algorithm for modeling not only in the frequency domain but also for all power curves. Four case studies are addressed and compared with several common methods. From the minimal RMSE, the results show clear improvements in data fitting over other methods. The most powerful features of this method is the ability to model irregular or randomly shaped data and to be applied to any algorithms that estimating models using frequency-domain data to provide state-space or transfer function for the model. PMID:29351554

The Physical Meaning Of The Titius - Bode Formula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smirnov, Vladimir

)lambda, wherein n=0,1,2... The comparison of the observed and calculated distances from the planets to the Sun and the distances from the satellites to the planets according to the proposed wave principle one can find in the author's work: 'The Wave Principle of Material Distribution within the Solar System’, published in Proceedings of the International Meteor Conference, Cerkno, Slovenia, 20 - 23 September 2001 Pp 64 - 71 The above formula for the distances from the planets to the Sun, the distances from the planets to their satellites, reveals the physical meaning of the well-known formula, composed empirically by Bode - Titius: Y=0,4+0,3*2 (n) , wherein n=1,2,4,5... Note that in some cases the standing waves are responsible for the formation of symmetrical shapes of galaxies by cosmic objects that resemble the inscribed and circumscribed Platonic figures and the vortex formation in the form of hexagon on Saturn recently shown on the Internet. According to the observations the elementary calculation shows that the hexagon vortex is formed by a standing wave with a wavelength lambda=6250km According to the reports of the Hubble telescope’s (Hubble EP) observations in outer space the energy waves are observed in the substance of the outer space while the evolution of galaxies and other objects, and the length of these energy waves reaches lambda hundreds of light years.

Proceedings of the International Symposium on Technical and Vocational Education (Beijing, China, September 13-18, 1993).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chinese National Commission for UNESCO (China).

This document contains 28 papers: "Technical and Vocational Education in Asia and the Pacific: Regional Overview and Recent Innovations" (Muhammad Ashraf Qureshi); "Secondary Education in Austria" (Helmut Aigner); "The Development of Technical Curricula in Austria" (Helmut Aigner); "Technical and Vocational Education in Australia. Australian…

A novel approach to gravitation from fluid theory: Titius-Bode structures, flat rotation rate of galaxies, and other predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munera, Hector A.

Following the discovery of quantum phenomena at laboratory scale (Couder & Fort 2006), de Broglie pilot wave theory (De Broglie 1962) has been revived under a hydrodynamic guise (Bush 2015). Theoretically, it boils down to solving the transport equations for the energy and linear momentum densities of a postulated fundamental fluid in terms of classical wave equations, which inherently are Lorentz-invariant and scale-invariant. Instead of the conventional harmonic solutions, for astronomical and gravitational problems the novel solutions for the homogeneous wave equation in spherical coordinates are more suitable (Munera et al. 1995, Munera & Guzman 1997, and Munera 2000). Two groups of solutions are particularly relevant: (a) The inherently-quantized helicoidal solutions that may be applicable to describe spiral galaxies, and (b) The non-harmonic solutions with time (t) and distance (r) entangled in the single variable q = Ct/r (C is the two-way local electromagnetic speed). When these functions are plotted against 1/q they manifestly depict quantum effects in the near field, and Newtonian-like gravity in the far-field. The near-field predicts quantized effects similar to ring structures and to Titius-Bode structures, both in our own solar system and in exoplanets, the correlation between predicted and observed structures being typically larger than 99 per cent. In the far-field, some non-harmonic functions have a rate of decrement with distance slower than inverse-square thus explaining the flat rotation rate of galaxies. Additional implications for Trojan orbits, and quantized effects in photon deflection were also noted.

Editorial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kennicutt, Robert C., Jr.

1999-07-01

This issue marks the end of an era for The Astrophysical Journal and for astronomical publishing. Helmut Abt is retiring as Editor-in-Chief after serving for 28 years, a period that saw enormous growth in the Journal and its transformation to the forefront of electronic scientific publishing. In February the ApJ office celebrated the receipt of manuscript number 40,000 under Helmut's tenure, a milestone that testifies to his impact on all of our careers. Although the names at the top of the masthead are changing, the rest of the ApJ team remains nearly unchanged, so the editorial transition should be barely noticeable. Much of the editorial work of the Journal will continue to be performed by our capable staff of Scientific Editors. I am also very fortunate to inherit Helmut's outstanding support staff in Tucson, ably headed by Janice Sexton. Our publications staff in Chicago, led by Julie Steffen, and our electronic publications staff, led by Evan Owens, are unmatched in their dedication and energy, and I have already begun working with them on further improvements to the Journal. And Helmut Abt will continue to serve the Journal over the coming months, overseeing the manuscripts that are still under review and editing the special centennial issue that will appear at the end of this year. In the coming months we will introduce several new features, most of them initiated under Helmut Abt's leadership. These will include an upgraded ApJ homepage, web tools for authors and referees, updated documentation and author instructions, and an attractive new version of the on-line journal itself. Over the longer term we are developing plans for streamlining the publication timescale and for expanding our capabilities for publishing and archiving electronic data. However my overriding priority, always, will be to uphold the Journal's reputation for scientific accuracy, impact, and integrity. I close with a personal note of thanks to Helmut Abt for his patient tutoring over

The Politics of Modernizing Short-Range Nuclear Forces in West Germany

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-09-01

observers on both sides of the Atlantic would undoubtedly have shared the view of former West German chancellor Helmut Schmidt , who publicly termed the FOTL...Western observers were slow to note such trends in the SPD, in large part because of the dominant role Helmut Schmidt still played in setting official... Schmidt was faced with signifi- cant opposition from the outset and managed to keep his own party in line only by threatening to resign on several occasions

IL-8 gene variants are associated with lung function decline and multidimensional BODE index in COPD patients but not with disease susceptibility: a validation study.

PubMed

Córdoba-Lanús, Elizabeth; Baz-Dávila, Rebeca; Espinoza-Jiménez, Adriana; Rodríguez-Pérez, María C; Varo, Nerea; de-Torres, Juan P; González-Almeida, Delia; Aguirre-Jaime, Armando; Casanova, Ciro

2015-02-01

COPD is a leading cause of dead worldwide and tobacco smoking is its major risk factor. IL8 is a proinflammatory chemokine mainly involved in the acute inflammatory reaction. The aim of this study was to test the association of IL-8, CXCR1 and CXCR2 gene variants and COPD susceptibility as part of a replication study and explore the effect of these variations in disease progression. 9 tagSNPs were genotyped in 728 Caucasian individuals (196 COPD patients, 80 smokers and 452 non-smoking controls). Pulmonary compromise was evaluated using spirometry and clinical parameters at baseline and annually over a 2 years period. We also determined plasma levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-16 in COPD patients. There was a lack of association between gene variants or haplotypes with predisposition to COPD. No correlation was observed between the polymorphisms and cytokines levels. Interestingly, significant associations were found between carriers of the rs4073A (OR = 3.53, CI 1.34-9.35, p = 0.01), rs2227306C (OR = 5.65, CI 1.75-18.88, p = 0.004) and rs2227307T (OR = 4.52, CI = 1.49-12.82, p = 0.007) alleles in the IL-8 gene and patients who scored higher in the BODE index and showed an important decrease in their FEV1 and FVC during the 2 years follow-up period (p < 0.05). Despite no association was found between the studied genes and COPD susceptibility, three polymorphisms in the IL-8 gene appear to be involved in a worse progression of the disease, with an affectation beyond the pulmonary function and importantly, a reduction in lung function along the follow-up years.

Large-scale external validation and comparison of prognostic models: an application to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Guerra, Beniamino; Haile, Sarah R; Lamprecht, Bernd; Ramírez, Ana S; Martinez-Camblor, Pablo; Kaiser, Bernhard; Alfageme, Inmaculada; Almagro, Pere; Casanova, Ciro; Esteban-González, Cristóbal; Soler-Cataluña, Juan J; de-Torres, Juan P; Miravitlles, Marc; Celli, Bartolome R; Marin, Jose M; Ter Riet, Gerben; Sobradillo, Patricia; Lange, Peter; Garcia-Aymerich, Judith; Antó, Josep M; Turner, Alice M; Han, Meilan K; Langhammer, Arnulf; Leivseth, Linda; Bakke, Per; Johannessen, Ane; Oga, Toru; Cosio, Borja; Ancochea-Bermúdez, Julio; Echazarreta, Andres; Roche, Nicolas; Burgel, Pierre-Régis; Sin, Don D; Soriano, Joan B; Puhan, Milo A

2018-03-02

External validations and comparisons of prognostic models or scores are a prerequisite for their use in routine clinical care but are lacking in most medical fields including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our aim was to externally validate and concurrently compare prognostic scores for 3-year all-cause mortality in mostly multimorbid patients with COPD. We relied on 24 cohort studies of the COPD Cohorts Collaborative International Assessment consortium, corresponding to primary, secondary, and tertiary care in Europe, the Americas, and Japan. These studies include globally 15,762 patients with COPD (1871 deaths and 42,203 person years of follow-up). We used network meta-analysis adapted to multiple score comparison (MSC), following a frequentist two-stage approach; thus, we were able to compare all scores in a single analytical framework accounting for correlations among scores within cohorts. We assessed transitivity, heterogeneity, and inconsistency and provided a performance ranking of the prognostic scores. Depending on data availability, between two and nine prognostic scores could be calculated for each cohort. The BODE score (body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity) had a median area under the curve (AUC) of 0.679 [1st quartile-3rd quartile = 0.655-0.733] across cohorts. The ADO score (age, dyspnea, and airflow obstruction) showed the best performance for predicting mortality (difference AUC ADO - AUC BODE = 0.015 [95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.002 to 0.032]; p = 0.08) followed by the updated BODE (AUC BODE updated - AUC BODE = 0.008 [95% CI = -0.005 to +0.022]; p = 0.23). The assumption of transitivity was not violated. Heterogeneity across direct comparisons was small, and we did not identify any local or global inconsistency. Our analyses showed best discriminatory performance for the ADO and updated BODE scores in patients with COPD. A limitation to be addressed in future studies is the extension of MSC

Proceedings of the First International Symposium on the Interaction of Non-Nuclear Munitions with Structures Held at U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado on May 10-13, 1983. Part 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-05-13

Heincker Ernst H Jaeger AG1007 Rolf -Helmut Kraus Department Engineering Mechanics Messerschmitt Bolkow Blohm Bundesamt fur Wehrtechnik USAF Academy...Septenber 1981. I ii. Laboratory data is essential for (2) Dass, W.C., Merkle , D.H., a.nd Bratton, modeling soil, but it must be extrapolated to J.L

International Federation of Library Associations Annual Conference Papers. Education and Research Division: Library Schools and Other Training Aspects, and Round Table on Library History Sections (47th, Leipzig, East Germany, August 17-22, 1981).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagenbreth, Hildegard; And Others

This group of six papers centers on the development of library schools and the training of library personnel. "The Status of Professional Groups in Libraries and Library Education in the GDR," by Hildegard Wagenbreth and Helmut Kubitschek, East Germany, describes the training programs, apprenticeships, courses, and admission criteria of…

Planning for the Evaluation of Special Educational Programs: A Resource Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meierhenry, Wesley C.

Developed along with a tape-slide package, the guide covers evaluation of special educational programs. Robert McIntyre discusses evaluation for decision making; Victor Baldwin considers sources of help and how to use them; and Helmut Hofmann treats objectives as guidelines for action, data collection, and budget planning and evaluation. Wesley…

Don't Fence Me In: The Liberation of Undomesticated Critique

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruitenberg, Claudia

2004-01-01

In response to Helmut Heid's critique of domesticated philosophical critique, I focus on the metaphor of domestication, which is central to his article. Drawing on the work of Jacques Derrida, I offer a deconstructive critique of the opposition between domesticated and undomesticated critique, arguing that a clear conceptual demarcation between…

Test and Evaluation of a Course Designed for Mobile Learning. ZIFF Papiere.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strohlein, Georg; Fritsch, Helmut

This report contains two parts: "Part I: Design and Implementation" (Georg Strohlein) and "Part II: Student Usage" (Helmut Fritsch). Part I describes the development and practical use of a short course on descriptive statistics designed for mobile learning (i.e., the situation when the learning person is mobile and utilizes…

Higher Education and the Future: Initiatives for Institutional Research. General Session Presentations, Association for Institutional Research Annual Forum (29th, Baltimore, MD, April 30-May 3, 1989).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1990

This volume contains summaries of the five general sessions of a forum designed to examine the role of American institutions of higher education in preparing for the future. Titles and speakers for the summarized presentations include: "Pacific Century? Global Century? or No Century?" (James Dator, Jeffrey Holmes, Helmut de Ridder, and Chen Jia…

The Photomontages of John Heartfield: A Provocative Teaching Tool for "Landeskunde."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathieu, Gustave Bording

1992-01-01

A case is made for the use of the politically provocative photomontages of Heartfield (a.k.a. Berlin-born Helmut Herzfeld) in the German classroom. The interplay of language, art, culture, and history makes them especially useful as realia. A model for teaching them is presented, including a chronology and nine reproductions. (Author/LB)

Werner Forssmann, Eberswalde, the 1956 Nobel Prize for medicine.

PubMed

Hollmann, Wildor

2006-10-27

Since October 1949 Werner Forssmann was a regular guest of Prof. Dr. Hugo Wilhelm Knipping in the Medical University Clinic of Cologne. Established himself as urologist in Bad Kreuznach, Werner Forssmann had read about the American further development of heart catherization, which was invented by himself. Prof. Wilhelm Bolt, who was one of the medical station doctors of the Cologne Clinic, had already learned the technique of heart catherization in 1947. Thus, it was routinely performed in patients at the Cologne University Hospital. A close collaboration between Werner Forssmann and our research group (Hugo Wilhelm Knipping, Wilhelm Bolt, Helmut Valentin, Helmut Venrath, Hans Rink, Wildor Hollmann) was established. After the notification that Werner Forssmann had been awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1956, Hugo Wilhelm Knipping instructed me to help Werner Forssmann with the preparation of his lecture. Details of events in the year 1956 are illustrated. One of the important developments in which Werner Forssmann participated with the Medical University Clinic of Cologne was the selective pulmonary angiography.

COMMITTEES: SQM2009 - 14th International Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter SQM2009 - 14th International Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-04-01

Local Organizing Committee Takeshi Kodama Chair, UFRJ Jun Takahashi Co-chair, UNICAMP Ignácio Bediaga e Hickman CBPF Eduardo Fraga UFRJ Frederique Grassi USP Yogiro Hama USP Gastão Krein IFT Erasmo Madureira Ferreira UFRJ Marcelo G. Munhoz USP Fernando Navarra USP Sandra Padula IFT Alejandro Szanto de Toledo USP César Augusto Zen Vasconcellos UFRGS International Advisory Committee Jörg Aichelin Nantes Federico Antinori Padova Tamás Biró Budapest Peter Braun-Munzinger GSI Jean Cleymans Cape Town Láaszló Csernai Bergen Timothy Hallman BNL Huan Zhong Huang UCLA Takeshi Kodama Rio de Janeiro Yu-Gang Ma Shanghai Jes Madsen Aarhus Ágnes Mócsy Pratt University Berndt Müller Duke University Grazyna Odyniec LBNL Helmut Oeschler Darmstadt Johann Rafelski Arizona Hans Georg Ritter LBNL Gunther Rolland MIT Karel Šafařík CERN Ladislav Sandor Kosice University Jack Sandweiss Yale University George S F Stephans MIT Horst Stöcker Frankfurt Larry McLerranBNL Helmut Satz Universitä Bielefeld Nu Xu LBNL Fuqiang Wang Purdue University William A. Zajc Columbia University Pengfei Zhuang Tsinghua University

Translations on Eastern Europe, Political, Sociological, and Military Affairs, Number 1317

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-11-09

Issue of SED Theoretical Journal Reviewed (Helmut Caspar; NEUES DEUTSCHLAND, 28 Sep 76) 7 Significance of Legislative Election Process...Pando Vanchev fruitful work in the Seventh Five-Year Plan. 5003 CSO: 2200 EAST GERMANY SEPTEMBER 1976 ISSUE OF SED THEORETICAL JOURNAL REVIEWED...imperialist exploitation. Proceeding from the Marxist-Leninist theory of state, we find in the further unfolding of socialist democracy a universal

Seasonal and diurnal variations in methane and carbon dioxide in the Kathmandu Valley in the foothills of the central Himalayas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh Mahata, Khadak; Panday, Arnico Kumar; Rupakheti, Maheswar; Singh, Ashish; Naja, Manish; Lawrence, Mark G.

2017-10-01

The SusKat-ABC (Sustainable Atmosphere for the Kathmandu Valley-Atmospheric Brown Clouds) international air pollution measurement campaign was carried out from December 2012 to June 2013 in the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding regions in Nepal. The Kathmandu Valley is a bowl-shaped basin with a severe air pollution problem. This paper reports measurements of two major greenhouse gases (GHGs), methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), along with the pollutant CO, that began during the campaign and were extended for 1 year at the SusKat-ABC supersite in Bode, a semi-urban location in the Kathmandu Valley. Simultaneous measurements were also made during 2015 in Bode and a nearby rural site (Chanban) ˜ 25 km (aerial distance) to the southwest of Bode on the other side of a tall ridge. The ambient mixing ratios of methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor, and carbon monoxide (CO) were measured with a cavity ring-down spectrometer (G2401; Picarro, USA) along with meteorological parameters for 1 year (March 2013-March 2014). These measurements are the first of their kind in the central Himalayan foothills. At Bode, the annual average mixing ratios of CO2 and CH4 were 419.3 (±6.0) ppm and 2.192 (±0.066) ppm, respectively. These values are higher than the levels observed at background sites such as Mauna Loa, USA (CO2: 396.8 ± 2.0 ppm, CH4: 1.831 ± 0.110 ppm) and Waliguan, China (CO2: 397.7 ± 3.6 ppm, CH4: 1.879 ± 0.009 ppm) during the same period and at other urban and semi-urban sites in the region, such as Ahmedabad and Shadnagar (India). They varied slightly across the seasons at Bode, with seasonal average CH4 mixing ratios of 2.157 (±0.230) ppm in the pre-monsoon season, 2.199 (±0.241) ppm in the monsoon, 2.210 (±0.200) ppm in the post-monsoon, and 2.214 (±0.209) ppm in the winter season. The average CO2 mixing ratios were 426.2 (±25.5) ppm in the pre-monsoon, 413.5 (±24.2) ppm in the monsoon, 417.3 (±23.1) ppm in the post-monsoon, and 421.9 (±20

The COPD Helplessness Index

PubMed Central

Katz, Patricia P.; Yelin, Edward H.; Iribarren, Carlos; Knight, Sara J.; Blanc, Paul D.; Eisner, Mark D.

2010-01-01

Background: Psychologic factors affect how patients with COPD respond to attempts to improve their self-management skills. Learned helplessness may be one such factor, but there is no validated measure of helplessness in COPD. Methods: We administered a new COPD Helplessness Index (CHI) to 1,202 patients with COPD. Concurrent validity was assessed through association of the CHI with established psychosocial measures and COPD severity. The association of helplessness with incident COPD exacerbations was then examined by following subjects over a median 2.1 years, defining COPD exacerbations as COPD-related hospitalizations or ED visits. Results: The CHI demonstrated internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.75); factor analysis was consistent with the CHI representing a single construct. Greater CHI-measured helplessness correlated with greater COPD severity assessed by the BODE (Body-mass, Obstruction, Dyspnea, Exercise) Index (r = 0.34; P < .001). Higher CHI scores were associated with worse generic (Short Form-12, Physical Component Summary Score) and respiratory-specific (Airways Questionnaire 20) health-related quality of life, greater depressive symptoms, and higher anxiety (all P < .001). Controlling for sociodemographics and smoking status, helplessness was prospectively associated with incident COPD exacerbations (hazard ratio = 1.31; P < .001). After also controlling for the BODE Index, helplessness remained predictive of COPD exacerbations among subjects with BODE Index ≤ median (hazard ratio = 1.35; P = .01), but not among subjects with higher BODE Index values (hazard ratio = 0.93; P = .34). Conclusions: The CHI is an internally consistent and valid measure, concurrently associated with health status and predictively associated with COPD exacerbations. The CHI may prove a useful tool in analyzing differential clinical responses mediated by patient-centered attributes. PMID:19837823

Scanning Probe Microscopy for Spin Mapping and Spin Manipulation on the Atomic Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiesendanger, Roland

2008-03-01

A fundamental understanding of magnetic and spin-dependent phenomena requires the determination of spin structures and spin excitations down to the atomic scale. The direct visualization of atomic-scale spin structures [1-4] has first been accomplished for magnetic metals by combining the atomic resolution capability of Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy (STM) with spin sensitivity, based on vacuum tunnelling of spin-polarized electrons [5]. The resulting technique, Spin-Polarized Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy (SP-STM), nowadays provides unprecedented insight into collinear and non-collinear spin structures at surfaces of magnetic nanostructures and has already led to the discovery of new types of magnetic order at the nanoscale [6,7]. More recently, the detection of spin-dependent exchange and correlation forces has allowed a first direct real-space observation of spin structures at surfaces of antiferromagnetic insulators [8]. This new type of scanning probe microscopy, called Magnetic Exchange Force Microscopy (MExFM), offers a powerful new tool to investigate different types of spin-spin interactions based on direct-, super-, or RKKY-type exchange down to the atomic level. By combining MExFM with high-precision measurements of damping forces, localized or confined spin excitations in magnetic systems of reduced dimensions now become experimentally accessible. Moreover, the combination of spin state read-out and spin state manipulation, based on spin-current induced switching across a vacuum gap by means of SP-STM [9], provides a fascinating novel type of approach towards ultra-high density magnetic recording without the use of magnetic stray fields. [1] R. Wiesendanger, I. V. Shvets, D. Bürgler, G. Tarrach, H.-J. Güntherodt, J. M. D. Coey, and S. Gräser, Science 255, 583 (1992) [2] S. Heinze, M. Bode, O. Pietzsch, A. Kubetzka, X. Nie, S. Blügel, and R. Wiesendanger, Science 288, 1805 (2000) [3] A. Kubetzka, P. Ferriani, M. Bode, S. Heinze, G. Bihlmayer, K. von

The BOrborema Deep Electromagnetic and Seismic (BODES) Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Julià, J.; Garcia, X.; Medeiros, W. E.; Farias do Nascimento, A.

2015-12-01

The Borborema Province of NE Brazil is a large Precambrian domain of the Brazilian shield located in the Northeasternmost corner of South America. It is bounded by the Parnaíba basin to the West and by the São Francisco craton to the South. Its structuration in the Precambrian has been related to compressional processes during the Brasiliano-Pan African orogeny (600-550 Ma). In the Mesozoic, extensional stresses eventually leading to continental breakup, left a number of aborted rift basins within the Province. After continental breakup, the evolution of the Province was marked by episodes of uplift, which might have been coeval with episodes of Cenozoic volcanism. The most prominent expression of those uplift processes is the Borborema Plateau, an elliptically shaped topographic feature in the eastern half of the Province with maximum elevations of ~1200 m. The origin of uplift in the Plateau has been the focus of a number of multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary studies in the past few years, which have imaged the deep structure of the eastern Province with unprecedented detail. The origin of uplift in the western Province, which includes a superb example of basin inversion demonstrated by the ~1000 km elevations of the Chapada do Araripe, however, has been seldom investigated. With the goal of investigating the deep structure of the western Province, a temporary network of 10 collocated seismic and magnetotelluric stations was deployed in the region. The collocated stations were arranged in an approximately NS direction, with an interspation spacing of ~70 km and spanning a total length of ~600 km. The seismic stations consisted of broadband sensors (RefTek 151B-120 "Observer") sampling at 100 Hz and were deployed in January 2015; the MT stations consisted of long-period magnetotelluric (LEMI) systems, sampling at 1 Hz and 4 Hz, and were deployed in April 2015 for a period of ~2 weeks. Preliminary results based on teleseismic P-wave receiver functions suggest that the crust thickens towards the South, from 33 km in the Ceará domain to 44 km in the São Francisco craton. Preliminary analyis of MT data suggests a heterogeneous lithosphere, with marked changes in electrical properties around the Chapada do Araripe and a marked resistive structure towards the South, where the profile enters the São Francisco craton.

The BOrborema Deep Electromagnetic and Seismic (BODES) Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nemocon, A. M.; Garcia, X.; Julià, J.

2016-12-01

The Borborema Province of NE Brazil is a large Precambrian domain of the Brazilian shield located in the northeastern most corner of South America. It is bounded by the intracratonic Parnaíba basin to the West and by the mostly Archean São Francisco craton to the South, and its structuration has been related to compressional processes during the Brasiliano-Pan African orogeny (600-550 Ma). In the Mesozoic, extensional stresses related to the opening of the Atlantic ocean left a number of aborted rift basins within the Province. After continental breakup, the evolution of the Province was marked by episodes of uplift, which might have been coeval with episodes of volcanism in the Cenozoic. The most prominent expression of uplift is the Borborema Plateau, an elliptically shaped topographic feature in the eastern Province with maximum elevations of 1200 m. The origin of uplift across the Borborema Plateau has been the focus of a number of multi-disciplinary studies in the past few years, which have imaged the deep structure of the eastern Province with unprecedented detail. The origin of uplift in the western Province, which includes a superb example of basin inversion demonstrated through the 1000 km elevations of the Chapada do Araripe, however, has been seldom investigated. To alleviate this situation, a temporary network of 10 collocated seismic and magnetotelluric stations was deployed in the western Province. The collocated stations were arranged in an approximately NS direction, with an interstation spacing of 70 km and spanning a total length of 600 km. The seismic stations consisted of broadband sensors sampling at 100 Hz and were deployed in January 2015; the MT stations consisted of long-period magnetotelluric systems, sampling at 1 Hz and 4 Hz, and were deployed in April 2015 for a period of 2 weeks. Preliminary results based on P-receiver functions suggest that the crust thickens gradually to the South, from 36 km in the northern end of the profile to 44 km in the southern portion (São Francisco craton), while analysis of MT data suggests an heterogeneous lithosphere with marked lateral changes in electrical properties. Local thinning of the crust is observed under the Araripe basin, and a thickening resistive structure characterizes the lithospheric mantle under the craton.

Sarcopenia in COPD: relationship with COPD severity and prognosis

PubMed Central

Costa, Tatiana Munhoz da Rocha Lemos; Costa, Fabio Marcelo; Moreira, Carolina Aguiar; Rabelo, Leda Maria; Boguszewski, César Luiz; Borba, Victória Zeghbi Cochenski

2015-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of sarcopenia in COPD patients, as well as to determine whether sarcopenia correlates with the severity and prognosis of COPD. Methods: A cross-sectional study with COPD patients followed at the pulmonary outpatient clinic of our institution. The patients underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The diagnosis of sarcopenia was made on the basis of the skeletal muscle index, defined as appendicular lean mass/height2 only for low-weight subjects and adjusted for fat mass in normal/overweight subjects. Disease severity (COPD stage) was evaluated with the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria. The degree of obstruction and prognosis were determined by the Body mass index, airflow Obstruction, Dyspnea, and Exercise capacity (BODE) index. Results: We recruited 91 patients (50 females), with a mean age of 67.4 ± 8.7 years and a mean BMI of 25.8 ± 6.1 kg/m2. Sarcopenia was observed in 36 (39.6%) of the patients, with no differences related to gender, age, or smoking status. Sarcopenia was not associated with the GOLD stage or with FEV1 (used as an indicator of the degree of obstruction). The BMI, percentage of body fat, and total lean mass were lower in the patients with sarcopenia than in those without (p < 0.001). Sarcopenia was more prevalent among the patients in BODE quartile 3 or 4 than among those in BODE quartile 1 or 2 (p = 0.009). The multivariate analysis showed that the BODE quartile was significantly associated with sarcopenia, regardless of age, gender, smoking status, and GOLD stage. Conclusions: In COPD patients, sarcopenia appears to be associated with unfavorable changes in body composition and with a poor prognosis. PMID:26578132

Sarcopenia in COPD: relationship with COPD severity and prognosis.

PubMed

Costa, Tatiana Munhoz da Rocha Lemos; Costa, Fabio Marcelo; Moreira, Carolina Aguiar; Rabelo, Leda Maria; Boguszewski, César Luiz; Borba, Victória Zeghbi Cochenski

2015-01-01

To evaluate the prevalence of sarcopenia in COPD patients, as well as to determine whether sarcopenia correlates with the severity and prognosis of COPD. A cross-sectional study with COPD patients followed at the pulmonary outpatient clinic of our institution. The patients underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The diagnosis of sarcopenia was made on the basis of the skeletal muscle index, defined as appendicular lean mass/height2 only for low-weight subjects and adjusted for fat mass in normal/overweight subjects. Disease severity (COPD stage) was evaluated with the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria. The degree of obstruction and prognosis were determined by the Body mass index, airflow Obstruction, Dyspnea, and Exercise capacity (BODE) index. We recruited 91 patients (50 females), with a mean age of 67.4 ± 8.7 years and a mean BMI of 25.8 ± 6.1 kg/m2. Sarcopenia was observed in 36 (39.6%) of the patients, with no differences related to gender, age, or smoking status. Sarcopenia was not associated with the GOLD stage or with FEV1 (used as an indicator of the degree of obstruction). The BMI, percentage of body fat, and total lean mass were lower in the patients with sarcopenia than in those without (p < 0.001). Sarcopenia was more prevalent among the patients in BODE quartile 3 or 4 than among those in BODE quartile 1 or 2 (p = 0.009). The multivariate analysis showed that the BODE quartile was significantly associated with sarcopenia, regardless of age, gender, smoking status, and GOLD stage. In COPD patients, sarcopenia appears to be associated with unfavorable changes in body composition and with a poor prognosis.

Multi-Source Image Analysis.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-12-01

vegetation shows on the imagery but emphasis has been placed on the detection of wooded and scrub areas and the differentiation between deciduous and...S. A., 1974b, Phenology and remote sensing, phenology and seasonality modeling: in Helmut Lieth, H. (ed.), Ecological Studies-Analysis and Synthesis...Remote Sensing of Ecology , University of d-eorgia Press, Athens, Georgia, p. 63-94. Phillipson, W. R. and T. Liang, 1975, Airphoto analysis in the

Intelligent Engine Systems: Adaptive Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gibson, Nathan

2008-01-01

We have studied the application of the baseline Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithm to the control of main fuel flow rate (WF36), variable bleed valve (AE24) and variable stator vane (STP25) control of a simulated high-bypass turbofan engine. Using reference trajectories for thrust and turbine inlet temperature (T41) generated by a simulated new engine, we have examined MPC for tracking these two reference outputs while controlling a deteriorated engine. We have examined the results of MPC control for six different transients: two idle-to-takeoff transients at sea level static (SLS) conditions, one takeoff-to-idle transient at SLS, a Bode power command and reverse Bode power command at 20,000 ft/Mach 0.5, and a reverse Bode transient at 35,000 ft/Mach 0.84. For all cases, our primary focus was on the computational effort required by MPC for varying MPC update rates, control horizons, and prediction horizons. We have also considered the effects of these MPC parameters on the performance of the control, with special emphasis on the thrust tracking error, the peak T41, and the sizes of violations of the constraints on the problem, primarily the booster stall margin limit, which for most cases is the lone constraint that is violated with any frequency.

Vicarious Collecting: A Review of Some Notable Books about Books - and where to acquire them!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koester, Jack

Reviews on Milestones of Science, Ruth A. Sparrow, Buffalo Museum of Science, 1972, The Face of the Moon, from the Linda Hall Library, Out of this World - The Golden Age of the Celestial Atlas, Linda Hall Library, including Bayer's Uranometria, Schiller's Coelum Christianum, Hevelius' Firmamentum, Flamsteed's Atlas Coelestis, and Bode's Uranographia, as well as Argelander, Bode, Cellarius, Coronelli, Doppelmaier, Kepler, La Caille, Messier, Piccolomini, and Wollaston, Heavenly Library, Angus MacDonald and A.D. Morrison-Low from Royal Observatory Edinburgh, Library, 1994, Catalogue of the Rare Astronomical Books in the San Diego State University Library, Louis A. Kenney, 1988, and Vanity Fair, from 1869 to 1914, including caricatures of famous astronomers and scientists, such as Airy, Ball, Huggins, and Proctor.

[Factors associated with the quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

PubMed

Villar Balboa, Iván; Carrillo Muñoz, Ricard; Regí Bosque, Meritxell; Marzo Castillejo, Mercè; Arcusa Villacampa, Núria; Segundo Yagüe, Marta

2014-04-01

To describe the relationship between individual or combined prognostic factors in the multidimensional classifications (BODE and ADO), and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Cross-sectional descriptive study. Primary care. Systematic random sample of 102 patients diagnosed with COPD, excluding those patients with acute exacerbation, dementia, terminal illness or those who receive home care. Demographics variables, smoking habits, body mass index and number of exacerbations. Comorbidity. Degree of dyspnea. Respiratory function tests. Exercise capacity. The BODE index and the ADO index. The EuroQol-5D questionnaire (EQ-5D), and visual analogue scale (VAS). EQ-5D: mobility: 43.9%; personal care: 13.3%; daily-life activities: 29.6%; pain/discomfort: 55.1%; anxiety/depression: 37.8%, and 34.7% VAS ≤ 60%. Exacerbations: Mobility, OR: 1.85 (95%CI: 1.08-3.20); personal care, OR: 2.12 (95%CI: 1.3-4.76); daily-life activities, OR: 2.35 (95%CI: 1.17-4.71); VAS, regression coefficient: -3.50 (95%CI: 6.31- -0.70). Dyspnea: mobility, OR: 4.47 (95%CI: 1.39-14.42); daily-life activities, OR: 7.71 (95%CI: 2.03-12.34); VAS, regression coefficient: -7.15 (95%CI: 11.71- -2.59). BODE: mobility, OR: 1.53 (95%CI: 1.15-2.02); personal care, OR: 2.08 (95%CI: 1.40-3.11); daily-life activities, OR: 1.97 (95%CI: 1.38-2.80); VAS, regression coefficient: -3.96 (95%CI: -5.51- -2.42). ADO: mobility, OR: 2.42 (95%CI: 1.39-4.20); personal care, OR: 3.21 (95%CI: 1.67-6.18); daily-life activities, OR: 3.17 (95%CI: 1.69-5.93); VAS, regression coefficient: -3.53 (95%CI: -5.57- -1.49). The BODE index and the ADO index showed a significant association with HRQOL. Exacerbations and dyspnea were the best individual factors related to HRQoL. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Genetics Home Reference: hereditary hyperekplexia

MedlinePlus

... Howell OW, Vanbellinghen JF, Rees MI, Chung SK, Lynch JW. New hyperekplexia mutations provide insight into glycine ... Zhang Y, Bode A, Nguyen B, Keramidas A, Lynch JW. Investigating the Mechanism by Which Gain-of- ...

Falconry

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-06-01

F34 S638 1989) Note: Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 1987. 507. Smith, Dwight G. Breeding ecology of raptors in the eastern Great Basin of...more chance at survival for the cloud runners." Smithsonian. 21(1): 88-100, April 1990. 315. Mosher, James A. "Raptors of the Uinta National Forest...Utah." Great Basin Naturalist. 38: 438-46, December 1978. 316. Mueller, Helmut C. "Prey selection in the American kestrel." Americai Naturalist. 111

Compensated control loops for a 30-cm ion thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robson, R. R.

1976-01-01

The vaporizer dynamic control characteristics of a 30-cm diameter mercury ion thruster were determined by operating the thruster in an open loop steady state mode and then introducing a small sinusoidal signal on the main, cathode, or neutralizer vaporizer current and observing the response of the beam current, discharge voltage, and neutralizer keeper voltage, respectively. This was done over a range of frequencies and operating conditions. From these data, Bode plots for gain and phase were made and mathematical models were obtained. The Bode plots and mathematical models were analyzed for stability and appropriate compensation networks determined. The compensated control loops were incorporated into a power processor and operated with a thruster. The time responses of the compensated loops to changes in set points and recovery from arc conditions are presented.

COMMITTEES: SQM2006 Organising and International Advisory Committees

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2006-12-01

Organising Committee Kenneth Barish Huan Zhong Huang Joseph Kapusta Grazyna Odyniec Johann Rafelski Charles A Whitten Jr International Advisory Committee Jörg Aichelin Federico Antinori Tamas Biró Jean Cleymans Lazlo Csernai Tim Hallman Ulrich Heinz Sonja Kabana Rob Lacey Yu-Gang Ma Jes Madsen Yasuo Miake Berndt Mueller Grazyna Odyniec Helmut Oeschler Apostolos Panagiotou Johann Rafelski Hans Ritter Karel Safarik Jack Sandweiss Jürgen Schaffner-Bielich Wen-Qing Shen Georges Stephans Horst Stöcker Thomas Ullrich Bill Zajc

Carrots, tomatoes and cocoa: Research on dietary antioxidants in Düsseldorf.

PubMed

Stahl, Wilhelm

2016-04-01

Dietary antioxidants, their biological effects and underlying mechanisms of action are key topics of research at the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I at the Heinrich-Heine University in Düsseldorf where Helmut Sies is active now since more than 35 years. In the present article his research activity on carotenoids is summarized including studies on their bioavailability, antioxidant properties, cellular signaling and dermatological effects. Additionally, comparable studies on cocoa polyphenols are described. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Astronomy: A small star with an Earth-like planet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deming, Drake

2015-11-01

A rocky planet close in size to Earth has been discovered in the cosmic vicinity of our Sun. The small size and proximity of the associated star bode well for studies of the planet's atmosphere. See Letter p.204

Is Texas ready for mileage fees? : a briefing paper.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-02-01

According to the Transportation Research Board, government regulation and continued : increases in fuel prices could cut fuel consumption in the United States by 20 percent by 2025. : While good news for the environment, this does not bode well for t...

The German Debate Over Military Peacekeeping Missions: The First Step Toward an Eventual Combat Role

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-12-01

3Clay Clemens , "Opportunity or Obligation? Redefining Germany’s Military Role Outside of NATO," in Armed Forces and Soci&L, vol. 19, No. 2, Winter 1993, p...ranged from 79 fuchs NBC detection vehi-les, an excess of 315,000 rounds of tank and artillery ammunition, 2,000 radio sets, 600 shower-bath vehicles...Tale," p. 96. ’ 59Ibid., p. 92. The three activists were Franz Josef Strauss (CSU) from 1956 to 1962, Helmut Schmidt (SPD) from 1969 to 1972 and Manfred

Fatigue and multidimensional disease severity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Inal-Ince, Deniz; Savci, Sema; Saglam, Melda; Calik, Ebru; Arikan, Hulya; Bosnak-Guclu, Meral; Vardar-Yagli, Naciye; Coplu, Lutfi

2010-06-30

Fatigue is associated with longitudinal ratings of health in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although the degree of airflow obstruction is often used to grade disease severity in patients with COPD, multidimensional grading systems have recently been developed. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived and actual fatigue level and multidimensional disease severity in patients with COPD. Twenty-two patients with COPD (aged 52-74 years) took part in the study. Multidimensional disease severity was measured using the SAFE and BODE indices. Perceived fatigue was assessed using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and the Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS). Peripheral muscle endurance was evaluated using the number of sit-ups, squats, and modified push-ups that each patient could do. Thirteen patients (59%) had severe fatigue, and their St George's Respiratory Questionnaire scores were significantly higher (p < 0.05). The SAFE index score was significantly correlated with the number of sit-ups, number of squats, FSS score and FIS score (p < 0.05). The BODE index was significantly associated with the numbers of sit-ups, squats and modified push-ups, and with the FSS and FIS scores (p < 0.05). Peripheral muscle endurance and fatigue perception in patients with COPD was related to multidimensional disease severity measured with both the SAFE and BODE indices. Improvements in perceived and actual fatigue levels may positively affect multidimensional disease severity and health status in COPD patients. Further research is needed to investigate the effects of fatigue perception and exercise training on patients with different stages of multidimensional COPD severity.

Body composition and sarcopenia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Munhoz da Rocha Lemos Costa, Tatiana; Costa, Fabio Marcelo; Jonasson, Thaísa Hoffman; Moreira, Carolina Aguiar; Boguszewski, César Luiz; Borba, Victória Zeghbi Cochenski

2018-04-01

Changes in body composition are commonly present in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The main aim of this study were to evaluate changes in body composition and the prevalence of pre-sarcopenia and sarcopenia in patients with COPD, compared with two control groups and correlate these parameters with indices of COPD severity (VEF1 and GOLD) and prognosis (BODE). This was a cross-sectional study in COPD patients (DG) that undergone body composition assessment by DXA. Two control groups were used, smokers individuals without COPD (smokers group, SG), and healthy never smokers individuals (never smokers group, NSG). DG comprised 121 patients (65 women, mean age 67.9 ± 8.6 years). The percentage of total body fat mass (TFM) was significantly lower in DG in both genders, despite no difference in BMI. Both BMI and relative skeletal muscle mass index (RSMI) decreased according to the worsening of GOLD in men and women, as well as the TFM and total lean mass (TLM) in men. As BODE get worse, BMI and RSMI decreased in both sexes, as well as TLM in men. The prevalence of pre-sarcopenia in the DG was 46.3% and no different with controls. In DG 12.4% were sarcopenic. Patients with sarcopenia were older and had worse prognosis. Higher BODE prognostic index, higher the prevalence of sarcopenia (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.06-11.56, p = 0.035). This study showed alterations in body composition parameters in patients with COPD. A high prevalence of sarcopenia and the association with worse prognostic index.

Extraterrestrial Hemorrhage Control: Terrestrial Developments in Technique, Technology, and Philosophy with Applicability to Traumatic Hemorrhage Control in Long-Duration Spaceflight

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

instability, or allow oxygen- ation of a patient suffering from a severe respiratory insult such as a massive toxic inhalation , but would be unsatisfactory... trehalose survive freeze-drying. Cryobiology 2001; 42:79–87. 151. Fischer TH, Merricks EP, Bode AP, et al. Thrombus formation with rehydrated

Closing the Civic Opportunity Gap: The Imperative for Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marri, Anand Reddy

2011-01-01

In teacher education, the key concern must be inequitable civic education, which includes economic education and opportunities available for underserved students. Inequitable civic education opportunities reinforce already-widening disparities between groups of citizens. This bodes ill for democracy and the ability to wrestle with the complex…

Seasonal and diurnal variations of methane and carbon dioxide in the highly polluted Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahata, Khadak; Panday, Arnico; Rupakheti, Maheswar; Lawrence, Mark

2016-04-01

Anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide and methane - key greenhouse gases (GHGs) - are primary causes of global warming and resultant impacts. The atmospheric warming is more pronounced and likely to cause more serious damage in vulnerable areas such as the Hindukush-Karakorum-Himalayan region (HKH). The HKH region is a data gap region according to the 5th Assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC). In order to understand the mixing ratios and variability of the key GHGs in the foothills of the Central Himalaya, we carried out continuous measurements of CO2, CH4, CO, and water vapor at Bode (an urban site in the Kathmandu valley, Nepal) for a year (March 2013 - Feb 2014), and again at Bode and at Chanban (a background outside the Valley) for 3 months (July 15 - Oct 3, 2015), with two state-of-the-art cavity ring-down instruments (Picarro G2401). The measurements were carried out as a part of the international air pollution measurement campaign: SusKat- ABC (Sustainable atmosphere for the Kathmandu Valley - Atmospheric Brown Clouds). The annual average CO2 and CH4 concentrations at Bode were 419 ± 24 and 2.192 ± 0.224 ppm, respectively, which are notably higher than those observed at the background site at Mauna Loa Observatory in the same period. The CO2concentration at Bode was high during the pre-monsoon period and low during the monsoon, while CH4 was high in winter and lower during the pre-monsoon period. The monthly CO2concentration was highest in April. Forest fires and agro-waste burning in the region, and the local emissions in the Kathmandu valley were the main sources of the high CO2 in the pre-monsoon period. CH4 showed a maximum in September due to additional emissions from paddy fields. Seasonally, winter has the highest CH4 concentration which is due to brick production, which is a seasonal activity, and other local sources combined with the shallow mixing layer height in winter. The diurnal pattern of CO2 and CH4

Can We Detect Carbonate and Sulfate Minerals on the Surface of Mars by Raman Spectroscopy?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuebler, K. E.; Wang, A.; Abbott, K.; Haskin, L. A.

2001-01-01

Raman spectra of micrometer-sized grains of calcite, epsomite, quartz, and olivine show no peak shift relative to larger crystals and no peak broadening at least down to 2 micrometers, which bodes well for the Raman analysis of martian soils. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Preschoolers' Number Sense

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moomaw, Sally; Carr, Victoria; Boat, Mary; Barnett, David

2010-01-01

A child's demonstration of his conceptual understanding of number bodes well for his future success in school mathematics. As youngsters' thinking becomes more logical, they apply one-to-one correspondence relationships to quantification. Yet, reliable assessment of young children's mathematical ability is difficult because of social and emotional…

Overexcitabilities and Giftedness Research: A Call for a Paradigm Shift

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mendaglio, Sal

2012-01-01

There has been an increase in publications of quantitative research studies investigating overexcitabilities (OEs) and giftedness. On one hand, increased interest in OEs bodes well for the dissemination of Dabrowski's theory of positive disintegration (TPD), from which OEs are derived. On the other hand, recent research raises concerns regarding…

Comorbidities and risk of mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Divo, Miguel; Cote, Claudia; de Torres, Juan P; Casanova, Ciro; Marin, Jose M; Pinto-Plata, Victor; Zulueta, Javier; Cabrera, Carlos; Zagaceta, Jorge; Hunninghake, Gary; Celli, Bartolome

2012-07-15

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are afflicted by comorbidities. Few studies have prospectively evaluated COPD comorbidities and mortality risk. To prospectively evaluate COPD comorbidities and mortality risk. We followed 1,664 patients with COPD in five centers for a median of 51 months. Systematically, 79 comorbidities were recorded. We calculated mortality risk using Cox proportional hazard, and developed a graphic representation of the prevalence and strength of association to mortality in the form of a "comorbidome". A COPD comorbidity index (COPD specific comorbidity test [COTE]) was constructed based on the comorbidities that increase mortality risk using a multivariate analysis. We tested the COTE index as predictor of mortality and explored whether the COTE index added predictive information when used with the validated BODE index. Fifteen of 79 comorbidities differed in prevalence between survivors and nonsurvivors. Of those, 12 predicted mortality and were integrated into the COTE index. Increases in the COTE index were associated with an increased risk of death from COPD-related (hazard ratio [HR], 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.18; P < 0.001) and non-COPD-related causes (HR, 1.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-1.21; P < 0.001). Further, increases in the BODE and COTE were independently associated with increased risk of death. A COTE score of greater than or equal to 4 points increased by 2.2-fold the risk of death (HR, 2.26-2.68; P < 0.001) in all BODE quartile. Comorbidities are frequent in COPD and 12 of them negatively influence survival. A simple disease-specific comorbidities index (COTE) helps assess mortality risk in patients with COPD.

A. Bernard Hatch.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Executive Educator, 1984

1984-01-01

Bernard Hatch, the aggressive superintendent of schools in Dayton, Ohio, was voted out by the board of education despite an excellent record of accomplishments. His fate bodes ill for urban school districts in general, where those with the integrity and grit to do what is necessary often become unpopular. (TE)

Autonomy and School Improvement: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go from Here?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honig, Meredith I.; Rainey, Lydia R.

2012-01-01

New "autonomy initiatives" aim to increase schools' decision-making authority as a strategy to leverage school improvement. These policies build on lessons of previous reforms such as site-based management in ways that bode well for their success. However, how are these policies actually faring in implementation? The authors addressed that…

Historical Perspectives on Educational Policy in Canada: Issues, Debates and Case Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stamp, Robert M.

1997-01-01

Publishes the academic papers first presented at Dalhousie University in October 1986 at the fourth biennial conference of the Canadian History of Education Association. Argues that this eclectic collection of conference papers does not bode well for an integrated book because the concerns of educational history and contemporary policymaking are…

Physik

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerthsen, Christian; Vogel, Helmut

Die siebzehnte Auflage des Gerthsen ist zugleich die sechste in der Bearbeitung Helmut Vogels. Der Autor bereichert das klassische Studien- und Nachschlagewerk mit einem neuen Kapitel zur nichtlinearen Dynamik (auch Chaos und Fraktale werden besprochen) sowie acht instruktiven Farbtafeln. Daneben gibt es wieder kleinere Ergänzungen und Korrekturen. Wo die Darstellung wegen der selbstauferlegten Beschränkung im Umfang nicht alle Themen behandeln kann, helfen die mehr als zahlreichen Übungsaufgaben, die im Band Vogel, Probleme aus der Physik, ISBN 3-540-51217-9, mit Beiheft nun auch zur 17. Auflage verwendbar, ausführlich besprochen werden.

Wernher von Braun

NASA Image and Video Library

1959-01-01

This photograph of Dr. von Braun, shown here to the left of General Bruce Medaris, was taken in the fall of 1959, immediately prior to Medaris' retirement from the Army. At the time, von Braun and his associates worked for the Army Ballistics Missile Agency in Huntsville, Alabama. Those in the photograph have been identified as Ernst Stuhlinger, Frederick von Saurma, Fritz Mueller, Hermarn Weidner, E.W. Neubert (partially hidden), W.A. Mrazek, Karl Heimburg, Arthur Rudolph, Otto Hoberg, von Braun, Oswald Lange, Medaris, Helmut Hoelzer, Hans Maus, E.D. Geissler, Hans Heuter, and George Constan.

Dr. von Braun and Army Ballistics Missile Agency (ABMA) Group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1959-01-01

This photograph of Dr. von Braun, shown here to the left of General Bruce Medaris, was taken in the fall of 1959, immediately prior to Medaris' retirement from the Army. At the time, von Braun and his associates worked for the Army Ballistics Missile Agency in Huntsville, Alabama. Those in the photograph have been identified as Ernst Stuhlinger, Frederick von Saurma, Fritz Mueller, Hermarn Weidner, E.W. Neubert (partially hidden), W.A. Mrazek, Karl Heimburg, Arthur Rudolph, Otto Hoberg, von Braun, Oswald Lange, Medaris, Helmut Hoelzer, Hans Maus, E.D. Geissler, Hans Heuter, and George Constan.

The Backpack Generation and Art History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curtis, James M.

2001-01-01

Many aspects of the current cultural situation bode well for undergraduate art education. Today's college students have had more experience of the visual arts, at least in their vernacular forms, than any generation in history. They have watched thousands of hours of television, watched hundreds of feature films, and often have mastered computer…

Real-Time PCR Assay for a Unique Chromosomal Sequence of Bacillus anthracis

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-12-01

13061 Neisseria lactamica .............................................................. 23970 Bacillus coagulans ...NEG Bacillus coagulane 7050 NEG NEG Bacillus cereus 13472 NEG NEG Bacillus licheniforms 12759 NEG NEG Bacillus cereus 13824 NEG NEG Bacillus ...Assay for a Unique Chromosomal Sequence of Bacillus anthracis Elizabeth Bode,1 William Hurtle,2† and David Norwood1* United States Army Medical

Operation Cottage: A Cautionary Tale of Assumption and Perceptual Bias

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

dealing with churning seas and 25-degree tem- peratures, but it did not bode well for an advance to the island interior, which now faced murderous mortar...but this scheme was aborted in late June after three submarines as- signed to the operation were detected and sunk by Allied destroyers.39 It was

Okologie als Frage der Zeit: Eine Antwort auf Helmut Heid und Gerd-Jan Krol (The Concept of Time in Environmental Education: A Replique to Helmut Heid and Gerd-Jan Krol).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reheis, Fritz

1997-01-01

Responds to arguments that environmental education must be backed up by a theory of society. Sketches a paradigm that would be broad enough to cover all object areas relevant to a well-grounded pedagogy of environment, and links the basic idea of ecology with insights on scales and rhythms of time. (DSK)

Computed Tomographic Measures of Pulmonary Vascular Morphology in Smokers and Their Clinical Implications

PubMed Central

Estépar, Raúl San José; Kinney, Gregory L.; Black-Shinn, Jennifer L.; Bowler, Russell P.; Kindlmann, Gordon L.; Ross, James C.; Kikinis, Ron; Han, MeiLan K.; Come, Carolyn E.; Diaz, Alejandro A.; Cho, Michael H.; Hersh, Craig P.; Schroeder, Joyce D.; Reilly, John J.; Lynch, David A.; Crapo, James D.; Wells, J. Michael; Dransfield, Mark T.; Hokanson, John E.

2013-01-01

Rationale: Angiographic investigation suggests that pulmonary vascular remodeling in smokers is characterized by distal pruning of the blood vessels. Objectives: Using volumetric computed tomography scans of the chest we sought to quantitatively evaluate this process and assess its clinical associations. Methods: Pulmonary vessels were automatically identified, segmented, and measured. Total blood vessel volume (TBV) and the aggregate vessel volume for vessels less than 5 mm2 (BV5) were calculated for all lobes. The lobe-specific BV5 measures were normalized to the TBV of that lobe and the nonvascular tissue volume (BV5/TissueV) to calculate lobe-specific BV5/TBV and BV5/TissueV ratios. Densitometric measures of emphysema were obtained using a Hounsfield unit threshold of −950 (%LAA-950). Measures of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease severity included single breath measures of diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide, oxygen saturation, the 6-minute-walk distance, St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire total score (SGRQ), and the body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity (BODE) index. Measurements and Main Results: The %LAA-950 was inversely related to all calculated vascular ratios. In multivariate models including age, sex, and %LAA-950, lobe-specific measurements of BV5/TBV were directly related to resting oxygen saturation and inversely associated with both the SGRQ and BODE scores. In similar multivariate adjustment lobe-specific BV5/TissueV ratios were inversely related to resting oxygen saturation, diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide, 6-minute-walk distance, and directly related to the SGRQ and BODE. Conclusions: Smoking-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is characterized by distal pruning of the small blood vessels (<5 mm2) and loss of tissue in excess of the vasculature. The magnitude of these changes predicts the clinical severity of disease. PMID:23656466

Effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation in reducing health resources use in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Rubí, Mateu; Renom, Feliu; Ramis, Ferran; Medinas, Magdalena; Centeno, María J; Górriz, Maite; Crespí, Eulàlia; Martín, Belén; Soriano, Joan B

2010-03-01

To determine the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary, outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) program in patients with severe and very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). PR is recommended in advanced COPD, but there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of PR in reducing health care resources when applied in outpatients. Before and after intervention, a prospective research trial of patients enrolled in a PR program. Outpatient respiratory department in a specialized hospital. We considered prospectively 82 consecutive patients with advanced COPD and finally studied 72 patients who completed the PR intensive phase. PR program. The effectiveness of this PR program was assessed by comparing health resources use from the year before and the year after PR. Clinical variables including dyspnea; the body mass index, obstruction, dyspnea, exercise capacity (BODE) index; and the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire and health resources use including the number of exacerbations, the number of hospitalizations, and days of hospitalization. Patients had a forced expiratory volume in the first second percentage predicted (mean +/- SD) of 33.0+/-9.8 and a BODE index of 5.0+/-2.0. Significant improvements after PR were found in dyspnea, exercise capacity, and quality of life and on the BODE index (P<.05). Compared with the 12 months before PR, there were also significant reductions during the year after PR on exacerbations (3.4+/-3.5 vs 1.9+/-2.0, P=.002), hospitalizations (2.4+/-2.0 vs 0.9+/-1.2, P<.001), and days of hospitalization (36.1+/-32.7 vs 16.1+/-31.3, P<.001) (ie, a reduction of 44%, 63%, and 55%, respectively; all P<.05). We conclude that a multidisciplinary, outpatient PR program substantially reduces health resources use in patients with severe and very severe COPD. Copyright 2010 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cultural Coherence and the Schooling for Identity Maintenance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merry, Michael S.

2005-01-01

An education for cultural coherence tends to the child's well-being through identity construction and maintenance. Critics charge that this sort of education will not bode well for the future autonomy of children. I will argue that culturally coherent education, provided there is no coercion, can lend itself to eventual autonomy and may assist…

The Quality of Life in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sing, Ming

2009-01-01

The AsiaBarometer of 1,000 respondents shows that Hong Kong people have a great desire for materialistic attainment, and such an emphasis on materialism bodes ill for their quality of life. Negative assessments of the public life sphere, which encompasses the natural environment, the social welfare system, and the democratic system, also detract…

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy of Conductive Polymer Coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calle, Luz Marina; MacDowell, Louis G.

1996-01-01

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to investigate the corrosion protection performance of twenty nine proprietary conductive polymer coatings for cold rolled steel under immersion in 3.55 percent NaCl. Corrosion potential as well as Bode plots of the data were obtained for each coating after one hour immersion, All coatings, with the exception of one, have a corrosion potential that is higher in the positive direction than the corrosion potential of bare steel under the same conditions. Group A consisted of twenty one coatings with Bode plots indicative of the capacitive behavior characteristic of barrier coatings. An equivalent circuit consisting of a capacitor in series with a resistor simulated the experimental EIS data for these coatings very well. Group B consisted of eight coatings that exhibited EIS spectra showing an inflection point which indicates that two time constants are present. This may be caused by an electrochemical process taking place which could be indicitive of coating failing. These coatings have a lower impedance that those in Group A.

Boyd Henry Bode, John Dewey, and the Problem of Subject Matters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watras, Joseph

2016-01-01

World War I marked an important turning point in progressive education. With the founding of the Progressive Education Association (PEA) in 1919 advocates had an organization that stood against pedagogical formalism. This essay provides a discussion of this new approach to education, the possibilities of the contributions progressive schools made…

Building New Identities in Teacher Preparation for Inclusive Education in Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agbenyega, Joseph S.; Deku, Prosper K.

2011-01-01

"We want our classrooms to be just and caring, full of various conceptions of the good. We want them to be articulate, with the dialogue involving as many persons as possible, opening to one another, opening to the world" (Greene 1993 as cited in Nieto & Bode, 2008). These words sum up inclusive education as a multifaceted practice…

Product Pipeline: Megan K. Fox Looks at the Latest Ebook Devices and What They Mean for Librarians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Megan K.

2006-01-01

The standalone PDA seems to be dying, but the prominence of smart phones and similar devices are opening new doors for ebooks. The digital music and ipod phenomena bode well for what could happen with e-text publishing, with content and hardware easier to use just as new open standards are beginning to emerge. Mobile, portable, wireless, handheld,…

The BODECOST Index (BCI): a composite index for assessing the impact of COPD in real life.

PubMed

Dal Negro, Roberto W; Celli, Bartolome R

2016-01-01

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive condition which is characterized by a dramatic socio-economic impact. Several indices were extensively investigated in order to asses the mortality risk in COPD, but the utilization of health care resources was never included in calculations. The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of annual cost of care on COPD mortality at three years, and to develop a comprehensive index for easy calculation of mortality risk in real life. COPD patients were anonymously and automatically selected from the local institutional Data Base. Selection criteria were: COPD diagnosis; both genders; age ≥ 40 years; availability of at least one complete clinical record/year, including history; clinical signs; complete lung function, therapeutic strategy, health BODE index; Charlson Comorbidity Index, and outcomes, collected at the first visit, and over the following 3-years. At the first visit, the health annual cost of care was calculated in each patient for the previous 12 months, and the survival rate was also measured over the following 3 years. The hospitalization and the exacerbation rate were implemented to the BODE index and the novel index thus obtained was called BODECOST index (BCI), ranging from 0 to 10 points. The mean cost for each BCI step was calculated and then compared to the corresponding patients' survival duration. Parametrical, non parametrical tests, and linear regression were used; p < 0.05 was accepted as the lower limit of significance. At the first visit, the selected 275 patients were well matched for all variables by gender. The overall mortality over the 3 year survey was 40.4 % (n = 111/275). When compared to that of BODE index (r = 0.22), the total annual cost of care and the number of exacerbations showed the highest regression value vs the survival time (r = 0.58 and r = 0.44, respectively). BCI score proved strictly proportional to both the cost of

Boron Clusters Come of Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grimes, Russell N.

2004-01-01

Boron is the only element other than carbon that can build molecules of unlimited size by covalently boding to itself, a property known as catenation. In contrast to the chains and rings favored by carbon, boron arguably adopts a cluster motif that is reflected in the various forms of the pure element and in the huge area of polyhedral borane…

Olbers, Heinrich Wilhelm (1758-1840)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murdin, P.

2000-11-01

Doctor, astronomer, born in Arbergen, Germany, enthusiast for astronomy. He discovered several comets. In 1800 he joined the team of 24 `celestial police', organized by FRANZ VON ZACH, who were to patrol a share of the zodiac looking for the planet missing (according to BODE's law) between Mars and Jupiter. On New Year's Day 1801 PIAZZI discovered Ceres, and, in March 1802, Olbers discovered Pall...

Brain Biology Machine Initiative: Developing Innovative Novel Methods to Improve Neuro-Rehabilitation for Amputees and Treatment for Patients at Remote Sites with Acute Brain Injury

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-01

bode well for the future. The paper we submitted to the Journal of Neuroscience detailing the TVAG rabies tracer system was accepted with revisions...of brain electrical activity. Stas Kounitsky successfully completed the port of the new vector-additive implicit (VAI) method for the anisotropic ...Alternating Difference 14 Implicit (ADI) for isotropic head models, and the Vector Additive Implicit (VAI) for anisotropic head models. The ADI method

Transport of Blue Crab Larvae in the Northern Gulf of Mexico During the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-11

et al . 2001, Hastings & Botsford 2006, Bode et al . 2008, Kininmonth et al . 2010b) and empirical studies (Meynecke et al . 2008...corresponding author: btjones@mit.edu Rooker et al . 2008, Hinrichsen et al . 2011) of marine populations. Population connectivity may be defined as...the successful exchange of individuals among spatially separated sub-populations that constitute a single metapopulation (Cowen et al . 2007). It

Neurophysiological Aspects and their relationship to clinical and functional impairment in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

PubMed Central

de Miranda Rocco, Carolina Chiusoli; Sampaio, Luciana Maria Malosá; Stirbulov, Roberto; Corrêa, João Carlos Ferrari

2011-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to assess functional (balance L–L and A–P displacement, sit‐to‐stand test (SST) and Tinetti scale – balance and gait) and neurophysiological aspects (patellar and Achilles reflex and strength) relating these responses to the BODE Index. INTRODUCTION: The neurophysiological alterations found in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are associated with the severity of the disease. There is also involvement of peripheral muscle which, in combination with neurophysiological impairment, may further compromise the functional activity of these patients. METHODS: A cross‐sectional study design was used. Twenty‐two patients with moderate to very severe COPD (>60 years) and 16 age‐matched healthy volunteers served as the control group (CG). The subjects performed spirometry and several measures of static and dynamic balance, monosynaptic reflexes, peripheral muscle strength, SST and the 6‐minute walk test. RESULTS: The individuals with COPD had a reduced reflex response, 36.77±3.23 (p<0.05) and 43.54±6.60 (p<0.05), achieved a lower number repetitions on the SST 19.27±3.88 (p<0.05), exhibited lesser peripheral muscle strength on the femoral quadriceps muscle, 24.98±6.88 (p<0.05) and exhibited deficits in functional balance and gait on the Tinetti scale, 26.86±1.69 (p<0.05), compared with the CG. The BODE Index demonstrated correlations with balance assessment (determined by the Tinetti scale), r = 0.59 (p<0.05) and the sit‐to‐stand test, r = 0.78 (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The individuals with COPD had functional and neurophysiological alterations in comparison with the control group. The BODE Index was correlated with the Tinetti scale and the SST. Both are functional tests, easy to administer, low cost and feasible, especially the SST. These results suggest a worse prognosis; however, more studies are needed to identify the causes of these changes and the repercussions that could result in their

Bioelectrical impedance phase angle relates to function, disease severity and prognosis in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Maddocks, Matthew; Kon, Samantha S C; Jones, Sarah E; Canavan, Jane L; Nolan, Claire M; Higginson, Irene J; Gao, Wei; Polkey, Michael I; Man, William D-C

2015-12-01

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) provides a simple method to assess changes in body composition. Raw BIA variables such as phase angle provide direct information on cellular mass and integrity, without the assumptions inherent in estimating body compartments, e.g. fat-free mass (FFM). Phase angle is a strong functional and prognostic marker in many disease states, but data in COPD are lacking. Our aims were to describe the measurement of phase angle in patients with stable COPD and determine the construct and discriminate validity of phase angle by assessing its relationship with established markers of function, disease severity and prognosis. 502 outpatients with stable COPD were studied. Phase angle and FFM by BIA, quadriceps strength (QMVC), 4-m gait speed (4MGS), 5 sit-to-stand time (5STS), incremental shuttle walk (ISW), and composite prognostic indices (ADO, iBODE) were measured. Patients were stratified into normal and low phase angle and FFM index. Phase angle correlated positively with FFM and functional outcomes (r = 0.35-0.66, p < 0.001) and negatively with prognostic indices (r = -0.35 to -0.48, p < 0.001). In regression models, phase angle was independently associated with ISW, ADO and iBODE whereas FFM was removed. One hundred and seventy patients (33.9% [95% CI, 29.9-38.1]) had a low phase angle. Phenotypic characteristics included lower QMVC, ISW, and 4MGS, higher 5STS, ADO and iBODE scores, and more exacerbations and hospital days in past year. The proportion of patients to have died was significantly higher in patients with low phase angle compared to those with normal phase angle (8.2% versus 3.6%, p = 0.02). Phase angle relates to markers of function, disease severity and prognosis in patients with COPD. As a directly measured variable, phase angle offers more useful information than fat-free mass indices. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

A Report on a Study to Explore the Characteristics of Offenders Committing Financially Motivated Crimes Related to the Acquisition, Use and Disposal of Illegal Funds

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-04-01

concept (for a review of some of the issues see Green, 1990; Hirschi & Gottfredson , 1987; Weisburd, Wheeler, Waring & Bode, 1991). The exploration of the...1990; Gross, 1980). Recently, however, Hirschi and Gottfredson (1987) have raised a challenge regarding the concept of white- collar criminals that... Gottfredson , 1987a, 1987b, 1989), they adopt the tenant of classical hedonism--the self-interested pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain as the

The Revolution in Military Affairs: Allied Perspectives

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-04-01

M C H A ~ IR P A I? I~ I~ ! 6O • Revolution in Military Affairs: Allied Perspectives Robbin E Laird and Holger H. Mey D Report...STUDIES E3 Director: Hans Binnendijk PUBLICATION DIRECTORATE [] Director: Robert A. Silano [] General Editor, N D U Press: William R. Bode...13 3. THE RMA A N D REGIONAL ALLIES: THE ASIAN CASE . . . . . . . . . 19 . EUROPE A N D ]HE RMA

A Survey of Measurements and Measuring Techniques in Rapidly Distorted Compressible Turbulent Boundary Layers

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-05-01

between the two vertically separated wires closer to the wall. This indicates that the structure becomes less coherent closer to the wall sgain explaining...bibliography prepared by Freymuth (1978), and the application of hot- wire anemometry to subsonic flows has been systematicallv researched since that time...the wire and through the prongs modifies the frequency response of the sensor . Steps in the amplitude Bode diagram can occur, similar to those arising

Impact of the German Harz Mountain Weichselian ice-shield and valley glacier development onto Palaeolithic and megafauna disappearances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diedrich, C.

2013-12-01

Three Pleistocene stages are recorded by 3D Google-Earth geomorphology, cave sediments, river terraces, megafauna, archaeological sites of the Harz Mountain Range and its forelands of northern Germany (central Europe, peak 1141 a.s.l.). Late Pleistocene glaciation stages are modeled preliminary in valley elevations between 407 and 760 a.s.l., starting all southeast below the Brocken Ice Field (above 750 a.s.l.). The 14-11 km long Oder and Bode Valley glaciers left typical moraines, kames, or dead ice depressions, such as fluvial cave relic sediments. The Bode River glacier passed during the LGM the Rübeland Caves, where it deposited reworked kames/lateral moraines in the Baumann's Cave, which floods mixed a Neanderthal camp, leopard lair and cave bear den area. 60 km downstream, fluvial to aeolian deposits were trapped in the gypsum karst doline Westeregeln (Neanderthal camp/hyena den). Late Aurignacians replaced in the region Neanderthals, but a gap of Late Palaeolithic (Gravettian-Magdalenian - 26,000-16,000 BP) settlement, and latest starting speleothem genesis (around 24,260 ± 568 BP) correlate to the LGM, when an "arctic reindeer fauna" with alpine elements (ibex, chamois) accumulated in bone assemblages of a wolverine, polar fox, mustelid, such as European eagle owl dens, which allow landscape reconstructions.

Pulmonary arterial enlargement predicts long-term survival in COPD patients.

PubMed

de-Torres, Juan P; Ezponda, Ana; Alcaide, Ana B; Campo, Arantza; Berto, Juan; Gonzalez, Jessica; Zulueta, Javier J; Casanova, Ciro; Rodriguez-Delgado, Luisa Elena; Celli, Bartolome R; Bastarrika, Gorka

2018-01-01

Pulmonary artery enlargement (PAE) is associated with exacerbations in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and with survival in moderate to severe patients. The potential role of PAE in survival prediction has not been compared with other clinical and physiological prognostic markers. In 188 patients with COPD, PA diameter was measured on a chest CT and the following clinical and physiological parameters registered: age, gender, smoking status, pack-years history, dyspnea, lung function, exercise capacity, Body Mass Index, BODE index and history of exacerbations in year prior to enrolment. Proportional Cox regression analysis determined the best predictor of all cause survival. During 83 months (±42), 43 patients died. Age, pack-years history, smoking status, BMI, FEV1%, six minute walking distance, Modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale, BODE index, exacerbation rate prior to enrollment, PA diameter and PAE (diameter≥30mm) were associated with survival. In the multivariable analysis, age (HR: 1.08; 95%CI: 1.03-1.12, p<0.001) and PAE (HR: 2.78; 95%CI: 1.35-5.75, p = 0.006) were the most powerful parameters associated with all-cause mortality. In this prospective observational study of COPD patients with mild to moderate airflow limitation, PAE was the best predictor of long-term survival along with age.

Arbovirus Isolations from Mosquitoes Collected During 1988 in the Senegal River Basin

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-01

traps. Twenty virus isolations from Culex. . Aedes . and .4nopheles mosquitoes were recovered from six locations: Fanaye Diery (11). Bode (four), Matam...viral strain when Plreparation e)(immune sera it inhibited -> 50% of the virus dose. When an- tisera to some viruses were not available at the Mouse...test. viruses in mice showed close antigenic similarity Group I consisted of three isolates (12-401, 20- to Babanki (BBK) virus . 130. and 22-17) that

Data Driven Synthesis of Three Term Digital Controllers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keel, Lee H.; Mitra, Sandipan; Bhattacharyya, Shankar P.

This paper presents a method for digital PID and first order controller synthesis based on frequency domain data alone. The techniques given here first determine all stabilizing controllers from measurement data. In both PID and first order controller cases, the only information required are frequency domain data (Nyquist-Bode data) and the number of open-loop RHP poles. Specifically no identification of the plant model is required. Examples are given for illustration.

An Investigation Relating Longitudinal Pilot-Induced Oscillation Tendency Rating to Describing Function Predictions for Rate-Limited Actuators

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-03-01

2-15 2-10. Pitch Tracking Closed Loop System for Gap Criterion...................................... 2-16 2-11. Four Resulting Gap ...Level 1 Minimize Resonance Closed Loop Bode Diagram ( ) ( ) s sCommand θ θ ( ) ( ) s sCommand θ θ         BWω 2-16 Gap Criterion...System for Gap Criterion In modern fly-by-wire aircraft, feedback is an integral part of obtaining more desirable closed loop flying qualities

The Linear Perturbation Theory of Axially Symmetric Compressible Flow with Application to the Effect of Compressibility on the Pressure Coefficient at the Surface of a Body of Revolution

DTIC Science & Technology

1947-07-18

which + la constant constitute a surface vhlch say he called a streaa surface. The stream surface Is In torn Bode up of streaallnee. If a...potential and stream function would be, reapeetHely, VpX and ia ^r8. The stream awfaeoa would he right circular cylinders with axes along the x...there is a double infinity of methods. In general, !n transforming frem the compreeslhlo-flov field to the IncrwpreSBlble-flow field, streaa

The IAEA stopping power database, following the trends in stopping power of ions in matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montanari, C. C.; Dimitriou, P.

2017-10-01

The aim of this work is to present an overview of the state of art of the energy loss of ions in matter, based on the new developments in the stopping power database of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This exhaustive collection of experimental data, graphs, programs and comparisons, is the legacy of Helmut Paul, who made it accessible to the global scientific community, and has been extensively employed in theoretical and experimental research during the last 25 years. The field of stopping power in matter is evolving, with new trends in materials of interest, including oxides, nitrides, polymers, and biological targets. Our goal is to identify areas of interest and emerging data needs to meet the requirements of a continuously developing user community.

Multi-Rate Digital Control Systems with Simulation Applications. Volume I. Technical Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-09-01

108 45. A Pseudo Differentiation Configuration ........................ 110 46. Bode Plot, Pseudo Differentiation ...symbolically in Fig. 7a and for 11 x 2 in Fig. 7b. (* notation on x2is used here to indicate an "unconven- tional" sampling operation.) 115 TXi ,A! T...the general multi-rate/multiple-order open-loop system of Fig. 21 have a sine wave input. In Fig 2L, = (GIRj) (114) CT/N = [GGRt]T/N ( 115 ) where a, B

Characterizing and Exploring the Implications of Maritime Irregular Warfare

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

1 The study’s dependent variable was conflict processes and outcomes in maritime warfare environments, and the independent variable was IW...capabilities are improving, or it may mean that the fre- quency of SPSS voyages is increasing, which would bode poorly for U.S. efforts to halt these shipments...Red Sea in the west to 76 degrees longitude in the east, 22 degrees in the south, and 21.5 degrees in the north (Bandel and Crowley, 2008; GAO, 2010

Parameter identification of a rotor supported in a pressurized bearing lubricated with water

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grant, John W.; Muszynska, Agnes; Bently, Donald E.

1994-01-01

A rig for testing an externally pressurized (hydrostatic), water-lubricated bearing was developed. Applying a nonsynchronous sweep frequency, rotating perturbation force with a constant amplitude as an input, rotor vibration response data was acquired in Bode and Dynamic Stiffness formats. Using this data, the parameters of the rotor/bearing system were identified. The rotor/bearing model was represented by the generalized (modal) parameters of the first lateral mode, with the rotational character of the fluid force taken into account.

Coral gardens: paternity and drug testing on the reef.

PubMed

Palumbi, Stephen R

2005-07-26

An international team has used molecular genetics and chemical tagging to trace how baby clownfish travel from their mother's nest through the ocean to the anemone they will live on. More than one out of five juveniles came from nests that were only meters away, despite spending over a week drifting in ocean currents. Such surprising fidelity to a small area of the coral reef bodes well for efforts to preserve coral reef diversity with reserves.

Study of metal corrosion using ac impedance techniques in the STS launch environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calle, Luz M.

1989-01-01

AC impedance measurements were performed to investigate the corrosion resistance of 19 alloys under conditions similar to the STS launch environment. The alloys were: Zirconium 702, Hastelloy C-22, Inconel 625, Hastelloy C-276, Hastelloy C-4, Inconel 600, 7Mo + N, Ferralium 255, Inco Alloy G-3, 20Cb-3, SS 904L, Inconel 825, SS 304LN, SS 316L, SS 317L, ES 2205, SS 304L, Hastelloy B-2, and Monel 400. AC impedance data were gathered for each alloy after one hour immersion time in each of the following three electrolyte solutions: 3.55 percent NaCl, 3.55 percent NaCl-0.1N HCl, and 3.55 percent NaCl-1.0N HCl. The data were analyzed qualitatively using the Nyquist plot and quantitatively using the Bode plot. Polarization resistance, Rp, values were obtained using the Bode plot. Zirconium 702 was the most corrosion resistant alloy in the three electrolytes. The ordering of the other alloys according the their resistance to corrosion varied as the concentration of hydrochloric acid in the electrolyte increased. The corrosion resistance of Zirconium 702 and Ferralium 255 increased as the concentration of hydrochloric acid in the electrolyte increased. The corrosion resistance of the other 17 alloys decreased as the concentration of the hyrdochloric acid in the electrolyte increased.

Lava Eruption and Emplacement: Using Clues from Hawaii and Iceland to Probe the Lunar Past

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Needham, Debra Hurwitz; Hamilton, C. W.; Bleacher, J. E.; Whelley, P. L.; Young, K. E.; Scheidt, S. P.; Richardson, J. A.; Sutton, S. S.

2017-01-01

Investigating recent eruptions on Earth is crucial to improving understanding of relationships between eruption dynamics and final lava flow morphologies. In this study, we investigated eruptions in Holuhraun, Iceland, and Kilauea, Hawaii to gain insight into the lava dynamics near the source vent, the initiation of lava channels, and the origin of down-channel features. Insights are applied to Rima Bode on the lunar nearside to deduce the sequence of events that formed this lunar sinuous rille system. These insights are crucial to correctly interpreting whether the volcanic features associated with Rima Bode directly relate to eruption conditions at the vent and, thus, can help us understand those eruption dynamics, or, alternatively, whether the features formed as a result of more localized influences on lava flow dynamics. For example, if the lava channel developed early in the eruption and was linked to pulses in vent activity, its morphology can be analyzed to interpret the flux and duration of the eruption. Conversely, if the lava channel initiated late in the eruption as the result of a catastrophic breaching of lava that had previously pooled within the vent [e.g., 1], then the final channel morphology will not indicate eruption dynamics but rather local dynamics associated with that breach event. Distinguishing between these two scenarios is crucial for correctly interpreting the intensity and duration of volcanic history on the Moon.

Lava Eruption and Emplacement: Using Clues from Hawaii and Iceland to Probe the Lunar Past

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Needham, D. H.; Hamilton, C. W.; Bleacher, J. E.; Whelley, P. L.; Young, K. E.; Scheidt, S. P.; Richardson, J. A.; Sutton, S. S.

2017-01-01

Investigating recent eruptions on Earth is crucial to improving understanding of relationships between eruption dynamics and final lava flow morphologies. In this study, we investigated eruptions in Holuhraun, Iceland, and Kilauea, Hawaii to gain insight into the lava dynamics near the source vent, the initiation of lava channels, and the origin of down-channel features. Insights are applied to Rima Bode on the lunar nearside to deduce the sequence of events that formed this lunar sinuous rille system.These insights are crucial to correctly interpreting whether the volcanic features associated with Rima Bode directly relate to eruption conditions at the vent and, thus, can help us understand those eruption dynamics, or, alternatively, whether the features formed as a result of more localized influences on lava flow dynamics. For example, if the lava channel developed early in the eruption and was linked to pulses in vent activity, its morphology can be analyzed to interpret the flux and duration of the eruption. Conversely, if the lava channel initiated late in the eruption as the result of a catastrophic breaching of lava that had previously pooled within the vent [e.g., 1], then the final channel morphology will not indicate eruption dynamics but rather local dynamics associated with that breach event. Distinguishing between these two scenarios is crucial for correctly interpreting the intensity and duration of volcanic history on the Moon.

Evaluation of inorganic zinc-rich primers using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calle, Luz M.

1993-01-01

This investigation explores the use of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) in combination with beach exposure as a short term method for analyzing the performance of twenty-one zinc-rich primers. The twenty-one zinc-rich primers were: Carboline CZ-11, Ameron Devoe-Marine Catha-Coat 304, Briner V-65, Ameron D-21-9, Sherwin Williams Zinc Clad II, Carboline CZ-D7, Ameron D-4, Dupont Ganicin 347WB, Porter TQ-4374H, Inorganic Coatings IC-531, Subox Galvanox IV, Southern Coatings Chemtec 600, Glidden Glidzinc 5530, Byco SP-101, Tnemec 90E-75, Devoe Catha-Coat 302H, Glidden Glidzinc 5536, Koppers 701, Ameron D-21-5, Coronado 935-152, and Subox Galvanoz V. Data were also collected on galvanized steel for comparison purposes. A library of Bode magnitude plots was generated for each coating including curves for the initial time and after each week of atmospheric exposure as Beach Corrosion Test Site near the Space Shuttle launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center for up to three weeks. An examination of the variation of the Bode magnitude plots with atmospheric exposure revealed no clearly identifiable trend at this point that could distinguish between the good and the poor coatings. The test will be continued by including EIS measurements after six months and one year of atmospheric exposure.

Twelve Scientific Specialists of the Peenemuende Team

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

Twelve scientific specialists of the Peenemuende team at the front of Building 4488, Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama. They led the Army's space efforts at ABMA before transfer of the team to National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA), George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). (Left to right) Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger, Director, Research Projects Office; Dr. Helmut Hoelzer, Director, Computation Laboratory: Karl L. Heimburg, Director, Test Laboratory; Dr. Ernst Geissler, Director, Aeroballistics Laboratory; Erich W. Neubert, Director, Systems Analysis Reliability Laboratory; Dr. Walter Haeussermarn, Director, Guidance and Control Laboratory; Dr. Wernher von Braun, Director Development Operations Division; William A. Mrazek, Director, Structures and Mechanics Laboratory; Hans Hueter, Director, System Support Equipment Laboratory;Eberhard Rees, Deputy Director, Development Operations Division; Dr. Kurt Debus, Director Missile Firing Laboratory; Hans H. Maus, Director, Fabrication and Assembly Engineering Laboratory

Origin of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-04-15

Twelve scientific specialists of the Peenemuende team at the front of Building 4488, Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama. They led the Army's space efforts at ABMA before transfer of the team to National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA), George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). (Left to right) Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger, Director, Research Projects Office; Dr. Helmut Hoelzer, Director, Computation Laboratory: Karl L. Heimburg, Director, Test Laboratory; Dr. Ernst Geissler, Director, Aeroballistics Laboratory; Erich W. Neubert, Director, Systems Analysis Reliability Laboratory; Dr. Walter Haeussermarn, Director, Guidance and Control Laboratory; Dr. Wernher von Braun, Director Development Operations Division; William A. Mrazek, Director, Structures and Mechanics Laboratory; Hans Hueter, Director, System Support Equipment Laboratory;Eberhard Rees, Deputy Director, Development Operations Division; Dr. Kurt Debus, Director Missile Firing Laboratory; Hans H. Maus, Director, Fabrication and Assembly Engineering Laboratory

Prevalence of persistent blood eosinophilia: relation to outcomes in patients with COPD.

PubMed

Casanova, Ciro; Celli, Bartolome R; de-Torres, Juan P; Martínez-Gonzalez, Cristina; Cosio, Borja G; Pinto-Plata, Victor; de Lucas-Ramos, Pilar; Divo, Miguel; Fuster, Antonia; Peces-Barba, Germán; Calle-Rubio, Myriam; Solanes, Ingrid; Aguero, Ramón; Feu-Collado, Nuria; Alfageme, Inmaculada; De Diego, Alfredo; Romero, Amparo; Balcells, Eva; Llunell, Antonia; Galdiz, Juan B; Marin, Margarita; Moreno, Amalia; Cabrera, Carlos; Golpe, Rafael; Lacarcel, Celia; Soriano, Joan B; López-Campos, José Luis; Soler-Cataluña, Juan J; Marin, José M

2017-11-01

The impact of blood eosinophilia in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains controversial.To evaluate the prevalence and stability of a high level of blood eosinophils (≥300 cells·μL -1 ) and its relationship to outcomes, we determined blood eosinophils at baseline and over 2 years in 424 COPD patients (forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ) 60% predicted) and 67 smokers without COPD from the CHAIN cohort, and in 308 COPD patients (FEV 1 60% predicted) in the BODE cohort. We related eosinophil levels to exacerbations and survival using Cox hazard analysis.In COPD patients, 15.8% in the CHAIN cohort and 12.3% in the BODE cohort had persistently elevated blood eosinophils at all three visits. A significant proportion (43.8%) of patients had counts that oscillated above and below the cut-off points, while the rest had persistent eosinophil levels <300 cells·μL -1 A similar eosinophil blood pattern was observed in controls. Exacerbation rates did not differ in patients with and without eosinophilia. All-cause mortality was lower in patients with high eosinophils compared with those with values <300 cells·μL -1 (15.8% versus 33.7%; p=0.026).In patients with COPD, blood eosinophils ≥300 cells·μL -1 persisting over 2 years was not a risk factor for COPD exacerbations. High eosinophil count was associated with better survival. Copyright ©ERS 2017.

Clinical utility of computed tomographic lung volumes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Lee, Jae Seung; Lee, Sang-Min; Seo, Joon Beom; Lee, Sei Won; Huh, Jin Won; Oh, Yeon-Mok; Lee, Sang-Do

2014-01-01

Published data concerning the utility of computed tomography (CT)-based lung volumes are limited to correlation with lung function. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of the CT expiratory-to-inspiratory lung volume ratio (CT Vratio) by assessing the relationship with clinically relevant outcomes. A total of 75 stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients having pulmonary function testing and volumetric CT at full inspiration and expiration were retrospectively evaluated. Inspiratory and expiratory CT lung volumes were measured using in-house software. Correlation of the CT Vratio with patient-centered outcomes, including the modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) dyspnea score, the 6-min walk distance (6MWD), the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score, and multidimensional COPD severity indices, such as the BMI, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity index (BODE) and age, dyspnea, and airflow obstruction (ADO), were analyzed. The CT Vratio correlated significantly with BMI (r = -0.528, p < 0.001). The CT Vratio was also significantly associated with MMRC dyspnea (r = 0.387, p = 0.001), 6MWD (r = -0.459, p < 0.001), and SGRQ (r = 0.369, p = 0.001) scores. Finally, the CT Vratio had significant correlations with the BODE and ADO multidimensional COPD severity indices (r = 0.605, p < 0.001; r = 0.411, p < 0.001). The CT Vratio had significant correlations with patient-centered outcomes and multidimensional COPD severity indices. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Predictors of mortality in patients with emphysema and severe airflow obstruction.

PubMed

Martinez, Fernando J; Foster, Gregory; Curtis, Jeffrey L; Criner, Gerard; Weinmann, Gail; Fishman, Alfred; DeCamp, Malcolm M; Benditt, Joshua; Sciurba, Frank; Make, Barry; Mohsenifar, Zab; Diaz, Philip; Hoffman, Eric; Wise, Robert

2006-06-15

Limited data exist describing risk factors for mortality in patients having predominantly emphysema. A total of 609 patients with severe emphysema (ages 40-83 yr; 64.2% male) randomized to the medical therapy arm of the National Emphysema Treatment Trial formed the study group. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to investigate risk factors for all-cause mortality. Risk factors examined included demographics, body mass index, physiologic data, quality of life, dyspnea, oxygen utilization, hemoglobin, smoking history, quantitative emphysema markers on computed tomography, and a modification of a recently described multifunctional index (modified BODE). Overall, high mortality was seen in this cohort (12.7 deaths per 100 person-years; 292 total deaths). In multivariate analyses, increasing age (p=0.001), oxygen utilization (p=0.04), lower total lung capacity % predicted (p=0.05), higher residual volume % predicted (p=0.04), lower maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing workload (p=0.002), greater proportion of emphysema in the lower lung zone versus the upper lung zone (p=0.005), and lower upper-to-lower-lung perfusion ratio (p=0.007), and modified BODE (p=0.02) were predictive of mortality. FEV1 was a significant predictor of mortality in univariate analysis (p=0.005), but not in multivariate analysis (p=0.21). Although patients with advanced emphysema experience significant mortality, subgroups based on age, oxygen utilization, physiologic measures, exercise capacity, and emphysema distribution identify those at increased risk of death.

The effects of breathing exercise types on respiratory muscle activity and body function in patients with mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Kang, Jeong-Il; Jeong, Dae-Keun; Choi, Hyun

2016-01-01

[Purpose] Fragmentary studies on characteristics of respiratory muscles are being done to increase respiratory capacity by classifying exercises into voluntary respiratory exercise which relieves symptoms and prevents COPD and exercise using breathing exercise equipment. But this study found changes on respiratory pattern through changes on the activity pattern of agonist and synergist respiratory muscles and studied what effect they can have on body function improvement. [Subjects and Methods] Fifteen subjects in experimental group I that respiratory exercise of diaphragm and 15 subjects in experimental group II that feedback respiratory exercise were randomly selected among COPD patients to find the effective intervention method for COPD patients. And intervention program was conducted for 5 weeks, three times a week, once a day and 30 minutes a session. They were measured with BODE index using respiratory muscle activity, pulmonary function, the six-minute walking test, dyspnea criteria and BMI Then the results obtained were compared and analyzed. [Results] There was a significant difference in sternocleidomastoid muscle and scalene muscle and in 6-minute walk and BODE index for body function. Thus the group performing feedback respiratory had more effective results for mild COPD patients. [Conclusion] Therefore, the improvement was significant regarding the activity of respiratory muscles synergists when breathing before doing breathing exercise. Although, it is valuable to reduce too much mobilization of respiratory muscles synergists through the proper intervention it is necessary to study body function regarding improvement of respiratory function for patients with COPD.

Predictive Model for Anxiety and Depression in Spanish Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

PubMed

González-Gutiérrez, María Victoria; Guerrero Velázquez, José; Morales García, Concepción; Casas Maldonado, Francisco; Gómez Jiménez, Francisco Javier; González Vargas, Francisco

2016-03-01

The association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and anxiety and depression is not yet completely characterized, and differences between countries may exist. We used a predictive model to assess this association in a Spanish population. Prospective transversal descriptive study of 204 patients with stable COPD. Concomitant anxiety or depression were diagnosed by psychiatric assessment, using the diagnostic criteria of the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10). Sociodemographic, clinical and lung function parameters were analyzed. In total, 36% of stable COPD patients had psychiatric comorbidities, but 76% were unaware of their diagnosis. Nineteen percent had a pure anxiety disorder, 9.8% had isolated depression, and 7.3% had a mixed anxiety-depression disorder. Predictive variables in the multivariate analysis were younger age, higher educational level, lack of home support, higher BODE index, and greater number of exacerbations. The ROC curve of the model had an AUC of 0.765 (P<0.001). In COPD, concomitant psychiatric disorders are significantly associated with sociodemographic factors. Anxiety disorders are more common than depression. Patients with more severe COPD, according to BODE, younger patients and those with a higher educational level have a greater risk of being diagnosed with anxiety or depression in a structured psychiatric interview. In our population, most patients with psychiatric comorbidities remain unidentified. Copyright © 2015 SEPAR. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

High-Accuracy Global Time and Frequency Transfer with a Space-Borne Hydrogen Maser Clock

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-12-01

of t h e s p a c e c l o c k is modu la t ed on t h e c l o c k downl ink car r ie r using PRN p h a s e modula- t i o n (5). The s p a...is t o a c c o u n t f o r r e la t i s t i c e f f e c t s w i t h i n a f r a c t i o n a l f r e q u e n c y error of 0 . T h i s r...Mockler , and J . M . R ichardson , Metrologia , 1, p. 114, 1965. ( 1 3 ) Glaze, D . J . , Helmut Hellwig, Steve J a r v i s , J r . , A

The Investigation of Optimal Discrete Approximations for Real Time Flight Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parrish, E. A.; Mcvey, E. S.; Cook, G.; Henderson, K. C.

1976-01-01

The results are presented of an investigation of discrete approximations for real time flight simulation. Major topics discussed include: (1) consideration of the particular problem of approximation of continuous autopilots by digital autopilots; (2) use of Bode plots and synthesis of transfer functions by asymptotic fits in a warped frequency domain; (3) an investigation of the various substitution formulas, including the effects of nonlinearities; (4) use of pade approximation to the solution of the matrix exponential arising from the discrete state equations; and (5) an analytical integration of the state equation using interpolated input.

The earth in technological balance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stout, Dorothy L.

1998-08-01

The K-12 National Science Education Standards have been developed and published by the National Research Council (1995)to "improve scientific literacy across the nation to prepare our students to be scientifically literate". The Standards stress that a quality science education requires an "active learning" approach to science inquiry within the areas of science teaching, professional development, assessment, science content, science education programs and science education systems. In this time of increasing technological advance, the equal treatment of earth and space science alongside biology, physics and chemistry bodes well for the future.

Application of the MNA design method to a nonlinear turbofan engine. [multivariable Nyquist array method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leininger, G. G.

1981-01-01

Using nonlinear digital simulation as a representative model of the dynamic operation of the QCSEE turbofan engine, a feedback control system is designed by variable frequency design techniques. Transfer functions are generated for each of five power level settings covering the range of operation from approach power to full throttle (62.5% to 100% full power). These transfer functions are then used by an interactive control system design synthesis program to provide a closed loop feedback control using the multivariable Nyquist array and extensions to multivariable Bode diagrams and Nichols charts.

11. Chernobyl's radioactive impact on microbial biota.

PubMed

Yablokov, Alexey V

2009-11-01

Of the few microorganisms that have been studied, all underwent rapid changes in the areas heavily contaminated by Chernobyl. Organisms such as tuberculosis bacilli; hepatitis, herpes, and tobacco mosaic viruses; cytomegalovirus; and soil micromycetes and bacteria were activated in various ways. The ultimate long-term consequences for the Chernobyl microbiologic biota may be worse than what we know today. Compared to humans and other mammals, the profound changes that take place among these small live organisms with rapid reproductive turnover do not bode well for the health and survival of other species.

Hydropower and water supply: competing water uses under a future drier climate modeling scenarios for the Tagus River basin, Portugal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexandre Diogo, Paulo; Nunes, João Pedro; Carmona Rodrigues, António; João Cruz, Maria; Grosso, Nuno

2014-05-01

Climate change in the Mediterranean region is expected to affect existing water resources, both in quantity and quality, as decreased mean annual precipitation and more frequent extreme precipitation events are likely to occur. Also, energy needs tend to increase, together with growing awareness that fossil fuels emissions are determinately responsible for global temperature rise, enhancing renewable energy use and reinforcing the importance of hydropower. When considered together, these facts represent a relevant threat to multipurpose reservoir operations. Great Lisbon main water supply (for c.a. 3 million people), managed by EPAL, is located in Castelo de Bode Reservoir, in the Tagus River affluent designated as Zêzere River. Castelo de Bode is a multipurpose infrastructure as it is also part of the hydropower network system of EDP, the main power company in Portugal. Facing the risk of potential climate change impacts on water resources availability, and as part of a wider project promoted by EPAL (designated as ADAPTACLIMA), climate change impacts on the Zêzere watershed where evaluated based on climate change scenarios for the XXI century. A sequential modeling approach was used and included downscaling climate data methodologies, hydrological modeling, volume reservoir simulations and water quality modeling. The hydrological model SWAT was used to predict the impacts of the A2 and B2 scenarios in 2010-2100, combined with changes in socio-economic drivers such as land use and water demands. Reservoir storage simulations where performed according to hydrological modeling results, water supply needs and dam operational requirements, such as minimum and maximum operational pool levels and turbine capacity. The Ce-Qual-W2 water quality model was used to assess water quality impacts. According to climate scenarios A2 and B2, rainfall decreases between 10 and 18% are expected by 2100, leading to drier climatic conditions and increased frequency and magnitude of

The Impact of Dealing with the Late Effects of National Socialist Terror on West German Psychiatric Care.

PubMed

Söhner, Felicitas; Baader, Gerhard

2018-06-01

Health damages and the late effects of NS trauma were largely ignored in German-speaking countries. This paper describes how dealing with the late effects of Nazi terror influenced post-war psychiatry in West Germany and thus the development of the psychiatric reform. As part of a greater overview study of the impulses and framework conditions of the reform-orientated development of post-war psychiatry in West Germany, this analysis is based on a thorough literary and documentary analysis. The sources show that publications by Helmut Paul and Herberg [81] as well as Baeyer et al. [12] can be considered as remarkable milestones. The awareness of psychological late effects of NS persecution was only reluctantly taken up by the scientific community. Nevertheless, this discussion was an essential component of the reform-orientated psychiatry in West Germany in the late 1960s to 1970s.

The Glittre-ADL Test Cut-Off Point to Discriminate Abnormal Functional Capacity in Patients with COPD.

PubMed

Gulart, Aline Almeida; Munari, Anelise Bauer; Klein, Suelen Roberta; Santos da Silveira, Lucas; Mayer, Anamaria Fleig

2018-02-01

The study objective was to determine a cut-off point for the Glittre activities of daily living (ADL)test (TGlittre) to discriminate patients with normal and abnormal functional capacity. Fifty-nine patients with moderate to very severe COPD (45 males; 65 ± 8.84 years; BMI: 26 ± 4.78 kg/m 2 ; FEV 1 : 35.3 ± 13.4% pred) were evaluated for spirometry, TGlittre, 6-minute walk test (6 MWT), physical ADL, modified Medical Research Council scale (mMRC), BODE index, Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and COPD Assessment Test (CAT). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the cut-off point for TGlittre in order to discriminate patients with 6 MWT < 82% pred. The ROC curve indicated a cut-off point of 3.5 minutes for the TGlittre (sensitivity = 92%, specificity = 83%, and area under the ROC curve = 0.95 [95% CI: 0.89-0.99]). Patients with abnormal functional capacity had higher mMRC (median difference 1 point), CAT (mean difference: 4.5 points), SGRQ (mean difference: 12.1 points), and BODE (1.37 points) scores, longer time of physical activity <1.5 metabolic equivalent of task (mean difference: 47.9 minutes) and in sitting position (mean difference: 59.4 minutes) and smaller number of steps (mean difference: 1,549 minutes); p < 0.05 for all. In conclusion, the cut-off point of 3.5 minutes in the TGlittre is sensitive and specific to distinguish COPD patients with abnormal and normal functional capacity.

COMET: a multicomponent home-based disease-management programme versus routine care in severe COPD.

PubMed

Kessler, Romain; Casan-Clara, Pere; Koehler, Dieter; Tognella, Silvia; Viejo, Jose Luis; Dal Negro, Roberto W; Díaz-Lobato, Salvador; Reissig, Karina; Rodríguez González-Moro, José Miguel; Devouassoux, Gilles; Chavaillon, Jean-Michel; Botrus, Pierre; Arnal, Jean-Michel; Ancochea, Julio; Bergeron-Lafaurie, Anne; De Abajo, Carlos; Randerath, Winfried J; Bastian, Andreas; Cornelissen, Christian G; Nilius, Georg; Texereau, Joëlle B; Bourbeau, Jean

2018-01-01

The COPD Patient Management European Trial (COMET) investigated the efficacy and safety of a home-based COPD disease management intervention for severe COPD patients.The study was an international open-design clinical trial in COPD patients (forced expiratory volume in 1 s <50% of predicted value) randomised 1:1 to the disease management intervention or to the usual management practices at the study centre. The disease management intervention included a self-management programme, home telemonitoring, care coordination and medical management. The primary end-point was the number of unplanned all-cause hospitalisation days in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population. Secondary end-points included acute care hospitalisation days, BODE (body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnoea and exercise) index and exacerbations. Safety end-points included adverse events and deaths.For the 157 (disease management) and 162 (usual management) patients eligible for ITT analyses, all-cause hospitalisation days per year (mean±sd) were 17.4±35.4 and 22.6±41.8, respectively (mean difference -5.3, 95% CI -13.7 to -3.1; p=0.16). The disease management group had fewer per-protocol acute care hospitalisation days per year (p=0.047), a lower BODE index (p=0.01) and a lower mortality rate (1.9% versus 14.2%; p<0.001), with no difference in exacerbation frequency. Patient profiles and hospitalisation practices varied substantially across countries.The COMET disease management intervention did not significantly reduce unplanned all-cause hospitalisation days, but reduced acute care hospitalisation days and mortality in severe COPD patients. Copyright ©ERS 2018.

Birmingham COPD Cohort: a cross-sectional analysis of the factors associated with the likelihood of being in paid employment among people with COPD

PubMed Central

Rai, Kiran K; Jordan, Rachel E; Siebert, W Stanley; Sadhra, Steven S; Fitzmaurice, David A; Sitch, Alice J; Ayres, Jon G; Adab, Peymané

2017-01-01

Background Employment rates among those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are lower than those without COPD, but little is known about the factors that affect COPD patients’ ability to work. Methods Multivariable analysis of the Birmingham COPD Cohort Study baseline data was used to assess the associations between lifestyle, clinical, and occupational characteristics and likelihood of being in paid employment among working-age COPD patients. Results In total, 608 of 1,889 COPD participants were of working age, of whom 248 (40.8%) were in work. Older age (60–64 years vs 30–49 years: odds ratio [OR] =0.28; 95% confidence interval [CI] =0.12–0.65), lower educational level (no formal qualification vs degree/higher level: OR =0.43; 95% CI =0.19–0.97), poorer prognostic score (highest vs lowest quartile of modified body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise (BODE) score: OR =0.10; 95% CI =0.03–0.33), and history of high occupational exposure to vapors, gases, dusts, or fumes (VGDF; high VGDF vs no VGDF exposure: OR =0.32; 95% CI =0.12–0.85) were associated with a lower probability of being employed. Only the degree of breathlessness of BODE was significantly associated with employment. Conclusion This is the first study to comprehensively assess the characteristics associated with employment in a community sample of people with COPD. Future interventions should focus on managing breathlessness and reducing occupational exposures to VGDF to improve the work capability among those with COPD. PMID:28138233

Does a monovalent inactivated human rotavirus vaccine induce heterotypic immunity?

PubMed Central

Jiang, Baoming; Wang, Yuhuan; Glass, Roger I.

2013-01-01

There is substantial evidence for broad cross-reactive immunity and heterotypic protection among human rotavirus strains in children with natural infection or with monovalent Rotarix vaccination. In this commentary, we addressed this same topic by testing sera of guinea pigs and gnotobiotic piglets that were intramuscularly immunized with an inactivated human rotavirus vaccine and also demonstrated a broad cross-protective immunity among human rotavirus strains. Our findings from a single human strain in animal studies bode well for a low cost and efficacious inactivated vaccine to protect children against rotavirus disease throughout the world. PMID:23744507

Prospects for spinel-stabilized, high-capacity lithium-ion battery cathodes

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

Croy, Jason R.; Park, Joong Sun; Shin, Youngho

Herein we report early results on efforts to optimize the electrochemical performance of a cathode composed of a lithium- and manganese-rich “layered-layered-spinel” material for lithium-ion battery applications. Pre-pilot scale synthesis leads to improved particle properties compared with lab-scale efforts, resulting in high capacities (≳200 mAh/g) and good energy densities (>700 Wh/kg) in tests with lithium-ion cells. Subsequent surface modifications give further improvements in rate capabilities and high-voltage stability. These results bode well for advances in the performance of this class of lithium- and manganese-rich cathode materials.

Prospects for spinel-stabilized, high-capacity lithium-ion battery cathodes

DOE PAGES

Croy, Jason R.; Park, Joong Sun; Shin, Youngho; ...

2016-10-13

Herein we report early results on efforts to optimize the electrochemical performance of a cathode composed of a lithium- and manganese-rich “layered-layered-spinel” material for lithium-ion battery applications. Pre-pilot scale synthesis leads to improved particle properties compared with lab-scale efforts, resulting in high capacities (≳200 mAh/g) and good energy densities (>700 Wh/kg) in tests with lithium-ion cells. Subsequent surface modifications give further improvements in rate capabilities and high-voltage stability. These results bode well for advances in the performance of this class of lithium- and manganese-rich cathode materials.

Novel indole sulfides as potent HIV-1 NNRTIs.

PubMed

Brigg, Siobhan; Pribut, Nicole; Basson, Adriaan E; Avgenikos, Moscos; Venter, Reinhardt; Blackie, Margaret A; van Otterlo, Willem A L; Pelly, Stephen C

2016-03-15

In a previous communication we described a series of indole based NNRTIs which were potent inhibitors of HIV replication, both for the wild type and K103N strains of the virus. However, the methyl ether functionality on these compounds, which was crucial for potency, was susceptible to acid promoted indole assisted SN1 substitution. This particular problem did not bode well for an orally bioavailable drug. Here we describe bioisosteric replacement of this problematic functional group, leading to a series of compounds which are potent inhibitors of HIV replication, and are acid stable. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On spatial spillover in feedforward and feedback noise control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Antai; Bernstein, Dennis

2017-03-01

Active feedback noise control for rejecting broadband disturbances must contend with the Bode integral constraint, which implies that suppression over some frequency range gives rise to amplification over another range at the performance microphone. This is called spectral spillover. The present paper deals with spatial spillover, which refers to the amplification of noise at locations where no microphone is located. A spatial spillover function is defined, which is valid for both feedforward and feedback control with scalar and vector control inputs. This function is numerically analyzed and measured experimentally. Obstructions are introduced in the acoustic space to investigate their effect on spatial spillover.

Hall v. Florida: defining intellectual disability in the shadow of the death penalty.

PubMed

Appelbaum, Paul S

2014-10-01

When the U.S. Supreme Court held that persons with mental retardation (now called intellectual disability) could not be sentenced to death, it left the question of how to define the condition to the states. That issue was raised in Hall v. Florida, which challenged one state's "bright-line rule" barring consideration of defendants with IQs over 70. In an endorsement of the professional consensus, the justices ruled that a more flexible approach that takes into account both intellectual and adaptive functioning is required. The Court's posture may bode well for its acceptance of mental health expertise in future cases.

COMMITTEES: SQM2008-International Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter SQM2008-International Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-04-01

Local Organising Committee Xiangzhou Cai (SINPA) Weiqin Chao (CCAST) Liewen Chen (SJTU) Jianping Cheng (Tsinghua University) Jinghua Fu (CCNU) Yuanning Gao (Tsinghua University) Xiaomei Li (CIAE) Zuotang Liang (Shandong University) Feng Liu (CCNU), Co-chair Yuxin Liu (PKU) Qing Wang (Tsinghua University) Qun Wang (USTC) Hushan Xu (IMP) Daicui Zhou (CCNU) Pengfei Zhuang (Tsinghua University), Co-chair Bingsong Zou (IHEP) International Advisory Committee Jörg Aichelin, Nantes Federico Antinori, Padova Tamás Biró, Budapest Peter Braun-Munzinger, GSI Jean Cleymans, Cape Town László Csernai, Bergen Timothy Hallman, BNL Huan Zhong Huang, UCLA Takeshi Kodama, Rio de Janeiro Carlos Lourenço, CERN Yu-Gang Ma, Shanghai Jes Masden, Aarhus Yasuo Miake, Tsukuba Berndt Müller, Duke Grazyna Odyniec, LBNL Helmut Oeschler, Darmstadt Johann Rafelski, Arizona Hans Georg Ritter, LBNL Karel Šafařík, CERN Jack Sandweiss, Yale George S F Stephans, MIT Horst Stöcker, Frankfurt Thomas Ullrich, BNL Nu Xu, LBNL William A Zajc, Columbia

Mobility disorders and pain, interrelations that need new research concepts and advanced clinical commitments

PubMed Central

Sajer, Sascha

2017-01-01

This Perspective will discuss topics recently suggested by Prof. Helmut Kern, Vienna, Austria, to advance the research activities of his team, that is: Topic A, 10 years post RISE; Topic B, New research for new solutions on old research questions; Topic C, Working groups on nerve regeneration, training-parameters of seniors in different ages, muscle adaptation; and studies of connective tissue and cartilage. This Perspective summarizes some of the basic concepts and of the evidence-based tools for developing further translational research activities. Clinically relevant results will ask for continuous interests of Basic and Applied Myologists and for the support during the next five to ten years of public and private granting agencies. All together, they will end in protocols, devices and multidisciplinary managements for persons suffering with muscle denervation, neuromuscular-related or non-related pain and for the increasing population of old, older and oldest senior citizens in Europe and beyond. PMID:29299226

Risk adjustment for health care financing in chronic disease: what are we missing by failing to account for disease severity?

PubMed

Omachi, Theodore A; Gregorich, Steven E; Eisner, Mark D; Penaloza, Renee A; Tolstykh, Irina V; Yelin, Edward H; Iribarren, Carlos; Dudley, R Adams; Blanc, Paul D

2013-08-01

Adjustment for differing risks among patients is usually incorporated into newer payment approaches, and current risk models rely on age, sex, and diagnosis codes. It is unknown the extent to which controlling additionally for disease severity improves cost prediction. Failure to adjust for within-disease variation may create incentives to avoid sicker patients. We address this issue among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Cost and clinical data were collected prospectively from 1202 COPD patients at Kaiser Permanente. Baseline analysis included age, sex, and diagnosis codes (using the Diagnostic Cost Group Relative Risk Score) in a general linear model predicting total medical costs in the following year. We determined whether adding COPD severity measures-forced expiratory volume in 1 second, 6-Minute Walk Test, dyspnea score, body mass index, and BODE Index (composite of the other 4 measures)-improved predictions. Separately, we examined household income as a cost predictor. Mean costs were $12,334/y. Controlling for Relative Risk Score, each ½ SD worsening in COPD severity factor was associated with $629 to $1135 in increased annual costs (all P<0.01). The lowest stratum of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (<30% normal) predicted $4098 (95% confidence interval, $576-$8773) additional costs. Household income predicted excess costs when added to the baseline model (P=0.038), but this became nonsignificant when also incorporating the BODE Index. Disease severity measures explain significant cost variations beyond current risk models, and adding them to such models appears important to fairly compensate organizations that accept responsibility for sicker COPD patients. Appropriately controlling for disease severity also accounts for costs otherwise associated with lower socioeconomic status.

Distribution and Outcomes of a Phenotype-Based Approach to Guide COPD Management: Results from the CHAIN Cohort.

PubMed

Cosio, Borja G; Soriano, Joan B; López-Campos, Jose Luis; Calle, Myriam; Soler, Juan José; de-Torres, Juan Pablo; Marín, Jose Maria; Martínez, Cristina; de Lucas, Pilar; Mir, Isabel; Peces-Barba, Germán; Feu-Collado, Nuria; Solanes, Ingrid; Alfageme, Inmaculada

The Spanish guideline for COPD (GesEPOC) recommends COPD treatment according to four clinical phenotypes: non-exacerbator phenotype with either chronic bronchitis or emphysema (NE), asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS), frequent exacerbator phenotype with emphysema (FEE) or frequent exacerbator phenotype with chronic bronchitis (FECB). However, little is known on the distribution and outcomes of the four suggested phenotypes. We aimed to determine the distribution of these COPD phenotypes, and their relation with one-year clinical outcomes. We followed a cohort of well-characterized patients with COPD up to one-year. Baseline characteristics, health status (CAT), BODE index, rate of exacerbations and mortality up to one year of follow-up were compared between the four phenotypes. Overall, 831 stable COPD patients were evaluated. They were distributed as NE, 550 (66.2%); ACOS, 125 (15.0%); FEE, 38 (4.6%); and FECB, 99 (11.9%); additionally 19 (2.3%) COPD patients with frequent exacerbations did not fulfill the criteria for neither FEE nor FECB. At baseline, there were significant differences in symptoms, FEV1 and BODE index (all p<0.05). The FECB phenotype had the highest CAT score (17.1±8.2, p<0.05 compared to the other phenotypes). Frequent exacerbator groups (FEE and FECB) were receiving more pharmacological treatment at baseline, and also experienced more exacerbations the year after (all p<0.05) with no differences in one-year mortality. Most of NE (93%) and half of exacerbators were stable after one year. There is an uneven distribution of COPD phenotypes in stable COPD patients, with significant differences in demographics, patient-centered outcomes and health care resources use.

Distribution and Outcomes of a Phenotype-Based Approach to Guide COPD Management: Results from the CHAIN Cohort

PubMed Central

Cosio, Borja G.; Soriano, Joan B.; López-Campos, Jose Luis; Calle, Myriam; Soler, Juan José; de-Torres, Juan Pablo; Marín, Jose Maria; Martínez, Cristina; de Lucas, Pilar; Mir, Isabel; Peces-Barba, Germán; Feu-Collado, Nuria; Solanes, Ingrid; Alfageme, Inmaculada

2016-01-01

Rationale The Spanish guideline for COPD (GesEPOC) recommends COPD treatment according to four clinical phenotypes: non-exacerbator phenotype with either chronic bronchitis or emphysema (NE), asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS), frequent exacerbator phenotype with emphysema (FEE) or frequent exacerbator phenotype with chronic bronchitis (FECB). However, little is known on the distribution and outcomes of the four suggested phenotypes. Objective We aimed to determine the distribution of these COPD phenotypes, and their relation with one-year clinical outcomes. Methods We followed a cohort of well-characterized patients with COPD up to one-year. Baseline characteristics, health status (CAT), BODE index, rate of exacerbations and mortality up to one year of follow-up were compared between the four phenotypes. Results Overall, 831 stable COPD patients were evaluated. They were distributed as NE, 550 (66.2%); ACOS, 125 (15.0%); FEE, 38 (4.6%); and FECB, 99 (11.9%); additionally 19 (2.3%) COPD patients with frequent exacerbations did not fulfill the criteria for neither FEE nor FECB. At baseline, there were significant differences in symptoms, FEV1 and BODE index (all p<0.05). The FECB phenotype had the highest CAT score (17.1±8.2, p<0.05 compared to the other phenotypes). Frequent exacerbator groups (FEE and FECB) were receiving more pharmacological treatment at baseline, and also experienced more exacerbations the year after (all p<0.05) with no differences in one-year mortality. Most of NE (93%) and half of exacerbators were stable after one year. Conclusions There is an uneven distribution of COPD phenotypes in stable COPD patients, with significant differences in demographics, patient-centered outcomes and health care resources use. PMID:27684372

New GOLD classification: longitudinal data on group assignment

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Rationale Little is known about the longitudinal changes associated with using the 2013 update of the multidimensional GOLD strategy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Objective To determine the COPD patient distribution of the new GOLD proposal and evaluate how this classification changes over one year compared with the previous GOLD staging based on spirometry only. Methods We analyzed data from the CHAIN study, a multicenter observational Spanish cohort of COPD patients who are monitored annually. Categories were defined according to the proposed GOLD: FEV1%, mMRC dyspnea, COPD Assessment Test (CAT), Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ), and exacerbations-hospitalizations. One-year follow-up information was available for all variables except CCQ data. Results At baseline, 828 stable COPD patients were evaluated. On the basis of mMRC dyspnea versus CAT, the patients were distributed as follows: 38.2% vs. 27.2% in group A, 17.6% vs. 28.3% in group B, 15.8% vs. 12.9% in group C, and 28.4% vs. 31.6% in group D. Information was available for 526 patients at one year: 64.2% of patients remained in the same group but groups C and D show different degrees of variability. The annual progression by group was mainly associated with one-year changes in CAT scores (RR, 1.138; 95%CI: 1.074-1.206) and BODE index values (RR, 2.012; 95%CI: 1.487-2.722). Conclusions In the new GOLD grading classification, the type of tool used to determine the level of symptoms can substantially alter the group assignment. A change in category after one year was associated with longitudinal changes in the CAT and BODE index. PMID:24417879

COPD assessment test (CAT): simple tool for evaluating quality of life of chemical warfare patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Lari, Shahrzad M; Ghobadi, Hassan; Attaran, Davood; Mahmoodpour, Afsoun; Shadkam, Omid; Rostami, Maryam

2014-01-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the serious late pulmonary complications caused by sulphur mustard exposure. Health status evaluations of chemical warfare patients with COPD are important to the management of these patients. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of the COPD assessment test (CAT) in evaluating the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of chemical warfare patients with COPD. Eighty-two consecutive patients with stable COPD were enrolled in this study. All subjects were visited by one physician, and the HRQOL was evaluated by the CAT and St. George Respiratory Questionnaires (SGRQs). In addition, a standard spirometry test, 6-min walk distance test and pulse oxymetry were conducted. The severity of the COPD was determined using Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) staging and the body mass index, obstruction, dyspnoea and exercise (BODE) index. The mean age of the patients was 47.30 ± 7.08 years. The mean CAT score was 26.03 ± 8.28. Thirty-five (43%) patients were in CAT stage 3. There were statistically significant correlations between the CAT and the SGRQ (r = 0.70, P = 0.001) and the BODE index (r = 0.70, P = 0.001). A statistically significant inverse correlation was found between the CAT score and the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (r = -0.30, P = 0.03). Our results demonstrated that the CAT is a simple and valid tool for assessment of HRQOL in chemical warfare patients with COPD and can be used in clinical practice. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Interleukin-6 and airflow limitation in chemical warfare patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

PubMed Central

Attaran, Davood; Lari, Shahrzad M; Towhidi, Mohammad; Marallu, Hassan Ghobadi; Ayatollahi, Hossein; Khajehdaluee, Mohammad; Ghanei, Mostafa; Basiri, Reza

2010-01-01

Objectives Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the main late complications of sulfur mustard poisoning. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6 in war veterans with pulmonary complications of sulfur mustard poisoning and their correlation with severity of airways disease. Methods Fifty consecutive patients with sulfur mustard poisoning and stable COPD, and of mean age 46.3 ± 9.18 years were enrolled in this study. Thirty healthy men were selected as controls and matched to cases by age and body mass index. Spirometry, arterial blood gas, six- minute walk test, BODE (body mass index, obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity), and St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire about quality of life were evaluated. Serum IL-6 was measured in both patient and control groups. Results Fifty-four percent of patients had moderate COPD. Mean serum IL-6 levels were 15.01 ± standard deviation (SD) 0.61 pg/dL and 4.59 ± 3.40 pg/dL in the case and control groups, respectively (P = 0.03). There was a significant correlation between IL-6 levels and Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stage (r = 0.25, P = 0.04) and between IL-6 and BODE index (r = 0.38, P = 0.01). There was also a significant negative correlation between serum IL-6 and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1, r = −0.36, P = 0.016). Conclusion Our findings suggest that serum IL-6 is increased in patients with sulfur mustard poisoning and COPD, and may have a direct association with airflow limitation. PMID:21037957

Mortality risk prediction in COPD by a prognostic biomarker panel.

PubMed

Stolz, Daiana; Meyer, Anja; Rakic, Janko; Boeck, Lucas; Scherr, Andreas; Tamm, Michael

2014-12-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex disease with various phenotypes. The simultaneous determination of multiple biomarkers reflecting different pathobiological pathways could be useful in identifying individuals with an increased risk of death. We derived and validated a combination of three biomarkers (adrenomedullin, arginine vasopressin and atrial natriuretic peptide), assessed in plasma samples of 385 patients, to estimate mortality risk in stable COPD. Biomarkers were analysed in combination and defined as high or low. In the derivation cohort (n = 142), there were 73 deaths during the 5-year follow-up. Crude hazard ratios for mortality were 3.0 (95% CI 1.8-5.1) for one high biomarker, 4.8 (95% CI 2.4-9.5) for two biomarkers and 9.6 (95% CI 3.3-28.3) for three high biomarkers compared with no elevated biomarkers. In the validation cohort (n = 243), 87 individuals died. Corresponding hazard ratios were 1.9 (95% CI 1.1-3.3), 3.1 (95% CI 1.8-5.4) and 5.4 (95% CI 2.5-11.4). Multivariable adjustment for clinical variables as well as the BODE (body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnoea, exercise capacity) index and stratification by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stages provided consistent results. The addition of the panel of three biomarkers to the BODE index generated a net reclassification improvement of 57.9% (95% CI 21.7-92.4%) and 45.9% (95% CI 13.9-75.7%) at 3 and 5 years, respectively. Simultaneously elevated levels of adrenomedullin, arginine vasopressin and atrial natriuretic peptide are associated with increased risk of death in patients with stable COPD. ©ERS 2014.

Development of Graphical Pole-Zero, Root-Locus, Bode, Nyquist, and Nichols Responses Using the OPTSYSX Program.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-09-01

JV) 0..J- 11- 0.7 it HIZ-z7WaWI 1-I 1 1- I"c 9-4... It-)% -Q-0 .) 15 1 ’-0 -a -aI w Lo I U .. J()V) .40%. 11 UL)(S)Cg’ 11 VOZ - - ’-0 1 ’-I U). 0...34- 9-4W s-XW-XJ) 11 W 04- 11 .J I LVLOL- G*Z- 1 1" I -SI . . . . . .4 1 11I ZNJ’-..i9-- XI-%WtDo N DLD1-slC T 0 z(~zt)->I I V-1 PIŕ IP OH Zj .-I- 0...ut) WWCD U󈧎-,-o,- 0 L,4-u4,44u4-- ut 1 i I4j<=wa: a.) m- ip -, wnJ 11111> .60o .0 - 1 Wl -to -W l .J11 lii 11 1111 Z"’")i 1~~:...cIV..L UIZIn-’Z F

Interprofessional collaboration: if not now, when?

PubMed

Fried, Jackie

2013-01-01

Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is a driving force behind state-of-the art health care delivery. Health care experts, governmental bodies, health professions organizations and academicians support the need for collaborative models. Dental hygienists possess unique qualities that can enhance a collaborative team. As preventive therapists, health educators and holistic providers, they are positioned to contribute richly and meaningfully to team models. Health care reform, overwhelming oral health needs and growing associations between oral and systemic wellness add to the dental hygienist's relevance in collaborative arrangements. Dental hygiene clinical and educational models that speak to collaboration are operational in many U.S. states and the future bodes well for their continued growth.

Hydrogel Biomaterials: A Smart Future?

PubMed Central

Kopeček, Jindřich

2007-01-01

Hydrogels were the first biomaterials developed for human use. The state-of-the-art and potential for the future are discussed. Recently, new designs have produced mechanically strong synthetic hydrogels. Protein based hydrogels and hybrid hydrogels containing protein domains present a novel advance; such biomaterials may self-assemble from block or graft copolymers containing biorecognition domains. One of the domains, the coiled-coil, ubiquitously found in nature, has been used as an example to demonstrate the developments in the design of smart hydrogels. The application potential of synthetic, protein-based, DNA-based, and hybrid hydrogels bodes well for the future of this class of biomaterials. PMID:17697712

Effects of Two Chinese Herbal Formulae for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Cao, Yuxue; Du, Yijie; Zhang, Hongying; Luo, Qingli; Li, Bei; Wu, Jinfeng; Lv, Yubao; Sun, Jing; Jin, Hualiang; Wei, Kai; Zhao, Zhengxiao; Kong, Lingwen; Zhou, Xianmei; Miao, Qing; Wang, Gang; Zhou, Qingwei; Dong, Jingcheng

2014-01-01

Objective The study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two Chinese herbal formulae for the treatment of stable COPD. Methods A multicenter, double-blind, double-dummy, and randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted. All groups were treated with additional conventional medicines. There were a 6-month treatment and a 12-month follow-up for 5 times. Primary outcomes included lung function test, exacerbation frequency, score of SGRQ. Second outcomes consisted of 6MWD, BODE index, psychological field score, inflammatory factors and cortisol. Results A total of 331 patients were randomly divided into two active treatment groups (Bushen Yiqi (BY) granule group, n = 109; Bushen Fangchuan (BF) tablet group, n = 109) and a placebo group (n = 113). Finally 262 patients completed the study. BY granule & BF tablet increased the values of VC, FEV1 (%) and FEV1/FVC (%), compared with placebo. BY granule improved PEF. Both treatments reduced acute exacerbation frequency (P = 0.067), BODE index and psychological field score, while improved 6MWD. In terms of descent rang of SGRQ score, both treatments increased (P = 0.01). Both treatments decreased inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-8, and IL-17(P = 0.0219). BY granule obviously descended IL-17(P<0.05), IL-1β (P = 0.05), IL-6, compared with placebo. They improved the level of IL-10 and cortisol. BY granule raised cortisol (P = 0.07) and decreased TNF-α. Both treatments slightly descended TGF-β1. In terms of safety, subject compliance and drug combination, there were no differences (P>0.05) among three groups. Conclusions BY granule and BF tablet were positively effective for the treatment of COPD, and the former performed better in general. Trial Registration Chinese Clinical Trial Register center ChiCTR-TRC-09000530 PMID:25118962

Evaluation of the visit frequency and the use of questionnaires and indices for COPD: a national survey from the On-Sint study.

PubMed

López Ramírez, Cecilia; Calero Acuña, Carmen; Represas Represas, Cristina; Aballe Santos, Luz; Casamor, Ricard; Fernández-Villar, Alberto; López-Campos, José Luis

2017-05-01

Despite widespread recommendations to use standardized questionnaires and multidimensional indices for the assessment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), few data are available on the application of these tools in clinical practice. This study evaluates the attitude of physicians participating in the On-Sint cohort toward the use of health status questionnaires and multidimensional indices, as well as toward the frequency of visits and spirometry in primary care and specialized care. During the constitution of the On-Sint cohort, the participating physicians were surveyed about their clinical practice. They were questioned on the frequency of spirometry and visits and on the use of various questionnaires and indices. The health status questionnaires assessed were St. George's respiratory questionnaire, chronic respiratory questionnaire, airways questionnaire 20 and COPD assessment test (CAT). Physicians were also asked about the use of the medical research council (MRC) dyspnea scale and multidimensional indices such as body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, exercise capacity (BODE). Of the 356 physicians who participated in the study, 258 (72.5 %) completed the investigator's questionnaire (185 primary care, 73 specialized care). Nonscheduled visits were inversely proportional to the severity of COPD. Overall, 34.1% reported using health status questionnaires, mainly CAT (20.9%). We found differences between primary and specialized care in the use of multidimensional indices (84.9% vs 47.6%; P < 0.001). Of all the participants, 33.3% reported using the MRC scale and 28.7% the BODE index. Multidimensional indices and questionnaires are not commonly used with some differences between primary care and specialized care physicians. There is a considerable variability in the frequency of follow-up visits and spirometry. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Differences in baseline factors and survival between normocapnia, compensated respiratory acidosis and decompensated respiratory acidosis in COPD exacerbation: A pilot study.

PubMed

Lun, Chung-Tat; Tsui, Miranda S N; Cheng, Suet-Lai; Chan, Veronica L; Leung, Wah-Shing; Cheung, Alice P S; Chu, Chung-Ming

2016-01-01

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experiencing acute exacerbation (AE-COPD) with decompensated respiratory acidosis are known to have poor outcomes in terms of recurrent respiratory failure and death. However, the outcomes of AE-COPD patients with compensated respiratory acidosis are not known. We performed a 1-year prospective, single-centre, cohort study in patients surviving the index admission for AE-COPD to compare baseline factors between groups with normocapnia, compensated respiratory acidosis and decompensated respiratory acidosis. Survival analysis was done to examine time to readmissions, life-threatening events and death. A total of 250 patients fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited and 245 patients were analysed. Compared with normocapnia, both compensated and decompensated respiratory acidosis are associated with lower FEV1 % (P < 0.001), higher GOLD stage (P = 0.003, <0.001) and higher BODE index (P = 0.038, 0.001) and a shorter time to life-threatening events (P < 0.001). Comparing compensated and decompensated respiratory acidosis, there was no difference in FEV1 (% predicted) (P = 0.15), GOLD stage (P = 0.091), BODE index (P = 0.158) or time to life-threatening events (P = 0.301). High PaCO2 level (P = 0.002) and previous use of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in acute setting (P < 0.001) are predictive factors of future life-threatening events by multivariate analysis. Compared with normocapnia, both compensated and decompensated respiratory acidosis are associated with poorer lung function and higher risk of future life-threatening events. High PaCO2 level and past history of NIV use in acute settings were predictive factors for future life-threatening events. Compensated respiratory acidosis warrants special attention and optimization of medical therapy as it poses risk of life-threatening events. © 2015 Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.

Biomechanical CT Metrics Are Associated With Patient Outcomes in COPD

PubMed Central

Bodduluri, Sandeep; Bhatt, Surya P; Hoffman, Eric A.; Newell, John D.; Martinez, Carlos H.; Dransfield, Mark T.; Han, Meilan K.; Reinhardt, Joseph M.

2017-01-01

Background Traditional metrics of lung disease such as those derived from spirometry and static single-volume CT images are used to explain respiratory morbidity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but are insufficient. We hypothesized that the mean Jacobian determinant, a measure of local lung expansion and contraction with respiration, would contribute independently to clinically relevant functional outcomes. Methods We applied image registration techniques to paired inspiratory-expiratory CT scans and derived the Jacobian determinant of the deformation field between the two lung volumes to map local volume change with respiration. We analyzed 490 participants with COPD with multivariable regression models to assess strengths of association between traditional CT metrics of disease and the Jacobian determinant with respiratory morbidity including dyspnea (mMRC), St Georges Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score, six-minute walk distance (6MWD), and the BODE index, as well as all-cause mortality. Results The Jacobian determinant was significantly associated with SGRQ (adjusted regression co-efficient β = −11.75,95%CI −21.6 to −1.7;p=0.020), and with 6MWD (β=321.15, 95%CI 134.1 to 508.1;p<0.001), independent of age, sex, race, body-mass-index, FEV1, smoking pack-years, CT emphysema, CT gas trapping, airway wall thickness, and CT scanner protocol. The mean Jacobian determinant was also independently associated with the BODE index (β= −0.41, 95%CI −0.80 to −0.02; p = 0.039), and mortality on follow-up (adjusted hazards ratio = 4.26, 95%CI = 0.93 to 19.23; p = 0.064). Conclusion Biomechanical metrics representing local lung expansion and contraction improve prediction of respiratory morbidity and mortality and offer additional prognostic information beyond traditional measures of lung function and static single-volume CT metrics. PMID:28044005

Digital control of the Kuiper Airborne Observatory telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccormack, Ann C.; Snyder, Philip K.

1989-01-01

The feasibility of using a digital controller to stabilize a telescope mounted in an airplane is investigated. The telescope is a 30 in. infrared telescope mounted aboard a NASA C-141 aircraft known as the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. Current efforts to refurbish the 14-year-old compensation system have led to considering a digital controller. A typical digital controller is modeled and added into the telescope system model. This model is simulated on a computer to generate the Bode plots and time responses which determine system stability and performance parameters. Important aspects of digital control system hardware are discussed. A summary of the findings shows that a digital control system would result in satisfactory telescope performance.

FROM REINFORCEMENT LEARNING MODELS OF THE BASAL GANGLIA TO THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF PSYCHIATRIC AND NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

PubMed Central

Maia, Tiago V.; Frank, Michael J.

2013-01-01

Over the last decade and a half, reinforcement learning models have fostered an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the functions of dopamine and cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical (CBGTC) circuits. More recently, these models, and the insights that they afford, have started to be used to understand key aspects of several psychiatric and neurological disorders that involve disturbances of the dopaminergic system and CBGTC circuits. We review this approach and its existing and potential applications to Parkinson’s disease, Tourette’s syndrome, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, addiction, schizophrenia, and preclinical animal models used to screen novel antipsychotic drugs. The approach’s proven explanatory and predictive power bodes well for the continued growth of computational psychiatry and computational neurology. PMID:21270784

Theories of the origin of the solar system - Some historical remarks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brahic, A.

Before discussing Descartes' vortex theory, a brief account is given of the contributions made by Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton. Descartes is considered the father of modern cosmogony, noting that his were the first attempts to derive the nearly circular motions of bodies in the planetary system from a chaotic confusion of colliding particles. The first tidal theory (1749), that of Buffon, is discussed, with attention given to his insight that the various regularities of the solar system strongly suggested that it is the product of a single physical process. Also discussed are Kant's (1755) and Laplace's (1796) theories of the primitive nebula. The accretion theories are considered, together with the Bode-Titius law.

Ice Accretion Modeling using an Eulerian Approach for Droplet Impingement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Joe Woong; Garza, Dennis P.; Sankar, Lakshmi N.; Kreeger, Richard E.

2012-01-01

A three-dimensional Eulerian analysis has been developed for modeling droplet impingement on lifting bodes. The Eulerian model solves the conservation equations of mass and momentum to obtain the droplet flow field properties on the same mesh used in CFD simulations. For complex configurations such as a full rotorcraft, the Eulerian approach is more efficient because the Lagrangian approach would require a significant amount of seeding for accurate estimates of collection efficiency. Simulations are done for various benchmark cases such as NACA0012 airfoil, MS317 airfoil and oscillating SC2110 airfoil to illustrate its use. The present results are compared with results from the Lagrangian approach used in an industry standard analysis called LEWICE.

Steps to reduce favorable risk selection in medicare advantage largely succeeded, boding well for health insurance exchanges

PubMed Central

Newhouse, Joseph P.; Price, Mary; Huang, Jie; McWilliams, J. Michael; Hsu, John

2012-01-01

Managing competition among health plans that attract different risks has been a challenging policy problem. Within Medicare, the Medicare Advantage (MA) program historically attracted better risks than did Traditional Medicare (TM). This favorable selection resulted in Medicare’s paying more for persons enrolled in MA than if they had been enrolled in TM. We studied whether policies Medicare implemented in the past decade to reduce favorable selection in the MA program succeeded, in particular improved matching of reimbursement with a beneficiary’s expected cost and restricting when beneficiaries could switch from MA to TM. We found they did. Differences in predicted spending between those switching from TM to MA relative to those who remained in TM markedly narrowed, as did adjusted mortality rates. Because insurance exchanges will employ similar policies to combat selection, our results give reason for optimism about managing competition among health plans. PMID:23213145

Developing a Democratic View of Academic Subject Matters: John Dewey, William Chandler Bagley, and Boyd Henry Bode

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watras, Joseph

2012-01-01

In the first half of the twentieth century, the ideal of democracy influenced the conceptions people had of the academic subject matters. A common criticism was that abstract academic subjects served aristocratic societies. Although most theorists considered the academic subjects to be important, they had differing views on the conception of…

COMMITTEES: SQM 2007 - International Conference On Strangeness In Quark Matter SQM 2007 - International Conference On Strangeness In Quark Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-04-01

Local Organising Committee Ivan Králik (IEP SAS, Košice) Vojtěch Petráček (Czechoslovakia Technical University, Prague) Ján Pišút (Comenius University, Bratislava) Emanuele Quercigh (CERN) Karel Šafařík (CERN), Co-chair Ladislav v Sándor (IEP SAS, Košice), Co-chair Boris Tomášik (Mateja Bela University, Banská Bystrica) Jozef Urbán (UPJŠ Košice) International Advisory Committee Jörg Aichelin, Nantes Federico Antinori, Padova Tamás Biró, Budapest Peter Braun-Munzinger, GSI Jean Cleymans, Cape Town László Csernai, Bergen Timothy Hallman, BNL Huan Zhong Huang, UCLA Sonja Kabana, Nantes Roy A Lacey, Stony Brook Carlos Lourenço, CERN Yu-Gang Ma, Shanghai Jes Masden, Aarhus Yasuo Miake, Tsukuba Berndt Müller, Duke Grazyna Odyniec, LBNL Helmut Oeschler, Darmstadt Jan Rafelski, Arizona Hans Georg Ritter, LBNL Jack Sandweiss, Yale George S F Stephans, MIT Horst Stöcker, Frankfurt Thomas Ullrich, BNL Orlando Villalobos-Baillie, Birmingham William A Zajc, Columbia

INVITED SPEAKERS Invited Speakers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2011-01-01

Alain AspectPalaiseau Markus AspelmeyerVienna Vanderlei BagnatoSão Paulo Victor BalykinMoscow Kristian BaumannZürich Jim BergquistNIST, Boulder Frédéric ChevyENS, Paris John CloseCanberra Claude Cohen-TannoudjiENS, Paris Jean DalibardENS, Paris Eugene DemlerHarvard Michael DoserCERN Markus DrescherHamburg Francesca FerlainoInnsbruck Victor FlambaumSydney Chiara FortFlorence Elisabeth GiacobinoENS, Paris Philippe GrangierPalaiseau Chris GreeneJILA, Boulder Markus GreinerHarvard Eric HesselsToronto Hidetoshi KatoriTokyo Wolfgang KetterleMIT Michael KohlCambridge Wu-Ming LiuBeijing Francesco MinardiFlorence Holger MüllerBerkeley Karim MurrGarching Hanns-Christoph NägerlInnsbruck Jeremy O'BrienBristol Silke OspelkausJILA, Boulder Krzysztof PachuckiWarsaw Bill PhillipsGaithersburg Randolf PohlGarching Eugene PolzikCopenhagen Cindy RegalJILA, Boulder Jakob ReichelENS, Paris Helmut RitschInnsbruck Christian RoosInnsbruck Mark SaffmanWisconsin Christophe SalomonENS, Paris Gora ShlyapnikovOrsay Richard TaiebParis Masahito UedaTokyo Chris ValeMelbourne Andreas WallraffZürich Matthias WeidemüllerHeidelberg Martin WeitzBonn Artur WideraBonn David WinelandNIST, Boulder

Preparation and electrochemistry of Pd-Ni/Si nanowire nanocomposite catalytic anode for direct ethanol fuel cell.

PubMed

Miao, Fengjuan; Tao, Bairui; Chu, Paul K

2012-04-28

A new silicon-based anode suitable for direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) is described. Pd-Ni nanoparticles are coated on Si nanowires (SiNWs) by electroless co-plating to form the catalytic materials. The electrocatalytic properties of the SiNWs and ethanol oxidation on the Pd-Ni catalyst (Pd-Ni/SiNWs) are investigated electrochemically. The effects of temperature and working potential limit in the anodic direction on ethanol oxidation are studied by cyclic voltammetry. The Pd-Ni/SiNWs electrode exhibits higher electrocatalytic activity and better long-term stability in an alkaline solution. It also yields a larger current density and negative onset potential thus boding well for its application to fuel cells. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

Implementation of Nonlinear Control Laws for an Optical Delay Line

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hench, John J.; Lurie, Boris; Grogan, Robert; Johnson, Richard

2000-01-01

This paper discusses the implementation of a globally stable nonlinear controller algorithm for the Real-Time Interferometer Control System Testbed (RICST) brassboard optical delay line (ODL) developed for the Interferometry Technology Program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The control methodology essentially employs loop shaping to implement linear control laws. while utilizing nonlinear elements as means of ameliorating the effects of actuator saturation in its coarse, main, and vernier stages. The linear controllers were implemented as high-order digital filters and were designed using Bode integral techniques to determine the loop shape. The nonlinear techniques encompass the areas of exact linearization, anti-windup control, nonlinear rate limiting and modal control. Details of the design procedure are given as well as data from the actual mechanism.

ac impedance analysis of a Ni-Nb-Zr-H glassy alloy with femtofarad capacitance tunnels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuhara, M.; Seto, M.; Inoue, A.

2010-01-01

A Nyquist diagram of a (Ni0.36Nb0.24Zr0.40)90H10 glassy alloy shows a semitrue circle, indicating that it is a conducting material with a total capacitance of 17.8 μF. The Bode plots showing the dependencies of its real and imaginary impedances, and phase on frequency suggest a simpler equivalent circuit having a resistor in parallel with a capacitor. Dividing the total capacitance (17.8 μF) by the capacitance of a single tunnel (0.9 fF), we deduced that this material has a high number of dielectric tunnels, which can be regarded as regular prisms separated from the electric-conducting distorted icosahedral Zr5Ni5Nb3 clusters by an average of 0.225 nm.

Multiconfiguration Pair-Density Functional Theory Is Free From Delocalization Error.

PubMed

Bao, Junwei Lucas; Wang, Ying; He, Xiao; Gagliardi, Laura; Truhlar, Donald G

2017-11-16

Delocalization error has been singled out by Yang and co-workers as the dominant error in Kohn-Sham density functional theory (KS-DFT) with conventional approximate functionals. In this Letter, by computing the vertical first ionization energy for well separated He clusters, we show that multiconfiguration pair-density functional theory (MC-PDFT) is free from delocalization error. To put MC-PDFT in perspective, we also compare it with some Kohn-Sham density functionals, including both traditional and modern functionals. Whereas large delocalization errors are almost universal in KS-DFT (the only exception being the very recent corrected functionals of Yang and co-workers), delocalization error is removed by MC-PDFT, which bodes well for its future as a step forward from KS-DFT.

The Surprising History of Claims for Life on the Sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowe, Michael J.

2011-11-01

Because astronomers are now convinced that it is impossible for life, especially intelligent life, to exist on the Sun and stars, it might be assumed that astronomers have always held this view. This paper shows that throughout most of the history of astronomy, some intellectuals, including a number of well-known astronomers, have advocated the existence of intelligent life on our Sun and thereby on stars. Among the more prominent figures discussed are Nicolas of Cusa, Giordano Bruno, William Whiston, Johann Bode, Roger Boscovich, William Herschel, Auguste Comte, Carl Gauss, Thomas Dick, John Herschel, and François Arago. One point in preparing this paper is to show differences between the astronomy of the past and that of the present.

[Scores and stages in pneumology].

PubMed

Kuhn, Max

2013-10-01

Useful scales and classifications for patients with pulmonary diseases are discussed. The modified Medical Research Council breathlessness scale (mMRC) is a measure of disability in lung patients. The GOLD classifications, the COPD-Assessment Test (CAT) and the BODE Index are important to classify the severity of COPD and to measure the disability of these patients. The Geneva score is a clinical prediction rule used in determining the pre-test probability of pulmonary embolism. The Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) is a scoring system used to predict 30 day mortality in patients with pulmonary embolism. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale is intended to measure daytime sleepiness in patients with sleep apnea syndrome. The Asthma Controll Test (ACT) determines if asthma symptoms are well controlled.

The escaping "pneuma" - gas of ancient earthquake concepts in relation to animal, atmospheric and thermal precursors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helmut, Tributsch

2013-04-01

The escaping "pneuma" - gas of ancient earthquake concepts in relation to animal, atmospheric and thermal precursors Helmut Tributsch Present affiliation: Carinthian University for Applied Sciences, Bio-mimetics program, Europastrasse 4, 9524 Villach, Austria, helmut.tributsch@alice.it Retired from: Free University Berlin, Institute for physical and theoretical chemistry, Takustr. 3, 14195 Berlin, Germany. For two thousand years ancient European and medieval (including islamic) natural philosophers have considered a dry, warm gas, the "pneuma" ( breath, exhalation), escaping from the earth, as precursor and trigger of earthquakes. Also in China an escaping gas or breath (the qi) was considered the cause of earthquake, first in a document from 780 BC. We know today that escaping gas is not causing earthquakes. But it may be that natural phenomena that supported such a pneuma-concept have again and again been observed. The unpolluted environment and the largely absence of distracting artificial stimuli may have allowed the recognition of distinct earthquake precursors, such as described by ancient observers: (1) the sun becomes veiled and has a dim appearance, turns reddish or dark (2) a narrow long stretched cloud becomes visible, like a line drawn by a ruler, (3) earthquakes preceded by a thin streak of cloud stretching over a wide space. (4) earthquakes in the morning sometimes preceded by a still and a strong frost, (5) a surf - line of the air sea is forming (near the horizon). The described phenomena may be interpreted as a kind of smog forming above the ground prior to an earthquake, a smog exhaled from the ground, which is triggering water condensation, releasing latent heat, changing visibility, temperature, heat conduction and radiation properties. This could perfectly match the phenomenon, which is at the origin of satellite monitored temperature anomalies preceding earthquakes. Based on a few examples it will be shown that the time window of temperature

Multiple Score Comparison: a network meta-analysis approach to comparison and external validation of prognostic scores.

PubMed

Haile, Sarah R; Guerra, Beniamino; Soriano, Joan B; Puhan, Milo A

2017-12-21

Prediction models and prognostic scores have been increasingly popular in both clinical practice and clinical research settings, for example to aid in risk-based decision making or control for confounding. In many medical fields, a large number of prognostic scores are available, but practitioners may find it difficult to choose between them due to lack of external validation as well as lack of comparisons between them. Borrowing methodology from network meta-analysis, we describe an approach to Multiple Score Comparison meta-analysis (MSC) which permits concurrent external validation and comparisons of prognostic scores using individual patient data (IPD) arising from a large-scale international collaboration. We describe the challenges in adapting network meta-analysis to the MSC setting, for instance the need to explicitly include correlations between the scores on a cohort level, and how to deal with many multi-score studies. We propose first using IPD to make cohort-level aggregate discrimination or calibration scores, comparing all to a common comparator. Then, standard network meta-analysis techniques can be applied, taking care to consider correlation structures in cohorts with multiple scores. Transitivity, consistency and heterogeneity are also examined. We provide a clinical application, comparing prognostic scores for 3-year mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using data from a large-scale collaborative initiative. We focus on the discriminative properties of the prognostic scores. Our results show clear differences in performance, with ADO and eBODE showing higher discrimination with respect to mortality than other considered scores. The assumptions of transitivity and local and global consistency were not violated. Heterogeneity was small. We applied a network meta-analytic methodology to externally validate and concurrently compare the prognostic properties of clinical scores. Our large-scale external validation indicates

Isotopic investigation of the discharge driven nitrogen dynamics in a mesoscale river catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, Christin; Zink, Matthias; Krieg, Ronald; Rode, Michael; Merz, Ralf; Knöller, Kay

2016-04-01

Nitrate in surface and groundwater has increased in the last decades due to landuse change, the application of different fertilizer for agricultural landuse and industrial dust in the atmospheric deposition. Increasing nitrate concentrations have a major impact on eutrophication, especially for coastal ecosystems. Therefore it is important to quantify potential nitrate sources and determine nitrate process dynamics with its drivers. The Bode River catchment (total size of 3200 m2) in the Harz Mountains in Germany was intensively investigated by a monitoring approach with 133 sampling points representing the same number of sub-catchments for a period of two years. The area is characterized by a strong anthropogenic gradient, with forest conservation areas in the mountain region, grassland, and intensively mixed farming in the lowlands. Consecutive discharge simulations by a mesoscale hydrological model (mhM) allow a quantitative analysis of nitrate fluxes for all observed tributaries. The investigation of nitrate isotopic signatures for characteristic landscape types allows the delineation of dominant NO3- sources: coniferous forests are characterized by recycled nitrified soil nitrogen; grassland is mainly impacted by organic fertilizer (manure) and nitrified soil-N; in agricultural land use areas nitrate predominantly derives from synthetic fertilizer application. Besides source delineation, the relationship between runoff and nitrate dynamics was analyzed for the entire Bode river catchment and, more detailed, for one major tributary with minor artificial reservoirs (Selke River). Thereby, it becomes apparent that nitrate isotopic variations increase with decreasing discharge. This effect might be due to a local, more intense impact of bacterial denitrification under low discharge conditions (higher residence time) in the anoxic soil zone, in the groundwater that discharges into the river and in the hyporheic zone. Generally, δ15N and δ18Oof nitrate decrease

Brilliant GeV gamma-ray flash from inverse Compton scattering in the QED regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Z.; Hu, R. H.; Lu, H. Y.; Yu, J. Q.; Wang, D. H.; Fu, E. G.; Chen, C. E.; He, X. T.; Yan, X. Q.

2018-04-01

An all-optical scheme is proposed for studying laser plasma based incoherent photon emission from inverse Compton scattering in the quantum electrodynamic regime. A theoretical model is presented to explain the coupling effects among radiation reaction trapping, the self-generated magnetic field and the spiral attractor in phase space, which guarantees the transfer of energy and angular momentum from electromagnetic fields to particles. Taking advantage of a prospective ˜ 1023 W cm-2 laser facility, 3D particle-in-cell simulations show a gamma-ray flash with unprecedented multi-petawatt power and brightness of 1.7 × 1023 photons s-1 mm-2 mrad-2/0.1% bandwidth (at 1 GeV). These results bode well for new research directions in particle physics and laboratory astrophysics exploring laser plasma interactions.

Data presentation techniques for rotating machinery malfunction diagnosis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spettel, T.

1985-01-01

Baseline steady state data is excellent for documentation of vibration signals at normal operating conditions. Assuming that a set of initial data was acquired with the machinery in a good state of repair, any future changes or deterioration in mechanical condition can be easily compared to the baseline information. Often this type of comparison will yield sufficient information for evaluation of the problem. However, many malfunctions require the analysis of transient data in order to identify the malfunction. Steady-state data formats consist of: Time Base Waveform, Orbit, Spectrum. Transient data formats consist of: Polar, Bode, Cascade. Our objective is to demonstrate the use of the above formats to diagnose a machine malfunction. A turbine-driven compressor train is chosen as an example. The machine train outline drawing is shown.

Vibration of a hydrostatic gas bearing due to supply pressure oscillations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Branch, H. D.; Watkins, C. B.; Eronini, I. E.

1984-01-01

The vibration of a statically loaded, inherently compensated hydrostatic journal bearing due to oscillating supply pressure is investigated. Both angular and radial vibration modes are analyzed. The time-dependent Reynolds equation governing the pressure distribution between the oscillating journal and the sleeve is solved numerically together with the journal equation of motion to obtain the response characteristics of the bearing. The Reynolds equation and the equation of motion are simplified by applying regular perturbation theory for small displacements. The results presented include Bode plots of bearing oscillation gain and phase for a particular bearing configuration for various combinations of parameters over a range of frequencies, including the resonant frequency. The results are compared with the results of an earlier study involving the response of a similar bearing to oscillating exhaust pressure.

Recombinant organisms for production of industrial products.

PubMed

Adrio, Jose-Luis; Demain, Arnold L

2010-01-01

A revolution in industrial microbiology was sparked by the discoveries of ther double-stranded structure of DNA and the development of recombinant DNA technology. Traditional industrial microbiology was merged with molecular biology to yield improved recombinant processes for the industrial production of primary and secondary metabolites, protein biopharmaceuticals and industrial enzymes. Novel genetic techniques such as metabolic engineering, combinatorial biosynthesis and molecular breeding techniques and their modifications are contributing greatly to the development of improved industrial processes. In addition, functional genomics, proteomics and metabolomics are being exploited for the discovery of novel valuable small molecules for medicine as well as enzymes for catalysis. The sequencing of industrial microbal genomes is being carried out which bodes well for future process improvement and discovery of new industrial products. © 2010 Landes Bioscience

Recombinant organisms for production of industrial products

PubMed Central

Adrio, Jose-Luis

2010-01-01

A revolution in industrial microbiology was sparked by the discoveries of ther double-stranded structure of DNA and the development of recombinant DNA technology. Traditional industrial microbiology was merged with molecular biology to yield improved recombinant processes for the industrial production of primary and secondary metabolites, protein biopharmaceuticals and industrial enzymes. Novel genetic techniques such as metabolic engineering, combinatorial biosynthesis and molecular breeding techniques and their modifications are contributing greatly to the development of improved industrial processes. In addition, functional genomics, proteomics and metabolomics are being exploited for the discovery of novel valuable small molecules for medicine as well as enzymes for catalysis. The sequencing of industrial microbal genomes is being carried out which bodes well for future process improvement and discovery of new industrial products. PMID:21326937

InCoB celebrates its tenth anniversary as first joint conference with ISCB-Asia

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

In 2009 the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) started to roll out regional bioinformatics conferences in Africa, Latin America and Asia. The open and competitive bid for the first meeting in Asia (ISCB-Asia) was awarded to Asia-Pacific Bioinformatics Network (APBioNet) which has been running the International Conference on Bioinformatics (InCoB) in the Asia-Pacific region since 2002. InCoB/ISCB-Asia 2011 is held from November 30 to December 2, 2011 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Of 104 manuscripts submitted to BMC Genomics and BMC Bioinformatics conference supplements, 49 (47.1%) were accepted. The strong showing of Asia among submissions (82.7%) and acceptances (81.6%) signals the success of this tenth InCoB anniversary meeting, and bodes well for the future of ISCB-Asia. PMID:22369160

Aurora on Uranus - A Faraday disc dynamo mechanism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, T. W.; Rassbach, M. E.; Dessler, A. J.

1983-01-01

A mechanism is proposed whereby the solar wind flowing past the magnetosphere of Uranus causes a Faraday disk dynamo topology to be established and power to be extracted from the kinetic energy of rotation of Uranus. An immediate consequence of this dynamo is the generation of Birkeland currents that flow in and out of the sunlit polar cap with the accompanying production of polar aurora. The power extracted from planetary rotation is calculated as a function of planetary dipole magnetic moment and the ionospheric conductivity of Uranus. For plausible values of ionospheric conductivity, the observed auroral power requires a magnetic moment corresponding to a surface equatorial field of the order of 4 Gauss, slightly larger than the value 1.8 Gauss given by the empirical 'magnetic Bodes law'.

Safety: the heart of the matter.

PubMed

Hayat, Sajad A; Senior, Roxy

2005-08-01

An integral part of evaluation of cardiac disease in modern day medicine is echocardiography. It has made great strides since the initial collaboration of Dr. Helmut Hertz and Dr. Inge Edler. In its modern day form, echocardiography maintains a legacy of a bedside utility while adopting many of the technologic advances ushered in by the digital era. As a result, it boasts a broad and growing spectrum of application including routine use in primary cardiac diagnosis and screening, therapeutic assessment, and guidance of interventional and surgical procedures. With the advent of ultrasound contrast agents it is now arguably the most complete 'one-stop' investigational tool to assess cardiac structure, function and perfusion. However, has it maintained its safety profile? The familiar and oft quoted dictum in medicine of "first do no harm" is of great importance for any diagnostic tool and patient safety should remain a primary consideration for any new investigational technique. In this issue Cosyns' et al. have examined whether some of the theoretical and in vitro experimental concerns surrounding myocardial injury during and following contrast echocardiography result in any detectable change in cardiac function.

Cold Atmospheric Plasma for Medicine: State of Research and Clinical Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Woedtke, Thomas

2015-09-01

Basic research in plasma medicine has made excellent progress and resulted in the fundamental insights that biological effects of cold atmospheric plasmas (CAP) are significantly caused by changes of the liquid environment of cells, and are dominated by redox-active species. First CAP sources are CE-certified as medical devices. Main focus of plasma application is on wound healing and treatment of infective skin diseases. Clinical applications in this field confirm the supportive effect of cold plasma treatment in acceleration of healing of chronic wounds above all in cases where conventional treatment fails. Cancer treatment is another actual and emerging field of CAP application. The ability of CAP to kill cancer cells by induction of apoptosis has been proved in vitro. First clinical applications of CAP in palliative care of cancer are realized. In collaboration with Hans-Robert Metelmann, University Medicine Greifswald; Helmut Uhlemann, Klinikum Altenburger Land GmbH Altenburg; Anke Schmidt and Kai Masur, Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP Greifswald); Renate Schönebeck, Neoplas Tools GmbH Greifswald; and Klaus-Dieter Weltmann, Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP Greifswald).

On the history of the quantum. Introduction to the HQ2 special issue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Dongen, Jeroen; Dieks, Dennis; Uffink, Jos; Kox, A. J.

The historiography of quantum theory exhibits a period of intense activity that started in the 1960s, with the Archives for the History of Quantum Physics project, and continued with the work of scholars like Max Jammer, Martin J. Klein, John Heilbron, Paul Forman and Thomas Kuhn. At the end of the 1970s, however, interest of historians seems to have shifted away, even if there have been notable exceptions, such as the multi-volume work by Jagdish Mehra and Helmut Rechenberg, and monographs like those of Olivier Darrigol and Mara Beller. Perhaps this development has had to do with a diminishing number of scholars possessing the necessary technical skills in physics together with historical sensitivity. Moreover, many historians of physics in this period have focused their interest on another subject, namely the development of the theory of relativity. Stimulated by the start of the Einstein Papers Project, and initiated by pioneers such as John Stachel and John Norton around 1980, very soon a dedicated group of scholars devoted time and energy to analyzing the genesis and development of general relativity, and other aspects of Einstein's science.

The 9th International Countercurrent Chromatography Conference held at Dominican University, Chicago, USA, August 1-3, 2016.

PubMed

Friesen, J Brent; McAlpine, James B; Chen, Shao-Nong; Pauli, Guido F

2017-10-20

The 9th International Countercurrent Chromatography Conference (CCC 2016) was held at Dominican University near Chicago, IL (USA), from August 1st-3rd, 2016. The biennial CCC 20XX conferences provide an opportunity for countercurrent chromatography and centrifugal partition chromatography (CCC/CPC) manufactures, marketers, theorists, and research scientists to gather together socially, learn from each other, and advance countercurrent separation technology. A synopsis of the conference proceedings as well as a series of short reviews of the special edition articles is included in this document. Many productive discussions and collegial conversation at CCC 2016 attested to the liveliness, connectivity, and productivity of the global countercurrent research community and bodes well for the success of the 10th conference at the University of Braunschweig, Germany on August 1-3, 2018. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

State autonomy, policy paralysis: paradoxes of institutions and culture in the French health care system.

PubMed

Rochaix, Lise; Wilsford, David

2005-01-01

In this article, we assess the recent performance of the French state at containing costs in health care using political science concepts such as path dependency and incentives, which are central to an economic approach. The article focuses on institutional capacities and cultural immobilism and attempts to lay bare the tensions at play in seizing (or not) opportunities for structural change. In particular, we attempt to delineate what constitutes real change in this policy arena (big reforms versus the accumulation of many small policy movements) and to understand the variables at play in the coming together of conjunctures that provide for the big, as well as the underlying structures that allow the accumulation of the small. Except in cases of favorable conjuncture, the analysis bodes very ill for nonincremental reform and, indeed, for significant change over the long term.

Pilot usage of decoupled flight path and pitch controls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berkhout, J.; Osgood, R.; Berry, D.

1985-01-01

Data from decoupled flight maneuvers have been collected and analyzed for four AFTI-F-16 pilots operating this aircraft's highly augmented fly-by-wire control system, in order to obtain spectral density, cross spectra, and Bode amplitude data, as well as coherences and phase angles for the two longitudinal axis control functions of each of 50 20-sec epochs. The analysis of each epoch yielded five distinct plotted parameters for the left hand twist grip and right hand sidestick controller output time series. These two control devices allow the left hand to generate vertical translation, direct lift, or pitch-pointing commands that are decoupled from those of the right hand. Attention is given to the control patterns obtained for decoupled normal flight, air-to-air gun engagement decoupled maneuvering, and decoupled air-to-surface bombing run maneuvering.

Brute-force mapmaking with compact interferometers: a MITEoR northern sky map from 128 to 175 MHz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, H.; Tegmark, M.; Dillon, J. S.; Liu, A.; Neben, A. R.; Tribiano, S. M.; Bradley, R. F.; Buza, V.; Ewall-Wice, A.; Gharibyan, H.; Hickish, J.; Kunz, E.; Losh, J.; Lutomirski, A.; Morgan, E.; Narayanan, S.; Perko, A.; Rosner, D.; Sanchez, N.; Schutz, K.; Valdez, M.; Villasenor, J.; Yang, H.; Zarb Adami, K.; Zelko, I.; Zheng, K.

2017-03-01

We present a new method for interferometric imaging that is ideal for the large fields of view and compact arrays common in 21 cm cosmology. We first demonstrate the method with the simulations for two very different low-frequency interferometers, the Murchison Widefield Array and the MIT Epoch of Reionization (MITEoR) experiment. We then apply the method to the MITEoR data set collected in 2013 July to obtain the first northern sky map from 128 to 175 MHz at ∼2° resolution and find an overall spectral index of -2.73 ± 0.11. The success of this imaging method bodes well for upcoming compact redundant low-frequency arrays such as Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array. Both the MITEoR interferometric data and the 150 MHz sky map are available at http://space.mit.edu/home/tegmark/omniscope.html.

Down in Front! [video

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-04-15

NOAA's GOES-13 satellite saw a large pesky front, one that stretched from Maine to Louisiana on April 13 at 16:15 UTC/12:15 p.m. EDT to April 16 at 12:15 p.m. EDT. This weather pattern did not bode well for people who wanted to see the lunar eclipse on April 15. The GOES-13 satellite images and animations are created at NASA/NOAA's GOES Project at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Credit: NOAA/NASA GOES Project NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Water soluble ions in aerosols (TSP) : Characteristics, sources and seasonal variation over the central Himalayas, Nepal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tripathee, Lekhendra; Kang, Shichang; Zhang, Qianggong; Rupakheti, Dipesh

2016-04-01

Atmspheric pollutants transported from South Asia could have adverse impact on the Himalayan ecosystems. Investigation of aerosol chemistry in the Himalayan region in Nepal has been limited on a temporal and spatial scale to date. Therefore, the water-soluble ionic composition of aerosol using TSP sampler was investigated for a year period from April 2013 to March 2014 at four sites Bode, Dhunche, Lumbini and Jomsom characterized as an urban, rural, semi-urban and remote sites in Nepal. During the study period, the highest concentration of major cation was Ca2+ with an average concentration of 8.91, 2.17, 7.85 and 6.42 μg m-3 and the highest concentration of major anion was SO42- with an average of 10.96, 4.06, 6.85 and 3.30 μg m-3 at Bode, Dhunche, Lumbini and Jomsom respectively. The soluble ions showed the decrease in concentrations from urban to the rural site. Correlations and PCA analysis suggested that that SO42-, NO3- and NH4+ were derived from the anthropogenic sources where as the Ca2+ and Mg2+ were from crustal sources. Our results also suggest that the largest acid neutralizing agent at our sampling sites in the central Himalayas are Ca2+ followed by NH4+. Seasonal variations of soluble ions in aerosols showed higher concentrations during pre-monsoon and winter (dry-periods) due to limited precipitation amount and lower concentrations during the monsoon which can be explained by the dilution effect, higher the precipitation lower the concentration. K+ which is regarded as the tracer of biomss burning had a significant peaks during pre-monsoon season when the forest fires are active around the regions. In general, the results of this study suggests that the atmospheric chemistry is influenced by natural and anthropogenic sources. Thus, soluble ionic concentrations in aerosols from central Himalayas, Nepal can provide a useful database to assess atmospheric environment and its impacts on human health and ecosystem in the southern side of central

Chemical characteristics of soluble aerosols over the central Himalayas: insights into spatiotemporal variations and sources.

PubMed

Tripathee, Lekhendra; Kang, Shichang; Rupakheti, Dipesh; Cong, Zhiyuan; Zhang, Qianggong; Huang, Jie

2017-11-01

In order to investigate the spatial and temporal variations of aerosols and its soluble chemical compositions of the data gap zone in the central Himalayan region, aerosol samples were collected at four sites. The sampling location were characterized by four different categories, such as urban (Bode), semi-urban site in the northern Indo-Gangetic Plain (Lumbini), rural (Dhunche), and semiarid rural (Jomsom). A total of 230 aerosol samples were collected from four representative sites for a yearlong period and analyzed for water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs). The annual average aerosol mass concentration followed the sequence as Bode (238.24 ± 162.24 μg/m 3 )> Lumbini (161.14 ± 105.95 μg/m 3 )> Dhunche (112.40 ± 40.30 μg/m 3 )> Jomsom (78.85 ± 34.28 μg/m 3 ), suggesting heavier particulate pollution in the urban and semi-urban sites. The total soluble ions contributed to 12.61-28.19% of TSP aerosol mass. The results revealed that SO 4 2- and NO 3 - were the major anion and Ca 2+ and NH 4 + were the major cation influencing the aerosol composition over the central Himalayas. Calcium played a major role in neutralizing aerosol acidity followed by NH 4 + at all the sites. The major compound of aerosol was (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 and NH 4 HSO 4 in the central Himalayas. Clear seasonality was observed at three observation sites, with higher concentrations during non-monsoon (dry periods) and lower during monsoon (wet period), suggesting washing out of aerosol particles by heavy precipitation during monsoon. In contrast, semiarid sites did not show the clear seasonal trend due to limited precipitation. Stationary sources were predominant over the mobile sources mostly in the remote sites. Principal component analysis confirmed that the major sources of WSIIs in the region were industrial emissions, fossil fuel and biomass burning, and crustal fugitive dusts. Nevertheless, transboundary aerosol transport over the region from polluted cities from south Asia

Active Structural Acoustic Control in an Original A400M Aircraft Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koehne, C.; Sachau, D.; Renger, K.

2016-09-01

Low frequency noise has always been a challenge in propeller driven aircraft. At low frequencies passive noise treatments are not as efficient as active noise reduction systems. The Helmut-Schmidt-University has built up a full-scale test rig with an original A400M aircraft structure. This provides a good opportunity to develop and test active noise reduction systems in a realistic environment. The currently installed system consists of mechanical actuators and acoustical sensors. The actuators are called TVAs (Tuneable Vibration Absorber) and contain two spring-mass systems whose natural frequencies are adjusted to the BPFs (Blade Passage Frequency) of the propellers. The TVAs are mounted to the frames and the force direction is normal to the skin. The sensors are condenser microphones which are attached to the primary structure of the airframe. The TVAs are equipped with signal processing devices. These components carry out Fourier transforms and signal amplification for the sensor data and actuator signals. The communication between the TVAs and the central control unit is implemented by the CAN Bus protocol and mainly consists of complex coefficients for the sensor and actuator data. This paper describes the basic structure of the system, the hardware set-up and function tests of the controller.

"A talented young man" - The short life of Friedrich Wilhelm Tönnies, 1796-1817; (German Title: "Ein talentvoller junger Mann" - Das kurze Leben des Friedrich Wilhelm Tönnies, 1796-1817)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwemin, Friedhelm

Friedrich Wilhelm Tönnies' name is hardly found in the major histories of astronomy. This is not surprising since he died before the age of twenty-one. Nevertheless, and perhaps because he knew at heart that not much time was granted to him, he left an astonishingly prolific oeuvre which indicates his rich talents. His contemporaries also testify that this son af a wealthy textile merchant had a great talent. But it is idle to speculate whether he would have become a second Bessel, or just an inconspicuous high school teacher in some remote Prussian province. He experienced a decisive career advancement by the Berlin astronomer J.E. Bode, obtained his Ph.D. already at the age of nineteen, published, among other things, about the large solar eclipse of November 19, 1816, and corresponded with several professional astronomers, before he succumbed to a pulmonary disease.

Integrated tools for control-system analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ostroff, Aaron J.; Proffitt, Melissa S.; Clark, David R.

1989-01-01

The basic functions embedded within a user friendly software package (MATRIXx) are used to provide a high level systems approach to the analysis of linear control systems. Various control system analysis configurations are assembled automatically to minimize the amount of work by the user. Interactive decision making is incorporated via menu options and at selected points, such as in the plotting section, by inputting data. There are five evaluations such as the singular value robustness test, singular value loop transfer frequency response, Bode frequency response, steady-state covariance analysis, and closed-loop eigenvalues. Another section describes time response simulations. A time response for random white noise disturbance is available. The configurations and key equations used for each type of analysis, the restrictions that apply, the type of data required, and an example problem are described. One approach for integrating the design and analysis tools is also presented.

R for fledglings

USGS Publications Warehouse

Donovan, Therese; Brown, Michelle; Katz, Jonathan

2015-01-01

We’ve been asked to provide a short introduction to R and its utility in natural resource management. In this short introduction, we can guarantee one thing: you won’t learn R in a few days. That would be like learning to speak French in a few days. To actually learn R, you need to practice….Bode Miller didn’t win his Olympic medals without hours and hours of practice. However, in this short introduction, you can gain an appreciation for what R can do, be introduced to some key functions that you will likely use over and over again, and learn some strategies for creating scripts for automating your work. There are several excellent R books that provide much more information than this short introduction….. R has a steep learning curve, and our hope is to cover some basics to get you over the initial hump.

Effect of pole zero location on system dynamics of boost converter for micro grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavanya, A.; Vijayakumar, K.; Navamani, J. D.; Jayaseelan, N.

2018-04-01

Green clean energy like photo voltaic, wind energy, fuel cell can be brought together by microgrid.For low voltage sources like photovoltaic cell boost converter is very much essential. This paper explores the dynamic analysis of boost converter in a continuous conduction mode (CCM). The transient performance and stability analysis is carried out in this paper using time domain analysis and frequency domain analysis techniques. Boost converter is simulated using both PSIM and MATLAB software. Furthermore, state space model obtained and the transfer function is derived. The converter behaviour when a step input is applied is analyzed and stability of the converter is analyzed from bode plot frequency for open loop. Effect of the locations of poles and zeros in the transfer function of boost converter and how the performance parameters are affected is discussed in this paper. Closed loop performance with PI controller is also analyzed for boost converter.

Bioethanol Production from Waste Potatoes as a Sustainable Waste-to-energy Resource via Enzymatic Hydrolysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Memon, A. A.; Shah, F. A.; Kumar, N.

2017-07-01

Ever increasing demand of energy and corresponding looming depletion of fossil fuels have transpired into a burning need of time to vie for alternative energy resources before the traditional energy sources are completely exhausted. Scientists are continuously working on sustainable energy production as an alternate source of energy to meet the present and future requirements. This research deals with conversion of the starch to fermentable carbon source (sugars) by fermentation through liquefaction by using yeast and alpha- amylase. The results show that the significant bioethanol production was achieved while using the parameters like temperature (30 °C) pH (6) and incubation time of 84 hrs. About 90 ml of bioethanol was produced from potato intake of 800 g. Pakistan being an agricultural country is rich in potato crop and this research bodes well to open new vistas to arrest the energy shortage in this part of the world

Simulation of linear mechanical systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sirlin, S. W.

1993-01-01

A dynamics and controls analyst is typically presented with a structural dynamics model and must perform various input/output tests and design control laws. The required time/frequency simulations need to be done many times as models change and control designs evolve. This paper examines some simple ways that open and closed loop frequency and time domain simulations can be done using the special structure of the system equations usually available. Routines were developed to run under Pro-Matlab in a mixture of the Pro-Matlab interpreter and FORTRAN (using the .mex facility). These routines are often orders of magnitude faster than trying the typical 'brute force' approach of using built-in Pro-Matlab routines such as bode. This makes the analyst's job easier since not only does an individual run take less time, but much larger models can be attacked, often allowing the whole model reduction step to be eliminated.

Evaluation of "credit card" libraries for inhibition of HIV-1 gp41 fusogenic core formation.

PubMed

Xu, Yang; Lu, Hong; Kennedy, Jack P; Yan, Xuxia; McAllister, Laura A; Yamamoto, Noboru; Moss, Jason A; Boldt, Grant E; Jiang, Shibo; Janda, Kim D

2006-01-01

Protein-protein interactions are of critical importance in biological systems, and small molecule modulators of such protein recognition and intervention processes are of particular interest. To investigate this area of research, we have synthesized small-molecule libraries that can disrupt a number of biologically relevant protein-protein interactions. These library members are designed upon planar motif, appended with a variety of chemical functions, which we have termed "credit-card" structures. From two of our "credit-card" libraries, a series of molecules were uncovered which act as inhibitors against the HIV-1 gp41 fusogenic 6-helix bundle core formation, viral antigen p24 formation, and cell-cell fusion at low micromolar concentrations. From the high-throughput screening assays we utilized, a selective index (SI) value of 4.2 was uncovered for compound 2261, which bodes well for future structure activity investigations and the design of more potent gp41 inhibitors.

Superior electric storage on an amorphous perfluorinated polymer surface

PubMed Central

Fukuhara, Mikio; Kuroda, Tomoyuki; Hasegawa, Fumihiko; Sueyoshi, Takashi

2016-01-01

Amorphous perfluoroalkenyl vinyl ether polymer devices can store a remarkably powerful electric charge because their surface contains nanometre-sized cavities that are sensitive to the so-called quantum-size effect. With a work function of approximately 10 eV, the devices show a near-vertical line in the Nyquist diagram and a horizontal line near the −90° phase angle in the Bode diagram. Moreover, they have an integrated effect on the surface area for constant current discharging. This effect can be explained by the distributed constant electric circuit with a parallel assembly of nanometre-sized capacitors on a highly insulating polymer. The device can illuminate a red LED light for 3 ms after charging it with 1 mA at 10 V. Further gains might be attained by integrating polymer sheets with a micro-electro mechanical system. PMID:26902953

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

Esswein, AJ; Surendranath, Y; Reece, SY

A high surface area electrode is functionalized with cobalt-based oxygen evolving catalysts (Co-OEC = electrodeposited from pH 7 phosphate, Pi, pH 8.5 methylphosphonate, MePi, and pH 9.2 borate electrolyte, Bi). Co-OEC prepared from MePi and operated in Pi and Bi achieves a current density of 100 mA cm(-2) for water oxidation at 442 and 363 mV overpotential, respectively. The catalyst retains activity in near-neutral pH buffered electrolyte in natural waters such as those from the Charles River (Cambridge, MA) and seawater (Woods Hole, MA). The efficacy and ease of operation of anodes functionalized with Co-OEC at appreciable current density togethermore » with its ability to operate in near neutral pH buffered natural water sources bodes well for the translation of this catalyst to a viable renewable energy storage technology.« less

Investigation, development and application of optimal output feedback theory. Volume 2: Development of an optimal, limited state feedback outer-loop digital flight control system for 3-D terminal area operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Broussard, J. R.; Halyo, N.

1984-01-01

This report contains the development of a digital outer-loop three dimensional radio navigation (3-D RNAV) flight control system for a small commercial jet transport. The outer-loop control system is designed using optimal stochastic limited state feedback techniques. Options investigated using the optimal limited state feedback approach include integrated versus hierarchical control loop designs, 20 samples per second versus 5 samples per second outer-loop operation and alternative Type 1 integration command errors. Command generator tracking techniques used in the digital control design enable the jet transport to automatically track arbitrary curved flight paths generated by waypoints. The performance of the design is demonstrated using detailed nonlinear aircraft simulations in the terminal area, frequency domain multi-input sigma plots, frequency domain single-input Bode plots and closed-loop poles. The response of the system to a severe wind shear during a landing approach is also presented.

Micro-total envelope system with silicon nanowire separator for safe carcinogenic chemistry.

PubMed

Singh, Ajay K; Ko, Dong-Hyeon; Vishwakarma, Niraj K; Jang, Seungwook; Min, Kyoung-Ik; Kim, Dong-Pyo

2016-02-26

Exploration and expansion of the chemistries involving toxic or carcinogenic reagents are severely limited by the health hazards their presence poses. Here, we present a micro-total envelope system (μ-TES) and an automated total process for the generation of the carcinogenic reagent, its purification and its utilization for a desired synthesis that is totally enveloped from being exposed to the carcinogen. A unique microseparator is developed on the basis of SiNWs structure to replace the usual exposure-prone distillation in separating the generated reagent. Chloromethyl methyl ether chemistry is explored as a carcinogenic model in demonstrating the efficiency of the μ-TES that is fully automated so that feeding the ingredients for the generation is all it takes to produce the desired product. Syntheses taking days can be accomplished safely in minutes with excellent yields, which bodes well for elevating the carcinogenic chemistry to new unexplored dimensions.

The determination of third order linear models from a seventh order nonlinear jet engine model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lalonde, Rick J.; Hartley, Tom T.; De Abreu-Garcia, J. Alex

1989-01-01

Results are presented that demonstrate how good reduced-order models can be obtained directly by recursive parameter identification using input/output (I/O) data of high-order nonlinear systems. Three different methods of obtaining a third-order linear model from a seventh-order nonlinear turbojet engine model are compared. The first method is to obtain a linear model from the original model and then reduce the linear model by standard reduction techniques such as residualization and balancing. The second method is to identify directly a third-order linear model by recursive least-squares parameter estimation using I/O data of the original model. The third method is to obtain a reduced-order model from the original model and then linearize the reduced model. Frequency responses are used as the performance measure to evaluate the reduced models. The reduced-order models along with their Bode plots are presented for comparison purposes.

Foreword: Proceedings of the 15th International Winterschool on New Developments in Solid State Physics (Mauterndorf (Bad Hofgastein), 18 22 February 2008)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jantsch, Wolfgang; Ferry, David; Kuchar, Friedl

2008-11-01

Günther Bauer Günther Bauer. This special issue of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter is devoted to Günther Bauer, who celebrated his 65th birthday in September 2007. Günther has had a long career in condensed matter physics, but is known particularly for his studies of high magnetic field transport and optics in semiconductors and, more recently, for the discovery and x-ray analysis of self-organized 3D quantum dot crystals. However, his work is much broader than this, as indicated by the wide selection of topics which are represented in this special issue. Günther began his scientific career in Vienna, became associate Professor at the University of Ulm after habilitation at the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, Germany, and then ascended to a full professorship at the Montanuniversität, Leoben, Austria, in 1980. He subsequently moved to the Johannes Kepler Universität, Linz, Austria, in 1990. Apart from his outstanding scientific achievements, Günther is also known for organizing the biannual winterschool on 'New Developments in Solid State Physics' beginning in 1980. Initially, he worked at this task together with Helmut Heinrich (until 2000) and Friedl Kuchar (1984 until now) and subsequently with Wolfgang Jantsch (who followed Helmut Heinrich in 2002). This winterschool was, and remains, very important in identifying new trends in solid state physics, and thus has a number of important proponents in the scientific community. It was at one of the first of these winterschools where the initial reports of the quantum Hall effect were presented, and it has been a meeting place where established experts (including three Nobel laureates) teach, and interact with students and young researchers. It is important to know that Günther's excellent international connections were necessary to maintain the high level of the winterschool over almost 30 years. After the first meeting in 1980 in Mariapfarr, these winterschools were held thirteen

Coherence-limited solar power conversion: the fundamental thermodynamic bounds and the consequences for solar rectennas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mashaal, Heylal; Gordon, Jeffrey M.

2014-10-01

Solar rectifying antennas constitute a distinct solar power conversion paradigm where sunlight's spatial coherence is a basic constraining factor. In this presentation, we derive the fundamental thermodynamic limit for coherence-limited blackbody (principally solar) power conversion. Our results represent a natural extension of the eponymous Landsberg limit, originally derived for converters that are not constrained by the radiation's coherence, and are irradiated at maximum concentration (i.e., with a view factor of unity to the solar disk). We proceed by first expanding Landsberg's results to arbitrary solar view factor (i.e., arbitrary concentration and/or angular confinement), and then demonstrate how the results are modified when the converter can only process coherent radiation. The results are independent of the specific power conversion mechanism, and hence are valid for diffraction-limited as well as quantum converters (and not just classical heat engines or in the geometric optics regime). The derived upper bounds bode favorably for the potential of rectifying antennas as potentially high-efficiency solar converters.

Self-mapping the longitudinal field structure of a nonlinear plasma accelerator cavity

DOE PAGES

Clayton, C. E.; Adli, E.; Allen, J.; ...

2016-08-16

The preservation of emittance of the accelerating beam is the next challenge for plasma-based accelerators envisioned for future light sources and colliders. The field structure of a highly nonlinear plasma wake is potentially suitable for this purpose but has not been yet measured. Here we show that the longitudinal variation of the fields in a nonlinear plasma wakefield accelerator cavity produced by a relativistic electron bunch can be mapped using the bunch itself as a probe. We find that, for much of the cavity that is devoid of plasma electrons, the transverse force is constant longitudinally to within ±3% (r.m.s.).more » Moreover, comparison of experimental data and simulations has resulted in mapping of the longitudinal electric field of the unloaded wake up to 83 GV m –1 to a similar degree of accuracy. Lastly, these results bode well for high-gradient, high-efficiency acceleration of electron bunches while preserving their emittance in such a cavity.« less

Joint trajectories for social and physical aggression as predictors of adolescent maladjustment: internalizing symptoms, rule-breaking behaviors, and borderline and narcissistic personality features.

PubMed

Underwood, Marion K; Beron, Kurt J; Rosen, Lisa H

2011-05-01

This investigation examined the relation between developmental trajectories jointly estimated for social and physical aggression and adjustment problems at age 14. Teachers provided ratings of children's social and physical aggression in Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 for a sample of 255 children (131 girls, 21% African American, 52% European American, 21% Mexican American). Participants, parents, and teachers completed measures of the adolescent's adjustment to assess internalizing symptoms, rule-breaking behaviors, and borderline and narcissistic personality features. Results showed that membership in a high and rising trajectory group predicted rule-breaking behaviors and borderline personality features. Membership in a high desister group predicted internalizing symptoms, rule-breaking behaviors, and borderline and narcissistic personality features. The findings suggest that although low levels of social and physical aggression may not bode poorly for adjustment, individuals engaging in high levels of social and physical aggression in middle childhood may be at greatest risk for adolescent psychopathology, whether they increase or desist in their aggression through early adolescence.

Fully-flexible supercapacitors using spray-deposited carbon-nanotube films as electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Churl Seung; Bae, Joonho

2013-12-01

Fully-flexible carbon-nanotube-based supercapacitors were successfully fabricated using a spray method. For electrodes, multiwalled carbon-nanotube films sprayed on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates were employed. Thin Al films on PET were used as current collectors. The electrolyte was 1 M KNO3. Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements on the flexible supercapacitors revealed that the area-specific capacitance was 0.11 mF/cm2. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of the supercapacitors resulted in a low internal resistance (3.7 Ω). The energy density and the power density of the flexible supercapacitor were measured to be 3.06 × 10-8 Wh/cm2 and 2.65 × 10-7 W/cm2, respectively. The Bode | z| and phase-angle plots showed that the supercapacitors functioned close to ideal capacitors at the frequencies near 2 kHz. These results indicate that the spray deposition method of carbon nanotubes could be promising for fabricating flexible energy devices or electronics.

Joint trajectories for social and physical aggression as predictors of adolescent maladjustment: Internalizing symptoms, rule-breaking behaviors, and borderline and narcissistic personality features

PubMed Central

UNDERWOOD, MARION K.; BERON, KURT J.; ROSEN, LISA H.

2011-01-01

This investigation examined the relation between developmental trajectories jointly estimated for social and physical aggression and adjustment problems at age 14. Teachers provided ratings of children's social and physical aggression in Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 for a sample of 255 children (131 girls, 21% African American, 52% European American, 21% Mexican American). Participants, parents, and teachers completed measures of the adolescent's adjustment to assess internalizing symptoms, rule-breaking behaviors, and borderline and narcissistic personality features. Results showed that membership in a high and rising trajectory group predicted rule-breaking behaviors and borderline personality features. Membership in a high desister group predicted internalizing symptoms, rule-breaking behaviors, and borderline and narcissistic personality features. The findings suggest that although low levels of social and physical aggression may not bode poorly for adjustment, individuals engaging in high levels of social and physical aggression in middle childhood may be at greatest risk for adolescent psychopathology, whether they increase or desist in their aggression through early adolescence. PMID:21532919

Radial pressure in the solar nebula as affecting the motions of planetesimals. [toroidal particle concentration in planetary evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whipple, F. L.

1973-01-01

Growing planetesimals and a range of drag laws depending on the Reynolds number and on the ratio of particle size to mean free path are considered. Particles spiral in the direction of positive gradient, thus being concentrated toward toroidal concentrations of gas. The effect increases with decreasing rates of particle growth, i.e., with increasing time scales of planet formation by accretion. In the outer regions, where evidence suggests that comets were formed and Uranus and Neptune were so accumulated, the effect of the pressure gradient is to clear the forming comets from those regions. The large mass of Neptune may have developed because of this effect, perhaps Neptune's solar distance was reduced from Bode's law, and perhaps no comet belt exists beyond Neptune. In the asteroid belt, on a slow time scale, the effect may have spiraled planetesimals toward Mars and Jupiter, thus contributing to the lack of planet formation in this region.

A low-temperature study of manganese-induced ferromagnetism and valence band convergence in tin telluride

DOE PAGES

Chi, Hang; Tan, Gangjian; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G.; ...

2016-05-02

In this study, SnTe is renowned for its promise in advancing energy-related technologies based on thermoelectricity and for its topological crystalline insulator character. Here, we demonstrate that each Mn atom introduces ~4 μ B (Bohr magneton) of magnetic moment to Sn 1–xMn xTe. The Curie temperatureTC reaches ~14K for x = 0.12, as observed in the field dependent hysteresis of magnetization and the anomalous Hall effect. In accordance with a modified two-band electronic Kane model, the light L-valence-band and the heavy Σ-valence-band gradually converge in energy with increasing Mn concentration, leading to a decreasing ordinary Hall coefficient R H andmore » a favorably enhanced Seebeck coefficient S at the same time. With the thermal conductivityκ lowered chiefly via point defects associated with the incorporation of Mn, the strategy of Mn doping also bodes well for efficient thermoelectric applications at elevated temperatures.« less

Dynamic characteristics of a hydrostatic gas bearing driven by oscillating exhaust pressure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watkins, C. B.; Eronini, I. E.; Branch, H. D.

1984-01-01

Vibration of a statically loaded, inherently compensated hydrostatic journal bearing due to oscillating exhaust pressure is investigated. Both angular and radial vibration modes are analyzed. The time-dependent Reynolds equation governing the pressure distribution between the oscillating journal and sleeve is solved together with the journal equation of motion to obtain the response characteristics of the bearing. The Reynolds equation and the equation of motion are simplified by applying regular perturbation theory for small displacements. The numerical solutions of the perturbation equations are obtained by discretizing the pressure field using finite-difference aproximations with a discrete, nonuniform line-source model which excludes effects due to feeding hole volume. An iterative scheme is used to simultaneously satisfy the equations of motion for the journal. The results presented include Bode plots of bearing-oscillation gain and phase for a particular bearing configuration for various combinations of parameters over a range of frequencies, including the resonant frequency.

Educating and Inspiring Young People for the Next Generation of Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Armstrong, Robert C., Jr.

2007-01-01

With the graying of the nation's scientific workforce and the decline in students pursuing science, technological, engineering, and math related-studies, real challenges lie ahead if America is to continue to sustain the Vision for Space Exploration in the foreseeable future. Likewise, challenges exist in the economic arena as the United States seeks to maintain its preeminence among the technological leaders of the world. Currently, less than 6 percent of high school seniors are pursuing engineering degrees, down from 36 percent a decade ago. Today, China produces six times as many engineers as does the United States and Japan, at half our population, develops twice as many engineers. Despite spending more per capita on public education than any other nation, except Switzerland, U.S. students of high school age are failing to compete with many foreign countries. These trends do not bode well for America's future competitiveness in space and other technically driven areas, such as defense.

Building a strategic security organisation.

PubMed

Howard, Mike

2016-01-01

In everyone's day-to-day jobs there is constant need to deal with current and newly detected matters. This is now a world of immediacy, driven by the cadence of the business and its needs. These concerns should not be ignored, as failing to deal with these issues would not bode well for the future. It is essential that the gears are kept spinning. The challenge for any security organisation is to identify its short-term tactical requirements, while developing longer-term strategic needs. Once done, the differences can be accounted for and strides can be made toward a desired future state. This paper highlights several steps that the author and his team have taken in their own journey. There is no magic answer, each organisation will have its own unique challenges. Nevertheless, some of the approaches to building a strategic security organisation described in this paper are applicable to all organisations, irrespective of their size.

Commentary: IARC Monographs Program and public health under siege by corporate interests.

PubMed

Infante, Peter F; Melnick, Ronald; Vainio, Harri; Huff, James

2018-04-01

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) evaluates causes of cancer with help from independent international experts in an open and transparent manner. Countries, research and regulatory agencies, and other organizations adopt IARC evaluations for communication of human cancer hazards, and for strategies to prevent cancer. Scientists worldwide endorse IARC cancer evaluations and process. Those with economic interests, however, challenge IARC's cancer evaluations, most recently for glyphosate and red and processed meats, and are conducting a campaign including intervention from US Congressional Representatives to discredit IARC's review process and to undermine financial support-a campaign intimidating to IARC and Working Group members. Challenges to scientific interpretations serve to advance science and should be resolved by scientific experts who do not have conflicts of interest. Such interference does not bode well for the free flow of scientific information that informs and protects the public from risks of cancer. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Astronomy Education using the Web and a Computer Algebra System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flurchick, K. M.; Culver, Roger B.; Griego, Ben

2013-04-01

The combination of a web server and a Computer Algebra System to provide students the ability to explore and investigate astronomical concepts presented in a class can help student understanding. This combination of technologies provides a framework to extend the classroom experience with independent student exploration. In this presentation we report on the developmen of this web based material and some initial results of students making use of the computational tools using webMathematica^TM. The material developed allow the student toanalyze and investigate a variety of astronomical phenomena, including topics such as the Runge-Lenz vector, descriptions of the orbits of some of the exo-planets, Bode' law and other topics related to celestial mechanics. The server based Computer Algebra System system allows for computations without installing software on the student's computer but provides a powerful environment to explore the various concepts. The current system is installed at North Carolina A&T State University and has been used in several undergraduate classes.

Bayesian versus politically motivated reasoning in human perception of climate anomalies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ripberger, Joseph T.; Jenkins-Smith, Hank C.; Silva, Carol L.; Carlson, Deven E.; Gupta, Kuhika; Carlson, Nina; Dunlap, Riley E.

2017-11-01

In complex systems where humans and nature interact to produce joint outcomes, mitigation, adaptation, and resilience require that humans perceive feedback—signals of health and distress—from natural systems. In many instances, humans readily perceive feedback. In others, feedback is more difficult to perceive, so humans rely on experts, heuristics, biases, and/or identify confirming rationalities that may distort perceptions of feedback. This study explores human perception of feedback from natural systems by testing alternate conceptions about how individuals perceive climate anomalies, a form of feedback from the climate system. Results indicate that individuals generally perceive climate anomalies, especially when the anomalies are relatively extreme and persistent. Moreover, this finding is largely robust to political differences that generate predictable but small biases in feedback perception at extreme ends of the partisan spectrum. The subtlety of these biases bodes well for mitigation, adaptation, and resilience as human systems continue to interact with a changing climate system.

Evaluation of “Credit Card” Libraries for Inhibition of HIV-1 gp41 Fusogenic Core Formation

PubMed Central

Xu, Yang; Lu, Hong; Kennedy, Jack P.; Yan, Xuxia; McAllister, Laura; Yamamoto, Noboru; Moss, Jason A.; Boldt, Grant E.; Jiang, Shibo; Janda, Kim D.

2008-01-01

Protein-protein interactions are of critical importance in biological systems and small molecule modulators of such protein recognition and intervention processes are of particular interests. To investigate this area of research, we have synthesized small molecule libraries that can disrupt a number of biologically relevant protein-protein interactions. These library members are designed upon planar motifs, appended with a variety of chemical functions, which we have termed as “credit-card” structures. From two of our “credit-card” libraries, a series of molecules were uncovered which act as inhibitors against the HIV-1 gp41 fusogenic 6-helix bundle core formation, viral antigen p24 formation and cell-cell fusion at low micromolar concentrations. From the high-throughput screening assays we utilized, a selective index (SI) value of 4.2 was uncovered for compound 2261, which bodes well for future structure activity investigations and the design of more potent gp41 inhibitors. PMID:16827565

Colloidal crystals with diamond symmetry at optical lengthscales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yifan; Jenkins, Ian C.; McGinley, James T.; Sinno, Talid; Crocker, John C.

2017-02-01

Future optical materials promise to do for photonics what semiconductors did for electronics, but the challenge has long been in creating the structure they require--a regular, three-dimensional array of transparent microspheres arranged like the atoms in a diamond crystal. Here we demonstrate a simple approach for spontaneously growing double-diamond (or B32) crystals that contain a suitable diamond structure, using DNA to direct the self-assembly process. While diamond symmetry crystals have been grown from much smaller nanoparticles, none of those previous methods suffice for the larger particles needed for photonic applications, whose size must be comparable to the wavelength of visible light. Intriguingly, the crystals we observe do not readily form in previously validated simulations; nor have they been predicted theoretically. This finding suggests that other unexpected microstructures may be accessible using this approach and bodes well for future efforts to inexpensively mass-produce metamaterials for an array of photonic applications.

Self-mapping the longitudinal field structure of a nonlinear plasma accelerator cavity

PubMed Central

Clayton, C. E.; Adli, E.; Allen, J.; An, W.; Clarke, C. I.; Corde, S.; Frederico, J.; Gessner, S.; Green, S. Z.; Hogan, M. J.; Joshi, C.; Litos, M.; Lu, W.; Marsh, K. A.; Mori, W. B.; Vafaei-Najafabadi, N.; Xu, X.; Yakimenko, V.

2016-01-01

The preservation of emittance of the accelerating beam is the next challenge for plasma-based accelerators envisioned for future light sources and colliders. The field structure of a highly nonlinear plasma wake is potentially suitable for this purpose but has not been yet measured. Here we show that the longitudinal variation of the fields in a nonlinear plasma wakefield accelerator cavity produced by a relativistic electron bunch can be mapped using the bunch itself as a probe. We find that, for much of the cavity that is devoid of plasma electrons, the transverse force is constant longitudinally to within ±3% (r.m.s.). Moreover, comparison of experimental data and simulations has resulted in mapping of the longitudinal electric field of the unloaded wake up to 83 GV m−1 to a similar degree of accuracy. These results bode well for high-gradient, high-efficiency acceleration of electron bunches while preserving their emittance in such a cavity. PMID:27527569

Remarkable magnitude of the self-disproportionation of enantiomers (SDE) via achiral chromatography: application to the practical-scale enantiopurification of β-amino acid esters.

PubMed

Wzorek, Alicja; Sato, Azusa; Drabowicz, Józef; Soloshonok, Vadim A; Klika, Karel D

2016-02-01

We report the best performance yet for the self-disproportionation of enantiomers (SDE) via achiral chromatography as typically used in laboratories for the isolated yield of the excess enantiomer using N-acetyl β-amino acid ethyl esters. The results are the most convincing ever demonstration of the capability of the SDE for practical-scale enantiopurification as comparable, or even superior for some systems, to that of recrystallization. For example, from a sample of 94.4 % ee, a yield of 71 % of enantiopure material was isolated in a single chromatographic run. Moreover, the lack of an esoteric structural entity, e.g. strongly polarizing groups, such as, for instance CF3, highlights the fact that the phenomenon is not dependent on the presence of such and thus the process is relevant to any usual-type structure. In contrast to recrystallization, the procedure is predictable, general, and dependable, boding well for its widespread application in routine laboratory settings.

Voltage-Controlled Spray Deposition of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes on Semiconducting and Insulating Substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maulik, Subhodip; Sarkar, Anirban; Basu, Srismrita; Daniels-Race, Theda

2018-05-01

A facile, cost-effective, voltage-controlled, "single-step" method for spray deposition of surfactant-assisted dispersed carbon nanotube (CNT) thin films on semiconducting and insulating substrates has been developed. The fabrication strategy enables direct deposition and adhesion of CNT films on target samples, eliminating the need for substrate surface functionalization with organosilane binder agents or metal layer coatings. Spray coating experiments on four types of sample [bare silicon (Si), microscopy-grade glass samples, silicon dioxide (SiO2), and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)] under optimized control parameters produced films with thickness ranging from 40 nm to 6 μm with substantial surface coverage and packing density. These unique deposition results on both semiconducting and insulator target samples suggest potential applications of this technique in CNT thin-film transistors with different gate dielectrics, bendable electronics, and novel CNT-based sensing devices, and bodes well for further investigation into thin-film coatings of various inorganic, organic, and hybrid nanomaterials on different types of substrate.

Analysis and design of segment control system in segmented primary mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Wenhao; Li, Bin; Chen, Mo; Xian, Hao

2017-10-01

Segmented primary mirror will be adopted widely in giant telescopes in future, such as TMT, E-ELT and GMT. High-performance control technology of the segmented primary mirror is one of the difficult technologies for telescopes using segmented primary mirror. The control of each segment is the basis of control system in segmented mirror. Correcting the tilt and tip of single segment is the main work of this paper which is divided into two parts. Firstly, harmonic response done in finite element model of single segment matches the Bode diagram of a two-order system whose natural frequency is 45 hertz and damping ratio is 0.005. Secondly, a control system model is established, and speed feedback is introduced in control loop to suppress resonance point gain and increase the open-loop bandwidth, up to 30Hz or even higher. Corresponding controller is designed based on the control system model described above.

An overview on the delivery of antitumor drug doxorubicin by carrier proteins.

PubMed

Agudelo, D; Bérubé, G; Tajmir-Riahi, H A

2016-07-01

Serum proteins play an increasing role as drug carriers in the clinical settings. In this review, we have compared the binding modalities of anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) to three model carrier proteins, human serum albumin (HSA), bovine serum albumin (BSA) and milk beta-lactoglobulin (β-LG) in order to determine the potential application of these model proteins in DOX delivery. Molecular modeling studies showed stronger binding of DOX with HSA than BSA and β-LG with the free binding energies of -10.75 (DOX-HSA), -9.31 (DOX-BSA) and -8.12kcal/mol (DOX-β-LG). Extensive H-boding network stabilizes DOX-protein conjugation and played a major role in drug-protein complex formation. DOX complexation induced major alterations of HSA and BSA conformations, while did not alter β-LG secondary structure. The literature review shows that these proteins can potentially be used for delivery of DOX in vitro and in vivo. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Drought-induced starvation of aardvarks in the Kalahari: an indirect effect of climate change.

PubMed

Rey, Benjamin; Fuller, Andrea; Mitchell, Duncan; Meyer, Leith C R; Hetem, Robyn S

2017-07-01

Aardvarks ( Orycteropus afer ) are elusive burrowing mammals, predominantly nocturnal and distributed widely throughout Africa except for arid deserts. Their survival may be threatened by climate change via direct and indirect effects of increasing heat and aridity. To measure their current physiological plasticity, we implanted biologgers into six adult aardvarks resident in the semi-arid Kalahari. Following a particularly dry and hot summer, five of the study aardvarks and 11 other aardvarks at the study site died. Body temperature records revealed homeothermy (35.4-37.2°C) initially, but heterothermy increased progressively through the summer, with declining troughs in the nychthemeral rhythm of body temperature reaching as low as 25°C before death, likely due to starvation. Activity patterns shifted from the normal nocturnal to a diurnal mode. Our results do not bode well for the future of aardvarks facing climate change. Extirpation of aardvarks, which play a key role as ecosystem engineers, may disrupt stability of African ecosystems. © 2017 The Author(s).

Controlling the electrodeposition, morphology and structure of hydroxyapatite coating on 316L stainless steel.

PubMed

Thanh, Dinh Thi Mai; Nam, Pham Thi; Phuong, Nguyen Thu; Que, Le Xuan; Anh, Nguyen Van; Hoang, Thai; Lam, Tran Dai

2013-05-01

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) coatings were prepared on 316L stainless steel (316LSS) substrates by electrochemical deposition in the solutions containing Ca(NO3)2·4H2O and NH4H2PO4 at different electrolyte concentrations. Along with the effect of precursor concentration, the influence of temperature and H2O2 content on the morphology, structure and composition of the coating was thoroughly discussed with the help of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. The in vitro tests in simulated body fluids (SBF) were carried out and then the morphological and structural changes were estimated by SEM and electrochemical techniques (open circuit potential, polarization curves, Nyquist and Bode spectra measurements). Being simple and cost-effective, this method is advantageous for producing HAp implant materials with good properties/characteristics, aiming towards in vivo biomedical applications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Social work at the heart of the medical team.

PubMed

Kitchen, Alice; Brook, Jody

2005-01-01

This paper proposes one model of hospital social work delivery services that places social work in a facilitative role within the medical team, and describes a pilot project designed to evaluate these services. Social work's role in this teaching hospital setting was tailored to provide patients and medical staff access to social work services upon admission, rather than at the time of discharge. This change places social work at the pivotal juncture to improve medical care and addresses the social, cultural and environmental concerns as they surface during patient stay. Unique to this demonstration model is the added advantage of placing the social worker at the hub of the physician-led medical team. Medical students, residents, and attending physicians all learn, observe, and experience the advantages social workers bring to the process. Educating medical students on teams with social workers bodes well for the profession. The authors summarize the program design, results and implications for social work practice in a teaching hospital setting.

Michael Jackson, Bin Laden and I: functions of positive and negative, public and private flashbulb memories.

PubMed

Demiray, Burcu; Freund, Alexandra M

2015-01-01

This study examined the perceived psychosocial functions of flashbulb memories: It compared positive and negative public flashbulb memories (positive: Bin Laden's death, negative: Michael Jackson's death) with private ones (positive: pregnancy, negative: death of a loved one). A sample of n = 389 young and n = 176 middle-aged adults answered canonical category questions used to identify flashbulb memories and rated the personal significance, the psychological temporal distance, and the functions of each memory (i.e., self-continuity, social-boding, directive functions). Hierarchical regressions showed that, in general, private memories were rated more functional than public memories. Positive and negative private memories were comparable in self-continuity and directionality, but the positive private memory more strongly served social functions. In line with the positivity bias in autobiographical memory, positive flashbulb memories felt psychologically closer than negative ones. Finally, middle-aged adults rated their memories as less functional regarding self-continuity and social-bonding than young adults. Results are discussed regarding the tripartite model of autobiographical memory functions.

Violate, incur sanctions, and exhaust: the steep price of judicial review under Illinois Council.

PubMed

Burke, Virginia

2003-01-01

This Article analyzes the decision in Shalala v. Illinois Council on Long Term Care, Inc., in which the Supreme Court held that providers seeking to challenge Medicare regulations must first pursue those challenges through an administrative review process, except when application of this rule would result in "no review at all." In reaching this decision, the five-justice majority rejected the interpretation given to prior holdings by many commentators and circuits, and reasoned that it was appropriate to require providers to exhaust their administrative appeals even though the penalties for the challenged violations would not be stayed during the process. Given the nature of the administrative appeal process and the scope of penalties that may be assessed against Medicare providers, the author argues that the decision in Illinois Council evidences excessive deference towards the agency, or a disinclination on the part of the court towards entertaining Medicare lawsuits, either of which bodes ill for providers seeking judicial relief.

INCA- INTERACTIVE CONTROLS ANALYSIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauer, F. H.

1994-01-01

plane to W plane and back. These capabilities allow the INCA user to perform block diagram algebraic manipulations quickly for functions in the S, Z, and W domains. Additionally, a versatile digital control capability has been included in INCA. Special plane transformations allow the user to easily convert functions from one domain to another. Other digital control capabilities include: 1) totally independent open loop frequency response analyses on a continuous plant, discrete control system with a delay, 2) advanced Z-transform capability for systems with delays, and 3) multirate sampling analyses. The current version of INCA includes Dynamic Functions (which change when a parameter changes), standard filter generation, PD and PID controller generation, incorporation of the QZ-algorithm (function addition, inverse Laplace), and describing functions that allow the user to calculate the gain and phase characteristics of a nonlinear device. The INCA graphic modes provide the user with a convenient means to document and study frequency response, time response, and root locus analyses. General graphics features include: 1) zooming and dezooming, 2) plot documentation, 3) a table of analytic computation results, 4) multiple curves on the same plot, and 5) displaying frequency and gain information for a specific point on a curve. Additional capabilities in the frequency response mode include: 1) a full complement of graphical methods Bode magnitude, Bode phase, Bode combined magnitude and phase, Bode strip plots, root contour plots, Nyquist, Nichols, and Popov plots; 2) user selected plot scaling; and 3) gain and phase margin calculation and display. In the time response mode, additional capabilities include: 1) support for inverse Laplace and inverse Z transforms, 2) support for various input functions, 3) closed loop response evaluation, 4) loop gain sensitivity analyses, 5) intersample time response for discrete systems using the advanced Z transform, and 6) closed loop

Prominence Bubbles and Plumes: Thermo-magnetic Buoyancy in Coronal Cavity Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berger, Thomas; Hurlburt, N.

2009-05-01

The Hinode/Solar Optical Telescope continues to produce high spatial and temporal resolution images of solar prominences in both the Ca II 396.8 nm H-line and the H-alpha 656.3 nm line. Time series of these images show that many quiescent prominences produce large scale (50 Mm) dark "bubbles" that "inflate" into, and sometimes burst through, the prominence material. In addition, small-scale (2--5 Mm) dark plumes are seen rising into many quiescent prominences. We show typical examples of both phenomena and argue that they originate from the same mechanism: concentrated and heated magnetic flux that rises due to thermal and magnetic buoyancy to equilibrium heights in the prominence/coronal-cavity system. More generally, these bubbles and upflows offer a source of both magnetic flux and mass to the overlying coronal cavity, supporting B.C. Low's theory of CME initiation via steadily increasing magnetic buoyancy breaking through the overlying helmut streamer tension forces. Quiescent prominences are thus seen as the lowermost parts of the larger coronal cavity system, revealing through thermal effects both the cooled downflowing "drainage" from the cavity and the heated upflowing magnetic "plasmoids" supplying the cavity. We compare SOT movies to new 3D compressible MHD simulations that reproduce the dark turbulent plume dynamics to establish the magnetic and thermal character of these buoyancy-driven flows into the corona.

A Workshop on High Energy Astrophysical for Amateur Astronomers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fishman, Gerald J.; Mattei, J. A.; Rose, M. Franklin (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Amateur astronomers are, in general, an enthusiastic and dynamic group of individuals who can help greatly in astronomy public outreach and education programs. In the U.S., they outnumber professional astronomers by over a factor of ten. Over eighty amateur astronomers from all over the U.S. and abroad attended a unique workshop in Huntsville, Alabama in April of this year. Most attendees were provided with travel grants under the condition that they disseminate knowledge gained at the workshop to civic groups, astronomy clubs and science teacher groups in their home communities. Twelve lecturers were given over two days, primarily by active high-energy researchers from NASA-MSFC and NASA-GSFC. Funding for the workshop was provided by a variety of NASA-sponsored projects, offices within OSS and private funding sources. The workshop attendees were selected by the AAVSO, which also administered the funding for the workshop. This high-leverage educational and public outreach program was deemed to be highly successful and bodes well for similar, future workshops. Many of the participants have already begun to give public talks on HEA and GRBs.

Study on Online Analysis of Transfer Function of Variable-Speed Rolling Mill Motor with Shaft Torsional Vibration Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamaoki, Toshifumi; Takanezawa, Makoto; Kimoto, Masanori; Morita, Noboru; Hoshino, Takeo; Hashizume, Kenji

The torsional vibration between metal rolling rolls and a rolling mill motor, may occur in recent days, as a result of higher speed response adjustment for variable speed rolling mill motor drive system. Issues in this paper are focused on excess acceleration value, in tangential direction of the mill motor rotor, which is caused by the motor shaft torsional resonance at the white noise signal superposition to the speed reference signal of the motor drive system for the online transfer function analysis. As a result of the acceleration analysis, the acceleration values in “G” (Relative acceleration value on the basis of Gravity) can be plotted on “Bode-Diagram”, which is namely frequency response for the speed signal amplitude transmission ratio. In addition, relation between the white noise amplitude reduction and the transfer function analysis accuracy deterioration is also examined, in this paper. As the amplitude of the white noise decreases, the analysis error increases because of the reduction in the resolution when the amplitude of the white noise signal is small.

Impedance Spectroscopic Investigation of Proton Conductivity in Nafion Using Transient Electrochemical Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)

PubMed Central

Hink, Steffen; Wagner, Norbert; Bessler, Wolfgang G.; Roduner, Emil

2012-01-01

Spatially resolved impedance spectroscopy of a Nafion polyelectrolyte membrane is performed employing a conductive and Pt-coated tip of an atomic force microscope as a point-like contact and electrode. The experiment is conducted by perturbing the system by a rectangular voltage step and measuring the incurred current, followed by Fourier transformation and plotting the impedance against the frequency in a conventional Bode diagram. To test the potential and limitations of this novel method, we present a feasibility study using an identical hydrogen atmosphere at a well-defined relative humidity on both sides of the membrane. It is demonstrated that good quality impedance spectra are obtained in a frequency range of 0.2–1000 Hz. The extracted polarization curves exhibit a maximum current which cannot be explained by typical diffusion effects. Simulation based on equivalent circuits requires a Nernst element for restricted diffusion in the membrane which suggests that this effect is based on the potential dependence of the electrolyte resistance in the high overpotential region. PMID:24958175

Robust and novel two degree of freedom fractional controller based on two-loop topology for inverted pendulum.

PubMed

Dwivedi, Prakash; Pandey, Sandeep; Junghare, A S

2018-04-01

A rotary single inverted pendulum (RSIP) typically represents a space booster rocket, Segway and similar systems with unstable equilibrium. This paper proposes a novel two degree of freedom (2-DOF) fractional control strategy based on 2-loop topology for RSIP system which can be extended to control the systems with unstable equilibrium. It comprises feedback and feed-forward paths. Primary controller relates the perturbation attenuation while the secondary controller is accountable for set point tracking. To tune the parameters of proposed fractional controller a simple graphical tuning method based on frequency response is used. The study will serve the outstanding experimental results for both, stabilization and trajectory tracking tasks. The study will also serve to present a comparison of the performance of the proposed controller with the 1-DOF FOPID controller and sliding mode controller (SMC) for the RSIP system. Further to confirm the usability of the proposed controller and to avoid the random perturbations sensitivity, robustness, and stability analysis through fractional root-locus and Bode-plot is investigated. Copyright © 2018 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-term antibacterial characteristics and cytocompatibility of titania nanotubes loaded with Au nanoparticles without photocatalytic effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Guomin; Feng, Hongqing; Jin, Weihong; Gao, Ang; Peng, Xiang; Li, Wan; Wu, Hao; Li, Zhou; Chu, Paul K.

2017-08-01

Au nanoparticles (NPs) can endow titania nanotubes (Au@TiO2-NT) with light-independent antibacterial properties which bode well for in vivo application because of the dark environment inside tissues. In this work, the long-term antibacterial bactericidal properties and cytocompatibility of Au@TiO2-NT without photocatalytic effects are studied in details. The materials exhibit antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus according to antibacterial tests carried out for a total time of 21 days, which are normally long enough for early stage tissue healing after surgery. In addition, adhesion and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts on Au@TiO2-NT reveal cytocompatibility comparable to that of TiO2-NT. No reactive oxygen species (ROS) are detected from either the bacteria or MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on the Au@TiO2-NT surface. The absence of ROS, long-term antibacterial properties, and cytocompatibility make Au@TiO2-NT promising biomaterials in orthopedic devices and implants.

Interaction between light and highly confined hypersound in a silicon photonic nanowire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Laer, Raphaël; Kuyken, Bart; van Thourhout, Dries; Baets, Roel

2015-03-01

In the past decade there has been a surge in research at the boundary between photonics and phononics. Most efforts have centred on coupling light to motion in a high-quality optical cavity, typically geared towards manipulating the quantum state of a mechanical oscillator. It was recently predicted that the strength of the light-sound interaction would increase drastically in nanoscale silicon photonic wires. Here we demonstrate, for the first time, such a giant overlap between near-infrared light and gigahertz sound co-localized in a small-core silicon wire. The wire is supported by a tiny pillar to block the path for external phonon leakage, trapping 10 GHz phonons in an area of less than 0.1 μm2. Because our geometry can also be studied in microcavities, it paves the way for complete fusion between the fields of cavity optomechanics and Brillouin scattering. The results bode well for the realization of optically driven lasers/sasers, isolators and comb generators on a densely integrated silicon chip.

Integrated control-system design via generalized LQG (GLQG) theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bernstein, Dennis S.; Hyland, David C.; Richter, Stephen; Haddad, Wassim M.

1989-01-01

Thirty years of control systems research has produced an enormous body of theoretical results in feedback synthesis. Yet such results see relatively little practical application, and there remains an unsettling gap between classical single-loop techniques (Nyquist, Bode, root locus, pole placement) and modern multivariable approaches (LQG and H infinity theory). Large scale, complex systems, such as high performance aircraft and flexible space structures, now demand efficient, reliable design of multivariable feedback controllers which optimally tradeoff performance against modeling accuracy, bandwidth, sensor noise, actuator power, and control law complexity. A methodology is described which encompasses numerous practical design constraints within a single unified formulation. The approach, which is based upon coupled systems or modified Riccati and Lyapunov equations, encompasses time-domain linear-quadratic-Gaussian theory and frequency-domain H theory, as well as classical objectives such as gain and phase margin via the Nyquist circle criterion. In addition, this approach encompasses the optimal projection approach to reduced-order controller design. The current status of the overall theory will be reviewed including both continuous-time and discrete-time (sampled-data) formulations.

Small Body Science via Swarms of Nano-Satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ernst, Sebastian M.; Lewis, John S.

2015-04-01

Imagine you had a fleet of nano-satellites deployed around an asteroid or comet, or directly on its surface. What things could you do with it that you could not do any other way? Missions which transport a number of small spacecraft and deploy it near small bodes, moons or planets are becoming ever more feasible and realistic. While constellations of nano-satellites already carry a significant weight in terrestrial remote sensing, the potential of similar concepts for planetary science missions has not yet been extensively explored. There have been proposals for such scenarios for the past decades, though only now is there the technology to make them happen. Multiple types of sensor networks can be deployed around planetary bodies or onto their surface while they can interact with each other if required. Furthermore, individual spacecraft become expendable. We wish to call attention to all the research in this field which has been conducted so far and inspire the planetary science community to further investigate the possibies of such mission architechtures.

In vitro corrosion study by EIS of a nickel-free stainless steel for orthopaedic applications.

PubMed

Rondelli, G; Torricelli, P; Fini, M; Giardino, R

2005-03-01

The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique was used for the study of the electrochemical behaviour of Ni-free austenitic stainless steel for orthopaedic applications. Experiments were carried out using four different test solutions: (i) phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), (ii) minimum essential medium (MEM), (iii) MEM + 10% fetal calf serum (FCS), (iv) MEM + 10% fetal calf serum + L929 fibroblast cell line (Cell). Bode-phase spectra showed the presence of two maxima and were fitted with an equivalent circuit characterized by two parallel combinations (Resistance, Constant Phase Element). The (R(1), CPE(1)) branch was assigned to the inner compact passive film and the (R(2), CPE(2)) branch to the external porous film. The resistance of the inner film R(1), here directly related to the material's uniform corrosion resistance, raised with the immersion time and increased in the following order: PBS

Mental health promotion and the prevention of mental disorders in South Africa.

PubMed

Petersen, I; Bhana, A; Swartz, L

2012-11-01

The need for greater attention to mental health promotion and the prevention of mental disorders in South Africa is highlighted by the cycle of poverty and mental ill-health, the potential for social gains, the question of affordability of treatment in the face of the increasing burden of mental disorders, and the limitations of existing treatment methods. This article, which provides a desk review of the current status of mental health promotion and prevention of mental disorders in South Africa, suggests that South Africa has a number of policies that bode well for promoting mental health from infancy through to old age. There is, however, a need for programmatic interventions to promote resilience in vulnerable populations. Of note, is the need for programmes to address maternal depression and strengthen attachment and psychosocial stimulation during infancy, strengthen families, promote health enhancing school environments, and address intimate partner violence and build health enhancing social capital. Given the multifaceted nature of risk and protective influences, the need for a multi-sectoral plan of action is highlighted.

Effect of vaccines on bacterial meningitis worldwide.

PubMed

McIntyre, Peter B; O'Brien, Katherine L; Greenwood, Brian; van de Beek, Diederik

2012-11-10

Three bacteria--Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Neisseria meningitidis--account for most acute bacterial meningitis. Measurement of the effect of protein-polysaccharide conjugate vaccines is most reliable for H influenzae meningitis because one serotype and one age group account for more than 90% of cases and the incidence has been best measured in high-income countries where these vaccines have been used longest. Pneumococcal and meningococcal meningitis are caused by diverse serotypes and have a wide age distribution; measurement of their incidence is complicated by epidemics and scarcity of surveillance, especially in low-income countries. Near elimination of H influenzae meningitis has been documented after vaccine introduction. Despite greater than 90% reductions in disease attributable to vaccine serotypes, all-age pneumococcal meningitis has decreased by around 25%, with little data from low-income settings. Near elimination of serogroup C meningococcal meningitis has been documented in several high-income countries, boding well for the effect of a new serogroup A meningococcal conjugate vaccine in the African meningitis belt. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Concurrent Strength and HIIT Training in Octogenarians with COPD.

PubMed

Guadalupe-Grau, Amelia; Aznar-Laín, Susana; Mañas, Asier; Castellanos, Juan; Alcázar, Julián; Ara, Ignacio; Mata, Esmeralda; Daimiel, Rosa; García-García, Francisco José

2017-01-01

To investigate the short- and long-term effects of concurrent strength and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on octogenarian COPD patients, nine males (age = 84.2 ± 2.8 years, BMI = 29.3 ± 2.3) with low to severe COPD levels (2.1 ± 1.5 BODE index) underwent a supervised 9-week strength and HIIT exercise program. Training had a significant (p < .05) impact on senior fitness test scores (23-45%), 30-m walking speed (from 1.29 ± 0.29-1.62 ± 0.33 m/s), leg and chest press 1RM (38% and 45% respectively), maximal isometric strength (30-35%), and 6-min walking test (from 286.1 ± 107.2-396.2 ± 106.5 m), and tended to increase predicted forced vital capacity by 14% (p = .07). One year after the intervention all training-induced gains returned to their preintervention values except for the chest press 1RM (p <.05). Short-term concurrent strength and HIIT training increases physical fitness in the oldest-old COPD patients, and has potential long-term benefits.

Spatial Charge Inhomogeneity and Defect States in Topological Dirac Semimetal Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edmonds, Mark; Collins, James; Hellerstedt, Jack; Yudhistira, Indra; Rodrigues, Joao Nuno Barbosa; Gomes, Lidia Carvalho; Adam, Shaffique; Fuhrer, Michael

Dirac materials are characterized by a charge neutrality point, where the system breaks into electron/hole puddles. In graphene, substrate disorder drives fluctuations in EF, necessitating ultra-clean substrates to observe Dirac point physics. Three-dimensional topological Dirac semimetals (TDS) obviate the substrate, and should show reduced EF fluctuations due to better metallic screening and higher dielectric constants. Yet, the local response of the charge carriers in a TDS to various perturbations has yet to be explored. Here we map the potential fluctuations in TDS 20nm Na3Bi films grown via MBE using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy. The potential fluctuations are significantly smaller than room temperature (ΔEF 5 meV = 60 K) and comparable to the highest quality graphene on h-BN; far smaller than graphene on SiO2,or the Dirac surface state of a topological insulator. This observation bodes well for exploration of Dirac point physics in TDS materials. Furthermore, surface Na vacancies show a bound resonance state close to the Dirac point with large spatial extent, a possible analogue to resonant impurities in graphene.

Kamide reflects on JGR and the role of editor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woods, Peter

After serving the space physics community for more than 11 years, Y. Kamide of the Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory at Nagoya University in Toyokawa, Japan, retired as editor of the Journal of Geophysical Research-Space Physics for the Asian/Pacific region. He had been a JGR editor since AGU first opened two editorial offices in Europe and the Asian/Pacific region in 1989. Even as the initial JGR editor in Asia, Kamide was not new to AGU editorial business. Before accepting the JGR position, Kamide served 3 years as the editor in Japan for Geophysical Research Letters.According to Kamide, over the last 5 years, the number of high-quality submissions to JGR in the Asian/Pacific region has increased dramatically, by a factor of 2.5. This increase came mostly from the younger generation of scientists, which bodes well for the future of JGR and space physics in general. Together with the substantial contributions to JGR from the European community, this achievement has been recognized by AGU as proof that JGR is truly an international journal of the highest editorial standards.

The closed MTIP-MyosinA-tail complex from the malaria parasite invasion machinery

PubMed Central

Bosch, Jürgen; Turley, Stewart; Roach, Claudia M.; Daly, Thomas M.; Bergman, Lawrence W.; Hol, Wim G. J.

2009-01-01

The Myosin A-tail Interacting Protein (MTIP) of the malaria parasite links the actomyosin motor of the host cell invasion machinery to its inner membrane complex. We report here that at neutral pH Plasmodium falciparum MTIP in complex with Myosin A adopts a compact conformation, with its two domains completely surrounding the Myosin A-tail helix, dramatically different from previously observed extended MTIP structures. Crystallographic and mutagenesis studies show that H810 and K813 of Myosin A are key players in the formation of the compact MTIP:Myosin A complex. Only the unprotonated state of Myosin A-H810 is compatible with the compact complex. Most surprisingly, every side chain atom of Myosin A-K813 is engaged in contacts with MTIP. While this side chain was previously considered to prevent a compact conformation of MTIP with Myosin A, it actually appears to be essential for the formation of the compact complex. The hydrophobic pockets and adaptability seen in the available series of MTIP structures bodes well for the discovery of inhibitors of cell invasion by malaria parasites. PMID:17628590

Effect of black clay soil moisture on the electrochemical behavior of API X70 pipeline steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendi, R.; Saifi, H.; Belmokre, K.; Ouadah, M.; Smili, B.; Talhi, B.

2018-03-01

The effect of moisture content variation (20–100 wt.%) on the electrochemical behavior of API X70 pipeline steel buried in the soil of Skikda (East of Algeria) was studied using electrochemical techniques, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and weight loss measurement. The electrochemical measurements showed that the corrosion current Icorr is directly proportional to the moisture content up to 50 wt.%, beyond this content, this value becomes almost constant. The result were confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy; the capacitance of the double layer formed on the surface is the highest at 50 wt.%. A single time constant was detected by plotting the Bode diagrams. The steel surface degradation has been appreciated using the scanning electron microscopy observations. A few pitting corrosion at 20 wt.% moisture, followed by more degradation at 50 wt.% have been revealed. However, when the moisture amount exceeded 50 wt.%, the surface became entirely covered by a corrosion product. XRD analysis revealed the dominance of FeOOH and Fe3O4 phases on steel surface for a moisture content of 50 wt.%.

The place of the 17th century in Jung's encounter with China.

PubMed

Cambray, Joe

2005-04-01

After recounting several dreams and related alchemical interests of Jung's tied to the 17(th) century, a contextualizing look at select scientific and philosophical developments of that century is presented. Several precursors of the contemporary debates on the mind/body relation are noted, with special reference to the work of Antonio Damasio. This in turn leads to a reconsideration of the work of the 17(th) century polymath Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, which Jung read as a major precursor to his formulation of synchronicity (via Leibniz's concept of 'pre-established harmony'). Leibniz was the first philosopher to articulate the mind/body relationship in terms of supervenience, sharing an accord with those contemporary philosophers and scientists who see the mind as being an emergent property of the body-brain. Similarly, these ideas are also consistent with a reformulation of synchronicity in terms of emergence. Tracing Leibniz's interest in China reveals another set of links to Jung and to emergentism. Jung's use of Taoist concepts in developing the synchronicity principle is well known. According to scholars, Leibniz was the first major Western intellect to study the I-Ching, through the assistance of a Jesuit missionary in Beijing, Fr. Joachim Bouvet. Some details of the Leibniz-Bouvet correspondence are discussed here. Despite Helmut Wilhelm's presenting aspects of this correspondence at an Eranos conference, Jung does not appear to have integrated it into his writing on synchronicity--a possible reason for this omission is suggested.

COMMITTEES: Quark Matter 2008 Organising and International Advisory Committees

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-10-01

Organising Committee Madan M Aggarwal (Chandigarh) Jan-e Alam (Kolkata) Convener Arup Bandyopadhyay (Kolkata) Debades Bandyopadhyay (Kolkata) Rahul Basu (Chennai) Rakesh K Bhandari (Kolkata) Anju Bhasin (Jammu) Subhasis Chattopadhyay (Kolkata) Convener Sukalyan Chattopadhyay (Kolkata) Asis Chaudhuri (Kolkata) Premomoy Ghosh (Kolkata) Sanjay Ghosh (Kolkata) Sourendu Gupta (Mumbai) Muhammad Irfan (Aligarh) Durga P Mahapatra (Bhubaneswar) DAmruta Mishra (New Delhi) Ajit K Mohanty (Mumbai) Bedangadas Mohanty (Kolkata) Vaisali Naik (Kolkata) Tapan K Nayak (Kolkata) Convener Sudhir Raniwala (Jaipur) Sourav Sarkar (Kolkata) Bikash Sinha (Kolkata) Chair Dinesh Srivastava (Kolkata) Raghava Varma (Mumbai) Yogendra P Viyogi (Bhubaneswar)Co-chair International Advisory Committee R Aymar,Switzerland Jean Paul Blaizot, France Peter Braun Münzinger, Germany Igor M Dremin, Russia Kari Eskola, Finland Jens Jorgen Gaardhoje,Denmark Rajiv V Gavai, India Hans-Ake Gustaffson, Sweden Hans Gutbrod, Germany Miklos Gyulassy, USA Timothy Hallman, USA Hideki Hamagaki, Japan Tetsuo Hatsuda, Japan Huan-Zhong Huang, USA Barbara Jacak, USA Peter Jenni, Switzerland Taka Kajino, Japan Takeshi Kodama, Brazil T D Lee, USA Peter Levai, Hungary Luciano Maiani, Italy Larry McLerran, USA Berndt Müller, USA Guy Paic, Mexico Sibaji Raha, India Lodovico Riccati, Italy Hans Georg Ritter, USA Helmut Satz, Germany Jurgen Schukraft, Switzerland Yves Schutz, France Edward V Shuryak, USA Johanna Stachel, Germany Horst Stöcker, Germany Itzhak Tserruya, Israel Xin-Nian Wang, USA Bolek Wyslouch, USA Glenn R Young, USA William A Zajc, USA Wen-Long Zhan, China

What goes around comes back around: life narratives and the significance of the past in Donna Leon's Death at La Fenice.

PubMed

Domínguez-Rué, Emma

2014-04-01

This paper examines the life narratives of characters in Donna Leon's much-celebrated novel Death at La Fenice (1992). In the first of her Brunetti mystery series, Commissario Guido Brunetti investigates the death of the renowned conductor Helmut Wellauer, poisoned during a performance of La Traviata at La Fenice. As his investigation progresses, Brunetti discovers dark secrets in the past of the acclaimed Maestro, revealing his dishonesty and cruelty, but, most shockingly, his involvement in a horrendous case of child abuse and death by neglect. My analysis will address the role of memory and the significance of the past for the present, as the tragic experiences of the Santina sisters in the 1930s become intertwined with those of Wellauer's present wife Elizabeth and her daughter Alexandra. Using literary theory and cultural gerontology as methodological tools, this paper will explore Leon's portrait of the aging process: Wellauer's lack of remorse for his past sins and his inability to cope with impending deafness will be contrasted with the painful account by Wellauer's former lover, the once famous soprano Clemenza Santina, whose narrative response to her traumatic experience renders the past more alive than the present. The significance of memory, as well as the crucial role of life narratives in the personal and cultural construction of identity, will be addressed to interrogate the ways in which our perception of aging can be enriched by literary studies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of AC impedance methods for evaluating corroding metal surfaces and coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knockemus, Ward

1986-01-01

In an effort to investigate metal surface corrosion and the breakdown of metal protective coatings the AC Impedance Method was applied to zinc chromate primer coated 2219-T87 aluminum. The model 368-1 AC Impedance Measurement System recently acquired by the MSFC Corrosion Research Branch was used to monitor changing properties of coated aluminum disks immersed in 3.5% NaCl buffered at ph 5.5 over three to four weeks. The DC polarization resistance runs were performed on the same samples. The corrosion system can be represented by an electronic analog called an equivalent circuit that consists of transistors and capacitors in specific arrangements. This equivalent circuit parallels the impedance behavior of the corrosion system during a frequency scan. Values for resistances and capacities that can be assigned in the equivalent circuit following a least squares analysis of the data describe changes that occur on the corroding metal surface and in the protective coating. A suitable equivalent circuit was determined that predicts the correct Bode phase and magnitude for the experimental sample. The DC corrosion current density data are related to equivalent circuit element parameters.

The corrosion mechanisms for primer coated 2219-T87 aluminum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danford, Merlin D.; Knockemus, Ward W.

1987-01-01

To investigate metal surface corrosion and the breakdown of metal protective coatings, the ac Impedance Method was applied to zinc chromate primer coated 2219-T87 aluminum. The EG&GPARC Model 368 ac Impedance Measurement System, along with dc measurements with the same system using the Polarization Resistance Method, was used to monitor changing properties of coated aluminum disks immersed in 3.5 percent NaCl solutions buffered at pH 5.5 and pH 8.2 over periods of 40 days each. The corrosion system can be represented by an electronic analog called an equivalent circuit consisting of resistors and capacitors in specific arrangements. This equivalent circuit parallels the impedance behavior of the corrosion system during a frequency scan. Values for resistances and capacitances, that can be assigned in the equivalent circuit following a least squares analysis of the data, describe changes occurring on the corroding metal surface and in the protective coatings. A suitable equivalent circuit has been determined which predicts the correct Bode phase and magnitude for the experimental sample. The dc corrosion current density data are related to equivalent circuit element parameters.

Nanocarriers for nuclear imaging and radiotherapy of cancer.

PubMed

Mitra, Amitava; Nan, Anjan; Line, Bruce R; Ghandehari, Hamidreza

2006-01-01

Several nanoscale carriers (nanoparticles, liposomes, water-soluble polymers, micelles and dendrimers) have been developed for targeted delivery of cancer diagnostic and therapeutic agents. These carriers can selectively target cancer sites and carry large payloads, thereby improving cancer detection and therapy effectiveness. Further, the combination of newer nuclear imaging techniques providing high sensitivity and spatial resolution such as dual modality imaging with positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and use of nanoscale devices to carry diagnostic and therapeutic radionuclides with high target specificity can enable more accurate detection, staging and therapy planning of cancer. The successful clinical applications of radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies for cancer detection and therapy bode well for the future of nanoscale carrier systems in clinical oncology. Several radiolabeled multifunctional nanocarriers have been effective in detecting and treating cancer in animal models. Nonetheless, further preclinical, clinical and long-term toxicity studies will be required to translate this technology to the care of patients with cancer. The objective of this review is to present a brief but comprehensive overview of the various nuclear imaging techniques and the use of nanocarriers to deliver radionuclides for the diagnosis and therapy of cancer.

Design, analysis and control of large transports so that control of engine thrust can be used as a back-up of the primary flight controls. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roskam, Jan; Ackers, Deane E.; Gerren, Donna S.

1995-01-01

A propulsion controlled aircraft (PCA) system has been developed at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California, to provide safe, emergency landing capability should the primary flight control system of the aircraft fail. As a result of the successful PCA work being done at NASA Dryden, this project investigated the possibility of incorporating the PCA system as a backup flight control system in the design of a large, ultra-high capacity megatransport in such a way that flight path control using only the engines is not only possible, but meets MIL-Spec Level 1 or Level 2 handling quality requirements. An 800 passenger megatransport aircraft was designed and programmed into the NASA Dryden simulator. Many different analysis methods were used to evaluate the flying qualities of the megatransport while using engine thrust for flight path control, including: (1) Bode and root locus plot analysis to evaluate the frequency and damping ratio response of the megatransport; (2) analysis of actual simulator strip chart recordings to evaluate the time history response of the megatransport; and (3) analysis of Cooper-Harper pilot ratings by two NaSA test pilots.

San Francisco's 'pay or play' employer mandate expanded private coverage by local firms and a public care program.

PubMed

Colla, Carrie H; Dow, William H; Dube, Arindrajit

2013-01-01

In 2008 San Francisco implemented a pay-or-play employer mandate that required firms operating in the city to provide health insurance coverage for employees or contribute to the city's "public option" health access program, Healthy San Francisco. Using data from our Bay Area Employer Health Benefits Survey, we found that in the first two years after implementation, more employers offered insurance and provided employee health benefit coverage relative to employers outside San Francisco not subject to the mandate. Sixty-seven percent reported in 2009 that they had expanded benefits since 2007. Although 22 percent of firms responding to the survey reported contributing to Healthy San Francisco for some employees, we observed no crowd-out of private insurance. Premium changes between 2007 and 2009 were similar in San Francisco and surrounding areas, but more of the burden of premium contributions in San Francisco shifted from workers to employers. Overall, 64 percent of firms responding to the survey supported the employer mandate. San Francisco's experience indicates that such a mandate is feasible, increases access, and is acceptable to many employers, which bodes well for the national employer mandate that will take effect under the Affordable Care Act in 2014.

Coagulation-Fenton coupled treatment for ecotoxicity reduction in highly polluted industrial wastewater.

PubMed

Perdigón-Melón, J A; Carbajo, J B; Petre, A L; Rosal, R; García-Calvo, E

2010-09-15

A coupled coagulation-Fenton process was applied for the treatment of cosmetic industry effluents. In a first step, FeSO(4) was used as coagulant and the non-precipitated Fe(2+) remaining in dissolution was used as catalyst in the further Fenton process. In the coagulation process a huge decrease in total organic carbon (TOC) was achieved, but the high concentration of phenol derivatives was not diminished. The decrease in TOC in the coagulation step significantly reduces the amount of H(2)O(2) required in the Fenton process for phenol depletion. The coupled process, using a H(2)O(2) dose of only 2 g l(-1), reduced TOC and total phenol to values lower than 40 and 0.10 mg l(-1), respectively. The short reaction period (less than 15 min) in TOC and phenol degradation bodes well for improving treatment in a continuous regime. The combination of both processes significantly reduced the ecotoxicity of raw effluent and markedly increased its biodegradability, thus allowing easier treatment by the conventional biological units in conventional sewage treatment plants (STPs). Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermal Characterization of Dynamic Silicon Cantilever Array Sensors by Digital Holographic Microscopy

PubMed Central

Zakerin, Marjan; Novak, Antonin; Toda, Masaya; Emery, Yves; Natalio, Filipe; Butt, Hans-Jürgen; Berger, Rüdiger

2017-01-01

In this paper, we apply a digital holographic microscope (DHM) in conjunction with stroboscopic acquisition synchronization. Here, the temperature-dependent decrease of the first resonance frequency (S1(T)) and Young’s elastic modulus (E1(T)) of silicon micromechanical cantilever sensors (MCSs) are measured. To perform these measurements, the MCSs are uniformly heated from T0 = 298 K to T = 450 K while being externally actuated with a piezo-actuator in a certain frequency range close to their first resonance frequencies. At each temperature, the DHM records the time-sequence of the 3D topographies for the given frequency range. Such holographic data allow for the extracting of the out-of-plane vibrations at any relevant area of the MCSs. Next, the Bode and Nyquist diagrams are used to determine the resonant frequencies with a precision of 0.1 Hz. Our results show that the decrease of resonance frequency is a direct consequence of the reduction of the silicon elastic modulus upon heating. The measured temperature dependence of the Young’s modulus is in very good accordance with the previously-reported values, validating the reliability and applicability of this method for micromechanical sensing applications. PMID:28545236

Community Physician-Guided Long-Term Domiciliary Oxygen Therapy Combined With Conventional Therapy in Stage IV COPD Patients.

PubMed

Bao, Hong; Wang, Jiaman; Zhou, Ding; Han, Zhaoyong; Zhang, Yuan; Su, Ling; Ye, Xiong; Xu, Chunyan; Fu, Meihong; Li, Qinghua

The aim of the study was to explore clinical effect of community physician-guided long-term domiciliary oxygen therapy (LTDOT) on patients with Stage IV chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A retrospective study. Fifty-four patients with Stage IV COPD were recruited and randomly divided into two groups (the LTDOT group and the control group). Patients in LTDOT group accepted additional oxygen therapy for more than 15 hours every day with continuous low flow (1-2 L/min) for 3 years. PaO2 (O2 pressure), FEV1/FVC (forced vital capacity), and FEV1% (percentage of forced expiratory volume in 1 second) in the LTDOT group increased significantly after treatment. A significant decrease was observed on the BODE index in the LTDOT group (p < .05) but not in control group (p > .05). Frequencies and costs of hospitalization therapy and emergency medical services were markedly decreased after 3 years of LTDOT. Community physician-guided LTDOT can improve prognosis and reduce the costs for stage IV COPD patients. Rehabilitation nurses can be instrumental in helping patients with stage IV COPD learn principles of LTDOT.

Social/sexual norms and AIDS in the South. Ethics and the politics of aids: lessons for small cities and rural areas throughout the U.S.

PubMed

Bell, N K

1991-01-01

No one denies that the face of AIDS (the "AIDS profile") is changing, and it is clear that we are entering a new phase in our understanding of this disease. As the AIDS profile changes, however, we are seeing a change in attitudes about prevention. In this stage of the epidemic there seems to be a move toward adopting more coercive strategies for breaking the chain of transmission. One concern, obviously, is that newly HIV-infected persons will find that they have little capacity to demand recognition of their rights to consent, to be treated, to confidentiality, to move about freely in society, to work, and so on. Unfortunately, this bodes ill for newly infected persons in previously low-incidence areas. Two very recent studies suggest that rates of high-risk sexual behavior among homosexual/bisexual men in smaller cities and rural areas in the South are much higher than rates now reported for gay men in large city epicenters. This paper attempts to examine the implications of differences in social and sexual behavior norms in the South for the spread of AIDS/HIV and to suggest morally appropriate primary prevention strategies for working within them.

Meeting at the crossroads: collaboration between information technology departments and health sciences libraries

PubMed Central

King, Samuel; Cataldi-Roberts, Erica; Wentz, Erin

2017-01-01

Objective The purposes of this survey were to determine the nature and extent of collaboration between health sciences libraries and their information technology (IT) departments, to identify strengths and issues connected to this relationship, and to provide examples demonstrating exceptional collaborative success. Methods A fourteen-question survey was sent to a broad selection of health care and academic libraries through a variety of email discussion lists and was limited to one response per institution. Convenience sampling was used to collect the responses. Results An overwhelming majority of libraries described the relationship with their IT departments as good or excellent, and there were a variety of creative joint initiatives underway. Opportunities exist for continued and expanded library/IT collaboration. Conclusions Good quality relationships between libraries and their IT departments are essential due to the interconnected nature of their services, and fortunately, this appears to be the norm at a variety of institutions. Mutual respect, open communication, realization of each department’s mission, and responsiveness to each other’s needs are part of what makes these relationships successful, which in turn leads to successful collaborative ventures that bode well for the future of both services. PMID:28096743

Rare transformation to double hit lymphoma in Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia.

PubMed

Okolo, Onyemaechi N; Johnson, Ariel C; Yun, Seongseok; Arnold, Stacy J; Anwer, Faiz

2017-08-01

Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is a lymphoproliferative lymphoma that is characterized by monoclonal immunoglobulin M (IgM) protein and bone marrow infiltration. Its incidence is rare and rarer still is its ability to transform to a B-cell lymphoma, particularly the aggressive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, which bodes a poor prognosis. When transformation includes mutations of MYC, BCL-2 and/or BCL-6, it is known as a 'double hit' or 'triple hit' lymphoma respectively. This paper presents a rare case of WM with mutations positive for MYC and BCL2, making it a case of double hit B-cell lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma with plasmatic differentiation without morphological transformation to aggressive histology like DLBCL. The paper also broadens to include discussions on current topics in the classification, diagnosis, possible causes of transformation, and treatment of WM, including transformation to double hit lymphoma. The significance of this case lies in that the presence of double hit lymphoma-like genetic mutations in WM have not been previously described in the literature and potentially such changes are harbinger of extra-nodal presentation, aggressive growth, and possibly poor prognosis, if data from other double-hit lymphoma are extrapolated.

Towards a comprehensive barcode library for arctic life - Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background This study reports progress in assembling a DNA barcode reference library for Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera ("EPTs") from a Canadian subarctic site, which is the focus of a comprehensive biodiversity inventory using DNA barcoding. These three groups of aquatic insects exhibit a moderate level of species diversity, making them ideal for testing the feasibility of DNA barcoding for routine biotic surveys. We explore the correlation between the morphological species delineations, DNA barcode-based haplotype clusters delimited by a sequence threshold (2%), and a threshold-free approach to biodiversity quantification--phylogenetic diversity. Results A DNA barcode reference library is built for 112 EPT species for the focal region, consisting of 2277 COI sequences. Close correspondence was found between EPT morphospecies and haplotype clusters as designated using a standard threshold value. Similarly, the shapes of taxon accumulation curves based upon haplotype clusters were very similar to those generated using phylogenetic diversity accumulation curves, but were much more computationally efficient. Conclusion The results of this study will facilitate other lines of research on northern EPTs and also bode well for rapidly conducting initial biodiversity assessments in unknown EPT faunas. PMID:20003245

Meeting at the crossroads: collaboration between information technology departments and health sciences libraries.

PubMed

King, Samuel; Cataldi-Roberts, Erica; Wentz, Erin

2017-01-01

The purposes of this survey were to determine the nature and extent of collaboration between health sciences libraries and their information technology (IT) departments, to identify strengths and issues connected to this relationship, and to provide examples demonstrating exceptional collaborative success. A fourteen-question survey was sent to a broad selection of health care and academic libraries through a variety of email discussion lists and was limited to one response per institution. Convenience sampling was used to collect the responses. An overwhelming majority of libraries described the relationship with their IT departments as good or excellent, and there were a variety of creative joint initiatives underway. Opportunities exist for continued and expanded library/IT collaboration. Good quality relationships between libraries and their IT departments are essential due to the interconnected nature of their services, and fortunately, this appears to be the norm at a variety of institutions. Mutual respect, open communication, realization of each department's mission, and responsiveness to each other's needs are part of what makes these relationships successful, which in turn leads to successful collaborative ventures that bode well for the future of both services.

Japan Women's University Multi-Career Path Support Model for Female Researchers (abstract)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toyama, Yoshikazu; Kodate, Kashiko

2009-04-01

The overall goal of this project, funded by MEXT-Japan (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Technology), is to implement prototypical programs to foster and proactively engage female researchers. The project aims to provide comprehensive support for female researchers who wish to raise a family and pursue an academic career, and increase opportunities for female researchers to play more active roles. To achieve these objectives, three core actions are taken. First, with out-of-office/out-of-lab research support (ubiquitous research support), an assistant researcher is provided to help perform experiments while the ubiquitous researcher is out of the laboratory. A communication network is introduced to connect the laboratory with home to facilitate in-home research. Second, with human resources support, researchers' career paths, abilities, and experiences are accumulated in e-portfolios. This enables researchers coming from different fields of employment to pursue other career paths. Third, a follow-up survey and project planning are conducted. We believe through science education, science can be demystified, and made more accessible and fascinating for children. This would bode well for future generations. Alumni questionnaires show that 80% of respondents were very satisfied to have graduated with a science background.

The growth of partnerships to support patient safety practice adoption.

PubMed

Mendel, Peter; Damberg, Cheryl L; Sorbero, Melony E S; Varda, Danielle M; Farley, Donna O

2009-04-01

To document the numbers and types of interorganizational partnerships within the national patient safety domain, changes over time in these networks, and their potential for disseminating patient safety knowledge and practices. Self-reported information gathered from representatives of national-level organizations active in promoting patient safety. Social network analysis was used to examine the structure and composition of partnership networks and changes between 2004 and 2006. Two rounds of structured telephone interviews (n=35 organizations in 2004 and 55 in 2006). Patient safety partnerships expanded between 2004 and 2006. The average number of partnerships per interviewed organization increased 40 percent and activities per reported partnership increased over 50 percent. Partnerships increased in all activity domains, particularly dissemination and tools development. Fragmentation of the overall partnership network decreased and potential for information flow increased. Yet network centralization increased, suggesting vulnerability to partnership failure if key participants disengage. Growth in partnerships signifies growing strength in the capacity to disseminate and implement patient safety advancements in the U.S. health care system. The centrality of AHRQ in these networks of partnerships bodes well for its leadership role in disseminating information, tools, and practices generated by patient safety research projects.

PLATSIM: A Simulation and Analysis Package for Large-Order Flexible Systems. Version 2.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maghami, Peiman G.; Kenny, Sean P.; Giesy, Daniel P.

1997-01-01

The software package PLATSIM provides efficient time and frequency domain analysis of large-order generic space platforms. PLATSIM can perform open-loop analysis or closed-loop analysis with linear or nonlinear control system models. PLATSIM exploits the particular form of sparsity of the plant matrices for very efficient linear and nonlinear time domain analysis, as well as frequency domain analysis. A new, original algorithm for the efficient computation of open-loop and closed-loop frequency response functions for large-order systems has been developed and is implemented within the package. Furthermore, a novel and efficient jitter analysis routine which determines jitter and stability values from time simulations in a very efficient manner has been developed and is incorporated in the PLATSIM package. In the time domain analysis, PLATSIM simulates the response of the space platform to disturbances and calculates the jitter and stability values from the response time histories. In the frequency domain analysis, PLATSIM calculates frequency response function matrices and provides the corresponding Bode plots. The PLATSIM software package is written in MATLAB script language. A graphical user interface is developed in the package to provide convenient access to its various features.

Identifying performing and under performing graphic symbols for verbs and prepositions in animated and static formats: a research note.

PubMed

Schlosser, Ralf W; Shane, Howard; Sorce, James; Koul, Rajinder; Bloomfield, Emma

2011-09-01

The purpose of this study was to identify graphic symbols for verbs and prepositions that were performing and underperforming in static and animated formats in a recent experiment on the effects of animation on transparency, name agreement, and identification of graphic symbols. Variable-specific criteria were developed in order to define when a symbol is considered to be performing in terms of its transparency, name agreement, and identification accuracy. Additionally, across-variable heuristic criteria were developed that allowed classification of symbols into four categories: (a) performing exceptionally, (b) performing effectively, (c) performing adequately, and (d) performing inadequately. These criteria were applied to 24 symbols for verbs and 8 symbols for prepositions in both animated and static formats. Results indicated that the vast majority of the symbols performed adequately or better while a few did not. Potential reasons as to why some of the symbols may have underperformed are discussed. Where appropriate, implications for modifying existing symbols and future research are drawn. Although the fact that the heuristic criteria were developed post-hoc is discussed as a limitation, the benefits of the proposed categories bode well for future applications.

Free radicals, reactive oxygen species, oxidative stress and its classification.

PubMed

Lushchak, Volodymyr I

2014-12-05

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) initially considered as only damaging agents in living organisms further were found to play positive roles also. This paper describes ROS homeostasis, principles of their investigation and technical approaches to investigate ROS-related processes. Especial attention is paid to complications related to experimental documentation of these processes, their diversity, spatiotemporal distribution, relationships with physiological state of the organisms. Imbalance between ROS generation and elimination in favor of the first with certain consequences for cell physiology has been called "oxidative stress". Although almost 30years passed since the first definition of oxidative stress was introduced by Helmut Sies, to date we have no accepted classification of oxidative stress. In order to fill up this gape here classification of oxidative stress based on its intensity is proposed. Due to that oxidative stress may be classified as basal oxidative stress (BOS), low intensity oxidative stress (LOS), intermediate intensity oxidative stress (IOS), and high intensity oxidative stress (HOS). Another classification of potential interest may differentiate three categories such as mild oxidative stress (MOS), temperate oxidative stress (TOS), and finally severe (strong) oxidative stress (SOS). Perspective directions of investigations in the field include development of sophisticated classification of oxidative stresses, accurate identification of cellular ROS targets and their arranged responses to ROS influence, real in situ functions and operation of so-called "antioxidants", intracellular spatiotemporal distribution and effects of ROS, deciphering of molecular mechanisms responsible for cellular response to ROS attacks, and ROS involvement in realization of normal cellular functions in cellular homeostasis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adding Gestalt to the picture. Comment on "Move me, astonish me…" delight my eyes and brain: The Vienna Integrated Model of top-down and bottom-up processes in Art Perception (VIMAP) and corresponding affective, evaluative, and neurophysiological correlates; by Matthew Pelowski et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagemans, Johan

2017-07-01

Matthew Pelowski and his colleagues from the Helmut Leder lab [17] have made a remarkable contribution to the field of art perception by reviewing the extensive and varied literature (+300 references) on all the factors involved, from a coherent, synthetic perspective-The Vienna Integrated Model of top-down and bottom-up processes in Art Perception (VIMAP). VIMAP builds on earlier attempts from the same group to provide a comprehensive theoretical framework, but it is much wider in scope and richer in the number of levels and topics covered under its umbrella. It is particularly strong in its discussion of the different psychological processes that lead to a wide range of possible responses to art-from mundane, superficial reactions to more profound responses characterized as moving, disturbing, and transformative. By including physiological, emotional, and evaluative factors, the model is able to address truly unique, even intimate responses to art such as awe, chills, thrills, and the experience of the sublime. The unique way in which this rich set of possible responses to art is achieved is through a series of five mandatory consecutive processing steps (each with their own typical duration), followed by two conditional additional steps (which take more time). Three processing checks along this cascade lead to three more or less spontaneous outcomes (<60 sec) and two more time-consuming ones (see their Fig. 1 for an excellent overview). I have no doubt that VIMAP will inspire a whole generation of scientists investigating perception and appreciation of art, testing specific hypotheses derived from this framework for decades to come.

Performance of PZT8 Versus PZT4 Piezoceramic Materials in Ultrasonic Transducers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeAngelis, Dominick A.; Schulze, Gary W.

PZT8 and PZT4 are the common "hard" piezoceramic materials used in power ultrasonic transducers (e.g., welding, cutting, sonar, etc.). PZT8 is perceived as the better choice for resonant devices, primarily due to its higher mechanical quality factor Qm. PZT8 is also considered a "harder" material compared to PZT4, since it has better stability at higher preloads and drive levels. Many transducer designers never consider PZT4 for their applications, even though it has clear advantages such as higher output (i.e., higher d33). Even the perceived advantage of PZT8 regarding Qm may not be significant for most Langevin, bolted stack type transducers if the mechanical joint losses dominate. This research is a case study on the performance of identical ultrasonic transducers used for semiconductor wire bonding, assembled with either PZT8 or PZT4 materials. The main purpose of the study is to establish rule-of-thumb transducer design guidelines for the selection of PZT8 versus PZT4 materials. Several metrics are investigated such as impedance, frequency, capacitance, dielectric loss, Qm, heating, displacement gain, and electro-mechanical coupling factor. The experimental and theoretical research methods include Bode plots, thermal IR camera imaging, scanning laser vibrometry and coupled-field finite element analysis.

Development of a multiplexed electrospray micro-thruster with post-acceleration and beam containment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lenguito, G.; Gomez, A.

2013-10-01

We report the development of a compact thruster based on Multiplexed ElectroSprays (MES). It relied on a microfabricated Si array of emitters coupled with an extractor electrode and an accelerator electrode. The accelerator stage was introduced for two purposes: containing beam opening and avoiding electrode erosion due to droplet impingement, as well as boosting specific impulse and thrust. Multiplexing is generally necessary as a thrust multiplier to reach eventually the level required (O(102) μN) by small satellites. To facilitate system optimization and debugging, we focused on a 7-nozzle MES device and compared its performance to that of a single emitter. To ensure uniformity of operation of all nozzles their hydraulic impedance was augmented by packing them with micrometer-size beads. Two propellants were tested: a solution of 21.5% methyl ammonium formate in formamide and the better performing pure ionic liquid ethyl ammonium nitrate (EAN). The 7-MES device spraying EAN at ΔV = 5.93 kV covered a specific impulse range from 620 s to 1900 s and a thrust range from 0.6 μN to 5.4 μN, at 62% efficiency. Remarkably, less than 1% of the beam was demonstrated to impact on the accelerator electrode, which bodes well for long-term applications in space.

Riding and handling qualities of light aircraft: A review and analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smetana, F. O.; Summery, D. C.; Johnson, W. D.

1972-01-01

Design procedures and supporting data necessary for configuring light aircraft to obtain desired responses to pilot commands and gusts are presented. The procedures employ specializations of modern military and jet transport practice where these provide an improvement over earlier practice. General criteria for riding and handling qualities are discussed in terms of the airframe dynamics. Methods available in the literature for calculating the coefficients required for a linearized analysis of the airframe dynamics are reviewed in detail. The review also treats the relation of spin and stall to airframe geometry. Root locus analysis is used to indicate the sensitivity of airframe dynamics to variations in individual stability derivatives and to variations in geometric parameters. Computer programs are given for finding the frequencies, damping ratios, and time constants of all rigid body modes and for generating time histories of aircraft motions in response to control inputs. Appendices are included presenting the derivation of the linearized equations of motion; the stability derivatives; the transfer functions; approximate solutions for the frequency, damping ratio, and time constants; an indication of methods to be used when linear analysis is inadequate; sample calculations; and an explanation of the use of root locus diagrams and Bode plots.

The potential of incorporation of binary salts and ionic liquid in P(VP-co-VAc) gel polymer electrolyte in electrochemical and photovoltaic performances

PubMed Central

Ming, Ng Hon; Ramesh, S.; Ramesh, K.

2016-01-01

In this study, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) has been assembled with poly(1-vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate) (P(VP-co-VAc)) gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) which have been incorporated with binary salt and an ionic liquid. The potential of this combination was studied and reported. The binary salt system GPEs was having ionic conductivity and power conversion efficiency (PCE) that could reach up to 1.90 × 10−3 S cm−1 and 5.53%, respectively. Interestingly, upon the addition of the ionic liquid, MPII into the binary salt system the ionic conductivity and PCE had risen steadily up to 4.09 × 10−3 S cm−1 and 5.94%, respectively. In order to know more about this phenomenon, the electrochemical impedance studies (EIS) of the GPE samples have been done and reported. Fourier transform infrared studies (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) have also been studied to understand more on the structural and thermal properties of the GPEs. The Nyquist plot and Bodes plot studies have been done in order to understand the electrochemical properties of the GPE based DSSCs and Tafel polarization studies were done to determine the electrocatalytic activity of the GPE samples. PMID:27273020

Effect of Sr substitution on the room temperature electrical properties of La1-xSrxFeO3 nano-crystalline materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kafa, C. A.; Triyono, D.; Laysandra, H.

2017-07-01

LaFeO3 is a material with Perovskite structure which electrical properties got investigated a lot, because as a p-type semiconductor it showed good gas sensing behavior through resistivity comparison. Sr doping on LaFeO3 is able to improve the electrical conductivity through structural modification. Using the Sr atoms doping concentration (x) from 0.1 to 0.4, La1-xSrxFeO3 nanocrystal pellets were synthesized using sol-gel method, followed by gradual heat treatment and uniaxial compaction. Structural analysis from XRD characterization shows that the structure of the materials is Orthorhombic Perovskite. The topography of the sample by SEM reveals grain and grain boundary existence with emerging agglomeration. The electrical properties of the material, as functions of frequency, were measured by Impedance Spectroscopy method using RLC meter. Through the Nyquist plot and Bode plot, the electrical conductivity of La1-xSrxFeO3 is contributed by grain and grain boundaries. It is reported that La0.6Sr0.4FeO3 sample has the most superior electrical conductivity of all samples, and the electrical permittivity of both La0.8Sr0.2FeO3 and La0.7Sr0.3FeO3 are the most stable.

Temperature-dependent impedance spectroscopy of La0.8Sr0.2FeO3 nano-crystalline material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kafa, C. A.; Triyono, D.; Laysandra, H.

2017-04-01

LaFeO3 is a material with perovskite structure which electrical properties frequently investigated. Research are done due to the exhibition of excellent gas sensing behavior through resistivity comparison from the p-type semiconductor. Sr doping on LaFeO3 or La1-xSrxFeO3 are able to improve the electrical conductivity through structural modification. Using Sr dopant concentration (x) of 0.2, La0.8Sr0.2FeO3 nano-crystal pellet was synthesized. The synthesis used sol-gel method, followed by gradual heat treatment and uniaxial compaction. XRD characterization shows that the structure of the sample is Orthorhombic Perovskite. Topography of the sample by SEM reveals grain and grain boundary existence with emerging agglomeration. The electrical properties of the material, as functions of temperature and frequency, were measured by Impedance Spectroscopy method using RLC meter, for temperatures of 303-373K. Through the Nyquist plot and Bode plot, the electrical conductivity of La0.8Sr0.2FeO3 is contributed by the grain and grain boundary. Finally, the electrical permittivities of La0.8Sr0.2FeO3 are increasing with temperature increase, with the highest achieved when measured at 1 kHz frequency.

iPTF search for an optical counterpart to gravitational-wave transient GW150914

DOE PAGES

Kasliwal, M. M.; Cenko, S. B.; Singer, L. P.; ...

2016-06-16

The intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF) autonomously responded to and promptly tiled the error region of the first gravitational-wave event GW150914 to search for an optical counterpart. Only a small fraction of the total localized region was immediately visible in the northern night sky, due both to Sun-angle and elevation constraints. Here, we report on the transient candidates identified and rapid follow-up undertaken to determine the nature of each candidate. Even in the small area imaged of 126 deg 2, after extensive filtering, eight candidates were deemed worthy of additional follow-up. Within two hours, all eight were spectroscopically classified bymore » the Keck II telescope. Curiously, even though such events are rare, one of our candidates was a superluminous supernova. We obtained radio data with the Jansky Very Large Array and X-ray follow-up with the Swift satellite for this transient. None of our candidates appear to be associated with the gravitational-wave trigger, which is unsurprising given that GW150914 came from the merger of two stellar-mass black holes. In conclusion, this end-to-end discovery and follow-up campaign bodes well for future searches in this post-detection era of gravitational waves.« less

Estimating Lunar Pyroclastic Deposit Depth from Imaging Radar Data: Applications to Lunar Resource Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, B. A.; Stacy, N. J.; Campbell, D. B.; Zisk, S. H.; Thompson, T. W.; Hawke, B. R.

1992-01-01

Lunar pyroclastic deposits represent one of the primary anticipated sources of raw materials for future human settlements. These deposits are fine-grained volcanic debris layers produced by explosive volcanism contemporaneous with the early stage of mare infilling. There are several large regional pyroclastic units on the Moon (for example, the Aristarchus Plateau, Rima Bode, and Sulpicius Gallus formations), and numerous localized examples, which often occur as dark-halo deposits around endogenic craters (such as in the floor of Alphonsus Crater). Several regional pyroclastic deposits were studied with spectral reflectance techniques: the Aristarchus Plateau materials were found to be a relatively homogeneous blanket of iron-rich glasses. One such deposit was sampled at the Apollo 17 landing site, and was found to have ferrous oxide and titanium dioxide contents of 12 percent and 5 percent, respectively. While the areal extent of these deposits is relatively well defined from orbital photographs, their depths have been constrained only by a few studies of partially filled impact craters and by imaging radar data. A model for radar backscatter from mantled units applicable to both 70-cm and 12.6-cm wavelength radar data is presented. Depth estimates from such radar observations may be useful in planning future utilization of lunar pyroclastic deposits.

Development and Validation of Participation and Positive Psychologic Function Measures for Stroke Survivors

PubMed Central

Bode, Rita K.; Heinemann, Allen W.; Butt, Zeeshan; Stallings, Jena; Taylor, Caitlin; Rowe, Morgan; Roth, Elliot J.

2013-01-01

Bode RK, Heinemann AW, Butt Z, Stallings J, Taylor C, Rowe M, Roth EJ. Development and validation of participation and positive psychologic function measures for stroke survivors. Objective To evaluate the reliability and validity of Neurologic Quality of Life (NeuroQOL) item banks that assess quality-of-life (QOL) domains not typically included in poststroke measures. Design Secondary analysis of item responses to selected NeuroQOL domains. Setting Community. Participants Community-dwelling stroke survivors (n=111) who were at least 12 months poststroke. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Five measures developed for 3 NeuroQoL domains: ability to participate in social activities, satisfaction with participation in social activities, and positive psychologic function. Results A single bank was developed for the positive psychologic function domain, but 2 banks each were developed for the ability-to-participate and satisfaction-with-participation domains. The resulting item banks showed good psychometric properties and external construct validity with correlations with the legacy instruments, ranging from .53 to .71. Using these measures, stroke survivors in this sample reported an overall high level of QOL. Conclusions The NeuroQoL-derived measures are promising and valid methods for assessing aspects of QOL not typically measured in this population. PMID:20801251

Self-healing and thermoreversible rubber from supramolecular assembly.

PubMed

Cordier, Philippe; Tournilhac, François; Soulié-Ziakovic, Corinne; Leibler, Ludwik

2008-02-21

Rubbers exhibit enormous extensibility up to several hundred per cent, compared with a few per cent for ordinary solids, and have the ability to recover their original shape and dimensions on release of stress. Rubber elasticity is a property of macromolecules that are either covalently cross-linked or connected in a network by physical associations such as small glassy or crystalline domains, ionic aggregates or multiple hydrogen bonds. Covalent cross-links or strong physical associations prevent flow and creep. Here we design and synthesize molecules that associate together to form both chains and cross-links via hydrogen bonds. The system shows recoverable extensibility up to several hundred per cent and little creep under load. In striking contrast to conventional cross-linked or thermoreversible rubbers made of macromolecules, these systems, when broken or cut, can be simply repaired by bringing together fractured surfaces to self-heal at room temperature. Repaired samples recuperate their enormous extensibility. The process of breaking and healing can be repeated many times. These materials can be easily processed, re-used and recycled. Their unique self-repairing properties, the simplicity of their synthesis, their availability from renewable resources and the low cost of raw ingredients (fatty acids and urea) bode well for future applications.

Verifying Stability of Dynamic Soft-Computing Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wen, Wu; Napolitano, Marcello; Callahan, John

1997-01-01

Soft computing is a general term for algorithms that learn from human knowledge and mimic human skills. Example of such algorithms are fuzzy inference systems and neural networks. Many applications, especially in control engineering, have demonstrated their appropriateness in building intelligent systems that are flexible and robust. Although recent research have shown that certain class of neuro-fuzzy controllers can be proven bounded and stable, they are implementation dependent and difficult to apply to the design and validation process. Many practitioners adopt the trial and error approach for system validation or resort to exhaustive testing using prototypes. In this paper, we describe our on-going research towards establishing necessary theoretic foundation as well as building practical tools for the verification and validation of soft-computing systems. A unified model for general neuro-fuzzy system is adopted. Classic non-linear system control theory and recent results of its applications to neuro-fuzzy systems are incorporated and applied to the unified model. It is hoped that general tools can be developed to help the designer to visualize and manipulate the regions of stability and boundedness, much the same way Bode plots and Root locus plots have helped conventional control design and validation.

Enhanced photoelectrochemical degradation of Ibuprofen and generation of hydrogen via BiOI-deposited TiO2 nanotube arrays.

PubMed

Chen, Hanlin; Peng, Yen-Ping; Chen, Ting-Yu; Chen, Ku-Fan; Chang, Ken-Lin; Dang, Zhi; Lu, Gui-Ning; He, Hongping

2018-08-15

This study employed BiOI-deposited TiO 2 nanotube arrays (BiOI-TNTAs) electrode in a photoelectrochemical (PEC) system to oxidize Ibuprofen and generate hydrogen in the anodic and cathodic chamber, respectively. FESEM results revealed the diameter of TiO 2 nanotubes was 90-110nm. According to the XRD analysis, the BiOI-TNTAs were dominated by the anatase phase and tetragonal structure of BiOI. XPS results confirmed the coexistence of BiOI in the BiOI-TNTAs associated with Bi (33.76%) and I (8.81%). UV-vis absorption spectra illustrated BiOI-TNTAs exhibit strong absorptions in the visible light region. The PEC method showed the best degradation efficiency for Ibuprofen is a rate constant of 3.21×10 -2 min -1 . The results of the Nyquist plot revealed the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs was inhibited as the bias potential was applied. Furthermore, the Bode plot demonstrated the lifetime (τ el ) of photoexcited electrons of BiOI-TNTAs was 1.8 and 4.1 times longer than that of BiOI-Ti and TNTAs, respectively. In the cathodic chamber, the amount of hydrogen generation reached 219.94μM/cm 2 after 3h of reaction time. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diversity-oriented combinatorial biosynthesis of benzenediol lactone scaffolds by subunit shuffling of fungal polyketide synthases.

PubMed

Xu, Yuquan; Zhou, Tong; Zhang, Shuwei; Espinosa-Artiles, Patricia; Wang, Luoyi; Zhang, Wei; Lin, Min; Gunatilaka, A A Leslie; Zhan, Jixun; Molnár, István

2014-08-26

Combinatorial biosynthesis aspires to exploit the promiscuity of microbial anabolic pathways to engineer the synthesis of new chemical entities. Fungal benzenediol lactone (BDL) polyketides are important pharmacophores with wide-ranging bioactivities, including heat shock response and immune system modulatory effects. Their biosynthesis on a pair of sequentially acting iterative polyketide synthases (iPKSs) offers a test case for the modularization of secondary metabolic pathways into "build-couple-pair" combinatorial synthetic schemes. Expression of random pairs of iPKS subunits from four BDL model systems in a yeast heterologous host created a diverse library of BDL congeners, including a polyketide with an unnatural skeleton and heat shock response-inducing activity. Pairwise heterocombinations of the iPKS subunits also helped to illuminate the innate, idiosyncratic programming of these enzymes. Even in combinatorial contexts, these biosynthetic programs remained largely unchanged, so that the iPKSs built their cognate biosynthons, coupled these building blocks into chimeric polyketide intermediates, and catalyzed intramolecular pairing to release macrocycles or α-pyrones. However, some heterocombinations also provoked stuttering, i.e., the relaxation of iPKSs chain length control to assemble larger homologous products. The success of such a plug and play approach to biosynthesize novel chemical diversity bodes well for bioprospecting unnatural polyketides for drug discovery.

Effect of Fe3O4 addition on dielectric properties of LaFeO3 nano-crystalline materials synthesized by sol-gel method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laysandra, H.; Triyono, D.

2017-04-01

Dielectric properties of nano-crystalline material LaFeO3.xFe3O4 with x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 at.% have been studied by impedance spectroscopy method. LaFeO3 was synthesized by sol-gel method resulting nano-particle. Then, it was mixed with Fe3O4 powder. The mixture powder was pressed to form pellet and then sintered at 1300°C for 1 h to form nano-crystalline of LaFeO3.xFe3O4. X-ray diffraction characterization at room temperature for all samples show two phases i.e. perovskite LaFeO3 (orthorhombic) as a main phase and Fe3O4 (cubic) as second phase. It is found that the crystallite size of main phase increases with addition of Fe3O4 until 0.3 at.%. The electrical properties as a function of temperature (300-500 K) and frequency (100 Hz - 1 MHz) are presented in Nyquist and Bode plots. It is observed that from equivalent circuit and their parameters, dielectrical properties are contributed by grain and grain boundary. The dielectric constant, ε‧ were calculated by parallel plate method and their values reach up to 107 exhibiting typical colossal dielectric constant (CDC) material like behavior.

Astronomy from Olbers to Schwarzschild. (German Title: Astronomie von Olbers bis Schwarzschild)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dick, Wolfgang R.; Hamel, Jürgen

This issue comprises talks presented 2000 September 18 at the colloquium ``International relations in astronomy'' it is supplemented by additional articles about this topic. The foundation of the international ``Vereinigte Astronomische Gesellschaft'', which took place in 1800 in Bremen, prompted us to investigate the development of astronomy in German-speaking regions, and its international relations during the 19th century. We investigate the activities of famous astronomers like W. Olbers, J.E. Bode, F.X. von Zach, J.H. Schroeter, H.C. Schumacher and K. Schwarzschild, as well as those of their less famous professional colleagues like J.G. Schrader and L. de Ball. The geographical spectrum extends from Bremen and Lilienthal over Kiel, Gotha and Dresden to Copenhagen, Vienna and Chile. Among the topics are: telescope construction, including telescopes made by Herschel, the rediscovery of the minor planet Ceres 1801/02, the Berlin ``Astronomisches Jahrbuch'', the foundation of the ``Astronomische Nachrichten'', the evolution from the ``Vereinigte Astronomische Gesellschaft'' to the present-day ``Astronomische Gesellschaft'', the research at the Kuffner Observatory in Vienna, the professionalization in astronomy, and the attempts of many countries to establish a southern observatory in Chile. A listing of astronomical monuments in Lilienthal and Bremen concludes the book. All papers are written in German with English abstracts.

Estimating the spin diffusion length and the spin Hall angle from spin pumping induced inverse spin Hall voltages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Kuntal

2017-11-01

There exists considerable confusion in estimating the spin diffusion length of materials with high spin-orbit coupling from spin pumping experiments. For designing functional devices, it is important to determine the spin diffusion length with sufficient accuracy from experimental results. An inaccurate estimation of spin diffusion length also affects the estimation of other parameters (e.g., spin mixing conductance, spin Hall angle) concomitantly. The spin diffusion length for platinum (Pt) has been reported in the literature in a wide range of 0.5-14 nm, and in particular it is a constant value independent of Pt's thickness. Here, the key reasonings behind such a wide range of reported values of spin diffusion length have been identified comprehensively. In particular, it is shown here that a thickness-dependent conductivity and spin diffusion length is necessary to simultaneously match the experimental results of effective spin mixing conductance and inverse spin Hall voltage due to spin pumping. Such a thickness-dependent spin diffusion length is tantamount to the Elliott-Yafet spin relaxation mechanism, which bodes well for transitional metals. This conclusion is not altered even when there is significant interfacial spin memory loss. Furthermore, the variations in the estimated parameters are also studied, which is important for technological applications.

Mid-infrared multiheterodyne spectroscopy with phase-locked quantum cascade lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westberg, J.; Sterczewski, L. A.; Wysocki, G.

2017-04-01

Fabry-Pérot (FP) quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) provide purely electronically controlled monolithic sources for broadband mid-infrared (mid-IR) multiheterodyne spectroscopy (MHS), which benefits from the large gain bandwidth of the QCLs without sacrificing the narrowband properties commonly associated with the single mode distributed feedback variant. We demonstrate a FP-QCL based multiheterodyne spectrometer with a short-term noise-equivalent absorption of ˜3 × 10-4/ √{ H z } , a mid-IR spectral coverage of 25 cm-1, and very short acquisition time (10 μs) capability. The broadband potential is demonstrated by measuring the absorption spectra of ammonia and isobutane under atmospheric pressure conditions. The stability of the system is enhanced by a two-stage active frequency inter-locking procedure, where the two QCLs are pre-locked with a slow feedback loop based on an analog frequency discriminator, followed by a high bandwidth optical phase-locked loop. The locking system provides a relative frequency stability in the sub kHz range over seconds of integration time. The strength of the technique lies in the ability to acquire spectral information from all optical modes simultaneously and individually, which bodes for a versatile and cost effective spectrometer for mid-IR chemical gas sensing.

Understanding key influencers' attitudes and beliefs about healthy public policy change for obesity prevention.

PubMed

Raine, Kim D; Nykiforuk, Candace I J; Vu-Nguyen, Karen; Nieuwendyk, Laura M; VanSpronsen, Eric; Reed, Shandy; Wild, T Cameron

2014-11-01

As overweight and obesity is a risk factor for chronic diseases, the development of environmental and healthy public policy interventions across multiple sectors has been identified as a key strategy to address this issue. In 2009, a survey was developed to assess the attitudes and beliefs regarding health promotion principles, and the priority and acceptability of policy actions to prevent obesity and chronic diseases, among key policy influencers in Alberta and Manitoba, Canada. Surveys were mailed to 1,765 key influencers from five settings: provincial government, municipal government, school boards, print media companies, and workplaces with greater than 500 employees. A total of 236 surveys were completed with a response rate of 15.0%. Findings indicate nearly unanimous influencer support for individual-focused policy approaches and high support for some environmental policies. Restrictive environmental and economic policies received weakest support. Obesity was comparable to smoking with respect to perceptions as a societal responsibility versus a personal responsibility, boding well for the potential of environmental policy interventions for obesity prevention. This level of influencer support provides a platform for more evidence to be brokered to policy influencers about the effectiveness of environmental policy approaches to obesity prevention. © 2014 The Obesity Society.

Bio-electrochemical characterization of air-cathode microbial fuel cells with microporous polyethylene/silica membrane as separator.

PubMed

Kircheva, Nina; Outin, Jonathan; Perrier, Gérard; Ramousse, Julien; Merlin, Gérard; Lyautey, Emilie

2015-12-01

The aim of this work was to study the behavior over time of a separator made of a low-cost and non-selective microporous polyethylene membrane (RhinoHide®) in an air-cathode microbial fuel cell with a reticulated vitreous carbon foam bioanode. Performances of the microporous polyethylene membrane (RhinoHide®) were compared with Nafion®-117 as a cationic exchange membrane. A non-parametric test (Mann-Whitney) done on the different sets of coulombic or energy efficiency data showed no significant difference between the two types of tested membrane (p<0.05). Volumetric power densities were ranging from 30 to 90 W·m(-3) of RVC foam for both membranes. Similar amounts of biomass were observed on both sides of the polyethylene membrane illustrating bacterial permeability of this type of separator. A monospecific denitrifying population on cathodic side of RhinoHide® membrane has been identified. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used at OCV conditions to characterize electrochemical behavior of MFCs by equivalent electrical circuit fitted on both Nyquist and Bode plots. Resistances and pseudo-capacitances from EIS analyses do not differ in such a way that the nature of the membrane could be considered as responsible. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The assessment of the robustness of microRNAs from oral cytological scrapings.

PubMed

Prasad, Gareema; Seers, Christine; Reynolds, Eric; McCullough, Michael J

2017-05-01

Sampling of suspect oral lesions in the general dental clinic may increase early carcinoma detection thus oral cancer survival rates. One means of lesion sampling that is an alternative to incisional biopsy is cytological scraping. MicroRNA alterations are also being explored as a means of diagnosing carcinoma as an alternative to histopathology. We obtained cytological scrapings using 10 strokes ('light') or 40 strokes ('heavy') from the buccal mucosa of one healthy subject using a dermatological curette. MicroRNA was isolated from oral cytological scrapings immediately, or the scrapings were stored in buffer or RNA later, at 4°C, room temperature or 36°C, from 1 to 7 days prior to RNA isolation. All scrape comparisons and test conditions were conducted in triplicate. MicroRNAs were measured using qRT-PCR. MicroRNAs can be obtained from cytological scrapings independent of the number of strokes and can be measured using qRT-PCR after storage under all conditions tested. MicroRNAs are robust to a wide range of storage conditions that bodes well for use of cytological scrapings to be of use in a clinical setting as a chair side sampling method for suspect oral lesions. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PREFACE: EDS2010 Preface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heggie, Malcolm I.

2011-03-01

The biennial international conference on Extended Defects in Semiconductors started in 1978 with a meeting in Hünfeld, Germany. Subsequent meetings rotated between Poland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Russia and Italy, culminating in EDS2004 in Chernogolovka, EDS2006 in Halle and EDS2008 in Poitiers. EDS2010 was held at the University of Sussex at Brighton, UK from September 19th to 24th. An extension of the tabulation of this history, which first appeared on the EDS2006 website, is given in the attached PDF. It is with sadness that we note one of the founders of the series, Prof. Dr Helmut Alexander, passed away on 3 December 2009 and we were proud to dedicate EDS2010 to his memory. It has become a tradition to make an award in his name, and this year it was made to Ivan Isacov for his poster "Electrical levels of dislocation networks in p- and n-type silicon". A short and warm celebration of Prof. Dr Alexander's life by his friends and colleagues, Prof. Drs Helmut Gottschalk, Eicke Weber and Wolfgang Schröter, is included in this volume. The conference was a forum for the state-of-the-art of investigation and modelling of extended defects in semiconductors. Scientists from universities, research institutes and industry made contributions to a deeper understanding of extended defects, their interaction with point defects and their role in the development of semiconductor technology. The remit of the conference included extended defects, nanostructures, nanoparticles, quantum dots and interfaces within semiconducting materials ranging from narrow to wide band gaps, including graphene-derived materials and diamond. Scientific interests range from defect geometry, electronic structure, dynamics, spectroscopy, microscopy, reactions and chemistry to introduction mechanisms, such as implantation and strained layers and the operation of devices such as integrated circuits, heterostructures, and solar cells. The organisers were confronted with a long period between

Anatomy during the Third Reich--the Institute of Anatomy at the University of Marburg, as an example.

PubMed

Aumüller, G; Grundmann, K

2002-05-01

A complete documentation of German anatomical science and its representatives during the period of national socialism has not been published as yet--contrary to the situation in other medical disciplines. Instead of German anatomists, American anatomists have occasionally addressed this issue during their meetings and have reported on special aspects, such as the use of Nazi symbols in anatomical textbooks and atlases (Pernkopf 1952) and the use of corpses of justice victims for anatomical research and student education. Also, the genesis of the atrocious collection of "racial" skulls, initiated along with the SS-institution of the "Ahnenerbe" by the anatomist August Hirt of Strasbourg (who ordered more than 90 inmates from concentration camps to be murdered in the gas chamber built in the concentration camp of Natzweiler-Struthof close to Strasbourg, Alsace) has been described by Frederic Kasten and others. A broader view of the patterns of behaviour and political actions and fates of contemporary scientists, ranging from dismissal to clandestine opportunism, affirmative cooperation and fanatic activism can be obtained by the analysis of the activities in research, medical education and academic positions of the following members of the Institute of Anatomy at the Philipp-University in Marburg: Ernst Göppert, Eduard Jacobshagen, Ernst-Theodor Nauck, Adolf Dabelow, Helmut Becher and Alfred Benninghoff, whose activities and fates differ in several respects and allow more general deductions. Also, the individual fates of a number of prosecuted Jewish anatomists (Wassermann, München; Poll, Hamburg), of devoted and active members of the Nazi party (Clara, Leipzig; Blotevogel, Breslau) and of criminal fanatics (Hirt, Strasbourg; Kremer, Münster) are briefly discussed. The present contribution is an attempt to initiate a more detailed study of all German departments of anatomy during the Hitler regime and to generate a public discussion among the younger generation of

The Effect of Ultraviolet Light on the "Liquid Wood"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dumitru, Nedelcu; Sabina, Zǎgan; Ticuta, Negreanu-Pirjol; Remus, Zǎgan; Constantin, Cǎrausu

2014-08-01

To preserve resources, the goal is to use biobased materials containing the maximum possible amount of renewable biomass-based derivatives to secure a sustainable future. Bioplastics, biocomposites, biological fibres and related biomaterials will serve as substitutes for materials and products traditionally made from petroleum resources. To support this need, in 1998, Fraunhofer Institute of Chemistry and Tecnaro GmbH Company (founded by Jurgen Pfitzer and Helmut Nagele in Germany) investigated and developed a new compound made of wood components that can be processed as a thermoplastic material. It is well known that bioplastic and biocomposite materials represent another important group of bio-materials that include plastics reinforced with natural fibers and wood-plastic composites (WPCs). The aim of this research is to identify the behavior of "Liquid Wood" after UV irradiation. The materials used were Arbofill Fichte, Arboblend V2 Nature and Arboform L, V3 Nature. The samples were obtained by injection and the experimental study plan followed the Taguchi method with six input parameters and two levels for each of them. Three samples from each material were tested in an ultraviolet environment using different time of exposure in order to establish the material characteristics. After the irradiation process the material did not turn to yellow, which suggests that the composition of the sample liquid timber inhibitors have stability and the number of α-carbonyl (C = O) groups is sufficiently low. After the graphs analyzing can be inferred relatively similar performance of the samples in the first stage both UV and the VIS, indicating that the activity is almost absent. In UV is clearly observed the peak amplitude (maximum absorbance) at different wavelengths (λ). So, in terms of peak intensity the samples follow the order: Arboform L, V3 Nature; Arbofill Fichte and Arboblend V2 Nature.

Booming markets for Moroccan argan oil appear to benefit some rural households while threatening the endemic argan forest.

PubMed

Lybbert, Travis J; Aboudrare, Abdellah; Chaloud, Deborah; Magnan, Nicholas; Nash, Maliha

2011-08-23

Morocco's argan oil is now the most expensive edible oil in the world. High-value argan markets have sparked a bonanza of argan activity. Nongovernmental organizations, international and domestic development agencies, and argan oil cooperatives aggressively promote the win-win aim of simultaneously benefiting local people and the health of the argan forest. This paper tests some of these win-win claims. Analysis of a panel of detailed household data suggests that the boom has enabled some rural households to increase consumption, increase their goat herds (which bodes poorly for the argan forest), and send their girls to secondary school. The boom has predictably made households vigilant guardians of fruit on the tree, but it has not incited investments in longer term tree and forest health. We evaluate landscape-level impacts of these changes using commune-level data on educational enrollment and normalized difference vegetation index data over the period from 1981 to 2009. The results of the mesoanalysis of enrollment are consistent with the microanalysis: the argan boom seems to have improved educational outcomes, especially for girls. Our normalized difference vegetation index analysis, however, suggests that booming argan prices have not improved the forest and may have even induced degradation. We conclude by exploring the dynamic interactions between argan markets, local institutions, rural household welfare, and forest conservation and sustainability.

Electrochemical corrosion behaviour of nickel chromium-chromium carbide coating by HVOF process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amudha, A.; Nagaraja, H. S.; Shashikala, H. D.

2018-04-01

To overcome the corrosion problem in marine industry, coatings are one of the most economical solutions. In this paper, the corrosion behaviour of 25(NiCr)-75Cr3C2 cermet coating on low carbon steel substrate by HVOF process is studied. Different phases such as Cr7C3 and Cr3C2, along with Ni and chromium oxide(Cr3O2) constituents present in the coating were revealed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis. The morphology of the coating obtained by scanning electron microscope (SEM) gave confirmation for the XRD analysis. Electrochemical corrosion techniques such as Linear Polarization Resistance (LPR) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) were used to study the corrosion behaviour of the cermet in 3.5wt% NaCl electrolyte solution. The corrosion current density of the coated sample and substrate were found to be 6.878µA/cm-2 and 21.091µA/cm-2 respectively. The Nyquist Impedance spectra were used to derive an equivalent circuit to analyze the interaction between the coating and electrolyte. The Bode Impedance plots obtained by EIS for the coating showed a typical passive material capacitive behaviour, indicated by medium to low frequency with phase angle approaching -60o, suggesting that a stable film is formed on the tested material in the electrolyte used.

Morphology and tectonics of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 7°-12°S

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruguier, N. J.; Minshull, T. A.; Brozena, J. M.

2003-02-01

We present swath bathymetric, gravity, and magnetic data from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between the Ascension and the Bode Verde fracture zones, where significant ridge-hot spot interaction has been inferred. The ridge axis in this region may be divided into four segments. The central two segments exhibit rifted axial highs, while the northernmost and southernmost segments have deep rift valleys typical of slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges. Bathymetric and magnetic data indicate that both central segments have experienced ridge jumps since ˜1 Ma. Mantle Bouguer anomalies (MBAs) derived from shipboard free air gravity and swath bathymetric data show deep subcircular lows centered on the new ridge axes, suggesting that mantle flow has been established beneath the new spreading centers for at least ˜1 Myr. Inversion of gravity data indicates that crustal thicknesses vary by ˜4 km along axis, with the thickest crust occurring beneath a large axial volcanic edifice. Once the effects of lithospheric aging have been removed, a model in which gravity variations are attributed entirely to crustal thickness variations is more consistent with data from an axis-parallel seismic line than a model that includes additional along-axis variations in mantle temperature. Both geophysical and geochemical data from the region may be explained by the melting of small (<200 km) mantle chemical heterogeneities rather than elevated temperatures. Therefore, there may be no Ascension/Circe plume.

Intracellular singlet oxygen photosensitizers: on the road to solving the problems of sensitizer degradation, bleaching and relocalization.

PubMed

da Silva, Elsa F F; Pimenta, Frederico M; Pedersen, Brian W; Blaikie, Frances H; Bosio, Gabriela N; Breitenbach, Thomas; Westberg, Michael; Bregnhøj, Mikkel; Etzerodt, Michael; Arnaut, Luis G; Ogilby, Peter R

2016-02-01

Selected singlet oxygen photosensitizers have been examined from the perspective of obtaining a molecule that is sufficiently stable under conditions currently employed to study singlet oxygen behavior in single mammalian cells. Reasonable predictions about intracellular sensitizer stability can be made based on solution phase experiments that approximate the intracellular environment (e.g., solutions containing proteins). Nevertheless, attempts to construct a stable sensitizer based solely on the expected reactivity of a given functional group with singlet oxygen are generally not sufficient for experiments in cells; it is difficult to construct a suitable chromophore that is impervious to all of the secondary and/or competing degradative processes that are present in the intracellular environment. On the other hand, prospects are reasonably positive when one considers the use of a sensitizer encapsulated in a specific protein; the local environment of the chromophore is controlled, degradation as a consequence of bimolecular reactions can be mitigated, and genetic engineering can be used to localize the encapsulated sensitizer in a given cellular domain. Also, the option of directly exciting oxygen in sensitizer-free experiments provides a useful complementary tool. These latter systems bode well with respect to obtaining more accurate control of the "dose" of singlet oxygen used to perturb a cell; a parameter that currently limits mechanistic studies of singlet-oxygen-mediated cell signaling.

Antimicrobial Peptides from Plants

PubMed Central

Tam, James P.; Wang, Shujing; Wong, Ka H.; Tan, Wei Liang

2015-01-01

Plant antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have evolved differently from AMPs from other life forms. They are generally rich in cysteine residues which form multiple disulfides. In turn, the disulfides cross-braced plant AMPs as cystine-rich peptides to confer them with extraordinary high chemical, thermal and proteolytic stability. The cystine-rich or commonly known as cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs) of plant AMPs are classified into families based on their sequence similarity, cysteine motifs that determine their distinctive disulfide bond patterns and tertiary structure fold. Cystine-rich plant AMP families include thionins, defensins, hevein-like peptides, knottin-type peptides (linear and cyclic), lipid transfer proteins, α-hairpinin and snakins family. In addition, there are AMPs which are rich in other amino acids. The ability of plant AMPs to organize into specific families with conserved structural folds that enable sequence variation of non-Cys residues encased in the same scaffold within a particular family to play multiple functions. Furthermore, the ability of plant AMPs to tolerate hypervariable sequences using a conserved scaffold provides diversity to recognize different targets by varying the sequence of the non-cysteine residues. These properties bode well for developing plant AMPs as potential therapeutics and for protection of crops through transgenic methods. This review provides an overview of the major families of plant AMPs, including their structures, functions, and putative mechanisms. PMID:26580629

What is the Value of Embedding Artificial Emotional Prosody in Human–Computer Interactions? Implications for Theory and Design in Psychological Science

PubMed Central

Mitchell, Rachel L. C.; Xu, Yi

2015-01-01

In computerized technology, artificial speech is becoming increasingly important, and is already used in ATMs, online gaming and healthcare contexts. However, today’s artificial speech typically sounds monotonous, a main reason for this being the lack of meaningful prosody. One particularly important function of prosody is to convey different emotions. This is because successful encoding and decoding of emotions is vital for effective social cognition, which is increasingly recognized in human–computer interaction contexts. Current attempts to artificially synthesize emotional prosody are much improved relative to early attempts, but there remains much work to be done due to methodological problems, lack of agreed acoustic correlates, and lack of theoretical grounding. If the addition of synthetic emotional prosody is not of sufficient quality, it may risk alienating users instead of enhancing their experience. So the value of embedding emotion cues in artificial speech may ultimately depend on the quality of the synthetic emotional prosody. However, early evidence on reactions to synthesized non-verbal cues in the facial modality bodes well. Attempts to implement the recognition of emotional prosody into artificial applications and interfaces have perhaps been met with greater success, but the ultimate test of synthetic emotional prosody will be to critically compare how people react to synthetic emotional prosody vs. natural emotional prosody, at the behavioral, socio-cognitive and neural levels. PMID:26617563

Microbial habitability of the Hadean Earth during the late heavy bombardment.

PubMed

Abramov, Oleg; Mojzsis, Stephen J

2009-05-21

Lunar rocks and impact melts, lunar and asteroidal meteorites, and an ancient martian meteorite record thermal metamorphic events with ages that group around and/or do not exceed 3.9 Gyr. That such a diverse suite of solar system materials share this feature is interpreted to be the result of a post-primary-accretion cataclysmic spike in the number of impacts commonly referred to as the late heavy bombardment (LHB). Despite its obvious significance to the preservation of crust and the survivability of an emergent biosphere, the thermal effects of this bombardment on the young Earth remain poorly constrained. Here we report numerical models constructed to probe the degree of thermal metamorphism in the crust in the effort to recreate the effect of the LHB on the Earth as a whole; outputs were used to assess habitable volumes of crust for a possible near-surface and subsurface primordial microbial biosphere. Our analysis shows that there is no plausible situation in which the habitable zone was fully sterilized on Earth, at least since the termination of primary accretion of the planets and the postulated impact origin of the Moon. Our results explain the root location of hyperthermophilic bacteria in the phylogenetic tree for 16S small-subunit ribosomal RNA, and bode well for the persistence of microbial biospheres even on planetary bodies strongly reworked by impacts.

Twice versus thrice weekly ECT in a clinical population: an evaluation of patient outcomes.

PubMed

Siskind, Dan; Charlson, Fiona; Saraf, Sudeep; Scheurer, Roman; Lie, David Charles

2012-10-30

Increasing demand on electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) services led to a recommendation that low risk patients be considered for twice weekly ECT rather than the usual thrice weekly. We evaluated whether practice changed and compared patient clinical outcomes for twice and thrice weekly ECT. Medical records for all patients receiving ECT in the 2-year study period (1/9/08 to 30/8/10) were reviewed to determine ECT protocol, diagnosis, admission duration and readmission rates. During the study period, 119 patients received 150 treatment courses. Patient outcomes were compared for twice weekly ECT and thrice weekly ECT protocols, as well as for 1 year before and after the recommendation (1/9/09). Twice weekly ECT courses increased (8-20) after the recommendation while thrice weekly ECT courses decreased (64-30). The recommendation had no significant effect on patient outcomes. Comparing twice and thrice weekly ECT, patient clinical outcomes were similar between the two groups, though non-affective twice weekly patients waited longer before starting ECT. In the context of resource constraints, psychiatrists can be influenced to examine and change their ECT prescribing practice. This bodes well for the implementation of evidence-based treatment into mental health services. Secondly, for adults, there appear to be no significant differences in clinical outcomes for twice versus thrice weekly ECT. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Severe mammal declines coincide with proliferation of invasive Burmese pythons in Everglades National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dorcas, Michael E.; Wilson, John D.; Reed, Robert N.; Snow, Ray W.; Rochford, Michael R.; Miller, Melissa A.; Meshaka, Walter E.; Andreadis, Paul T.; Mazzotti, Frank J.; Romagosa, Christina M.; Hart, Kristen M.

2012-01-01

Invasive species represent a significant threat to global biodiversity and a substantial economic burden. Burmese pythons, giant constricting snakes native to Asia, now are found throughout much of southern Florida, including all of Everglades National Park (ENP). Pythons have increased dramatically in both abundance and geographic range since 2000 and consume a wide variety of mammals and birds. Here we report severe apparent declines in mammal populations that coincide temporally and spatially with the proliferation of pythons in ENP. Before 2000, mammals were encountered frequently during nocturnal road surveys within ENP. In contrast, road surveys totaling 56,971 km from 2003–2011 documented a 99.3% decrease in the frequency of raccoon observations, decreases of 98.9% and 87.5% for opossum and bobcat observations, respectively, and failed to detect rabbits. Road surveys also revealed that these species are more common in areas where pythons have been discovered only recently and are most abundant outside the python's current introduced range. These findings suggest that predation by pythons has resulted in dramatic declines in mammals within ENP and that introduced apex predators, such as giant constrictors, can exert significant top-down pressure on prey populations. Severe declines in easily observed and/or common mammals, such as raccoons and bobcats, bode poorly for species of conservation concern, which often are more difficult to sample and occur at lower densities.

Sex differences in severe pulmonary emphysema.

PubMed

Martinez, Fernando J; Curtis, Jeffrey L; Sciurba, Frank; Mumford, Jeanette; Giardino, Nicholas D; Weinmann, Gail; Kazerooni, Ella; Murray, Susan; Criner, Gerard J; Sin, Donald D; Hogg, James; Ries, Andrew L; Han, MeiLan; Fishman, Alfred P; Make, Barry; Hoffman, Eric A; Mohsenifar, Zab; Wise, Robert

2007-08-01

Limited data on sex differences in advanced COPD are available. To compare male and female emphysema patients with severe disease. One thousand fifty-three patients (38.8% female) evaluated for lung volume reduction surgery as part of the National Emphysema Treatment Trial were analyzed. Detailed clinical, physiological, and radiological assessment, including quantitation of emphysema severity and distribution from helical chest computed tomography, was completed. In a subgroup (n = 101), airway size and thickness was determined by histological analyses of resected tissue. Women were younger and exhibited a lower body mass index (BMI), shorter smoking history, less severe airflow obstruction, lower Dl(co) and arterial Po(2), higher arterial Pco(2), shorter six-minute walk distance, and lower maximal wattage during oxygen-supplemented cycle ergometry. For a given FEV(1)% predicted, age, number of pack-years, and proportion of emphysema, women experienced greater dyspnea, higher modified BODE, more depression, lower SF-36 mental component score, and lower quality of well-being. Overall emphysema was less severe in women, with the difference from men most evident in the outer peel of the lung. Females had thicker small airway walls relative to luminal perimeters. In patients with severe COPD, women, relative to men, exhibit anatomically smaller airway lumens with disproportionately thicker airway walls, and emphysema that is less extensive and characterized by smaller hole size and less peripheral involvement.

Post-weld Tempered Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Hybrid Laser-Arc Welded Cast Martensitic Stainless Steel CA6NM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirakhorli, Fatemeh; Cao, Xinjin; Pham, Xuan-Tan; Wanjara, Priti; Fihey, Jean-Luc

2016-12-01

Manufacturing of hydroelectric turbine components involves the assembly of thick-walled stainless steels using conventional multi-pass arc welding processes. By contrast, hybrid laser-arc welding may be an attractive process for assembly of such materials to realize deeper penetration depths, higher production rates, narrower fusion, and heat-affected zones, and lower distortion. In the present work, single-pass hybrid laser-arc welding of 10-mm thick CA6NM, a low carbon martensitic stainless steel, was carried out in the butt joint configuration using a continuous wave fiber laser at its maximum power of 5.2 kW over welding speeds ranging from 0.75 to 1.2 m/minute. The microstructures across the weldment were characterized after post-weld tempering at 873 K (600 °C) for 1 hour. From microscopic examinations, the fusion zone was observed to mainly consist of tempered lath martensite and some residual delta-ferrite. The mechanical properties were evaluated in the post-weld tempered condition and correlated to the microstructures and defects. The ultimate tensile strength and Charpy impact energy values of the fully penetrated welds in the tempered condition were acceptable according to ASTM, ASME, and industrial specifications, which bodes well for the introduction of hybrid laser-arc welding technology for the manufacturing of next generation hydroelectric turbine components.

Preparation of high-aspect-ratio ZnO nanorod arrays for the detection of several organic solvents at room working temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Yi-Mu; Zheng, Min-Ren

2013-11-01

Chemical sensors based on ZnO nanorod arrays were prepared using chemical bath deposition (CBD) to investigate the sensing performance for the detection of several organic solvents with low concentrations (0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, v/v) at room temperature. High quality and high aspect-ratio (value ˜28) ZnO nanorods have a diameter of about 74 nm and average length of 2.1 μm. Nyquist plots and Bode plots of the ZnO sensors under different organic solvents were obtained by electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The sensing properties such as charge-transfer resistance, double-layer capacitance and dielectric parameters were determined from the impedance spectra to explore the charge transport in low-concentration aqueous solutions. The decreasing trend of the charge-transfer resistance (Rct) as decreasing solvent concentrations is observed, and a straight line at low frequency regime indicates adsorption of water molecules on the oxide surface. The sensitivity of the ZnO sensors was calculated from the resistance variation in target solvents and in deionized water. We demonstrated the use of ZnO nanorod arrays as a chemical sensor capable of generating a different response upon exposure to methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, acetone and water, wherein the methanol sensing exhibited highest sensitivity. In addition, the ZnO sensor also demonstrates good stability and reproducibility for detection of methanol and ethanol.

Redesign of a Variable-Gain Output Feedback Longitudinal Controller Flown on the High-Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ostroff, Aaron J.

1998-01-01

This paper describes a redesigned longitudinal controller that flew on the High-Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV) during calendar years (CY) 1995 and 1996. Linear models are developed for both the modified controller and a baseline controller that was flown in CY 1994. The modified controller was developed with three gain sets for flight evaluation, and several linear analysis results are shown comparing the gain sets. A Neal-Smith flying qualities analysis shows that performance for the low- and medium-gain sets is near the level 1 boundary, depending upon the bandwidth assumed, whereas the high-gain set indicates a sensitivity problem. A newly developed high-alpha Bode envelope criterion indicates that the control system gains may be slightly high, even for the low-gain set. A large motion-base simulator in the United Kingdom was used to evaluate the various controllers. Desired performance, which appeared to be satisfactory for flight, was generally met with both the low- and medium-gain sets. Both the high-gain set and the baseline controller were very sensitive, and it was easy to generate pilot-induced oscillation (PIO) in some of the target-tracking maneuvers. Flight target-tracking results varied from level 1 to level 3 and from no sensitivity to PIO. These results were related to pilot technique and whether actuator rate saturation was encountered.

Health rights in the balance: the case against perinatal shackling of women behind bars.

PubMed

Dignam, Brett; Adashi, Eli Y

2014-12-11

Rationalized for decades on security grounds, perinatal shackling entails the application of handcuffs, leg irons, and/or waist shackles to the incarcerated woman prior to, during, and after labor and delivery. During labor and delivery proper, perinatal shackling may entail chaining women to the hospital bed by the ankle, wrist, or both. Medically untenable, legally challenged, and ever controversial, perinatal shackling remains the standard of practice in most US states despite sustained two-decades-long efforts by health rights legal advocates, human rights organizations, and medical professionals. Herein we review the current statutory, regulatory, legal, and medical framework undergirding the use of restraints on pregnant inmates and explore potential avenues of redress and relief to this challenge. We also recognize the courage of the women whose stories are being told. If history is any guide, the collective thrust of domestic and international law, attendant litigation, dedicated advocacy, and strength of argument bode well for continued progress toward restraint-free pregnancies in correctional settings. Copyright © 2014 Dignam and Adashi. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Progress and delivery of health care in Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon and Gross National Happiness.

PubMed

Tobgay, Tashi; Dorji, Tandin; Pelzom, Dorji; Gibbons, Robert V

2011-06-01

The Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan is rapidly changing, but it remains relatively isolated, and it tenaciously embraces its rich cultural heritage. Despite very limited resources, Bhutan is making a concerted effort to update its health care and deliver it to all of its citizens. Healthcare services are delivered through 31 hospitals, 178 basic health unit clinics and 654 outreach clinics that provide maternal and child health services in remote communities in the mountains. Physical access to primary health care is now well sustained for more than 90% of the population. Bhutan has made progress in key health indicators. In the past 50 years, life expectancy increased by 18 years and infant mortality dropped from 102.8 to 49.3 per 1000 live births between 1984 and 2008. Bhutan has a rich medical history. One of the ancient names for Bhutan was 'Land of Medicinal Herbs' because of the diverse medicinal plants it exported to neighbouring countries. In 1967, traditional medicine was included in the National Health System, and in 1971, formal training for Drungtshos (traditional doctors) and sMenpas (traditional compounders) began. In 1982, Bhutan established the Pharmaceutical and Research Unit, which manufactures, develops and researches traditional herbal medicines. Despite commendable achievements, considerable challenges lie ahead, but the advances of the past few decades bode well for the future. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Marine EM: The Past, The Present, and The Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Constable, S.

2016-12-01

The high cost of deepwater exploration motivated the development of commercial marine magnetotelluric (MT) exploration in 1995, but it wasn't until marine controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) methods burst upon the industry scene with the formation of three new contractors in 2002 that things got really exciting. Now the bubble has burst and the excitement has diminished, but marine EM remains an important tool for offshore exploration. Early mistakes were made as a result of poor instrumentation and a lack of good interpretation tools - unlike seismics, EM relies heavily on inversion to produce useful results - but both equipment and inversion codes have improved significantly. Still, there are mistakes that can be made. Rock anisotropy and seawater conductivity have to be handled appropriately. A strong galvanic response means that there is a resistivity/thickness ambiguity when imaging reservoirs, but the inductive nature of the data means that multi-frequency inversions are very much better than using single frequencies. Resolution will never be as good as for seismic methods, but is much better than for potential field methods and conductivity may often be a more diagnostic property than acoustic impedance. EM images resistivity, not hydrocarbon content, and false positives occasionally occur, but false negatives are rare. That is, without a CSEM signature there is little chance of discovering economical hydrocarbons. This should bode well for the future of the method.

Oil palm monoculture induces drastic erosion of an Amazonian forest mammal fauna

PubMed Central

Maués, Paula Cristina R. de A.; Oliveira, Geovana Linhares; Mineiro, Ivo G. B.; de Maria, Susanne L. Silva; Lima, Renata C. S.

2017-01-01

Oil palm monoculture comprises one of the most financially attractive land-use options in tropical forests, but cropland suitability overlaps the distribution of many highly threatened vertebrate species. We investigated how forest mammals respond to a landscape mosaic, including mature oil palm plantations and primary forest patches in Eastern Amazonia. Using both line-transect censuses (LTC) and camera-trapping (CT), we quantified the general patterns of mammal community structure and attempted to identify both species life-history traits and the environmental and spatial covariates that govern species intolerance to oil palm monoculture. Considering mammal species richness, abundance, and species composition, oil palm plantations were consistently depauperate compared to the adjacent primary forest, but responses differed between functional groups. The degree of forest habitat dependency was a leading trait, determining compositional dissimilarities across habitats. Considering both the LTC and CT data, distance from the forest-plantation interface had a significant effect on mammal assemblages within each habitat type. Approximately 87% of all species detected within oil palm were never farther than 1300 m from the forest edge. Our study clearly reinforces the notion that conventional oil palm plantations are extremely hostile to native tropical forest biodiversity, which does not bode well given prospects for oil palm expansion in both aging and new Amazonian deforestation frontiers. PMID:29117202

The design of a turboshaft speed governor using modern control techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delosreyes, G.; Gouchoe, D. R.

1986-01-01

The objectives of this program were: to verify the model of off schedule compressor variable geometry in the T700 turboshaft engine nonlinear model; to evaluate the use of the pseudo-random binary noise (PRBN) technique for obtaining engine frequency response data; and to design a high performance power turbine speed governor using modern control methods. Reduction of T700 engine test data generated at NASA-Lewis indicated that the off schedule variable geometry effects were accurate as modeled. Analysis also showed that the PRBN technique combined with the maximum likelihood model identification method produced a Bode frequency response that was as accurate as the response obtained from standard sinewave testing methods. The frequency response verified the accuracy of linear models consisting of engine partial derivatives and used for design. A power turbine governor was designed using the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) method of full state feedback control. A Kalman filter observer was used to estimate helicopter main rotor blade velocity. Compared to the baseline T700 power turbine speed governor, the LQR governor reduced droop up to 25 percent for a 490 shaft horsepower transient in 0.1 sec simulating a wind gust, and up to 85 percent for a 700 shaft horsepower transient in 0.5 sec simulating a large collective pitch angle transient.

Research into automatic recognition of joints in human symmetrical movements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Yifang; Li, Zhiyu

2008-03-01

High speed photography is a major means of collecting data from human body movement. It enables the automatic identification of joints, which brings great significance to the research, treatment and recovery of injuries, the analysis to the diagnosis of sport techniques and the ergonomics. According to the features that when the adjacent joints of human body are in planetary motion, their distance remains the same, and according to the human body joint movement laws (such as the territory of the articular anatomy and the kinematic features), a new approach is introduced to process the image thresholding of joints filmed by the high speed camera, to automatically identify the joints and to automatically trace the joint points (by labeling markers at the joints). Based upon the closure of marking points, automatic identification can be achieved through thresholding treatment. Due to the screening frequency and the laws of human segment movement, when the marking points have been initialized, their automatic tracking can be achieved with the progressive sequential images.Then the testing results, the data from three-dimensional force platform and the characteristics that human body segment will only rotate around the closer ending segment when the segment has no boding force and only valid to the conservative force all tell that after being analyzed kinematically, the approach is approved to be valid.

Autism awareness in children and young people: surveys of two populations.

PubMed

Dillenburger, K; Jordan, J-A; McKerr, L; Lloyd, K; Schubotz, D

2017-08-01

Increasingly, pupils on the autism spectrum are educated in inclusive mainstream classrooms. However, they often experience social isolation and bullying, and raising the awareness of autism in peers has been suggested as a remedy. In order to assess autism awareness in peers, autism-related questions were included in two large-scale surveys: the Kids Life and Times survey for 11-year olds and the Young Life and Times survey for 16-year olds; a total of n = 3353 children and young people completed the surveys. Autism awareness was higher for the teenagers (80%) than for the younger children (50%). Many of the children knew someone with autism (50%) and generally reported positive and supportive attitudes. Self-reported prevalence of autism was 3.1% for teenagers and 2.7% for the younger children. Peers recognised bullying as a problem and were willing to help. Children and young people have good levels of awareness and knowledge about autism and reported positive attitudes towards peers with autism and are willing to help those who are bullied. A higher than expected number of children and young people self-reported being on the autism spectrum. These findings bode well for peer-mediated support strategies for inclusive education. © 2017 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Dark Energy Camera Search for an Optical Counterpart to the First Advanced LIGO Gravitational Wave Event GW150914

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soares-Santos, M.; Kessler, R.; Burger, E.; Annis, J.; Brout, D.; Buckley-Geer, E.; Chen, H.; Cowperthwaite, P. S.; Diehl, H.T.; Doctor, Z.;

Dynamic analysis and control of lightweight manipulators with flexible parallel link mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Jeh Won

1991-01-01

The flexible parallel link mechanism is designed for increased rigidity to sustain the buckling when it carries a heavy payload. Compared to a one link flexible manipulator, a two link flexible manipulator, especially the flexible parallel mechanism, has more complicated characteristics in dynamics and control. The objective of this research is the theoretical analysis and the experimental verification of dynamics and control of a two link flexible manipulator with a flexible parallel link mechanism. Nonlinear equations of motion of the lightweight manipulator are derived by the Lagrangian method in symbolic form to better understand the structure of the dynamic model. A manipulator with a flexible parallel link mechanism is a constrained dynamic system whose equations are sensitive to numerical integration error. This constrained system is solved using singular value decomposition of the constraint Jacobian matrix. The discrepancies between the analytical model and the experiment are explained using a simplified and a detailed finite element model. The step response of the analytical model and the TREETOPS model match each other well. The nonlinear dynamics is studied using a sinusoidal excitation. The actuator dynamic effect on a flexible robot was investigated. The effects are explained by the root loci and the Bode plot theoretically and experimentally. For the base performance for the advanced control scheme, a simple decoupled feedback scheme is applied.

Booming markets for Moroccan argan oil appear to benefit some rural households while threatening the endemic argan forest

PubMed Central

Lybbert, Travis J.; Aboudrare, Abdellah; Chaloud, Deborah; Magnan, Nicholas; Nash, Maliha

2011-01-01

Morocco's argan oil is now the most expensive edible oil in the world. High-value argan markets have sparked a bonanza of argan activity. Nongovernmental organizations, international and domestic development agencies, and argan oil cooperatives aggressively promote the win–win aim of simultaneously benefiting local people and the health of the argan forest. This paper tests some of these win–win claims. Analysis of a panel of detailed household data suggests that the boom has enabled some rural households to increase consumption, increase their goat herds (which bodes poorly for the argan forest), and send their girls to secondary school. The boom has predictably made households vigilant guardians of fruit on the tree, but it has not incited investments in longer term tree and forest health. We evaluate landscape-level impacts of these changes using commune-level data on educational enrollment and normalized difference vegetation index data over the period from 1981 to 2009. The results of the mesoanalysis of enrollment are consistent with the microanalysis: the argan boom seems to have improved educational outcomes, especially for girls. Our normalized difference vegetation index analysis, however, suggests that booming argan prices have not improved the forest and may have even induced degradation. We conclude by exploring the dynamic interactions between argan markets, local institutions, rural household welfare, and forest conservation and sustainability. PMID:21873185

A Dark Energy Camera Search for an Optical Counterpart to the First Advanced LIGO Gravitational Wave Event GW150914

DOE PAGES

Soares-Santos, M.; Kessler, R.; Berger, E.; ...

2016-05-27

We report initial results of a deep search for an optical counterpart to the gravitational wave event GW150914, the first trigger from the Advanced LIGO gravitational wave detectors. We used the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) to image a 102 degmore » $^2$ area, corresponding to 38% of the initial trigger high-probability sky region and to 11% of the revised high-probability region. We observed in i and z bands at 4-5, 7, and 24 days after the trigger. The median $$5\\sigma$$ point-source limiting magnitudes of our search images are i=22.5 and z=21.8 mag. We processed the images through a difference-imaging pipeline using templates from pre-existing Dark Energy Survey data and publicly available DECam data. Due to missing template observations and other losses, our effective search area subtends 40 deg$$^{2}$$, corresponding to 12% total probability in the initial map and 3% of the final map. In this area, we search for objects that decline significantly between days 4-5 and day 7, and are undetectable by day 24, finding none to typical magnitude limits of i= 21.5,21.1,20.1 for object colors (i-z)=1,0,-1, respectively. Our search demonstrates the feasibility of a dedicated search program with DECam and bodes well for future research in this emerging field.« less

X-linked nephrogenic diabetes insipidus mutations in North America and the Hopewell hypothesis.

PubMed Central

Bichet, D G; Arthus, M F; Lonergan, M; Hendy, G N; Paradis, A J; Fujiwara, T M; Morgan, K; Gregory, M C; Rosenthal, W; Didwania, A

1993-01-01

In X-linked nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) the urine of male patients is not concentrated after the administration of the antidiuretic hormone arginine-vasopressin. This disease is due to mutations in the V2 receptor gene that maps to chromosome region Xq28. In 1969, Bode and Crawford suggested that most NDI patients in North America shared common ancestors of Ulster Scot immigrants who arrived in Halifax in 1761 on the ship Hopewell. A link between this family and a large Utah kindred was also suggested. DNA was obtained from 17 affected male patients from the "Hopewell" kindred and from four additional families from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick who shared the same Xq28 NDI haplotype. The Utah kindred and two families (Q2, Q3) from Quebec were also studied. The "Hopewell" mutation, W71X, is a single base substitution (G-->A) that changes codon 71 from TGG (tryptophan) to TGA (stop). The W71X mutation was found in affected members of the Hopewell and of the four satellite families. The W71X mutation is the cause of X-linked NDI for the largest number of related male patients living in North America. Other families (Utah, Q2 and Q3) that are historically and ethnically unrelated bear other mutations in the V2 receptor gene. Images PMID:8104196

Standard practices for computerized clinical decision support in community hospitals: a national survey

PubMed Central

McCormack, James L; Sittig, Dean F; Wright, Adam; McMullen, Carmit; Bates, David W

2012-01-01

Objective Computerized provider order entry (CPOE) with clinical decision support (CDS) can help hospitals improve care. Little is known about what CDS is presently in use and how it is managed, however, especially in community hospitals. This study sought to address this knowledge gap by identifying standard practices related to CDS in US community hospitals with mature CPOE systems. Materials and Methods Representatives of 34 community hospitals, each of which had over 5 years experience with CPOE, were interviewed to identify standard practices related to CDS. Data were analyzed with a mix of descriptive statistics and qualitative approaches to the identification of patterns, themes and trends. Results This broad sample of community hospitals had robust levels of CDS despite their small size and the independent nature of many of their physician staff members. The hospitals uniformly used medication alerts and order sets, had sophisticated governance procedures for CDS, and employed staff to customize CDS. Discussion The level of customization needed for most CDS before implementation was greater than expected. Customization requires skilled individuals who represent an emerging manpower need at this type of hospital. Conclusion These results bode well for robust diffusion of CDS to similar hospitals in the process of adopting CDS and suggest that national policies to promote CDS use may be successful. PMID:22707744

Influence of niobium doping in hierarchically organized titania nanostructure on performance of dye-sensitized solar cells.

PubMed

Park, Jong Hoon; Noh, Jun Hong; Han, Byung Suh; Shin, Seong Sik; Park, Ik Jae; Kim, Dong Hoe; Hong, Kug Sun

2012-06-01

Niobium doped hierarchically organized TiO2 nanostructures composed of 20 nm size anatase nanocrystals were synthesized using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The Nb doping concentration could be facilely controlled by adjusting the concentration of Nb in target materials. We could investigate the influence of Nb doping in the TiO2 photoelectrode on the cell performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) by the exclusion of morphological effects using the prepared Nb-doped TiO2 anostructures. We found no significant change in short circuit current density (Jsc) as a function of Nb doping concentration. However, open circuit voltage (Voc) and fill factor (FF) monotonously decrease with increasing Nb concentration. Dark current characteristics of the DSSCs reveal that the decrease in Voc and FF is attributed to the decrease in shunt resistance due to the increase in conductivity TiO2 by Nb doping. However, electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) analysis at open circuit condition under illumination showed that the resistance at the TiO2/dye/electrolyte interface increases with Nb concentration, revealing that Nb doping suppress the charge recombination at the interface. In addition, electron life time obtained using characteristic frequency in Bode plot increases from 14 msec to 56 msec with increasing Nb concentration from 0 to 1.2 at%. This implies that the improved light harvesting can be achieved by increasing diffusion length through Nb-doping in the conventional TiO2 photoelectrode.

Costs and benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Farias, Catharinne C; Resqueti, Vanessa; Dias, Fernando A L; Borghi-Silva, Audrey; Arena, Ross; Fregonezi, Guilherme A F

2014-01-01

The current study evaluated the costs and benefits of a simple aerobic walking program for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This was a blinded randomized controlled clinical trial that recruited 72 patients diagnosed with COPD, 40 of whom were included in the study and divided into two groups [control group (CG) and pulmonary rehabilitation group (GPR)]. We assessed pulmonary function, distance covered during the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), respiratory and peripheral muscle strength, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), body composition, and level of activities of daily living (ADLs) before and after an 8-week walking program. The financial costs were calculated according to the pricing table of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). Only 34 of the 40 patients remained in the final sample; 16 in the CG and 18 in the GPR (FEV1: 50.9 ± 14% predicted and FEV1: 56 ± 0.5% predicted, respectively). The intervention group exhibited improvements in the 6MWT, sensation of dyspnea and fatigue, work performed, BODE index (p<0.01), HRQOL, ADL level (p<0.001), and lower limb strength (p<0.05). The final mean cost per patient for the GPR was R$ 148.75 (~US$ 75.00) and no patient significantly exceeded this value. However, 2 patients in the CG did exceed this value, incurring a cost of R$ 689.15 (~US$ 345.00). Aerobic walking demonstrated significant clinical benefits in a cost-efficient manner in patients with COPD.

Sex Differences in Severe Pulmonary Emphysema

PubMed Central

Martinez, Fernando J.; Curtis, Jeffrey L.; Sciurba, Frank; Mumford, Jeanette; Giardino, Nicholas D.; Weinmann, Gail; Kazerooni, Ella; Murray, Susan; Criner, Gerard J.; Sin, Donald D.; Hogg, James; Ries, Andrew L.; Han, MeiLan; Fishman, Alfred P.; Make, Barry; Hoffman, Eric A.; Mohsenifar, Zab; Wise, Robert

2007-01-01

Rationale: Limited data on sex differences in advanced COPD are available. Objectives: To compare male and female emphysema patients with severe disease. Methods: One thousand fifty-three patients (38.8% female) evaluated for lung volume reduction surgery as part of the National Emphysema Treatment Trial were analyzed. Measurements and Main Results: Detailed clinical, physiological, and radiological assessment, including quantitation of emphysema severity and distribution from helical chest computed tomography, was completed. In a subgroup (n = 101), airway size and thickness was determined by histological analyses of resected tissue. Women were younger and exhibited a lower body mass index (BMI), shorter smoking history, less severe airflow obstruction, lower Dlco and arterial Po2, higher arterial Pco2, shorter six-minute walk distance, and lower maximal wattage during oxygen-supplemented cycle ergometry. For a given FEV1% predicted, age, number of pack-years, and proportion of emphysema, women experienced greater dyspnea, higher modified BODE, more depression, lower SF-36 mental component score, and lower quality of well-being. Overall emphysema was less severe in women, with the difference from men most evident in the outer peel of the lung. Females had thicker small airway walls relative to luminal perimeters. Conclusions: In patients with severe COPD, women, relative to men, exhibit anatomically smaller airway lumens with disproportionately thicker airway walls, and emphysema that is less extensive and characterized by smaller hole size and less peripheral involvement. PMID:17431226

Continuous Calibration Improvement in Solar Reflective Bands: Landsat 5 Through Landsat 8

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mishra, Nischal; Helder, Dennis; Barsi, Julia; Markham, Brian

2016-01-01

Launched in February 2013, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on-board Landsat 8 continues to perform exceedingly well and provides high science quality data globally. Several design enhancements have been made in the OLI instrument relative to prior Landsat instruments: pushbroom imaging which provides substantially improved Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), spectral bandpasses refinement to avoid atmospheric absorption features, 12 bit data resolution to provide a larger dynamic range that limits the saturation level, a set of well-designed onboard calibrators to monitor the stability of the sensor. Some of these changes such as refinements in spectral bandpasses compared to earlier Landsats and well-designed on-board calibrator have a direct impact on the improved radiometric calibration performance of the instrument from both the stability of the response and the ability to track the changes. The on-board calibrator lamps and diffusers indicate that the instrument drift is generally less than 0.1% per year across the bands. The refined bandpasses of the OLI indicate that temporal uncertainty of better than 0.5% is possible when the instrument is trended over vicarious targets such as Pseudo Invariant Calibration Sites (PICS), a level of precision that was never achieved with the earlier Landsat instruments. The stability measurements indicated by on-board calibrators and PICS agree much better compared to the earlier Landsats, which is very encouraging and bodes well for the future Landsat missions too.

Lymphotoxin beta receptor (Lt betaR): dual roles in demyelination and remyelination and successful therapeutic intervention using Lt betaR-Ig protein.

PubMed

Plant, Sheila R; Iocca, Heather A; Wang, Ying; Thrash, J Cameron; O'Connor, Brian P; Arnett, Heather A; Fu, Yang-Xin; Carson, Monica J; Ting, Jenny P-Y

2007-07-11

Inflammation mediated by macrophages is increasingly found to play a central role in diseases and disorders that affect a myriad of organs, prominent among these are diseases of the CNS. The neurotoxicant-induced, cuprizone model of demyelination is ideally suited for the analysis of inflammatory events. Demyelination on exposure to cuprizone is accompanied by predictable microglial activation and astrogliosis, and, after cuprizone withdrawal, this activation reproducibly diminishes during remyelination. This study demonstrates enhanced expression of lymphotoxin beta receptor (Lt betaR) during the demyelination phase of this model, and Lt betaR is found in areas enriched with microglial and astroglial cells. Deletion of the Lt betaR gene (Lt betaR-/-) resulted in a significant delay in demyelination but also a slight delay in remyelination. Inhibition of Lt betaR signaling by an Lt betaR-Ig fusion decoy protein successfully delayed demyelination in wild-type mice. Unexpectedly, this Lt betaR-Ig decoy protein dramatically accelerated the rate of remyelination, even after the maximal pathological disease state had been reached. This strongly indicates the beneficial role of Lt betaR-Ig in the delay of demyelination and the acceleration of remyelination. The discrepancy between remyelination rates in these systems could be attributed to developmental abnormalities in the immune systems of Lt betaR-/- mice. These findings bode well for the use of an inhibitory Lt betaR-Ig as a candidate biological therapy in demyelinating disorders, because it is beneficial during both demyelination and remyelination.

Cryptoblemes: A New Discovery with Major Economic Implications and Profound Changes to the Geologic Paradigm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Windolph, J., Jr.; Sutton, J.

1997-01-01

Cryptoblemes are subtle impact shock signatures imprinted by cosmic debris on the crustal surfaces of lunar planetary bodes. These signatures constitute a complex cumulative overprinting of topographic, structural geophysical, and tectonic patterns that have a conspicuous radial centric multiringed symmetry. The geometry and distribution of cryptoblemes on Earth is comparable to the size and density of impact features on lunar planetary surfaces. Analysis of satellite imagery, sea-floor sonar, side-looking radar and aerial photographs of specific sites reveals new criteria for the identification and confirmation of impact-shock signatures. These criteria include joint and foliation patterns with asbestiform minerals, ribbon-quartz, spheroidal weathering, domal exfoliation, pencil shale, and shock spheres, which may originate from hydrocavitation of water-saturated sedimentary rocks. Cryptoblemes may also be associated with breccia pipes, sinkholes, buttes, mesas, and bogs, high-Rn anomalies, nodular concentrations, and earthquake epicenters. Major implications of cryptobleme identification include exploratory targeting of hydrocarbon and mineral deposits and the explanation of their origins. Analysis of known mineral deposits, structural traps and sedimentary basins show a direct correlation with cryptobleme patterns. Significant geologic paradigm shifts related to cryptoblemes include mountain building processes, structural orogenies, induced volcanism, earthquake origins, hydrocarbon diagenesis, formation mineral deposits, continental rifting, and plate movements, magnetic overprinting and local regional, and global geologic extinction and speciation patterns. Two figures provide a comparison between a multiring impact overprint in water and multiring cryptobleme in the U.S. basin range. (Additional information is contained in the original document).

Leaders' perspectives in the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mattson, D.J.; Clark, S.G.; Byrd, K.L.; Brown, S.R.; Robinson, B.

2011-01-01

The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) was created in 1993 to advance conservation in a 1.2 million km2 portion of the North American Rocky Mountains. We assembled 21 people with influence over Y2Y in a workshop to elucidate perspectives on challenges and solutions for this organization at a key point in its evolution, and used Q method to define four perspectives on challenges and three on solutions. Participants were differentiated by four models for effecting change-vision-based advocacy, practice-based learning, political engagement, and scientific management-with emphasis on the first three. Those with authority in Y2Y aligned with vision-based advocacy and expressed ambivalence about practice-based adaptive learning and rigorous appraisals of existing strategies. Workshop results were consistent with an apparent trend toward organizational maturation focused on stabilizing revenues, developing formal organizational arrangements, and focusing strategies. Consolidation of power in Y2Y around a long-standing formula does not bode well for the effectiveness of Y2Y. We recommend that leaders in Y2Y and similar organizations focused on large-scale conservation to create and maintain an open system-philosophically and operationally-that capitalizes on the diverse perspectives and skills of individuals who are attracted to such efforts. We also recommend that the Y2Y initiative be followed closely to harvest additional lessons for potential application to large-scale conservation efforts elsewhere. ?? Springer Science+Business Media, LLC(outside the USA).2011.

Measurement of mechanical properties of metallic glass at elevated temperature using sonic resonance method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaluvan, Suresh; Zhang, Haifeng; Mridha, Sanghita; Mukherjee, Sundeep

2017-04-01

Bulk metallic glasses are fully amorphous multi-component alloys with homogeneous and isotropic structure down to the atomic scale. Some attractive attributes of bulk metallic glasses include high strength and hardness as well as excellent corrosion and wear resistance. However, there are few reports and limited understanding of their mechanical properties at elevated temperatures. We used a nondestructive sonic resonance method to measure the Young's modulus and Shear modulus of a bulk metallic glass, Zr41.2Ti13.8Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5, at elevated temperatures. The measurement system was designed using a laser displacement sensor to detect the sonic vibration produced by a speaker on the specimen in high-temperature furnace. The OMICRON Bode-100 Vector Network Analyzer was used to sweep the frequency and its output was connected to the speaker which vibrated the material in its flexural mode and torsional modes. A Polytec OFV-505 laser vibrometer sensor was used to capture the vibration of the material at various frequencies. The flexural and torsional mode frequency shift due to the temperature variation was used to determine the Young's modulus and Shear modulus. The temperature range of measurement was from 50°C to 350°C. The Young's modulus was found to reduce from 100GPa to 94GPa for the 300°C temperature span. Similarly, the Shear modulus decreased from 38.5GPa at 50°C to 36GPa at 350°C.

Disability related to COPD tool (DIRECT): towards an assessment of COPD-related disability in routine practice

PubMed Central

Aguilaniu, B; Gonzalez-Bermejo, J; Regnault, A; Barbosa, C Dias; Arnould, B; Mueser, M; Granet, G; Bonnefoy, M; Similowski, T

2011-01-01

Background Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a worldwide public health concern. It is also a major source of disability that is often overlooked, depriving patients of effective treatments. This study describes the development and validation of a questionnaire specifically assessing COPD-related disability. Methods The DIsability RElated to COPD Tool (DIRECT) was developed according to reference methods, including literature review, patient and clinician interviews and test in a pilot study. A 12-item questionnaire was included for finalization and validation in an observational cross-sectional study conducted by 60 French pulmonologists, who recruited 275 COPD patients of stage II, III and IV according to the GOLD classification. Rasch modeling was conducted and psychometric properties were assessed (internal consistency reliability; concurrent and clinical validity). Results The DIRECT score was built from the 10 items retained in the Rasch model. Their internal consistency reliability was excellent (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.95). The score was highly correlated with the Saint George’s Respiratory Questionnaire Activity score (r = 0.83) and the London Handicap Scale (r = −0.70), a generic disability measure. It was highly statistically significantly associated to four clinical parameters (P < 0.001): GOLD classification, BODE index, FEV1 and 6-minute walk distance. Conclusion DIRECT is a promising tool that could help enhance the management of COPD patients by integrating an evaluation of the COPD-related disability into daily practice. PMID:21760726

Discovering the intelligence in molecular biology.

PubMed

Uberbacher, E

1995-12-01

The Third International Conference on Intelligent Systems in Molecular Biology was truly an outstanding event. Computational methods in molecular biology have reached a new level of maturity and utility, resulting in many high-impact applications. The success of this meeting bodes well for the rapid and continuing development of computational methods, intelligent systems and information-based approaches for the biosciences. The basic technology, originally most often applied to 'feasibility' problems, is now dealing effectively with the most difficult real-world problems. Significant progress has been made in understanding protein-structure information, structural classification, and how functional information and the relevant features of active-site geometry can be gleaned from structures by automated computational approaches. The value and limits of homology-based methods, and the ability to classify proteins by structure in the absence of homology, have reached a new level of sophistication. New methods for covariation analysis in the folding of large structures such as RNAs have shown remarkably good results, indicating the long-term potential to understand very complicated molecules and multimolecular complexes using computational means. Novel methods, such as HMMs, context-free grammars and the uses of mutual information theory, have taken center stage as highly valuable tools in our quest to represent and characterize biological information. A focus on creative uses of intelligent systems technologies and the trend toward biological application will undoubtedly continue and grow at the 1996 ISMB meeting in St Louis.

Clinical characteristics and airway inflammation profile of COPD persistent sputum producers.

PubMed

Khurana, S; Ravi, A; Sutula, J; Milone, R; Williamson, R; Plumb, J; Vestbo, J; Singh, D

2014-12-01

COPD patients with chronic bronchitis include a subgroup with persistent sputum production on most or every day. We hypothesized that COPD patients with persistent sputum production have a different profile of airway inflammation, and more severe clinical characteristics. To compare the airway inflammation profile and clinical characteristics of COPD persistent and non-persistent sputum producers. COPD persistent sputum producers (n = 26) and non-persistent sputum producers (n = 26) underwent sputum induction and pulmonary function tests. Exacerbation history was recorded; the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire, Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnoea scale and COPD Assessment Tool were completed. 33 COPD patients provided sputum for bacteriology. Persistent sputum producers had lower post-bronchodilator FEV1% predicted (p = 0.01), diffusion capacity (p = 0.04), 6 min walk test distance (p = 0.05), and higher closing volume (p = 0.01), BODE index (p = 0.01), rate of bacterial colonization (p = 0.004) and exacerbations (p = 0.03) compared to non-persistent sputum producers. The mean SGRQ and CAT scores were higher in persistent sputum producers (p = 0.01 and 0.03 respectively). Sputum neutrophil and eosinophil total cell counts were higher in persistent sputum producers (p = 0.02 and 0.05 respectively). Sputum levels of eotaxin (p = 0.02), MCP-1 (p = 0.02), TNF-α (p = 0.03) and IL-6 (p = 0.05) were higher in persistent sputum producers. COPD persistent sputum producers have more severe clinical characteristics and increased concentrations of some inflammatory mediators in the airways.

A dual-task design of corrosion-controlling and osteo-compatible hexamethylenediaminetetrakis- (methylene phosphonic acid) (HDTMPA) coating on magnesium for biodegradable bone implants application.

PubMed

Zhao, Sheng; Chen, Yingqi; Liu, Bo; Chen, Meiyun; Mao, Jinlong; He, Hairuo; Zhao, Yuancong; Huang, Nan; Wan, Guojiang

2015-05-01

Magnesium as well as its alloys appears increasingly as a revolutionary bio-metal for biodegradable implants application but the biggest challenges exist in its too fast bio-corrosion/degradation. Both corrosion-controllable and bio-compatible Mg-based bio-metal is highly desirable in clinic. In present work, hexamethylenediaminetetrakis (methylenephosphonic acid) [HDTMPA, (H2 O3 P-CH2 )2 -N-(CH2 )6 -N-(CH2 -PO3 H2 )2 ], as a natural and bioactive organic substance, was covalently immobilized and chelating-deposited onto Mg surface by means of chemical conversion process and dip-coating method, to fullfill dual-task performance of corrosion-protective and osteo-compatible functionalities. The chemical grafting of HDTMPA molecules, by participation of functional groups on pretreated Mg surface, ensured a firmly anchored base layer, and then sub-sequential chelating reactions of HDTMPA molecules guaranteed a homogenous and dense HDTMPA coating deposition on Mg substrate. Electrochemical corrosion and immersion degradation results reveal that the HDTMPA coated Mg provides a significantly better controlled bio-corrosion/degradation behavior in phosphate buffer saline solution as compared with untreated Mg from perspective of clinic requirement. Moreover, the HDTMPA coated Mg exhibits osteo-compatible in that it induces not only bioactivity of bone-like apatite precipitation but also promotes osteoblast cells adhesion and proliferation. Our well-controlled biodegradable and biocompatible HDTMPA modified Mg might bode well for next generation bone implant application. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comparative performance analysis of shunt and series passive filter for LED lamp

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarwono, Edi; Facta, Mochammad; Handoko, Susatyo

2018-03-01

Light Emitting Diode lamp or LED lamp nowadays is widely used by consumers as a new innovation in the lighting technologies due to its energy saving for low power consumption lamps for brighter light intensity. How ever, the LED lamp produce an electric pollutant known as harmonics. The harmonics is generated by rectifier as part of LED lamp circuit. The present of harmonics in current or voltage has made the source waveform from the grid is distorted. This distortion may cause inacurrate measurement, mall function, and excessive heating for any element at the grid. This paper present an analysis work of shunt and series filters to suppress the harmonics generated by the LED lamp circuit. The work was initiated by conducting several tests to investigate the harmonic content of voltage and currents. The measurements in this work were carried out by using HIOKI Power Quality Analyzer 3197. The measurement results showed that the harmonics current of tested LED lamps were above the limit of IEEE standard 519-2014. Based on the measurement results shunt and series filters were constructed as low pass filters. The bode analysis were appled during construction and prediction of the filters performance. Based on experimental results, the application of shunt filter at input side of LED lamp has reduced THD current up to 88%. On the other hand, the series filter has significantly reduced THD current up to 92%.

CONTINUOUS CALIBRATION IMPROVEMENT: LANDSAT 5 THROUGH LANDSAT 8

PubMed Central

Mishra, Nischal; Helder, Dennis; Barsi, Julia; Markham, Brian

2018-01-01

Launched in February 2013, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on-board Landsat 8 continues to perform exceedingly well and provides high science quality data globally. Several design enhancements have been made in the OLI instrument relative to prior Landsat instruments: pushbroom imaging which provides substantially improved Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), spectral bandpasses refinement to avoid atmospheric absorption features, 12 bit data resolution to provide a larger dynamic range that limits the saturation level, a set of well-designed onboard calibrators to monitor the stability of the sensor. Some of these changes such as refinements in spectral bandpasses compared to earlier Landsats and well-designed on-board calibrator have a direct impact on the improved radiometric calibration performance of the instrument from both the stability of the response and the ability to track the changes. The on-board calibrator lamps and diffusers indicate that the instrument drift is generally less than 0.1% per year across the bands. The refined bandpasses of the OLI indicate that temporal uncertainty of better than 0.5% is possible when the instrument is trended over vicarious targets such as Pseudo Invariant Calibration Sites (PICS), a level of precision that was never achieved with the earlier Landsat instruments. The stability measurements indicated by on-board calibrators and PICS agree much better compared to the earlier Landsats, which is very encouraging and bodes well for the future Landsat missions too. PMID:29449747

Evolution and structure of sustainability science.

PubMed

Bettencourt, Luís M A; Kaur, Jasleen

2011-12-06

The concepts of sustainable development have experienced extraordinary success since their advent in the 1980s. They are now an integral part of the agenda of governments and corporations, and their goals have become central to the mission of research laboratories and universities worldwide. However, it remains unclear how far the field has progressed as a scientific discipline, especially given its ambitious agenda of integrating theory, applied science, and policy, making it relevant for development globally and generating a new interdisciplinary synthesis across fields. To address these questions, we assembled a corpus of scholarly publications in the field and analyzed its temporal evolution, geographic distribution, disciplinary composition, and collaboration structure. We show that sustainability science has been growing explosively since the late 1980s when foundational publications in the field increased its pull on new authors and intensified their interactions. The field has an unusual geographic footprint combining contributions and connecting through collaboration cities and nations at very different levels of development. Its decomposition into traditional disciplines reveals its emphasis on the management of human, social, and ecological systems seen primarily from an engineering and policy perspective. Finally, we show that the integration of these perspectives has created a new field only in recent years as judged by the emergence of a giant component of scientific collaboration. These developments demonstrate the existence of a growing scientific field of sustainability science as an unusual, inclusive and ubiquitous scientific practice and bode well for its continued impact and longevity.

Central nervous insulin resistance: a promising target in the treatment of metabolic and cognitive disorders?

PubMed

Hallschmid, M; Schultes, B

2009-11-01

Research on functions and signalling pathways of insulin has traditionally focused on peripheral tissues such as muscle, fat and liver, while the brain was commonly believed to be insensitive to the effects of this hormone secreted by pancreatic beta cells. However, since the discovery some 30 years ago that insulin receptors are ubiquitously found in the central nervous system, an ever-growing research effort has conclusively shown that circulating insulin accesses the brain, which itself does not synthesise insulin, and exerts pivotal functions in central nervous networks. As an adiposity signal reflecting the amount of body fat, insulin provides direct negative feedback to hypothalamic nuclei that control whole-body energy and glucose homeostasis. Moreover, insulin affects distinct cognitive processes, e.g. by triggering the formation of psychological memory contents. Accordingly, metabolic and cognitive disorders such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer's disease are associated with resistance of central nervous structures to the effects of insulin, which may derive from genetic polymorphisms as well as from long-term exposure to excess amounts of circulating insulin due to peripheral insulin resistance. Thus, overcoming central nervous insulin resistance, e.g. by pharmacological interventions, appears to be an attractive strategy in the treatment and prevention of these disorders. Enhancement of central nervous insulin signalling by administration of intranasal insulin, insulin analogues and insulin sensitisers in basic research approaches has yielded encouraging results that bode well for the successful translation of these effects into future clinical practice.

A strong-lensing elliptical galaxy in the MaNGA survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Russell J.

2017-01-01

I report discovery of a new galaxy-scale gravitational lens system, identified using public data from the Mapping Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey, as part of a systematic search for lensed background line emitters. The lens is SDSS J170124.01+372258.0, a giant elliptical galaxy with velocity dispersion σ = 256 km s-1, at a redshift of zl = 0.122. After modelling and subtracting the target galaxy light, the integral-field data cube reveals [O II], [O III] and Hβ emission lines corresponding to a source at zs = 0.791, forming an identifiable ring around the galaxy centre. If the ring is formed by a single lensed source, then the Einstein radius is REin ≈ 2.3 arcsec, projecting to ˜5 kpc at the distance of the lens. The total projected lensing mass is MEin = (3.6 ± 0.6) × 1011 M⊙, and the total J-band mass-to-light ratio is 3.0 ± 0.7 solar units. Plausible estimates of the likely dark matter content could reconcile this with a Milky Way-like initial mass function (IMF), for which M/L ≈ 1.5 is expected, but heavier IMFs are by no means excluded with the present data. An alternative interpretation of the system, with a more complex source plane, is also discussed. The discovery of this system bodes well for future lens searches based on MaNGA and other integral-field spectroscopic surveys.

The benefits of health information exchange: an updated systematic review.

PubMed

Menachemi, Nir; Rahurkar, Saurabh; Harle, Christopher A; Vest, Joshua R

2018-04-28

Widespread health information exchange (HIE) is a national objective motivated by the promise of improved care and a reduction in costs. Previous reviews have found little rigorous evidence that HIE positively affects these anticipated benefits. However, early studies of HIE were methodologically limited. The purpose of the current study is to review the recent literature on the impact of HIE. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to conduct our systematic review. PubMed and Scopus databases were used to identify empirical articles that evaluated HIE in the context of a health care outcome. Our search strategy identified 24 articles that included 63 individual analyses. The majority of the studies were from the United States representing 9 states; and about 40% of the included analyses occurred in a handful of HIEs from the state of New York. Seven of the 24 studies used designs suitable for causal inference and all reported some beneficial effect from HIE; none reported adverse effects. The current systematic review found that studies with more rigorous designs all reported benefits from HIE. Such benefits include fewer duplicated procedures, reduced imaging, lower costs, and improved patient safety. We also found that studies evaluating community HIEs were more likely to find benefits than studies that evaluated enterprise HIEs or vendor-mediated exchanges. Overall, these finding bode well for the HIEs ability to deliver on anticipated improvements in care delivery and reduction in costs.

High temperature electrical properties study of Sr{sub 2}(Fe,Ti)O{sub 6} double perovskite materials using impedance spectroscopy method

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

Triyono, D., E-mail: djoko.triyono@sci.ui.ac.id; Laysandra, Heidi

2016-04-19

The structure, thermal, and electrical properties of double perovskite material Sr{sub 2}(Fe,Ti)O{sub 6} at high temperature have been studied. This material was synthesized by a solid state reaction method. X-ray diffraction characterization at room temperature for all samples shows a single phase and having a structure of cubic double perovskite with Pm3m space group. The variation of Fe and Ti atoms are seen in an increasing of lattice parameter and grain size which is found between 30 nm and 80 nm. The electrical properties as a function of temperature and frequency are characterized by using RLC-meter with impedance spectroscopy method. The impedancemore » data are presented in Nyquist and Bode plot resulting in the equivalent circuit and its parameters. The equivalent circuit shows the effect of grain and grain boundary in the electrical properties of materials. DC conductivity of Sr{sub 2}(Fe,Ti)O{sub 6} as a function of temperature was explained by using Arrhenius equation. The value of the activation energy which is evaluated from dc conductivity as a function of temperature shows the effect of grain and grain boundary. The activation energy exhibits of oxygen vacancy in Sr{sub 2}(Fe,Ti)O{sub 6} which is also supported by morphology of Sr{sub 2}(Fe,Ti)O{sub 6} is characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM).« less

Radioprotective activity of curcumin-encapsulated liposomes against genotoxicity caused by Gamma Cobalt-60 irradiation in human blood cells.

PubMed

Nguyen, Minh-Hiep; Pham, Ngoc-Duy; Dong, Bingxue; Nguyen, Thi-Huynh-Nga; Bui, Chi-Bao; Hadinoto, Kunn

2017-11-01

While the radioprotective activity of curcumin against genotoxicity has been well established, its poor oral bioavailability has limited its successful clinical applications. Nanoscale formulations, including liposomes, have been demonstrated to improve curcumin bioavailability. The objective of the present work was (1) to prepare and characterize curcumin-encapsulated liposomes (i.e. size, colloidal stability, encapsulation efficiency, and payload), and (2) subsequently to evaluate their radioprotective activity against genotoxicity in human blood cells caused by Gamma Cobalt-60 irradiation. The curcumin-encapsulated liposomes were prepared by lipid-film hydration method using commercial phosphatidylcholine (i.e. Phospholipon ® 90G). The blood cells were obtained from healthy male donors (n = 3) under an approved ethics protocol. The cell uptake and the radioprotective activity of the curcumin-encapsulated liposomes were characterized by fluorescence microscopy and micronucleus assay, respectively. Nanoscale curcumin-encapsulated liposomes exhibiting good physical characteristics and successful uptake by the human blood cells were successfully prepared. The radioprotective activity of the curcumin-encapsulated liposomes was found to be dependent on the curcumin concentration, where an optimal concentration existed (i.e. 30 μg/mL) independent of the irradiation dose, above which the radioprotective activity had become stagnant (i.e. no more reduction in the micronuclei frequency). The present results established for the first time the radioprotective activity of curcumin-encapsulated liposomes in human blood cells, which coupled by its well-established bioavailability, boded well for its potential application as a nanoscale delivery system of other radioprotective phytochemicals.

Robust electrodes based on coaxial TiC/C-MnO2 core/shell nanofiber arrays with excellent cycling stability for high-performance supercapacitors.

PubMed

Zhang, Xuming; Peng, Xiang; Li, Wan; Li, Limin; Gao, Biao; Wu, Guosong; Huo, Kaifu; Chu, Paul K

2015-04-17

A coaxial electrode structure composed of manganese oxide-decorated TiC/C core/shell nanofiber arrays is produced hydrothermally in a KMnO4 solution. The pristine TiC/C core/shell structure prepared on the Ti alloy substrate provides the self-sacrificing carbon shell and highly conductive TiC core, thus greatly simplifying the fabrication process without requiring an additional reduction source and conductive additive. The as-prepared electrode exhibits a high specific capacitance of 645 F g(-1) at a discharging current density of 1 A g(-1) attributable to the highly conductive TiC/C and amorphous MnO2 shell with fast ion diffusion. In the charging/discharging cycling test, the as-prepared electrode shows high stability and 99% capacity retention after 5000 cycles. Although the thermal treatment conducted on the as-prepared electrode decreases the initial capacitance, the electrode undergoes capacitance recovery through structural transformation from the crystalline cluster to layered birnessite type MnO2 nanosheets as a result of dissolution and further electrodeposition in the cycling. 96.5% of the initial capacitance is retained after 1000 cycles at high charging/discharging current density of 25 A g(-1). This study demonstrates a novel scaffold to construct MnO2 based SCs with high specific capacitance as well as excellent mechanical and cycling stability boding well for future design of high-performance MnO2-based SCs. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Origins of the Tactical Nuclear Weapons Modernization Program: 1969-1979

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yaffe, Michael David

On December 12, 1979, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization decided to deploy new long-range theater nuclear forces, Pershing II and Ground-Launched Cruise Missiles. This marked the first major change in NATO's nuclear stockpile since the adoption of the flexible response strategy in 1967. The decision was controversial inasmuch as the Allies disagreed on the fundamental role of nuclear weapons in this strategy and, thereby, the types and number of weapons required for an effective deterrent posture. Europeans generally preferred long-range weapons capable of striking the Soviet Union and small conventional forces while Americans preferred shorter-range nuclear weapons and a stalwart conventional defense. Thus, the December decision is often described as purely politically motivated, in which the Americans reluctantly acquiesced to a European initiative for long-range weapons, prominently expressed by West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt in 1977. Recently declassified US government documents reveal, however, that long-range missiles were part of a long-term comprehensive nuclear modernization program conceived in the Pentagon under Defense Secretary James Schlesinger during the period of 1973 through 1975, and presented to skeptical European elites who favored arms control negotiations over costly new deployments. This program was motivated as much by changes in the American national security culture as by an increase in the Soviet military threat to Europe. It was grounded on a clear military rationale: "that a feasible and affordable conventional defense is only possible if NATO has modern nuclear forces" that can effectively hold at risk Warsaw Pact ground and air forces throughout the depth of their employment from the inner-German border to the western military districts of the Soviet Union. When the new US administration in 1977 disagreed with the modernization plan and its rationale, opting instead for more conventional forces, the Allies in a reversal of

Microstructure, nickel suppression and mechanical characteristics of electropolished and photoelectrocatalytically oxidized biomedical nickel titanium shape memory alloy.

PubMed

Chu, C L; Guo, C; Sheng, X B; Dong, Y S; Lin, P H; Yeung, K W K; Chu, Paul K

2009-07-01

A new surface modification protocol encompassing an electropolishing pretreatment (EP) and subsequent photoelectrocatalytic oxidation (PEO) has been developed to improve the surface properties of biomedical nickel titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy (SMA). Electropolishing is a good way to improve the resistance to localized breakdown of NiTi SMA whereas PEO offers the synergistic effects of advanced oxidation and electrochemical oxidation. Our results indicate that PEO leads to the formation of a sturdy titania film on the EP NiTi substrate. There is an Ni-free zone near the top surface and a graded interface between the titania layer and NiTi substrate, which bodes well for both biocompatibility and mechanical stability. In addition, Ni ion release from the NiTi substrate is suppressed, as confirmed by the 10-week immersion test. The modulus and hardness of the modified NiTi surface increase with larger indentation depths, finally reaching plateau values of about 69 and 3.1GPa, respectively, which are slightly higher than those of the NiTi substrate but much lower than those of a dense amorphous titania film. In comparison, after undergoing only EP, the mechanical properties of NiTi exhibit an inverse change with depth. The deformation mechanism is proposed and discussed. Our results indicate that surface modification by dual EP and PEO can notably suppress Ni ion release and improve the biocompatibility of NiTi SMA while the surface mechanical properties are not compromised, making the treated materials suitable for hard tissue replacements.

Medical Care According to Risk Level and Adaptation to Spanish COPD Guidelines (Gesepoc): The Epoconsul Study.

PubMed

Calle Rubio, Myriam; Rodríguez Hermosa, Juan Luis; Soler-Cataluña, Juan José; López-Campos, José Luis; Alcazar Navarrete, Bernardino; Soriano, Joan B; Rodríguez Gónzalez-Moro, José Miguel; Fuentes Ferrer, Manuel E; Miravitlles, Marc

2018-05-01

EPOCONSUL is the first national audit to analyze medical care for COPD in pulmonology departments in Spain. The main objective was to perform a retrospective analysis to determine the distribution of GesEPOC 2017 COPD risk levels and to evaluate clinical activity according to the new recommendations. This is a cross-sectional clinical audit in which consecutive COPD cases were recruited over one year. The study evaluated risk and clinical phenotype according to GesEPOC 2017, and their correlation with the clinical interventions employed. The most common risk category was high risk (79.8% versus 20.2%; p < 0.001), characterized by a higher level of severity on BODE and BODEx indexes, and a higher comorbidity burden. The most common phenotype was non-exacerbator. The most commonly used treatment in low-risk patients was bronchodilator monotherapy (34.8%) and triple therapy in high-risk patients (53.7%). High risk was most frequently characterized by phenotype (57.6% versus 52%; p = 0.014) and pulmonary function test results: lung volume (47.7% versus 35.8%; p < 0.001), lung diffusion (51.4% versus 42.1%; p < 0.001) and walk test (37.8% versus 15.8%; p < 0.001). Most patients treated in pulmonology departments were high-risk and non-exacerbator phenotype. Clinical interventions differed according to risk level and mainly followed GesEPOC recommendations, although there is significant room for improvement. Copyright © 2017 SEPAR. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

In situ observations of coral bleaching in the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea during the 2015/2016 global coral bleaching event.

PubMed

Monroe, Alison A; Ziegler, Maren; Roik, Anna; Röthig, Till; Hardenstine, Royale S; Emms, Madeleine A; Jensen, Thor; Voolstra, Christian R; Berumen, Michael L

2018-01-01

Coral bleaching continues to be one of the most devastating and immediate impacts of climate change on coral reef ecosystems worldwide. In 2015, a major bleaching event was declared as the "3rd global coral bleaching event" by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, impacting a large number of reefs in every major ocean. The Red Sea was no exception, and we present herein in situ observations of the status of coral reefs in the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea from September 2015, following extended periods of high temperatures reaching upwards of 32.5°C in our study area. We examined eleven reefs using line-intercept transects at three different depths, including all reefs that were surveyed during a previous bleaching event in 2010. Bleaching was most prevalent on inshore reefs (55.6% ± 14.6% of live coral cover exhibited bleaching) and on shallower transects (41% ± 10.2% of live corals surveyed at 5m depth) within reefs. Similar taxonomic groups (e.g., Agariciidae) were affected in 2015 and in 2010. Most interestingly, Acropora and Porites had similar bleaching rates (~30% each) and similar relative coral cover (~7% each) across all reefs in 2015. Coral genera with the highest levels of bleaching (>60%) were also among the rarest (<1% of coral cover) in 2015. While this bodes well for the relative retention of coral cover, it may ultimately lead to decreased species richness, often considered an important component of a healthy coral reef. The resultant long-term changes in these coral reef communities remain to be seen.

Pharmaceutical applications of cyclodextrins: basic science and product development.

PubMed

Loftsson, Thorsteinn; Brewster, Marcus E

2010-11-01

Drug pipelines are becoming increasingly difficult to formulate. This is punctuated by both retrospective and prospective analyses that show that while 40% of currently marketed drugs are poorly soluble based on the definition of the biopharmaceutical classification system (BCS), about 90% of drugs in development can be characterized as poorly soluble. Although a number of techniques have been suggested for increasing oral bioavailability and for enabling parenteral formulations, cyclodextrins have emerged as a productive approach. This short review is intended to provide both some basic science information as well as data on the ability to develop drugs in cyclodextrin-containing formulations. There are currently a number of marketed products that make use of these functional solubilizing excipients and new product introduction continues to demonstrate their high added value. The ability to predict whether cyclodextrins will be of benefit in creating a dosage form for a particular drug candidate requires a good working knowledge of the properties of cyclodextrins, their mechanism of solubilization and factors that contribute to, or detract from, the biopharmaceutical characteristics of the formed complexes. We provide basic science information as well as data on the development of drugs in cyclodextrin-containing formulations. Cyclodextrins have emerged as an important tool in the formulator's armamentarium to improve apparent solubility and dissolution rate for poorly water-soluble drug candidates. The continued interest and productivity of these materials bode well for future application and their currency as excipients in research, development and drug product marketing. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

A dual RF resonator system for high-field functional magnetic resonance imaging of small animals.

PubMed

Ludwig, R; Bodgdanov, G; King, J; Allard, A; Ferris, C F

2004-01-30

A new apparatus has been developed that integrates an animal restrainer arrangement for small animals with an actively tunable/detunable dual radio-frequency (RF) coil system for in vivo anatomical and functional magnetic resonance imaging of small animals at 4.7 T. The radio-frequency coil features an eight-element microstrip line configuration that, in conjunction with a segmented outer copper shield, forms a transversal electromagnetic (TEM) resonator structure. Matching and active tuning/detuning is achieved through fixed/variable capacitors and a PIN diode for each resonator element. These components along with radio-frequency chokes (RFCs) and blocking capacitors are placed on two printed circuit boards (PCBs) whose copper coated ground planes form the front and back of the volume coil and are therefore an integral part of the resonator structure. The magnetic resonance signal response is received with a dome-shaped single-loop surface coil that can be height-adjustable with respect to the animal's head. The conscious animal is immobilized through a mechanical arrangement that consists of a Plexiglas body tube and a head restrainer. This restrainer has a cylindrical holder with a mouthpiece and position screws to receive and restrain the head of the animal. The apparatus is intended to perform anatomical and functional magnetic resonance imaging in conscious animals such as mice, rats, hamsters, and marmosets. Cranial images acquired from fully conscious rats in a 4.7 T Bruker 40 cm bore animal scanner underscore the feasibility of this approach and bode well to extend this system to the imaging of other animals.

Crosslinked polymer nanoparticles containing single conjugated polymer chains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponzio, Rodrigo A.; Marcato, Yésica L.; Gómez, María L.; Waiman, Carolina V.; Chesta, Carlos A.; Palacios, Rodrigo E.

2017-06-01

Conjugated polymer nanoparticles are widely used in fluorescent labeling and sensing, as they have mean radii between 5 and 100 nm, narrow size dispersion, high brightness, and are photochemically stable, allowing single particle detection with high spatial and temporal resolution. Highly crosslinked polymers formed by linking individual chains through covalent bonds yield high-strength rigid materials capable of withstanding dissolution by organic solvents. Hence, the combination of crosslinked polymers and conjugated polymers in a nanoparticulated material presents the possibility of interesting applications that require the combined properties of constituent polymers and nanosized dimension. In the present work, F8BT@pEGDMA nanoparticles composed of poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (pEGDMA; a crosslinked polymer) and containing the commercial conjugated polymer poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-alt-benzothiadiazole) (F8BT) were synthesized and characterized. Microemulsion polymerization was applied to produce F8BT@pEDGMA particles with nanosized dimensions in a ∼25% yield. Photophysical and size distribution properties of F8BT@pEDGMA nanoparticles were evaluated by various methods, in particular single particle fluorescence microscopy techniques. The results demonstrate that the crosslinking/polymerization process imparts structural rigidity to the F8BT@pEDGMA particles by providing resistance against dissolution/disintegration in organic solvents. The synthesized fluorescent crosslinked nanoparticles contain (for the most part) single F8BT chains and can be detected at the single particle level, using fluorescence microscopy, which bodes well for their potential application as molecularly imprinted polymer fluorescent nanosensors with high spatial and temporal resolution.

Electrochemical characterization of MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on γTiAl and Ti-6Al-4V alloys.

PubMed

Bueno-Vera, J A; Torres-Zapata, I; Sundaram, P A; Diffoot-Carlo, N; Vega-Olivencia, C A

2015-12-01

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to study the behavior of MC3T3-E1 cells cultured in an αMEM+FBS solution on two Ti-based alloys (Ti-6Al-4V and γTiAl) for 4, 7 and 14 days. EIS measurements were carried out at an open-circuit potential in a 1 mHz to 100 kHz frequency range. Results indicate a general increase in impedance on the Ti alloy surfaces with cells as a function of time. Bode plots indicate changes corresponding to the passive oxide film, adsorption of proteins and cell tissue on surfaces with the passage of time. Normal cellular activity based on the polygonal morphology, with long and fine cytoplasmic prolongations of the cells on Ti-6Al-4V and γTiAl was observed from SEM images. Similarly, mineralization nodules corresponding to cell differentiation associated with the osseogenetic process were observed confirmed by Alizarin Red S staining. Immunofluorescence analysis to detect the presence of collagen Type I showed an increase in the segregation of collagen as a function of time. The impedance values obtained from EIS testing are indicative of the corrosion protection offered to the Ti alloy substrates by the cell layer. This study shows that γTiAl has better corrosion resistance than that of Ti-6Al-4V in the αMEM+FBS environment in the presence of MC3T3-E1 cells. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of anaemia associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Study of associated variables.

PubMed

Comeche Casanova, Lorena; Echave-Sustaeta, Jose María; García Luján, Ricardo; Albarrán Lozano, Irene; Alonso González, Pablo; Llorente Alonso, María Jesús

2013-09-01

Anaemia is one of the extrapulmonary manifestations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Its real prevalence, physiopathology and clinical repercussion are unknown. The objectives of our study were: to determine the prevalence of anaemia in patients with stable COPD not attributable to other causes and to establish the relationship of anaemia with clinical, prognostic and inflammatory markers with an important role in COPD. The study included stable COPD patients with no other known causes of anaemia. The following tests were carried out: respiratory function tests; serum determination of erythropoietin and inflammatory markers: high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), fibrinogen, interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8) and tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α). Body mass index (BMI), Charlson and BODE indices, the number of exacerbations in the previous year, dyspnoea and quality of life were also calculated. One hundred and thirty patients were included. Anaemia prevalence was 6.2%. Mean haemoglobin value in anaemic patients was 11.9±0.95g/dL. Patients with anaemia had a lower BMI (P=.03), higher Charlson index (P=.002), more elevated erythropoietin levels (P=.016), a tendency to present a lower FEV1% value (P=.08) and significantly lower IL-6 values when compared to non-anaemic patients (P=.003). In our series, the anaemia associated with COPD was less prevalent than that published in the literature to date, and was related to certain clinical and inflammatory markers. Copyright © 2013 SEPAR. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Determinants of exercise-induced oxygen desaturation including pulmonary emphysema in COPD: Results from the ECLIPSE study.

PubMed

Andrianopoulos, Vasileios; Celli, Bartolome R; Franssen, Frits M E; Pinto-Plata, Victor M; Calverley, Peter M A; Vanfleteren, Lowie E G W; Vogiatzis, Ioannis; Vestbo, Jørgen; Agusti, Alvar; Bakke, Per S; Rennard, Stephen I; MacNee, William; Tal-Singer, Ruth; Yates, Julie C; Wouters, Emiel F M; Spruit, Martijn A

2016-10-01

Exercise-induced oxygen desaturation (EID) is related to mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We investigated: (1) the prevalence of EID; (2) the relative-weight of several physiological determinants of EID including pulmonary emphysema, and (3) the relationship of EID with certain patients' clinical characteristics. Data from 2050 COPD patients (age: 63.3 ± 7.1years; FEV 1 : 48.7 ± 15.7%pred.) were analyzed. The occurrence of EID (SpO 2 post ≤88%) at the six-minute walking test (6MWT) was investigated in association with emphysema quantified by computed-tomography (QCT), and several clinical characteristics. 435 patients (21%) exhibited EID. Subjects with EID had more QCT-emphysema, lower exercise capacity and worse health-status (BODE, ADO indexes) compared to non-EID. Determinant of EID were obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m 2 ), impaired FEV 1 (≤44%pred.), moderate or worse emphysema, and low SpO 2 at rest (≤93%). Linear regression indicated that each 1-point increase on the ADO-score independently elevates odds ratio (≤1.5fold) for EID. About one in five COPD patients in the ECLIPSE cohort present EID. Advanced emphysema is associated with EID. In addition, obesity, severe airflow limitation, and low resting oxygen saturation increase the risk for EID. Patients with EID in GOLD stage II have higher odds to have moderate or worse emphysema compared those with EID in GOLD stage III-IV. Emphysematous patients with high ADO-score should be monitored for EID. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality of dissolved organic matter affects planktonic but not biofilm bacterial production in streams.

PubMed

Kamjunke, Norbert; Herzsprung, Peter; Neu, Thomas R

2015-02-15

Streams and rivers are important sites of organic carbon mineralization which is dependent on the land use within river catchments. Here we tested whether planktonic and epilithic biofilm bacteria differ in their response to the quality of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Thus, planktonic and biofilm bacterial production was compared with patterns of DOC along a land-use gradient in the Bode catchment area (Germany). The freshness index of DOC was positively related to the proportion of agricultural area in the catchment. The humification index correlated with the proportion of forest area. Abundance and production of planktonic bacteria were lower in headwaters than at downstream sites. Planktonic production was weakly correlated to the total concentration of DOC but more strongly to quality-measures as revealed by spectra indexes, i.e. positively to the freshness index and negatively to the humification index. In contrast to planktonic bacteria, abundance and production of biofilm bacteria were independent of DOC quality. This finding may be explained by the association of biofilm bacteria with benthic algae and an extracellular matrix which represent additional substrate sources. The data show that planktonic bacteria seem to be regulated at a landscape scale controlled by land use, whereas biofilm bacteria are regulated at a biofilm matrix scale controlled by autochthonous production. Thus, the effects of catchment-scale land use changes on ecosystem processes are likely lower in small streams dominated by biofilm bacteria than in larger streams dominated by planktonic bacteria. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Moisture Fluxes Derived from EOS Aqua Satellite Data for the North Water Polynya Over 2003-2009

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boisvert, Linette N.; Markus, Thorsten; Parkinson, Claire L.; Vihma, Timo

2012-01-01

Satellite data were applied to calculate the moisture flux from the North Water polynya during a series of events spanning 2003-2009. The fluxes were calculated using bulk aerodynamic formulas with the stability effects according to the Monin-Obukhov similarity theory. Input parameters were taken from three sources: air relative humidity, air temperature, and surface temperature from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) onboard NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) Aqua satellite, sea ice concentration from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E, also onboard Aqua), and wind speed from the ECMWF ERA-Interim reanalysis. Our results show the progression of the moisture fluxes from the polynya during each event, as well as their atmospheric effects after the polynya has closed up. These results were compared to results from studies on other polynyas, and fall within one standard deviation of the moisture flux estimates from these studies. Although the estimated moisture fluxes over the entire study region from AIRS are smaller in magnitude than ERA-Interim, they are more accurate due to improved temperature and relative humidity profiles and ice concentration estimates over the polynya. Error estimates were calculated to be 5.56 x10(exp -3) g/sq. m/ s, only 25% of the total moisture flux, thus suggesting that AIRS and AMSR-E can be used with confidence to study smaller scale features in the Arctic sea ice pack and can capture their atmospheric effects. These findings bode well for larger-scale studies of moisture fluxes over the entire Arctic Ocean and the thinning ice pack.

Assessment of parental understanding by pediatric residents during counseling after newborn genetic screening.

PubMed

Farrell, Michael H; Kuruvilla, Pramita

2008-03-01

To investigate pediatric residents' efforts to assess understanding in discussions about positive newborn screening test results. Newborn screening saves lives, but confusion about false-positive and carrier results often leads to psychosocial problems. Explicit-criteria abstraction of transcripts of encounters with standardized parents of a fictitious infant found to carry cystic fibrosis or sickle cell hemoglobinopathy. Simulated doctor-patient encounter. Pediatric residents participating in an educational workshop on how to inform parents about positive newborn screening test results. Abstraction used an explicit-criteria data dictionary with definitions for 5 different ways to assess understanding. A "partial" designation was used for leading syntax or no pause for response. Interabstractor reliability over 59 transcripts (2 per resident) was kappa = 0.93. Only 26 of 59 transcripts (44.1%) met definite criteria for at least 1 assessment of understanding. Most assessments were the less effective close-ended (37.3% of transcripts) and "OK?" question types (32.2% of transcripts). Only 3 transcripts met definite criteria for an open-ended assessment and no transcripts included a request for a teach-back, the type thought to be most effective. Four transcripts (6.8%) included an advance request for questions. With partial-criteria assessments included, an additional 31 transcripts (52%) were identified. The small number of assessments of understanding and the high fraction of less effective assessments do not bode well for parental understanding, especially for parents with limited health literacy. Training programs should address assessments of understanding, but quality improvement activities using these types of assessment methods may also be needed.

Economic regulation of ambulance services in California.

PubMed

Narad, R A

1997-01-01

This study was intended to identify economic regulatory programs used by California counties (including ambulance franchising and rate setting), to inventory their foci and application, and to identify differences around the state. By studying the variety of programs used in one state, this study establishes a framework for evaluation of state and local regulatory programs elsewhere. This study surveyed all California local EMS agencies (LEMSAs); these are California's equivalent of regional EMS organizations. The survey achieved a 100% response rate, and all data involve population parameters obviating the need for inferential statistics. Seventy-three percent of California counties use economic regulations. Large-population counties and those that operate their own LEMSAs are more likely to use economic regulations than are small counties and those that participate in multicounty EMS agencies. Despite a preference for competition in the authorizing statute, most franchises were granted without competition to existing providers. The majority of franchises in the state were granted to public services. Most ambulance rate setting occurs outside of a competitive process. Economic regulations that were intended to provide a structured marketplace are often being used to protect existing providers, particularly public services, from competition. The growing interest by fire departments in entering the market for emergency ambulance service, along with the existing bias toward them in granting of franchises, does not bode well for use of the competitive process. The growth of managed care may change or eliminate the need for economic regulations but, if they are to continue, more state oversight should be considered.

Characterization of Molybdate Conversion Coatings for Aluminum Alloys by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calle, Luz Marina

2000-01-01

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to investigate the corrosion inhibiting properties of newly developed proprietary molybdate conversion coatings on aluminum alloy 2024-T3 under immersion in aerated 5% (w/w) NaCl. Corrosion potential and EIS measurements were gathered for six formulations of the coating at several immersion times for two weeks. Nyquist as well as Bode plots of the data were obtained. The conversion-coated alloy panels showed an increase in the corrosion potential during the first 24 hours of immersion that later subsided and approached a steady value. Corrosion potential measurements indicated that formulations A, D, and F exhibit a protective effect on aluminum 2024-T3. The EIS spectra of the conversion-coated alloy were characterized by an impedance that is higher than the impedance of the bare alloy at all the immersion times. The low frequency impedance, Z(sub lf) (determined from the value at 0.05 Hz) for the conversion-coated alloy was higher at all the immersion times than that of the bare panel. This indicates improvement of corrosion resistance with addition of the molybdate conversion coating. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the presence of cracks in the coating and the presence of cubic crystals believed to be calcium carbonate. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) of the test panels revealed the presence of high levels of aluminum, oxygen, and calcium but did not detect the presence of molybdenum on the test panels. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated the presence of less than 0.01 atomic percent molybdenum on the surface of the coating.

Can identification of a fourth domain of life be made from sequence data alone, and could it be done on Mars?

PubMed

Poole, Anthony M; Willerslev, Eske

2007-10-01

A central question in astrobiology is whether life exists elsewhere in the universe. If so, is it related to Earth life? Technologies exist that enable identification of DNA- or RNA-based microbial life directly from environmental samples here on Earth. Such technologies could, in principle, be applied to the search for life elsewhere; indeed, efforts are underway to initiate such a search. However, surveying for nucleic acid-based life on other planets, if attempted, must be carried out with caution, owing to the risk of contamination by Earth-based life. Here we argue that the null hypothesis must be that any DNA discovered and sequenced from samples taken elsewhere in the universe are Earth-based contaminants. Experience from studies of low-biomass ancient DNA demonstrates that some results, by their very nature, will not enable complete rejection of the null hypothesis. In terms of eliminating contamination as an explanation of the data, there may be value in identification of sequences that lie outside the known diversity of the three domains of life. We therefore have examined whether a fourth domain could be readily identified from environmental DNA sequence data alone. We concluded that, even on Earth, this would be far from trivial, and we illustrate this point by way of examples drawn from the literature. Overall, our conclusions do not bode well for planned PCR-based surveys for life on Mars, and we argue that other independent biosignatures will be essential in corroborating any claims for the presence of life based on nucleic acid sequences.

Controlled sp(2) Functionalization of Boron Doped Diamond as a Route for the Fabrication of Robust and Nernstian pH Electrodes.

PubMed

Ayres, Zoë J; Borrill, Alexandra J; Newland, Jonathan C; Newton, Mark E; Macpherson, Julie V

2016-01-05

The development of a voltammetric boron doped diamond (BDD) pH sensor is described. To obtain pH sensitivity, laser micromachining (ablation) is utilized to introduce controlled regions of sp(2) carbon into a high quality polycrystalline BDD electrode. The resulting sp(2) carbon is activated to produce electrochemically reducible quinone groups using a high temperature acid treatment, followed by anodic polarization. Once activated, no further treatment is required. The quinone groups show a linear (R(2) = 0.999) and Nernstian (59 mV/(pH unit)) pH-dependent reductive current-voltage response over a large analyzable pH range, from pH 2 to pH 12. Using the laser approach, it is possible to optimize sp(2) coverage on the BDD surface, such that a measurable pH response is recorded, while minimizing background currents arising from oxygen reduction reactions on sp(2) carbon in the potential region of interest. This enables the sensor to be used in aerated solutions, boding well for in situ analysis. The voltammetric response of the electrode is not compromised by the presence of excess metal ions such as Pb(2+), Cd(2+), Cu(2+), and Zn(2+). Furthermore, the pH sensor is stable over a 3 month period (the current time period of testing), can be stored in air between measurements, requires no reactivation of the surface between measurements, and can be reproducibly fabricated using the proposed approach. The efficacy of this pH sensor in a real-world sample is demonstrated with pH measurements in U.K. seawater.

Breeding biology and success of a reintroduced population of the critically endangered Puaiohi (Myadestes palmeri)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tweed, E.J.; Foster, J.T.; Woodworth, B.L.; Monahan, W.B.; Kellerman, J.L.; Lieberman, A.

2006-01-01

The ultimate success of reintroduction programs for endangered species depends on the ability of reintroduced animals to breed in the wild. We studied the nesting success and breeding biology of a reintroduced population of Puaiohi (Myadestes palmeri) on the island of Kaua'i, Hawaii. Thirty-four captive-bred Puaiohi were released into the Alaka'i Swamp in 1999-2001 and monitored using radiotelemetry. Ten females and two males paired with wild and other released birds, including one polygynous trio. From March to September, 31 nests were built. Mean clutch size was 2.0 eggs, daily nest survival was 0.97 ± 0.01 (mean ± SE) and overall nest success was 0.40 ± 0.02. We confirmed predation, most probably by rats (Rattus spp.), as the greatest cause of nest failure, occurring at 38% of active nests with known fates, and causing the death of two nesting adult females. Ground-based rodent control proved ineffective at protecting nest attempts. Successful nests fledged an average of 1.4 young each (n = 10), and 85% of fledglings survived at least two weeks. Importantly, breeding behavior and success were comparable to those of wild Puaiohi. This is the first record of breeding in the wild from captive-bred endangered Hawaiian passerines. The ability of captive-bred Puaiohi to survive and breed successfully in the wild bodes well for future releases of this and other endangered passerines, but high predation rates on nests and nesting females highlights the importance of maintaining and restoring safe habitat for recovery.

African American Dementia Caregiver Problem Inventory: Descriptive analysis and initial psychometric evaluation.

PubMed

Wells, Brittny A; Glueckauf, Robert L; Bernabe, Daniel; Kazmer, Michelle M; Schettini, Gabriel; Springer, Jane; Sharma, Dinesh; Meng, Hongdao; Willis, Floyd B; Graff-Radford, Neill

2017-02-01

The primary objectives of the present study were: (a) to develop the African American Dementia Caregiver Problem Inventory (DCPI-A) that assesses the types and frequency of problems reported by African American dementia caregivers seeking cognitive-behavioral intervention, (b) to evaluate the intercoder reliability of the DCPI-A, and (c) to measure the perceived severity of common problems reported by this caregiver population. The development of the DCPI-A was divided into 3 major steps: (a) creating an initial sample pool of caregiver problems derived from 2 parent randomized clinical trials, (b) formulating a preliminary version of the DCPI-A, and (c) finalizing the development of the DCPI-A that includes 20 problem categories with explicit coding rules, definitions, and illustrative examples. The most commonly reported caregiver problems fell into 5 major categories: (a) communication problems with care recipients, family members, and/or significant others, (b) problems with socialization, recreation, and personal enhancement time; (c) problems with physical health and health maintenance, (d) problems in managing care recipients' activities of daily living; and (e) problems with care recipients' difficult behaviors. Intercoder reliability was moderately high for both percent agreement and Cronbach's kappa. A similar positive pattern of results was obtained for the analysis of coder drift. The descriptive analysis of the types and frequency of problems of African American dementia caregivers coupled with the outcomes of the psychometric evaluation bode well for the adoption of the DCPI-A in clinical settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: knowing what we mean, meaning what we say.

PubMed

Joshi, J M

2008-01-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is defined in several different ways using different criteria based on symptoms, physiological impairment and pathological abnormalities. While some use COPD to mean smoking related chronic airway disease, others include all disorders causing chronic airway obstruction. When COPD is used as a broad descriptive term, specific disorders that cause chronic airway obstruction remain under-diagnosed and the prevalence estimates vary considerably. The lack of agreement over the precise terminology and classification of COPD has resulted in widespread confusion. Terminology includes definition, diagnostic criteria, and a system for staging severity. Recently, COPD is defined more clearly and diagnosed using precise criteria that include tobacco smoking greater than 10 pack years, symptoms and airway obstruction on spirometry. A multi-dimensional severity grading system, the BODE (body mass index, obstruction, dyspnoea, and exercise tolerance) index has been designed to assess the respiratory and systemic expressions of COPD. This review proposes that the broad group of chronic disorders of the airways (with or without airway obstruction) be called chronic airway disease (CAD). The term COPD should be used exclusively for tobacco smoking related chronic airway disease. Chronic airway obstruction or obstructive lung disease may be used to define those conditions with airways obstruction caused by factors other than tobacco smoking. The aetiology may be appended to the label, for example, chronic airway obstruction/obstructive lung disease associated with bronchiectasis, chronic airway obstruction/obstructive lung disease associated with obliterative bronchiolitis or chronic airway obstruction/obstructive lung disease due to biomass fuel/occupational exposure.

Comparison of TRMM Ground Validation and Satellite Rain Intensity Estimates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolff, David B.; Lawrence, Richard

2005-01-01

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Ground Validation (GV) Program began in the late 1980's and has provided a wealth of data and resources for validating TRMM satellite estimates. The TRMM GV program's main operational task is to provide rainfall products for four sites: Darwin, Australia (DARW); Houston, Texas (HSTN); Kwajalein, Republic of the Marshall Islands (KWAJ); and, Melbourne, Florida (MELB). A comparison between TRMM Ground Validation (Version 5) and Satellite (Version 6) rain intensity estimates is presented. The full suite of Version 6 satellite data is currently being generated by the TRMM Science Data and Information System (TSDIS) and should be completed some time near the end of 2005. The gridded satellite product (3G68) will be compared to GV Level II rain-intensity and -type maps (2A53 and 2A54, respectively). The 3G68 product represents a 0.5 deg x 0.5 deg data grid providing estimates of rain intensities from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), Microwave Imager (TMI) and Combined (COM) algorithms. The comparisons will be sub-setted according to geographical type (land, coast and ocean). A bias statistic will be presented that provides quantification of the relative differences between the various estimators. Previous comparisons of an interim satellite product (Version 6a) showed that all of the estimates (GV and satellite) are converging, with some expected discrepancies. The convergence of the GV and satellite estimates bodes well for expectations for the proposed Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) program and this study and others are being leveraged towards planning GV goals for GPM.

Occurence of adverse events due to continuous glucose monitoring.

PubMed

Jadviscokova, Tereza; Fajkusova, Zuzana; Pallayova, Maria; Luza, Jiri; Kuzmina, Galina

2007-12-01

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) using transcutaneous sensors is becoming a sophisticated method to control and regulate glucose metabolism. The transcutaneous sensor of the CGM system (CGMS Medtronic Minimed, Northridge, CA, USA) is chosen to measure glucose concentration in interstitial fluid up to three days after insertion even though its function remains stable for a longer period. The question arises, which factors really limit the period of sensor insertion without unnecessary risk. The aim of this study was to assess any adverse events occurring in the course of 9 days after the sensor insertion. In a group of 22 healthy volunteers aged 21.8+/-1.30 y (mean +/- SE) a total of 26 sensors was inserted subcutaneously in gluteal or lumbar region for 9 days. Before insertion the site was sprayed with an antiseptic (Cutasept F, Bode Chemie, Hamburg, Germany). Local adverse reactions and disturbances in general condition were examined. In the course of 184 sensor-days, there were only minor local adverse events: hypersensitivity, itching, pain, redness, burning, subcutaneous hemorrhage. Additionally, sleep disturbances, attention deficits, problems related to the CGMS monitor, to adhesive tape and/or sensor were found. None of these resulted in sensor withdrawal. In 12 volunteers (55 %) no complications were observed. The sensor function measured according to electrical signals (ISIG) failed (always on day 1-2) in 4 cases (16 %). The present FDA approved 3-day insertion period for Medtronic transcutaneous sensor does not seem to limit its use and appears to be worth a careful revision.

Costs and benefits of Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: a randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

Farias, Catharinne C.; Resqueti, Vanessa; Dias, Fernando A. L.; Borghi-Silva, Audrey; Arena, Ross; Fregonezi, Guilherme A. F.

2014-01-01

Objective The current study evaluated the costs and benefits of a simple aerobic walking program for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Method This was a blinded randomized controlled clinical trial that recruited 72 patients diagnosed with COPD, 40 of whom were included in the study and divided into two groups [control group (CG) and pulmonary rehabilitation group (GPR)]. We assessed pulmonary function, distance covered during the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), respiratory and peripheral muscle strength, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), body composition, and level of activities of daily living (ADLs) before and after an 8-week walking program. The financial costs were calculated according to the pricing table of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). Results Only 34 of the 40 patients remained in the final sample; 16 in the CG and 18 in the GPR (FEV1: 50.9±14% predicted and FEV1: 56±0.5% predicted, respectively). The intervention group exhibited improvements in the 6MWT, sensation of dyspnea and fatigue, work performed, BODE index (p<0.01), HRQOL, ADL level (p<0.001), and lower limb strength (p<0.05). The final mean cost per patient for the GPR was R$ 148.75 (~US$ 75.00) and no patient significantly exceeded this value. However, 2 patients in the CG did exceed this value, incurring a cost of R$ 689.15 (~US$ 345.00). Conclusion Aerobic walking demonstrated significant clinical benefits in a cost-efficient manner in patients with COPD. PMID:24838809

Evolution and structure of sustainability science

PubMed Central

Bettencourt, Luís M. A.; Kaur, Jasleen

2011-01-01

The concepts of sustainable development have experienced extraordinary success since their advent in the 1980s. They are now an integral part of the agenda of governments and corporations, and their goals have become central to the mission of research laboratories and universities worldwide. However, it remains unclear how far the field has progressed as a scientific discipline, especially given its ambitious agenda of integrating theory, applied science, and policy, making it relevant for development globally and generating a new interdisciplinary synthesis across fields. To address these questions, we assembled a corpus of scholarly publications in the field and analyzed its temporal evolution, geographic distribution, disciplinary composition, and collaboration structure. We show that sustainability science has been growing explosively since the late 1980s when foundational publications in the field increased its pull on new authors and intensified their interactions. The field has an unusual geographic footprint combining contributions and connecting through collaboration cities and nations at very different levels of development. Its decomposition into traditional disciplines reveals its emphasis on the management of human, social, and ecological systems seen primarily from an engineering and policy perspective. Finally, we show that the integration of these perspectives has created a new field only in recent years as judged by the emergence of a giant component of scientific collaboration. These developments demonstrate the existence of a growing scientific field of sustainability science as an unusual, inclusive and ubiquitous scientific practice and bode well for its continued impact and longevity. PMID:22114186

Ocular allergy and dry eye syndrome.

PubMed

Bielory, Leonard

2004-10-01

Ocular allergy is a common clinical disorder that includes dry eye syndrome in its differential diagnosis. While ocular allergy treatments have continued to evolve since the early 1990s when the new prescription topical agents became available, there have been no major advances in the treatment of dry eye syndrome other than changes in the chemical structures of various artificial tear formulations. This review is timely and relevant due to the recent FDA approval of several new agents for the treatment of dry eye syndrome. The literature reviewed brings the practicing allergist/clinical immunologist up to date on the recent understanding that T-cell activation plays a key role in dry eye syndrome immunopathophysiology. In addition, the parallel novel treatment developments are discussed, including new formulations for tear substitutes, topical cyclosporine A and purinergic receptor (P2Y2) agonists. The recent developments bode well for patients who are referred for ocular allergy, including dry eye syndrome. A new formulation for a tear substitute that generates a 'soft gel' covering the ocular surface (in situ) is ideal for early forms of dry syndrome, while topical cyclosporine is the first new real prescription treatment for patients with moderate to severe forms of dry eye. Another potential agent to revolutionize the treatment of various disorders is based on the discovery of the purinergic receptor agonists. This is not only relevant for the production of mucin and the change in tear fluid content, but it may also have implications for other sinopulmonary disorders such as cystic fibrosis and chronic sinusitis.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease history assessment in Spain: a multidimensional chronic obstructive pulmonary disease evaluation. Study methods and organization.

PubMed

López-Campos, José Luis; Peces-Barba, Germán; Soler-Cataluña, Juan José; Soriano, Joan B; de Lucas Ramos, Pilar; de-Torres, Juan P; Marín, José M; Casanova, Ciro

2012-12-01

This present paper describes the method and the organization of the study known as the COPD History Assessment In SpaiN (CHAIN), whose main objective is to evaluate the long-term natural history of a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patient cohort from a multidimensional standpoint and to identify clinical phenotypes, in comparison with another non-COPD control cohort. CHAIN is a multicenter, observational study of prospective cohorts carried out at 36 Spanish hospitals. Both cohorts will be followed-up during a 5-year study period with complete office visits every 12 months and telephone interviews every 6 months in order to evaluate exacerbations and the vital state of the subjects. The recruitment period for cases was between 15 January 2010 and 31 March 2012. At each annual visit, information will be collected on: (i) clinical aspects (socio-economic situation, anthropometric data, comorbidities, smoking, respiratory symptoms, exacerbations, quality of life, anxiety-depression scale, daily life activities, treatments); (ii) respiratory function (spirometry, blood gases, hyperinflation, diffusion, respiratory pressures); (iii) BODE index (main study variable); (iv) peripheral muscle function, and (v) blood work-up (including IgE and cardiovascular risk factors). In addition, a serum bank will be created for the future determination of biomarkers. The data of the patients are anonymized in a database with a hierarchical access control in order to guarantee secure information access. The CHAIN study will provide information about the progression of COPD and it will establish a network of researchers for future projects related with COPD. Copyright © 2012 SEPAR. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Type of physical activity goal influences participation in healthy midlife women.

PubMed

Segar, Michelle L; Eccles, Jacquelynne S; Richardson, Caroline R

2008-01-01

Regular physical activity can help to prevent cardiovascular disease in women. Understanding midlife women's exercise goals could offer insight into their motivational facilitators and barriers, and assist in the development of better primary prevention strategies for this population. We sought to investigate the relationship between midlife women's physical activity goals and their physical activity participation over time. A random sample of healthy, midlife women (40-60 years of age) was selected to participate in a longitudinal study (n = 156). This study fit a linear mixed model to the data to investigate the fixed effects of physical activity goals on physical activity participation, controlling for Body Mass Index (BMI) and Social Support. Mediational analyses were conducted to investigate whether commitment and planning mediated these results. There were significant differences between participants with distinct types of goals on physical activity participation over time (i.e., baseline, 1 month, and 1 year postbaseline), controlling for the effects of BMI and Social Support. Participants with Weight Loss and Health Benefits goals participated in significantly less physical activity than those with Sense of Well-being and Stress Reduction goals. Commitment and Planning each mediated the relationship between participant goals and their physical activity participation. These data suggest having physical activity goals that aim to decrease weight or benefit health may not bode well for healthy midlife women who desire to sustain physically active lives. Instead, health care providers and health promotion specialists might better facilitate long-term participation among healthy women if they emphasize physical activity as a means to enhance their quality of life.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation in the intensive care unit: clinical, functional and quality of life at discharge and 3 months of follow up

PubMed Central

Viana, Renata Cristina Teixeira Pinto; Pincelli, Mariangela Pimentel; Pizzichini, Emílio; Silva, André Pacheco; Manes, Joice; Marconi, Tatiana Dias; Steidle, Leila John Marques

2017-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical/functional aspects and quality of life of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients who were discharged after an intensive care unit admission for acute respiratory failure. Methods This prospective study included chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients who were admitted to two intensive care units between December of 2010 and August of 2011 and evaluated over three visits after discharge. Thirty patients were included, and 20 patients completed the three-month follow up. Results There was a significant improvement in the following: forced expiratory flow in one second (L) (1.1/1.4/1.4; p = 0.019), six-minute walk test (m) (- /232.8 /272.6; p = 0.04), BODE score (7.5/5.0/3.8; p = 0.001), cognition measured by the Mini Mental State Examination (21/23.5/23.5; p = 0.008) and quality of life measured by the total Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire score (63.3/56.8/51, p = 0.02). The mean difference in the total score was 12.3 (between visits 1 and three). Important clinical differences were observed for the symptom score (18.8), activities score (5.2) and impact score (14.3). The majority of participants (80%) reported they would be willing to undergo a new intensive care unit admission. Conclusion Despite the disease severity, there was a significant clinical, functional and quality of life improvement at the end of the third month. Most patients would be willing to undergo a new intensive care unit admission. PMID:28444072

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation in the intensive care unit: clinical, functional and quality of life at discharge and 3 months of follow up.

PubMed

Viana, Renata Cristina Teixeira Pinto; Pincelli, Mariangela Pimentel; Pizzichini, Emílio; Silva, André Pacheco; Manes, Joice; Marconi, Tatiana Dias; Steidle, Leila John Marques

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical/functional aspects and quality of life of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients who were discharged after an intensive care unit admission for acute respiratory failure. This prospective study included chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients who were admitted to two intensive care units between December of 2010 and August of 2011 and evaluated over three visits after discharge. Thirty patients were included, and 20 patients completed the three-month follow up. There was a significant improvement in the following: forced expiratory flow in one second (L) (1.1/1.4/1.4; p = 0.019), six-minute walk test (m) (- /232.8 /272.6; p = 0.04), BODE score (7.5/5.0/3.8; p = 0.001), cognition measured by the Mini Mental State Examination (21/23.5/23.5; p = 0.008) and quality of life measured by the total Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire score (63.3/56.8/51, p = 0.02). The mean difference in the total score was 12.3 (between visits 1 and three). Important clinical differences were observed for the symptom score (18.8), activities score (5.2) and impact score (14.3). The majority of participants (80%) reported they would be willing to undergo a new intensive care unit admission. Despite the disease severity, there was a significant clinical, functional and quality of life improvement at the end of the third month. Most patients would be willing to undergo a new intensive care unit admission.

Corrigendum to "Geochemistry and geochronology of orthogneisses in Bode Saadu area, southwestern Nigeria and their implications for the Paleoproterozoic evolution of the area" [J. African Earth Sciences 109 (2015) 131-142

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okonkwo, Chukwuemeka T.; Ganev, Valentin Y.

2018-04-01

The authors regret the error in Table 1-Chemical composition of the orthogneisses where the sum of the elements for each sample was mistakenly indicated as LOI (loss on ignition). The correct table is given below.

Physical activity monitoring in COPD: compliance and associations with clinical characteristics in a multicenter study.

PubMed

Waschki, Benjamin; Spruit, Martijn A; Watz, Henrik; Albert, Paul S; Shrikrishna, Dinesh; Groenen, Miriam; Smith, Cayley; Man, William D-C; Tal-Singer, Ruth; Edwards, Lisa D; Calverley, Peter M A; Magnussen, Helgo; Polkey, Michael I; Wouters, Emiel F M

2012-04-01

Little is known about COPD patients' compliance with physical activity monitoring and how activity relates to disease characteristics in a multi-center setting. In a prospective study at three Northern European sites physical activity and clinical disease characteristics were measured in 134 COPD patients (GOLD-stage II-IV; BODE index 0-9) and 46 controls. Wearing time, steps per day, and the physical activity level (PAL) were measured by a multisensory armband over a period of 6 consecutive days (in total, 144 h). A valid measurement period was defined as ≥22 h wearing time a day on at least 5 days. The median wearing time was 142 h:17 min (99%), 141 h:1 min (98%), and 142 h:24 min (99%), respectively in the three centres. A valid measurement period was reached in 94%, 97%, and 94% of the patients and did not differ across sites (P = 0.53). The amount of physical activity did not differ across sites (mean steps per day, 4725 ± 3212, P = 0.58; mean PAL, 1.45 ± 0.20, P = 0.48). Multivariate linear regression analyses revealed significant associations of FEV1, 6-min walk distance, quadriceps strength, fibrinogen, health status, and dyspnoea with both steps per day and PAL. Previously unrecognized correlates of activity were grade of fatigue, degree of emphysema, and exacerbation rate. The excellent compliance with wearing a physical activity monitor irrespective of study site and consistent associations with relevant disease characteristics support the use of activity monitoring as a valid outcome in multi-center studies. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detection of wine grape nutrient levels using visible and near infrared 1nm spectral resolution remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Grant; van Aardt, Jan; Bajorski, Peter; Vanden Heuvel, Justine

2016-05-01

The grape industry relies on regular crop assessment to aid in the day-to-day and seasonal management of their crop. More specifically, there are six key nutrients of interest to viticulturists in the growing of wine grapes, namely nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, zinc and boron. Traditional methods of determining the levels of these nutrients are through collection and chemical analysis of petiole samples from the grape vines themselves. We collected ground-level observations of the spectra of the grape vines, using a hyperspectral spectrometer (0.4-2.5um), at the same time that petioles samples were harvested. We then interpolated the data into a consistent 1 nm spectral resolution before comparing it to the nutrient data collected. This nutrient data came from both the industry standard petiole analysis, as well as an additional leaf-level analysis. The data were collected for two different grape cultivars, both during bloom and veraison periods to provide variability, while also considering the impact of temporal/seasonal change. A narrow-band NDI (Normalized Difference Index) approach, as well as a simple ratio index, was used to determine the correlation of the reflectance data to the nutrient data. This analysis was limited to the silicon photodiode range to increase the utility of our approach for wavelength-specific cameras (via spectral filters) in a low cost drone platform. The NDI generated correlation coefficients were as high as 0.80 and 0.88 for bloom and veraison, respectively. The ratio index produced correlation coefficient results that are the same at two decimal places with 0.80 and 0.88. These results bode well for eventual non-destructive, accurate and precise assessment of vineyard nutrient status.

Accurate Measurement of Small Airways on Low-Dose Thoracic CT Scans in Smokers

PubMed Central

Conradi, Susan H.; Atkinson, Jeffrey J.; Zheng, Jie; Schechtman, Kenneth B.; Senior, Robert M.; Gierada, David S.

2013-01-01

Background: Partial volume averaging and tilt relative to the scan plane on transverse images limit the accuracy of airway wall thickness measurements on CT scan, confounding assessment of the relationship between airway remodeling and clinical status in COPD. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of partial volume averaging and tilt corrections on airway wall thickness measurement accuracy and on relationships between airway wall thickening and clinical status in COPD. Methods: Airway wall thickness measurements in 80 heavy smokers were obtained on transverse images from low-dose CT scan using the open-source program Airway Inspector. Measurements were corrected for partial volume averaging and tilt effects using an attenuation- and geometry-based algorithm and compared with functional status. Results: The algorithm reduced wall thickness measurements of smaller airways to a greater degree than larger airways, increasing the overall range. When restricted to analyses of airways with an inner diameter < 3.0 mm, for a theoretical airway of 2.0 mm inner diameter, the wall thickness decreased from 1.07 ± 0.07 to 0.29 ± 0.10 mm, and the square root of the wall area decreased from 3.34 ± 0.15 to 1.58 ± 0.29 mm, comparable to histologic measurement studies. Corrected measurements had higher correlation with FEV1, differed more between BMI, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity (BODE) index scores, and explained a greater proportion of FEV1 variability in multivariate models. Conclusions: Correcting for partial volume averaging improves accuracy of airway wall thickness estimation, allowing direct measurement of the small airways to better define their role in COPD. PMID:23172175

From identification of the BTK kinase to effective management of leukemia.

PubMed

Smith, C I E

2017-04-01

BTK is a cytoplasmic protein-tyrosine kinase, whose corresponding gene was isolated in the early 1990s. BTK was initially identified by positional cloning of the gene causing X-linked agammaglobulinemia and independently in a search for new kinases. Given the phenotype of affected patients, namely lack of B-lymphocytes and plasma cells with the ensuing inability to mount humoral immune responses, BTK inhibitors were anticipated to have beneficial effects on antibody-mediated pathologies, such as autoimmunity. In contrast to, for example, the SRC-family of cytoplasmic kinases, there was no obvious way in which structural alterations would yield constitutively active forms of BTK, and such mutations were also not found in leukemias or lymphomas. In 2007, the first efficient inhibitor, ibrutinib, was reported and soon became approved both in the United States and in Europe for the treatment of three B-cell malignancies, mantle cell lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and Waldenström's macroglobulinemia. Over the past few years, additional inhibitors have been developed, with acalabrutinib being more selective, and recently demonstrating fewer clinical adverse effects. The antitumor mechanism is also not related to mutations in BTK. Instead tumor residency in lymphoid organs is inhibited, making these drugs highly versatile. BTK is one of the only 10 human kinases that carry a cysteine in the adenosine triphosphate-binding cleft. As this allows for covalent, irreversible inhibitor binding, it provides these compounds with a highly advantageous character. This quality may be crucial and bodes well for the future of BTK-modifying medicines, which have been estimated to reach annual multi-billion dollar sales in the future.

From identification of the BTK kinase to effective management of leukemia

PubMed Central

Smith, C I E

2017-01-01

BTK is a cytoplasmic protein-tyrosine kinase, whose corresponding gene was isolated in the early 1990s. BTK was initially identified by positional cloning of the gene causing X-linked agammaglobulinemia and independently in a search for new kinases. Given the phenotype of affected patients, namely lack of B-lymphocytes and plasma cells with the ensuing inability to mount humoral immune responses, BTK inhibitors were anticipated to have beneficial effects on antibody-mediated pathologies, such as autoimmunity. In contrast to, for example, the SRC-family of cytoplasmic kinases, there was no obvious way in which structural alterations would yield constitutively active forms of BTK, and such mutations were also not found in leukemias or lymphomas. In 2007, the first efficient inhibitor, ibrutinib, was reported and soon became approved both in the United States and in Europe for the treatment of three B-cell malignancies, mantle cell lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and Waldenström's macroglobulinemia. Over the past few years, additional inhibitors have been developed, with acalabrutinib being more selective, and recently demonstrating fewer clinical adverse effects. The antitumor mechanism is also not related to mutations in BTK. Instead tumor residency in lymphoid organs is inhibited, making these drugs highly versatile. BTK is one of the only 10 human kinases that carry a cysteine in the adenosine triphosphate-binding cleft. As this allows for covalent, irreversible inhibitor binding, it provides these compounds with a highly advantageous character. This quality may be crucial and bodes well for the future of BTK-modifying medicines, which have been estimated to reach annual multi-billion dollar sales in the future. PMID:27669440

Stellar variability and its implications for photometric planet detection with Kepler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batalha, N. M.; Jenkins, J.; Basri, G. S.; Borucki, W. J.; Koch, D. G.

2002-01-01

Kepler is one of three candidates for the next NASA Discovery Mission and will survey the extended solar neighborhood to detect and characterize hundreds of terrestrial (and larger) planets in or near the habitable zone. Its strength lies in its ability to detect large numbers of Earth-sized planets - planets which produced a 10-4 change in relative stellar brightness during a transit across the disk of a sun-like parent star. Such a detection requires high instrumental relative precision and is facilitated by observing stars which are photometrically quiet on hourly timescales. Probing stellar variability across the HR diagram, one finds that many of the photometrically quietest stars are the F and G dwarfs. The Hipparcos photometric database shows the lowest photometric variances among stars of this spectral class. Our own Sun is a prime example with RMS variations over a few rotational cycles of typically (3 - 4)×10-4 (computed from VIRGO/DIARAD data taken Jan-Mar 2001). And variability on the hourly time scales crucial for planet detection is significantly smaller: just (2 - 5)×10-5. This bodes well for planet detection programs such as Kepler and Eddington. With significant numbers of photometrically quiet solar-type stars, Earth-sized planets should be readily identified provided they are abundant in the solar neighborhood. In support of the Kepler science objectives, we have initiated a study of stellar variability and its implications for planet detection. Herein, we summarize existing observational and theoretrical work with the objective of determining the percentage of stars in the Kepler field of view expected to be photometrically stable at a level which allows for Earth-sized planet detection.

[Effectiveness of an educational program for respiratory rehabilitation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease patients in Primary Care in improving the quality of life, symptoms, and clinical risk].

PubMed

Blánquez Moreno, Cristina; Colungo Francia, Cristina; Alvira Balada, M Carme; Kostov, Belchin; González-de Paz, Luis; Sisó-Almirall, Antoni

2017-10-04

To determine the impact of an educational program to improve the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that contributes to an increase of the quality of life, exercise capacity, level of dyspnoea, and clinical risk. Intervention study without controls. Primary Healthcare Centre. 193 patients with COPD were invited, 73 accepted and 55 participated in the educational program. Respiratory rehabilitation educational program with basic concepts of pulmonary and respiratory pathophysiology, respiratory physiotherapy exercises, practical workshop on the use of the most frequent inhalation devices, understanding of chronic disease and self-care measures in case of exacerbation. The quality of life (the COPD assessment test), exercise tolerance (the Six-Minute Walk Test), rating of perceived exertion (Borg Dyspnoea Score) and clinical risk (BODE index) were assessed by means of validated questionnaires in Spanish. A total of 43 (78.2%) participants completed the program. An improvement in the quality of life by a mean of 3.3 points was observed (95%CI; 1.76-4.84). Just over half (53.5%) of the participants obtained a clinically relevant improvement. Participants also improved their physical exercise capacity at post-intervention by increasing the distance that they walked in 6min by a mean of 20.76m (95%CI; 2.57-38.95). Improvements in the level of dyspnoea and clinical risk were also observed. The educational program shows a statistically significant and clinically relevant improvement in the quality of life, fatigue, symptomatology, exercise capacity, level of dyspnoea, and clinical risk. The program is adaptable to the health care routine of healthcare centres. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

In situ observations of coral bleaching in the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea during the 2015/2016 global coral bleaching event

PubMed Central

Ziegler, Maren; Roik, Anna; Röthig, Till; Hardenstine, Royale S.; Emms, Madeleine A.; Jensen, Thor; Voolstra, Christian R.; Berumen, Michael L.

2018-01-01

Coral bleaching continues to be one of the most devastating and immediate impacts of climate change on coral reef ecosystems worldwide. In 2015, a major bleaching event was declared as the “3rd global coral bleaching event” by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, impacting a large number of reefs in every major ocean. The Red Sea was no exception, and we present herein in situ observations of the status of coral reefs in the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea from September 2015, following extended periods of high temperatures reaching upwards of 32.5°C in our study area. We examined eleven reefs using line-intercept transects at three different depths, including all reefs that were surveyed during a previous bleaching event in 2010. Bleaching was most prevalent on inshore reefs (55.6% ± 14.6% of live coral cover exhibited bleaching) and on shallower transects (41% ± 10.2% of live corals surveyed at 5m depth) within reefs. Similar taxonomic groups (e.g., Agariciidae) were affected in 2015 and in 2010. Most interestingly, Acropora and Porites had similar bleaching rates (~30% each) and similar relative coral cover (~7% each) across all reefs in 2015. Coral genera with the highest levels of bleaching (>60%) were also among the rarest (<1% of coral cover) in 2015. While this bodes well for the relative retention of coral cover, it may ultimately lead to decreased species richness, often considered an important component of a healthy coral reef. The resultant long-term changes in these coral reef communities remain to be seen. PMID:29672556

Johann Gottfried Köhler - inspector at the Mathematical-Physical Salon in Dresden - an active observer of the starry sky in the last quarter of the 18th century (German Title: Johann Gottfried Köhler - Inspektor am Mathematisch-Physikalischen Salon Dresden - aktiver Beobachter des gestirnten Himmels im letzten Viertel des 18. Jahrhunderts )

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schillinger, Klaus

In 1777, J. G. Köhler, an academician trained in mathematics and the sciences and with a deep interest in astronomy, was appointed inspector of the Mathematical-Physical Salon. He was lucky to find, in the person of the Saxonian electoral prince and later king, August the Righteous, a ruler who was open-minded to science, and thus he could combine his private interests with those of the sovereign. While the files of the Mathematical-Physical Salon from his time were lost during World War II, his actions can be reconstructed from a few archival sources and notes in the diaries of his successors. The Saxonian residence did not have an astronomical observatory. Köhler used the instruments from the collection of the Mathematical-Physical Salon for numerous celestial observations. He was in close contact with a number of other astronomers like Bode and Zach. They took care of his results, sometimes after editing them. Time determinations based on longitude and latitude determinations, as well as other astronomical observations, led to the development of a time service, which was carried out for about 150 years. Köhler himself constructed the clocks. Because of his responsibilities as an inspector, as well as due to local and material constraints, he was not able to carry out systematic and reproducible measurements over a long time span. His improvement of the circular micrometer and his stop-down photometer are of special interest. He also had considerable talent in drawing, as is shown in his drawings of lunar mountains. A number of instruments used by Köhler are still to be found in the Mathematical-Physical Salon.

The Itajaí foreland basin: a tectono-sedimentary record of the Ediacaran period, Southern Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basei, M. A. S.; Drukas, C. O.; Nutman, A. P.; Wemmer, K.; Dunyi, L.; Santos, P. R.; Passarelli, C. R.; Campos Neto, M. C.; Siga, O.; Osako, L.

2011-04-01

The Itajaí Basin located in the southern border of the Luís Alves Microplate is considered as a peripheral foreland basin related to the Dom Feliciano Belt. It presents an excellent record of the Ediacaran period, and its upper parts display the best Brazilian example of Precambrian turbiditic deposits. The basal succession of Itajaí Group is represented by sandstones and conglomerates (Baú Formation) deposited in alluvial and deltaic-fan systems. The marine upper sequences correspond to the Ribeirão Carvalho (channelized and non-channelized proximal silty-argillaceous rhythmic turbidites), Ribeirão Neisse (arkosic sandstones and siltites), and Ribeirão do Bode (distal silty turbidites) formations. The Apiúna Formation felsic volcanic rocks crosscut the sedimentary succession. The Cambrian Subida leucosyenogranite represents the last felsic magmatic activity to affect the Itajaí Basin. The Brusque Group and the Florianópolis Batholith are proposed as source areas for the sediments of the upper sequence. For the lower continental units the source areas are the Santa Catarina, São Miguel and Camboriú complexes. The lack of any oceanic crust in the Itajaí Basin suggests that the marine units were deposited in a restricted, internal sea. The sedimentation started around 600 Ma and ended before 560 Ma as indicated by the emplacement of rhyolitic domes. The Itajaí Basin is temporally and tectonically correlated with the Camaquã Basin in Rio Grande do Sul and the Arroyo del Soldado/Piriápolis Basin in Uruguay. It also has several tectono-sedimentary characteristics in common with the African-equivalent Nama Basin.

ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO BRANCHES OF THE KYNURENINE PATHWAY IN THE RAT BRAIN IN VIVO

PubMed Central

Amori, Laura; Guidetti, Paolo; Pellicciari, Roberto; Kajii, Yasushi; Schwarcz, Robert

2013-01-01

In the mammalian brain, kynurenine aminotransferase II (KAT II) and kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO), key enzymes of the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan degradation, form the neuroactive metabolites kynurenic acid (KYNA) and 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK), respectively. Although physically segregated, both enzymes use the pivotal kynurenine pathway metabolite L-kynurenine as a substrate. We studied the functional consequences of this cellular compartmentalization in vivo using two specific tools, the KAT II inhibitor BFF 122 and the KMO inhibitor UPF 648. The acute effects of selective KAT II or KMO inhibition were studied using a radiotracing method in which the de novo synthesis of KYNA, and of 3-HK and its downstream metabolite quinolinic acid (QUIN), is monitored following an intrastriatal injection of 3H-kynurenine. In naïve rats, intrastriatal BFF 122 decreased newly formed KYNA by 66%, without influencing 3-HK or QUIN production. Conversely, UPF 648 reduced 3-HK synthesis (by 64%) without affecting KYNA formation. Similar, selective effects of KAT II and KMO inhibition were observed when the inhibitors were applied acutely together with the excitotoxin QUIN, which impairs local KP metabolism. Somewhat different effects of KMO (but not KAT II) inhibition were obtained in rats that had received an intrastriatal QUIN injection 7 days earlier. In these neuron-depleted striata, UPF 648 not only decreased both 3-HK and QUIN production (by 77% and 66%, respectively) but also moderately raised KYNA synthesis (by 27%). These results indicate a remarkable functional segregation of the two pathway branches in the brain, boding well for the development of selective KAT II or KMO inhibitors for cognitive enhancement and neuroprotection, respectively. PMID:19226371

On the relationship between the two branches of the kynurenine pathway in the rat brain in vivo.

PubMed

Amori, Laura; Guidetti, Paolo; Pellicciari, Roberto; Kajii, Yasushi; Schwarcz, Robert

2009-04-01

In the mammalian brain, kynurenine aminotransferase II (KAT II) and kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO), key enzymes of the kynurenine pathway (KP) of tryptophan degradation, form the neuroactive metabolites kynurenic acid (KYNA) and 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK), respectively. Although physically segregated, both enzymes use the pivotal KP metabolite l-kynurenine as a substrate. We studied the functional consequences of this cellular compartmentalization in vivo using two specific tools, the KAT II inhibitor BFF 122 and the KMO inhibitor UPF 648. The acute effects of selective KAT II or KMO inhibition were studied using a radiotracing method in which the de novo synthesis of KYNA, and of 3-HK and its downstream metabolite quinolinic acid (QUIN), is monitored following an intrastriatal injection of (3)H-kynurenine. In naïve rats, intrastriatal BFF 122 decreased newly formed KYNA by 66%, without influencing 3-HK or QUIN production. Conversely, UPF 648 reduced 3-HK synthesis (by 64%) without affecting KYNA formation. Similar, selective effects of KAT II and KMO inhibition were observed when the inhibitors were applied acutely together with the excitotoxin QUIN, which impairs local KP metabolism. Somewhat different effects of KMO (but not KAT II) inhibition were obtained in rats that had received an intrastriatal QUIN injection 7 days earlier. In these neuron-depleted striata, UPF 648 not only decreased both 3-HK and QUIN production (by 77% and 66%, respectively) but also moderately raised KYNA synthesis (by 27%). These results indicate a remarkable functional segregation of the two pathway branches in the brain, boding well for the development of selective KAT II or KMO inhibitors for cognitive enhancement and neuroprotection, respectively.

Tracking the careers of academic general pediatric fellowship program graduates: academic productivity and leadership roles.

PubMed

Szilagyi, Peter G; Haggerty, Robert J; Baldwin, Constance D; Paradis, Heather A; Foltz, Jennifer L; Vincelli, Phyllis; Blumkin, Aaron; Cheng, Tina L

2011-01-01

Little is known about the careers of graduates of academic general pediatric (AGP) fellowship programs. We evaluated the careers of 2 cohorts of AGP fellowship graduates: an early cohort trained during 1978 to 1988, and a later cohort trained during 1989 to 1999. We surveyed all known AGP fellowship graduates in both cohorts by using a confidential mailed survey. We assessed graduates' current professional work and analyzed curricula vitae for principal investigator (PI) grants; first-authored, peer-reviewed publications; and leadership positions. From the early cohort, 95 of 131 eligible graduates (73%) responded; from the later cohort, 93 of 133 (70%) responded. Two thirds of each cohort remain in academics; of these, nearly half are on tenure tracks and over half have major educational roles within their university. The percentage in the early cohort who have been PI on a research grant by 5, 10, and 15 years postfellowship was 44%, 53%, and 54%, respectively; in the later cohort, it was 62%, 75%, and 75%, respectively (P = .004 vs early cohort). During the 10 years postfellowship, the early and later cohorts averaged 5.5 and 7.4 first-authored, peer-reviewed papers, respectively (P = .4). By 10 years, a high proportion of both cohorts had become division chief (19% vs 16%), had other academic leadership positions (43% vs 59%), or were leaders in professional organizations (20% vs 30%; all P = NS). Graduates of AGP fellowship programs have achieved considerable academic success. Recently trained fellows appear even more successful. The academic outcomes of these AGP fellows bode well for the future of AGP. Copyright © 2011 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Self-organizing systems in planetary physics: Harmonic resonances of planet and moon orbits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aschwanden, Markus J.

2018-01-01

The geometric arrangement of planet and moon orbits into a regularly spaced pattern of distances is the result of a self-organizing system. The positive feedback mechanism that operates a self-organizing system is accomplished by harmonic orbit resonances, leading to long-term stable planet and moon orbits in solar or stellar systems. The distance pattern of planets was originally described by the empirical Titius-Bode law, and by a generalized version with a constant geometric progression factor (corresponding to logarithmic spacing). We find that the orbital periods Ti and planet distances Ri from the Sun are not consistent with logarithmic spacing, but rather follow the quantized scaling (Ri + 1 /Ri) =(Ti + 1 /Ti) 2 / 3 =(Hi + 1 /Hi) 2 / 3 , where the harmonic ratios are given by five dominant resonances, namely (Hi + 1 :Hi) =(3 : 2) ,(5 : 3) ,(2 : 1) ,(5 : 2) ,(3 : 1) . We find that the orbital period ratios tend to follow the quantized harmonic ratios in increasing order. We apply this harmonic orbit resonance model to the planets and moons in our solar system, and to the exo-planets of 55 Cnc and HD 10180 planetary systems. The model allows us a prediction of missing planets in each planetary system, based on the quasi-regular self-organizing pattern of harmonic orbit resonance zones. We predict 7 (and 4) missing exo-planets around the star 55 Cnc (and HD 10180). The accuracy of the predicted planet and moon distances amounts to a few percents. All analyzed systems are found to have ≈ 10 resonant zones that can be occupied with planets (or moons) in long-term stable orbits.

Effects of a higher dose of near-infrared light on clinical signs and neuroprotection in a monkey model of Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Moro, Cécile; El Massri, Nabil; Darlot, Fannie; Torres, Napoleon; Chabrol, Claude; Agay, Diane; Auboiroux, Vincent; Johnstone, Daniel M; Stone, Jonathan; Mitrofanis, John; Benabid, Alim-Louis

2016-10-01

We have reported previously that intracranial application of near-infrared light (NIr) - when delivered at the lower doses of 25J and 35J - reduces clinical signs and offers neuroprotection in a subacute MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) monkey model of Parkinson's disease. In this study, we explored whether a higher NIr dose (125J) generated beneficial effects in the same MPTP monkey model (n=15). We implanted an NIr (670nm) optical fibre device within a midline region of the midbrain in macaque monkeys, close to the substantia nigra of both sides. MPTP injections (1.8-2.1mg/kg) were made over a five day period, during which time the NIr device was turned on and left on continuously throughout the ensuing three week survival period. Monkeys were evaluated clinically and their brains processed for immunohistochemistry and stereology. Our results showed that the higher NIr dose did not have any toxic impact on cells at the midbrain implant site. Further, this NIr dose resulted in a higher number of nigral tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive cells when compared to the MPTP group. However, the higher NIr dose monkeys showed little evidence for an increase in mean clinical score, number of nigral Nissl-stained cells and density of striatal tyrosine hydroxylase terminations. In summary, the higher NIr dose of 125J was not as beneficial to MPTP-treated monkeys as compared to the lower doses of 25J and 35J, boding well for strategies of NIr dose delivery and device energy consumption in a future clinical trial. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Fatigue and Fatigue Intensity on Exercise Tolerance in Moderate COPD.

PubMed

Al-Shair, Khaled; Kolsum, Umme; Singh, Dave; Vestbo, Jørgen

2016-12-01

Fatigue is one of the most disabling symptoms in COPD, but little is known about the impact of fatigue on functional disability. We explored the impact of fatigue and fatigue intensity on exercise tolerance after adjusting for other factors using multivariate analysis and compared it to that of dyspnoea. A total of 119 patients with mainly moderate-severe stable COPD (38 % women, mean age 66 years) were enrolled. We used the Medical Research Council dyspnoea scores (MRC), Manchester COPD fatigue scale (MCFS) and its three dimensions, Borg scales for fatigue and dyspnoea, six-minute walk distance (6MWD), St George's Respiratory Questionnaire, the BODE index, and the Centre for Epidemiological Study on Depression scale (CES-D), and we measured spirometry, blood gases, systemic inflammatory markers and fat-free mass index (FFMI). Fatigue measured using the MCFS was associated with 6MWD and explained 22 % of the variability in 6MWD (p < 0.001). Fatigue remained associated with 6MWD after adjusting for MRC dyspnoea, FFMI and FEV 1 , FVC, PaO 2 , PaCO 2 , CES-D, TNF-alpha, smoking status, age and gender. We found that 33, 50 and 23 % of patients reported an increase by 2 scores on Borg scales for fatigue, dyspnoea or both at the end of the 6MWT. Fatigue scores (both before and after the 6MWT) were negatively correlated with 6MWD after adjusting for FEV 1 , FFMI, CES-D score and age (p = 0.007 and 0.001, respectively). In moderate stable COPD, fatigue may be a central driver of functional disability, to the same extent as dyspnoea.

Subretinal Implantation of Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells Derived From Human Embryonic Stem Cells: Improved Survival When Implanted as a Monolayer

PubMed Central

Diniz, Bruno; Thomas, Padmaja; Thomas, Biju; Ribeiro, Ramiro; Hu, Yuntao; Brant, Rodrigo; Ahuja, Ashish; Zhu, Danhong; Liu, Laura; Koss, Michael; Maia, Mauricio; Chader, Gerald; Hinton, David R.; Humayun, Mark S.

2013-01-01

Purpose. To evaluate cell survival and tumorigenicity of human embryonic stem cell–derived retinal pigment epithelium (hESC-RPE) transplantation in immunocompromised nude rats. Cells were transplanted as a cell suspension (CS) or as a polarized monolayer plated on a parylene membrane (PM). Methods. Sixty-nine rats (38 male, 31 female) were surgically implanted with CS (n = 33) or PM (n = 36). Cohort subsets were killed at 1, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Both ocular tissues and systemic organs (brain, liver, kidneys, spleen, heart, and lungs) were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde, embedded in paraffin, and sectioned. Every fifth section was stained with hematoxylin and eosin and analyzed histologically. Adjacent sections were processed for immunohistochemical analysis (as needed) using the following antibodies: anti-RPE65 (RPE-specific marker), anti-TRA-1-85 (human cell marker), anti-Ki67 (proliferation marker), anti-CD68 (macrophage), and anti-cytokeratin (epithelial marker). Results. The implanted cells were immunopositive for the RPE65 and TRA-1-85. Cell survival (P = 0.006) and the presence of a monolayer (P < 0.001) of hESC-RPE were significantly higher in eyes that received the PM. Gross morphological and histological analysis of the eye and the systemic organs after the surgery revealed no evidence of tumor or ectopic tissue formation in either group. Conclusions. hESC-RPE can survive for at least 12 months in an immunocompromised animal model. Polarized monolayers of hESC-RPE show improved survival compared to cell suspensions. The lack of teratoma or any ectopic tissue formation in the implanted rats bodes well for similar results with respect to safety in human subjects. PMID:23833067

The effect of positive expiratory pressure (PEP) therapy on symptoms, quality of life and incidence of re-exacerbation in patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a multicentre, randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Osadnik, Christian R; McDonald, Christine F; Miller, Belinda R; Hill, Catherine J; Tarrant, Ben; Steward, Ranjana; Chao, Caroline; Stodden, Nicole; Oliveira, Cristino C; Gagliardi, Nadia; Holland, Anne E

2014-02-01

Positive expiratory pressure (PEP) is a technique used to enhance sputum clearance during acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). The impact of PEP therapy during acute exacerbations on clinically important outcomes is not clear. This study sought to determine the effect of PEP therapy on symptoms, quality of life and future exacerbations in patients with AECOPD. 90 inpatients (58 men; mean age 68.6 years, FEV(1) 40.8% predicted) with AECOPD and sputum expectoration were randomised to receive usual care (including physical exercise)±PEP therapy. The Breathlessness, Cough and Sputum Scale (BCSS), St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and BODE index (Body mass index, airflow Obstruction, Dyspnoea, Exercise tolerance) were measured at discharge, 8 weeks and 6 months following discharge, and analysed via linear mixed models. Exacerbations and hospitalisations were recorded using home diaries. There were no significant between-group differences over time for BCSS score [mean (SE) at discharge 5.2 (0.4) vs 5.0 (0.4) for PEP and control group, respectively; p=0.978] or SGRQ total score [41.6 (2.6) vs 40.8 (2.8) at 8 weeks, p=0.872]. Dyspnoea improved more rapidly in the PEP group over the first 8 weeks (p=0.006), however these benefits were not observed at 6 months. Exacerbations (p=0.986) and hospitalisations (p=0.359) did not differ between groups. We found no evidence that PEP therapy during AECOPD improves important short-term or long-term outcomes. There does not appear to be a routine role for PEP therapy in the management of such individuals.

Out of the Shadows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byers, Nina; Williams, Gary

2006-08-01

Foreword Freeman J. Dyson; Introduction Nina Byers; 1. Hertha Aryton 1854-1923 Joan Mason; 2. Margaret Maltby 1860-1944 Peggy Kidwell; 3. Agnes Pockels 1862-1935 Gary A. Williams; 4. Marie Curie 1867-1934 A. Pais; 5. Henrietta Leavitt 1868-1921 Jean L. Turner; 6. Harriet Brooks 1876-1933 C. W. Wong; 7. Lise Meitner 1878-1968 Ruth Lewin Sime; 8. Emmy Noether 1882-1935 Nina Byers; 9. Inge Lehmann 1888-1993 Bruce A. Bolt; 10. Marietta Blau 1894-1970 Leopold Halpern and Maurice M. Shapiro; 11. Hertha Sponer 1895-1968 Helmut Rechenberg; 12. Irene Joliot-Curie 1897-1956 Hélène Langevin-Joliot and Pierre Radvanyi; 13. Katherine Burr Blodgett 1898-1979 Gary A. Williams; 14. Cecilia Payne Gaposchkin 1900-1979 Vera C. Rubin; 15. Mary Cartwright 1900-1998 Freeman J. Dyson; 16. Bertha Jeffreys 1903-1999 Ruth M. Williams; 17. Kathleen Yardley Lonsdale1903-1971 Judith Milledge; 18. Maria Goeppert Mayer 1906-1972 Steven A. Moszkowski; 19. Helen Megaw 1907-2002 A. Michael Glazer and Christine Kelsey; 20. Yvette Cauchois 1908-1999 Christiane Bonnelle; 21. Marguerite Perey 1909-1975 Jean-Pierre Adloff and George B. Kauffman; 22. Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin 1910-1994 Jenny P. Glusker; 23. Gertrude Scharff Goldhaber 1911-1998 Alfred Scharff Goldhaber; 24. Chien Shiung Wu 1912-1997 Noemie Bencze-Koller; 25. Margaret E. Burbidge 1919 Virginia Trimble; 26. Phyllis Freier 1921-1992 Cecil J. Waddington; 27. Rosalyn S. Yalow 1921 M. S. Dresselhaus and F. A. Stahl; 28. Esther Conwell 1922 Lewis Rothberg; 29. Cecile Dewitt-Morette 1922 Bryce DeWitt; 30. Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat 1923 James W. York Jr.; 31. Vera Rubin 1928 Robert J. Rubin; 32. Mildred S. Dresselhaus 1930 G. Dresselhaus and F. A. Stahl; 33. Myriam Sarachik 1933 Jonathan R. Friedman; 34. Juliet Lee-Franzini 1933 Paolo Franzini; 35. Helen T. Edwards 1936 John Peoples; 36. Mary K. Gaillard 1939 Andreszej Buras; 37. Renata Kallosh 1943 Andrei Linde and Michael Gutperle; 38. Jocelyn Bell Burnell 1943 Ferdinand V. Coroniti and Gary A

Out of the Shadows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byers, Nina; Williams, Gary

2010-12-01

Foreword Freeman J. Dyson; Introduction Nina Byers; 1. Hertha Aryton 1854-1923 Joan Mason; 2. Margaret Maltby 1860-1944 Peggy Kidwell; 3. Agnes Pockels 1862-1935 Gary A. Williams; 4. Marie Curie 1867-1934 A. Pais; 5. Henrietta Leavitt 1868-1921 Jean L. Turner; 6. Harriet Brooks 1876-1933 C. W. Wong; 7. Lise Meitner 1878-1968 Ruth Lewin Sime; 8. Emmy Noether 1882-1935 Nina Byers; 9. Inge Lehmann 1888-1993 Bruce A. Bolt; 10. Marietta Blau 1894-1970 Leopold Halpern and Maurice M. Shapiro; 11. Hertha Sponer 1895-1968 Helmut Rechenberg; 12. Irene Joliot-Curie 1897-1956 Hélène Langevin-Joliot and Pierre Radvanyi; 13. Katherine Burr Blodgett 1898-1979 Gary A. Williams; 14. Cecilia Payne Gaposchkin 1900-1979 Vera C. Rubin; 15. Mary Cartwright 1900-1998 Freeman J. Dyson; 16. Bertha Jeffreys 1903-1999 Ruth M. Williams; 17. Kathleen Yardley Lonsdale1903-1971 Judith Milledge; 18. Maria Goeppert Mayer 1906-1972 Steven A. Moszkowski; 19. Helen Megaw 1907-2002 A. Michael Glazer and Christine Kelsey; 20. Yvette Cauchois 1908-1999 Christiane Bonnelle; 21. Marguerite Perey 1909-1975 Jean-Pierre Adloff and George B. Kauffman; 22. Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin 1910-1994 Jenny P. Glusker; 23. Gertrude Scharff Goldhaber 1911-1998 Alfred Scharff Goldhaber; 24. Chien Shiung Wu 1912-1997 Noemie Bencze-Koller; 25. Margaret E. Burbidge 1919 Virginia Trimble; 26. Phyllis Freier 1921-1992 Cecil J. Waddington; 27. Rosalyn S. Yalow 1921 M. S. Dresselhaus and F. A. Stahl; 28. Esther Conwell 1922 Lewis Rothberg; 29. Cecile Dewitt-Morette 1922 Bryce DeWitt; 30. Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat 1923 James W. York Jr.; 31. Vera Rubin 1928 Robert J. Rubin; 32. Mildred S. Dresselhaus 1930 G. Dresselhaus and F. A. Stahl; 33. Myriam Sarachik 1933 Jonathan R. Friedman; 34. Juliet Lee-Franzini 1933 Paolo Franzini; 35. Helen T. Edwards 1936 John Peoples; 36. Mary K. Gaillard 1939 Andreszej Buras; 37. Renata Kallosh 1943 Andrei Linde and Michael Gutperle; 38. Jocelyn Bell Burnell 1943 Ferdinand V. Coroniti and Gary A

Outcomes of a telemonitoring-based program (telEPOC) in frequently hospitalized COPD patients.

PubMed

Esteban, Cristóbal; Moraza, Javier; Iriberri, Milagros; Aguirre, Urko; Goiria, Begoña; Quintana, José M; Aburto, Myriam; Capelastegui, Alberto

2016-01-01

The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases requires changes in health care delivery. In COPD, telemedicine appears to be a useful tool. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy (in improving health care-resource use and clinical outcomes) of a telemonitoring-based program (telEPOC) in COPD patients with frequent hospitalizations. We conducted a nonrandomized observational study in an intervention cohort of 119 patients (Galdakao-Usansolo Hospital) and a control cohort of 78 patients (Cruces Hospital), followed up for 2 years (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02528370). The inclusion criteria were two or more hospital admissions in the previous year or three or more admissions in the previous 2 years. The intervention group received telemonitoring plus education and controls usual care. Most participants were men (13% women), and the sample had a mean age of 70 years, forced expiratory volume in 1 second of 45%, Charlson comorbidity index score of 3.5, and BODE (body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity) index score of 4.1. In multivariate analysis, the intervention was independently related to lower rates of hospital admission (odds ratio [OR] 0.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.27-0.54; P <0.0001), emergency department attendance (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.35-0.92; P <0.02), and 30-day readmission (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.29-0.74; P <0.001), as well as cumulative length of stay (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.46-0.73; P <0.0001). The intervention was independently related to changes in several clinical variables during the 2-year follow-up. An intervention including telemonitoring and education was able to reduce the health care-resource use and stabilize the clinical condition of frequently admitted COPD patients.

The Need for More Earthquake Science in Southeast Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sieh, K.

2015-12-01

Many regions within SE Asia have as great a density of active seismic structures as does the western US - Sumatra, Myanmar, Bangladesh, New Guinea and the Philippines come first to mind. Much of Earth's release of seismic energy in the current millennium has, in fact, come from these regions, with great losses of life and livelihoods. Unfortunately, the scientific progress upon which seismic-risk reduction in SE Asia ultimately depends has been and continues to be slow. Last year at AGU, for example, I counted 57 talks about the M6 Napa earthquake. In contrast, I can't recall hearing any talk on a SE Asian M6 earthquake at any venue in the past many years. In fact, even M7+ earthquakes often go unstudied. Not uncommonly, the region's earthquake scientists face high financial and political impediments to conducting earthquake research. Their slow speed in the development of scientific knowledge doesn't bode well for speedy progress in the science of seismic hazards, the sine qua non for substantially reducing seismic risk. There are two basic necessities for the region to evolve significantly from the current state of affairs. Both involve the development of regional infrastructure: 1) Data: Robust and accessible geophysical monitoring systems would need to be installed, maintained and utilized by the region's earth scientists and their results shared internationally. Concomitantly, geological mapping (sensu lato) would need to be undertaken. 2) People: The training, employment, and enduring support of a new, young, international corps of earth scientists would need to accelerate markedly. The United States could play an important role in achieving the goal of significant seismic risk reduction in the most seismically active countries of SE Asia by taking the lead in establishing a coalition to robustly fund a multi-decadal program that supports scientists and their research institutions to work alongside local expertise.

A review on locomotion robophysics: the study of movement at the intersection of robotics, soft matter and dynamical systems.

PubMed

Aguilar, Jeffrey; Zhang, Tingnan; Qian, Feifei; Kingsbury, Mark; McInroe, Benjamin; Mazouchova, Nicole; Li, Chen; Maladen, Ryan; Gong, Chaohui; Travers, Matt; Hatton, Ross L; Choset, Howie; Umbanhowar, Paul B; Goldman, Daniel I

2016-11-01

power bodes well for scientists and engineers to engage in a discipline which can readily integrate experiment, theory and computation.

Cardiovascular Disease is Associated with COPD Severity and Reduced Functional Status and Quality of Life

PubMed Central

Black-Shinn, Jennifer L.; Kinney, Gregory L.; Wise, Anastasia L.; Regan, Elizabeth A.; Make, Barry; Krantz, Mori J.; Barr, R. Graham; Murphy, James R.; Lynch, David; Silverman, Edwin K.; Crapo, James D.; Hokanson, John E.

2015-01-01

Introduction Smoking is a major risk factor for both cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). More individuals with COPD die from CVD than respiratory causes and the risk of developing CVD appears to be independent of smoking burden. Although CVD is a common comorbid condition within COPD, the nature of its relationships to COPD affection status and severity, and functional status is not well understood. Methods The first 2,500 members of the COPDGene cohort were evaluated. Subjects were current and former smokers with a minimum 10 pack year history of cigarette smoking. COPD was defined by spirometry as an FEV1/FVC < lower limit of normal (LLN) with further identification of severity by FEV1 percent of predicted (GOLD stages 2, 3, and 4) for the main analysis. The presence of physician-diagnosed self-reported CVD was determined from a medical history questionnaire administered by a trained staff member. Results A total of 384 (15%) had pre-existing CVD. Self-reported CVD was independently related to COPD (Odds Ratio=1.61, 95% CI=1.18–2.20, p=0.01) after adjustment for covariates with CHF having the greatest association with COPD. Within subjects with COPD, pre-existing self-reported CVD placed subjects at greater risk of hospitalization due to exacerbation, higher BODE index, and greater St. George’s questionnaire score. The presence of self-reported CVD was associated with a shorter six-minute walk distance in those with COPD (p<0.05). Conclusions Self-reported CVD was independently related to COPD with presence of both self-reported CVD and COPD associated with a markedly reduced functional status and reduced quality of life. Identification of CVD in those with COPD is an important consideration in determining functional status. PMID:24831864

Confirmation of a Steep Luminosity Function for Ly alpha Emitters at z 5.7: a Major Component of Reionization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dressler, Alan; Henry, Alaina L.; Martin, Crystal L.; Sawicki, Marcin; McCarthy, Patrick; Villaneuva, Edward

2014-01-01

We report the first direct and robust measurement of the faint-end slope of the Ly-alpha emitter (LAE) luminosity function at z = 5.7. Candidate LAEs from a low-spectral-resolution blind search with IMACS on Magellan- Baade were targeted at higher resolution to distinguish high redshift LAEs from foreground galaxies. All but 2 of our 42 single-emission-line systems are fainter than F = 2.0×10(exp-17) ergs s(exp-1) cm(exp-2), making these the faintest emission-lines observed for a z = 5.7 sample with known completeness, an essential property for determining the faint end slope of the LAE luminosity function. We find 13 LAEs as compared to 29 foreground galaxies, in very good agreement with the modeled foreground counts predicted in Dressler et al. (2011a) that had been used to estimate a faint-end slope of alpha = -2.0 for the LAE luminosity function. A 32% LAE fraction, LAE/(LAE+foreground) within the flux interval F = 2-20 × 10(exp-18) ergs s(exp-1) cm(exp-2) constrains the faint end slope of the luminosity function to -1.95 greater than alpha greater than -2.35 (1 delta). We show how this steep LF should provide, to the limit of our observations, more than 20% of the flux necessary to maintain ionization at z = 5.7, with a factor-of-ten extrapolation in flux reaching more than 55%. We suggest that this bodes well for a comparable contribution by similar, low-mass star forming galaxies at higher-redshift - within the reionization epoch at z greater than approximately 7, only 250 Myr earlier - and that such systems provide a substantial, if not dominant, contribution to the late-stage reionization of the IGM.

Defining the Asthma-COPD Overlap Syndrome in a COPD Cohort.

PubMed

Cosio, Borja G; Soriano, Joan B; López-Campos, Jose Luis; Calle-Rubio, Myriam; Soler-Cataluna, Juan José; de-Torres, Juan P; Marín, Jose M; Martínez-Gonzalez, Cristina; de Lucas, Pilar; Mir, Isabel; Peces-Barba, Germán; Feu-Collado, Nuria; Solanes, Ingrid; Alfageme, Inmaculada; Casanova, Ciro

2016-01-01

Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) has been recently described by international guidelines. A stepwise approach to diagnosis using usual features of both diseases is recommended although its clinical application is difficult. To identify patients with ACOS, a cohort of well-characterized patients with COPD and up to 1 year of follow-up was analyzed. We evaluated the presence of specific characteristics associated with asthma in this COPD cohort, divided into major criteria (bronchodilator test > 400 mL and 15% and past medical history of asthma) and minor criteria (blood eosinophils > 5%, IgE > 100 IU/mL, or two separate bronchodilator tests > 200 mL and 12%). We defined ACOS by the presence of one major criterion or two minor criteria. Baseline characteristics, health status (COPD Assessment Test [CAT]), BMI, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity (BODE) index, rate of exacerbations, and mortality up to 1 year of follow-up were compared between patients with and without criteria for ACOS. Of 831 patients with COPD included,125 (15%) fulfilled the criteria for ACOS, and 98.4% of them sustained these criteria after 1 year. Patients with ACOS were predominantly male (81.6%), with symptomatic mild to moderate disease (67%), who were receiving inhaled corticosteroids (63.2%). There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics, and only survival was worse in patients with non-ACOS COPD after 1 year of follow-up (P < .05). The proposed ACOS criteria are present in 15% of a cohort of patients with COPD and these patients show better 1-year prognosis than clinically similar patients with COPD with no ACOS criteria. ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01122758; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov. Copyright © 2016 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Clinical audit of COPD in outpatient respiratory clinics in Spain: the EPOCONSUL study.

PubMed

Calle Rubio, Myriam; Alcázar Navarrete, Bernardino; Soriano, Joan B; Soler-Cataluña, Juan J; Rodríguez González-Moro, José Miguel; Fuentes Ferrer, Manuel E; López-Campos, José Luis

2017-01-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) outpatients account for a large burden of usual care by respirologists. EPOCONSUL is the first national clinical audit conducted in Spain on the medical care for COPD patients delivered in outpatient respiratory clinics. We aimed to evaluate the clinical interventions and the degree of adherence to recommendations in outpatients of current COPD clinical practice guidelines. This is an observational study with prospective recruitment (May 2014-May 2015) of patients with a COPD diagnosis as seen in outpatient respiratory clinics. The information collected was historical in nature as for the clinical data of the last and previous consultations, and the information concerning hospital resources was concurrent. A total of 17,893 clinical records of COPD patients in outpatient respiratory clinics from 59 Spanish hospitals were evaluated. Of the 5,726 patients selected, 4,508 (78.7%) were eligible. Overall, 12.1% of COPD patients did not fulfill a diagnostic spirometry criteria. Considerable variability existed in the available resources and work organization of the hospitals, although the majority were university hospitals with respiratory inpatient units. There was insufficient implementation of clinical guidelines in preventive and educational matters. In contrast, quantitative evaluation of dyspnea grade (81.9%) and exacerbation history (70.9%) were more frequently performed. Only 12.4% had COPD severity calculated according to the Body mass index, airflow Obstruction, Dyspnoea and Exercise capacity (BODE) index. Phenotype characteristics according to Spanish National Guideline for COPD were determined in 46.3% of the audited patients, and the risk evaluation according to Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease was estimated only in 21.9%. The EPOCONSUL study reports the current situation of medical care for COPD patients in outpatient clinics in Spain, revealing its variability, strengths, and weaknesses

Prognostic assessment in COPD without lung function: the B-AE-D indices.

PubMed

Boeck, Lucas; Soriano, Joan B; Brusse-Keizer, Marjolein; Blasi, Francesco; Kostikas, Konstantinos; Boersma, Wim; Milenkovic, Branislava; Louis, Renaud; Lacoma, Alicia; Djamin, Remco; Aerts, Joachim; Torres, Antoni; Rohde, Gernot; Welte, Tobias; Martinez-Camblor, Pablo; Rakic, Janko; Scherr, Andreas; Koller, Michael; van der Palen, Job; Marin, Jose M; Alfageme, Inmaculada; Almagro, Pere; Casanova, Ciro; Esteban, Cristobal; Soler-Cataluña, Juan J; de-Torres, Juan P; Miravitlles, Marc; Celli, Bartolome R; Tamm, Michael; Stolz, Daiana

2016-06-01

Several composite markers have been proposed for risk assessment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, choice of parameters and score complexity restrict clinical applicability. Our aim was to provide and validate a simplified COPD risk index independent of lung function.The PROMISE study (n=530) was used to develop a novel prognostic index. Index performance was assessed regarding 2-year COPD-related mortality and all-cause mortality. External validity was tested in stable and exacerbated COPD patients in the ProCOLD, COCOMICS and COMIC cohorts (total n=2988).Using a mixed clinical and statistical approach, body mass index (B), severe acute exacerbations of COPD frequency (AE), modified Medical Research Council dyspnoea severity (D) and copeptin (C) were identified as the most suitable simplified marker combination. 0, 1 or 2 points were assigned to each parameter and totalled to B-AE-D or B-AE-D-C. It was observed that B-AE-D and B-AE-D-C were at least as good as BODE (body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnoea, exercise capacity), ADO (age, dyspnoea, airflow obstruction) and DOSE (dyspnoea, obstruction, smoking, exacerbation) indices for predicting 2-year all-cause mortality (c-statistic: 0.74, 0.77, 0.69, 0.72 and 0.63, respectively; Hosmer-Lemeshow test all p>0.05). Both indices were COPD specific (c-statistic for predicting COPD-related 2-year mortality: 0.87 and 0.89, respectively). External validation of B-AE-D was performed in COCOMICS and COMIC (c-statistic for 1-year all-cause mortality: 0.68 and 0.74; c-statistic for 2-year all-cause mortality: 0.65 and 0.67; Hosmer-Lemeshow test all p>0.05).The B-AE-D index, plus copeptin if available, allows a simple and accurate assessment of COPD-related risk. Copyright ©ERS 2016.

Prognostic assessment in COPD without lung function: the B-AE-D indices

PubMed Central

Boeck, Lucas; Blasi, Francesco; Kostikas, Konstantinos; Boersma, Wim; Milenkovic, Branislava; Louis, Renaud; Lacoma, Alicia; Djamin, Remco; Aerts, Joachim; Torres, Antoni; Rohde, Gernot; Welte, Tobias; Martinez-Camblor, Pablo; Rakic, Janko; Scherr, Andreas; Koller, Michael; van der Palen, Job; Marin, Jose M.; Alfageme, Inmaculada; Almagro, Pere; Casanova, Ciro; Esteban, Cristobal; Soler-Cataluña, Juan J.; de-Torres, Juan P.; Miravitlles, Marc; Celli, Bartolome R.; Tamm, Michael

2016-01-01

Several composite markers have been proposed for risk assessment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, choice of parameters and score complexity restrict clinical applicability. Our aim was to provide and validate a simplified COPD risk index independent of lung function. The PROMISE study (n=530) was used to develop a novel prognostic index. Index performance was assessed regarding 2-year COPD-related mortality and all-cause mortality. External validity was tested in stable and exacerbated COPD patients in the ProCOLD, COCOMICS and COMIC cohorts (total n=2988). Using a mixed clinical and statistical approach, body mass index (B), severe acute exacerbations of COPD frequency (AE), modified Medical Research Council dyspnoea severity (D) and copeptin (C) were identified as the most suitable simplified marker combination. 0, 1 or 2 points were assigned to each parameter and totalled to B-AE-D or B-AE-D-C. It was observed that B-AE-D and B-AE-D-C were at least as good as BODE (body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnoea, exercise capacity), ADO (age, dyspnoea, airflow obstruction) and DOSE (dyspnoea, obstruction, smoking, exacerbation) indices for predicting 2-year all-cause mortality (c-statistic: 0.74, 0.77, 0.69, 0.72 and 0.63, respectively; Hosmer–Lemeshow test all p>0.05). Both indices were COPD specific (c-statistic for predicting COPD-related 2-year mortality: 0.87 and 0.89, respectively). External validation of B-AE-D was performed in COCOMICS and COMIC (c-statistic for 1-year all-cause mortality: 0.68 and 0.74; c-statistic for 2-year all-cause mortality: 0.65 and 0.67; Hosmer–Lemeshow test all p>0.05). The B-AE-D index, plus copeptin if available, allows a simple and accurate assessment of COPD-related risk. PMID:27103389

Recent advances in the chemistry and biology of carbapenem antibiotics.

PubMed

Coulton, S; Hunt, E

1996-01-01

The discovery of the olivanic acids and thienamycin aroused considerable interest amongst medicinal chemists and microbiologists around the world. The susceptibility of these agents to metabolic degradation has, however, been a major obstacle in their development. For many years the only notable success from such intensive research was the combination of imipenem with cilastatin, an inhibitor of the renal dipeptidase enzyme DHP-1. The enormous success of Primaxin for the treatment of a range of life-threatening bacterial infections provided the impetus for the discovery of totally synthetic, non-natural carbapenem derivatives that combine the broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity with stability to enzymatic degradation. This has indeed been realised in the development of meropenem; it possesses the broad spectrum of activity and resistance to beta-lactamases that are embodied in imipenem as well as displaying increased stability to human dehydropeptidases. Most recent research has focused upon the development of carbapenem antibiotics which combine broad spectrum antimicrobial activity and metabolic stability with oral absorption, for the treatment of community-acquired infections. Indeed, the pro-drug esters of the tricyclic carbapenems represent the first significant advance in this respect. However, the increased use of carbapenem antibiotics would undoubtedly accelerate the emergence of carbapenem-hydrolysing enzymes. The ultimate challenge could therefore be the design and synthesis of carbapenem derivatives that are resistant to these metallo-beta-lactamases. Due to the enormous problems encountered in the development of the carbapenem antibiotics, this area of research has, in the past, been described as a battlefield that did not bode well for the future [181]. Primaxin and meropenem proved however that these problems were not insurmountable, and are therefore a testimony to the persistence and dedication of those scientists in their war against

Cost-effective alternative to nano-encapsulation: Amorphous curcumin-chitosan nanoparticle complex exhibiting high payload and supersaturation generation.

PubMed

Nguyen, Minh Hiep; Yu, Hong; Kiew, Tie Yi; Hadinoto, Kunn

2015-10-01

While the wide-ranging therapeutic activities of curcumin have been well established, its successful delivery to realize its true therapeutic potentials faces a major challenge due to its low oral bioavailability. Even though nano-encapsulation has been widely demonstrated to be effective in enhancing the bioavailability of curcumin, it is not without drawbacks (i.e. low payload and costly preparation). Herein we present a cost-effective bioavailability enhancement strategy of curcumin in the form of amorphous curcumin-chitosan nanoparticle complex (or curcumin nanoplex in short) exhibiting a high payload (>80%). The curcumin nanoplex was prepared by a simple yet highly efficient drug-polysaccharide complexation method that required only mixing of the curcumin and chitosan solutions under ambient condition. The effects of (1) pH and (2) charge ratio of chitosan to curcumin on the (i) physical characteristics of the nanoplex (i.e. size, colloidal stability and payload), (ii) complexation efficiency, and (iii) production yield were investigated from which the optimal preparation condition was determined. The nanoplex formation was found to favor low acidic pH and charge ratio below unity. At the optimal condition (i.e. pH 4.4. and charge ratio=0.8), stable curcumin nanoplex (≈260nm) was prepared at >90% complexation efficiency and ≈50% production yield. The amorphous state stability, colloidal stability, and in vitro non-cytotoxicity of the nanoplex were successfully established. The curcumin nanoplex produced prolonged supersaturation (3h) in the presence of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) at five times of the saturation solubility of curcumin. In addition, curcumin released from the nanoplex exhibited improved chemical stability owed to the presence of chitosan. Both results (i.e. high supersaturation and improved chemical stability) bode well for the ability of the curcumin nanoplex to enhance the bioavailability of curcumin clinically. Copyright © 2015

The General History of Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taton, René; Wilson, Curtis; Hoskin, editor Michael, , General

2009-09-01

Part V. Early Phases in the Reception of Newton's Theory: 14. The vortex theory in competition with Newtonian celestial dynamics Eric J. Aiton; 15. The shape of the Earth Seymour L. Chapin; 16. Clairaut and the motion of the lunar apse: The inverse-square law undergoes a test Craig B. Waff; 17. The precession of the equinoxes from Newton to d'Alembert and Euler Curtis Wilson; 18. The solar tables of Lacaille and the lunar tables of Mayer Eric G. Forbes and Curtis Wilson; 19. Predicting the mid-eighteenth-century return of Halley's Comet Craig B. Waff; Part VI. Celestial Mechanics During the Eighteenth Century: 20. The problem of perturbation analytically treated: Euler, Clairaut, d'Alembert Curtis Wilson; 21. The work of Lagrange in celestial mechanics Curtis Wilson; 22. Laplace Bruno Morando; Part VII. Observational Astronomy and the Application of Theory in the Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Century: 23. Measuring solar parallax: The Venus transits of 1761 and 1769 and their nineteenth-century sequels Albert Van Helden; 24. The discovery of Uranus, the Titius-Bode and the asteroids Michael Hoskin; 25. Eighteenth-and nineteenth century developments in the theory and practice of orbit determination Brian G. Marsden; 26. The introduction of statistical reasoning into astronomy: from Newton to Poincaré Oscar Sheynin; 27. Astronomy and the theory of errors: from the method of averages to the method of least squares F. Schmeidler; Part VIII. The Development of Theory During the Nineteenth Century: 28. The golden age of celestial mechanics Bruno Morando; Part IX. The Application of Celestial Mechanics to the Solar System to the End of the Nineteenth Century: 29. Three centuries of lunar and planetary ephemerides and tables Bruno Morando; 30. Satellite ephemerides to 1900 Yoshihide Kozai; Illustrations; Combined index for Parts 2A and 2B.

Osteoarthritis Year in Review 2016: biomarkers (biochemical markers).

PubMed

Mobasheri, A; Bay-Jensen, A-C; van Spil, W E; Larkin, J; Levesque, M C

2017-02-01

The aim of this "Year in Review" article is to summarize and discuss the implications of biochemical marker related articles published between the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) 2015 Congress in Seattle and the OARSI 2016 Congress in Amsterdam. The PubMed/MEDLINE bibliographic database was searched using the combined keywords: 'biomarker' and 'osteoarthritis'. The PubMed/MEDLINE literature search was conducted using the Advanced Search Builder function (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/advanced). Over two hundred new biomarker-related papers were published during the literature search period. Some papers identified new biomarkers whereas others explored the biological properties and clinical utility of existing markers. There were specific references to several adipocytokines including leptin and adiponectin. ADAM Metallopeptidase with Thrombospondin Type 1 motif 4 (ADAMTS-4) and aggrecan ARGS neo-epitope fragment (ARGS) in synovial fluid (SF) and plasma chemokine (CeC motif) ligand 3 (CCL3) were reported as potential new knee biomarkers. New and refined proteomic technologies and novel assays including a fluoro-microbead guiding chip (FMGC) for measuring C-telopeptide of type II collagen (CTX-II) in serum and urine and a novel magnetic nanoparticle-based technology (termed magnetic capture) for collecting and concentrating CTX-II, were described this past year. There has been steady progress in osteoarthritis (OA) biomarker research in 2016. Several novel biomarkers were identified and new technologies have been developed for measuring existing biomarkers. However, there has been no "quantum leap" this past year and identification of novel early OA biomarkers remains challenging. During the past year, OARSI published a set of recommendations for the use of soluble biomarkers in clinical trials, which is a major step forward in the clinical use of OA biomarkers and bodes well for future OA biomarker development. Copyright © 2016 The

Agronomic performance of Populus deltoides trees engineered for biofuel production

DOE PAGES

Macaya-Sanz, David; Chen, Jin?Gui; Kalluri, Udaya C.; ...

2017-11-30

pathogen (Melampsora spp.), and a late frost event. This bodes well for the potential utility of these lines as advanced biofuels feedstocks.« less

Demographics of Investigators Involved in OSSA-Funded Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stern, S. Alan; Konkel, Ronald; Habegger, Jay; Byerly, Radford, Jr.

1991-01-01

The birth of the U.S. civil space program and the subsequent, dramatic growth in the ranks of the space science research population occurred in the 1950s and 1960s'. The large, post- Sputnik/ Apollo buildup in space program manpower is now approximately one career-lifetime in the past. It is therefore natural to anticipate that a large fraction of the space program engineers, scientists, and managers who pioneered the early exploration of space are approaching retirement. Such a "retirement wave" bodes both a loss of manpower and, more fundamentally, a loss of experience from the civil-space manpower base. Such losses could play a critical role constraining in NASA's ability to expand or maintain its technical capabilities. If this indeed applies to the NASA space science research population, then the potential for problems is exacerbated by the anticipated growth in flight rates, data volume, and data-set diversity which will accompany the planned expansion in the OSSA science effort during the 1990s and 2000s. The purpose of this study was to describe the OSSA PI/Co-I population and to determine the degree to which the OSSA space science investigator population faces a retirement wave, and to estimate the future population of PIs in the 1990-2010 era. To conduct such a study, we investigated the present demographics of the PI and Co-1 population contained in the NASA/OSSA Announcement of Opportunity (AO) mailing list. PIs represent the "leadership" class of the OSSA scientific researcher population, and Co-Is represent one important, oncoming component of the "replacement" generation. Using the PI population data, we then make projection estimates of the future PI population from 1991 through 2010, under various NASA growth/PI demand scenarios.

Poly(GP) proteins are a useful pharmacodynamic marker for C9ORF72-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PubMed

Gendron, Tania F; Chew, Jeannie; Stankowski, Jeannette N; Hayes, Lindsey R; Zhang, Yong-Jie; Prudencio, Mercedes; Carlomagno, Yari; Daughrity, Lillian M; Jansen-West, Karen; Perkerson, Emilie A; O'Raw, Aliesha; Cook, Casey; Pregent, Luc; Belzil, Veronique; van Blitterswijk, Marka; Tabassian, Lilia J; Lee, Chris W; Yue, Mei; Tong, Jimei; Song, Yuping; Castanedes-Casey, Monica; Rousseau, Linda; Phillips, Virginia; Dickson, Dennis W; Rademakers, Rosa; Fryer, John D; Rush, Beth K; Pedraza, Otto; Caputo, Ana M; Desaro, Pamela; Palmucci, Carla; Robertson, Amelia; Heckman, Michael G; Diehl, Nancy N; Wiggs, Edythe; Tierney, Michael; Braun, Laura; Farren, Jennifer; Lacomis, David; Ladha, Shafeeq; Fournier, Christina N; McCluskey, Leo F; Elman, Lauren B; Toledo, Jon B; McBride, Jennifer D; Tiloca, Cinzia; Morelli, Claudia; Poletti, Barbara; Solca, Federica; Prelle, Alessandro; Wuu, Joanne; Jockel-Balsarotti, Jennifer; Rigo, Frank; Ambrose, Christine; Datta, Abhishek; Yang, Weixing; Raitcheva, Denitza; Antognetti, Giovanna; McCampbell, Alexander; Van Swieten, John C; Miller, Bruce L; Boxer, Adam L; Brown, Robert H; Bowser, Robert; Miller, Timothy M; Trojanowski, John Q; Grossman, Murray; Berry, James D; Hu, William T; Ratti, Antonia; Traynor, Bryan J; Disney, Matthew D; Benatar, Michael; Silani, Vincenzo; Glass, Jonathan D; Floeter, Mary Kay; Rothstein, Jeffrey D; Boylan, Kevin B; Petrucelli, Leonard

2017-03-29

There is no effective treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a devastating motor neuron disease. However, discovery of a G 4 C 2 repeat expansion in the C9ORF72 gene as the most common genetic cause of ALS has opened up new avenues for therapeutic intervention for this form of ALS. G 4 C 2 repeat expansion RNAs and proteins of repeating dipeptides synthesized from these transcripts are believed to play a key role in C9ORF72 -associated ALS (c9ALS). Therapeutics that target G 4 C 2 RNA, such as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and small molecules, are thus being actively investigated. A limitation in moving such treatments from bench to bedside is a lack of pharmacodynamic markers for use in clinical trials. We explored whether poly(GP) proteins translated from G 4 C 2 RNA could serve such a purpose. Poly(GP) proteins were detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from c9ALS patients and, notably, from asymptomatic C9ORF72 mutation carriers. Moreover, CSF poly(GP) proteins remained relatively constant over time, boding well for their use in gauging biochemical responses to potential treatments. Treating c9ALS patient cells or a mouse model of c9ALS with ASOs that target G 4 C 2 RNA resulted in decreased intracellular and extracellular poly(GP) proteins. This decrease paralleled reductions in G 4 C 2 RNA and downstream G 4 C 2 RNA-mediated events. These findings indicate that tracking poly(GP) proteins in CSF could provide a means to assess target engagement of G 4 C 2 RNA-based therapies in symptomatic C9ORF72 repeat expansion carriers and presymptomatic individuals who are expected to benefit from early therapeutic intervention. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

David Bowie and the Art of Slow Innovation: A Fast-Second Winner Strategy for Biotechnology and Precision Medicine Global Development.

PubMed

Özdemir, Vural; Patrinos, George P

2017-11-01

Original ideas and innovation cannot always be ordered like a courier service and delivered fresh to our desk at 9 am. Yet, most creativity-based organizations, careers, and professions, science and biotechnology innovation included, emphasize the speed as the prevailing ideology. But a narrow focus on speed has several and overlooked shortcomings. For example, it does not offer the opportunity to draw from, and stitch together disparate concepts and practices for truly disruptive innovation. Preventing false starts, learning from others' or our own mistakes, and customizing innovations for local community needs are difficult in a speed-hungry innovation ecosystem. We introduce a new strategy, the Fast-Second Winner, specifically in relation to global development of biotechnologies and precision medicine. This à la carte global development strategy envisions a midstream entry into the innovation ecosystem. Moreover, we draw from the works of the late David Bowie who defied rigid classifications as an artist and prolific innovator, and introduce the concept and practice of slow innovation that bodes well with the Fast-Second Winner strategy. A type of slow innovation, the Fast-Second Winner is actually fast and sustainable in the long term, and efficient by reducing false starts in new precision medicine application contexts and geographies, learning from other innovators' failures, and shaping innovations for the local community needs. The establishment of Centers for Fast-Second Innovation (CFSIs), and their funding, for example, by crowdfunding and other innovative mechanisms, could be timely for omics and precision medicine global development. If precision medicine is about tailoring drug treatments and various health interventions to individuals, we suggest to start from tailoring new ideas, and focus not only on how much we innovate but also what and how we innovate. In principle, the Fast-Second Winner can be applied to omics and other biotechnology

Should we treat obesity in COPD? The effects of diet and resistance exercise training.

PubMed

McDonald, Vanessa M; Gibson, Peter G; Scott, Hayley A; Baines, Penelope J; Hensley, Michael J; Pretto, Jeffrey J; Wood, Lisa G

2016-07-01

Obesity is an established risk factor for poor health outcomes, but paradoxically in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), it is associated with improved survival and lung function. A major evidence gap exisits to inform treatment recommendations for patients with COPD who are obese. We aimed to determine the effect of weight reduction involving a low-energy diet utilizing a partial meal replacement plan, coupled with resistance exercise training in obese COPD patients. In a proof of concept before-after clinical trial, obese (body mass index ≥30 kg/m(2) ) COPD patients received a 12 week weight reduction programme involving meal replacements, dietary counselling by a dietitian and resistance exercise training prescribed and supervised by a physiotherapist. Patients were reviewed face to face by the dietitian and physiotherapist every 2 weeks for counselling. Twenty-eight participants completed the intervention. Mean (standard deviation) body mass index was 36.3 kg/m(2) (4.6) at baseline and reduced by 2.4 kg/m(2) ((1.1) P < 0.0001) after the intervention. Importantly, skeletal muscle mass was maintained. Clinical outcomes improved with weight loss including exercise capacity, health status, dyspnea, strength and functional outcomes. There was also a significant reduction in the body mass index, obstruction, dyspnea and exercise score (BODE). Systemic inflammation measured by C-reactive protein however did not change. In obese COPD patients, dietary energy restriction coupled with resistance exercise training results in clinically significant improvements in body mass index, exercise tolerance and health status, whilst preserving skeletal muscle mass. This novel study provides a framework for development of guidelines for the management of obese COPD patients and in guiding future research. © 2016 Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.

Agronomic performance of Populus deltoides trees engineered for biofuel production

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

Macaya-Sanz, David; Chen, Jin?Gui; Kalluri, Udaya C.

pathogen (Melampsora spp.), and a late frost event. This bodes well for the potential utility of these lines as advanced biofuels feedstocks.« less

Validation for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission: Lessons Learned and Future Plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolff, David B.; Amitai, E.; Marks, D. A.; Silberstein, D.; Lawrence, R. J.

2005-01-01

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) was launched in November 1997 and is a highly regarded and successful mission. A major component of the TRMM program was its Ground Validation (GV) program. Through dedicated research and hard work by many groups, both the GV and satellite-retrieved rain estimates have shown a convergence at key GV sites, lending credibility to the global TRMM estimates. To be sure, there are some regional differences between the various satellite estimates themselves, which still need to be addressed; however, it can be said with some certainty that TRMM has provided a high-quality, long-term climatological data set for researchers that provides errors on the order of 10-20%, rather than pre-TRMM era error estimates on the order of 50-100%. The TRMM GV program's main operational task is to provide rainfall products for four sites: Darwin, Australia (DARW); Houston, Texas (HSTN); Kwajalein, Republic of the Marshall Islands (KWAJ); and, Melbourne, Florida (MELB). A comparison between TRMM Ground Validation (Version 5) and Satellite (Version 6) rain intensity estimates is presented. The gridded satellite product (3668) will be compared to GV Level II rain-intensity and -type maps (2A53 and 2A54, respectively). The 3G68 product represents a 0.5 deg x 0.5 deg data grid providing estimates of rain intensities from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), Microwave Imager (TMI) and Combined (COM) algorithms. The comparisons will be sub-setted according to geographical type (land, coast and ocean). The convergence of the GV and satellite estimates bodes well for expectations for the proposed Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) program and this study and others are being leveraged towards planning GV goals for GPM. A discussion of lessons learned and future plans for TRMM GV in planning for GPM will also be provided.

Paradoxical Lung Function Response to Beta2-agonists: Radiologic Correlates and Clinical Implications

PubMed Central

Bhatt, Surya P.; Wells, James M.; Kim, Victor; Criner, Gerard J.; Hersh, Craig P.; Hardin, Megan; Bailey, William C.; Nath, Hrudaya; il-Kim, Young; Foreman, Marilyn G.; Stinson, Douglas S.; Wilson, Carla G.; Rennard, Stephen I.; Silverman, Edwin K.; Make, Barry J.; Dransfield, Mark T.

2014-01-01

Background Bronchodilator response is seen in a significant proportion of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, there are also reports of a paradoxical response (PR) to beta2-agonists, resulting in bronchoconstriction. Asymptomatic bronchoconstriction is likely far more common but there has been no systematic study of this phenomenon.We assessed theprevalence of PR in current and former smokers with and without COPD, and its radiologic correlates and clinical implications. Methods Subjects from a large multicenter study (COPDGene) were categorized into two groups based on PR defined as at least a 12% and 200mLreduction in FEV1 and/or FVC after administration of a short-acting beta2-agonist (180ucg albuterol). Predictors of PR and associations with respiratory morbidity and computed tomographic measures of emphysema and airway disease were assessed. Findings 9986 subjects were included. PR was seen in 4.54% and the frequency was similar in those with COPD and smokers without airflow obstruction. Compared to Caucasians, PR was twice as common in African-Americans (6.9% vs. 3.4%;p <0.001). On multivariate analyses, African- American race (adjusted OR 1.89, 95%CI 1.50 to 2.39), lesspercent emphysema (OR 0.96, 95%CI 0.92 to 0.99) and increased wall-area% of segmental airways (OR 1.04,95%CI 1.01 to 1.08) were independently associated with PR.PR was independently associated with worse dyspnea, lower six-minute-walk distance, higher BODE index, and a greater frequency of exacerbations(increased by a factor of 1.35, 95%CI 1.003 to 1.81). Interpretation Paradoxical response to beta2-agonists is associated with respiratory morbidity and is more common in African Americans. PMID:25217076

A review on locomotion robophysics: the study of movement at the intersection of robotics, soft matter and dynamical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguilar, Jeffrey; Zhang, Tingnan; Qian, Feifei; Kingsbury, Mark; McInroe, Benjamin; Mazouchova, Nicole; Li, Chen; Maladen, Ryan; Gong, Chaohui; Travers, Matt; Hatton, Ross L.; Choset, Howie; Umbanhowar, Paul B.; Goldman, Daniel I.

2016-11-01

computational power bodes well for scientists and engineers to engage in a discipline which can readily integrate experiment, theory and computation.

Evaluation of inorganic zinc-rich primers using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) in combination with atmospheric exposure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calle, Luz M.

1994-01-01

This investigation explored the use of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) in combination with atmospheric exposure as a short term method for analyzing the performance of twenty-one commercially available zinc-rich primers. The twenty-one zinc-rich primers were: Carboline CZ-11, Ameron Devoe-Marine Catha-Coat 304, Briner V-65, Ameron D-21-9, Sherwin Williams Zinc Clad II, Carboline CZ-D7, Ameron D-4, Dupont Ganicin 347WB, Porter TQ-4374H, Inorganic Coatings IC-531, Subox Galvanox IV, Southern Coatings Chemtec 600, GLidden Glidzinc 5530, Byco SP-101, Tnemec 90E-75, Devoe Catha-Coat 302H, Glidden Glidzinc 5536, Koppers 701, Ameron D-21-5, Coronado 935-152, and Subox Galvanox V. Data were also collected on galvanized steel for comparison purposes. A library of Bode magnitude plots was generated for each coating including curves for the initial time and after each week of atmospheric exposure at the Beach Corrosion Test site near the Space Shuttle launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center for up to four weeks. Subsequent measurements were collected after 8 weeks and after one year of atmospheric exposure. Analysis of the impedance data was performed with the purpose of identifying parameters that could be used to predict the long-term performance of zinc-rich primers. It has been shown that there is a correlation between the long-term performance of zinc-rich primers and several parameters obtained from EIS measurements in combination with atmospheric exposure. The equivalent circuit R2(R2C(R3W)) provided a satisfactory fit for the EIS data. The corrosion potential and the R2 resistance are parameters indicative of the galvanic mechanism of protection. The capacitance of the coating is related to the barrier mechanism of protection.

Kamikazes: youth serving youth in a dangerous climate. Algeria.

PubMed

Gataa, R

1995-01-01

The Algerian Family Planning Association (FPA) launched its youth project in July 1993 in Oran. The first project of its kind in the Arab world, members call themselves Kamikazes in recognition of the hostile climate they face. The project's goal was to deal with social, cultural, and health problems. They also designed the project's logo, a cartoon booklet on the dangers of AIDS, and a T-shirt for members to wear. They based their activities in the local government-run information center. Between 15 and 25 years old, from a wide variety of social backgrounds, the young people drew up a list of common problems: drugs, alcohol, smoking, relationships with the opposite sex, abortion, contraception, sex education, AIDS, homosexuality, unemployment, the lack of clubs for young people, delinquency, lack of communication between parents and children, the repression of women, the lack of popular entertainment for young people, and the shortage of books. This project now is to be extended to Algiers and other cities. Over an 8-month period, the committee received instruction in contraception and combatting drug addition, participated in a workshop on empowerment and self esteem, and were trained in role-playing techniques. In their first 18 months of existence, the Kamikazes in Oran have succeeded in involving over 1000 of their peers. They have had particular success in reaching teenagers in secondary schools. One of the most valuable aspects of the project has been the sessions held with gynecologists and psychologists on sexual development, relationships between the sexes, and the avoidance of unwanted pregnancies, abortion, and sexually transmitted diseases. The success of the Oran Kamikaze project bodes well for the extension of the project to other parts of Algeria and indeed to some other countries of the Arab world.

Multivariable Robust Control of a Simulated Hybrid Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Gas Turbine Plant

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

Tsai, Alex; Banta, Larry; Tucker, David

2010-08-01

This work presents a systematic approach to the multivariable robust control of a hybrid fuel cell gas turbine plant. The hybrid configuration under investigation built by the National Energy Technology Laboratory comprises a physical simulation of a 300kW fuel cell coupled to a 120kW auxiliary power unit single spool gas turbine. The public facility provides for the testing and simulation of different fuel cell models that in turn help identify the key difficulties encountered in the transient operation of such systems. An empirical model of the built facility comprising a simulated fuel cell cathode volume and balance of plant componentsmore » is derived via frequency response data. Through the modulation of various airflow bypass valves within the hybrid configuration, Bode plots are used to derive key input/output interactions in transfer function format. A multivariate system is then built from individual transfer functions, creating a matrix that serves as the nominal plant in an H{sub {infinity}} robust control algorithm. The controller’s main objective is to track and maintain hybrid operational constraints in the fuel cell’s cathode airflow, and the turbo machinery states of temperature and speed, under transient disturbances. This algorithm is then tested on a Simulink/MatLab platform for various perturbations of load and fuel cell heat effluence. As a complementary tool to the aforementioned empirical plant, a nonlinear analytical model faithful to the existing process and instrumentation arrangement is evaluated and designed in the Simulink environment. This parallel task intends to serve as a building block to scalable hybrid configurations that might require a more detailed nonlinear representation for a wide variety of controller schemes and hardware implementations.« less

Sensitivity of Support Vector Machine Predictions of Passive Microwave Brightness Temperature Over Snow-covered Terrain in High Mountain Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, J. A.; Forman, B. A.

2017-12-01

High Mountain Asia (HMA) serves as a water supply source for over 1.3 billion people, primarily in south-east Asia. Most of this water originates as snow (or ice) that melts during the summer months and contributes to the run-off downstream. In spite of its critical role, there is still considerable uncertainty regarding the total amount of snow in HMA and its spatial and temporal variation. In this study, the NASA Land Information Systems (LIS) is used to model the hydrologic cycle over the Indus basin. In addition, the ability of support vector machines (SVM), a machine learning technique, to predict passive microwave brightness temperatures at a specific frequency and polarization as a function of LIS-derived land surface model output is explored in a sensitivity analysis. Multi-frequency, multi-polarization passive microwave brightness temperatures as measured by the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer - Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) over the Indus basin are used as training targets during the SVM training process. Normalized sensitivity coefficients (NSC) are then computed to assess the sensitivity of a well-trained SVM to each LIS-derived state variable. Preliminary results conform with the known first-order physics. For example, input states directly linked to physical temperature like snow temperature, air temperature, and vegetation temperature have positive NSC's whereas input states that increase volume scattering such as snow water equivalent or snow density yield negative NSC's. Air temperature exhibits the largest sensitivity coefficients due to its inherent, high-frequency variability. Adherence of this machine learning algorithm to the first-order physics bodes well for its potential use in LIS as the observation operator within a radiance data assimilation system aimed at improving regional- and continental-scale snow estimates.

Predicting streamflow regime metrics for ungauged streamsin Colorado, Washington, and Oregon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanborn, Stephen C.; Bledsoe, Brian P.

2006-06-01

bode well for modeling ecological processes related to high-flow magnitude, timing, and rate of change such as the recruitment of fish and riparian vegetation across large regions.

Ultrasonographic assessment of the diaphragm in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: relationships with pulmonary function and the influence of body composition - a pilot study.

PubMed

Smargiassi, Andrea; Inchingolo, Riccardo; Tagliaboschi, Linda; Di Marco Berardino, Alessandro; Valente, Salvatore; Corbo, Giuseppe Maria

2014-01-01

Skeletal muscle weakness with loss of fat-free mass (FFM) is one of the main systemic effects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The diaphragm is also involved, leading to disadvantageous conditions and poor contractile capacities. We measured the thickness of the diaphragm (TD) by ultrasonography to evaluate the relationships between echographic measurements, parameters of respiratory function and body composition data. Thirty-two patients (23 males) underwent (1) pulmonary function tests, (2) echographic assessment of TD in the zone of apposition at various lung volumes, i.e. TD at residual volume (TDRV), TD at functional residual capacity (TDFRC) and TD at total lung capacity (TDTLC), and (3) bioelectrical body impedance analysis. The BMI and the BODE (BMI-Obstruction-Dyspnea-Exercise) index values were reported. TDRV, TDFRC and TDTLC measured 3.3, 3.6 and 6 mm, respectively, with good intraobserver reproducibility (0.97, 0.97 and 0.96, respectively). All the TDs were found to be related to FFM, with the relationship being greater for TDFRC (r(2) = 0.39 and p = 0.0002). With regard to lung volumes, inspiratory capacity (IC) was found to be closely related to TDTLC (r(2) = 0.42 and p = 0.0001). The difference between TDTLC and TDRV, as a thickening value (TDTLCRV), was closely related to FVC (r(2) = 0.34 and p = 0.0004) and to air-trapping indices (RV/TLC, FRC/TLC and IC/TLC): the degree of lung hyperinflation was greater and the TDTLCRV was less. Finally, we found a progressive reduction of both thicknesses and thickenings as the severity of IC/TLC increased, with a significant p value for the trend in both analyses (p = 0.02). Ultrasonographic assessment of the diaphragm could be a useful tool for studying disease progression in COPD patients, in terms of lung hyperinflation and the loss of FFM. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Factors that influence physical activity in the daily life of male patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Barriga, S; Rodrigues, F; Bárbara, C

2014-01-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease with great impact on the ability to carry out physical activity. To identify the main factors that affect physical activity in the daily life of patients with COPD. Physical activity in daily routine has been evaluated according to the London Chest Activity of Daily Living scale (LCADL) and the pedometer counting the number of steps per day, for a period of three days. Fifty-five male patients with a diagnosis of moderate to very severe COPD were included (aged 67±9.6 years; FEV1 50.8±14.7% predicted). Patients walked on average 4972 steps per day. Very severe COPD patients (n=12) walked much less than severe (n=21) and moderate (n=22) patients (respectively 3079.8 versus 4853.5 and 6118.1 steps per day, p<0.001). The number of steps per day had a negative correlation with age, dyspnea (mMRC), depression, BODE index and pulmonary hyperinflation; and a positive correlation with the distance covered in the six-minute walk test (6MWT), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (DLCO), arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and body mass index (BMI). The main factors that correlated with limited physical activity in daily life routine of this group of COPD patients were dyspnea and 6 min walking distance. These patients form a sedentary group, with a low rate of daily physical activity, which is more evident in patients with GOLD spirometry stage IV. Although pedometer is simpler and less accurate than other devices, it can be used to detect significant restraints daily life physical activity of COPD patients. Copyright © 2013 Sociedade Portuguesa de Pneumologia. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Poly(GP) proteins are a useful pharmacodynamic marker for C9ORF72-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

PubMed Central

Gendron, Tania F.; Chew, Jeannie; Stankowski, Jeannette N.; Hayes, Lindsey R.; Zhang, Yong-Jie; Prudencio, Mercedes; Carlomagno, Yari; Daughrity, Lillian M.; Jansen-West, Karen; Perkerson, Emilie A.; O’Raw, Aliesha; Cook, Casey; Pregent, Luc; Belzil, Veronique; van Blitterswijk, Marka; Tabassian, Lilia J.; Lee, Chris W.; Yue, Mei; Tong, Jimei; Song, Yuping; Castanedes-Casey, Monica; Rousseau, Linda; Phillips, Virginia; Dickson, Dennis W.; Rademakers, Rosa; Fryer, John D.; Rush, Beth K.; Pedraza, Otto; Caputo, Ana M.; Desaro, Pamela; Palmucci, Carla; Robertson, Amelia; Heckman, Michael G.; Diehl, Nancy N.; Wiggs, Edythe; Tierney, Michael; Braun, Laura; Farren, Jennifer; Lacomis, David; Ladha, Shafeeq; Fournier, Christina N.; McCluskey, Leo F.; Elman, Lauren B.; Toledo, Jon B.; McBride, Jennifer D.; Tiloca, Cinzia; Morelli, Claudia; Poletti, Barbara; Solca, Federica; Prelle, Alessandro; Wuu, Joanne; Jockel-Balsarotti1, Jennifer; Rigo, Frank; Ambrose, Christine; Datta, Abhishek; Yang, Weixing; Raitcheva, Denitza; Antognetti, Giovanna; McCampbell, Alexander; Van Swieten, John C.; Miller, Bruce L.; Boxer, Adam L.; Brown, Robert H.; Bowser, Robert; Miller, Timothy M.; Trojanowski, John Q.; Grossman, Murray; Berry, James D.; Hu, William T.; Ratti, Antonia; Traynor, Bryan J.; Disney, Matthew D.; Benatar, Michael; Silani, Vincenzo; Glass, Jonathan D.; Floeter, Mary Kay; Rothstein, Jeffrey D.; Boylan, Kevin B.; Petrucelli, Leonard

2017-01-01

There is no effective treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a devastating motor neuron disease. However, discovery of a G4C2 repeat expansion in the C9ORF72 gene as the most common genetic cause of ALS has opened up new avenues for therapeutic intervention for this form of ALS. G4C2 repeat expansion RNAs and proteins of repeating dipeptides synthesized from these transcripts are believed to play a key role in C9ORF72-associated ALS (c9ALS). Therapeutics that target G4C2 RNA, such as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and small molecules, are thus being actively investigated. A limitation in moving such treatments from bench to bedside is a lack of pharmacodynamic markers for use in clinical trials. We explored whether poly(GP) proteins translated from G4C2 RNA could serve such a purpose. Poly(GP) proteins were detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from c9ALS patients and, notably, from asymptomatic C9ORF72 mutation carriers. Moreover, CSF poly(GP) proteins remained relatively constant over time, boding well for their use in gauging biochemical responses to potential treatments. Treating c9ALS patient cells or a mouse model of c9ALS with ASOs that target G4C2 RNA resulted in decreased intracellular and extracellular poly(GP) proteins. This decrease paralleled reductions in G4C2 RNA and downstream G4C2 RNA–mediated events. These findings indicate that tracking poly(GP) proteins in CSF could provide a means to assess target engagement of G4C2 RNA–based therapies in symptomatic C9ORF72 repeat expansion carriers and presymptomatic individuals who are expected to benefit from early therapeutic intervention. PMID:28356511

Electrochemical X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy for trace heavy metal analysis: enhancing X-ray fluorescence detection capabilities by four orders of magnitude.

PubMed

Hutton, Laura A; O'Neil, Glen D; Read, Tania L; Ayres, Zoë J; Newton, Mark E; Macpherson, Julie V

2014-05-06

The development of a novel analytical technique, electrochemical X-ray fluorescence (EC-XRF), is described and applied to the quantitative detection of heavy metals in solution, achieving sub-ppb limits of detection (LOD). In EC-XRF, electrochemical preconcentration of a species of interest onto the target electrode is achieved here by cathodic electrodeposition. Unambiguous elemental identification and quantification of metal concentration is then made using XRF. This simple electrochemical preconcentration step improves the LOD of energy dispersive XRF by over 4 orders of magnitude (for similar sample preparation time scales). Large area free-standing boron doped diamond grown using microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition techniques is found to be ideal as the electrode material for both electrodeposition and XRF due to its wide solvent window, transparency to the XRF beam, and ability to be produced in mechanically robust freestanding thin film form. During electrodeposition it is possible to vary both the deposition potential (Edep) and deposition time (tdep). For the metals Cu(2+) and Pb(2+) the highest detection sensitivities were found for Edep = -1.75 V and tdep (=) 4000 s with LODs of 0.05 and 0.04 ppb achieved, respectively. In mixed Cu(2+)/Pb(2+) solutions, EC-XRF shows that Cu(2+) deposition is unimpeded by Pb(2+), across a broad concentration range, but this is only true for Pb(2+) when both metals are present at low concentrations (10 nM), boding well for trace level measurements. In a dual mixed metal solution, EC-XRF can also be employed to either selectively deposit the metal which has the most positive formal reduction potential, E(0), or exhaustively deplete it from solution, enabling uninhibited detection of the metal with the more negative E(0).

The complex planetary synchronization structure of the solar system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scafetta, N.

2014-01-01

The complex planetary synchronization structure of the solar system, which since Pythagoras of Samos (ca. 570-495 BC) is known as the music of the spheres, is briefly reviewed from the Renaissance up to contemporary research. Copernicus' heliocentric model from 1543 suggested that the planets of our solar system form a kind of mutually ordered and quasi-synchronized system. From 1596 to 1619 Kepler formulated preliminary mathematical relations of approximate commensurabilities among the planets, which were later reformulated in the Titius-Bode rule (1766-1772), which successfully predicted the orbital position of Ceres and Uranus. Following the discovery of the ~ 11 yr sunspot cycle, in 1859 Wolf suggested that the observed solar variability could be approximately synchronized with the orbital movements of Venus, Earth, Jupiter and Saturn. Modern research has further confirmed that (1) the planetary orbital periods can be approximately deduced from a simple system of resonant frequencies; (2) the solar system oscillates with a specific set of gravitational frequencies, and many of them (e.g., within the range between 3 yr and 100 yr) can be approximately constructed as harmonics of a base period of ~ 178.38 yr; and (3) solar and climate records are also characterized by planetary harmonics from the monthly to the millennial timescales. This short review concludes with an emphasis on the contribution of the author's research on the empirical evidences and physical modeling of both solar and climate variability based on astronomical harmonics. The general conclusion is that the solar system works as a resonator characterized by a specific harmonic planetary structure that also synchronizes the Sun's activity and the Earth's climate. The special issue Pattern in solar variability, their planetary origin and terrestrial impacts (Mörner et al., 2013) further develops the ideas about the planetary-solar-terrestrial interaction with the personal contribution of 10

SIX DECADES OF THE PULA NEUROPSYCHIATRIC MEETINGS--FROM NEUROPSYCHIATRY TO BORDERLANDS OF NEUROLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY BRAIN AND MIND.

PubMed

Barac, Bosko; Demarin, Vida

2015-12-01

In 2010, the International Neuropsychiatric Pula Symposia, from 2005 Congresses (INPS/INPC), founded in 1961 by Zagreb and Graz University Neuropsychiatry Departments, celebrated their 50th anniversary of successful development. The co-author of the paper, Bosko Barac, witnessed their growth from 1966, collaborating in their organization from 1974 with the first Secretary General Gerald Grinschgl; elected for his successor after his unexpected death in 1985, he was leading the Kuratorium (Scientific Board) as Secretary General for 23 years, collaborating in this period with his Austrian partner and friend Helmut Lechner. In 2007, Barac handed over this responsible function to the co-author Vida Demarin. Starting when neuropsychiatry was a unique discipline, the INPC followed the processes of emancipation of neurology and psychiatry and their evolution to independent disciplines with new subspecialties. These respectable conferences greatly surpassed the significance of the two disciplines, neurology and psychiatry, granting collaboration of borderland medical and non-medical disciplines, connecting experts from the region, European countries and the world. Inaugurated in 'cold-war' times, in their first phase they enabled to make professional and human contacts between scientists from the two divided 'blocs' thanks to the 'non-aligned' position of the then Yugoslavia, fostering the ideas of mutual understanding and collaboration. On the other hand, the scientific development of the meetings took in the center of their study fields connecting the two disciplines, giving a quite unique quality to these meetings. For many years, the meetings cherished specific neurologic and psychiatric topics, at the same time planning increasing important topics of the 'borderland areas' in their programs. For the important achievements, they earned the title of the Pula School of Science and Humanism, promoting interdisciplinary scientific collaboration important for humanistic

BOOK REVIEW: Great Physicists - The Life and Times of Leading Physicists from Galileo to Hawking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cropper, William H.

2002-11-01

might occasionally miss a proper mention of their scientific heroes. These slightly critical observations should not obscure the impression that the chemist Cropper has succeeded with his goal of writing a very useful and informative book, displaying great understanding of the life of the physicists, their ingenious theoretical ideas and experimental discoveries. Simultaneously he has provided a pleasantly readable account of the great success story of physics extending over the past three hundred years. Both laymen and professionals may like to have the book in their public or private libraries. Helmut Rechenberg

Approaches to Numerical Relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

d'Inverno, Ray

2005-07-01

Introduction Ray d'Inverno; Preface C. J. S. Clarke; Part I. Theoretical Approaches: 1. Numerical relativity on a transputer array Ray d'Inverno; 2. Some aspects of the characteristic initial value problem in numerical relativity Nigel Bishop; 3. The characteristic initial value problem in general relativity J. M. Stewart; 4. Algebraic approachs to the characteristic initial value problem in general relativity Jõrg Frauendiener; 5. On hyperboidal hypersurfaces Helmut Friedrich; 6. The initial value problem on null cones J. A. Vickers; 7. Introduction to dual-null dynamics S. A. Hayward; 8. On colliding plane wave space-times J. B. Griffiths; 9. Boundary conditions for the momentum constraint Niall O Murchadha; 10. On the choice of matter model in general relativity A. D. Rendall; 11. A mathematical approach to numerical relativity J. W. Barrett; 12. Making sense of the effects of rotation in general relativity J. C. Miller; 13. Stability of charged boson stars and catastrophe theory Franz E. Schunck, Fjodor V. Kusmartsev and Eckehard W. Mielke; Part II. Practical Approaches: 14. Numerical asymptotics R. Gómez and J. Winicour; 15. Instabilities in rapidly rotating polytropes Scott C. Smith and Joan M. Centrella; 16. Gravitational radiation from coalescing binary neutron stars Ken-Ichi Oohara and Takashi Nakamura; 17. 'Critical' behaviour in massless scalar field collapse M. W. Choptuik; 18. Goudunov-type methods applied to general relativistic gravitational collapse José Ma. Ibánez, José Ma. Martí, Juan A. Miralles and J. V. Romero; 19. Astrophysical sources of gravitational waves and neutrinos Silvano Bonazzola, Eric Gourgoulhon, Pawel Haensel and Jean-Alain Marck; 20. Gravitational radiation from triaxial core collapse Jean-Alain Marck and Silvano Bonazzola; 21. A vacuum fully relativistic 3D numerical code C. Bona and J. Massó; 22. Solution of elliptic equations in numerical relativity using multiquadrics M. R. Dubal, S. R. Oliveira and R. A. Matzner; 23

Clinical audit of COPD in outpatient respiratory clinics in Spain: the EPOCONSUL study

PubMed Central

Calle Rubio, Myriam; Alcázar Navarrete, Bernardino; Soriano, Joan B; Soler-Cataluña, Juan J; Rodríguez González-Moro, José Miguel; Fuentes Ferrer, Manuel E; López-Campos, José Luis

2017-01-01

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) outpatients account for a large burden of usual care by respirologists. EPOCONSUL is the first national clinical audit conducted in Spain on the medical care for COPD patients delivered in outpatient respiratory clinics. We aimed to evaluate the clinical interventions and the degree of adherence to recommendations in outpatients of current COPD clinical practice guidelines. Methodology This is an observational study with prospective recruitment (May 2014–May 2015) of patients with a COPD diagnosis as seen in outpatient respiratory clinics. The information collected was historical in nature as for the clinical data of the last and previous consultations, and the information concerning hospital resources was concurrent. Results A total of 17,893 clinical records of COPD patients in outpatient respiratory clinics from 59 Spanish hospitals were evaluated. Of the 5,726 patients selected, 4,508 (78.7%) were eligible. Overall, 12.1% of COPD patients did not fulfill a diagnostic spirometry criteria. Considerable variability existed in the available resources and work organization of the hospitals, although the majority were university hospitals with respiratory inpatient units. There was insufficient implementation of clinical guidelines in preventive and educational matters. In contrast, quantitative evaluation of dyspnea grade (81.9%) and exacerbation history (70.9%) were more frequently performed. Only 12.4% had COPD severity calculated according to the Body mass index, airflow Obstruction, Dyspnoea and Exercise capacity (BODE) index. Phenotype characteristics according to Spanish National Guideline for COPD were determined in 46.3% of the audited patients, and the risk evaluation according to Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease was estimated only in 21.9%. Conclusion The EPOCONSUL study reports the current situation of medical care for COPD patients in outpatient clinics in Spain, revealing

A large-scale and robust dynamic MRM study of colorectal cancer biomarkers.

PubMed

You, Jia; Kao, Athit; Dillon, Roslyn; Croner, Lisa J; Benz, Ryan; Blume, John E; Wilcox, Bruce

2018-06-25

Over the past 20 years, mass spectrometry (MS) has emerged as a dynamic tool for proteomics biomarker discovery. However, published MS biomarker candidates often do not translate to the clinic, failing during attempts at independent replication. The cause can be shortcomings in study design, sample quality, assay quantitation, and/or quality/process control. To address these shortcomings, we developed an MS workflow in accordance with Tier 2 measurement requirements for targeted peptides, defined by the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) "fit-for-purpose" approach, using dynamic multiple reaction monitoring (dMRM) which measures specific peptide transitions during predefined retention time (RT) windows. We describe the development of a robust multipex dMRM assay measuring 641 proteotypic peptides from 392 colorectal cancer (CRC) related proteins, and the procedures to track and handle sample processing and instrument variation over a four-month study, during which the assay measured blood samples from 1045 patients with CRC symptoms. After data collection, transitions were filtered by signal quality metrics before entering receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The results demonstrated CRC signal carried by 127 proteins in the symptomatic population. The workflow might be further developed to build Tier 1 assays for clinical tests identifying symptomatic individuals at elevated risk of CRC. We developed a dMRM MS method with the rigor of a Tier 2 assay as defined by the CPTAC 'fit for purpose approach' [1]. Using quality and process control procedures, the assay was used to quantify 641 proteotypic peptides representing 392 CRC-related proteins in plasma from 1045 CRC-symptomatic patients. To our knowledge, this is the largest MRM method applied to the largest study to date. The results showed that 127 of the proteins carried univariate CRC signal in the symptomatic population. This large number of single biomarkers bodes well for

Usefulness of the 6-minute walk test as a screening test for pulmonary arterial enlargement in COPD

PubMed Central

Oki, Yutaro; Kaneko, Masahiro; Fujimoto, Yukari; Sakai, Hideki; Misu, Shogo; Mitani, Yuji; Yamaguchi, Takumi; Yasuda, Hisafumi; Ishikawa, Akira

2016-01-01

Purpose Pulmonary hypertension and exercise-induced oxygen desaturation (EID) influence acute exacerbation of COPD. Computed tomography (CT)-detected pulmonary artery (PA) enlargement is independently associated with acute COPD exacerbations. Associations between PA to aorta (PA:A) ratio and EID in patients with COPD have not been reported. We hypothesized that the PA:A ratio correlated with EID and that results of the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) would be useful for predicting the risk associated with PA:A >1. Patients and methods We retrospectively measured lung function, 6MWT, emphysema area, and PA enlargement on CT in 64 patients with COPD. The patients were classified into groups with PA:A ≤1 and >1. Receiver-operating characteristic curves were used to determine the threshold values with the best cutoff points to predict patients with PA:A >1. Results The PA:A >1 group had lower forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1:FVC ratio, diffusion capacity of lung carbon monoxide, 6MW distance, and baseline peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2), lowest SpO2, highest modified Borg scale results, percentage low-attenuation area, and history of acute COPD exacerbations ≤1 year, and worse BODE (Body mass index, airflow Obstruction, Dyspnea, and Exercise) index results (P<0.05). Predicted PA:A >1 was determined for SpO2 during 6MWT (best cutoff point 89%, area under the curve 0.94, 95% confidence interval 0.88–1). SpO2 <90% during 6MWT showed a sensitivity of 93.1, specificity of 94.3, positive predictive value of 93.1, negative predictive value of 94.3, positive likelihood ratio of 16.2, and negative likelihood ratio of 0.07. Conclusion Lowest SpO2 during 6MWT may predict CT-measured PA:A, and lowest SpO2 <89% during 6MWT is excellent for detecting pulmonary hypertension in COPD. PMID:27920514

Mapping of research on maternal health interventions in low- and middle-income countries: a review of 2292 publications between 2000 and 2012.

PubMed

Chersich, Matthew; Blaauw, Duane; Dumbaugh, Mari; Penn-Kekana, Loveday; Thwala, Siphiwe; Bijlmakers, Leon; Vargas, Emily; Kern, Elinor; Kavanagh, Josephine; Dhana, Ashar; Becerra-Posada, Francisco; Mlotshwa, Langelihle; Becerril-Montekio, Victor; Mannava, Priya; Luchters, Stanley; Pham, Minh Duc; Portela, Anayda Gerarda; Rees, Helen

2016-09-06

research outputs and range of methods employed indicates a major expansion in the number of researchers and their skills. This bodes well for maternal health if variations in research priorities across settings and topics are corrected.

Static and Functional Balance in Individuals With COPD: Comparison With Healthy Controls and Differences According to Sex and Disease Severity.

PubMed

de Castro, Larissa A; Ribeiro, Laís Rg; Mesquita, Rafael; de Carvalho, Débora R; Felcar, Josiane M; Merli, Myriam F; Fernandes, Karen Bp; da Silva, Rubens A; Teixeira, Denilson C; Spruit, Martijn A; Pitta, Fabio; Probst, Vanessa S

2016-11-01

Studies have shown that individuals with COPD have impaired body balance, probably caused by the disease's multisystemic manifestations plus age-related decline in balance, potentially increasing the risk of falling and its consequences. However, little is known about the profile of individuals with COPD who present balance impairments, especially related to sex and disease severity stages. The aim of this work was to compare static and functional balance between subjects with COPD and healthy controls and to check possible differences according to sex and degrees of disease severity. Forty-seven subjects with COPD and 25 healthy controls were included in this study. Their static balance was assessed in one-legged stance using a force platform and functional balance with the Timed Up and Go test. Additionally, participants performed spirometry, the 6-min walk test and isometric quadriceps maximal voluntary contraction assessment. Disease severity was classified according to the Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease stages and BODE (body mass index, air-flow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity) scores. In comparison with healthy controls, subjects with COPD had worse static (center of pressure displacement area: 9.3 ± 1.9 cm 2 vs 11.6 ± 4.0 cm 2 , respectively, P = .01) and functional balance (Timed Up and Go test: 8.5 ± 1.3 s vs 10.3 ± 1.8 s, respectively, P < .001). In the COPD group, men performed better in the Timed Up and Go test than women (9.8 ± 1.2 s vs 10.9 ± 2.2 s, respectively, P = .03), whereas women presented a better static balance in comparison with men for all parameters related to center of pressure (P < .005 for all). Disease severity did not affect any balance results. Individuals with COPD had worse static and functional balance in comparison with healthy controls. Sex can mediate these results, depending on the type of balance evaluation (force platform or functional test). Balance performance was similar among the groups

The Case for a Geocentric rather than Heliocentric Origin of the Late Stage Heavy Bombardment (LHB) of the Moon and Tidal Evolution of its Orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, P. M.; Stacey, F. D.

2009-12-01

Melt breccia samples returned from the Apollo mission have dates that suggest that the impacts that formed major basins on the Moon occurred between 3.8 and 4.0 Ga i.e., about 0.6 G years after Lunar formation. Three models have been proposed to explain the LHB. Heliocentric models including (1) The period marked the end of large-scale impacts associated with planetary formation and (2) It corresponded to a spike in impacts associated with major reorientation of the solar system (the ‘Nice model’), when the orbits Jupiter and Saturn became resonant, causing the orbits of Uranus and Neptune to become unstable and grow, scattering cometary and asteroidal fragments into Earth-Moon crossing orbits, and a geocentric model (3) It was due to collision with the last of a series of moonlets formed during Earth accretion which were swept up by tidal regression of a large Moon that had been formed near the Earth by a giant impact. While there is no smoking gun for any of these scenarios we will discuss a possible scenario for (3). Numerical calculations show that tidal regression of a large inner Moon sequentially traps exterior smaller moonlets into 2:1 resonance. Resonant trapping rapidly increases the eccentricity of their orbits causing them to become Moon-crossing. If the orbital radii of the moonlets had a resonance or Bode's law-type distribution, for the last collision to take place at 0.6 Gy, the Moon would have been at ~40 RE when it took place. One of the implications is that the associated LHB impacts would have significantly less relative velocity than those derived from asteroidal or cometary distances associated with (1) or (2). This may explain the low content of vapor condensate in the Lunar breccias. The tidal evolution from ~40 RE at 0.6 Gy requires a lower tidal friction than at present, but this has been evident for many years from tidal rhythmite data.

Solar Dynamo Driven by Periodic Flow Oscillation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mayr, Hans G.; Hartle, Richard E.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

We have proposed that the periodicity of the solar magnetic cycle is determined by wave mean flow interactions analogous to those driving the Quasi Biennial Oscillation in the Earth's atmosphere. Upward propagating gravity waves would produce oscillating flows near the top of the radiation zone that in turn would drive a kinematic dynamo to generate the 22-year solar magnetic cycle. The dynamo we propose is built on a given time independent magnetic field B, which allows us to estimate the time dependent, oscillating components of the magnetic field, (Delta)B. The toroidal magnetic field (Delta)B(sub phi) is directly driven by zonal flow and is relatively large in the source region, (Delta)(sub phi)/B(sub Theta) much greater than 1. Consistent with observations, this field peaks at low latitudes and has opposite polarities in both hemispheres. The oscillating poloidal magnetic field component, (Delta)B(sub Theta), is driven by the meridional circulation, which is difficult to assess without a numerical model that properly accounts for the solar atmosphere dynamics. Scale-analysis suggests that (Delta)B(sub Theta) is small compared to B(sub Theta) in the dynamo region. Relative to B(sub Theta), however, the oscillating magnetic field perturbations are expected to be transported more rapidly upwards in the convection zone to the solar surface. As a result, (Delta)B(sub Theta) (and (Delta)B(sub phi)) should grow relative to B(sub Theta), so that the magnetic fields reverse at the surface as observed. Since the meridional and zonai flow oscillations are out of phase, the poloidal magnetic field peaks during times when the toroidal field reverses direction, which is observed. With the proposed wave driven flow oscillation, the magnitude of the oscillating poloidal magnetic field increases with the mean rotation rate of the fluid. This is consistent with the Bode-Blackett empirical scaling law, which reveals that in massive astrophysical bodies the magnetic moment tends

Impacts of climate change on vegetation, hydrological and socio-economic droughts in a transitional wet-to-dry Mediterranean region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nunes, João Pedro; Pulquério, Mário; Grosso, Nuno; Duarte Santos, Filipe; João Cruz, Maria

2015-04-01

The Tagus river basin is located in a transitional region between humid and semi-arid climate. The lower part of the basin is a strategic source of water for Portugal, providing water for agricultural irrigation, hydropower generation, and domestic water supplies for over 4 million people. Climate change in this region is expected to lead to higher temperatures and lower rainfall, therefore increasing climatic aridity. In this transitional region, this could lead to an increased frequency of severe droughts, threatening climatic support for current agricultural and forestry practices, as well as the sustainability of domestic water supplies. This work evaluated the impacts of climate change on drought frequency and severity for the Portuguese part of the Tagus river basin. Climate change scenarios for 2010-2100 (A2 greenhouse emission scenarios) were statistically downscaled for the study area. They were evaluated with the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) eco-hydrological model, which simulated vegetation water demand and drought stress, soil water availability, irrigation abstraction, streamflow, reservoir storage and groundwater recharge. Water inflows from Spain were estimated using an empirical climate-based model. Drought occurrence and severity was analyzed in terms of: * meteorological drought, based on (i) the Standardized Precipitation Index and (ii) the Aridity Index; * vegetation/agricultural drought, based on plant water stress; * hydrological drought, based on (i) streamflow rates and (ii) reservoir storage; * socio-economic drought, based on (i) the capacity of the main reservoir in the system (Castelo de Bode) to sustain hydropower and domestic supplies, and (ii) the rate of groundwater extraction vs. irrigation demands for the cultures located in the intensive cultivation regions of the Lezírias near the Tagus estuary. The results indicate a trend of increasing frequency and severity of most drought types during the XXIst century, with a

High resolution spectroscopy of jet cooled phenyl radical: The ν1 and ν2 a1 symmetry C-H stretching modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Chih-Hsuan; Nesbitt, David J.

2016-07-01

A series of CH stretch modes in phenyl radical (C6H5) has been investigated via high resolution infrared spectroscopy at sub-Doppler resolution (˜60 MHz) in a supersonic discharge slit jet expansion. Two fundamental vibrations of a1 symmetry, ν1 and ν2, are observed and rotationally analyzed for the first time, corresponding to in-phase and out-of-phase symmetric CH stretch excitation at the ortho/meta/para and ortho/para C atoms with respect to the radical center. The ν1 and ν2 band origins are determined to be 3073.968 50(8) cm-1 and 3062.264 80(7) cm-1, respectively, which both agree within 5 cm-1 with theoretical anharmonic scaling predictions based on density functional B3LYP/6-311g++(3df,3dp) calculations. Integrated band strengths for each of the CH stretch bands are analyzed, with the relative intensities agreeing remarkably well with theoretical predictions. Frequency comparison with previous low resolution Ar-matrix spectroscopy [A. V. Friderichsen et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 123, 1977 (2001)] reveals a nearly uniform Δν ≈ + 10-12 cm-1 blue shift between gas phase and Ar matrix values for ν1 and ν2. This differs substantially from the much smaller red shift (Δν ≈ - 1 cm-1) reported for the ν19 mode, and suggests a simple physical model in terms of vibrational mode symmetry and crowding due to the matrix environment. Finally, the infrared phenyl spectra are well described by a simple asymmetric rigid rotor Hamiltonian and show no evidence for spectral congestion due to intramolecular vibrational coupling, which bodes well for high resolution studies of other ring radicals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In summary, the combination of slit jet discharge methods with high resolution infrared lasers enables spectroscopic investigation of even highly reactive combustion and interstellar radical intermediates under gas phase, jet-cooled (Trot ≈ 11 K) conditions.

Scalar Dissipation Modeling for Passive and Active Scalars: a priori Study Using Direct Numerical Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Selle, L. C.; Bellan, Josette

2006-01-01

Transitional databases from Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of three-dimensional mixing layers for single-phase flows and two-phase flows with evaporation are analyzed and used to examine the typical hypothesis that the scalar dissipation Probability Distribution Function (PDF) may be modeled as a Gaussian. The databases encompass a single-component fuel and four multicomponent fuels, two initial Reynolds numbers (Re), two mass loadings for two-phase flows and two free-stream gas temperatures. Using the DNS calculated moments of the scalar-dissipation PDF, it is shown, consistent with existing experimental information on single-phase flows, that the Gaussian is a modest approximation of the DNS-extracted PDF, particularly poor in the range of the high scalar-dissipation values, which are significant for turbulent reaction rate modeling in non-premixed flows using flamelet models. With the same DNS calculated moments of the scalar-dissipation PDF and making a change of variables, a model of this PDF is proposed in the form of the (beta)-PDF which is shown to approximate much better the DNS-extracted PDF, particularly in the regime of the high scalar-dissipation values. Several types of statistical measures are calculated over the ensemble of the fourteen databases. For each statistical measure, the proposed (beta)-PDF model is shown to be much superior to the Gaussian in approximating the DNS-extracted PDF. Additionally, the agreement between the DNS-extracted PDF and the (beta)-PDF even improves when the comparison is performed for higher initial Re layers, whereas the comparison with the Gaussian is independent of the initial Re values. For two-phase flows, the comparison between the DNS-extracted PDF and the (beta)-PDF also improves with increasing free-stream gas temperature and mass loading. The higher fidelity approximation of the DNS-extracted PDF by the (beta)-PDF with increasing Re, gas temperature and mass loading bodes well for turbulent reaction rate

Temperature dependence of liquid lithium film formation and deuterium retention on hot W samples studied by LID-QMS. Implications for future fusion reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Castro, A.; Sepetys, A.; González, M.; Tabarés, F. L.

2018-04-01

Liquid metal (LM) divertor concepts explore an alternative solution to the challenging power/particle exhaust issues in future magnetic fusion reactors. Among them, lithium (Li) is the most promising material. Its use has shown important advantages in terms of improved H-mode plasma confinement and heat handling capabilities. In such scenario, a possible combination of tungsten (W) on the first wall and liquid Li on the divertor could be an acceptable solution, but several issues related to material compatibility remain open. In particular, the co-deposition of Li and hydrogen isotopes on W components could increase the associated tritium retention and represent a safety risk, especially if these co-deposits can uncontrollably grow in remote/plasma shadowed zones of the first wall. In this work, the retention of Li and deuterium (D) on tungsten at different surface temperature (200 °C-400 °C) has been studied by exposing W samples to Li evaporation under several D2 gaseous environments. Deuterium retention in the W-Li films has been quantified by using laser induced desorption-mass spectrometry (LID-QMS). Additional techniques as thermal desorption spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, profilemetry and flame atomic emission spectroscopy were implemented to corroborate the retention results and for the qualitative and quantitative characterization of the films. The results showed a negligible (below LID sensibility) D uptake at T surface  =  225 °C, when the W-Li layer is exposed to simultaneous Li evaporation and D2 gas exposition (0.67 Pa). Pre-lithiated samples were also exposed to higher D2 pressures (133.3 Pa) at different temperatures (200 °C-400 °C). A non-linear drastic reduction in the D retention with increasing temperatures was found on the W-Li films, presenting a D/Li atomic ratio at 400 °C lower than 0.1 at.% on a thin film of  ≈100 nm thick. These results bode well (in terms of tritium inventory) for the potential

Seismic Canvas: Evolution as a Data Exploration and Analysis Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kroeger, G. C.

2015-12-01

SeismicCanvas, originally developed as a prototype interactive waveform display and printing application for educational use has evolved to include significant data exploration and analysis functionality. The most recent version supports data import from a variety of standard file formats including SAC and mini-SEED, as well as search and download capabilities via IRIS/FDSN Web Services. Data processing tools now include removal of means and trends, interactive windowing, filtering, smoothing, tapering, resampling. Waveforms can be displayed in a free-form canvas or as a record section based on angular or great circle distance, azimuth or back azimuth. Integrated tau-p code allows the calculation and display of theoretical phase arrivals from a variety of radial Earth models. Waveforms can be aligned by absolute time, event time, picked or theoretical arrival times and can be stacked after alignment. Interactive measurements include means, amplitudes, time delays, ray parameters and apparent velocities. Interactive picking of an arbitrary list of seismic phases is supported. Bode plots of amplitude and phase spectra and spectrograms can be created from multiple seismograms or selected windows of seismograms. Direct printing is implemented on all supported platforms along with output of high-resolution pdf files. With these added capabilities, the application is now being used as a data exploration tool for research. Coded in C++ and using the cross-platform Qt framework, the most recent version is available as a 64-bit application for Windows 7-10, Mac OS X 10.6-10.11, and most distributions of Linux, and a 32-bit version for Windows XP and 7. With the latest improvements and refactoring of trace display classes, the 64-bit versions have been tested with over 250 million samples and remain responsive in interactive operations. The source code is available under a LPGLv3 license and both source and executables are available through the IRIS SeisCode repository.

Shift in microbial group during remediation by enhanced natural attenuation (RENA) of a crude oil-impacted soil: a case study of Ikarama Community, Bayelsa, Nigeria.

PubMed

Chikere, Chioma Blaise; Azubuike, Christopher Chibueze; Fubara, Evan Miebaka

2017-06-01

Acute and chronic pollution of environments with crude oil does not bode well for biota living within the vicinity of polluted environments. This is due to environmental and public health concerns on the negative impact of crude oil pollution on living organisms. Enhancing microbial activities by adding nutrients and other amendments had proved effective in pollutant removal during bioremediation. This study was carried out to determine how microbial group respond during remediation by enhanced natural attenuation (RENA) during a field-scale bioremediation. Crude oil-polluted soil samples were collected (before, during, and after remediation) from a site undergoing remediation by enhanced natural attenuation (RENA) at Ikarama Community, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, and were analyzed for total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), and a shift in microbial community. The gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) results showed that the pollutant concentrations (TPH and PAH) reduced by 98 and 85%, respectively, after the remediation. Culturable hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria (CHUB) was highest (8.3 × 10 4 cfu/g) for sample collected during the remediation studies, whilst sample collected after remediation had low CHUB (6.1 × 10 4 cfu/g) compared to that collected before remediation (7.7 × 10 4 cfu/g). Analysis of 16S rRNA of the isolated CHUB showed they belonged to eight bacterial genera namely: Achromobacter, Alcaligenes, Azospirillus, Bacillus, Lysinibacillus, Ochrobactrum, Proteus, and Pusillimonas, with Alcaligenes as the dominant genus. In this study, it was observed that the bacterial community shifted from mixed group (Gram-positive and -negative) before and during the remediation, to only the latter group after the remediation studies. The betaproteobacteria groups were the dominant isolated bacterial phylotype. This study showed that RENA is an effective method of reducing pollutant concentration in crude oil

‘My health is not a job’: a qualitative exploration of personal health management and imperatives of the ‘new public health’

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background There is an increasing push in Western healthcare for people to ‘manage’ their health, a key aspect of what has been called the ‘new public health’. It has been argued that this ‘personal health management’ – informal work done to monitor, inform, or influence one’s health – may be a burden, with potential to contribute to poor health outcomes. However, there is little research actually examining perceptions of personal health management and the ‘burden’ of these activities, particularly for generally healthy individuals. Methods We conducted exploratory qualitative interviews with 30 generally healthy men and women about their perceptions and experiences of personal health management. Questions focused on health behaviours (e.g., information seeking), as well as feelings about these behaviours and perceptions of the time dedicated to health. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed qualitatively using NVivo 10. Where appropriate, quantitative codes were applied and descriptive statistics are reported alongside qualitative findings. Results Participants were generally satisfied with the amount of time spent on their health and few perceived personal health management as a burden. Many participants took issue with the concept of ‘work’ being associated with health and stressed the importance of taking personal responsibility for health. Conclusions Our findings suggest that generally healthy people have internalised the notion of the ‘new public health’ and accepted the imperative of personal health responsibility. On the one hand, this bodes well for healthy individuals; their positive attitude may lead to better health outcomes, and the manageable amount of time spent suggests personal health management is unlikely to cause negative health consequences associated with stress. On the other hand, our findings may indicate that other factors, such as social determinants of health, are ignored in health promotion

Design of a nanoplatform for treating pancreatic cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manawadu, Harshi Chathurangi

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the USA. Asymptomatic early cancer stages and late diagnosis leads to very low survival rates of pancreatic cancers, compared to other cancers. Treatment options for advanced pancreatic cancer are limited to chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, as surgical removal of the cancerous tissue becomes impossible at later stages. Therefore, there's a critical need for innovative and improved chemotherapeutic treatment of (late) pancreatic cancers. It is mandatory for successful treatment strategies to overcome the drug resistance associated with pancreatic cancers. Nanotechnology based drug formulations have been providing promising alternatives in cancer treatment due to their selective targeting and accumulation in tumor vasculature, which can be used for efficient delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to tumors and metastases. The research of my thesis is following the principle approach to high therapeutic efficacy that has been first described by Dr. Helmut Ringsdorf in 1975. However, I have extended the use of the Ringsdorf model from polymeric to nanoparticle-based drug carriers by exploring an iron / iron oxide nanoparticle based drug delivery system. A series of drug delivery systems have been synthesized by varying the total numbers and the ratio of the tumor homing peptide sequence CGKRK and the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin at the surfaces of Fe/Fe3O 4-nanoparticles. The cytotoxicity of these nanoformulations was tested against murine pancreatic cancer cell lines (Pan02) to assess their therapeutic capabilities for effective treatments of pancreatic cancers. Healthy mouse fibroblast cells (STO) were also tested for comparison, because an effective chemotherapeutic drug has to be selective towards cancer cells. Optimal Experimental Design methodology was applied to identify the nanoformulation with the highest therapeutic activity. A statistical analysis method known as response

The role of global in-use material stocks in the course of the socio-metabolic transition, from 1900 -2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiedenhofer, Dominik; Lauk, Christian; Fishman, Tomer; Tanikawa, Hiroki; Eisenmenger, Nina; Krausmann, Fridolin

2014-05-01

further research & data requirements for improved stock estimations, b) discuss possible ranges of global material stocks in use and c) give an outlook on regionalized stock modelling exercises. In conclusion, we reflect on quantitative long term developments of global material stocks and discuss the relation of economic development and stocks. We finalize with reflections on the role of in-use stocks in ongoing socio-ecological transitions into the fossil-fuel based regime as well as implications for more sustainable resource use strategies in the light of the need for a new transition towards sustainability. Literature cited: Krausmann, Fridolin, Simone Gingrich, Nina Eisenmenger, Karl-Heinz Erb, Helmut Haberl, and Marina Fischer-Kowalski. "Growth in Global Materials Use, GDP and Population during the 20th Century." Ecological Economics 68, no. 10 (2009): 2696-2705. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2009.05.007.

The statistical model of origin and evolution planets of Solar system and planetary satellities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krot, A.

There are the theories for exploring Solar system formation in accord Titius-Bode's low: electromagnetic theories (Birkeland (1912), Alfven (1942)), gravitational theories (Schmidt (1944), Woolfson (1964), Safronov (1969), Dole (1970)), nebular theories (Weizsaecker (1943), Kuiper (1949), Nakano (1970)) [1]-[3]. In spite of great number of work aimed to exploring formation of the Solar system, however, the mentioned theories were not able to explain all phenomena. In this connection the statistical theory for a cosmological body forming (so-called the spheroidal body model) has been proposed in [4]-[11]. Within the framework of this theory, bodies have fuzzy outlines and are represented by means of spheroidal forms. In the work [6], which is a continuation of the papers [4], [5], it has been investigated a slowly evolving in time process of a gravitational compression of a spheroidal body close to an unstable equilibrium state. In the papers [7],[8]the equation of motion of particles inside the weakly gravitating spheroidal body modeled by means of an ideal liquid has been obtained. Using Schwarzschild's and Kerr's metrics a consistency of the proposed statistical model with the general relativity has been shown in [12]. The proposed theory proceeds from the conception for forming a spheroidal body as a protoplanet from planetary nebula; it permits to derive the form of distribution functions for an immovable and rotating spheroidal body [4]-[6],[10]-[13] as well as their density masses (gravitational potentials and strengths) and also to find the distribution function of specific angular momentum of the rotating uniformly spheroidal body [13],[14]. Using the specific angular momentum distribution function this work considers a gas- dust protoplanetary cloud as a rotating and gravitating spheroidal body. Because the specific angular momenta are averaged during conglomeration process the specific angular momenta for a planets of Solar system is found. As a result a

Women in Physics in a Rapidly Changing China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Ling-An

2008-03-01

Despite the upheavals of the 20th century, physics managed to survive quite well in China, where the first woman president of the American Physical Society was born and bred. During the 1950s as a result of policies that emphasized science and engineering, declared equal rights and equal pay for men and women, and assigned jobs to college graduates irrespective of sex, the number of women in physics increased rapidly, many of whom made notable achievements. Since China's opening up over the last thirty years tremendous changes have taken place, and women now face new opportunities as well as challenges in all aspects of society. Whereas physics used to be regarded as the most elite of the sciences, new fields such as computer science, biotechnology and business are now competing for the best students. Compared with other countries the statistics are not bad; in schools and many physics departments the ratio of women teachers may be 30% or higher, but the numbers drop drastically with rank. Moreover, in some research institutions the ratio of female physicists is actually declining, due to retirement of the older generation and fewer successors. Compulsory retirement for women at an earlier age than for men is also a new factor. Conversely, in recent years the ratio of female graduate students enrolling in physics has increased, even reaching 40% in some universities. However, the reasons for this do not bode well: men are not performing so well as women in entrance exams, while the latter are facing increasing discrimination in employment so they have to seek higher degree qualifications. With the further development of China's economy there will be abundant demand for qualified personnel including women with a physics background. It is imperative to actively support the upcoming generation of women physicists and not lose them in the leaky pipeline. The Chinese Physical Society has taken certain positive steps, such as the recent establishment of the Xie Xi

Resource flows for health care: Namibia reproductive health sub-accounts.

PubMed

Mbeeli, Thomas; Samahiya, Muine; Ravishankar, Nirmala; Zere, Eyob; Kirigia, Joses M

2011-12-24

, an increasing maternal mortality ratio does not bode well with the level of reproductive health expenditure. It is therefore important to critically examine the state of efficiency in the allocation and use of reproductive health expenditures in order to improve health outcomes.

AOCS Performance and Stability Validation for a 160-m Solar Sail with Control-Structure Interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wie, Bong; Murphy, David

2005-01-01

Future solar sail missions, such as NASA's Solar Polar Imager Vision, will require sails with dimensions on the order of 50-500 m. We are examining a square sail design with moving mass (trim control mass, TCM) and quadrant rotation primary actuators plus pulsed plasma thrusters (PPTs) at the mast tips for backup attitude control. Quadrant rotation is achieved via roll stabilizer bars (RSB) at the mast tips. At these sizes, given the gossamer nature of the sail supporting structures, flexible modes may be low enough to interact with the control system, especially as these actuators are located on the flexible structure itself and not on the rigid core. This paper develops a practical analysis of the flexible interactions using state-space systems and modal data from finite element models of the system. Torsion and bending of the masts during maneuvers could significantly affect the function of the actuators while activation of the membrane modes could adversely affect the thrust vector direction and magnitude. Analysis of the RSB and TCM dynamics for developing high-fidelity simulations is included. For control analysis of the flexible system, standard finite-element models of the flexible sail body are loaded and the modal data is used to create a modal coordinate state-space system. Key parameters include which modes to include, which nodes are of interest for force inputs and displacement outputs, connecting nodes through which external forces and torques are applied from the flex body to the core, any nominal momentum in the system, and any steady rates. The system is linearized about the nominal attitude and rate. The state-space plant can then be analyzed with a state-space controller, and Bode, Nyquist, step and impulse responses generated. The approach is general for any rigid core with a flexible appendage. This paper develops a compensator for a simple two-mass flex system and extrapolates the results to the solar sail. A finite element model of the 20 m

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

Chang, Chih-Hsuan; Nesbitt, David J.

A series of CH stretch modes in phenyl radical (C{sub 6}H{sub 5}) has been investigated via high resolution infrared spectroscopy at sub-Doppler resolution (∼60 MHz) in a supersonic discharge slit jet expansion. Two fundamental vibrations of a{sub 1} symmetry, ν{sub 1} and ν{sub 2}, are observed and rotationally analyzed for the first time, corresponding to in-phase and out-of-phase symmetric CH stretch excitation at the ortho/meta/para and ortho/para C atoms with respect to the radical center. The ν{sub 1} and ν{sub 2} band origins are determined to be 3073.968 50(8) cm{sup −1} and 3062.264 80(7) cm{sup −1}, respectively, which both agree within 5more » cm{sup −1} with theoretical anharmonic scaling predictions based on density functional B3LYP/6-311g++(3df,3dp) calculations. Integrated band strengths for each of the CH stretch bands are analyzed, with the relative intensities agreeing remarkably well with theoretical predictions. Frequency comparison with previous low resolution Ar-matrix spectroscopy [A. V. Friderichsen et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 123, 1977 (2001)] reveals a nearly uniform Δν ≈ + 10-12 cm{sup −1} blue shift between gas phase and Ar matrix values for ν{sub 1} and ν{sub 2}. This differs substantially from the much smaller red shift (Δν ≈ − 1 cm{sup −1}) reported for the ν{sub 19} mode, and suggests a simple physical model in terms of vibrational mode symmetry and crowding due to the matrix environment. Finally, the infrared phenyl spectra are well described by a simple asymmetric rigid rotor Hamiltonian and show no evidence for spectral congestion due to intramolecular vibrational coupling, which bodes well for high resolution studies of other ring radicals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In summary, the combination of slit jet discharge methods with high resolution infrared lasers enables spectroscopic investigation of even highly reactive combustion and interstellar radical intermediates under gas phase

Constructing organic D-A-π-A-featured sensitizers with a quinoxaline unit for high-efficiency solar cells: the effect of an auxiliary acceptor on the absorption and the energy level alignment.

PubMed

Pei, Kai; Wu, Yongzhen; Wu, Wenjun; Zhang, Qiong; Chen, Baoqin; Tian, He; Zhu, Weihong

2012-06-25

Four organic D-A-π-A-featured sensitizers (TQ1, TQ2, IQ1, and IQ2) have been studied for high-efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). We employed an indoline or a triphenylamine unit as the donor, cyanoacetic acid as the acceptor/anchor, and a thiophene moiety as the conjugation bridge. Additionally, an electron-withdrawing quinoxaline unit was incorporated between the donor and the π-conjugation unit. These sensitizers show an additional absorption band covering the broad visible range in solution. The contribution from the incorporated quinoxaline was investigated theoretically by using DFT and time-dependent DFT. The incorporated low-band-gap quinoxaline unit as an auxiliary acceptor has several merits, such as decreasing the band gap, optimizing the energy levels, and realizing a facile structural modification on several positions in the quinoxaline unit. As demonstrated, the observed additional absorption band is favorable to the photon-to-electron conversion because it corresponds to the efficient electron transitions to the LUMO orbital. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) Bode plots reveal that the replacement of a methoxy group with an octyloxy group can increase the injection electron lifetime by a factor of 2.4. IQ2 and TQ2 can perform well without any co-adsorbent, successfully suppress the charge recombination from TiO(2) conduction band to I(3)(-) in the electrolyte, and enhance the electron lifetime, resulting in a decreased dark current and enhanced open circuit voltage (V(oc)) values. By using a liquid electrolyte, DSSCs based on dye IQ2 exhibited a broad incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) action spectrum and high efficiency (η=8.50 %) with a short circuit current density (J(sc)) of 15.65 mA cm(-2), a V(oc) value of 776 mV, a fill factor (FF) of 0.70 under AM 1.5 illumination (100 mW cm(-2)). Moreover, the overall efficiency remained at 97% of the initial value after 1000 h of visible

Tectonic environments and local geologic controls of potential hydrothermal fields along the Southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (12-14°S)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Bing; Shi, Xuefa; Wang, Jixin; Yan, Quanshu; Liu, Chenguang; DY125-21 (Leg 3) Science Party; DY125-22 (Legs 2-5) Science Party; DY125-26 (Leg 3) Science Party

2018-05-01

Systematic hydrothermal exploration and multi-beam bathymetry mapping have been conducted along a 220-km-long section of the Southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (SMAR) from 12°S (Bode Verde Fracture Zone) to 14°S (Cardno Fracture Zone), and previously reported deposits (Tao et al., 2011) are now being thoroughly investigated. Here, we present the characterization of three possible hydrothermal fields, a complete bathymetry data set of the ridge segment, gravity data, and the petrologic characteristics of collected rock samples. The magmatism characteristics, evolution of the ridge segment, and the local geological controls of the possible hydrothermal fields are then discussed. The studied segment can be divided into two segments by a Non-Transform Discontinuity (NTD). Our morphotectonic analysis shows significant along-axis heterogeneity in the surveyed segments: three distinctive cross-axis grabens were identified in the northern segment, and two were identified in the southern segment. Moreover, based on the gravity data (a relatively low spherical Bouguer anomaly) and petrologic data (low Mg# values and relatively low FeO and relatively high Al2O3 and CaO contents compared to nearby seafloor samples), a volcanic feature, the ZouYu seamount, on this segment is considered to be associated with strong magmatic activity, and the magmatic activity of the inside corner at the southern end of the segment has increased and decreased. The three possible hydrothermal fields occur in different local geological settings: a shallow magmatic seamount (ZouYu), an NTD (TaiJi), and an inside-corner high (CaiFan). These potential hydrothermal fields are significantly different from other fields in similar tectonic settings in terms of local geologic controls and products. The ZouYu field is primarily related to a newly formed cone, resulting in the production of sulfides, and differs from other fields on shallow magmatic seamounts. The TaiJi field is largely controlled by the tectonic

Van der Waals Epitaxy of Functional Oxide Heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Ying-Hao

In the diligent pursuit of low-power consumption, multifunctional, and environmentally friendly electronics, more sophisticated requirements on functional materials are on demand. Recently, the discovery of 2D layered materials has created a revolution to this field. Pioneered by graphene, these new 2D materials exhibit abundant unusual physical phenomena that is undiscovered in bulk forms. These materials are characterized with their layer form and almost pure 2D electronic behavior. The confinement of charge and heat transport at such ultrathin planes offers possibilities to overcome the bottleneck of present device development in thickness limitation, and thus push the technologies into next generation. Van der Waals epitaxy, an epitaxial growth method to combine 2D and 3D materials, is one of current reliable manufacturing processes to fabricate 2D materials by growing these 2D materials epitaxially on 3D materials. Then, transferring the 2D materials to the substrates for practical applications. In the mean time, van der Waals epitaxy has also been used to create free-standing 3D materials by growing 3D materials on 2D materials and then removing them from 2D materials since the interfacial boding between 2D and 3D materials should be weak van der Waals bonds. In this study, we intend to take the same concept, but to integrate a family of functional materials in order to open new avenue to flexible electronics. Due to the interplay of lattice, charge, orbital, and spin degrees of freedom, correlated electrons in oxides generate a rich spectrum of competing phases and physical properties. Recently, lots of studies have suggested that oxide heterostructures provide a powerful route to create and manipulate the degrees of freedom and offer new possibilities for next generation devices, thus create a new playground for researchers to investigate novel physics and the emergence of fascinating states of condensed matter. In this talk, we use a 2D layered material as

Community perceptions of malaria and vaccines in two districts of Mozambique

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

local languages. Conclusions Acceptance of routine childhood vaccines bodes well for a future malaria vaccine. Vaccinating children is a well-established routine that is viewed favourably in Mozambique. A communications strategy would need to build on existing immunization efforts and use trusted sources—including current government dissemination arrangements—to deliver health information. PMID:23186030

In situ measurement and source apportionment of aerosols in the Kathmandu valley, Nepal, April 2015.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeCarlo, P. F.; Werden, B.; Goetz, J. D.; Giordano, M.; Bhave, P.; Jayarathne, T. S.; Stockwell, C.; Christian, T. J.; Nadler, W.; Panday, A. K.; Yokelson, R. J.; Stone, E. A.

2017-12-01

The Kathmandu Valley in Nepal is home to over 2.5 Million people, and is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in South Asia. It is subject to extreme pollution events due to numerous unregulated localized pollution sources and regional transport from the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). Over 10% of Nepali fatalities are from lung disorders, making it the most common cause of death in the country. Previous field work has studied gas species, wintertime VOCs and PM in the valley. The Nepal Ambient Measurement and Site Testing Experiment [NAMaSTE] is the first deployment of a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) in Nepal and allows for a more comprehensive analysis of aerosol species and their source contributions. Ambient measurements for the NAMaSTE campaign were made in Bode, 8 km east of Kathmandu. Intensive measurements were made in April 2015, but cut short by the 2015 Gorka earthquake. HR-ToF-AMS measurements provided detailed chemical composition information on particulate matter in the valley. Ancillary measurements of chemical species CO, CO2, CH4, H2O, O3, NOx, BC and PM were carried out and compared to AMS data and meteorological parameters. AMS species show a clear diurnal pattern, with extremely elevated concentrations in the morning, with a wind shift to westerly in the afternoon. PMF was performed on the ambient data set, and mass spectral data was compared to source mass spectra generated from emission testing of various local sources measured during the campaign. The mean concentration of PM2.5 was 83 ± 45 µg/m3, which is above the 24 hour WHO exposure threshold of 25 µg/m3 and annual continous exposure limit of 10 µg/m3­­. Localized sources of anthropogenic emissions such as garbage burning, coal for brick kilns, dung and biomass burning for cooking and agriculture are likely sources of elevated pollutant emissions. Unmitigated burning of trash and biomass coupled with irregular fuels are a major source of

Internet protocol television for personalized home-based health information: design-based research on a diabetes education system.

PubMed

Gray, Kathleen Mary; Clarke, Ken; Alzougool, Basil; Hines, Carolyn; Tidhar, Gil; Frukhtman, Feodor

2014-03-10

terms that bode well for its educational potential, and they suggested many constructive improvements to the system. The integration of Web 2.0 and IPTV merits further technical development, business modeling, and health services and health outcomes research, as a solution to extend the reach and scale of home-based health care.

Implementation of a subcanopy solar radiation model on a forested headwater basin in the Southern Appalachians to estimate riparian canopy density and stream insolation for stream temperature models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belica, L.; Petras, V.; Iiames, J. S., Jr.; Caldwell, P.; Mitasova, H.; Nelson, S. A. C.

2016-12-01

Water temperature is a key aspect of water quality and understanding how the thermal regimes of forested headwater streams may change in response to climatic and land cover changes is increasingly important to scientists and resource managers. In recent years, the forested mountain watersheds of the Southeastern U.S. have experienced changing climatic patterns as well as the loss of a keystone riparian tree species and anticipated hydrologic responses include lower summer stream flows and decreased stream shading. Solar radiation is the main source of thermal energy to streams and a key parameter in heat-budget models of stream temperature; a decrease in flow volume combined with a reduction in stream shading during summer have the potential to increase stream temperatures. The high spatial variability of forest canopies and the high spatio-temporal variability in sky conditions make estimating the solar radiation reaching small forested headwater streams difficult. The Subcanopy Solar Radiation Model (SSR) (Bode et al. 2014) is a GIS model that generates high resolution, spatially explicit estimates of solar radiation by incorporating topographic and vegetative shading with a light penetration index derived from leaf-on airborne LIDAR data. To evaluate the potential of the SSR model to provide estimates of stream insolation to parameterize heat-budget models, it was applied to the Coweeta Basin in the Southern Appalachians using airborne LIDAR (NCALM 2009, 1m resolution). The LIDAR derived canopy characteristics were compared to current hyperspectral images of the canopy for changes and the SSR estimates of solar radiation were compared with pyranometer measurements of solar radiation at several subcanopy sites during the summer of 2016. Preliminary results indicate the SSR model was effective in identifying variations in canopy density and light penetration, especially in areas associated with road and stream corridors and tree mortality. Current LIDAR data and

Community perceptions of malaria and vaccines in two districts of Mozambique.

PubMed

Bingham, Allison; Gaspar, Felisbela; Lancaster, Kathryn; Conjera, Juliana; Collymore, Yvette; Ba-Nguz, Antoinette

2012-11-28

routine childhood vaccines bodes well for a future malaria vaccine. Vaccinating children is a well-established routine that is viewed favourably in Mozambique. A communications strategy would need to build on existing immunization efforts and use trusted sources-including current government dissemination arrangements-to deliver health information.

Identification and distribution of COPD phenotypes in clinical practice according to Spanish COPD Guidelines: the FENEPOC study

PubMed Central

Calle Rubio, Myriam; Casamor, Ricard; Miravitlles, Marc

2017-01-01

Background The Spanish Guidelines for COPD (GesEPOC) describe four clinical phenotypes: non-exacerbator (NE), asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACO), frequent exacerbator with emphysema (EE), and exacerbator with chronic bronchitis (ECB). The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of COPD phenotypes, their clinical characteristics, and the availability of diagnostic tools to classify COPD phenotypes in clinical practice. Materials and methods This study was an epidemiological, cross-sectional, and multi-centered study. Patients ≥40 years old with a post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/forced vital capacity ratio of <0.7 and who were smokers or former smokers (with at least 10 pack-years) were included. The availability of diagnostic tools to classify COPD phenotypes was assessed by an ad hoc questionnaire. Results A total of 647 patients (294 primary care [PC], 353 pulmonology centers) were included. Most patients were male (80.8%), with a mean age (SD) of 68.2 (9.2) years, mean post-bronchodilator FEV1 was 53.2% (18.9%) and they suffered a mean of 2.2 (2.1) exacerbations in the last year. NE was the most frequent phenotype (47.5%) found, followed by ECB (29.1%), EE (17.0%), and ACO (6.5%). Significant differences between the four phenotypes were found regarding age; sex; body mass index; FEV1; body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity (BODE)/body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea and exacerbations (BODEx) index; modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale; respiratory symptoms; comorbidi-ties; hospitalizations; and exacerbations in the last year. Physicians considered that >80% of the diagnostic tools needed to classify COPD phenotypes were available, with the exception of computed tomography (26.9%) and carbon monoxide transfer test (13.5%) in PC, and sputum eosinophilia count in PC and pulmonology centers (40.4% and 49.4%, respectively). Conclusion In Spanish clinical practice, almost half

Identification and distribution of COPD phenotypes in clinical practice according to Spanish COPD Guidelines: the FENEPOC study.

PubMed

Calle Rubio, Myriam; Casamor, Ricard; Miravitlles, Marc

2017-01-01

The Spanish Guidelines for COPD (GesEPOC) describe four clinical phenotypes: non-exacerbator (NE), asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACO), frequent exacerbator with emphysema (EE), and exacerbator with chronic bronchitis (ECB). The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of COPD phenotypes, their clinical characteristics, and the availability of diagnostic tools to classify COPD phenotypes in clinical practice. This study was an epidemiological, cross-sectional, and multi-centered study. Patients ≥40 years old with a post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 )/forced vital capacity ratio of <0.7 and who were smokers or former smokers (with at least 10 pack-years) were included. The availability of diagnostic tools to classify COPD phenotypes was assessed by an ad hoc questionnaire. A total of 647 patients (294 primary care [PC], 353 pulmonology centers) were included. Most patients were male (80.8%), with a mean age (SD) of 68.2 (9.2) years, mean post-bronchodilator FEV 1 was 53.2% (18.9%) and they suffered a mean of 2.2 (2.1) exacerbations in the last year. NE was the most frequent phenotype (47.5%) found, followed by ECB (29.1%), EE (17.0%), and ACO (6.5%). Significant differences between the four phenotypes were found regarding age; sex; body mass index; FEV 1 ; body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity (BODE)/body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea and exacerbations (BODEx) index; modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale; respiratory symptoms; comorbidi-ties; hospitalizations; and exacerbations in the last year. Physicians considered that >80% of the diagnostic tools needed to classify COPD phenotypes were available, with the exception of computed tomography (26.9%) and carbon monoxide transfer test (13.5%) in PC, and sputum eosinophilia count in PC and pulmonology centers (40.4% and 49.4%, respectively). In Spanish clinical practice, almost half of the patients with COPD presented with NE

Is love of nature in the US becoming love of electronic media? 16-year downtrend in national park visits explained by watching movies, playing video games, internet use, and oil prices.

PubMed

Pergams, Oliver R W; Zaradic, Patricia A

2006-09-01

nature (biophilia, Wilson 1984) to 'videophilia,' which we here define as "the new human tendency to focus on sedentary activities involving electronic media." Such a shift would not bode well for the future of biodiversity conservation.

Land plants and DNA barcodes: short-term and long-term goals.

PubMed

Chase, Mark W; Salamin, Nicolas; Wilkinson, Mike; Dunwell, James M; Kesanakurthi, Rao Prasad; Haider, Nadia; Haidar, Nadia; Savolainen, Vincent

2005-10-29

Land plants have had the reputation of being problematic for DNA barcoding for two general reasons: (i) the standard DNA regions used in algae, animals and fungi have exceedingly low levels of variability and (ii) the typically used land plant plastid phylogenetic markers (e.g. rbcL, trnL-F, etc.) appear to have too little variation. However, no one has assessed how well current phylogenetic resources might work in the context of identification (versus phylogeny reconstruction). In this paper, we make such an assessment, particularly with two of the markers commonly sequenced in land plant phylogenetic studies, plastid rbcL and internal transcribed spacers of the large subunits of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS), and find that both of these DNA regions perform well even though the data currently available in GenBank/EBI were not produced to be used as barcodes and BLAST searches are not an ideal tool for this purpose. These results bode well for the use of even more variable regions of plastid DNA (such as, for example, psbA-trnH) as barcodes, once they have been widely sequenced. In the short term, efforts to bring land plant barcoding up to the standards being used now in other organisms should make swift progress. There are two categories of DNA barcode users, scientists in fields other than taxonomy and taxonomists. For the former, the use of mitochondrial and plastid DNA, the two most easily assessed genomes, is at least in the short term a useful tool that permits them to get on with their studies, which depend on knowing roughly which species or species groups they are dealing with, but these same DNA regions have important drawbacks for use in taxonomic studies (i.e. studies designed to elucidate species limits). For these purposes, DNA markers from uniparentally (usually maternally) inherited genomes can only provide half of the story required to improve taxonomic standards being used in DNA barcoding. In the long term, we will need to develop more

Stability of Cr Remediation Products Linked to Duration of Bioremediation.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, L. G.; Bobb, C.; Bennett, S.; Izbicki, J. A.

2017-12-01

composition and diversity as ISR progresses. Our experimental results bode well for the permanency of Cr sequestration by ISR; that is, Cr solubilization by re-oxidation may be less likely if reduced Cr is bound in more recalcitrant phases via extended reduction.

[Precision medicine: A major step forward in specific situations, a myth in refractory cancers?

PubMed

Albin, Nicolas; Mc Leer, Anne; Sakhri, Linda

2018-04-01

In recent years, high-throughput sequencing techniques have been developed for cancerology and many clinical trials are currently structured around biomarkers that can guide specific treatment choices. This approach is characteristic of precision medicine, which is actually a concept initiated several decades ago with, for example, retinoic acid in promyelocytic leukemia. This paper will review the different types of molecular alterations and « -omics » biological analyses, bioinformatics tools, coupled drug/biomarkers already validated, the ethical issues of whole genomic sequencing of an individual as part of an inclusion in a clinical trial and finally the first results of precision medicine trials. The AcSé crizotinib program, supported by the Inca (french Cancer National Institute), is emblematic of a success of this personalized medicine illustrated by 4 points: the discovery of a cohort of patients with lung cancer with a ROS1 rearrangement characteristic of a sensitivity to crizotinib, a rapid availability of this innovation through the implementation of a temporary recommendation for use (ANSM), the obtention of a conditional marketing authorization by the pharmaceutical industry and finally, financial assumption of responsibility by French social security (HAS), despite preliminary and non-comparative data. In the case of cancers refractory to standard chemotherapy, and regarding our system of access to drugs illustrated by the PROFILER clinical trial, this approach allows the access to a therapeutic drug targeting specific biomarkers only in 7% of patients included. This does not bode well for efficient treatment and even less for survival. Allowing patients to be included in trials that identify molecular targets by molecular screening, and not being able to propose the drug of interest is a traumatic event for those patients who live in the hope of an immediate future. In refractory disease we must rethink precision medicine in a more humanistic

Land plants and DNA barcodes: short-term and long-term goals

PubMed Central

Chase, Mark W; Salamin, Nicolas; Wilkinson, Mike; Dunwell, James M; Kesanakurthi, Rao Prasad; Haidar, Nadia; Savolainen, Vincent

2005-01-01

Land plants have had the reputation of being problematic for DNA barcoding for two general reasons: (i) the standard DNA regions used in algae, animals and fungi have exceedingly low levels of variability and (ii) the typically used land plant plastid phylogenetic markers (e.g. rbcL, trnL-F, etc.) appear to have too little variation. However, no one has assessed how well current phylogenetic resources might work in the context of identification (versus phylogeny reconstruction). In this paper, we make such an assessment, particularly with two of the markers commonly sequenced in land plant phylogenetic studies, plastid rbcL and internal transcribed spacers of the large subunits of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS), and find that both of these DNA regions perform well even though the data currently available in GenBank/EBI were not produced to be used as barcodes and BLAST searches are not an ideal tool for this purpose. These results bode well for the use of even more variable regions of plastid DNA (such as, for example, psbA-trnH) as barcodes, once they have been widely sequenced. In the short term, efforts to bring land plant barcoding up to the standards being used now in other organisms should make swift progress. There are two categories of DNA barcode users, scientists in fields other than taxonomy and taxonomists. For the former, the use of mitochondrial and plastid DNA, the two most easily assessed genomes, is at least in the short term a useful tool that permits them to get on with their studies, which depend on knowing roughly which species or species groups they are dealing with, but these same DNA regions have important drawbacks for use in taxonomic studies (i.e. studies designed to elucidate species limits). For these purposes, DNA markers from uniparentally (usually maternally) inherited genomes can only provide half of the story required to improve taxonomic standards being used in DNA barcoding. In the long term, we will need to develop more

New Constraints on Dark Energy from Chandra X-rayObservations of the Largest Relaxed Galaxy Clusters

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

Allen, S.W.; Rapetti, D.A.; /KIPAC, Menlo Park

2007-06-06

We present constraints on the mean matter density, {Omega}{sub m}, dark energy density, {Omega}{sub DE}, and the dark energy equation of state parameter, w, using Chandra measurements of the X-ray gas mass fraction (fgas) in 42 hot (kT > 5keV), X-ray luminous, dynamically relaxed galaxy clusters spanning the redshift range 0.05 < z < 1.1. Using only the fgas data for the 6 lowest redshift clusters at z < 0.15, for which dark energy has a negligible effect on the measurements, we measure {Omega}{sub m}=0.28{+-}0.06 (68% confidence, using standard priors on the Hubble Constant, H{sub 0}, and mean baryon density,more » {Omega}{sub b}h{sup 2}). Analyzing the data for all 42 clusters, employing only weak priors on H{sub 0} and {Omega}{sub b}h{sup 2}, we obtain a similar result on {Omega}{sub m} and detect the effects of dark energy on the distances to the clusters at {approx}99.99% confidence, with {Omega}{sub DE}=0.86{+-}0.21 for a non-flat LCDM model. The detection of dark energy is comparable in significance to recent SNIa studies and represents strong, independent evidence for cosmic acceleration. Systematic scatter remains undetected in the f{sub gas} data, despite a weighted mean statistical scatter in the distance measurements of only {approx}5%. For a flat cosmology with constant w, we measure {Omega}{sub m}=0.28{+-}0.06 and w=-1.14{+-}0.31. Combining the fgas data with independent constraints from CMB and SNIa studies removes the need for priors on {Omega}{sub b}h{sup 2} and H{sub 0} and leads to tighter constraints: {Omega}{sub m}=0.253{+-}0.021 and w=-0.98{+-}0.07 for the same constant-w model. More general analyses in which we relax the assumption of flatness and/or allow evolution in w remain consistent with the cosmological constant paradigm. Our analysis includes conservative allowances for systematic uncertainties. The small systematic scatter and tight constraints bode well for future dark energy studies using the f{sub gas} method.« less

Palm Oil in Myanmar: A Spatiotemporal Analysis of the Effects of Industrial Farming on Biodiversity Loss

PubMed Central

Nicholas, Khristopher; Fanzo, Jessica; MacManus, Kytt

2018-01-01

) increased access and affordability of edible palm oil, (3) decreased importing of palm oil, and (4) large profits made from selling excess palm oil on the international market. Although the first 2 outcomes may adversely affect low-income Burmese populations, the latter 2 may bode well for the domestic economy and international trade partners, thus encouraging competing interests. This increased domestic access and affordability of palm oil may increase consumption and cause increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Finally, this biodiversity loss concurrent with industrial deforestation may disproportionately impact vulnerable, rural communities. PMID:29602872

Evidence-informed health policy 4 – Case descriptions of organizations that support the use of research evidence

PubMed Central

Lavis, John N; Moynihan, Ray; Oxman, Andrew D; Paulsen, Elizabeth J

2008-01-01

descriptions, the first of their kind, intersect in interesting ways with the messages arising from two systematic reviews of the factors that increase the prospects for research use in policymaking. Strong relationships between researchers and policymakers bodes well given such interactions appear to increase the prospects for research use. The time-consuming nature of an evidence-based approach, on the other hand, suggests the need for more efficient production processes that are 'quick and clean enough.' Our case descriptions and accompanying video documentaries provide a rich description of organizations supporting the use of research evidence, which can be drawn upon by those establishing or leading similar organizations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. PMID:19091110

Organic-inorganic nanosystems designed for multiple metal corrosion inhibition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stockley, Robert

This research focuses on the refinement and discovery of environmentally friendly coatings of metals with increased durability and longer lifetimes as the goal. In the pursuit of an ideal, such as environmentally friendly coatings or "green chemistry," there are many obstacles that must be overcome. This is particularly true in the case of protecting magnesium and its alloys. The relatively low open circuit potential of magnesium makes it highly susceptible to galvanic corrosion when in contact with other metals. It is also easily oxidized when exposed to air or humid conditions and forms a loose hydroxide/oxide layer (Mg(OH)2/MgO). However, for all of its problems, the advantages to using magnesium far outweigh the disadvantages; if and only if, its natural tendency to corrode can be adequately controlled. Magnesium has a high strength to weight ratio, similar to that of glass, making it ideal for a vast array of commercial applications. Magnesium has a high electromagnetic shielding effect (-52.34 dB at 2.45/ GHz for AZ31), making it applicable not only to aircraft instrumentation, but structure as well, due to its low density (d = 1.48 g/cm3). The list of applications for magnesium and its alloys is extensive. Our research has provided insights into the prevention of magnesium corrosion and the applications of "green chemistry" to a metal used across a multitude of industries. Specifically, excellent results were obtained for the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of LZ91 (magnesium alloy) which demonstrated an impedance of 1.0 x 1010 Ohms to 1.0 x 1011 Ohms. These results suggest our coatings display a pure capacitance behavior in the Bode plot. According to ASTM B117 testing (salt fog testing) the coating on LZ91 panels reached 120 hours, a period considered to be the equivalent of five years of real world conditions, without appreciable corrosion. The possible mechanism for this corrosion protection will also be discussed. These advancements are

About one supplement of teh "Harmony of Universe" by J. Kepler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smirnov, Vladimir

1999-08-01

In book of J. Kepler "welt harmonik" (Munich-berlin 1939, Verlag R. Oldenburg) musical proportions are amalgamated with geometrical by means of building Platoon's right bodies, enter and described figures. By the physical sense of such association may serve total wave nature those construction. Proportions, received by J. Kepler, are possible in the case of formation of planets (as to J. Kepler constructed Platoon's figures) conform the surfaces to nodes of standing waves having as an the source of central luminary Solar system. By likeness image in experiments of Chladny at the formation of standing wave on the planes of oscillation plate scatter about along it particles collect together, sack from dots, which oscillation plate scatter about along it particles collect together, sack from dots, which oscillation with maximal amplitude, on dots the amplitude fluctuations of fluctuations is equal to zero, fill in nodes lines. Coordinates, count off from the source of wave, must correspond to the distances of planets from Sun, as explaining the physical sense of rule Bode. So, shall adopt the length of base gravitational wave ("basic one") L=0, 52 AU. Then planets the orbits of solar system must distribute in nodes lines in dots, be away from next on multiple L/2 numeral's. From such condition it may be receive the "theoretical" distances of planets from Sun. In Table are presented such distances in compare with true distances. Mecrury 0.39 0.39 Venus 0.72 0,39+0,50L=0,65 Earth 1.00 0,39+1,50L=1,17 Mars 1.52 1,00+1,00L=1.52 Main belt of asteroids 2.90 1.00+4,00L=3.08 Jupiter 5.20 1.00+8,00L=5.16 Saturn9.54 1.00+16,00L=9.32 Uranus 19.20 1.00+35,00L=19.20 Neptun 30.10 1.00+56,00L=30,12 Pluto 39.50 1.00+74,00L=39.48 As visible form Table, with the distance increasing from central body, scale filling "nodes surfaces" in space, or dost in viewed one-dimension accident, grows almost in geometrical progression. Obviously, here tell on mechanics of "gold section", ensuring

Overcoming gaps in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in older patients: new insights.

PubMed

Gelberg, Jacob; McIvor, R Andrew

2010-05-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disorder with a high prevalence among elderly men and women and an increasing mortality rate. Its diagnosis relies on spirometry, with a diagnostic cut-off value of a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1))/forced vital capacity ratio of <0.7. This cut-off level has received some criticism because a ratio decline is part of normal advanced aging. Thus, clinicians must be vigilant in applying appropriate diagnostic criteria when managing elderly patients and may choose to use one or more of the alternative diagnostic values that have been created. It is important to remember that COPD is a systemic disorder with several extrapulmonary manifestations. Elderly patients with COPD are at an increased risk of cardiovascular events, osteoporosis, fractures, peripheral muscle wasting, depression and anxiety. Management of these patients requires a multidisciplinary approach and should begin with stratification of disease severity and prognostic information for each patient. Traditionally, FEV(1) has been used as a marker of COPD severity. However, indices such as the Modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) Dyspnoea Scale; the updated body mass, airflow, obstruction, dyspnoea and exercise (BODE) index; and the new age, dyspnoea, obstruction (ADO) index have been found to be better predictors of mortality in elderly patients. In addition to smoking cessation, supplemental oxygen and vaccines, management strategies such as patient education programmes--which have been shown to reduce hospital admissions--should not be overlooked. Pulmonary rehabilitation remains an underutilized treatment modality despite its demonstrated association with improvements in quality of life, reduced dyspnoea and increased exercise capacity. Studies have shown no correlation between age and outcomes in pulmonary rehabilitation, suggesting that age should not be an exclusion criterion. Although bronchodilators and corticosteroids

The Evolution of Sterol Biosynthesis in Bacteria: In Situ Fluorescence Localization of Sterols in the Nucleoid Bacterium Gemmata obscuriglobus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budin, M.; Jorgenson, T. L.; Pearson, A.

2004-12-01

acquired the ability to produce sterols for a specialized function related to their nuclear membrane. 1. Brocks, J.J., et al., Science 285:1033-36 (1999). 2. Bird, C.W., et al., Nature 230:473-74 (1971). 3. Bode, H.B., et al., Mol. Microbiol. 47:471-81 (2003). 4. Pearson, A., et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100:15352-57 (2003). 5. Fuerst, J.A. and R.I. Webb, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:8184-88 (1991).

Investigation of the mineralogy and the sorption mechanism of Ni, Cu, Co and Mo by turbostratic phyllomanganates of Mn-nodules from the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean using XAS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wegorzewski, A.; Webb, S.; Grangeon, S.; Kuhn, T.

2016-12-01

Mn-nodules are Mn-Fe (oxy)hydroxides bearing high amounts of economically important metals such as Ni, Cu, Co, Mo, as well as high field strength elements. According to that nodules are interesting for science and industry. Especially the sorption sites of metals (Ni, Cu, Mo) by the mineral phases are important to understand their coordination environment and further to tailor a specific metallurgical treatment in order to optimize the metal extraction procedure. Nodules used for this study were sampled from the German license area within the Clarion Clipperton Zone in the Pacific. These nodules grow on the seafloor in 4200 m depth by metal precipitation from oxic (hydrogenetic growth) and/or suboxic waters (suboxic diagenetic growth; Halbach et al., 1988). They show a complex texture characterized by irregular, concentrically banded nm- to µm-thick layered growth structures (LGS). Electronmicroprobe and X-ray diffraction analyses reveal: suboxic diagenetic LGS have high Mn/Fe ratios (9-826; Mn ≈ 40 wt. %; Fe ≈ 0.5 wt %), high Ni (0.3-2.6 wt %) and Cu (0.5-3.0 wt %) contents but low Co content (0.02±0.01 wt %). Mineralogically those LGS are turbostratic phyllomanganates (vernadite), which consist of [MnO6]-octahedral layers, separated from each other by cations (e.g., Na, Mg) and water in the interlayer, forming 7 and 10 Å phyllomanganates (Bode et al., 2007). In contrast hydrogenetic LGS show low Mn/Fe ratios (<5), low Ni+Cu content (<1 wt%) but enrichment in Co (≤0.5 wt%). Those LGS are of δ-MnO2, which is epitaxially intergrown with an amorphous FeOOH phase. In general, phyllomanganates have a high opportunity to incorporate metals due to their negative layer charge deficit cause by abundant isomorphic substitution of Mn4+ by Mn3+ and vacancies within MnO2 sheets. The negative charge deficit can be balanced by hydrated interlayer cations (e.g., Na, Mg) or due to metals adsorption at cation vacancy sites, incorporation into the MnO2 sheet and

Static Linear Fresnel Lenses as LCPV System in a Greenhouse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sonneveld, P. J.; Swinkels, G. L. A. M.; van Tuijl, B. A. J.; Janssen, H. J. J.; de Zwart, H. F.

2011-12-01

based on Static Fresnel lenses and a 40 m CPVT-module and a 200 m CT-module is designed by Bode Project Engineering and constructed by Technokas in Bleiswijk the Netherlands.

Comparison of GPCP Monthly and Daily Precipitation Estimates with High-Latitude Gauge Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bolvin, David T.; Adler, Robert G.; Nelkin, Eric J.; Poutiainen, Jani

2008-01-01

result indicates the GPCP estimates have skill in "seeing" snowfall, which is the most challenging situation. Thus, the GPCP data set successfully overcomes a current limitation in satellite meteorology, namely the estimation of cold-climate precipitation. The success of the GPCP data set bodes well for future missions, whose instrumentation is specifically designed to give even more information for addressing cold-climate precipitation.

The Robert E. Hopkins Center for Optical Design and Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zavislan, James M.; Brown, Thomas G.

2008-08-01

In 1929, a grant from Eastman Kodak and Bausch and Lomb established The Institute of Optics as the nation's first academic institution devoted to training optical scientists and engineers. The mission was 'to study light in all its phases', and the curriculum was designed to educate students in the fundamentals of optical science and build essential skills in applied optics and optical engineering. Indeed, our historic strength has been a balance between optical science and engineering--we have alumni who are carrying out prize-winning research in optical physics, alumni who are innovative optical engineers, and still other alumni who are leaders in the business community. Faculty who are top-notch optical engineers are an important resource to optical physics research groups -- likewise, teaching and modeling excellent optical science provides a strong underpinning for students on the applied/engineering end of the spectrum. This model -an undergraduate and graduate program that balances fundamental optics, applied optics, and optical engineering- has served us well. The impressive and diverse range of opportunities for our BS graduates has withstood economic cycles, and the students graduate with a healthy dose of practical experience. Undergraduate advisors, with considerable initiative from the program coordinator, are very aggressive in pointing students toward summer research and engineering opportunities. The vast majority of our undergraduate students graduate with at least one summer of experience in a company or a research laboratory. For example, 95% of the class of 2008 spent the summer of 2007 at companies and/or research laboratories: These include Zygo, NRL, Bausch and Lomb, The University of Rochester(The Institute of Optics, Medical Center, and Laboratory for Laser Energetics), QED, ARL Night Vision laboratories, JPL, Kollsman, OptiMax, Northrup Grumman, and at least two other companies. It is an impressive list, and bodes well for the career

Noise in Nonlinear Dynamical Systems 3 Volume Paperback Set

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moss, Frank; McClintock, P. V. E.

2011-11-01

ring-laser gyroscope K. Vogel, H. Risken and W. Schleich; 12. Control of noise and applications to optical systems L. A. Lugiato, G. Broggi, M. Merri and M. A. Pernigo; 13. Transition probabilities and spectral density of fluctuations of noise driven bistable systems M. I. Dykman, M. A. Krivoglaz and S. M. Soskin; Index. Volume 3: List of contributors; Preface; Introduction to volume three; 1. The effects of coloured quadratic noise on a turbulent transition in liquid He II J. T. Tough; 2. Electrohydrodynamic instability of nematic liquid crystals: growth process and influence of noise S. Kai; 3. Suppression of electrohydrodynamic instabilities by external noise Helmut R. Brand; 4. Coloured noise in dye laser fluctuations R. Roy, A. W. Yu and S. Zhu; 5. Noisy dynamics in optically bistable systems E. Arimondo, D. Hennequin and P. Glorieux; 6. Use of an electronic model as a guideline in experiments on transient optical bistability W. Lange; 7. Computer experiments in nonlinear stochastic physics Riccardo Mannella; 8. Analogue simulations of stochastic processes by means of minimum component electronic devices Leone Fronzoni; 9. Analogue techniques for the study of problems in stochastic nonlinear dynamics P. V. E. McClintock and Frank Moss; Index.

Beyond Engagement to Reflection and Understanding: Focusing on the process of science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scotchmoor, J. G.; Mitchell, B. J.

2011-12-01

We must engage the public and make science more accessible to all...It is important that the scientific community, in its outreach, help people not only to see the fun of science but also to understand what science is, what a scientific theory is, how science is done, that accepted scientific models or theories are based on evidence, that hypotheses are tested by experiment, and that theories change as new evidence emerges. Shirley Ann Jackson, AAAS Presidential Address, 2005 The nature of science is noted as a critical topic for science literacy; however, by all accounts, Americans' understanding of the nature of science is inadequate, and students and teachers at all grade levels have inaccurate understandings of what science is and how it works. Such findings do not bode well for the future of scientific literacy in the United States. In large part, the current confusions about evolution, global warming, stem cell research, and other aspects of science deemed by some as "controversial" are symptomatic of a general misunderstanding of what science is and what it is not. Too few of our citizens view science as a dynamic process through which we gain a reliable understanding of the natural world. As a result, the public becomes vulnerable to misinformation and the very real benefits of science are obscured. New opportunities are emerging for members of the scientific community to share their science with segments of the public - both informally through science cafés and science festivals, and more formally through science competitions and classroom visits. Each of these helps to make science more accessible and provides a critical first step toward connecting the public to the "fun and excitement" of science. Less often these activities focus on how science works - what science is, what it is not, and what is not science - as well as the creativity, curiosity, exploration, dead-ends, and a-ha moments that inspire scientists. This talk will share a teacher

Nitrogen isotopic analysis of carbonate-bound organic matter in modern and fossil fish otoliths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lueders-Dumont, Jessica A.; Wang, Xingchen T.; Jensen, Olaf P.; Sigman, Daniel M.; Ward, Bess B.

2018-03-01

approximately 2 ‰ higher than modern cod, arguably consistent with either the larger size of the otoliths (and thus inferred for the fish) or with changes in baseline (primary producer) δ15N in the modern coastal ocean compared to the past. All told, the results of this study bode well for the utility of otolith-bound δ15N for investigating the environment and ecology of modern and past fish.

PREFACE: Annual Conference on Functional Materials and Nanotechnologies - FM&NT 2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sternberg, Andris; Muzikante, Inta; Zicans, Janis

2011-06-01

Conference photograph ERAF logo International Organizing Committee Andris Sternberg (chairperson), Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Latvia, MATERA Juras Banys, Vilnius University, Lithuania Gunnar Borstel, University of Osnabrück, Germany Niels E Christensen, University of Aarhus, Denmark Robert A Evarestov, St. Petersburg State University, Russia Claes-Goran Granqvist, Uppsala University, Sweden Dag Høvik, The Research Council of Norway, Norway, MATERA Marco Kirm, Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, Estonia Vladislav Lemanov, Ioffe Physical Technical Institute, Russia Witold Lojkowski, Institute of High Pressure Physics, Poland Ergo Nommiste, University of Tartu, Estonia Helmut Schober, Institut Laue-Langevin, France Sisko Sipilä, Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, Finland, MATERA Ingólfur Torbjörnsson, Icelandic Centre for Research, Iceland, MATERA Marcel H Van de Voorde, University of Technology Delft, The Netherlands International Program Committee Inta Muzikante (chairperson), Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Latvia, MATERA Liga Berzina-Cimdina, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomechanics, Riga Technical University, Latvia Janis Grabis, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Riga Technical University, Latvia Leonid V Maksimov, Vavilov State Optical Institute, Russia Linards Skuja, Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Latvia Maris Springis, Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Latvia Ilmars Zalite, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Riga Technical University, Latvia Janis Zicans, Institute of Polymers, Riga Technical University Local Committee: Liga Grinberga, Anatolijs Sarakovskis, Jurgis Grube, Raitis Siatkovskis, Maris Kundzins, Anna Muratova, Maris Springis, Aivars Vembris, Krisjanis Smits, Andris Fedotovs, Dmitrijs Bocarovs, Anastasija Jozepa, Andris Krumins.

Mobile Health in Oncology: A Patient Survey About App-Assisted Cancer Care.

PubMed

Kessel, Kerstin Anne; Vogel, Marco Me; Kessel, Carmen; Bier, Henning; Biedermann, Tilo; Friess, Helmut; Herschbach, Peter; von Eisenhart-Rothe, Rüdiger; Meyer, Bernhard; Kiechle, Marion; Keller, Ulrich; Peschel, Christian; Schmid, Roland M; Combs, Stephanie E

2017-06-14

showed a significant but mild relationship between age and app use (P=.03, r=-.12), favoring younger age; male gender correlated as well (P=.04; r=-.11). The results show that the introduction of mobile apps needs to follow different strategies depending on the patients' attitude. Age and gender seem to be the strongest predictive factors. For oncology patients, our survey showed that about half of the patients were willing to send data via an app supporting their treatment. In the future, clinical data such as quality of life and treatment satisfaction recorded by mobile health (mHealth) devices could be used to evaluate and improve therapy workflow. Furthermore, apps could support classical visits, document adverse effects, and remind patients of treatment dates or drug intake. ©Kerstin Anne Kessel, Marco ME Vogel, Carmen Kessel, Henning Bier, Tilo Biedermann, Helmut Friess, Peter Herschbach, Rüdiger von Eisenhart-Rothe, Bernhard Meyer, Marion Kiechle, Ulrich Keller, Christian Peschel, Roland M Schmid, Stephanie E Combs. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 14.06.2017.

Atmospheric tides and other relationships: ``Interpreting the Phenomena'' at the time of the Seeberg conference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kokott, Wolfgang

Lalande's account of his experiences at Gotha and on his journey back to France [AGE 2 (1798), 381-382] contains an interesting attempt to explain the extremely rainy September weather (``at a time of the year when it is raining more rarely in our countries'') by means of the Moon's southern declination. Actually, there are several other documents on the same subject; Lagrange was trying to prove his version of lunar influence against Lamarck who claimed exactly the opposite correlation to be true. In the light of Lalande's own work on oceanic tides, his interest in this meteorological problem is readily understood. While stringent limits for tidal variations of air pressure had already been established by d'Alembert (1747) and Toaldo (1779), no consistent theory of tidal mechanics was yet available. Theoretical and empirical investigations of alleged lunar influences on our weather did remain on the agenda well into the 19th century - the names of Olbers and Arago stand for many contemporaries. Moreover, the Earth's atmosphere was an object of fundamental interest to astronomers not only because of its influence on observational results, but also because it was the only accessible planetary atmosphere. Not only were sizeable gaseous envelopes of planetary bodies (with the apparent exception of only the Moon) considered as commonplace (Herschel, Schröter, etc.); the quest for understanding them was also an importent issue. As early as 1780, J.E. Bode tried (following Euler) to explain the blue colour of the sky by means of blue (scattering?) particles in the upper atmosphere; consequently, he raised the question of whether the red colour of Mars was due to this planet's surface materials or rather to a different atmospheric composition. In our time and age, a new and very successful branch of science called Comparative Planetology did emerge from apparently very modern roots; two centuries ago, its basic objectives were an undisputed part of everyday astronomical

Systematic conservation planning for ecosystem services: Opportunities for improving spatial targeting of ecosystem service payments in Costa Rica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramos Bendana, Zayra Sherlly

, spreading out across the country the selection of carbon priority areas by adding stratification improved the synergies with biodiversity priorities, and revealed locations that could be considered priorities for carbon storage in the distribution range of Dry Tropical Forests; one of the most threatened tropical ecosystem. The extent of gains for co-benefits between carbon-related ES and biodiversity conservation will depend in part on how priority areas are selected for implementing strategies, such as PES and REDD, and will determine the location and amount of tropical forest to be conserved. As indicated by the recent development of the spatial data used in Chapter 2, improving spatial datasets for supporting ES targeting is critical in tropical dry forests. As a result, we developed new phenological approaches to map tropical dry forest type using multitemporal Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager data. The major gains in mapping accuracy realized by the multitemporal analysis bodes well for the future of landscape level ES planning in tropical dry forest. Finally, the promising progress in the detection of functional traits through remote sensing offers further opportunities to improve on the quality of the inputs for the mapping of ES, a topic covered in Chapter 4.

Mineralogical and microstructural investigations of fractures in Permian z2 potash seam and surrounding salt rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mertineit, Michael; Grewe, Wiebke; Schramm, Michael; Hammer, Jörg; Blanke, Hartmut; Patzschke, Mario

2017-04-01

. 2013), could help to reconstruct the formation conditions. Behlau, J. & Mingerzahn, G. 2001. Geological and tectonic investigations in the former Morsleben salt mine (Germany) as a basis for the safety assessment of a radioactive waste repository. Engineering Geology 61, 83-97. Leitner, C., Neubauer, F., Genser, J., Borojevic-Sostaric, S. & Rantitsch, G. 2013. 40Ar/39Ar ages of crystallization and recrystallization of rock-forming polyhalite in Alpine rocksalt deposits. In: Jourdan, F., Mark, D.F. & Verati, C. (eds.): Advances in 40Ar/39Ar dating from archaeology to planetary sciences. - Geological Society of London, Special Publications 378, 207-224. Horn, M., Barnasch, J., Bode, J., Stanek, K. & Zeibig, S. 2016. Erscheinungsformen der bruchlosen Deformation und Bruchdeformation im Salinar des Steinsalzbergwerkes Braunschweig-Lüneburg. Kali und Steinsalz 02/2016, 30-42.

Controls on the Climates of Tidally Locked Terrestrial Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, J.; Cowan, N. B.; Abbot, D. S.

2013-12-01

(OET) is included, although the compensation between AET and OET is incomplete. To summarize, we are able to construct a realistic low-order model for the climate of tidally locked terrestrial planets, including the cloud behavior, using only the two constraints. This bodes well for the interpretation of complex GCMs and future observations of such planets using, for example, the James Webb Space Telescope. Cited papers: [1]. Sobel, A. H., J. Nilsson and L. M. Polvani: The weak temperature gradient approximation and balanced tropical moisture waves, J. Atmos. Sci., 58, 3650-65, 2001. [2]. Hartmann, D. L. and K. Larson, An important constraint on tropical cloud-climate feedback, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29, 1951-54, 2002. [3]. Yang, J., N. B. Cowan and D. S. Abbot: Stabilizing cloud feedback dramatically expands the habitable zone of tidally locked planets, ApJ. Lett., 771, L45, 2013.

A new method for stable carbon isotope analysis of chlorofluorocarbons in contaminated groundwater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horst, Axel; Lacrampe-Couloume, Georges; Sherwood Lollar, Barbara

2015-04-01

. This bodes well for the use of CSIA to identify and monitor transformation in the field as any isotopic effects due to volatile loss would only result in a conservative estimate of transformation but not confuse the degradation signal. As a result, enrichment factors in field samples might be underestimated and lead to a more conservative estimate of degradation at contaminated sites. CFCs from several suppliers were characterized to investigate δ13C variation between sources and between different CFC compounds. Significant differences were observed between all measured compounds. However for each compound, δ13C values determined in this study were similar to ranges reported previously for other pure phase CFCs - suggesting a consistent range of source signatures may exist for each compound. As a last step of method evaluation, water samples from a contaminated industrial site were measured. This first preliminary field data will be discussed in comparison to pure phase compounds and with respect to potential degradation.

Cupriphication of gold to sensitize d10-d10 metal-metal bonds and near-unity phosphorescence quantum yields.

PubMed

Galassi, Rossana; Ghimire, Mukunda M; Otten, Brooke M; Ricci, Simone; McDougald, Roy N; Almotawa, Ruaa M; Alhmoud, Dieaa; Ivy, Joshua F; Rawashdeh, Abdel-Monem M; Nesterov, Vladimir N; Reinheimer, Eric W; Daniels, Lee M; Burini, Alfredo; Omary, Mohammad A

2017-06-27

, due to threefold-to-twofold symmetry reduction, resulting in cuprophilic sensitization in extinction coefficient and solid-state photoluminescence quantum yields approaching unity (Φ PL = 0.90-0.97 vs. 0-0.83 for Au 3 and Cu 3 precursors), which bodes well for potential future utilization in inorganic and/or organic LED applications.

Development of an Open Source Based Sensor Platform for an Advanced and Comprehensive in-situ DOC Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schima, Robert; Goblirsch, Tobias; Paschen, Mathias; Rinke, Karsten; Schelwat, Heinz; Dietrich, Peter; Bumberger, Jan

2016-04-01

-situ sensor probe. Here, the miniaturized optical sensor probe allows the monitoring of even shallow water bodies with a depth of less than 5 cm. Compared to common techniques, the inexpensive sensor parts and robust emitting LEDs allow an improved widespread and comprehensive monitoring due to a higher amount of sensor devices. Furthermore, the system consists of a GPS module, a real-time clock and a GSM unit which allow space and time resolved measurements. On October 6th, 2015 an initial experiment was started at the Bode catchment in the Harz region (Germany). Here, the developed DOC and turbidity sensor probes were installed directly at the riverside next to existing sampling points of a large-scaled long-term observation project. The results show a good correspondence between our sensor development and the installed and established instruments. This represents a decisive and cost-effective contribution in the area of environmental research and the monitoring of vast catchment areas.

Cupriphication of gold to sensitize d10–d10 metal–metal bonds and near-unity phosphorescence quantum yields

PubMed Central

Galassi, Rossana; Ghimire, Mukunda M.; Otten, Brooke M.; Ricci, Simone; McDougald, Roy N.; Almotawa, Ruaa M.; Alhmoud, Dieaa; Ivy, Joshua F.; Rawashdeh, Abdel-Monem M.; Nesterov, Vladimir N.; Reinheimer, Eric W.; Daniels, Lee M.; Burini, Alfredo; Omary, Mohammad A.

2017-01-01

sensitization in extinction coefficient and solid-state photoluminescence quantum yields approaching unity (ΦPL = 0.90–0.97 vs. 0–0.83 for Au3 and Cu3 precursors), which bodes well for potential future utilization in inorganic and/or organic LED applications. PMID:28615438

Dynamic rupture simulations on complex fault zone structures with off-fault plasticity using the ADER-DG method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wollherr, Stephanie; Gabriel, Alice-Agnes; Igel, Heiner

2015-04-01

zones or branched faults. Studying the interplay of stress conditions and angle dependence of neighbouring branches including inelastic material behaviour and its effects on rupture jumps and seismic activation helps to advance our understanding of earthquake source processes. An application is the simulation of a real large-scale subduction zone scenario including plasticity to validate the coupling of our dynamic rupture calculations to a tsunami model in the framework of the ASCETE project (http://www.ascete.de/). Andrews, D. J. (2005): Rupture dynamics with energy loss outside the slip zone, J. Geophys. Res., 110, B01307. Heinecke, A. (2014), A. Breuer, S. Rettenberger, M. Bader, A.-A. Gabriel, C. Pelties, A. Bode, W. Barth, K. Vaidyanathan, M. Smelyanskiy and P. Dubey: Petascale High Order Dynamic Rupture Earthquake Simulations on Heterogeneous Supercomputers. In Supercomputing 2014, The International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis. IEEE, New Orleans, LA, USA, November 2014. Roten, D. (2014), K. B. Olsen, S.M. Day, Y. Cui, and D. Fäh: Expected seismic shaking in Los Angeles reduced by San Andreas fault zone plasticity, Geophys. Res. Lett., 41, 2769-2777.

Dynamics and transport in the stratosphere : Simulations with a general circulation mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Aalst, Maarten Krispijn

2005-01-01

stratosphere, including the Antarctic temperature minima crucial for polar ozone chemistry, but failed to capture the precise timing and evolution of Arctic stratospheric warmings. We also identified an important model deficiency regarding tracer transport in the lower polar stratosphere. The success of the runs with tropospheric nudging in simulating the right stratospheric conditions, including the model capability to forecast major stratospheric warming events, bodes well for the model's representation of the dynamic coupling between the troposphere and the stratosphere, an important element of realistic simulation of the future climate of the middle atmosphere (which will partly depend on a changing wave forcing from the troposphere). However, for some aspects of stratospheric dynamics, such as the quasi-biennial oscillation, a higher vertical resolution is required, which might also help to reduce some of the transport problems identified in the lower polar vortex. The nudging technique applied and developed in this thesis offers excellent prospects for applications in coupled-chemistry simulations of the middle atmosphere, including for the interpretation of instantaneous measurements. In particular, it can be used to test and improve the new MA-ECHAM5/MESSy/MECCA coupled chemistry climate model system, in preparation for more reliable simulations of past and future climates.

Moon Express: Lander Capabilities and Initial Payload and Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spudis, P.; Richards, R.; Burns, J. O.

2013-12-01

Moon Express Inc. is developing a common lander design to support the commercial delivery of a wide variety of possible payloads to the lunar surface. Significant recent progress has been made on lander design and configuration and a straw man mission concept has been designed to return significant new scientific and resource utilization data from the first mission. The Moon Express lander is derived from designs tested at NASA Ames Research Center over the past decade. The MX-1 version is designed to deliver 26 kg of payload to the lunar surface, with no global restrictions on landing site. The MX-2 lander can carry a payload of 400 kg and can deliver an upper stage (designed for missions that require Earth-return, such as sample retrieval) or a robotic rover. The Moon Express lander is powered by a specially designed engine capable of being operated in either monoprop or biprop mode. The concept for the first mission is a visit to a regional pyroclastic deposit on the lunar near side. We have focused on the Rima Bode dark mantle deposits (east of crater Copernicus, around 13 N, 4 W). These deposits are mature, having been exposed to solar wind for at least 3 Ga, and have high Ti content, suggesting high concentrations of implanted hydrogen. Smooth areas near the vent suggest that the ash beds are several tens of meters thick. The projected payload includes an imaging system to document the geological setting of the landing area, an APX instrument to provide major element composition of the regolith and a neutron spectrometer to measure the bulk hydrogen composition of the regolith at the landing site. Additionally, inclusion of a next generation laser retroreflector would markedly improve measurements of lunar librations and thus, constrain the dimensions of both the liquid and solid inner cores of the Moon, as well as provide tests of General Relativity. Conops are simple, with measurements of the surface composition commencing immediately upon landing. APX

Towards an understanding of the origin of the Solar system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griv, Evgeny

planets the amount of light gases which is necessary to restore the chemical composition of giant planets, one obtains masses larger by a factor of several hundreds, coincident with the masses of giant planets. We show that a collective process, forming the basis of the disk instability hypothesis, solves with surprising simplicity the two main problems of the dynamical characteristics of the system, which are associated with its observed spacing and orbital momentum distribution, namely, Bode's law on planet spacing and the concentration of angular momentum in the planets and mass in the Sun. Besides, the analysis is found to imply the existence of new planets or other Kuiper-type belts of asteroids at mean distances from the Sun of r11 ≈ 87 AU, r12 ≈ 151 AU, r13 ≈ 261 AU, r14 ≈ 452 AU, r15 ≈ 781 AU (Mercury, . . . , asteroid belt, . . . , Neptune, Kuiper belt, new planets or other Kuiper-type belts). Finally, it is suggested that solar systems analogs may be common throughout the Galaxy.

Rapid Development of Specialty Population Registries and Quality Measures from Electronic Health Record Data*. An Agile Framework.

PubMed

Kannan, Vaishnavi; Fish, Jason S; Mutz, Jacqueline M; Carrington, Angela R; Lai, Ki; Davis, Lisa S; Youngblood, Josh E; Rauschuber, Mark R; Flores, Kathryn A; Sara, Evan J; Bhat, Deepa G; Willett, DuWayne L

2017-06-14

both (a) real-time patient lists of registry patients and (b) EDW-generated CQM data. Agile project management methods were employed, including co-development, lightweight requirements documentation with User Stories and acceptance criteria, and time-boxed iterative development of EHR features in 2-week "sprints" for rapid-cycle feedback and refinement. Using this approach, in calendar year 2015 we developed a total of 43 specialty chronic disease registries, with 111 new EHR data collection and clinical decision support tools, 163 new clinical quality measures, and 30 clinic-specific dashboards reporting on both real-time patient care gaps and summarized and vetted CQM measure performance trends. This study suggests concurrent design of EHR data collection tools and reporting can quickly yield useful EHR structured data for chronic disease registries, and bodes well for efforts to migrate away from manual abstraction. This work also supports the view that in new EHR-based registry development, as in new product development, adopting agile principles and practices can help deliver valued, high-quality features early and often.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ULTRA-350 Test Bed

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

Hopkins, D J; Wulff, T A; Carlisle, K

2001-04-10

final verdict for the use of these technologies is still out but the first part of the work has been completed with promising results. The goal of this part of the work was to close a servo position loop around a slide incorporating these technologies and to measure the performance. This paper discusses the tests that were setup for system evaluation and the results of the measurements made. Some very promising results include; slide positioning to nanometer level and slow speed slide direction reversal at less than 100nm/min with no observed discontinuities. This is very important for machine contouring in diamond turning. As a point of reference, at 100 nm/min it would take the slide almost 7 years to complete the full designed travel of 350 mm. This speed has been demonstrated without the use of a velocity sensor. The velocity is derived from the position sensor. With what has been learned on the test bed, the paper finishes with a brief comparison of the old and new technologies. The emphasis of this comparison will be on the servo performance as illustrated with bode plot diagrams.« less

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ULTRA-350 Test Bed

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

Hopkins, D J; Wulff, T A; Carlisle, K

2001-04-10

final verdict for the use of these technologies is still out but the first part of the work has been completed with promising results. The goal of this part of the work was to close a servo position loop around a slide incorporating these technologies and to measure the performance. This paper discusses the tests that were setup for system evaluation and the results of the measurements made. Some very promising results include; slide positioning to nanometer level and slow speed slide direction reversal at less than 100nm/min with no observed discontinuities. This is very important for machine contouring in diamond turning. As a point of reference, at 100 nm/min it would take the slide almost 7 years to complete the full designed travel of 350 mm. This speed has been demonstrated without the use of a velocity sensor. The velocity is derived from the position sensor. With what has been learned on the test bed, the paper finishes with a brief comparison of the old and new technologies. The emphasis of this comparison will be on the servo performance as illustrated with bode plot diagrams.« less

Health science learning academy: a successful "pipeline" educational program for high school students.

PubMed

Fincher, Ruth-Marie E; Sykes-Brown, Wilma; Allen-Noble, Rosie

2002-07-01

mathematics and biology (twelfth grade). The ultimate solution to the paucity of underrepresented minority physicians resides largely in successful pipeline programs that expand the pool of well-qualified applicants, matriculants, and graduates from medical schools. Intermediate results of the HSLA support the success of the program. Since its creation in the 1996-1997 academic year, 203 students have participated in the HSLA and all 38 (from the original two schools) who completed the four-year program have enrolled in college. The mean SAT score for students who completed the HSLA program was 1,066, compared with a mean of 923 for all college-bound students in the participating schools. The mean increases in SAT scores for students who completed the four-year program were.5% (1,100 to 1,105) for students attending a magnet high school and 18% (929 to 1,130) for students attending the comprehensive high school. The mean overall increases in SAT scores for students in the two high schools were 1% (1,044 to 1,048) and 9.1% (765 to 834), respectively. The HSLA is accomplishing its goals and, while it is too early to know if these students will participate in MCAT preparatory programs and apply to medical and other health professions schools, their sustained commitment and enthusiasm bode well for continued success.

Rapid Development of Specialty Population Registries and Quality Measures from Electronic Health Record Data.

PubMed

Kannan, Vaishnavi; Fish, Jason S; Mutz, Jacqueline M; Carrington, Angela R; Lai, Ki; Davis, Lisa S; Youngblood, Josh E; Rauschuber, Mark R; Flores, Kathryn A; Sara, Evan J; Bhat, Deepa G; Willett, DuWayne L

2017-01-01

(a) real-time patient lists of registry patients and (b) EDW-gener-ated CQM data. Agile project management methods were employed, including co-development, lightweight requirements documentation with User Stories and acceptance criteria, and time-boxed iterative development of EHR features in 2-week "sprints" for rapid-cycle feedback and refinement. Using this approach, in calendar year 2015 we developed a total of 43 specialty chronic disease registries, with 111 new EHR data collection and clinical decision support tools, 163 new clinical quality measures, and 30 clinic-specific dashboards reporting on both real-time patient care gaps and summarized and vetted CQM measure performance trends. This study suggests concurrent design of EHR data collection tools and reporting can quickly yield useful EHR structured data for chronic disease registries, and bodes well for efforts to migrate away from manual abstraction. This work also supports the view that in new EHR-based registry development, as in new product development, adopting agile principles and practices can help deliver valued, high-quality features early and often. Schattauer GmbH.

Rapid Development of Specialty Population Registries and Quality Measures from Electronic Health Record Data: An Agile Framework

PubMed Central

Kannan, V; Fish, JS; Mutz, JM; Carrington, AR; Lai, K; Davis, LS; Youngblood, JE; Rauschuber, MR; Flores, KA; Sara, EJ; Bhat, DG; Willett, DL

2017-01-01

-specific dashboards were created in the EHR to display both (a) real-time patient lists of registry patients and (b) EDW-generated CQM data. Agile project management methods were employed, including co-development, lightweight requirements documentation with User Stories and acceptance criteria, and time-boxed iterative development of EHR features in 2-week “sprints” for rapid-cycle feedback and refinement. Results Using this approach, in calendar year 2015 we developed a total of 43 specialty chronic disease registries, with 111 new EHR data collection and clinical decision support tools, 163 new clinical quality measures, and 30 clinic-specific dashboards reporting on both real-time patient care gaps and summarized and vetted CQM measure performance trends. Conclusions This study suggests concurrent design of EHR data collection tools and reporting can quickly yield useful EHR structured data for chronic disease registries, and bodes well for efforts to migrate away from manual abstraction. This work also supports the view that in new EHR-based registry development, as in new product development, adopting agile principles and practices can help deliver valued, high-quality features early and often. PMID:28930362

Pions to Quarks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Laurie Mark; Dresden, Max; Hoddeson, Lillian

2009-01-01

neutrino Frederick Reines; 25. Recollections on the establishment of the weak-interaction notion Bruno M. Pontecorvo; 26. Symmetry and conservation laws in particle physics in the fifties Louis Michel; 27. A connection between the strong and weak interactions Sam B. Treiman; Part VII. Weak interactions and parity nonconservation; 29. The nondiscovery of parity nonconservation Allan Franklin; 30. K-meson decays and parity violation Richard H. Dalitz; 31. An Experimentalist's Perspective Val L. Fitch; 32. The early experiments leading to the V - A interaction Valentine L. Telegdi; 33. Midcentury adventures in particles physics E. C. G. Sudarshan; Part VIII. The particle physics community; 34. The postwar political economy of high-energy physics Robert Seidel; 35. The history of CERN during the early 1950s Edoardo Amaldi; 36. Arguments pro and contra the European laboratory in the participating countries Armin Hermann; 37. Physics and excellences of the life it brings Abdus Salam; 38. Social aspects of Japanese particle physics in the 1950s Michiji Konuma; Part IX. Theories of hadrons; 39. The early S-matrix theory and its propagation (1942-1952) Helmut Rechenberg; 40. From field theory to phenomenology: the history of dispersion relations Andy Pickering; 41. Particles as S-matrix poles: hadron democracy Geoffrey F. Chew; 42. The general theory of quantised fields in the 1950s Arthur S. Wrightman; 43. The classification and structure of hadrons Yuval Ne'eman; 44. Gauge principle, vector-meson dominance and spontaneous symmetry breaking Yoichiro Nambu; Part X. Personal overviews; 45. Scientific impact of the first decade of the Rochester conferences (1950-1960) Robert E. Marshak; 46. Some reflections on the history of particle physics in the 1950s Silvan S. Schweber; 47. Progress in elementary particle theory 1950-1964 Murray Gell-Mann.

Women and Men Together in Recruit Training.

PubMed

Orme, Geoffrey J; Kehoe, E James

2018-05-01

male recruits, those in mixed-gender platoons had scores that were reliably lower than in all-male platoons, χ2 (4) = 48.38, p < 0.001; its effect size (V = 0.11) just exceeded the criterion for a small effect (0.10). Further analyses revealed that male scores had a near-zero correlation (r = -0.033) with the proportion of females in platoons (0-45%). This large-scale secondary analysis of instructor ratings of female and male recruits provides a platform for monitoring the integration of women into the combat arms. The analyses revealed nearly complete overlap in the performance of female versus male recruits. The detected gender-related differences were negligible to small in size. These small differences must be viewed with considerable caution. They may be artifacts of rater bias or other uncontrolled features of the rating system, which was designed for reporting individual recruit performance rather than aggregate analyses. Even with these limitations, this baseline snapshot of recruit performance suggests that, at recruit training, women and men are already working well together, which bodes well for their subsequent integration into the combat arms.

Europe's space telescope ISO finds water in distant places

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1997-04-01

, which sometimes collide with the planets, as seen in the spectacular impacts of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter in 1994. The leader of the ISO team that found the water vapour in the outer planets is Helmut Feuchtgruber of the Max-Planck Institut fur Extraterrestrische Physik at Garching, Germany. He works at the ISO operations centre at Villafranca, Spain. For him, the theoretical puzzle of the water vapour is full of significance for planetary science. "The upper atmosphere of the Earth is very dry because water vapour rising from the oceans or the land freezes into clouds," Feuchtgruber comments. "We would expect the same kind of lid to seal in the water vapour of the outer planets. What we see in Saturn, Uranus and Neptune probably comes from an outside source. This has important implications for our theories of the origin and evolution of all planetary atmospheres, including the Earth's." Helmut Feuchtgruber, Emmanuel Lellouch and their colleagues are preparing a theoretical analysis of the likely origin of the water vapour in the outer planets, which they hope to publish in the next few months. European success story Rated by a panel of American astronomers as "the major infrared mission of the decade", ISO is a special achievement for ESA -- and for Europe's astronomers and engineers. Advanced technology created ISO's extremely cold telescope capable of observing cool regions of the Universe. Multinational teams, with leaders in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, developed the special scientific instruments. A European Ariane 44P launcher put ISO into orbit on 17 November 1995. ISO's supply of superfluid helium, which keeps the telescope and instruments cold, is expected to run out at about the end of 1997, giving it a life several months longer than required in the specification. Requests from the world's astronomers for observations with ISO have always far exceeded the available operating time, even though the spacecraft's controllers

Applying the Ce-in-zircon oxygen geobarometer to diverse silicic magmatic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Claiborne, L. L.; Miller, C. F.

2012-12-01

Zircon provides information on age, temperature, and composition of the magma from which it grew. In systems such as Mount St. Helens, where zircon is not coeval with the rest of the crystal cargo, it provides the only accessible record of the extended history of the magmatic system, including cycles of intrusion, crystallization and rejuvenation beneath an active volcano (Claiborne et al., 2010). The rare earth elements, which are present in measureable quantities in zircon, provide information about the composition of the magma from which zircon grew. Unique among the generally trivalent rare earth elements, cerium can exist as either trivalent or tetravalent, depending on the oxidation state of the magma. The tetravalent ion is highly compatible in zircon, in the site that usually hosts tetravalent zirconium, and so the amount of Cerium in zircon relative (relative to what would be expected of trivalent Ce) depends the oxidation state of the magma from which it grew. Trail et al. (2011) proposed a calibration based on experimental data that uses the Ce anomaly in zircon as a direct proxy for magma oxidation (fugacity), describing the relationship between Ce in zircon and magma oxygen fugacity as ln(Ce/Ce*)D = (0.1156±0.0050)xln(fO2)+(13860±708)/T-(6.125±0.484). For systems like Mount St. Helens, where the major minerals record only events in the hundreds to thousands of years leading to eruption, (including the Fe-Ti oxides traditionally relied upon for records of oxidation state of the magmas), this presents a novel approach for understanding more extended histories of oxidation of magmas in the tens and hundreds of thousands of years of magmatism at a volcanic center. This calibration also promises to help us better constrain conditions of crystallization in intrusive portions of volcanic systems, as well as plutonic bodes. We apply this new oxygen geobarometer to natural volcanic and plutonic zircons from a variety of tectonic settings, and compare to

OBITUARY: Maurice Jacob (1933 2007)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quercigh, Emanuele; Šándor, Ladislav

2008-04-01

(partons) seen in deep-inelastic scattering implied the existence of high-transverse-momentum processes in proton proton collisions, as the ISR at CERN subsequently discovered. In 1967 Maurice joined CERN, where he remained, apart from influential visits to Yale, Fermilab and elsewhere, until his retirement in 1998. He became one of the most respected international experts on the phenomenology of strong interactions, including diffraction, scaling, high-transverse-momentum processes and the formation of quark gluon plasma. In particular, he pioneered the studies of inclusive hadron-production processes, including scaling and its violations. Also, working with Ron Horgan, he made detailed predictions for the production of jets at CERN's proton antiproton collider. The UA2 and UA1 experiments subsequently discovered these. He was also interested in electron positron colliders, making pioneering calculations, together with Tai Wu, of radiation in high-energy collisions. Maurice was one of the scientific pillars of CERN, working closely with experimental colleagues in predicting and interpreting results from successive CERN colliders. He was indefatigable in organizing regular meetings on ISR physics, bringing together theorists and experimentalists to debate the meaning of new results and propose new measurements. He was one of the strongest advocates of Carlo Rubbia's proposal for a proton antiproton collider at CERN, and was influential in preparing and advertising its physics. In 1978 he organized the Les Houches workshop that brought the LEP project to the attention of the wider European particle physics community. He also organized the ECFA workshop at Lausanne in 1984 that made the first exploration of the possible physics of the LHC. It is a tragedy that Maurice has not lived to enjoy data from the LHC.' References [1] Maurice Jacob and Helmut Satz (eds) 1982 Proc. Workshop on Quark Matter Formation and Heavy Ion Collisions, Bielefeld, 10 14 May 1982 (Singapore: World