You save money when you buy in bulk: does volume-based pricing cause people to buy more beer?

PubMed

Bray, Jeremy W; Loomis, Brett R; Engelen, Mark

2009-05-01

This paper uses supermarket scanner data to estimate brand- and packaging-specific own- and cross-price elasticities for beer. We find that brand- and packaging-specific beer sales are highly price elastic. Cross-price elasticity estimates suggest that individuals are more likely to buy a higher-volume package of the same brand of beer than they are to switch brands. Policy simulations suggest that regulation of volume-based price discounts is potentially more effective than a tax increase at reducing beer consumption. Our results suggest that volume-based price discounting induces people to buy larger-volume packages of beer and may lead to an increased overall beer consumption. (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Non-invasive assessment of peripheral arterial disease: Automated ankle brachial index measurement and pulse volume analysis compared to duplex scan.

PubMed

Lewis, Jane Ea; Williams, Paul; Davies, Jane H

2016-01-01

This cross-sectional study aimed to individually and cumulatively compare sensitivity and specificity of the (1) ankle brachial index and (2) pulse volume waveform analysis recorded by the same automated device, with the presence or absence of peripheral arterial disease being verified by ultrasound duplex scan. Patients (n=205) referred for lower limb arterial assessment underwent ankle brachial index measurement and pulse volume waveform recording using volume plethysmography, followed by ultrasound duplex scan. The presence of peripheral arterial disease was recorded if ankle brachial index <0.9; pulse volume waveform was graded as 2, 3 or 4; or if haemodynamically significant stenosis >50% was evident with ultrasound duplex scan. Outcome measure was agreement between the measured ankle brachial index and interpretation of pulse volume waveform for peripheral arterial disease diagnosis, using ultrasound duplex scan as the reference standard. Sensitivity of ankle brachial index was 79%, specificity 91% and overall accuracy 88%. Pulse volume waveform sensitivity was 97%, specificity 81% and overall accuracy 85%. The combined sensitivity of ankle brachial index and pulse volume waveform was 100%, specificity 76% and overall accuracy 85%. Combining these two diagnostic modalities within one device provided a highly accurate method of ruling out peripheral arterial disease, which could be utilised in primary care to safely reduce unnecessary secondary care referrals.

77 FR 71179 - TRICARE, Formerly Known as the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-29

... notice provides the updated regional per-diem rates for low-volume mental health providers; the update... beneficiary per-diem cost-share amount for low-volume providers; and, the updated per-diem rates for both full... with high TRICARE volume) and regional-specific rates for psychiatric hospitals and units with low...

Is orbital volume associated with eyeball and visual cortex volume in humans?

PubMed

Pearce, Eiluned; Bridge, Holly

2013-01-01

In humans orbital volume increases linearly with absolute latitude. Scaling across mammals between visual system components suggests that these larger orbits should translate into larger eyes and visual cortices in high latitude humans. Larger eyes at high latitudes may be required to maintain adequate visual acuity and enhance visual sensitivity under lower light levels. To test the assumption that orbital volume can accurately index eyeball and visual cortex volumes specifically in humans. Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques are employed to measure eye and orbit (n = 88) and brain and visual cortex (n = 99) volumes in living humans. Facial dimensions and foramen magnum area (a proxy for body mass) were also measured. A significant positive linear relationship was found between (i) orbital and eyeball volumes, (ii) eyeball and visual cortex grey matter volumes and (iii) different visual cortical areas, independently of overall brain volume. In humans the components of the visual system scale from orbit to eye to visual cortex volume independently of overall brain size. These findings indicate that orbit volume can index eye and visual cortex volume in humans, suggesting that larger high latitude orbits do translate into larger visual cortices.

Is orbital volume associated with eyeball and visual cortex volume in humans?

PubMed Central

Pearce, Eiluned; Bridge, Holly

2013-01-01

Background In humans orbital volume increases linearly with absolute latitude. Scaling across mammals between visual system components suggests that these larger orbits should translate into larger eyes and visual cortices in high latitude humans. Larger eyes at high latitudes may be required to maintain adequate visual acuity and enhance visual sensitivity under lower light levels. Aim To test the assumption that orbital volume can accurately index eyeball and visual cortex volumes specifically in humans. Subjects & Methods Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques are employed to measure eye and orbit (N=88), and brain and visual cortex (N=99) volumes in living humans. Facial dimensions and foramen magnum area (a proxy for body mass) were also measured. Results A significant positive linear relationship was found between (i) orbital and eyeball volumes, (ii) eyeball and visual cortex grey matter volumes, (iii) different visual cortical areas, independently of overall brain volume. Conclusion In humans the components of the visual system scale from orbit to eye to visual cortex volume independently of overall brain size. These findings indicate that orbit volume can index eye and visual cortex volume in humans, suggesting that larger high latitude orbits do translate into larger visual cortices. PMID:23879766

Spatiotemporal characteristics and vascular sources of neural-specific and -nonspecific fMRI signals at submillimeter columnar resolution

PubMed Central

Moon, Chan Hong; Fukuda, Mitsuhiro; Kim, Seong-Gi

2012-01-01

The neural specificity of hemodynamic-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signals are dependent on both the vascular regulation and the sensitivity of the applied fMRI technique to different types and sizes of blood vessels. In order to examine the specificity of MRI-detectable hemodynamic responses, submillimeter blood oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) fMRI studies were performed in a well-established cat orientation column model at 9.4 Tesla. Neural-nonspecific and -specific signals were separated by comparing the fMRI responses of orthogonal orientation stimuli. The BOLD response was dominantly neural-nonspecific, mostly originating from pial and intracortical emerging veins, and thus was highly correlated with baseline blood volume. Uneven baseline CBV may displace or distort small functional domains in high-resolution BOLD maps. The CBV response in the parenchyma exhibited dual spatiotemporal characteristics, a fast and early neural-nonspecific response (with 4.3-s time constant) and a slightly slower and delayed neural-specific response (with 9.4-s time constant). The nonspecific CBV signal originates from early-responding arteries and arterioles, while the specific CBV response, which is not correlated with baseline blood volume, arises from late-responding microvessels including small pre-capillary arterioles and capillaries. Our data indicate that although the neural specificity of CBV fMRI signals is dependent on stimulation duration, high-resolution functional maps can be obtained from steady-state CBV studies. PMID:22960251

Quantitative genetics and sex-specific selection on sexually dimorphic traits in bighorn sheep

PubMed Central

Poissant, Jocelyn; Wilson, Alastair J; Festa-Bianchet, Marco; Hogg, John T; Coltman, David W

2008-01-01

Sexual conflict at loci influencing traits shared between the sexes occurs when sex-specific selection pressures are antagonistic relative to the genetic correlation between the sexes. To assess whether there is sexual conflict over shared traits, we estimated heritability and intersexual genetic correlations for highly sexually dimorphic traits (horn volume and body mass) in a wild population of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) and quantified sex-specific selection using estimates of longevity and lifetime reproductive success. Body mass and horn volume showed significant additive genetic variance in both sexes, and intersexual genetic correlations were 0.24±0.28 for horn volume and 0.63±0.30 for body mass. For horn volume, selection coefficients did not significantly differ from zero in either sex. For body weight, selection coefficients were positive in females but did not differ from zero in males. The absence of detectable sexually antagonistic selection suggests that currently there are no sexual conflicts at loci influencing horn volume and body mass. PMID:18211870

Vivaldi: A Domain-Specific Language for Volume Processing and Visualization on Distributed Heterogeneous Systems.

PubMed

Choi, Hyungsuk; Choi, Woohyuk; Quan, Tran Minh; Hildebrand, David G C; Pfister, Hanspeter; Jeong, Won-Ki

2014-12-01

As the size of image data from microscopes and telescopes increases, the need for high-throughput processing and visualization of large volumetric data has become more pressing. At the same time, many-core processors and GPU accelerators are commonplace, making high-performance distributed heterogeneous computing systems affordable. However, effectively utilizing GPU clusters is difficult for novice programmers, and even experienced programmers often fail to fully leverage the computing power of new parallel architectures due to their steep learning curve and programming complexity. In this paper, we propose Vivaldi, a new domain-specific language for volume processing and visualization on distributed heterogeneous computing systems. Vivaldi's Python-like grammar and parallel processing abstractions provide flexible programming tools for non-experts to easily write high-performance parallel computing code. Vivaldi provides commonly used functions and numerical operators for customized visualization and high-throughput image processing applications. We demonstrate the performance and usability of Vivaldi on several examples ranging from volume rendering to image segmentation.

Formal Methods Specification and Verification Guidebook for Software and Computer Systems. Volume 1; Planning and Technology Insertion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

The Formal Methods Specification and Verification Guidebook for Software and Computer Systems describes a set of techniques called Formal Methods (FM), and outlines their use in the specification and verification of computer systems and software. Development of increasingly complex systems has created a need for improved specification and verification techniques. NASA's Safety and Mission Quality Office has supported the investigation of techniques such as FM, which are now an accepted method for enhancing the quality of aerospace applications. The guidebook provides information for managers and practitioners who are interested in integrating FM into an existing systems development process. Information includes technical and administrative considerations that must be addressed when establishing the use of FM on a specific project. The guidebook is intended to aid decision makers in the successful application of FM to the development of high-quality systems at reasonable cost. This is the first volume of a planned two-volume set. The current volume focuses on administrative and planning considerations for the successful application of FM.

What Would Be the Effect of Referral to High-Volume Hospitals in a Largely Rural State?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Marcia M.; Jaana, Mirou; Wakefield, Douglas S.; Ohsfeldt, Robert L.; Schneider, John E.; Miller, Thomas; Lei, Yang

2004-01-01

Volume of certain surgical procedures has been linked to patient outcomes. The Leapfrog Group and others have recommended evidence-based referral using specific volume thresholds for nonemergent cases. The literature is limited on the effect of such referral on hospitals, especially in rural areas. To examine the impact of evidence-based referral…

Comparison of Rectal and Esophageal Sensitivity in Women With Functional Heartburn.

PubMed

Freede, Margaret; Leasure, A Renee; Proskin, Howard M; Hatch, Daniel; Edwards, Karethy; Pascucci, MaryAnn; Smith, Patsy R

2016-01-01

This study tested the primary hypothesis that there is a correlation of maximum pain threshold (MPT) in the esophagus and rectum in persons with functional heartburn. Secondary aims evaluated correlations with initial perception threshold (IPT) and pain threshold (PT). This study explored objective sensory endpoints of IPT, PT, and MPT in the esophagus and rectum of 14 females with functional heartburn to determine whether visceral hypersensitivity is generalized or organ-specific. Data on volume and pressure measurements at IPT, PT, and MPT with esophageal and rectal barostat distention were collected. The relationship of sensation and pain to volume, pressure, and compliance was analyzed. Esophageal and rectal IPT balloon volume scores were highly and significantly correlated (r = .61, p = .02). Esophageal and rectal PT balloon volume scores were highly and significantly correlated (r = .6, p = .02). Esophageal and rectal MPT balloon volume scores were not correlated (r = .35, p = .26). The correlation of visceral sensitivity in the esophagus and rectum in persons with functional heartburn supports the hypothesis that visceral sensory changes in functional gastrointestinal disorders are not organ specific.

Surgical volume-to-outcome relationship and monitoring of technical performance in pediatric cardiac surgery.

PubMed

Kalfa, David; Chai, Paul; Bacha, Emile

2014-08-01

A significant inverse relationship of surgical institutional and surgeon volumes to outcome has been demonstrated in many high-stakes surgical specialties. By and large, the same results were found in pediatric cardiac surgery, for which a more thorough analysis has shown that this relationship depends on case complexity and type of surgical procedures. Lower-volume programs tend to underperform larger-volume programs as case complexity increases. High-volume pediatric cardiac surgeons also tend to have better results than low-volume surgeons, especially at the more complex end of the surgery spectrum (e.g., the Norwood procedure). Nevertheless, this trend for lower mortality rates at larger centers is not universal. All larger programs do not perform better than all smaller programs. Moreover, surgical volume seems to account for only a small proportion of the overall between-center variation in outcome. Intraoperative technical performance is one of the most important parts, if not the most important part, of the therapeutic process and a critical component of postoperative outcome. Thus, the use of center-specific, risk-adjusted outcome as a tool for quality assessment together with monitoring of technical performance using a specific score may be more reliable than relying on volume alone. However, the relationship between surgical volume and outcome in pediatric cardiac surgery is strong enough that it ought to support adapted and well-balanced health care strategies that take advantage of the positive influence that higher center and surgeon volumes have on outcome.

The Influence of DAT1, COMT, and BDNF Genetic Polymorphisms on Total and Subregional Hippocampal Volumes in Early Onset Heavy Cannabis Users

PubMed Central

Batalla, Albert; Lorenzetti, Valentina; Chye, Yann; Yücel, Murat; Soriano-Mas, Carles; Bhattacharyya, Sagnik; Torrens, Marta; Crippa, José A.S.; Martín-Santos, Rocío

2018-01-01

Abstract Introduction: Hippocampal neuroanatomy is affected by genetic variations in dopaminergic candidate genes and environmental insults, such as early onset of chronic cannabis exposure. Here, we examine how hippocampal total and subregional volumes are affected by cannabis use and functional polymorphisms of dopamine-relevant genes, including the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), dopamine transporter (DAT1), and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) genes. Material and Methods: We manually traced total hippocampal volumes and automatically segmented hippocampal subregions using high-resolution MRI images, and performed COMT, DAT1, and BDNF genotyping in 59 male Caucasian young adults aged 18–30 years. These included 30 chronic cannabis users with early-onset (regular use at <16 years) and 29 age-, education-, and intelligence-matched controls. Results: Cannabis use and dopaminergic gene polymorphism had both distinct and interactive effects on the hippocampus. We found emerging alterations of hippocampal total and specific subregional volumes in cannabis users relative to controls (i.e., CA1, CA2/3, and CA4), and associations between cannabis use levels and total and specific subregional volumes. Furthermore, total hippocampal volume and the fissure subregion were affected by cannabis×DAT1 polymorphism (i.e., 9/9R and in 10/10R alleles), reflecting high and low levels of dopamine availability. Conclusion: These findings suggest that cannabis exposure alters the normal relationship between DAT1 polymorphism and the anatomy of total and subregional hippocampal volumes, and that specific hippocampal subregions may be particularly affected. PMID:29404409

The Influence of DAT1, COMT, and BDNF Genetic Polymorphisms on Total and Subregional Hippocampal Volumes in Early Onset Heavy Cannabis Users.

PubMed

Batalla, Albert; Lorenzetti, Valentina; Chye, Yann; Yücel, Murat; Soriano-Mas, Carles; Bhattacharyya, Sagnik; Torrens, Marta; Crippa, José A S; Martín-Santos, Rocío

2018-01-01

Introduction: Hippocampal neuroanatomy is affected by genetic variations in dopaminergic candidate genes and environmental insults, such as early onset of chronic cannabis exposure. Here, we examine how hippocampal total and subregional volumes are affected by cannabis use and functional polymorphisms of dopamine-relevant genes, including the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), dopamine transporter (DAT1), and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) genes. Material and Methods: We manually traced total hippocampal volumes and automatically segmented hippocampal subregions using high-resolution MRI images, and performed COMT, DAT1, and BDNF genotyping in 59 male Caucasian young adults aged 18-30 years. These included 30 chronic cannabis users with early-onset (regular use at <16 years) and 29 age-, education-, and intelligence-matched controls. Results: Cannabis use and dopaminergic gene polymorphism had both distinct and interactive effects on the hippocampus. We found emerging alterations of hippocampal total and specific subregional volumes in cannabis users relative to controls (i.e., CA1, CA2/3, and CA4), and associations between cannabis use levels and total and specific subregional volumes. Furthermore, total hippocampal volume and the fissure subregion were affected by cannabis×DAT1 polymorphism (i.e., 9/9R and in 10/10R alleles), reflecting high and low levels of dopamine availability. Conclusion: These findings suggest that cannabis exposure alters the normal relationship between DAT1 polymorphism and the anatomy of total and subregional hippocampal volumes, and that specific hippocampal subregions may be particularly affected.

Increased gray-matter volume in medication-naive high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Palmen, Saskia J M C; Hulshoff Pol, Hilleke E; Kemner, Chantal; Schnack, Hugo G; Durston, Sarah; Lahuis, Bertine E; Kahn, René S; Van Engeland, Herman

2005-04-01

To establish whether high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have enlarged brains in later childhood, and if so, whether this enlargement is confined to the gray and/or to the white matter and whether it is global or more prominent in specific brain regions. Brain MRI scans were acquired from 21 medication-naive, high-functioning children with ASD between 7 and 15 years of age and 21 comparison subjects matched for gender, age, IQ, height, weight, handedness, and parental education, but not pubertal status. Patients showed a significant increase of 6% in intracranium, total brain, cerebral gray matter, cerebellum, and of more than 40% in lateral and third ventricles compared to controls. The cortical gray-matter volume was evenly affected in all lobes. After correction for brain volume, ventricular volumes remained significantly larger in patients. High-functioning children with ASD showed a global increase in gray-matter, but not white-matter and cerebellar volume, proportional to the increase in brain volume, and a disproportional increase in ventricular volumes, still present after correction for brain volume. Advanced pubertal development in the patients compared to the age-matched controls may have contributed to the findings reported in the present study.

Volume change associated with formation and dissociation of hydrate in sediment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruppel, Carolyn D.; Lee, J.Y.; Santamarina, J. Carlos

2017-01-01

Gas hydrate formation and dissociation in sediments are accompanied by changes in the bulk volume of the sediment and can lead to changes in sediment properties, loss of integrity for boreholes, and possibly regional subsidence of the ground surface over areas where methane might be produced from gas hydrate in the future. Experiments on sand, silts, and clay subject to different effective stress and containing different saturations of hydrate formed from dissolved phase tetrahydrofuran are used to systematically investigate the impact of gas hydrate formation and dissociation on bulk sediment volume. Volume changes in low specific surface sediments (i.e., having a rigid sediment skeleton like sand) are much lower than those measured in high specific surface sediments (e.g., clay). Early hydrate formation is accompanied by contraction for all soils and most stress states in part because growing gas hydrate crystals buckle skeletal force chains. Dilation can occur at high hydrate saturations. Hydrate dissociation under drained, zero lateral strain conditions is always associated with some contraction, regardless of soil type, effective stress level, or hydrate saturation. Changes in void ratio during formation-dissociation decrease at high effective stress levels. The volumetric strain during dissociation under zero lateral strain scales with hydrate saturation and sediment compressibility. The volumetric strain during dissociation under high shear is a function of the initial volume average void ratio and the stress-dependent critical state void ratio of the sediment. Other contributions to volume reduction upon hydrate dissociation are related to segregated hydrate in lenses and nodules. For natural gas hydrates, some conditions (e.g., gas production driven by depressurization) might contribute to additional volume reduction by increasing the effective stress.

Nineteenth International Cosmic Ray Conference. HE Sessions, Volume 8

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, F. C. (Compiler)

1985-01-01

Papers submitted for presentation at the 19th International Cosmic Ray Conference are compiled. The present volume contains papers addressing high energy interactions and related phenomena. Specific topic areas include muons, neutrinos, magnetic monopoles, nucleon decay, searches for new particles, and acoustic and thermoluminescence detection techniques.

Specificity of abnormal brain volume in major depressive disorder: a comparison with borderline personality disorder.

PubMed

Depping, Malte S; Wolf, Nadine D; Vasic, Nenad; Sambataro, Fabio; Thomann, Philipp A; Christian Wolf, R

2015-03-15

Abnormal brain volume has been frequently demonstrated in major depressive disorder (MDD). It is unclear if these findings are specific for MDD since aberrant brain structure is also present in disorders with depressive comorbidity and affective dysregulation, such as borderline personality disorder (BPD). In this transdiagnostic study, we aimed to investigate if regional brain volume loss differentiates between MDD and BPD. Further, we tested for associations between brain volume and clinical variables within and between diagnostic groups. 22 Females with a DSM-IV diagnosis of MDD, 17 females with a DSM-IV diagnosis of BPD and without comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder, and 22 age-matched female healthy controls (HC) were investigated using magnetic resonance imaging. High-resolution structural data were analyzed using voxel-based morphometry. A significant (p<0.05, cluster-corrected) volume decrease of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) was found in MDD compared to HC, as opposed to volume decreases of the amygdala in BPD compared to both HC and MDD. Sensitivity and specificity of regional gray matter volume for a diagnosis of MDD were modest to fair. Amygdala volume was related to depressive symptoms across the entire patient sample. Potential limitations of this study include the modest sample size and the heterogeneous psychotropic drug treatment. ACC volume reduction is more pronounced in MDD with an intermediate degree of volume loss in BPD compared to HC. In contrast, amygdala volume loss is more pronounced in BPD compared to MDD, yet amygdala volume is associated with affective symptom expression in both disorders. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prostate specific antigen and acinar density: a new dimension, the "Prostatocrit".

PubMed

Robinson, Simon; Laniado, Marc; Montgomery, Bruce

2017-01-01

Prostate-specific antigen densities have limited success in diagnosing prostate cancer. We emphasise the importance of the peripheral zone when considered with its cellular constituents, the "prostatocrit". Using zonal volumes and asymmetry of glandular acini, we generate a peripheral zone acinar volume and density. With the ratio to the whole gland, we can better predict high grade and all grade cancer. We can model the gland into its acinar and stromal elements. This new "prostatocrit" model could offer more accurate nomograms for biopsy. 674 patients underwent TRUS and biopsy. Whole gland and zonal volumes were recorded. We compared ratio and acinar volumes when added to a "clinic" model using traditional PSA density. Univariate logistic regression was used to find significant predictors for all and high grade cancer. Backwards multiple logistic regression was used to generate ROC curves comparing the new model to conventional density and PSA alone. Prediction of all grades of prostate cancer: significant variables revealed four significant "prostatocrit" parameters: log peripheral zone acinar density; peripheral zone acinar volume/whole gland acinar volume; peripheral zone acinar density/whole gland volume; peripheral zone acinar density. Acinar model (AUC 0.774), clinic model (AUC 0.745) (P=0.0105). Prediction of high grade prostate cancer: peripheral zone acinar density ("prostatocrit") was the only significant density predictor. Acinar model (AUC 0.811), clinic model (AUC 0.769) (P=0.0005). There is renewed use for ratio and "prostatocrit" density of the peripheral zone in predicting cancer. This outperforms all traditional density measurements. Copyright® by the International Brazilian Journal of Urology.

Conservation of species, volume, and belief in patients with Alzheimer's disease: the issue of domain specificity and conceptual impairment.

PubMed

Zaitchik, Deborah; Solomon, Gregg E A

2009-09-01

Two studies investigated whether patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) suffer high-level and category-specific impairment in the conceptual domain of living things. In Experiment 1, AD patients and healthy young and healthy elderly controls took part in three tasks: the conservation of species, volume, and belief. All 3 tasks required tracking an object's identity in the face of irrelevant but salient transformations. Healthy young and elderly controls performed at or near ceiling on all tasks. AD patients were at or near ceiling on the volume and belief tasks, but only about half succeeded on the species task. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the results were not due to simple task demands. AD patients' failure to conserve species indicates that they are impaired in their theoretical understanding of living things, and their success on the volume and belief tasks suggests that the impairment is domain-specific. Two hypotheses are put forward to explain the phenomenon: The first, a category-specific account, holds that the intuitive theory of biology undergoes pervasive degradation; the second, a hybrid domain-general/domain-specific account, holds that impairment to domain-general processes such as executive function interacts with core cognition, the primitive elements that are the foundation of domain-specific knowledge.

Conservation of species, volume, and belief in patients with Alzheimer’s disease: the issue of domain-specificity and conceptual impairment

PubMed Central

Zaitchik, Deborah; Solomon, Gregg E. A.

2009-01-01

Two studies investigated whether patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) suffer high-level and category-specific impairment in the conceptual domain of living things. In Study 1, AD patients and healthy young and healthy elderly controls took part in three tasks: the Conservation of Species, Volume, and Belief. All 3 tasks required tracking an object’s identity in the face of irrelevant but salient transformations. Healthy young and elderly controls performed at or near ceiling on all tasks. AD patients were at or near ceiling on the Volume and Belief tasks, but only about half succeeded on the Species task. Study 2 demonstrated that the results were not due to simple task demands. AD patients’ failure to conserve species indicates that they are impaired in their theoretical understanding of living things, and their success on the Volume and Belief tasks suggests that the impairment is domain-specific. Two hypotheses are put forward to explain the phenomenon: the first, a category-specific account, holds that the intuitive theory of biology undergoes pervasive degradation; the second, a hybrid domain-general/domain-specific account, holds that impairment to domain-general processes such as executive function interacts with core cognition, the primitive elements that are the foundation of domain-specific knowledge. PMID:20043252

Multitier specification for NSEP (National Security/Emergency Preparedness) enhancement of fiber-optic long-distance telecommunication networks. Volume 1. The multitier specification - an executive summary. Technical Information Bulletin

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

Peach, D.F.

1987-12-01

Fiber optic telecommunication systems are susceptible to both natural and man-made stress. National Security/Emergency Preparedness (NSEP) is a function of how durable these systems are in light of projected levels of stress. Emergency Preparedness in 1987 is not just a matter of--can they deliver food, water, energy and other essentials--but can they deliver the vital information necessary to maintain corporate function of our country. 'Communication stamina' is a function of 'probability of survival' when faced with stress. This report provides an overview of the enhancements to a fiber-optic communication system/installation that will increase durability. These enhancements are grouped, based onmore » their value in protecting the system, such that a Multitier Specification is created that presents multiple levels of hardness. Mitigation of effects due to high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) and gamma radiation, and protection from vandalism and weather events are discussed in the report. The report is presented in two volumes. Volume I presents the Multitier Specification in a format that is usable for management review. The attributes of specified physical parameters, and the levels of protection stated in Volume I, are discussed in more detail in Volume II.« less

Reassessment of the risk factors for biochemical recurrence in D'Amico intermediate-risk prostate cancer treated using radical prostatectomy.

PubMed

Narita, Shintaro; Mitsuzuka, Koji; Tsuchiya, Norihiko; Koie, Takuya; Kawamura, Sadafumi; Ohyama, Chikara; Tochigi, Tatsuo; Yamaguchi, Takuhiro; Arai, Yoichi; Habuchi, Tomonori

2015-11-01

To assess the risk factors for biochemical recurrence in D'Amico intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients treated using radical prostatectomy. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 1268 men with prostate cancer treated using radical prostatectomy without neoadjuvant therapy. The association between various risk factors and biochemical recurrence was then statistically evaluated. The Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazards models were used for statistical analysis. In the intermediate-risk group, 96 patients (14.5%) experienced biochemical recurrence during a median follow up of 41 months. In the intermediate-risk group, preoperative prostate-specific antigen level, prostate volume and prostate-specific antigen density were significant preoperative risk factors for biochemical recurrence, whereas other factors including age, primary Gleason 4, clinical stage >T2 and percentage of positive biopsies were not. In multivariate analysis, higher preoperative prostate-specific antigen level and density, and a smaller prostate volume were independent risk factors for biochemical recurrence in the intermediate-risk group. Biochemical recurrence-free survival of patients in the intermediate-risk group with a higher prostate-specific antigen level and density (≥15 ng/mL, ≥0.6 ng/mL/cm(3), respectively), and lower prostate volume (≤10 mL) was comparable with that of high-risk group individuals (P = 0.632, 0.494 and 0.961, respectively). Preoperative prostate-specific antigen, prostate volume and prostate-specific antigen density are significant risk factors for biochemical recurrence in D'Amico intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients treated using radical prostatectomy. Using these variables, a subset of the intermediate-risk patients can be identified as having equivalent outcomes to high-risk patients. © 2015 The Japanese Urological Association.

EOSCUBE: A Constraint Database System for High-Level Specification and Efficient Generation of EOSDIS Products. Phase 1; Proof-of-Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brodsky, Alexander; Segal, Victor E.

1999-01-01

The EOSCUBE constraint database system is designed to be a software productivity tool for high-level specification and efficient generation of EOSDIS and other scientific products. These products are typically derived from large volumes of multidimensional data which are collected via a range of scientific instruments.

Is the Distance Worth It? Patients With Rectal Cancer Traveling to High-Volume Centers Experience Improved Outcomes.

PubMed

Xu, Zhaomin; Becerra, Adan Z; Justiniano, Carla F; Boodry, Courtney I; Aquina, Christopher T; Swanger, Alex A; Temple, Larissa K; Fleming, Fergal J

2017-12-01

It is unclear whether traveling long distances to high-volume centers would compensate for travel burden among patients undergoing rectal cancer resection. The purpose of this study was to determine whether operative volume outweighs the advantages of being treated locally by comparing the outcomes of patients with rectal cancer treated at local, low-volume centers versus far, high-volume centers. This was a population-based study. The National Cancer Database was queried for patients with rectal cancer. Patients with stage II or III rectal cancer who underwent surgical resection between 2006 and 2012 were included. The outcomes of interest were margins, lymph node yield, receipt of neoadjuvant chemoradiation, adjuvant chemotherapy, readmission within 30 days, 30-day and 90-day mortality, and 5-year overall survival. A total of 18,605 patients met inclusion criteria; 2067 patients were in the long-distance/high-volume group and 1362 in the short-distance/low-volume group. The median travel distance was 62.6 miles for the long-distance/high-volume group and 2.3 miles for the short-distance/low-volume group. Patients who were younger, white, privately insured, and stage III were more likely to have traveled to a high-volume center. When controlled for patient factors, stage, and hospital factors, patients in the short-distance/low-volume group had lower odds of a lymph node yield ≥12 (OR = 0.51) and neoadjuvant chemoradiation (OR = 0.67) and higher 30-day (OR = 3.38) and 90-day mortality (OR = 2.07) compared with those in the long-distance/high-volume group. The short-distance/low-volume group had a 34% high risk of overall mortality at 5 years compared with the long-distance/high-volume group. We lacked data regarding patient and physician decision making and surgeon-specific factors. Our results indicate that when controlled for patient, tumor, and hospital factors, patients who traveled a long distance to a high-volume center had improved lymph node yield, neoadjuvant chemoradiation receipt, and 30- and 90-day mortality compared with those who traveled a short distance to a low-volume center. They also had improved 5-year survival. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A446.

A feasibility study of limb volume measuring systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lafferty, J. F.; Carter, W. M.

1974-01-01

Evaluation of the various techniques by which limb volume can be measured indicates that the odometric (electromechanical) method and the reflective scanner (optical) have a high probability of meeting the specifications of the LBNP experiments. Both of these methods provide segmental measurements from which the cross sectional area of the limb can be determined.

Contemporary Navajo Affairs: Navajo History Volume III, Part B.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eck, Norman K.

Written specifically for Navajo junior high through college students, but also serving those interested in modern reservation developments and processs, the third volume of a curricular series on Navajo history provides a synthesis of data and pictorial records on current events in the areas of Navajo government, economic development, and health.…

Variations in pore characteristics in high volatile bituminous coals: Implications for coal bed gas content

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mastalerz, Maria; Drobniak, A.; Strapoc, D.; Solano-Acosta, W.; Rupp, J.

2008-01-01

The Seelyville Coal Member of the Linton Formation (Pennsylvanian) in Indiana was studied to: 1) understand variations in pore characteristics within a coal seam at a single location and compare these variations with changes occurring between the same coal at different locations, 2) elaborate on the influence of mineral-matter and maceral composition on mesopore and micropore characteristics, and 3) discuss implications of these variations for coal bed gas content. The coal is high volatile bituminous rank with R0 ranging from 0.57% to 0.60%. BET specific surface areas (determined by nitrogen adsorption) of the coals samples studied range from 1.8 to 22.9??m2/g, BJH adsorption mesopore volumes from 0.0041 to 0.0339??cm3/g, and micropore volumes (determined by carbon dioxide adsorption) from 0.0315 to 0.0540??cm3/g. The coals that had the largest specific surface areas and largest mesopore volumes occur at the shallowest depths, whereas the smallest values for these two parameters occur in the deepest coals. Micropore volumes, in contrast, are not depth-dependent. In the coal samples examined for this study, mineral-matter content influenced both specific surface area as well as mesopore and micropore volumes. It is especially clear in the case of micropores, where an increase in mineral-matter content parallels the decrease of micropore volume of the coal. No obvious relationships were observed between the total vitrinite content and pore characteristics but, after splitting vitrinite into individual macerals, we see that collotelinite influences both meso- and micropore volume positively, whereas collodetrinite contributes to the reduction of mesopore and micropore volumes. There are large variations in gas content within a single coal at a single location. Because of this variability, the entire thickness of the coal must be desorbed in order to determine gas content reliably and to accurately calculate the level of gas saturation. ?? 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prostate-specific antigen lowering effect of metabolic syndrome is influenced by prostate volume.

PubMed

Choi, Woo Suk; Heo, Nam Ju; Paick, Jae-Seung; Son, Hwancheol

2016-04-01

To investigate the influence of metabolic syndrome on prostate-specific antigen levels by considering prostate volume and plasma volume. We retrospectively analyzed 4111 men who underwent routine check-ups including prostate-specific antigen and transrectal ultrasonography. The definition of metabolic syndrome was based on the modified Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Prostate-specific antigen mass density (prostate-specific antigen × plasma volume / prostate volume) was calculated for adjusting plasma volume and prostate volume. We compared prostate-specific antigen and prostate-specific antigen mass density levels of participants with metabolic syndrome (metabolic syndrome group, n = 1242) and without metabolic syndrome (non-prostate-specific antigen metabolic syndrome group, n = 2869). To evaluate the impact of metabolic syndrome on prostate-specific antigen, linear regression analysis for the natural logarithm of prostate-specific antigen was used. Patients in the metabolic syndrome group had significantly older age (P < 0.001), larger prostate volume (P < 0.001), higher plasma volume (P < 0.001) and lower mean serum prostate-specific antigen (non-metabolic syndrome group vs metabolic syndrome group; 1.22 ± 0.91 vs 1.15 ± 0.76 ng/mL, P = 0.006). Prostate-specific antigen mass density in the metabolic syndrome group was still significantly lower than that in the metabolic syndrome group (0.124 ± 0.084 vs 0.115 ± 0.071 μg/mL, P = 0.001). After adjusting for age, prostate volume and plasma volume using linear regression model, the presence of metabolic syndrome was a significant independent factor for lower prostate-specific antigen (prostate-specific antigen decrease by 4.1%, P = 0.046). Prostate-specific antigen levels in patients with metabolic syndrome seem to be lower, and this finding might be affected by the prostate volume. © 2016 The Japanese Urological Association.

Technology Assessment of Avanced propulsion Systems for Some Classes of Combat Vehicles. Volume 3. Appendices G-M.

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-09-01

generally recognized that the best possible configura- tion for engines operating at high speeds and at high-pressure levels is probably the single...engines is invariably accom- plished by the operation of computer simulation models that generate specific numerical data rather than the generalized re...lationships common to other forms of prime mover based on units of mass or volume. Thus, providing such generalized relation- ships for a Stirling

Antibacterial flame retardant cotton high loft nonwovens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Renewable resources for raw materials and biodegradability of the product at the end of the useful life is entailing a shift from petroleum-based synthetics to agro based natural fibers such as cotton, especially for producing high specific volume high loft nonwovens. Cotton is highly flammable and ...

Highly Insulating Windows Volume Purchase Program Final Report

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

None

2013-04-01

This report documents the development, execution outcomes and lessons learned of the Highly Insulating Windows Volume Purchase (WVP) Program carried out over a three-year period from 2009 through 2012. The primary goals of the program were met: 1) reduce the incremental cost of highly insulating windows compared to ENERGY STAR windows; and 2) raise the public and potential buyers’ awareness of highly insulating windows and their benefits. A key outcome of the program is that the 2013 ENERGY STAR Most Efficient criteria for primary residential windows were adopted from the technical specifications set forth in the WVP program.

Influences of a yoga intervention on the postural skills of the Italian short track speed skating team

PubMed Central

Brunelle, Jean-François; Blais-Coutu, Sébastien; Gouadec, Kenan; Bédard, Éric; Fait, Philippe

2015-01-01

Introduction In preparation for a short track speed skating season, eight men and seven women were given yoga sessions during an 8-week high volume training cycle. The sessions were planned according to the postural aspects specific to short track speed skating technical requirements. Three specific goals were selected for the intervention: 1) to observe whether the practice of yoga as postural training could improve the efficiency and the athlete’s repertoire along the muscular synergies solicited in the short track speed skating specific technique; 2) to enhance and diversify the motor time-on-task of athletes without changing the prescription of other training stimulus; and 3) to lower the risk of injury during periods with high volumes of training. Methods A total of 36 sessions of yoga were given. Three postural tests were administered before and after the intervention with 14 angles analyzed. Non-parametric Wilcoxon test was used to compare angles’ variations. Results The 36 yoga sessions totalized 986 minutes of motor time-on-task, registering a proportion of 30% of the global motor time-on-task of the training cycle. Improvements were found in eleven of the 14 angles measured when comparing pre- and post-postural tests (P-value from 0.01 to 0.005). During the 8 weeks, excepting traumatic injuries due to short track speed skating accidents, no skaters suffered injuries linked to the high volume of training. Following the intervention, coaches noticed, following their on-ice feedbacks, an adjustment in the efficiency of the skating technique, in particular regarding hip dissociation. Conclusion These results suggest that yoga could be inserted into out-of-season training cycles, even in a high volume training cycle. Planned with the decision training tools, it allows athletes to diversify their motor time-on-task by integrating a new functional range of generic movements with the solicitation of neuromuscular synergies related to the specificity of their sport. PMID:25709511

Sexual steroids in serum and prostatic tissue of human non-cancerous prostate (STERPROSER trial).

PubMed

Neuzillet, Yann; Raynaud, Jean-Pierre; Radulescu, Camélia; Fiet, Jean; Giton, Franck; Dreyfus, Jean-François; Ghoneim, Tarek P; Lebret, Thierry; Botto, Henry

2017-11-01

The specific involvement of the sex steroids in the growth of the prostatic tissue remains unclear. Sex steroid concentrations in plasma and in fresh surgical samples of benign central prostate were correlated to prostate volume. Monocentric prospective study performed between September 2014 and January 2017. Age, obesity parameters, and both serum and intraprostatic concentrations of sex steroids were collected complying with the latest Endocrine Society guidelines and the steroids assessed by GC/MS. Statistical calculations were adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI). Thirty-two patients, equally divided between normal- and high-volume prostate groups, were included in the analysis. High-volume prostate patients were older, heavier and had higher BMI. Comparison adjusted for age and BMI showed higher DHT concentrations in high-volume prostate. Both normal- and high-volume prostate tissues concentrate sex steroids in a similar way. Comparison of enzymatic activity surrogate marker ratios within tissue highlighted similar TT/E1 and TT/E2 ratios, and higher DHT/E1 ratio and lower DHT/PSA ratio in the high-volume prostates. STERPROSER trial provides evidence for higher DHT concentration in highvolume prostates, that could reflect either higher 5-alpha reductase expression or lower expression of downstream metabolizing enzymes such as 3a-hydoxysteroid dehydrogenase. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Some Mechanical and Ballistic Properties of Titanium and Titanium Alloys

DTIC Science & Technology

1950-03-07

treated alloy steel armor, Justifies high expectations that titanium alloys may make excellent armor meterials . The corrosion resistant properties of...Fur* Metal Beat Treated -7-4 - -I-re Tensile Strength in pot 13,000 5 0,oo 230,000 203400 speifict Gravity 2.71 7.87 4.54 2.9 7.9 4.6 Stroe4cth-Vleight...solution of HCI: 50 parts by volume ECl-specific gravity 1.19 (37.6%) 50 parts by volume H2 0 2. Concentrated RIP: Hl-specific gravity 1.15 (14%) 3. 5

Volume of the human septal forebrain region is a predictor of source memory accuracy.

PubMed

Butler, Tracy; Blackmon, Karen; Zaborszky, Laszlo; Wang, Xiuyuan; DuBois, Jonathan; Carlson, Chad; Barr, William B; French, Jacqueline; Devinsky, Orrin; Kuzniecky, Ruben; Halgren, Eric; Thesen, Thomas

2012-01-01

Septal nuclei, components of basal forebrain, are strongly and reciprocally connected with hippocampus, and have been shown in animals to play a critical role in memory. In humans, the septal forebrain has received little attention. To examine the role of human septal forebrain in memory, we acquired high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging scans from 25 healthy subjects and calculated septal forebrain volume using recently developed probabilistic cytoarchitectonic maps. We indexed memory with the California Verbal Learning Test-II. Linear regression showed that bilateral septal forebrain volume was a significant positive predictor of recognition memory accuracy. More specifically, larger septal forebrain volume was associated with the ability to recall item source/context accuracy. Results indicate specific involvement of septal forebrain in human source memory, and recall the need for additional research into the role of septal nuclei in memory and other impairments associated with human diseases.

EUV mask defect inspection and defect review strategies for EUV pilot line and high volume manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Y. David; Rastegar, Abbas; Yun, Henry; Putna, E. Steve; Wurm, Stefan

2010-04-01

Reducing mask blank and patterned mask defects is the number one challenge for extreme ultraviolet lithography. If the industry succeeds in reducing mask blank defects at the required rate of 10X every year for the next 2-3 years to meet high volume manufacturing defect requirements, new inspection and review tool capabilities will soon be needed to support this goal. This paper outlines the defect inspection and review tool technical requirements and suggests development plans to achieve pilot line readiness in 2011/12 and high volume manufacturing readiness in 2013. The technical specifications, tooling scenarios, and development plans were produced by a SEMATECH-led technical working group with broad industry participation from material suppliers, tool suppliers, mask houses, integrated device manufacturers, and consortia. The paper summarizes this technical working group's assessment of existing blank and mask inspection/review infrastructure capabilities to support pilot line introduction and outlines infrastructure development requirements and tooling strategies to support high volume manufacturing.

High tidal volume ventilation in infant mice.

PubMed

Cannizzaro, Vincenzo; Zosky, Graeme R; Hantos, Zoltán; Turner, Debra J; Sly, Peter D

2008-06-30

Infant mice were ventilated with either high tidal volume (V(T)) with zero end-expiratory pressure (HVZ), high V(T) with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) (HVP), or low V(T) with PEEP. Thoracic gas volume (TGV) was determined plethysmographically and low-frequency forced oscillations were used to measure the input impedance of the respiratory system. Inflammatory cells, total protein, and cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in serum were measured as markers of pulmonary and systemic inflammatory response, respectively. Coefficients of tissue damping and tissue elastance increased in all ventilated mice, with the largest rise seen in the HVZ group where TGV rapidly decreased. BALF protein levels increased in the HVP group, whereas serum IL-6 rose in the HVZ group. PEEP keeps the lungs open, but provides high volumes to the entire lungs and induces lung injury. Compared to studies in adult and non-neonatal rodents, infant mice demonstrate a different response to similar ventilation strategies underscoring the need for age-specific animal models.

Electrospun N-Doped Porous Carbon Nanofibers Incorporated with NiO Nanoparticles as Free-Standing Film Electrodes for High-Performance Supercapacitors and CO2 Capture.

PubMed

Li, Qi; Guo, Jiangna; Xu, Dan; Guo, Jianqiang; Ou, Xu; Hu, Yin; Qi, Haojun; Yan, Feng

2018-04-01

Carbon nanofibers (CNF) with a 1D porous structure offer promising support to encapsulate transition-metal oxides in energy storage/conversion relying on their high specific surface area and pore volume. Here, the preparation of NiO nanoparticle-dispersed electrospun N-doped porous CNF (NiO/PCNF) and as free-standing film electrode for high-performance electrochemical supercapacitors is reported. Polyacrylonitrile and nickel acetylacetone are selected as precursors of CNF and Ni sources, respectively. Dicyandiamide not only improves the specific surface area and pore volume, but also increases the N-doping level of PCNF. Benefiting from the synergistic effect between NiO nanoparticles (NPs) and PCNF, the prepared free-standing NiO/PCNF electrodes show a high specific capacitance of 850 F g -1 at a current density of 1 A g -1 in 6 m KOH aqueous solution, good rate capability, as well as excellent long-term cycling stability. Moreover, NiO NPs dispersed in PCNF and large specific surface area provide many electroactive sites, leading to high CO 2 uptake, and high-efficiency CO 2 electroreduction. The synthesis strategy in this study provides a new insight into the design and fabrication of promising multifunctional materials for high-performance supercapacitors and CO 2 electroreduction. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Sulfur-Doping Templated Synthesis of Nanoporous Graphitic Nanocages and Its Supported Catalysts for Efficient Methanol Oxidation.

PubMed

Sheng, Zhao Min; Hong, Cheng Yang; Dai, Xian You; Chang, Cheng Kang; Chen, Jian Bin; Liu, Yan

2015-04-01

We demonstrate a new sulfur (S)-doping templated approach to fabricate highly nanoporous graphitic nanocages (GNCs) by air-oxidizing the templates in the graphitic shells to create nanopores. Sulfur can be introduced, when Fe@C core-shell nanoparticles are prepared and then S-doped GNCs can be obtained by removing their ferrous cores. Due to removing S-template, both the specific surface area (from 540 to 850 m2 g(-1)) and the mesopore volume (from 0.44 to 0.9 cm3 g(-1)) of the graphitic nanocages have sharply risen. Its high specific surface area improves catalyst loading to provide more reaction electro-active sites while its high mesopore volume pro- motes molecule diffusion across the nanocages, making it an excellent material to support Pt/Ru catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells.

Illness, at-risk and resilience neural markers of early-stage bipolar disorder.

PubMed

Lin, Kangguang; Shao, Robin; Geng, Xiujuan; Chen, Kun; Lu, Rui; Gao, Yanling; Bi, Yanan; Lu, Weicong; Guan, Lijie; Kong, Jiehua; Xu, Guiyun; So, Kwok-Fai

2018-05-21

Current knowledge on objective and specific neural markers for bipolar risk and resilience-related processes is lacking, partly due to not subdividing high-risk individuals manifesting different levels of subclinical symptoms who possibly possess different levels of resilience. We delineated grey matter markers for bipolar illness, genetic high risk (endophenotype) and resilience, through comparing across 42 young non-comorbid bipolar patients, 42 healthy controls, and 72 diagnosis-free, medication-naive high-genetic-risk individuals subdivided into a combined-high-risk group who additionally manifested bipolar risk-relevant subsyndromes (N = 38), and an asymptomatic high-risk group (N = 34). Complementary analyses assessed the additional predictive and classification values of grey matter markers beyond those of clinical scores, through using logistic regression and support vector machine analyses. Illness-related effects manifested as reduced grey matter volumes of bilateral temporal limbic-striatal and cerebellar regions, which significantly differentiated bipolar patients from healthy controls and improved clinical classification specificity by 20%. Reduced bilateral cerebellar grey matter volume emerged as a potential endophenotype and (along with parieto-occipital grey matter changes) separated combined-high-risk individuals from healthy and high-risk individuals, and increased clinical classification specificity by approximately 10% and 27%, respectively, while the relatively normalized cerebellar grey matter volumes in the high-risk sample may confer resilience. The cross-validation procedure was not performed on an independent sample using independently-derived features. The BD group had different age and sex distributions than some other groups which may not be fully addressable statistically. Our framework can be applied in other measurement domains to derive complete profiles for bipolar patients and at-risk individuals, towards forming strategies for promoting resilience and preclinical intervention. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High surface area carbon and process for its production

DOEpatents

Romanos, Jimmy; Burress, Jacob; Pfeifer, Peter; Rash, Tyler; Shah, Parag; Suppes, Galen

2016-12-13

Activated carbon materials and methods of producing and using activated carbon materials are provided. In particular, biomass-derived activated carbon materials and processes of producing the activated carbon materials with prespecified surface areas and pore size distributions are provided. Activated carbon materials with preselected high specific surface areas, porosities, sub-nm (<1 nm) pore volumes, and supra-nm (1-5 nm) pore volumes may be achieved by controlling the degree of carbon consumption and metallic potassium intercalation into the carbon lattice during the activation process.

Scan-based volume animation driven by locally adaptive articulated registrations.

PubMed

Rhee, Taehyun; Lewis, J P; Neumann, Ulrich; Nayak, Krishna S

2011-03-01

This paper describes a complete system to create anatomically accurate example-based volume deformation and animation of articulated body regions, starting from multiple in vivo volume scans of a specific individual. In order to solve the correspondence problem across volume scans, a template volume is registered to each sample. The wide range of pose variations is first approximated by volume blend deformation (VBD), providing proper initialization of the articulated subject in different poses. A novel registration method is presented to efficiently reduce the computation cost while avoiding strong local minima inherent in complex articulated body volume registration. The algorithm highly constrains the degrees of freedom and search space involved in the nonlinear optimization, using hierarchical volume structures and locally constrained deformation based on the biharmonic clamped spline. Our registration step establishes a correspondence across scans, allowing a data-driven deformation approach in the volume domain. The results provide an occlusion-free person-specific 3D human body model, asymptotically accurate inner tissue deformations, and realistic volume animation of articulated movements driven by standard joint control estimated from the actual skeleton. Our approach also addresses the practical issues arising in using scans from living subjects. The robustness of our algorithms is tested by their applications on the hand, probably the most complex articulated region in the body, and the knee, a frequent subject area for medical imaging due to injuries. © 2011 IEEE

The British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) radical prostatectomy audit 2014/2015 - an update on current practice and outcomes by centre and surgeon case-volume.

PubMed

Khadhouri, Sinan; Miller, Catherine; Fowler, Sarah; Hounsome, Luke; McNeill, Alan; Adshead, Jim; McGrath, John S

2018-02-01

To describe contemporary radical prostatectomy (RP) practice using the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) data and audit project and to observe differences in practice in relation to surgeon or centre case-volume. Data on 13 920 RP procedures performed by 179 surgeons across 86 centres were recorded on the BAUS data and audit platform between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2015. This equates to ~95% of total RPs performed over this period when compared to Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data. Centre case-volumes were categorised as 'high' (>200), 'medium' (100-200) and 'low' (<100); surgeon case-volumes were categorised as 'high' (>100) and 'low' (<100). Differences in surgical practice and selected outcome measures were observed between groups. All data and volume categories were for the combined 2-year period. The median number of RPs performed over the 2-year period was 63.5 per surgeon and 164 per centre. Overall, surgical approach was robot-assisted laparoscopic RP (RALP) in 65%, laparoscopic RP (LRP) in 23%, and open RP (ORP) in 12%. The dominant approach in high-case-volume centres and by high-case-volume surgeons was RALP (74.3% and 69.2%, respectively). There was a greater percentage of ORPs reported by low-volume surgeons and centres when compared to higher volume equivalents. In all, 51.6% of all patients in this series underwent RP in high-case-volume centres using robot-assisted surgery (RAS). High-case-volume surgeons performed nerve-sparing (NS) procedures on 57.3% of their cases; low-volume surgeons performing NS on 48.2%. Overall, lymph node dissection (LND) rates were very similar across the groups. An 'extended' LND was more commonly performed in high-volume centres (22.1%). The median length of stay (LOS) was lowest in patients undergoing RALP at high-volume centres (1 day) and highest in ORP across all volume categories (3-4 days). Reported pT2 positive surgical margin (PSM) rate varied by technique, centre volume, and surgeon volume. In general, observed PSM rates were lower when RALP was the surgical approach (14.4%) and when high-volume surgeons were compared to low-volume surgeons (13.6% vs 17.7%). Transfusion rates were highest in ORP across all centres and surgeons (2.96-4.49%) compared to techniques using a minimally-invasive approach (0.25-2.41%). Training cases ranged from 0.5% in low-volume centres to 6.0% in high-volume centres. Compliance with data registration for centres and surgeons performing RP is high in the present series. Most RPs were performed in high-case-volume centres and by high-case-volume surgeons, with the most common approaches being minimally invasive and specifically RAS. High-case-volume centres and surgeons reported higher rates of extended LND and training cases. Higher-case-volume surgeons reported lower pT2 PSM rates, whilst the most marked differences in transfusion rates and LOS were seen when ORP was compared to minimally invasive approaches. Caution must be applied when interpreting these differences on the basis of this being registry data - causality cannot be assumed. © 2018 The Authors BJU International © 2018 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Optimized statistical parametric mapping for partial-volume-corrected amyloid positron emission tomography in patients with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Jungsu S.; Kim, Jae Seung; Chae, Sun Young; Oh, Minyoung; Oh, Seung Jun; Cha, Seung Nam; Chang, Ho-Jong; Lee, Chong Sik; Lee, Jae Hong

2017-03-01

We present an optimized voxelwise statistical parametric mapping (SPM) of partial-volume (PV)-corrected positron emission tomography (PET) of 11C Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB), incorporating the anatomical precision of magnetic resonance image (MRI) and amyloid β (A β) burden-specificity of PiB PET. First, we applied region-based partial-volume correction (PVC), termed the geometric transfer matrix (GTM) method, to PiB PET, creating MRI-based lobar parcels filled with mean PiB uptakes. Then, we conducted a voxelwise PVC by multiplying the original PET by the ratio of a GTM-based PV-corrected PET to a 6-mm-smoothed PV-corrected PET. Finally, we conducted spatial normalizations of the PV-corrected PETs onto the study-specific template. As such, we increased the accuracy of the SPM normalization and the tissue specificity of SPM results. Moreover, lobar smoothing (instead of whole-brain smoothing) was applied to increase the signal-to-noise ratio in the image without degrading the tissue specificity. Thereby, we could optimize a voxelwise group comparison between subjects with high and normal A β burdens (from 10 patients with Alzheimer's disease, 30 patients with Lewy body dementia, and 9 normal controls). Our SPM framework outperformed than the conventional one in terms of the accuracy of the spatial normalization (85% of maximum likelihood tissue classification volume) and the tissue specificity (larger gray matter, and smaller cerebrospinal fluid volume fraction from the SPM results). Our SPM framework optimized the SPM of a PV-corrected A β PET in terms of anatomical precision, normalization accuracy, and tissue specificity, resulting in better detection and localization of A β burdens in patients with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia.

High-Temperature Cyclic Oxidation Data, Volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barrett, C. A.; Garlick, R. G.; Lowell, C. E.

1984-01-01

This first in a series of cyclic oxidation handbooks contains specific-weight-change-versus-time data and X-ray diffraction results derived from high-temperature cyclic tests on high-temperature, high-strength nickel-base gamma/gamma' and cobalt-base turbine alloys. Each page of data summarizes a complete test on a given alloy sample.

Stability Projections for High Temperature Superconductors

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-01

able data or our best estimates. 2.2.1. Specific Heat per Unit Volume - From the specific heat measurements of Junod et al. [5] and Inderhees et aL...for 77-K Super- conducting Magnets, IEEE Trans. MAG 24, 1211-14 (1988). [5] Junod , Bezinge et XVI al., Structure, Resistivity, Criti- cal Field

Space station needs, attributes and architectural options study. Volume 3: Requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

A typical system specification format is presented and requirements are compiled. A Program Specification Tree is shown showing a high inclination space station and a low inclination space station with their typical element breakdown, also represented along the top blocks are the interfaces with other systems. The specification format is directed at the Low Inclination space station.

Mechanical properties of kenaf composites using dynamic mechanical analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loveless, Thomas A.

Natural fibers show potential to replace glass fibers in thermoset and thermoplastic composites. Kenaf is a bast-type fiber with high specific strength and great potential to compete with glass fibers. In this research kenaf/epoxy composites were analyzed using Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA). A three-point bend apparatus was used in the DMA testing. The samples were tested at 1 hertz, at a displacement of 10 ?m, and at room temperature. The fiber volume content of the kenaf was varied from 20% - 40% in 5% increments. Ten samples of each fiber volume fraction were manufactured and tested. The flexural storage modulus, the flexural loss modulus, and the loss factor were reported. Generally as the fiber volume fraction of kenaf increased, the flexural storage and flexural loss modulus increased. The loss factor remained relatively constant with increasing fiber volume fraction. Woven and chopped fiberglass/epoxy composites were manufactured and tested to be compared with the kenaf/epoxy composites. Both of the fiberglass/epoxy composites reported higher flexural storage and flexural loss modulus values. The kenaf/epoxy composites reported higher loss factor values. The specific flexural storage and specific flexural loss modulus were calculated for both the fiberglass and kenaf fiber composites. Even though the kenaf composites reported a lower density, the fiberglass composites reported higher specific mechanical properties.

A large, benign prostatic cyst presented with an extremely high serum prostate-specific antigen level.

PubMed

Chen, Han-Kuang; Pemberton, Richard

2016-01-08

We report a case of a patient who presented with an extremely high serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) level and underwent radical prostatectomy for presumed prostate cancer. Surprisingly, the whole mount prostatectomy specimen showed only small volume, organ-confined prostate adenocarcinoma and a large, benign intraprostatic cyst, which was thought to be responsible for the PSA elevation. 2016 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Polyaniline nanofibers with a high specific surface area and an improved pore structure for supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Hailing; Li, Xingwei; Wang, Gengchao

2015-10-01

Polyaniline (PANI) with a high specific surface area and an improved pore structure (HSSA-PANI) has been prepared by using a facile method, treating PANI nanofibers with chloroform (CHCl3), and its structure, morphology and pore structure are investigated. The specific surface area and pore volume of HSSA-PANI are 817.3 m2 g-1 and 0.6 cm3 g-1, and those of PANI are 33.6 m2 g-1 and 0.2 cm3 g-1. As electrode materials, a large specific surface area and pore volume can provide high electroactive regions, accelerate the diffusion of ions, and mitigate the electrochemical degradation of active materials. Compared with PANI, the capacity retention rate of HSSA-PANI is 90% with a growth of current density from 5.0 to 30 A g-1, and that of PANI is 29%. At a current density of 30 A g-1, the specific capacitance of HSSA-PANI still reaches 278.3 F g-1, and that of PANI is 86.7 F g-1. At a current density of 5.0 A g-1, the capacitance retention of HSSA-PANI is 53.1% after 2000 cycles, and that of PANI electrode is only 28.1%.

Thermodynamic properties of OsB under high temperature and high pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hai-Hua; Li, Zuo; Cheng, Yan; Bi, Yan; Cai, Ling-Cang

2011-09-01

The energy-volume curves of OsB have been obtained using the first-principles plane-wave ultrasoft-pseudopotential density functional theory (DFT) within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and local density approximation (LDA). Using the quasi-harmonic Debye model we first analyze the specific heat, the coefficients of thermal expansion as well as the thermodynamic Grüneisen parameter of OsB in a wide temperature range at high pressure. At temperature 300 K, the coefficients of thermal expansion αV by LDA and GGA calculations are 1.67×10 -5 1/K and 2.01×10 -5 1/K, respectively. The specific heat of OsB at constant pressure (volume) is also calculated. Meanwhile, we find that the Debye temperature of OsB increases monotonically with increasing pressure. The present study leads to a better understanding of how the OsB materials respond to pressure and temperature.

Accuracy of Screening Mammography Interpretation by Characteristics of Radiologists

PubMed Central

Barlow, William E.; Chi, Chen; Carney, Patricia A.; Taplin, Stephen H.; D’Orsi, Carl; Cutter, Gary; Hendrick, R. Edward; Elmore, Joann G.

2011-01-01

Background Radiologists differ in their ability to interpret screening mammograms accurately. We investigated the relationship of radiologist characteristics to actual performance from 1996 to 2001. Methods Screening mammograms (n = 469 512) interpreted by 124 radiologists were linked to cancer outcome data. The radiologists completed a survey that included questions on demographics, malpractice concerns, years of experience interpreting mammograms, and the number of mammograms read annually. We used receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis to analyze variables associated with sensitivity, specificity, and the combination of the two, adjusting for patient variables that affect performance. All P values are two-sided. Results Within 1 year of the mammogram, 2402 breast cancers were identified. Relative to low annual interpretive volume (≤1000 mammograms), greater interpretive volume was associated with higher sensitivity (P = .001; odds ratio [OR] for moderate volume [1001–2000] = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.18 to 2.39; OR for high volume [>2000] = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.36 to 2.63). Specificity decreased with volume (OR for 1001–2000 = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.52 to 0.83; OR for more than 2000 = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.60 to 0.96), compared with 1000 or less (P = .002). Greater number of years of experience interpreting mammograms was associated with lower sensitivity (P = .001), but higher specificity (P = .003). ROC analysis using the ordinal BI-RADS interpretation showed an association between accuracy and both previous mammographic history (P = .012) and breast density (P<.001). No association was observed between accuracy and years interpreting mammograms (P = .34) or mammography volume (P = .94), after adjusting for variables that affect the threshold for calling a mammogram positive. Conclusions We found no evidence that greater volume or experience at interpreting mammograms is associated with better performance. However, they may affect sensitivity and specificity, possibly by determining the threshold for calling a mammogram positive. Increasing volume requirements is unlikely to improve overall mammography performance. PMID:15601640

High-Performance Home Technologies: Solar Thermal & Photovoltaic Systems

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

Baechler, M.; Gilbride, T.; Ruiz, K.

This document is the sixth volume of the Building America Best Practices Series. It presents information that is useful throughout the United States for enhancing the energy efficiency practices in the specific climate zones that are presented in the first five Best Practices volumes. It provides an introduction to current photovoltaic and solar thermal building practices. Information about window selection and shading is included.

Sex Differences in Brain Volume Are Related to Specific Skills, Not to General Intelligence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burgaleta, Miguel; Head, Kevin; Alvarez-Linera, Juan; Martinez, Kenia; Escorial, Sergio; Haier, Richard; Colom, Roberto

2012-01-01

It has been proposed that males would show higher mean scores than females in general intelligence ("g") because (1) men have, on average, larger brains than women, and (2) brain volume correlates with "g." Here we report a failure to support the conclusion derived from these premises. High resolution MRIs were acquired in a sample of one hundred…

Automated respiratory cycles selection is highly specific and improves respiratory mechanics analysis.

PubMed

Rigo, Vincent; Graas, Estelle; Rigo, Jacques

2012-07-01

Selected optimal respiratory cycles should allow calculation of respiratory mechanic parameters focusing on patient-ventilator interaction. New computer software automatically selecting optimal breaths and respiratory mechanics derived from those cycles are evaluated. Retrospective study. University level III neonatal intensive care unit. Ten mins synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation and assist/control ventilation recordings from ten newborns. The ventilator provided respiratory mechanic data (ventilator respiratory cycles) every 10 secs. Pressure, flow, and volume waves and pressure-volume, pressure-flow, and volume-flow loops were reconstructed from continuous pressure-volume recordings. Visual assessment determined assisted leak-free optimal respiratory cycles (selected respiratory cycles). New software graded the quality of cycles (automated respiratory cycles). Respiratory mechanic values were derived from both sets of optimal cycles. We evaluated quality selection and compared mean values and their variability according to ventilatory mode and respiratory mechanic provenance. To assess discriminating power, all 45 "t" values obtained from interpatient comparisons were compared for each respiratory mechanic parameter. A total of 11,724 breaths are evaluated. Automated respiratory cycle/selected respiratory cycle selections agreement is high: 88% of maximal κ with linear weighting. Specificity and positive predictive values are 0.98 and 0.96, respectively. Averaged values are similar between automated respiratory cycle and ventilator respiratory cycle. C20/C alone is markedly decreased in automated respiratory cycle (1.27 ± 0.37 vs. 1.81 ± 0.67). Tidal volume apparent similarity disappears in assist/control: automated respiratory cycle tidal volume (4.8 ± 1.0 mL/kg) is significantly lower than for ventilator respiratory cycle (5.6 ± 1.8 mL/kg). Coefficients of variation decrease for all automated respiratory cycle parameters in all infants. "t" values from ventilator respiratory cycle data are two to three times higher than ventilator respiratory cycles. Automated selection is highly specific. Automated respiratory cycle reflects most the interaction of both ventilator and patient. Improving discriminating power of ventilator monitoring will likely help in assessing disease status and following trends. Averaged parameters derived from automated respiratory cycles are more precise and could be displayed by ventilators to improve real-time fine tuning of ventilator settings.

Auditory cortical volumes and musical ability in Williams syndrome.

PubMed

Martens, Marilee A; Reutens, David C; Wilson, Sarah J

2010-07-01

Individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) have been shown to have atypical morphology in the auditory cortex, an area associated with aspects of musicality. Some individuals with WS have demonstrated specific musical abilities, despite intellectual delays. Primary auditory cortex and planum temporale volumes were manually segmented in 25 individuals with WS and 25 control participants, and the participants also underwent testing of musical abilities. Left and right planum temporale volumes were significantly larger in the participants with WS than in controls, with no significant difference noted between groups in planum temporale asymmetry or primary auditory cortical volumes. Left planum temporale volume was significantly increased in a subgroup of the participants with WS who demonstrated specific musical strengths, as compared to the remaining WS participants, and was highly correlated with scores on a musical task. These findings suggest that differences in musical ability within WS may be in part associated with variability in the left auditory cortical region, providing further evidence of cognitive and neuroanatomical heterogeneity within this syndrome. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fully automatized renal parenchyma volumetry using a support vector machine based recognition system for subject-specific probability map generation in native MR volume data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gloger, Oliver; Tönnies, Klaus; Mensel, Birger; Völzke, Henry

2015-11-01

In epidemiological studies as well as in clinical practice the amount of produced medical image data strongly increased in the last decade. In this context organ segmentation in MR volume data gained increasing attention for medical applications. Especially in large-scale population-based studies organ volumetry is highly relevant requiring exact organ segmentation. Since manual segmentation is time-consuming and prone to reader variability, large-scale studies need automatized methods to perform organ segmentation. Fully automatic organ segmentation in native MR image data has proven to be a very challenging task. Imaging artifacts as well as inter- and intrasubject MR-intensity differences complicate the application of supervised learning strategies. Thus, we propose a modularized framework of a two-stepped probabilistic approach that generates subject-specific probability maps for renal parenchyma tissue, which are refined subsequently by using several, extended segmentation strategies. We present a three class-based support vector machine recognition system that incorporates Fourier descriptors as shape features to recognize and segment characteristic parenchyma parts. Probabilistic methods use the segmented characteristic parenchyma parts to generate high quality subject-specific parenchyma probability maps. Several refinement strategies including a final shape-based 3D level set segmentation technique are used in subsequent processing modules to segment renal parenchyma. Furthermore, our framework recognizes and excludes renal cysts from parenchymal volume, which is important to analyze renal functions. Volume errors and Dice coefficients show that our presented framework outperforms existing approaches.

The Volumetric Diversity of Misfolded Prion Protein Oligomers Revealed by Pressure Dissociation*

PubMed Central

Torrent, Joan; Lange, Reinhard; Rezaei, Human

2015-01-01

Protein oligomerization has been associated with a wide range of diseases. High pressure approaches offer a powerful tool for deciphering the underlying molecular mechanisms by revealing volume changes associated with the misfolding and assembly reactions. We applied high pressure to induce conformational changes in three distinct β-sheet-rich oligomers of the prion protein PrP, a protein characterized by a variety of infectious quaternary structures that can propagate stably and faithfully and cause diseases with specific phenotypic traits. We show that pressure induces dissociation of the oligomers and leads to a lower volume monomeric PrP state that refolds into the native conformation after pressure release. By measuring the different pressure and temperature sensitivity of the tested PrP oligomers, we demonstrate significantly different void volumes in their quaternary structure. In addition, by focusing on the kinetic and energetic behavior of the pressure-induced dissociation of one specific PrP oligomer, we reveal a large negative activation volume and an increase in both apparent activation enthalpy and entropy. This suggests a transition state ensemble that is less structured and significantly more hydrated than the oligomeric state. Finally, we found that site-specific fluorescent labeling allows monitoring of the transient population of a kinetic intermediate in the dissociation reaction. Our results indicate that defects in atomic packing may deserve consideration as a new factor that influences differences between PrP assemblies and that could be relevant also for explaining the origin of prion strains. PMID:26126829

Fully automatized renal parenchyma volumetry using a support vector machine based recognition system for subject-specific probability map generation in native MR volume data.

PubMed

Gloger, Oliver; Tönnies, Klaus; Mensel, Birger; Völzke, Henry

2015-11-21

In epidemiological studies as well as in clinical practice the amount of produced medical image data strongly increased in the last decade. In this context organ segmentation in MR volume data gained increasing attention for medical applications. Especially in large-scale population-based studies organ volumetry is highly relevant requiring exact organ segmentation. Since manual segmentation is time-consuming and prone to reader variability, large-scale studies need automatized methods to perform organ segmentation. Fully automatic organ segmentation in native MR image data has proven to be a very challenging task. Imaging artifacts as well as inter- and intrasubject MR-intensity differences complicate the application of supervised learning strategies. Thus, we propose a modularized framework of a two-stepped probabilistic approach that generates subject-specific probability maps for renal parenchyma tissue, which are refined subsequently by using several, extended segmentation strategies. We present a three class-based support vector machine recognition system that incorporates Fourier descriptors as shape features to recognize and segment characteristic parenchyma parts. Probabilistic methods use the segmented characteristic parenchyma parts to generate high quality subject-specific parenchyma probability maps. Several refinement strategies including a final shape-based 3D level set segmentation technique are used in subsequent processing modules to segment renal parenchyma. Furthermore, our framework recognizes and excludes renal cysts from parenchymal volume, which is important to analyze renal functions. Volume errors and Dice coefficients show that our presented framework outperforms existing approaches.

Pollen structure visualization using high-resolution laboratory-based hard X-ray tomography

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

Li, Qiong; Gluch, Jürgen; Krüger, Peter

A laboratory-based X-ray microscope is used to investigate the 3D structure of unstained whole pollen grains. For the first time, high-resolution laboratory-based hard X-ray microscopy is applied to study pollen grains. Based on the efficient acquisition of statistically relevant information-rich images using Zernike phase contrast, both surface- and internal structures of pine pollen - including exine, intine and cellular structures - are clearly visualized. The specific volumes of these structures are calculated from the tomographic data. The systematic three-dimensional study of pollen grains provides morphological and structural information about taxonomic characters that are essential in palynology. Such studies have amore » direct impact on disciplines such as forestry, agriculture, horticulture, plant breeding and biodiversity. - Highlights: • The unstained whole pine pollen was visualized by high-resolution laboratory-based HXRM for the first time. • The comparison study of pollen grains by LM, SEM and high-resolution laboratory-based HXRM. • Phase contrast imaging provides significantly higher contrast of the raw images compared to absorption contrast imaging. • Surface and internal structure of the pine pollen including exine, intine and cellular structures are clearly visualized. • 3D volume data of unstained whole pollen grains are acquired and the specific volumes of the different layer are calculated.« less

Porous Carbon with Willow-Leaf-Shaped Pores for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Shi, Yanhong; Zhang, Linlin; Schon, Tyler B; Li, Huanhuan; Fan, Chaoying; Li, Xiaoying; Wang, Haifeng; Wu, Xinglong; Xie, Haiming; Sun, Haizhu; Seferos, Dwight S; Zhang, Jingping

2017-12-13

A novel kind of biomass-derived, high-oxygen-containing carbon material doped with nitrogen that has willow-leaf-shaped pores was synthesized. The obtained carbon material has an exotic hierarchical pore structure composed of bowl-shaped macropores, willow-leaf-shaped pores, and an abundance of micropores. This unique hierarchical porous structure provides an effective combination of high current densities and high capacitance because of a pseudocapacitive component that is afforded by the introduction of nitrogen and oxygen dopants. Our synthetic optimization allows further improvements in the performance of this hierarchical porous carbon (HPC) material by providing a high degree of control over the graphitization degree, specific surface area, and pore volume. As a result, a large specific surface area (1093 m 2 g -1 ) and pore volume (0.8379 cm 3 g -1 ) are obtained for HPC-650, which affords fast ion transport because of its short ion-diffusion pathways. HPC-650 exhibits a high specific capacitance of 312 F g -1 at 1 A g -1 , retaining 76.5% of its capacitance at 20 A g -1 . Moreover, it delivers an energy density of 50.2 W h kg -1 at a power density of 1.19 kW kg -1 , which is sufficient to power a yellow-light-emitting diode and operate a commercial scientific calculator.

Clinical laboratory: bigger is not always better.

PubMed

Plebani, Mario

2018-06-27

Laboratory services around the world are undergoing substantial consolidation and changes through mechanisms ranging from mergers, acquisitions and outsourcing, primarily based on expectations to improve efficiency, increasing volumes and reducing the cost per test. However, the relationship between volume and costs is not linear and numerous variables influence the end cost per test. In particular, the relationship between volumes and costs does not span the entire platter of clinical laboratories: high costs are associated with low volumes up to a threshold of 1 million test per year. Over this threshold, there is no linear association between volumes and costs, as laboratory organization rather than test volume more significantly affects the final costs. Currently, data on laboratory errors and associated diagnostic errors and risk for patient harm emphasize the need for a paradigmatic shift: from a focus on volumes and efficiency to a patient-centered vision restoring the nature of laboratory services as an integral part of the diagnostic and therapy process. Process and outcome quality indicators are effective tools to measure and improve laboratory services, by stimulating a competition based on intra- and extra-analytical performance specifications, intermediate outcomes and customer satisfaction. Rather than competing with economic value, clinical laboratories should adopt a strategy based on a set of harmonized quality indicators and performance specifications, active laboratory stewardship, and improved patient safety.

Generality and specificity in cognitive aging: a volumetric brain analysis.

PubMed

Staff, Roger T; Murray, Alison D; Deary, Ian J; Whalley, Lawrence J

2006-05-01

To investigate whether, in old age, brain volume differences are associated with age-related change in general mental ability and/or specific cognitive abilities. The authors investigate the association between brain volumes and current cognitive function in a well-characterized sample of healthy old people (aged 79-80) whose intelligence was recorded at age 11. This allowed estimation of intellectual change over the life span. After accounting for childhood intelligence, associations were found between specific cognitive measures and brain volumes. An association was also found between volumes and the general intelligence factor g. After removing the influence of g from each of the specific cognitive measures, no remaining significant associations were found between brain volumes and the specific part of each test. Generalized cognitive aging is associated with brain volume differences, but there is no evidence in this sample that specific components of cognitive aging are associated with differences in brain volume.

Enhanced surveillance program FY97 accomplishments. Progress report

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

Mauzy, A.; Laake, B.

1997-10-01

This annual report is one volume of the Enhanced Surveillance Program (ESP) FY97 Accomplishments. The complete accomplishments report consists of 11 volumes. Volume 1 includes an ESP overview and a summary of selected unclassified FY97 program highlights. Volume 1 specifically targets a general audience, reflecting about half of the tasks conducted in FY97 and emphasizing key program accomplishments and contributions. The remaining volumes of the accomplishments report are classified, organized by program focus area, and present in technical detail the progress achieved in each of the 104 FY97 program tasks. Focus areas are as follows: pits; high explosives; organics; dynamics;more » diagnostics; systems; secondaries; nonnuclear materials; nonnuclear components; and Surveillance Test Program upgrades.« less

Safety of High Speed and Ground Guided Transportation Systems: Collision Avoidance and Accident Survivability: Volume 1: Collision Threat

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1993-03-01

This report is the first of four volunes concerned with developing safety guidelines and specifications for high-speed : guided ground transportation (HSGGT) collision avoidance and accident survivability. The overall approach taken in this : study i...

Probabilistic brain tissue segmentation in neonatal magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Anbeek, Petronella; Vincken, Koen L; Groenendaal, Floris; Koeman, Annemieke; van Osch, Matthias J P; van der Grond, Jeroen

2008-02-01

A fully automated method has been developed for segmentation of four different structures in the neonatal brain: white matter (WM), central gray matter (CEGM), cortical gray matter (COGM), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The segmentation algorithm is based on information from T2-weighted (T2-w) and inversion recovery (IR) scans. The method uses a K nearest neighbor (KNN) classification technique with features derived from spatial information and voxel intensities. Probabilistic segmentations of each tissue type were generated. By applying thresholds on these probability maps, binary segmentations were obtained. These final segmentations were evaluated by comparison with a gold standard. The sensitivity, specificity, and Dice similarity index (SI) were calculated for quantitative validation of the results. High sensitivity and specificity with respect to the gold standard were reached: sensitivity >0.82 and specificity >0.9 for all tissue types. Tissue volumes were calculated from the binary and probabilistic segmentations. The probabilistic segmentation volumes of all tissue types accurately estimated the gold standard volumes. The KNN approach offers valuable ways for neonatal brain segmentation. The probabilistic outcomes provide a useful tool for accurate volume measurements. The described method is based on routine diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and is suitable for large population studies.

Discharge formation in a XеCl laser pumped by high specific power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panchenko, Yu. N.; Losev, V. F.

2013-02-01

Stable glow of the discharge of various types in the gas mixture of a XeCl laser is investigated for specific pumping power in the range 1.2-4.6 MW/cm3 and pulse duration of 40 ns. It is demonstrated that formation of partially homogeneous plasma with many intensive cathode spots on the electrode allows the maximum energy and duration of the lasing pulse to be obtained with laser efficiency of 2.4%. It is revealed that for the specific pumping powers up to 1.5 MW/cm3, a very homogeneous volume discharge with a small number of lowintensive cathode spots is formed in the discharge gap. With further increase in the specific pumping power exceeding 4.5 MW/cm3, current microinhomogeneities are formed in the volume discharge of this type leading to lasing breakdown.

77 FR 64249 - Track Safety Standards; Improving Rail Integrity

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-19

... specific problems. This is a result of high traffic volumes that load the rail and accelerate defect growth... influenced by tonnage. Rapid growth rates can also be associated with rail where high-tensile residual stresses are present in the railhead and in CWR in lower temperature ranges where the rail is in high...

Region-specific reduction in brain volume in young adults with perinatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy.

PubMed

Bregant, Tina; Rados, Milan; Vasung, Lana; Derganc, Metka; Evans, Alan C; Neubauer, David; Kostovic, Ivica

2013-11-01

A severe form of perinatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) carries a high risk of perinatal death and severe neurological sequelae while in mild HIE only discrete cognitive disorders may occur. To compare total brain volumes and region-specific cortical measurements between young adults with mild-moderate perinatal HIE and a healthy control group of the same age. MR imaging was performed in a cohort of 14 young adults (9 males, 5 females) with a history of mild or moderate perinatal HIE. The control group consisted of healthy participants, matched with HIE group by age and gender. Volumetric analysis was done after the processing of MR images using a fully automated CIVET pipeline. We measured gyrification indexes, total brain volume, volume of grey and white matter, and of cerebrospinal fluid. We also measured volume, thickness and area of the cerebral cortex in the parietal, occipital, frontal, and temporal lobe, and of the isthmus cinguli, parahippocampal and cingulated gyrus, and insula. The HIE patient group showed smaller absolute volumetric data. Statistically significant (p < 0.05) reductions of gyrification index in the right hemisphere, of cortical areas in the right temporal lobe and parahippocampal gyrus, of cortical volumes in the right temporal lobe and of cortical thickness in the right isthmus of the cingulate gyrus were found. Comparison between the healthy group and the HIE group of the same gender showed statistically significant changes in the male HIE patients, where a significant reduction was found in whole brain volume; left parietal, bilateral temporal, and right parahippocampal gyrus cortical areas; and bilateral temporal lobe cortical volume. Our analysis of total brain volumes and region-specific corticometric parameters suggests that mild-moderate forms of perinatal HIE lead to reductions in whole brain volumes. In the study reductions were most pronounced in temporal lobe and parahippocampal gyrus. Copyright © 2013 European Paediatric Neurology Society. All rights reserved.

Progression in Running Intensity or Running Volume and the Development of Specific Injuries in Recreational Runners: Run Clever, a Randomized Trial Using Competing Risks.

PubMed

Ramskov, Daniel; Rasmussen, Sten; Sørensen, Henrik; Parner, Erik Thorlund; Lind, Martin; Nielsen, Rasmus

2018-06-12

Study Design Randomized clinical trial, etiology. Background Training intensity and volume have been proposed to be associated with specific running-related injuries. If such an association exists, secondary preventive measures could be initiated by clinicians based on symptoms of a specific injury diagnosis. Objectives To test the following hypotheses: (i) A running schedule focusing on intensity will increase the risk of sustaining Achilles tendinopathy, gastrocnemius injuries and plantar fasciitis compared with hypothesized volume-related injuries. (ii) A running schedule focusing on running volume will increase the risk of sustaining patellofemoral pain syndrome, iliotibial band syndrome and patellar tendinopathy compared with hypothesized intensity-related injuries. Methods Healthy recreational runners were included in a 24-week follow-up, divided into 8-week preconditioning and 16-week specific focus-training. Participants were randomized to one of two running schedules: Schedule Intensity(Sch-I) or Schedule Volume(Sch-V). Sch-I progressed the amount of high intensity running (≥88% VO2max) each week. Sch-V progressed total weekly running volume. Global positioning system watch or smartphone collected data on running. Running-related injuries were diagnosed based on a clinical examination. Estimates were risk difference (RD) and 95%CI. Results Of 447 runners, a total of 80 sustained an injury (Sch-I n=36; Sch-V n=44). Risk of intensity injuries in Sch-I were: RD 2-weeks =-0.8%[-5.0;3.4]; RD 4-weeks =-0.8%[-6.7;5.1]; RD 8-weeks =-2.0%[-9.2;5.1]; RD 16-weeks =-5.1%[-16.5;6.3]. Risk of volume injuries in Sch-V were: RD 2-weeks =-0.9%[-5.0;3.2]; RD 4-weeks =-2.0%[-7.5;3.5]; RD 8-weeks =-3.2%[-9.1;2.7]; RD 16-weeks =-3.4%[-13.2;6.2]. Conclusion No difference in risk of hypothesized intensity and volume specific running-related injuries exist between running schedules focused on progression in either running intensity or volume. Level of Evidence Etiology, level 1b. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, Epub 12 Jun 2018. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.8062.

Diurnal Changes in Volume and Specific Tissue Weight of Crassulacean Acid Metabolism Plants 1

PubMed Central

Chen, Sheng-Shu; Black, Clanton C.

1983-01-01

The diurnal variations in volume and in specific weight were determined for green stems and leaves of Crassulacen acid metabolism (CAM) plants. Volume changes were measured by a water displacement method. Diurnal variations occurred in the volume of green CAM tissues. Their volume increased early in the light period reaching a maximum about mid-day, then the volume decreased to a minimum near midnight. The maximum volume increase each day was about 2.7% of the total volume. Control leaves of C3 and C4 plants exhibited reverse diurnal volume changes of 0.2 to 0.4%. The hypothesis is presented and supported that green CAM tissues should exhibit a diurnal increase in volume due to the increase of internal gas pressure from CO2 and O2 when their stomata are closed. Conversely, the volume should decrease when the gas pressure is decreased. The second hypothesis presented and supported was that the specific weight (milligrams of dry weight per square centimeter of green surface area) of green CAM tissues should increase at night due to the net fixation of CO2. Green CAM tissues increased their specific weight at night in contrast to control C3 and C4 leaves which decreased their specific weight at night. With Kalanchoë daigremontiana leaves, the calculated increase in specific leaf weight at night based on estimates of carbohydrate available for net CO2 fixation was near 6% and the measured increase in specific leaf weight was 6%. Diurnal measurements of CAM tissue water content were neither coincident nor reciprocal with their diurnal patterns of either volume or specific weight changes. PMID:16662833

Relationship between the dough quality and content of specific glutenin proteins in wheat mill streams, and its application to making flour suitable for instant Chinese noodles.

PubMed

Yahata, Eriko; Maruyama-Funatsuki, Wakako; Nishio, Zenta; Yamamoto, Yoshihiko; Hanaoka, Akihiro; Sugiyama, Hisashi; Tanida, Masatoshi; Saruyama, Haruo

2006-04-01

The content of specific proteins such as high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits HMW-GS 5+10 and low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits LMW-GS KS2 in wheat mill streams of extra-strong Kachikei 33 wheat was quantified by SDS-PAGE and 2D-PAGE. The mill streams showed varied quantities of HMW-GS 5+10 (0.077 to 2.007 mg/g of mill stream), LMW-GS KS2 (0.018 to 0.586 mg/g of mill stream) and total protein (9.42% to 18.98%). The contents of these specific proteins in the mill streams were significantly correlated with the SDS sedimentation volume and the mixing properties, which are respective indices of specific loaf volume and dough strength. The contents of these specific glutenin proteins in the mill streams were therefore found to be significantly important for improving the dough quality suitable for bread and Chinese noodles. Accordingly, we present here the application of this information to the development of an effective method for producing mill streams with high quality and yield that are suitable for instant Chinese noodles.

A flexible and accurate digital volume correlation method applicable to high-resolution volumetric images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Bing; Wang, Bo

2017-10-01

Digital volume correlation (DVC) is a powerful technique for quantifying interior deformation within solid opaque materials and biological tissues. In the last two decades, great efforts have been made to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the DVC algorithm. However, there is still a lack of a flexible, robust and accurate version that can be efficiently implemented in personal computers with limited RAM. This paper proposes an advanced DVC method that can realize accurate full-field internal deformation measurement applicable to high-resolution volume images with up to billions of voxels. Specifically, a novel layer-wise reliability-guided displacement tracking strategy combined with dynamic data management is presented to guide the DVC computation from slice to slice. The displacements at specified calculation points in each layer are computed using the advanced 3D inverse-compositional Gauss-Newton algorithm with the complete initial guess of the deformation vector accurately predicted from the computed calculation points. Since only limited slices of interest in the reference and deformed volume images rather than the whole volume images are required, the DVC calculation can thus be efficiently implemented on personal computers. The flexibility, accuracy and efficiency of the presented DVC approach are demonstrated by analyzing computer-simulated and experimentally obtained high-resolution volume images.

A specific and sensitive HPLC-MS/MS micromethod for milrinone plasma levels determination after inhalation in cardiac patients.

PubMed

Gavra, Paul; Nguyen, Anne Q-N; Theoret, Yves; Litalien, Catherine; Denault, André Y; Varin, France

2014-10-01

Milrinone administered through inhalation is an emerging method aimed at specifically reducing pulmonary hypertension without affecting systemic pressures. Its administration has been shown to be useful both in patients undergoing cardiac surgery and for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. These populations are prone to receive many concomitant medications and/or blood sampling may require a low volume quantification method. To address these issues in view of pharmacokinetic studies, this article aims to develop and validate a specific and sensitive analytical assay using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) detection for the quantification of milrinone plasma concentrations after inhalation in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Plasma samples (50 μL) were extracted using ethyl acetate. Milrinone was separated on a C18 analytical column at 50°C. The mobile phase consisted of methanol and 10 mM ammonium acetate (45:55 vol/vol). The electrospray was operated in the negative ionization mode and monitored the following mass transitions: m/z 212.1 → 140.0 at 36 eV for milrinone and m/z 252.1 → 156.1 at 32 eV for olprinone. Calibration curves followed a quadratic regression in the concentration range of 0.3125-640 ng/mL. The lower limit of quantification is 0.3125 ng/mL and is based on a low plasma volume of 50 μL. Mean drug recovery and accuracy were ≥72.3% and 96.0%, respectively. Intraday and interday precision coefficient of variation (%) was ≤7.4% and ≤11.5%, respectively. The specificity allowed milrinone quantification in the multidrug administration conditions of cardiopulmonary bypass. This validated micromethod proved to be highly sensitive and specific while using a low volume of plasma. Its low volume and its lower limit of quantification indicate that this approach is suitable for further characterization of milrinone pharmacokinetics in both adults (inhalation) and neonates.

Three-dimensional high-entropy alloy-polymer composite nanolattices that overcome the strength-recoverability trade-off.

PubMed

Zhang, Xuan; Yao, Jiahao; Liu, Bin; Yan, Jun; Lu, Lei; Li, Yi; Gao, Huajian; Li, Xiaoyan

2018-06-14

Mechanical metamaterials with three-dimensional micro- and nano-architectures exhibit unique mechanical properties, such as high specific modulus, specific strength and energy absorption. However, a conflict exists between strength and recoverability in nearly all the mechanical metamaterials reported recently, in particular the architected micro-/nanolattices, which restricts the applications of these materials in energy storage/absorption and mechanical actuation. Here, we demonstrated the fabrication of three-dimensional architected composite nanolattices that overcome the strength-recoverability trade-off. The nanolattices under study are made up of a high entropy alloy coated (14.2-126.1 nm in thickness) polymer strut (approximately 260 nm in the characteristic size) fabricated via two-photon lithography and magnetron sputtering deposition. In situ uniaxial compression inside a scanning electron microscope showed that these composite nanolattices exhibit a high specific strength of 0.027 MPa/kg m3, an ultra-high energy absorption per unit volume of 4.0 MJ/m3, and nearly complete recovery after compression under strains exceeding 50%, thus overcoming the traditional strength-recoverability trade-off. During multiple compression cycles, the composite nanolattices exhibit a high energy loss coefficient (converged value after multiple cycles) of 0.5-0.6 at a compressive strain beyond 50%, surpassing the coefficients of all the micro-/nanolattices fabricated recently. Our experiments also revealed that for a given unit cell size, the composite nanolattices coated with a high entropy alloy with thickness in the range of 14-50 nm have the optimal specific modulus, specific strength and energy absorption per unit volume, which is related to a transition of the dominant deformation mechanism from local buckling to brittle fracture of the struts.

Microporous carbons derived from melamine and isophthalaldehyde: One-pot condensation and activation in a molten salt medium for efficient gas adsorption.

PubMed

Rehman, Adeela; Park, Soo-Jin

2018-04-17

In the present work, mixture of melamine and isophthalaldehyde undergo simultaneous polymerization, carbonization, and in situ activation in the presence of molten salt media through a single all-in-one route to design microporous carbons with high specific surface areas (~3000 m 2 /g). The effect of the activation temperature and molten salts on the polymerization process and final texture of the carbon was explored. Carbon materials prepared at 700 °C, in the presence of KOH (referred as MIK-700), exhibited a narrower pore-size distribution ~1.05 nm than those prepared in the presence of the eutectic KOH-NaOH mixture (MIKN). Additionally, MIK-700 possesses an optimum micropore volume (1.33 cm 3 /g) along with a high nitrogen content (2.66 wt%), resulting in the excellent CO 2 adsorption capacity of 9.7 mmol/g at 273 K and 1 bar. Similarly, the high specific area and highest total pore volume play an important role in H 2 storage at 77 K, with 4.0 wt% uptake by MIKN-800 (specific surface area and pore volume of 2984 m 2 /g and 1.98 cm 3 /g, respectively.) Thus, the facile one-step solvent-free synthesis and activation strategy is an economically favorable avenue for designing microporous carbons as an efficient gas adsorbents.

[Thinking on the Training of Uniportal Video-assisted Thoracic Surgery].

PubMed

Zhu, Yuming; Jiang, Gening

2018-04-20

Recently, uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has developed rapidly and has become the main theme of global surgical development. The specific, standardized and systematic training of this technology has become an important topic. Specific training in the uniportal VATS approach is crucial to ensure safety and radical treatment. Such training approach, including a direct interaction with experienced surgeons in high-volume centers, is crucial and represents an indispensable step. Another form of training that usually occurs after preceptorship is proctorship: an experienced mentor can be invited to a trainee's own center to provide specific on-site tutelage. Videos published online are commonly used as training material. Technology has allowed the use of different models of simulators for training. The most common model is the use of animal wet laboratory training. Other models, however, have been used mostrecently, such as the use of 3D and VR Technology, virtual reality simulators, and completely artificial models of the human thorax with synthetic lung, vessel, airway, and nodal tissues. A short-duration, high-volume, clinical immersion training, and a long term systematic training in high-volume centers are getting more and more attention. According to the evaluation of students' grading, a diversified training mode is adopted and the targeted training in accordance with different students helps to improve the training effect. We have done some work in systematic and standardized training of uniportal VATS in single center. We believe such training is feasible and absolutely necessary.

Mortality differences by surgical volume among patients with stomach cancer: a threshold for a favorable volume-outcome relationship.

PubMed

Choi, Hyeok; Yang, Seong-Yoon; Cho, Hee-Seung; Kim, Woorim; Park, Eun-Cheol; Han, Kyu-Tae

2017-07-17

Many studies have assessed the volume-outcome relationship in cancer patients, but most focused on better outcomes in higher volume groups rather than identifying a specific threshold that could assist in clinical decision-making for achieving the best outcomes. The current study suggests an optimal volume for achieving good outcome, as an extension of previous studies on the volume-outcome relationship in stomach cancer patients. We used National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) Sampling Cohort data during 2004-2013, comprising healthcare claims for 2550 patients with newly diagnosed stomach cancer. We conducted survival analyses adopting the Cox proportional hazard model to investigate the association of three threshold values for surgical volume of stomach cancer patients for cancer-specific mortality using the Youden index. Overall, 17.10% of patients died due to cancer during the study period. The risk of mortality among patients who received surgical treatment gradually decreased with increasing surgical volume at the hospital, while the risk of mortality increased again in "high" surgical volume hospitals, resulting in a j-shaped curve (mid-low = hazard ratio (HR) 0.773, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.608-0.983; mid-high = HR 0.541, 95% CI 0.372-0.788; high = HR 0.659, 95% CI 0.473-0.917; ref = low). These associations were especially significant in regions with unsubstantial surgical volumes and less severe cases. The optimal surgical volume threshold was about 727.3 surgical cases for stomach cancer per hospital over the 1-year study period in South Korea. However, such positive effects decreased after exceeding a certain volume of surgeries.

Toxicokinetics of the Sterioisomer Specific Flame Retardant Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) Gamma: Effect of Dose, Time, and Repeated Exposure

EPA Science Inventory

Hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) are high production volume brominated aliphatic cyclic hydrocarbons used as flame-retardants in foams, plastics and textiles. Commercial HBCD is a mixture of three main stereoisomers, alpha (α), beta (β) and gamma (γ). A shift from the high percent...

Increase of porosity by combining semi-carbonization and KOH activation of formaldehyde resins to prepare high surface area carbons for supercapacitor applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heimböckel, Ruben; Kraas, Sebastian; Hoffmann, Frank; Fröba, Michael

2018-01-01

A series of porous carbon samples were prepared by combining a semi-carbonization process of acidic polymerized phenol-formaldehyde resins and a following chemical activation with KOH used in different ratios to increase specific surface area, micropore content and pore sizes of the carbons which is favourable for supercapacitor applications. Samples were characterized by nitrogen physisorption, powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the amount of KOH, combined with the semi-carbonization step had a remarkable effect on the specific surface area (up to SBET: 3595 m2 g-1 and SDFT: 2551 m2 g-1), pore volume (0.60-2.62 cm3 g-1) and pore sizes (up to 3.5 nm). The carbons were tested as electrode materials for electrochemical double layer capacitors (EDLC) in a two electrode setup with tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate in acetonitrile as electrolyte. The prepared carbon material with the largest surface area, pore volume and pore sizes exhibits a high specific capacitance of 145.1 F g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1. With a high specific energy of 31 W h kg-1 at a power density of 33028 W kg-1 and a short time relaxation constant of 0.29 s, the carbon showed high power capability as an EDLC electrode material.

Does size and buoyancy affect the long-distance transport of floating debris?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryan, Peter G.

2015-08-01

Floating persistent debris, primarily made from plastic, disperses long distances from source areas and accumulates in oceanic gyres. However, biofouling can increase the density of debris items to the point where they sink. Buoyancy is related to item volume, whereas fouling is related to surface area, so small items (which have high surface area to volume ratios) should start to sink sooner than large items. Empirical observations off South Africa support this prediction: moving offshore from coastal source areas there is an increase in the size of floating debris, an increase in the proportion of highly buoyant items (e.g. sealed bottles, floats and foamed plastics), and a decrease in the proportion of thin items such as plastic bags and flexible packaging which have high surface area to volume ratios. Size-specific sedimentation rates may be one reason for the apparent paucity of small plastic items floating in the world’s oceans.

The Left Atrio-Vertebral Ratio: a new simple means for assessing left atrial enlargement on Computed Tomography.

PubMed

Montillet, Marie; Baqué-Juston, Marie; Tasu, Jean-Pierre; Bertrand, Sandra; Berthier, Frédéric; Zarqane, Naïma; Brunner, Philippe

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study is to describe a new method to quickly estimate left atrial enlargement (LAE) on Computed Tomography. Left atrial (LA) volume was assessed with a 3D-threshold Hounsfield unit detection technique, including left atrial appendage and excluding pulmonary venous confluence, in 201 patients with ECG-gated 128-slice dual-source CT and indexed to body surface area. LA and vertebral axial diameter and area were measured at the bottom level of the right inferior pulmonary vein ostium. Ratio of LA diameter and surface on vertebra (LAVD and LAVA) were compared to LA volume. In accordance with the literature, a cutoff value of 78 ml/m 2 was chosen for maximal normal LA volume. 18% of LA was enlarged. The best cutoff values for LAE assessment were 2.5 for LAVD (AUC: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.58-0.73; sensitivity: 57%; specificity: 71%), and 3 for LAVA (AUC: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.72-0.84; sensitivity: 67%; specificity: 79%), with higher accuracy for LAVA (P=0.015). Inter-observer and intra-observer variability were either good or excellent for LAVD and LAVA (respective intraclass coefficients: 0.792 and 0.910; 0.912 and 0.937). A left atrium area superior to three times the vertebral area indicates LAE with high specificity. • Left atrial enlargement is a frequent condition associated with poor cardiac outcome. • Left atrial enlargement is highly time-consuming to diagnose on CT. • The left atrio-vertebral ratio quickly assesses left atrial enlargement. • A left atrial area > three times vertebral area is highly specific.

CT volumetry of the skeletal tissues

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

Brindle, James M.; Alexandre Trindade, A.; Pichardo, Jose C.

2006-10-15

Computed tomography (CT) is an important and widely used modality in the diagnosis and treatment of various cancers. In the field of molecular radiotherapy, the use of spongiosa volume (combined tissues of the bone marrow and bone trabeculae) has been suggested as a means to improve the patient-specificity of bone marrow dose estimates. The noninvasive estimation of an organ volume comes with some degree of error or variation from the true organ volume. The present study explores the ability to obtain estimates of spongiosa volume or its surrogate via manual image segmentation. The variation among different segmentation raters was exploredmore » and found not to be statistically significant (p value >0.05). Accuracy was assessed by having several raters manually segment a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe with known volumes. Segmentation of the outer region of the PVC pipe resulted in mean percent errors as great as 15% while segmentation of the pipe's inner region resulted in mean percent errors within {approx}5%. Differences between volumes estimated with the high-resolution CT data set (typical of ex vivo skeletal scans) and the low-resolution CT data set (typical of in vivo skeletal scans) were also explored using both patient CT images and a PVC pipe phantom. While a statistically significant difference (p value <0.002) between the high-resolution and low-resolution data sets was observed with excised femoral heads obtained following total hip arthroplasty, the mean difference between high-resolution and low-resolution data sets was found to be only 1.24 and 2.18 cm{sup 3} for spongiosa and cortical bone, respectively. With respect to differences observed with the PVC pipe, the variation between the high-resolution and low-resolution mean percent errors was a high as {approx}20% for the outer region volume estimates and only as high as {approx}6% for the inner region volume estimates. The findings from this study suggest that manual segmentation is a reasonably accurate and reliable means for the in vivo estimation of spongiosa volume. This work also provides a foundation for future studies where spongiosa volumes are estimated by various raters in more comprehensive CT data sets.« less

Investigation of brain structure in the 1-month infant.

PubMed

Dean, Douglas C; Planalp, E M; Wooten, W; Schmidt, C K; Kecskemeti, S R; Frye, C; Schmidt, N L; Goldsmith, H H; Alexander, A L; Davidson, R J

2018-05-01

The developing brain undergoes systematic changes that occur at successive stages of maturation. Deviations from the typical neurodevelopmental trajectory are hypothesized to underlie many early childhood disorders; thus, characterizing the earliest patterns of normative brain development is essential. Recent neuroimaging research provides insight into brain structure during late childhood and adolescence; however, few studies have examined the infant brain, particularly in infants under 3 months of age. Using high-resolution structural MRI, we measured subcortical gray and white matter brain volumes in a cohort (N = 143) of 1-month infants and examined characteristics of these volumetric measures throughout this early period of neurodevelopment. We show that brain volumes undergo age-related changes during the first month of life, with the corresponding patterns of regional asymmetry and sexual dimorphism. Specifically, males have larger total brain volume and volumes differ by sex in regionally specific brain regions, after correcting for total brain volume. Consistent with findings from studies of later childhood and adolescence, subcortical regions appear more rightward asymmetric. Neither sex differences nor regional asymmetries changed with gestation-corrected age. Our results complement a growing body of work investigating the earliest neurobiological changes associated with development and suggest that asymmetry and sexual dimorphism are present at birth.

The Volume-Outcome Relationship in Critical Care

PubMed Central

Wallace, David J.; Yordanov, Youri; Trinquart, Ludovic; Blomkvist, Josefin; Angus, Derek C.; Kahn, Jeremy M.; Ravaud, Philippe; Guidet, Bertrand

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to systematically review the research on volume and outcome relationships in critical care. METHODS: From January 1, 2001, to April 30, 2014, MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched for studies assessing the relationship between admission volume and clinical outcomes in critical illness. Bibliographies were reviewed to identify other articles of interest, and experts were contacted about missing or unpublished studies. Of 127 studies reviewed, 46 met inclusion criteria, covering seven clinical conditions. Two investigators independently reviewed each article using a standardized form to abstract information on key study characteristics and results. RESULTS: Overall, 29 of the studies (63%) reported a statistically significant association between higher admission volume and improved outcomes. The magnitude of the association (mortality OR between the lowest vs highest stratum of volume centers), as well as the thresholds used to characterize high volume, varied across clinical conditions. Critically ill patients with cardiovascular (n = 7, OR = 1.49 [1.11-2.00]), respiratory (n = 12, OR = 1.20 [1.04-1.38]), severe sepsis (n = 4, OR = 1.17 [1.03-1.33]), hepato-GI (n = 3, OR = 1.30 [1.08-1.78]), neurologic (n = 3, OR = 1.38 [1.22-1.57]), and postoperative admission diagnoses (n = 3, OR = 2.95 [1.05-8.30]) were more likely to benefit from admission to higher-volume centers compared with lower-volume centers. Studies that controlled for ICU or hospital organizational factors were less likely to find a significant volume-outcome relationship than studies that did not control for these factors. CONCLUSIONS: Critically ill patients generally benefit from care in high-volume centers, with more substantial benefits in selected high-risk conditions. This relationship may in part be mediated by specific ICU and hospital organizational factors. PMID:25927593

Development of a high-specific-speed centrifugal compressor

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

Rodgers, C.

1997-07-01

This paper describes the development of a subscale single-stage centrifugal compressor with a dimensionless specific speed (Ns) of 1.8, originally designed for full-size application as a high volume flow, low pressure ratio, gas booster compressor. The specific stage is noteworthy in that it provides a benchmark representing the performance potential of very high-specific-speed compressors, of which limited information is found in the open literature. Stage and component test performance characteristics are presented together with traverse results at the impeller exit. Traverse test results were compared with recent CFD computational predictions for an exploratory analytical calibration of a very high-specific-speed impellermore » geometry. The tested subscale (0.583) compressor essentially satisfied design performance expectations with an overall stage efficiency of 74% including, excessive exit casing losses. It was estimated that stage efficiency could be increased to 81% with exit casing losses halved.« less

A time accurate finite volume high resolution scheme for three dimensional Navier-Stokes equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liou, Meng-Sing; Hsu, Andrew T.

1989-01-01

A time accurate, three-dimensional, finite volume, high resolution scheme for solving the compressible full Navier-Stokes equations is presented. The present derivation is based on the upwind split formulas, specifically with the application of Roe's (1981) flux difference splitting. A high-order accurate (up to the third order) upwind interpolation formula for the inviscid terms is derived to account for nonuniform meshes. For the viscous terms, discretizations consistent with the finite volume concept are described. A variant of second-order time accurate method is proposed that utilizes identical procedures in both the predictor and corrector steps. Avoiding the definition of midpoint gives a consistent and easy procedure, in the framework of finite volume discretization, for treating viscous transport terms in the curvilinear coordinates. For the boundary cells, a new treatment is introduced that not only avoids the use of 'ghost cells' and the associated problems, but also satisfies the tangency conditions exactly and allows easy definition of viscous transport terms at the first interface next to the boundary cells. Numerical tests of steady and unsteady high speed flows show that the present scheme gives accurate solutions.

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry–based body volume measurement for 4-compartment body composition123

PubMed Central

Wilson, Joseph P; Mulligan, Kathleen; Fan, Bo; Sherman, Jennifer L; Murphy, Elizabeth J; Tai, Viva W; Powers, Cassidy L; Marquez, Lorena; Ruiz-Barros, Viviana

2012-01-01

Background: Total body volume (TBV), with the exclusion of internal air voids, is necessary to quantify body composition in Lohman's 4-compartment (4C) model. Objective: This investigation sought to derive a novel, TBV measure with the use of only dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) attenuation values for use in Lohman's 4C body composition model. Design: Pixel-specific masses and volumes were calculated from low- and high-energy attenuation values with the use of first principle conversions of mass attenuation coefficients. Pixel masses and volumes were summed to derive body mass and total body volume. As proof of concept, 11 participants were recruited to have 4C measures taken: DXA, air-displacement plethysmography (ADP), and total body water (TBW). TBV measures with the use of only DXA (DXA-volume) and ADP-volume measures were compared for each participant. To see how body composition estimates were affected by these 2 methods, we used Lohman's 4C model to quantify percentage fat measures for each participant and compared them with conventional DXA measures. Results: DXA-volume and ADP-volume measures were highly correlated (R2 = 0.99) and showed no statistically significant bias. Percentage fat by DXA volume was highly correlated with ADP-volume percentage fat measures and DXA software-reported percentage fat measures (R2 = 0.96 and R2 = 0.98, respectively) but were slightly biased. Conclusions: A novel method to calculate TBV with the use of a clinical DXA system was developed, compared against ADP as proof of principle, and used in Lohman's 4C body composition model. The DXA-volume approach eliminates many of the inherent inaccuracies associated with displacement measures for volume and, if validated in larger groups of participants, would simplify the acquisition of 4C body composition to a single DXA scan and TBW measure. PMID:22134952

Quantitative evaluation of high intensity signal on MIP images of carotid atherosclerotic plaques from routine TOF-MRA reveals elevated volumes of intraplaque hemorrhage and lipid rich necrotic core.

PubMed

Yamada, Kiyofumi; Song, Yan; Hippe, Daniel S; Sun, Jie; Dong, Li; Xu, Dongxiang; Ferguson, Marina S; Chu, Baocheng; Hatsukami, Thomas S; Chen, Min; Zhou, Cheng; Yuan, Chun

2012-11-29

Carotid intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) and lipid rich necrotic core (LRNC) have been associated with accelerated plaque growth, luminal narrowing, future surface disruption and development of symptomatic events. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quantitative relationships between high intensity signals (HIS) in the plaque on TOF-MRA and IPH or LRNC volumes as measured by multicontrast weighted CMR. Seventy six patients with a suspected carotid artery stenosis or carotid plaque by ultrasonography underwent multicontrast carotid CMR. HIS presence and volume were measured from TOF-MRA MIP images while IPH and LRNC volumes were separately measured from multicontrast CMR. For detecting IPH, HIS on MIP images overall had high specificity (100.0%, 95% CI: 93.0 - 100.0%) but relatively low sensitivity (32%, 95% CI: 20.8 - 47.9%). However, the sensitivity had a significant increasing relationship with underlying IPH volume (p = 0.033) and degree of stenosis (p = 0.022). Mean IPH volume was 2.7 times larger in those with presence of HIS than in those without (142.8 ± 97.7 mm(3) vs. 53.4 ± 56.3 mm(3), p = 0.014). Similarly, mean LRNC volume was 3.4 times larger in those with HIS present (379.8 ± 203.4 mm(3) vs. 111.3 ± 122.7 mm(3), p = 0.001). There was a strong correlation between the volume of the HIS region and the IPH volume measured from multicontrast CMR (r = 0.96, p < 0.001). MIP images are easily reformatted from three minute, routine, clinical TOF sequences. High intensity signals in carotid plaque on TOF-MRA MIP images are associated with increased intraplaque hemorrhage and lipid-rich necrotic core volumes. The technique is most sensitive in patients with moderate to severe stenosis.

Prognostic Factors for Hormone Sensitive Metastatic Prostate Cancer: Impact of Disease Volume

PubMed

Alhanafy, Alshimaa Mahmoud; Zanaty, Fouad; Ibrahem, Reda; Omar, Suzan

2018-04-27

Background and Aim: The optimal management of metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer has been controversial in recent years with introduction of upfront chemohormonal treatment based on results of several Western studies. This changing landscape has renewed interest in the concept “disease volume”, the focus of the present study is the Egyptian patients. Methods: Patients with hormone sensitive metastatic prostate cancer presenting at Menoufia University Hospital, Egypt, during the period from June 2013 to May 2016, were enrolled. All received hormonal treatment. Radiologic images were evaluated and patients were stratified according to their disease volume into high or low, other clinical and pathological data that could affect survival also being collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 128 patients were included, with a median age of 70 years (53.9% ≥70). About 46% had co-morbidities, 62% having high volume disease. During the median follow up period of 28 months about half of the patients progressed and one third received chemotherapy. On univariate analysis, disease volume, performance status (PS), prostate specific antigen level (PSA) and presence of pain at presentation were identified as factors influencing overall survival. Multivariate analysis revealed the independent predictor factors for survival to be PS, PSA and disease volume. The median overall survival with 27 months was high volume versus 49 with low volume disease (hazard ratio 2.1; 95% CI 1.2 - 4.4; P=0.02). Median progression free survival was 19 months in the high volume, as compared with 48 months in the low volume disease patients (hazard ratio, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.42 – 7.4; P=0.009). Conclusions: Disease volume is a reliable predictor of survival which should be incorporated with other important factors as; patient performance status and comorbidities in treatment decision-making. Creative Commons Attribution License

Pride diaries: sex, brain size and sociality in the African lion (Panthera leo) and cougar (Puma concolor).

PubMed

Arsznov, Bradley M; Sakai, Sharleen T

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine if differences in social life histories correspond to intraspecific variation in total or regional brain volumes in the African lion (Panthera leo) and cougar (Puma concolor). African lions live in gregarious prides usually consisting of related adult females, their dependent offspring, and a coalition of immigrant males. Upon reaching maturity, male lions enter a nomadic and often, solitary phase in their lives, whereas females are mainly philopatric and highly social throughout their lives. In contrast, the social life history does not differ between male and female cougars; both are solitary. Three-dimensional virtual endocasts were created using computed tomography from the skulls of 14 adult African lions (8 male, 6 female) and 14 cougars (7 male, 7 female). Endocranial volume and basal skull length were highly correlated in African lions (r = 0.59, p < 0.05) and in cougars (r = 0.67, p < 0.01). Analyses of total endocranial volume relative to skull length revealed no sex differences in either African lions or cougars. However, relative anterior cerebrum volume comprised primarily of frontal cortex and surface area was significantly greater in female African lions than males, while relative posterior cerebrum volume and surface area was greater in males than females. These differences were specific to the neocortex and were not found in the solitary cougar, suggesting that social life history is linked to sex-specific neocortical patterns in these species. We further hypothesize that increased frontal cortical volume in female lions is related to the need for greater inhibitory control in the presence of a dominant male aggressor. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Dehydration, hemodynamics and fluid volume optimization after induction of general anesthesia.

PubMed

Li, Yuhong; He, Rui; Ying, Xiaojiang; Hahn, Robert G

2014-01-01

Fluid volume optimization guided by stroke volume measurements reduces complications of colorectal and high-risk surgeries. We studied whether dehydration or a strong hemodynamic response to general anesthesia increases the probability of fluid responsiveness before surgery begins. Cardiac output, stroke volume, central venous pressure and arterial pressures were measured in 111 patients before general anesthesia (baseline), after induction and stepwise after three bolus infusions of 3 ml/kg of 6% hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 (n=86) or Ringer's lactate (n=25). A subgroup of 30 patients who received starch were preloaded with 500 ml of Ringer's lactate. Blood volume changes were estimated from the hemoglobin concentration and dehydration was estimated from evidence of renal water conservation in urine samples. Induction of anesthesia decreased the stroke volume to 62% of baseline (mean); administration of fluids restored this value to 84% (starch) and 68% (Ringer's). The optimized stroke volume index was clustered around 35-40 ml/m2/beat. Additional fluid boluses increased the stroke volume by ≥10% (a sign of fluid responsiveness) in patients with dehydration, as suggested by a low cardiac index and central venous pressure at baseline and by high urinary osmolality, creatinine concentration and specific gravity. Preloading and the hemodynamic response to induction did not correlate with fluid responsiveness. The blood volume expanded 2.3 (starch) and 1.8 (Ringer's) times over the infused volume. Fluid volume optimization did not induce a hyperkinetic state but ameliorated the decrease in stroke volume caused by anesthesia. Dehydration, but not the hemodynamic response to the induction, was correlated with fluid responsiveness.

A simple physical mechanism enables homeostasis in primitive cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engelhart, Aaron E.; Adamala, Katarzyna P.; Szostak, Jack W.

2016-05-01

The emergence of homeostatic mechanisms that enable maintenance of an intracellular steady state during growth was critical to the advent of cellular life. Here, we show that concentration-dependent reversible binding of short oligonucleotides, of both specific and random sequence, can modulate ribozyme activity. In both cases, catalysis is inhibited at high concentrations, and dilution activates the ribozyme via inhibitor dissociation, thus maintaining near-constant ribozyme specific activity throughout protocell growth. To mimic the result of RNA synthesis within non-growing protocells, we co-encapsulated high concentrations of ribozyme and oligonucleotides within fatty acid vesicles, and ribozyme activity was inhibited. Following vesicle growth, the resulting internal dilution produced ribozyme activation. This simple physical system enables a primitive homeostatic behaviour: the maintenance of constant ribozyme activity per unit volume during protocell volume changes. We suggest that such systems, wherein short oligonucleotides reversibly inhibit functional RNAs, could have preceded sophisticated modern RNA regulatory mechanisms, such as those involving miRNAs.

Development of Thin Solar Cells for Space Applications at NASA Glenn Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dickman, John E.; Hepp, Aloysius; Banger, Kulbinder K.; Harris, Jerry D.; Jin, Michael H.

2003-01-01

NASA GRC Thin Film Solar Cell program is developing solar cell technologies for space applications which address two critical metrics: higher specific power (power per unit mass) and lower launch stowed volume. To be considered for space applications, an array using thin film solar cells must offer significantly higher specific power while reducing stowed volume compared to the present technologies being flown on space missions, namely crystalline solar cells. The NASA GRC program is developing single-source precursors and the requisite deposition hardware to grow high-efficiency, thin-film solar cells on polymer substrates at low deposition temperatures. Using low deposition temperatures enables the thin film solar cells to be grown on a variety of polymer substrates, many of which would not survive the high temperature processing currently used to fabricate thin film solar cells. The talk will present the latest results of this research program.

Liquid Crystalline Polymers

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-02-28

include energy costs, time required for cooling, large volume changes, and degradation. For many high -temperature LCPs, the latter may be the most...LCPs)- high local (microscopic) orientational order, which is retained in the solid state-has significant implications in a range of DOD applications...that yield and maintain specific mer sequences. * Continue efforts to measure mer sequence distribution, e.g., by multinuclei NMR. 0 Develop high

Navigating the Social World: A Curriculum for Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome, High Functioning Autism and Related Disorders.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McAfee, Jeanette L.

This volume presents a curriculum developed specifically to develop the social, emotional, and organizational skills of individuals with Asperger's Syndrome or high functioning autism. The book offers ideas and techniques drawn from various disciplines including cognitive behavioral therapy, applied behavioral therapy, education, and occupational…

Topology of genetic associations between regional gray matter volume and intellectual ability: Evidence for a high capacity network.

PubMed

Bohlken, Marc M; Brouwer, Rachel M; Mandl, René C W; Hedman, Anna M; van den Heuvel, Martijn P; van Haren, Neeltje E M; Kahn, René S; Hulshoff Pol, Hilleke E

2016-01-01

Intelligence is associated with a network of distributed gray matter areas including the frontal and parietal higher association cortices and primary processing areas of the temporal and occipital lobes. Efficient information transfer between gray matter regions implicated in intelligence is thought to be critical for this trait to emerge. Genetic factors implicated in intelligence and gray matter may promote a high capacity for information transfer. Whether these genetic factors act globally or on local gray matter areas separately is not known. Brain maps of phenotypic and genetic associations between gray matter volume and intelligence were made using structural equation modeling of 3T MRI T1-weighted scans acquired in 167 adult twins of the newly acquired U-TWIN cohort. Subsequently, structural connectivity analyses (DTI) were performed to test the hypothesis that gray matter regions associated with intellectual ability form a densely connected core. Gray matter regions associated with intellectual ability were situated in the right prefrontal, bilateral temporal, bilateral parietal, right occipital and subcortical regions. Regions implicated in intelligence had high structural connectivity density compared to 10,000 reference networks (p=0.031). The genetic association with intelligence was for 39% explained by a genetic source unique to these regions (independent of total brain volume), this source specifically implicated the right supramarginal gyrus. Using a twin design, we show that intelligence is genetically represented in a spatially distributed and densely connected network of gray matter regions providing a high capacity infrastructure. Although genes for intelligence have overlap with those for total brain volume, we present evidence that there are genes for intelligence that act specifically on the subset of brain areas that form an efficient brain network. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In situ self-sacrificed template synthesis of vanadium nitride/nitrogen-doped graphene nanocomposites for electrochemical capacitors.

PubMed

Liu, Hong-Hui; Zhang, Hong-Ling; Xu, Hong-Bin; Lou, Tai-Ping; Sui, Zhi-Tong; Zhang, Yi

2018-03-15

Vanadium nitride and graphene have been widely used as pseudo-capacitive and electric double-layer capacitor electrode materials for electrochemical capacitors, respectively. However, the poor cycling stability of vanadium nitride and the low capacitance of graphene impeded their practical applications. Herein, we demonstrated an in situ self-sacrificed template method for the synthesis of vanadium nitride/nitrogen-doped graphene (VN/NGr) nanocomposites by the pyrolysis of a mixture of dicyandiamide, glucose, and NH 4 VO 3 . Vanadium nitride nanoparticles of the size in the range of 2 to 7 nm were uniformly embedded into the nitrogen-doped graphene skeleton. Furthermore, the VN/NGr nanocomposites with a high specific surface area and pore volume showed a high specific capacitance of 255 F g -1 at 10 mV s -1 , and an excellent cycling stability (94% capacitance retention after 2000 cycles). The excellent capacitive properties were ascribed to the excellent conductivity of nitrogen-doped graphene, high surface area, high pore volume, and the synergistic effect between vanadium nitride and nitrogen-doped graphene.

In vivo voxel based morphometry: detection of increased hippocampal volume and decreased glutamate levels in exercising mice.

PubMed

Biedermann, Sarah; Fuss, Johannes; Zheng, Lei; Sartorius, Alexander; Falfán-Melgoza, Claudia; Demirakca, Traute; Gass, Peter; Ende, Gabriele; Weber-Fahr, Wolfgang

2012-07-16

Voluntary exercise has tremendous effects on adult hippocampal plasticity and metabolism and thus sculpts the hippocampal structure of mammals. High-field (1)H magnetic resonance (MR) investigations at 9.4 T of metabolic and structural changes can be performed non-invasively in the living rodent brain. Numerous molecular and cellular mechanisms mediating the effects of exercise on brain plasticity and behavior have been detected in vitro. However, in vivo attempts have been rare. In this work a method for voxel based morphometry (VBM) was developed with automatic tissue segmentation in mice using a 9.4 T animal scanner equipped with a (1)H-cryogenic coil. The thus increased signal to noise ratio enabled the acquisition of high resolution T2-weighted images of the mouse brain in vivo and the creation of group specific tissue class maps for the segmentation and normalization with SPM. The method was used together with hippocampal single voxel (1)H MR spectroscopy to assess the structural and metabolic differences in the mouse brain due to voluntary wheel running. A specific increase of hippocampal volume with a concomitant decrease of hippocampal glutamate levels in voluntary running mice was observed. An inverse correlation of hippocampal gray matter volume and glutamate concentration indicates a possible implication of the glutamatergic system for hippocampal volume. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

GPS Space Service Volume: Ensuring Consistent Utility Across GPS Design Builds for Space Users

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauer, Frank H.; Parker, Joel Jefferson Konkl; Valdez, Jennifer Ellen

2015-01-01

GPS availability and signal strength originally specified for users on or near surface of Earth with transmitted power levels specified at edge-of-Earth, 14.3 degrees. Prior to the SSV specification, on-orbit performance of GPS varied from block build to block build (IIA, IIRM, IIF) due to antenna gain and beam width variances. Unstable on-orbit performance results in significant risk to space users. Side-lobe signals, although not specified, were expected to significantly boost GPS signal availability for users above the constellation. During GPS III Phase A, NASA noted significant discrepancies in power levels specified in GPS III specification documents, and measured on-orbit performance. To stabilize the signal for high altitude space users, NASA DoD team in 2003-2005 led the creation of new Space Service Volume (SSV) definition and specifications.

The Voronoi volume and molecular representation of molar volume: equilibrium simple fluids.

PubMed

Hunjan, Jagtar Singh; Eu, Byung Chan

2010-04-07

The Voronoi volume of simple fluids was previously made use of in connection with volume transport phenomena in nonequilibrium simple fluids. To investigate volume transport phenomena, it is important to develop a method to compute the Voronoi volume of fluids in nonequilibrium. In this work, as a first step to this goal, we investigate the equilibrium limit of the nonequilibrium Voronoi volume together with its attendant related molar (molal) and specific volumes. It is proved that the equilibrium Voronoi volume is equivalent to the molar (molal) volume. The latter, in turn, is proved equivalent to the specific volume. This chain of equivalences provides an alternative procedure of computing the equilibrium Voronoi volume from the molar volume/specific volume. We also show approximate methods of computing the Voronoi and molar volumes from the information on the pair correlation function. These methods may be employed for their quick estimation, but also provide some aspects of the fluid structure and its relation to the Voronoi volume. The Voronoi volume obtained from computer simulations is fitted to a function of temperature and pressure in the region above the triple point but below the critical point. Since the fitting function is given in terms of reduced variables for the Lennard-Jones (LJ) model and the kindred volumes (i.e., specific and molar volumes) are in essence equivalent to the equation of state, the formula obtained is a reduced equation state for simple fluids obeying the LJ model potential in the range of temperature and pressure examined and hence can be used for other simple fluids.

Effect of water volume based on water absorption and mixing time on physical properties of tapioca starch – wheat composite bread

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prameswari, I. K.; Manuhara, G. J.; Amanto, B. S.; Atmaka, W.

2018-05-01

Tapioca starch application in bread processing change water absorption level by the dough, while sufficient mixing time makes the optimal water absorption. This research aims to determine the effect of variations in water volume and mixing time on physical properties of tapioca starch – wheat composite bread and the best method for the composite bread processing. This research used Complete Randomized Factorial Design (CRFD) with two factors: variations of water volume (111,8 ml, 117,4 ml, 123 ml) and mixing time (16 minutes, 17 minutes 36 seconds, 19 minutes 12 seconds). The result showed that water volume significantly affected on dough volume, bread volume and specific volume, baking expansion, and crust thickness. Mixing time significantly affected on dough volume and specific volume, bread volume and specific volume, baking expansion, bread height, and crust thickness. While the combination of water volume and mixing time significantly affected for all physical properties parameters except crust thickness.

Can MR Measurement of Renal Artery Flow and Renal Volume Predict the Outcome of Percutaneous Transluminal Renal Angioplasty?

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

Binkert, Christoph A.; Debatin, Jorg F.; Schneider, Ernst

2001-07-15

Purpose: Predicting therapeutic benefit from percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) in patients with renal artery stenosis (RAS) remains difficult. This study investigates whether magnetic resonance (MR)-based renal artery flow measurements relative to renal parenchymal volume can predict clinical outcome following PTRA.Methods: The data on 23 patients (13 men, 10 women; age range 47-82 years, mean age 64 years) were analyzed. The indication for treatment was hypertension (n = 18) or renal insufficiency (n = 5). Thirty-four cases of RAS were identified: bilateral disease was manifest in 11 and unilateral disease in 12 patients. The MR imaging protocol included a breath-hold,more » cardiac-gated cine phase-contrast sequence for renal flow measurement and a fast multiplanar spoiled gradient-echo sequence for renal volume measurement. MR measurements were performed on the day prior to and the day following PTRA. Clinical success was defined as (a) a reduction in diastolic blood pressure > 15% or (b) a reduction in serum creatinine > 20%. Kidneys were categorized as normal volume or low volume. A renal flow index (RFI) was calculated by dividing the renal flow (ml/min) by the renal volume (cm{sup 3}).Results: Clinical success was observed in 11 patients. Twelve patients did not benefit from angioplasty. Normal kidney volume was seen in 10 of 11 responders and in 8 of 12 nonresponders, resulting in a sensitivity of 91%, specificity of 33%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 56% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 80%. A RFI below a threshold of 1.5 ml/min/cm{sup 3} predicted successful outcome with 100% sensitivity, 33% specificity, 58% PPV, and 100% NPV. The combination of normal renal volume and a RFI below 1.5 ml/min/cm{sup 3} identified PTRA responders with a sensitivity of 91%, a specificity of 67%, a PPV of 71%, and a NPV of 89%. PTRA resulted in a greater increase in renal flow in responders compared with nonresponders (p < 0.001).Conclusion: A combination of cine phase-contrast MR renal flow and parenchymal volume measurements enables identification of patients benefiting from PTRA with a high sensitivity and NPV, but only moderate specificity and PPV.« less

Morphological and morphometric specializations of the lung of the Andean goose, Chloephaga melanoptera: A lifelong high-altitude resident.

PubMed

Maina, John N; McCracken, Kevin G; Chua, Beverly; York, Julia M; Milsom, William K

2017-01-01

High altitude flight in rarefied, extremely cold and hypoxic air is a very challenging activity. Only a few species of birds can achieve it. Hitherto, the structure of the lungs of such birds has not been studied. This is because of the rarity of such species and the challenges of preparing well-fixed lung tissue. Here, it was posited that in addition to the now proven physiological adaptations, high altitude flying birds will also have acquired pulmonary structural adaptations that enable them to obtain the large amounts of oxygen (O2) needed for flight at high elevation, an environment where O2 levels are very low. The Andean goose (Chloephaga melanoptera) normally resides at altitudes above 3000 meters and flies to elevations as high as 6000 meters where O2 becomes limiting. In this study, its lung was morphologically- and morphometrically investigated. It was found that structurally the lungs are exceptionally specialized for gas exchange. Atypically, the infundibulae are well-vascularized. The mass-specific volume of the lung (42.8 cm3.kg-1), the mass-specific respiratory surface area of the blood-gas (tissue) barrier (96.5 cm2.g-1) and the mass-specific volume of the pulmonary capillary blood (7.44 cm3.kg-1) were some of the highest values so far reported in birds. The pulmonary structural specializations have generated a mass-specific total (overall) pulmonary morphometric diffusing capacity of the lung for oxygen (DLo2) of 0.119 mlO2.sec-1.mbar-1.kg-1, a value that is among some of the highest ones in birds that have been studied. The adaptations of the lung of the Andean goose possibly produce the high O2 conductance needed to live and fly at high altitude.

Real-Time, Single-Step Bioassay Using Nanoplasmonic Resonator With Ultra-High Sensitivity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Xiang (Inventor); Chen, Fanqing Frank (Inventor); Su, Kai-Hang (Inventor); Wei, Qi-Huo (Inventor); Ellman, Jonathan A. (Inventor); Sun, Cheng (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A nanoplasmonic resonator (NPR) comprising a metallic nanodisk with alternating shielding layer(s), having a tagged biomolecule conjugated or tethered to the surface of the nanoplasmonic resonator for highly sensitive measurement of enzymatic activity. NPRs enhance Raman signals in a highly reproducible manner, enabling fast detection of protease and enzyme activity, such as Prostate Specific Antigen (paPSA), in real-time, at picomolar sensitivity levels. Experiments on extracellular fluid (ECF) from paPSA-positive cells demonstrate specific detection in a complex bio-fluid background in real-time single-step detection in very small sample volumes.

Real-time, single-step bioassay using nanoplasmonic resonator with ultra-high sensitivity

DOEpatents

Zhang, Xiang; Ellman, Jonathan A; Chen, Fanqing Frank; Su, Kai-Hang; Wei, Qi-Huo; Sun, Cheng

2014-04-01

A nanoplasmonic resonator (NPR) comprising a metallic nanodisk with alternating shielding layer(s), having a tagged biomolecule conjugated or tethered to the surface of the nanoplasmonic resonator for highly sensitive measurement of enzymatic activity. NPRs enhance Raman signals in a highly reproducible manner, enabling fast detection of protease and enzyme activity, such as Prostate Specific Antigen (paPSA), in real-time, at picomolar sensitivity levels. Experiments on extracellular fluid (ECF) from paPSA-positive cells demonstrate specific detection in a complex bio-fluid background in real-time single-step detection in very small sample volumes.

A comparison of case volumes among urologic surgeons identified on an industry-sponsored website to an all provider peer group.

PubMed

See, William A; Jacobson, Kenneth; Derus, Sue; Langenstroer, Peter

2014-11-01

Industry-sponsored websites for robotic surgery direct to surgeons listed as performing specific robotic surgical procedures. The purpose of this study was to compare average annual, surgeon-specific, case volumes for those procedures for which they were listed as performing on the commercial website with the volumes of all providers performing these same procedures across a defined geographic region. A list of providers within the state of Wisconsin cited as performing specific urologic procedures was obtained through the Intuitive Surgical website 〈http://www.davincisurgery.com/da-vinci-urology/〉. Surgeon-specific annual case volumes from 2009 to 2013 for these same cases were obtained for all Wisconsin providers through DataBay Resources (Warrendale, PA) based on International classification of diseases-9 codes. Procedural activity was rank ordered, and surgeons were placed in "volume deciles" derived from the total annual number of cases performed by all surgeons. The distribution of commercially listed surgeon volumes, both 5-year average and most recent year, was compared with the average and 2013 volumes of all surgeons performing a specific procedure. A total of 35 individual urologic surgeons listed as performing robotic surgery in Wisconsin were identified through a "search" using the Intuitive Surgical website. Specific procedure analysis returned 5, 12, 9, and 15 surgeon names for cystectomy, partial nephrectomy, radical nephrectomy, and prostatectomy, respectively. This compared with the total number of surgeons who had performed the listed procedure in Wisconsin at least 1 time during the prior 5 years of 123, 153, 242, and 165, respectively. When distributed by surgeon-volume deciles, surgeons listed on industry-sponsored sites varied widely in their respective volume decile. More than half of site-listed, procedure-specific surgeons fell below the fifth decile for surgeon volume. Data analysis based solely on 2013 case volumes had no effect on the number of website-listed surgeons whose volumes fell below the fifth decile. Surgeons listed on an industry-sponsored website demonstrate wide variation in the actual volume of specific procedures performed. The inferred endorsement of competence by commercial sites has the potential to mislead patients seeking surgical expertise. Providers should consider the ethical and legal implications of these commercial advertising that do not have volume or outcome data. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The Influence of Spatial Variation in Chromatin Density Determined by X-Ray Tomograms on the Time to Find DNA Binding Sites

PubMed Central

Larabell, Carolyn A.; Le Gros, Mark A.; McQueen, David M.; Peskin, Charles S.

2014-01-01

In this work, we examine how volume exclusion caused by regions of high chromatin density might influence the time required for proteins to find specific DNA binding sites. The spatial variation of chromatin density within mouse olfactory sensory neurons is determined from soft X-ray tomography reconstructions of five nuclei. We show that there is a division of the nuclear space into regions of low-density euchromatin and high-density heterochromatin. Volume exclusion experienced by a diffusing protein caused by this varying density of chromatin is modeled by a repulsive potential. The value of the potential at a given point in space is chosen to be proportional to the density of chromatin at that location. The constant of proportionality, called the volume exclusivity, provides a model parameter that determines the strength of volume exclusion. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the mean time for a protein to locate a binding site localized in euchromatin is minimized for a finite, nonzero volume exclusivity. For binding sites in heterochromatin, the mean time is minimized when the volume exclusivity is zero (the protein experiences no volume exclusion). An analytical theory is developed to explain these results. The theory suggests that for binding sites in euchromatin there is an optimal level of volume exclusivity that balances a reduction in the volume searched in finding the binding site, with the height of effective potential barriers the protein must cross during the search process. PMID:23955281

Amygdala and hippocampus volumes are differently affected by childhood trauma in patients with bipolar disorders and healthy controls.

PubMed

Janiri, Delfina; Sani, Gabriele; Rossi, Pietro De; Piras, Fabrizio; Iorio, Mariangela; Banaj, Nerisa; Giuseppin, Giulia; Spinazzola, Edoardo; Maggiora, Matteo; Ambrosi, Elisa; Simonetti, Alessio; Spalletta, Gianfranco

2017-08-01

Volumetric studies on deep gray matter structures in bipolar disorder (BP) have reported contrasting results. Childhood trauma, a relevant environmental stressor for BP, could account for the variability of the results, modulating differences in the amygdala and hippocampus in patients with BP compared with healthy controls (HC). Our study aimed to test this hypothesis. We assessed 105 outpatients, diagnosed with bipolar disorder type I (BP-I) or bipolar disorder type II (BP-II) according to DSM-IV-TR criteria, and 113 HC subjects. History of childhood trauma was obtained using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging was performed on all subjects and volumes of the amygdala, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, caudate, pallidum, putamen, and thalamus were measured using FreeSurfer. Patients with BP showed a global reduction of deep gray matter volumes compared to HCs. However, childhood trauma modulated the impact of the diagnosis specifically on the amygdala and hippocampus. Childhood trauma was associated with bilateral decreased volumes in HCs and increased volumes in patients with BP. The results suggest that childhood trauma may have a different effect in health and disease on volumes of gray matter in the amygdala and hippocampus, which are brain areas specifically involved in response to stress and emotion processing. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Neuron-Specific Enolase, but Not S100B or Myelin Basic Protein, Increases in Peripheral Blood Corresponding to Lesion Volume after Cortical Impact in Piglets

PubMed Central

Quebeda-Clerkin, Patricia B.; Dodge, Carter P.; Harris, Brent T.; Hillier, Simon C.; Duhaime, Ann-Christine

2012-01-01

Abstract A peripheral indicator of the presence and magnitude of brain injury has been a sought-after tool by clinicians. We measured neuron-specific enolase (NSE), myelin basic protein (MBP), and S100B, prior to and after scaled cortical impact in immature pigs, to determine if these purported markers increase after injury, correlate with the resulting lesion volume, and if these relationships vary with maturation. Scaled cortical impact resulted in increased lesion volume with increasing age. Concentrations of NSE, but not S100B or MBP, increased after injury in all age groups. The high variability of S100B concentrations prior to injury may have precluded detection of an increase due to injury. Total serum markers were estimated, accounting for the allometric growth of blood volume, and resulted in a positive correlation of both NSE and S100B with lesion volume. Even with allometric scaling of blood volume and a uniform mechanism of injury, NSE had only a fair to poor predictive value. In a clinical setting, where the types of injuries are varied, more investigation is required to yield a panel of serum markers that can reliably predict the extent of injury. Allometric scaling may improve estimation of serum marker release in pediatric populations. PMID:22867012

Extraction of membrane structure in eyeball from MR volumes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oda, Masahiro; Kin, Taichi; Mori, Kensaku

2017-03-01

This paper presents an accurate extraction method of spherical shaped membrane structures in the eyeball from MR volumes. In ophthalmic surgery, operation field is limited to a small region. Patient specific surgical simulation is useful to reduce complications. Understanding of tissue structure in the eyeball of a patient is required to achieve patient specific surgical simulations. Previous extraction methods of tissue structure in the eyeball use optical coherence tomography (OCT) images. Although OCT images have high resolution, imaging regions are limited to very small. Global structure extraction of the eyeball is difficult from OCT images. We propose an extraction method of spherical shaped membrane structures including the sclerotic coat, choroid, and retina. This method is applied to a T2 weighted MR volume of the head region. MR volume can capture tissue structure of whole eyeball. Because we use MR volumes, out method extracts whole membrane structures in the eyeball. We roughly extract membrane structures by applying a sheet structure enhancement filter. The rough extraction result includes parts of the membrane structures. Then, we apply the Hough transform to extract a sphere structure from the voxels set of the rough extraction result. The Hough transform finds a sphere structure from the rough extraction result. An experimental result using a T2 weighted MR volume of the head region showed that the proposed method can extract spherical shaped membrane structures accurately.

The effect of water volume and mixing time on physical properties of bread made from modified cassava starch-wheat composite flour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srirejeki, S.; Manuhara, G. J.; Amanto, B. S.; Atmaka, W.; Laksono, P. W.

2018-03-01

Modification of cassava starch with soaking in the whey (by product on cheese production) resulted in changes of the flour characteristics. Adjustments of processing condition are important to be studied in the making of bread from modified cassava starch and wheat composite flour (30:70). This research aims to determine the effect of water volume and mixing time on the physical properties of the bread. The experimental design of this research was Completely Randomized Factorial Design (CRFD) with two factors which were water volume and mixing time. The variation of water volume significantly affected on bread height, dough volume, dough specific volume, and crust thickness. The variation of mixing time had a significant effect on the increase of dough volume and dough specific volume. The combination of water volume and mixing time had a significant effect on dough height, bread volume, bread specific volume, baking expansion, and weight loss.

Glassy selenium at high pressure: Le Chatelier's principle still works

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brazhkin, V. V.; Tsiok, O. B.

2017-10-01

Selenium is the only easily vitrified elementary substance. Numerous experimental studies of glassy Se (g -Se) at high pressures show a large spread in the data on the compressibility and electrical resistivity of g -Se. Furthermore, H. Liu et al. [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 105, 13229 (2008), 10.1073/pnas.0806857105] have arrived at the surprising conclusion that the volume of glass increases during pressure-induced crystallization. We have performed high-precision measurements of the specific volume and electrical resistivity of glassy selenium (g -Se) at high hydrostatic pressures up to 9 GPa. The measured bulk modulus at normal pressure is B =(9.0 5 ±0.15 ) GPa and its pressure derivative is BP'=6.4 ±0.2 . In the pressure range P <3 GPa, glassy selenium has an anomalously large negative second derivative of the bulk modulus. The electrical resistivity of g -Se decreases almost exponentially with increasing pressure and reaches 20 Ω cm at a pressure of 8.75 GPa. The inelastic behavior and weak relaxation of the volume for g -Se begin at pressures above 3.5 GPa; the volume and logarithm of the electrical resistivity relax significantly (logarithmically with the time) at pressures above 8 GPa. Bulk measurements certainly indicate that the volume of g -Se glass in the crystallization pressure range is larger than the volumes of both appearing crystalline phases (by 2% and 4%). Therefore, the "volume expansion phenomenon" suggested in [H. Liu et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 105, 13229 (2008), 10.1073/pnas.0806857105] is not observed, and the pressure-induced crystallization of glassy selenium is consistent with the laws of thermodynamics.

High pressure effects on the iron iron oxide and nickel nickel oxide oxygen fugacity buffers

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

Campbell, Andrew J; Danielson, Lisa; Righter, Kevin

The chemical potential of oxygen in natural and experimental samples is commonly reported relative to a specific oxygen fugacity (fO{sub 2}) buffer. These buffers are precisely known at 1 bar, but under high pressures corresponding to the conditions of the deep Earth, oxygen fugacity buffers are poorly calibrated. Reference (1 bar) fO{sub 2} buffers can be integrated to high pressure conditions by integrating the difference in volume between the solid phases, provided that their equations of state are known. In this work, the equations of state and volume difference between the metal-oxide pairs Fe-FeO and Ni-NiO were measured using synchrotronmore » X-ray diffraction in a multi-anvil press and laser heated diamond anvil cells. The results were used to construct high pressure fO{sub 2} buffer curves for these systems. The difference between the Fe-FeO and Ni-NiO buffers is observed to decrease significantly, by several log units, over 80 GPa. The results can be used to improve interpretation of high pressure experiments, specifically Fe-Ni exchange between metallic and oxide phases.« less

The Moisture Content and Specific Gravity of the Bark and Wood of Northern Pulpwood Species

Treesearch

John R. Erickson

1972-01-01

Much information is available on the specific gravity of wood on a dry weight over green volume and dry weight over dry volume basis. This paper presents the conventional specific gravity on a green weight over green volume basis. The relative specific gravities of bark and wood chips may be helpful in finding way to remove bark particles from chips.

Brain volume change and cognitive trajectories in aging.

PubMed

Fletcher, Evan; Gavett, Brandon; Harvey, Danielle; Farias, Sarah Tomaszewski; Olichney, John; Beckett, Laurel; DeCarli, Charles; Mungas, Dan

2018-05-01

Examine how longitudinal cognitive trajectories relate to brain baseline measures and change in lobar volumes in a racially/ethnically and cognitively diverse sample of older adults. Participants were 460 older adults enrolled in a longitudinal aging study. Cognitive outcomes were measures of episodic memory, semantic memory, executive function, and spatial ability derived from the Spanish and English Neuropsychological Assessment Scales (SENAS). Latent variable multilevel modeling of the four cognitive outcomes as parallel longitudinal processes identified intercepts for each outcome and a second order global change factor explaining covariance among the highly correlated slopes. We examined how baseline brain volumes (lobar gray matter, hippocampus, and white matter hyperintensity) and change in brain volumes (lobar gray matter) were associated with cognitive intercepts and global cognitive change. Lobar volumes were dissociated into global and specific components using latent variable methods. Cognitive change was most strongly associated with brain gray matter volume change, with strong independent effects of global gray matter change and specific temporal lobe gray matter change. Baseline white matter hyperintensity and hippocampal volumes had significant incremental effects on cognitive decline beyond gray matter change. Baseline lobar gray matter was related to cognitive decline, but did not contribute beyond gray matter change. Cognitive decline was strongly influenced by gray matter volume change and, especially, temporal lobe change. The strong influence of temporal lobe gray matter change on cognitive decline may reflect involvement of temporal lobe structures that are critical for late life cognitive health but also are vulnerable to diseases of aging. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Correlation between remnant inferior turbinate volume and symptom severity of empty nose syndrome.

PubMed

Hong, Hye Ran; Jang, Yong Ju

2016-06-01

Empty nose syndrome (ENS) is an iatrogenic disorder caused by turbinate reduction procedures, which results in considerable nasal dysfunction and severely impaired quality of life. However, there is a lack of data that explains the relationship between the degree of turbinate reduction and subjective symptoms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of remnant inferior turbinate volume on symptom severity. We retrospectively analyzed data from 34 patients who were diagnosed with ENS. All patients underwent computed tomography scanning and completed the SNOT-25 questionnaire. The control group consisted of 10 patients with pituitary adenoma who did not have any sinonasal symptoms or abnormalities. The inferior turbinate volumes were compared between groups, and the correlation between inferior turbinate volumes (ITVs) and Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-25 (SNOT-25) was also evaluated. The ENS group presented with a significantly smaller inferior turbinate volume than the control group (P < 0.001). The overall SNOT-25 score demonstrated no statistically significant correlation with anterior, posterior, or total ITV (P > 0.05, respectively). Among the various items on SNOT-25, a high dryness score was significantly correlated with a smaller total inferior turbinate volume (P = 0.030). Facial pain was significantly correlated with smaller anterior ITV (P = 0.011). In addition, patients who had smaller posterior inferior turbinate volume demonstrated higher scores on specific SNOT-25 items. A smaller inferior turbinate volume is significantly associated with specific SNOT-25 items in ENS patients. 4. Laryngoscope, 126:1290-1295, 2016. © 2015 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

New World Vistas: Air and Space Power for the 21st Century, Materials Volume.

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-06-01

derivatives from niche (non-silicon) materials: IR sensors, radars, lasers, and high - temperature , adverse-environment electronics. Investment in these...Develop metastable interstitial composites to create extremely high temperatures for destroying chemical biological warfare agents. " Explosives: 1...synthesize of high temperature materials that will be tailored for specific applications/ components. These materials will tend to have microstructures on

Skylab experiments. Volume 6: Mechanics. [Skylab program accomplishments for high school level education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

Skylab program activities are presented in a form adapted to instruction of high school students. The overall goals of the program are discussed. The specific accomplishments of the mechanics investigations are described. The subjects involved are as follows: (1) evaluation of mobility aids, (2) mass measurement devices, and (3) space guidance crew/vehicle disturbances.

A large volume 2000 MPA air source for the radiatively driven hypersonic wind tunnel

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

Constantino, M

1999-07-14

An ultra-high pressure air source for a hypersonic wind tunnel for fluid dynamics and combustion physics and chemistry research and development must provide a 10 kg/s pure air flow for more than 1 s at a specific enthalpy of more than 3000 kJ/kg. The nominal operating pressure and temperature condition for the air source is 2000 MPa and 900 K. A radial array of variable radial support intensifiers connected to an axial manifold provides an arbitrarily large total high pressure volume. This configuration also provides solutions to cross bore stress concentrations and the decrease in material strength with temperature. [hypersonic,more » high pressure, air, wind tunnel, ground testing]« less

State relations for a two-phase mixture of reacting explosives and applications

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

Kubota, Shiro; Saburi, Tei; Ogata, Yuji

2007-10-15

To assess the assumptions behind the two phase mixture rule for reacting explosives, the shock-to-detonation transition process was calculated for high explosives using a finite difference method. An ignition and growth model and the Jones-Wilkins-Lee (JWL) equations of state were employed. The simple mixture rule assumes that the reacting explosive is a simple mixture of the reactant and product components. Four different assumptions, such as that of thermal equilibrium and isotropy, were adopted to calculate the pressure. The main purpose of this paper is to present the answer to the question of why the numerical results of shock-initiation are insensitivemore » to the assumptions adopted. The equations of state for reactants and products were assessed by considering plots of the specific internal energy E and specific volume V. If the slopes of the constant-pressure lines for both components in the E-V plane are almost the same, it is demonstrated that the numerical results are insensitive to the assumptions adopted. We have found that the relation for the specific volumes of the two components can be approximately expressed by a single curve of the specific volume of the reactant vs that of the products. We discuss this relationship in terms of the results of the numerical simulation. (author)« less

A Class of Organopolysulfides As Liquid Cathode Materials for High-Energy-Density Lithium Batteries.

PubMed

Bhargav, Amruth; Bell, Michaela Elaine; Karty, Jonathan; Cui, Yi; Fu, Yongzhu

2018-06-27

Sulfur-based cathodes are promising to enable high-energy-density lithium-sulfur batteries; however, elemental sulfur as active material faces several challenges, including undesirable volume change (∼80%) when completely reduced and high dependence on liquid electrolyte wherein an electrolyte/sulfur ratio >10 μL mg -1 is required for high material utilization. These limit the attainable energy densities of these batteries. Herein, we introduce a new class of phenyl polysulfides C 6 H 5 S x C 6 H 5 (4 ≤ x ≤ 6) as liquid cathode materials synthesized in a facile and scalable route to mitigate these setbacks. These polysulfides possess sufficiently high theoretical specific capacities, specific energies, and energy densities. Spectroscopic techniques verify their chemical composition and computation shows that the volume change when reduced is about 37%. Lithium half-cell testing shows that phenyl hexasulfide (C 6 H 5 S 6 C 6 H 5 ) can provide a specific capacity of 650 mAh g -1 and capacity retention of 80% through 500 cycles at 1 C rate along with superlative performance up to 10 C. Furthermore, 1302 Wh kg -1 and 1720 Wh L -1 are achievable at a low electrolyte/active material ratio, i.e., 3 μL mg -1 . This work adds new members to the cathode family for Li-S batteries, reduces the gap between the theoretical and practical energy densities of batteries, and provides a new direction for the development of alternative high-capacity cathode materials.

Analysis of Clinicians' Perceptual Cough Evaluation.

PubMed

Laciuga, Helena; Brandimore, Alexandra E; Troche, Michelle S; Hegland, Karen W

2016-08-01

This study examined the relationships between subjective descriptors and objective airflow measures of cough. We hypothesized that coughs with specific airflow characteristics would share common subjective perceptual descriptions. Thirty clinicians (speech-language pathologists, otolaryngologists, and neurologists) perceptually evaluated ten cough audio samples with specific airflow characteristics determined by peak expiratory flow rate, cough expired volume, cough duration, and number of coughs in the cough epoch. Participants rated coughs by strength, duration, quality, quantity, and overall potential effectiveness for airway protection. Perception of cough strength and effectiveness was determined by the combination of presence of pre-expulsive compression phase, short peak expiratory airflow rate rise time, high peak expiratory flow rates, and high cough volume acceleration. Perception of cough abnormality was defined predominantly by descriptors of breathiness and strain. Breathiness was characteristic for coughs with either absent compression phases and relatively high expiratory airflow rates or coughs with significantly low expired volumes and reduced peak flow rates. In contrast, excessive strain was associated with prolonged compression phases and low expiratory airflow rates or the absence of compression phase with high peak expiratory rates. The study participants reached greatest agreement in distinguishing between single and multiple coughs. Their assessment of cough strength and effectiveness was less consistent. Finally, the least agreement was shown in determining the quality categories. Modifications of cough airflow can influence perceptual cough evaluation outcomes. However, the inconsistency of cough ratings among our participants suggests that a uniform cough rating system is required.

The interaction between physical activity and amount of baseline knee cartilage.

PubMed

Teichtahl, Andrew J; Wang, Yuanyuan; Heritier, Stephane; Wluka, Anita E; Strauss, Boyd J; Proietto, Joseph; Dixon, John B; Jones, Graeme; Cicuttini, Flavia M

2016-07-01

Conflicting reports of the effect of physical activity on knee cartilage may be due to the heterogeneity of populations examined and, in particular, the underlying health of the knee joint. This study examined the influence of recreational and occupational physical activity on cartilage volume loss. A total of 250 participants with no significant musculoskeletal disease were recruited. A gender-specific median cartilage volume split was used to define people in the lowest and highest 50% of baseline cartilage volume. Baseline recreational and occupational activity was examined by questionnaire, while cartilage volume was assessed by MRI at baseline and 2.4 years later. Significant interactions were demonstrable between physical activity and cartilage volume loss based on stratification of baseline cartilage volume (all P ⩽ 0.03). There was a dose-response relationship between frequently performed baseline occupational activities and medial cartilage volume loss in both the low (B = 0.2% per annum, 95% CI: 0.0, 0.04% per annum) and high (B = -0.2% per annum, 95% CI: -0.4, 0.0% per annum) baseline cartilage volume groups (P = 0.001 for interaction). Individuals with low baseline cartilage volume who were active in their occupation and/or recreational activity had greater medial cartilage volume loss than their more inactive counterparts (2.4% per annum vs 1.5% per annum, P = 0.02). Whereas people with less baseline cartilage volume are more at risk of structural knee damage with either heavy occupational or recreational workloads or both, individuals with high baseline cartilage volume may advantageously modify their risk for knee OA by participating in more frequent occupational physical activities. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Preliminary design of a solar central receiver for a site-specific repowering application (Saguaro Power Plant). Volume III. Specifications. Final report, October 1982-September 1983

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

Weber, E.R.

1983-09-01

This volume on specifications for the Saguaro Power Plant includes the following: subsystem interface definition document; solar collector subsystem specification; receiver specification; thermal energy storage specification; solar steam generator specification; and master control system specification.

Measured body composition and geometrical data of four ``virtual family'' members for thermoregulatory modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Xiaojiang; Rioux, Timothy P.; MacLeod, Tynan; Patel, Tejash; Rome, Maxwell N.; Potter, Adam W.

2017-03-01

The purpose of this paper is to develop a database of tissue composition, distribution, volume, surface area, and skin thickness from anatomically correct human models, the virtual family. These models were based on high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of human volunteers, including two adults (male and female) and two children (boy and girl). In the segmented image dataset, each voxel is associated with a label which refers to a tissue type that occupies up that specific cubic millimeter of the body. The tissue volume was calculated from the number of the voxels with the same label. Volumes of 24 organs in body and volumes of 7 tissues in 10 specific body regions were calculated. Surface area was calculated from the collection of voxels that are touching the exterior air. Skin thicknesses were estimated from its volume and surface area. The differences between the calculated and original masses were about 3 % or less for tissues or organs that are important to thermoregulatory modeling, e.g., muscle, skin, and fat. This accurate database of body tissue distributions and geometry is essential for the development of human thermoregulatory models. Data derived from medical imaging provide new effective tools to enhance thermal physiology research and gain deeper insight into the mechanisms of how the human body maintains heat balance.

On the emergence of a generalised Gamma distribution. Application to traded volume in financial markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duarte Queirós, S. M.

2005-08-01

This letter reports on a stochastic dynamical scenario whose associated stationary probability density function is exactly a generalised form, with a power law instead of exponencial decay, of the ubiquitous Gamma distribution. This generalisation, also known as F-distribution, was empirically proposed for the first time to adjust for high-frequency stock traded volume distributions in financial markets and verified in experiments with granular material. The dynamical assumption presented herein is based on local temporal fluctuations of the average value of the observable under study. This proposal is related to superstatistics and thus to the current nonextensive statistical mechanics framework. For the specific case of stock traded volume, we connect the local fluctuations in the mean stock traded volume with the typical herding behaviour presented by financial traders. Last of all, NASDAQ 1 and 2 minute stock traded volume sequences and probability density functions are numerically reproduced.

PRESSURE-VOLUME RELATIONSHIP OF THE FUNDULUS EGG IN SEA WATER AND IN SUCROSE

PubMed Central

Kao, C. Y.

1956-01-01

Upon activation, an internal hydrostatic pressure develops within the Fundulus egg, and compresses the egg proper to a reduced volume. When the perivitelline pressure is abolished by a highly hypertonic sucrose solution, the egg volume increases. As sucrose penetrates the chorion, the volume again decreases. The relation between P and V in these conditions is inverse, and approximates a rectangular hyperbola. The limiting factor causing most of the deviation is shown to be the incompressible fraction. It is concluded that the volume of the egg proper is controlled by the perivitelline pressure, and that the effect of hypertonic sucrose solution is exerted by lowering the pressure and thereby increasing membrane permeability non-specifically. It is also shown that some permanent alterations occur within the plasma membrane during activation that reduce the permeance, and thereby, increase the incompressible fraction. PMID:13357739

Vortex Imprints at the Wall, But Not in the Bulk, Distinguish Ruptured from Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varble, Nicole; Meng, Hui

2015-11-01

Intracranial aneurysms affect 3% of the population. Risk stratification of aneurysms is important, as rupture often leads to death or permanent disability. Image-based CFD analyses of patient-specific aneurysms have identified low and oscillatory wall shear stress to predict rupture. These stresses are sensed biologically at the luminal wall, but the flow dynamics related to aneurysm rupture requires further understanding. We have conducted two studies: one examines vortex dynamics, and the other, high frequency flow fluctuations in patient-specific aneurysms. In the first study, based on Q-criterion vortex identification, we developed two measures to quantify regions within the aneurysm where rotational flow is dominate: the ratio of volume or surface area where Q >0 vs. the total aneurysmal volume or surface area, respectively termed volume vortex fraction (VVF) and surface vortex fraction (SVF). Statistical analysis of 204 aneurysms shows that SVF, but not VVF, distinguishes ruptured from unruptured aneurysms, suggesting that once again, the local flow patterns on the wall is directly relevant to rupture. In the second study, high-resolution CFD (high spatial and temporal resolutions and second-order discretization schemes) on 56 middle cerebral artery aneurysms shows the presence of temporal fluctuations in 8 aneurysms, but such flow instability bears no correlation with rupture. Support for this work was partially provided by NIH grant (R01 NS091075-01) and a grant from Toshiba Medical Systems Corp.

Automated Microbial Metabolism Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

The effect of several environmental parameters on previously developed life detection systems is explored. Initial attempts were made to conduct all the experiments in a moist mode (high soil volume to water volume ratio). However, only labeled release and measurement of ATP were found to be feasible under conditions of low moisture. Therefore, these two life detection experiments were used for most of the environmental effects studies. Three soils, Mojave (California desert), Wyaconda (Maryland, sandy loam) and Victoria Valley (Antarctic desert) were generally used throughout. The environmental conditions studied included: incubation temperature 3 C to 80 C, ultraviolet irradiation of soils, variations in soil/liquid ratio, specific atmospheric gases, various antimetabolites, specific substrates, and variation in pH. An experiment designed to monitor nitrogen metabolism was also investigated.

Study for identification of beneficial uses of Space (BUS). Volume 2: Technical report. Book 1: Development and business analysis of space processed isoenzymes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

A separation method to provide reasonable yields of high specificity isoenzymes for the purpose of large scale, early clinical diagnosis of diseases and organic damage such as, myocardial infarction, hepatoma, muscular dystrophy, and infectous disorders is presented. Preliminary development plans are summarized. An analysis of required research and development and production resources is included. The costs of such resources and the potential profitability of a commercial space processing opportunity for electrophoretic separation of high specificity isoenzymes are reviewed.

Performance analysis of radiation cooled dc transmission lines for high power space systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwarze, G. E.

1985-01-01

As space power levels increase to meet mission objectives and also as the transmission distance between power source and load increases, the mass, volume, power loss, and operating voltage and temperature become important system design considerations. This analysis develops the dependence of the specific mass and percent power loss on hte power and voltage levels, transmission distance, operating temperature and conductor material properties. Only radiation cooling is considered since the transmission line is assumed to operate in a space environment. The results show that the limiting conditions for achieving low specific mass, percent power loss, and volume for a space-type dc transmission line are the permissible transmission voltage and operating temperature. Other means to achieve low specific mass include the judicious choice of conductor materials. The results of this analysis should be immediately applicable to power system trade-off studies including comparisons with ac transmission systems.

Direct and simultaneous estimation of cardiac four chamber volumes by multioutput sparse regression.

PubMed

Zhen, Xiantong; Zhang, Heye; Islam, Ali; Bhaduri, Mousumi; Chan, Ian; Li, Shuo

2017-02-01

Cardiac four-chamber volume estimation serves as a fundamental and crucial role in clinical quantitative analysis of whole heart functions. It is a challenging task due to the huge complexity of the four chambers including great appearance variations, huge shape deformation and interference between chambers. Direct estimation has recently emerged as an effective and convenient tool for cardiac ventricular volume estimation. However, existing direct estimation methods were specifically developed for one single ventricle, i.e., left ventricle (LV), or bi-ventricles; they can not be directly used for four chamber volume estimation due to the great combinatorial variability and highly complex anatomical interdependency of the four chambers. In this paper, we propose a new, general framework for direct and simultaneous four chamber volume estimation. We have addressed two key issues, i.e., cardiac image representation and simultaneous four chamber volume estimation, which enables accurate and efficient four-chamber volume estimation. We generate compact and discriminative image representations by supervised descriptor learning (SDL) which can remove irrelevant information and extract discriminative features. We propose direct and simultaneous four-chamber volume estimation by the multioutput sparse latent regression (MSLR), which enables jointly modeling nonlinear input-output relationships and capturing four-chamber interdependence. The proposed method is highly generalized, independent of imaging modalities, which provides a general regression framework that can be extensively used for clinical data prediction to achieve automated diagnosis. Experiments on both MR and CT images show that our method achieves high performance with a correlation coefficient of up to 0.921 with ground truth obtained manually by human experts, which is clinically significant and enables more accurate, convenient and comprehensive assessment of cardiac functions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impacts of lung and tumor volumes on lung dosimetry for nonsmall cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Lei, Weijie; Jia, Jing; Cao, Ruifen; Song, Jing; Hu, Liqin

2017-09-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the impacts of lung and tumor volumes on normal lung dosimetry in three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT), step-and-shoot intensity-modulated radiotherapy (ssIMRT), and single full-arc volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) in treatment of nonsmall cell lung cancers (NSCLC). All plans were designed to deliver a total dose of 66 Gy in 33 fractions to PTV for the 32 NSCLC patients with various total (bilateral) lung volumes, planning target volumes (PTVs), and PTV locations. The ratio of the lung volume (total lung volume excluding the PTV volume) to the PTV volume (LTR) was evaluated to represent the impacts in three steps. (a) The least squares method was used to fit mean lung doses (MLDs) to PTVs or LTRs with power-law function in the population cohort (N = 32). (b) The population cohort was divided into three groups by LTRs based on first step and then by PTVs, respectively. The MLDs were compared among the three techniques in each LTR group (LG) and each PTV group (PG). (c) The power-law correlation was tested by using the adaptive radiation therapy (ART) planning data of individual patients in the individual cohort (N = 4). Different curves of power-law function with high R 2 values were observed between averaged LTRs and averaged MLDs for 3DCRT, ssIMRT, and VMAT, respectively. In the individual cohort, high R 2 values of fitting curves were also observed in individual patients in ART, although the trend was highly patient-specific. There was a more obvious correlation between LTR and MLD than that between PTV and MLD. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Application of a Model for Quenching and Partitioning in Hot Stamping of High-Strength Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Bin; Liu, Zhuang; Wang, Yanan; Rolfe, Bernard; Wang, Liang; Zhang, Yisheng

2018-04-01

Application of quenching and partitioning process in hot stamping has proven to be an effective method to improve the plasticity of advanced high-strength steels (AHSSs). In this study, the hot stamping and partitioning process of advanced high-strength steel 30CrMnSi2Nb is investigated with a hot stamping mold. Given the specific partitioning time and temperature, the influence of quenching temperature on the volume fraction of microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the above steel are studied in detail. In addition, a model for quenching and partitioning process is applied to predict the carbon diffusion and interface migration during partitioning, which determines the retained austenite volume fraction and final properties of the part. The predicted trends of the retained austenite volume fraction agree with the experimental results. In both cases, the volume fraction of retained austenite increases first and then decreases with the increasing quenching temperature. The optimal quenching temperature is approximately 290 °C for 30CrMnSi2Nb with the partition conditions of 425 °C and 20 seconds. It is suggested that the model can be used to help determine the process parameters to obtain retained austenite as much as possible.

Handbook of Parenting. Volume 3: Status and Social Conditions of Parenting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bornstein, Marc H., Ed.

Highlighting the specific as well as common characteristics of different types of parents, this volume, the third of four volumes on parenting specifically deals with parental status and the social conditions of parenting. The volume consists of 17 chapters as follows: (1) "Mothering" (Kathryn E. Barnard and Louise K. Martell); (2)…

Foundations for Measuring Volume Rendering Quality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Peter L.; Uselton, Samuel P.; Chancellor, Marisa K. (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

The goal of this paper is to provide a foundation for objectively comparing volume rendered images. The key elements of the foundation are: (1) a rigorous specification of all the parameters that need to be specified to define the conditions under which a volume rendered image is generated; (2) a methodology for difference classification, including a suite of functions or metrics to quantify and classify the difference between two volume rendered images that will support an analysis of the relative importance of particular differences. The results of this method can be used to study the changes caused by modifying particular parameter values, to compare and quantify changes between images of similar data sets rendered in the same way, and even to detect errors in the design, implementation or modification of a volume rendering system. If one has a benchmark image, for example one created by a high accuracy volume rendering system, the method can be used to evaluate the accuracy of a given image.

Regarding the Focal Treatment of Prostate Cancer: Inference of the Gleason Grade From Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging

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

Brame, Ryan S.; Zaider, Marco; Zakian, Kristen L.

2009-05-01

Purpose: To quantify, as a function of average magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) score and tumor volume, the probability that a cancer-suspected lesion has an elevated Gleason grade. Methods and Materials: The data consist of MRS imaging ratios R stratified by patient, lesion (contiguous abnormal voxels), voxels, biopsy and pathologic Gleason grade, and lesion volume. The data were analyzed using a logistic model. Results: For both low and high Gleason score biopsy lesions, the probability of pathologic Gleason score {>=}4+3 increases with lesion volume. At low values of R a lesion volume of at least 15-20 voxels is needed to reachmore » a probability of success of 80%; the biopsy result helps reduce the prediction uncertainty. At larger MRS ratios (R > 6) the biopsy result becomes essentially uninformative once the lesion volume is >12 voxels. With the exception of low values of R, for lesions with low Gleason score at biopsy, the MRS ratios serve primarily as a selection tool for assessing lesion volumes. Conclusions: In patients with biopsy Gleason score {>=}4+3, high MRS imaging tumor volume and (creatine + choline)/citrate ratio may justify the initiation of voxel-specific dose escalation. This is an example of biologically motivated focal treatment for which intensity-modulated radiotherapy and especially brachytherapy are ideally suited.« less

High Sensitivity and Specificity of Clinical Microscopy in Rural Health Facilities in Western Kenya Under an External Quality Assurance Program

PubMed Central

Wafula, Rebeccah; Sang, Edna; Cheruiyot, Olympia; Aboto, Angeline; Menya, Diana; O'Meara, Wendy Prudhomme

2014-01-01

Microscopic diagnosis of malaria is a well-established and inexpensive technique that has the potential to provide accurate diagnosis of malaria infection. However, it requires both training and experience. Although it is considered the gold standard in research settings, the sensitivity and specificity of routine microscopy for clinical care in the primary care setting has been reported to be unacceptably low. We established a monthly external quality assurance program to monitor the performance of clinical microscopy in 17 rural health centers in western Kenya. The average sensitivity over the 12-month period was 96% and the average specificity was 88%. We identified specific contextual factors that contributed to inadequate performance. Maintaining high-quality malaria diagnosis in high-volume, resource-constrained health facilities is possible. PMID:24935953

Urban hospital 'clusters' do shift high-risk procedures to key facilities, but more could be done.

PubMed

Luke, Roice D; Luke, Tyler; Muller, Nancy

2011-09-01

Since the 1990s, rapid consolidation in the hospital sector has resulted in the vast majority of hospitals joining systems that already had a considerable presence within their markets. We refer to these important local and regional systems as "clusters." To determine whether hospital clusters have taken measurable steps aimed at improving the quality of care-specifically, by concentrating low-volume, high-complexity services within selected "lead" facilities-this study examined within-cluster concentrations of high-risk cases for seven surgical procedures. We found that lead hospitals on average performed fairly high percentages of the procedures per cluster, ranging from 59 percent for esophagectomy to 87 percent for aortic valve replacement. The numbers indicate that hospitals might need to work with rival facilities outside their cluster to concentrate cases for the lowest-volume procedures, such as esophagectomies, whereas coordination among cluster members might be sufficient for higher-volume procedures. The results imply that policy makers should focus on clusters' potential for restructuring care and further coordinating services across hospitals in local areas.

Vertical nanopillars for highly localized fluorescence imaging

PubMed Central

Xie, Chong; Hanson, Lindsey; Cui, Yi; Cui, Bianxiao

2011-01-01

Observing individual molecules in a complex environment by fluorescence microscopy is becoming increasingly important in biological and medical research, for which critical reduction of observation volume is required. Here, we demonstrate the use of vertically aligned silicon dioxide nanopillars to achieve below-the-diffraction-limit observation volume in vitro and inside live cells. With a diameter much smaller than the wavelength of visible light, a transparent silicon dioxide nanopillar embedded in a nontransparent substrate restricts the propagation of light and affords evanescence wave excitation along its vertical surface. This effect creates highly confined illumination volume that selectively excites fluorescence molecules in the vicinity of the nanopillar. We show that this nanopillar illumination can be used for in vitro single-molecule detection at high fluorophore concentrations. In addition, we demonstrate that vertical nanopillars interface tightly with live cells and function as highly localized light sources inside the cell. Furthermore, specific chemical modification of the nanopillar surface makes it possible to locally recruit proteins of interest and simultaneously observe their behavior within the complex, crowded environment of the cell. PMID:21368157

Evaluation of the HISCL Anti-Treponema pallidum Assay as a Screening Test for Syphilis

PubMed Central

An, Jingna; Chen, Qixia; Liu, Qianqian; Rao, Chenli; Li, Dongdong; Wang, Tingting

2015-01-01

The resurgence of syphilis in recent years has become a serious threat to public health worldwide, and the serological detection of specific antibodies against Treponema pallidum remains the most reliable method for laboratory diagnosis of syphilis. This study examined the performance of the recently launched HISCL anti-Treponema pallidum (anti-TP) assay as a screening test for syphilis in a high-volume laboratory. The HISCL anti-TP assay was tested in 300 preselected syphilis-positive samples, 704 fresh syphilis-negative samples, 48 preselected potentially interfering samples, and 30 “borderline” samples and was compared head to head with the commercially available Lumipulse G TP-N. In this study, the HISCL anti-TP assay was in perfect agreement with the applied testing algorithms with an overall agreement of 100%, comparable to that of Lumipulse G TP-N (99.63%). The sensitivity and specificity of the HISCL anti-TP assay were 100% (95% confidence interval [CI], 98.42% to 100%) and 100% (95% CI, 99.37% to 100%), respectively. Considering the excellent ease of use and automation, high throughput, and its favorable sensitivity and specificity, the HISCL anti-TP assay may represent a new choice for syphilis screening in high-volume laboratories. PMID:25972403

Evaluation of the HISCL Anti-Treponema pallidum Assay as a Screening Test for Syphilis.

PubMed

An, Jingna; Chen, Qixia; Liu, Qianqian; Rao, Chenli; Li, Dongdong; Wang, Tingting; Tao, Chuanmin; Wang, Lanlan

2015-07-01

The resurgence of syphilis in recent years has become a serious threat to public health worldwide, and the serological detection of specific antibodies against Treponema pallidum remains the most reliable method for laboratory diagnosis of syphilis. This study examined the performance of the recently launched HISCL anti-Treponema pallidum (anti-TP) assay as a screening test for syphilis in a high-volume laboratory. The HISCL anti-TP assay was tested in 300 preselected syphilis-positive samples, 704 fresh syphilis-negative samples, 48 preselected potentially interfering samples, and 30 "borderline" samples and was compared head to head with the commercially available Lumipulse G TP-N. In this study, the HISCL anti-TP assay was in perfect agreement with the applied testing algorithms with an overall agreement of 100%, comparable to that of Lumipulse G TP-N (99.63%). The sensitivity and specificity of the HISCL anti-TP assay were 100% (95% confidence interval [CI], 98.42% to 100%) and 100% (95% CI, 99.37% to 100%), respectively. Considering the excellent ease of use and automation, high throughput, and its favorable sensitivity and specificity, the HISCL anti-TP assay may represent a new choice for syphilis screening in high-volume laboratories. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Protein-surface interactions on stimuli-responsive polymeric biomaterials.

PubMed

Cross, Michael C; Toomey, Ryan G; Gallant, Nathan D

2016-03-04

Responsive surfaces: a review of the dependence of protein adsorption on the reversible volume phase transition in stimuli-responsive polymers. Specifically addressed are a widely studied subset: thermoresponsive polymers. Findings are also generalizable to other materials which undergo a similarly reversible volume phase transition. As of 2015, over 100,000 articles have been published on stimuli-responsive polymers and many more on protein-biomaterial interactions. Significantly, fewer than 100 of these have focused specifically on protein interactions with stimuli-responsive polymers. These report a clear trend of increased protein adsorption in the collapsed state compared to the swollen state. This control over protein interactions makes stimuli-responsive polymers highly useful in biomedical applications such as wound repair scaffolds, on-demand drug delivery, and antifouling surfaces. Outstanding questions are whether the protein adsorption is reversible with the volume phase transition and whether there is a time-dependence. A clear understanding of protein interactions with stimuli-responsive polymers will advance theoretical models, experimental results, and biomedical applications.

Friendships in Childhood and Adolescence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bagwell, Catherine L.; Schmidt, Michelle E.

2011-01-01

Highly readable and comprehensive, this volume explores the significance of friendship for social, emotional, and cognitive development from early childhood through adolescence. The authors trace how friendships change as children age and what specific functions these relationships play in promoting adjustment and well-being. Compelling topics…

New Analytical Monographs on TCM Herbal Drugs for Quality Proof.

PubMed

Wagner, Hildebert; Bauer, Rudolf; Melchart, Dieter

2016-01-01

Regardless of specific national drug regulations there is an international consensus that all TCM drugs must meet stipulated high quality standards focusing on authentication, identification and chemical composition. In addition, safety of all TCM drugs prescribed by physicians has to be guaranteed. During the 25 years history of the TCM hospital Bad Kötzting, 171 TCM drugs underwent an analytical quality proof including thin layer as well as high pressure liquid chromatography. As from now mass spectroscopy will also be available as analytical tool. The findings are compiled and already published in three volumes of analytical monographs. One more volume will be published shortly, and a fifth volume is in preparation. The main issues of the analytical procedure in TCM drugs like authenticity, botanical nomenclature, variability of plant species and parts as well as processing are pointed out and possible ways to overcome them are sketched. © 2016 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

27 CFR 30.66 - Table 6, showing respective volumes of alcohol and water and the specific gravity in both air and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... respective volumes of alcohol and water and the specific gravity in both air and vacuum of spirituous liquor... volumes of alcohol and water and the specific gravity in both air and vacuum of spirituous liquor. This... gallon of water in air by the specific gravity in air of the spirits—8.32823 by 0.88862—the product (7...

27 CFR 30.66 - Table 6, showing respective volumes of alcohol and water and the specific gravity in both air and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... respective volumes of alcohol and water and the specific gravity in both air and vacuum of spirituous liquor... volumes of alcohol and water and the specific gravity in both air and vacuum of spirituous liquor. This... gallon of water in air by the specific gravity in air of the spirits—8.32823 by 0.88862—the product (7...

27 CFR 30.66 - Table 6, showing respective volumes of alcohol and water and the specific gravity in both air and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... respective volumes of alcohol and water and the specific gravity in both air and vacuum of spirituous liquor... volumes of alcohol and water and the specific gravity in both air and vacuum of spirituous liquor. This... gallon of water in air by the specific gravity in air of the spirits—8.32823 by 0.88862—the product (7...

27 CFR 30.66 - Table 6, showing respective volumes of alcohol and water and the specific gravity in both air and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... respective volumes of alcohol and water and the specific gravity in both air and vacuum of spirituous liquor... volumes of alcohol and water and the specific gravity in both air and vacuum of spirituous liquor. This... gallon of water in air by the specific gravity in air of the spirits—8.32823 by 0.88862—the product (7...

27 CFR 30.66 - Table 6, showing respective volumes of alcohol and water and the specific gravity in both air and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... respective volumes of alcohol and water and the specific gravity in both air and vacuum of spirituous liquor... volumes of alcohol and water and the specific gravity in both air and vacuum of spirituous liquor. This... gallon of water in air by the specific gravity in air of the spirits—8.32823 by 0.88862—the product (7...

Large area 3-D optical coherence tomography imaging of lumpectomy specimens for radiation treatment planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Cuihuan; Kim, Leonard; Barnard, Nicola; Khan, Atif; Pierce, Mark C.

2016-02-01

Our long term goal is to develop a high-resolution imaging method for comprehensive assessment of tissue removed during lumpectomy procedures. By identifying regions of high-grade disease within the excised specimen, we aim to develop patient-specific post-operative radiation treatment regimens. We have assembled a benchtop spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) system with 1320 nm center wavelength. Automated beam scanning enables "sub-volumes" spanning 5 mm x 5 mm x 2 mm (500 A-lines x 500 B-scans x 2 mm in depth) to be collected in under 15 seconds. A motorized sample positioning stage enables multiple sub-volumes to be acquired across an entire tissue specimen. Sub-volumes are rendered from individual B-scans in 3D Slicer software and en face (XY) images are extracted at specific depths. These images are then tiled together using MosaicJ software to produce a large area en face view (up to 40 mm x 25 mm). After OCT imaging, specimens were sectioned and stained with HE, allowing comparison between OCT image features and disease markers on histopathology. This manuscript describes the technical aspects of image acquisition and reconstruction, and reports initial qualitative comparison between large area en face OCT images and HE stained tissue sections. Future goals include developing image reconstruction algorithms for mapping an entire sample, and registering OCT image volumes with clinical CT and MRI images for post-operative treatment planning.

Music-listening habits with MP3 player in a group of adolescents: a descriptive survey.

PubMed

Pellegrino, E; Lorini, C; Allodi, G; Buonamici, C; Garofalo, G; Bonaccorsi, G

2013-01-01

Listening to music through portable MP3 players has become a very popular mode among young people and adolescents. The aim of this study is to investigate the behaviors of adolescents engaged in listening to music with MP3 player and the attendance at clubs (pubs, discotheques) where music is played at high volume. Among the 1470 students attending a secondary school in Scandicci (FI) during the school year 2009/2010, 1278 (86.9%) were at school the day of the examination and 1276 completely filled in the questionnaire. Descriptive analysis and univariate and multivariate logistic regression were performed to calculate the degree of association (OR) among the sociodemographic characteristics, listening habits and some factors identified as risky or protective as regards the possibility of developing health disorders. MP3 player users are 88.2% of the sample. Among these, a high proportion engaged behaviours that increase the risk of presenting disorders, including the exposure to high-volume (27.4%). Furthermore, 44.6% use the MP3 while driving. From the regression analysis it emerges that MP3 users showed a sort of addiction: by increasing the time and the occasions of exposure to music, they increased the volume, used maximum or medium-high volume, did not take breaks and did not decrease the volume. The study points out the spread of risky behavior in music listening, so it is necessary to better inform especially the youngsters and achieve specific preventive interventions.

Handbook of Parenting. Volume 3: Being and Becoming a Parent. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bornstein, Marc H., Ed.

Highlighting the specific as well as common characteristics of different types of parents, this volume, the third of five volumes on parenting, deals specifically with parental status and the social conditions of parenting. The volume consists of 20 chapters as follows: (1) "Mothering" (Kathryn E. Barnard and JoAnne E. Solchany); (2)…

Implementing Energy Education in Florida's High Schools: A Two-Week Credit Institute for Teachers in North Florida. Final Report, Volume II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaHart, David E.; Allen, Rodney F.

Curriculum units developed by high school teachers are provided for specific content instruction in energy education. Based on group agreement that energy education should assist students in changing attitudes, altering personal behavior and energy consumption, and developing sound alternatives, the units are categorized by social studies,…

Implementing Energy Education in Florida's High Schools: A Two-Week Credit Institute for Teachers in South Florida. Final Report, Volume I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Univ., Tallahassee. Environmental Education Project.

A 1977 inservice teacher training workshop in implementing energy education in Florida high schools is described. Designed for secondary teachers of science, social studies, vocational education, environmental studies, and home economics, the two-week workshop provided specific content instruction and teaching methods related to energy and energy…

LL13-MatModelRadDetect-PD2Jf Final Report: Materials Modeling for High-Performance Radiation Detectors

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

Lordi, Vincenzo

The aims of this project are to enable rational materials design for select high-payoff challenges in radiation detection materials by using state-of-the-art predictive atomistic modeling techniques. Three specific high-impact challenges are addressed: (i) design and optimization of electrical contact stacks for TlBr detectors to stabilize temporal response at room-temperature; (ii) identification of chemical design principles of host glass materials for large-volume, low-cost, highperformance glass scintillators; and (iii) determination of the electrical impacts of dislocation networks in Cd 1-xZn xTe (CZT) that limit its performance and usable single-crystal volume. The specific goals are to establish design and process strategies to achievemore » improved materials for high performance detectors. Each of the major tasks is discussed below in three sections, which include the goals for the task and a summary of the major results, followed by a listing of publications that contain the full details, including details of the methodologies used. The appendix lists 12 conference presentations given for this project, including 1 invited talk and 1 invited poster.« less

Gray matter anomalies in pedophiles with and without a history of child sexual offending

PubMed Central

Schiffer, B; Amelung, T; Pohl, A; Kaergel, C; Tenbergen, G; Gerwinn, H; Mohnke, S; Massau, C; Matthias, W; Weiß, S; Marr, V; Beier, K M; Walter, M; Ponseti, J; Krüger, T H C; Schiltz, K; Walter, H

2017-01-01

Pedophilia is a psychiatric disorder that is inter-related with but distinct from child sexual offending (CSO). Neural alterations reportedly contribute to both pedophilia and CSO, but until now, no study has distinguished the brain structural anomalies associated with pedophilia from those specifically associated with CSO in pedophilic men. Using high-resolution T1-weighted brain images and voxel-based morphometry, we analyzed the gray matter (GM) volume of the following 219 men recruited at four acquisition sites in Germany: 58 pedophiles with a history of CSO, 60 pedophiles without any history of CSO and 101 non-pedophilic, non-offending controls to control for the effects of age, education level, verbal IQ, sexual orientation and the acquisition site. Although there were no differences in the relative GM volume of the brain specifically associated with pedophilia, statistical parametric maps revealed a highly significant and CSO-related pattern of above vs below the ‘normal’ GM volume in the right temporal pole, with non-offending pedophiles exhibiting larger volumes than offending pedophiles. Moreover, regression analysis revealed that the lower GM volume of the dorsomedial prefrontal or anterior cingulate cortex was associated with a higher risk of re-offending in pedophilic child molesters. We believe our data provide the first evidence that CSO in pedophilia rather than pedophilia alone is associated with GM anomalies and thus shed new light on the results of previous studies on this topic. These results indicate the need for new neurobehavioral theories on pedophilia and CSO and may be potentially useful for treatment or prevention approaches that aim to reduce the risk of (re)offending in pedophilia. PMID:28509903

Gray matter anomalies in pedophiles with and without a history of child sexual offending.

PubMed

Schiffer, B; Amelung, T; Pohl, A; Kaergel, C; Tenbergen, G; Gerwinn, H; Mohnke, S; Massau, C; Matthias, W; Weiß, S; Marr, V; Beier, K M; Walter, M; Ponseti, J; Krüger, T H C; Schiltz, K; Walter, H

2017-05-16

Pedophilia is a psychiatric disorder that is inter-related with but distinct from child sexual offending (CSO). Neural alterations reportedly contribute to both pedophilia and CSO, but until now, no study has distinguished the brain structural anomalies associated with pedophilia from those specifically associated with CSO in pedophilic men. Using high-resolution T1-weighted brain images and voxel-based morphometry, we analyzed the gray matter (GM) volume of the following 219 men recruited at four acquisition sites in Germany: 58 pedophiles with a history of CSO, 60 pedophiles without any history of CSO and 101 non-pedophilic, non-offending controls to control for the effects of age, education level, verbal IQ, sexual orientation and the acquisition site. Although there were no differences in the relative GM volume of the brain specifically associated with pedophilia, statistical parametric maps revealed a highly significant and CSO-related pattern of above vs below the 'normal' GM volume in the right temporal pole, with non-offending pedophiles exhibiting larger volumes than offending pedophiles. Moreover, regression analysis revealed that the lower GM volume of the dorsomedial prefrontal or anterior cingulate cortex was associated with a higher risk of re-offending in pedophilic child molesters. We believe our data provide the first evidence that CSO in pedophilia rather than pedophilia alone is associated with GM anomalies and thus shed new light on the results of previous studies on this topic. These results indicate the need for new neurobehavioral theories on pedophilia and CSO and may be potentially useful for treatment or prevention approaches that aim to reduce the risk of (re)offending in pedophilia.

The Weinstein conjecture with multiplicities on spherizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hertzberg, Benjamin J.

2011-07-01

Si-based anodes have recently received considerable attention for use in Li-ion batteries, due to their extremely high specific capacity---an order of magnitude beyond that offered by conventional graphite anode materials. However, during the lithiation process, Si-based anodes undergo extreme increases in volume, potentially by more than 300 %. The stresses produced within the electrode by these volume changes can damage the electrode binder, the active Si particles and the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), causing the electrode to rapidly fail and lose capacity. These problems can be overcome by producing new anode materials incorporating both Si and C, which may offer a favorable combination of the best properties of both materials, and which can be designed with internal porosity, thereby buffering the high strains produced during battery charge and discharge with minimal overall volume changes. However, in order to develop useful anode materials, we must gain a thorough understanding of the structural, microstructural and chemical changes occurring within the electrode during the lithiation and delithiation process, and we must develop new processes for synthesizing composite anode particles which can survive the extreme strains produced during lithium intercalation of Si and exhibit no volume changes in spite of the volume changes in Si. In this work we have developed several novel synthesis processes for producing internally porous Si-C nanocomposite anode materials for Li-ion batteries. These nanocomposites possess excellent specific capacity, Coulombic efficiency, cycle lifetime, and rate capability. We have also investigated the influence of a range of different parameters on the electrochemical performance of these materials, including pore size and shape, carbon and silicon film thickness and microstructure, and binder chemistry.

Prostate-specific antigen screening impacts on biochemical recurrence in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer.

PubMed

Hashimoto, Takeshi; Ohori, Makoto; Shimodaira, Kenji; Kaburaki, Naoto; Hirasawa, Yosuke; Satake, Naoya; Gondo, Tatsuo; Nakagami, Yoshihiro; Namiki, Kazunori; Ohno, Yoshio

2018-06-01

To clarify the impact of prostate-specific antigen screening on surgical outcomes of prostate cancer. Patients who underwent radical prostatectomy were divided into two groups according to prostate-specific antigen testing opportunity (group 1, prostate-specific antigen screening; group 2, non-prostate-specific antigen screening). Perioperative clinical characteristics were compared using the Wilcoxon rank-sum and χ 2 -tests. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify independent predictors of postoperative biochemical recurrence-free survival. In total, 798 patients (63.2%) and 464 patients (36.8%) were categorized into groups 1 and 2, respectively. Group 2 patients were more likely to have a higher prostate-specific antigen level and age at diagnosis and larger prostate volume. Clinical T stage, percentage of positive cores and pathological Gleason score did not differ between the groups. The 5-year biochemical recurrence-free survival rate was 83.9% for group 1 and 71.0% for group 2 (P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, prostate-specific antigen testing opportunity (hazard ratio 2.530; P < 0.001) was an independent predictive factor for biochemical recurrence after surgery, as well as pathological T stage, pathological Gleason score, positive surgical margin and lymphovascular invasion. Additional analyses showed that prostate-specific antigen screening had a greater impact on biochemical recurrence in a younger patients, patients with a high prostate-specific antigen level, large prostate volume and D'Amico high risk, and patients meeting the exclusion criteria of the Prostate Cancer Research International Active Surveillance study. Detection by screening results in favorable outcomes after surgery. Prostate-specific antigen screening might contribute to reducing biochemical recurrence in patients with localized prostate cancer. © 2018 The Japanese Urological Association.

Development of Electrochemical Supercapacitors for EMA Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kosek, John A.; Dunning, Thomas; LaConti, Anthony B.

1996-01-01

A limitation of the typical electrochemical capacitor is the maximum available power and energy density, and an improvement in capacitance per unit weight and volume is needed. A solid-ionomer electrochemical capacitor having a unit cell capacitance greater than 2 F/sq cm and a repeating element thickness of 6 mils has been developed. This capacitor could provide high-current pulses for electromechanical actuation (EMA). Primary project objectives were to develop high-capacitance particulates, to increase capacitor gravimetric and volumetric energy densities above baseline and to fabricate a 10-V capacitor with a repeating element thickness of 6 mils or less. Specific EMA applications were identified and capacitor weight and volume projections made.

Opportunities in Total Knee Arthroplasty: Worldwide Surgeons' Perspective.

PubMed

Dunbar, Michael; Newman, Jared M; Khlopas, Anton; Chughtai, Morad; Martinez, Nick; Bhowmik-Stoker, Manoshi; Mont, Michael A

2017-07-25

This study surveyed a group of US and international orthopaedic surgeons to prioritize areas of improvement in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Specifically, we assessed surgeon responses regarding the top five areas of TKA needing improvement; which were stratified by: a) US surgeons, b) international surgeons, c) US surgeons' implant-brand-loyalty, and d) surgeons' years of experience and case volume. Four hundred and eighteen surgeons who were board-certified, in practice for at least two years, spent 60% of their time in clinical practice, and performed a minimum of 25 lower extremity joint arthroplasties per year were surveyed. They chose the top five areas (among 17) needing improvement for TKA. Results were stratified by surgeons' location (US and international), implant-brand-loyalty, years of experience, and case volume. Functional outcomes was the top identified area for improvement (US 63% and international 71%), followed by brand loyalty (Company I 68%, other brand 59%, and multi-brand/no loyalty 66%), years of experience (early-career 64%, mid-career 63%, and late-career 75%) and case volume (low-volume 69%, mid-volume 60%, and high-volume 71%). Following this was costs for US surgeons (47%) and implant survivorship for international surgeons (57%). While costs were the next highest area for specific Company-loyal surgeons (57%), implant survivorship was the next highest area for the other two cohorts. Implant survivorship was the second most important area of improvement regardless of years of experience and for low- and mid-volume surgeons. Surgeons identified functional outcomes as the most important area needing improvement. Cost of implants was more important for American as compared to international surgeons.

Finite Volume Methods: Foundation and Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barth, Timothy; Ohlberger, Mario

2003-01-01

Finite volume methods are a class of discretization schemes that have proven highly successful in approximating the solution of a wide variety of conservation law systems. They are extensively used in fluid mechanics, porous media flow, meteorology, electromagnetics, models of biological processes, semi-conductor device simulation and many other engineering areas governed by conservative systems that can be written in integral control volume form. This article reviews elements of the foundation and analysis of modern finite volume methods. The primary advantages of these methods are numerical robustness through the obtention of discrete maximum (minimum) principles, applicability on very general unstructured meshes, and the intrinsic local conservation properties of the resulting schemes. Throughout this article, specific attention is given to scalar nonlinear hyperbolic conservation laws and the development of high order accurate schemes for discretizing them. A key tool in the design and analysis of finite volume schemes suitable for non-oscillatory discontinuity capturing is discrete maximum principle analysis. A number of building blocks used in the development of numerical schemes possessing local discrete maximum principles are reviewed in one and several space dimensions, e.g. monotone fluxes, E-fluxes, TVD discretization, non-oscillatory reconstruction, slope limiters, positive coefficient schemes, etc. When available, theoretical results concerning a priori and a posteriori error estimates are given. Further advanced topics are then considered such as high order time integration, discretization of diffusion terms and the extension to systems of nonlinear conservation laws.

Orbit Transfer Vehicle (OTV) advanced expander cycle engine point design study, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

The engine requirements are emphasized and include: high specific impulse within a restricted installed length constraint, long life, multiple starts, different thrust levels, and man-rated reliability. The engine operating characteristics and the major component analytical design are summarized.

Transportation, impact on economy, project 2008-05, volume I : final report, September 2009.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-06-01

This report estimates both the one-time and the on-going economic and fiscal benefits from : transportation investments. The report provides NJDOT with two general software programs to : enable both types of benefits to be estimated for specific high...

Comparison of cell type specificities of stress pathway reporter assay ensemble response to environmental chemicals.

EPA Science Inventory

The large number of environmental compounds that currently need characterization and prioritization for further toxicological study is a serious regulatory challenge facing the EPA. In addition to these agents comprising of pesticides, inerts, and high-production volume chemical...

Determination of formaldehyde by HPLC as the DNPH derivative following high-volume air sampling onto bisulfite-coated cellulose filters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Andrade, Jailson B.; Tanner, Roger L.

A method is described for the specific collection of formaldehyde as hydroxymethanesulfonate on bisulfate-coated cellulose filters. Following extraction in aqueous acid and removal on unreacted bisulfite, the hydroxymethanesulfonate is decomposed by base, and HCHO is determined by DNPH (2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine) derivatization and HPLC. Since the collection efficiency for formaldehyde is moderately high even when sampling ambient air at high-volume flow rates, a limit of detection of 0.2 ppbv is achieved with 30 min sampling times. Interference from acetaldehyde co-collected as 1-hydroxyethanesulfonate is <5% using this procedure. The technique shows promise for both short-term airborne sampling, and as a means of collecting mg-sized samples of HCHO on an inorganic matrix for carbon isotopic analyses.

Development of a hip joint model for finite volume simulations.

PubMed

Cardiff, P; Karač, A; FitzPatrick, D; Ivanković, A

2014-01-01

This paper establishes a procedure for numerical analysis of a hip joint using the finite volume method. Patient-specific hip joint geometry is segmented directly from computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging datasets and the resulting bone surfaces are processed into a form suitable for volume meshing. A high resolution continuum tetrahedral mesh has been generated, where a sandwich model approach is adopted; the bones are represented as a stiffer cortical shells surrounding more flexible cancellous cores. Cartilage is included as a uniform thickness extruded layer and the effect of layer thickness is investigated. To realistically position the bones, gait analysis has been performed giving the 3D positions of the bones for the full gait cycle. Three phases of the gait cycle are examined using a finite volume based custom structural contact solver implemented in open-source software OpenFOAM.

Self-efficacy is independently associated with brain volume in older women.

PubMed

Davis, Jennifer C; Nagamatsu, Lindsay S; Hsu, Chun Liang; Beattie, B Lynn; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa

2012-07-01

ageing is highly associated with neurodegeneration and atrophy of the brain. Evidence suggests that personality variables are risk factors for reduced brain volume. We examine whether falls-related self-efficacy is independently associated with brain volume. a cross-sectional analysis of whether falls-related self-efficacy is independently associated with brain volumes (total, grey and white matter). Three multivariate regression models were constructed. Covariates included in the models were age, global cognition, systolic blood pressure, functional comorbidity index and current physical activity level. MRI scans were acquired from 79 community-dwelling senior women aged 65-75 years old. Falls-related self-efficacy was assessed by the activities-specific balance confidence (ABC) scale. after accounting for covariates, falls-related self-efficacy was independently associated with both total brain volume and total grey matter volume. The final model for total brain volume accounted for 17% of the variance, with the ABC score accounting for 8%. For total grey matter volume, the final model accounted for 24% of the variance, with the ABC score accounting for 10%. we provide novel evidence that falls-related self-efficacy, a modifiable risk factor for healthy ageing, is positively associated with total brain volume and total grey matter volume. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00426881.

Self-efficacy is independently associated with brain volume in older women

PubMed Central

Davis, Jennifer C.; Nagamatsu, Lindsay S.; Hsu, Chun Liang; Beattie, B. Lynn; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa

2015-01-01

Background Aging is highly associated with neurodegeneration and atrophy of the brain. Evidence suggests that personality variables are risk factors for reduced brain volume. We examine whether falls-related self-efficacy is independently associated with brain volume. Method A cross-sectional analysis of whether falls-related self-efficacy is independently associated with brain volumes (total, grey, and white matter). Three multivariate regression models were constructed. Covariates included in the models were age, global cognition, systolic blood pressure, functional comorbidity index, and current physical activity level. MRI scans were acquired from 79 community-dwelling senior women aged 65 to 75 years old. Falls-related self-efficacy was assessed by the Activities Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale. Results After accounting for covariates, falls-related self-efficacy was independently associated with both total brain volume and total grey matter volume. The final model for total brain volume accounted for 17% of the variance, with the ABC score accounting for 8%. For total grey matter volume, the final model accounted for 24% of the variance, with the ABC score accounting for 10%. Conclusion We provide novel evidence that falls-related self-efficacy, a modifiable risk factor for healthy aging, is positively associated with total brain volume and total grey matter volume. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00426881. PMID:22436405

Survival in pediatric lung transplantation: The effect of center volume and expertise.

PubMed

Khan, Muhammad S; Zhang, Wei; Taylor, Rachel A; Dean McKenzie, E; Mallory, George B; Schecter, Marc G; Morales, David L S; Heinle, Jeffrey S; Adachi, Iki

2015-08-01

Institutional operative volume has been shown to impact outcomes of various procedures including lung transplantation (LTx). We sought to determine whether this holds true with pediatric LTx by comparing outcomes of adult centers (with larger overall volume) to those of pediatric centers (with smaller volume but more pediatric-specific experience). A retrospective analysis of the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network data was performed. Centers were categorized as either adult (LTx volume predominantly in adult patients), high-volume pediatric (HVP, ≥4 LTxs/year), or low-volume pediatric (LVP, <4 LTxs/year). Outcomes were compared in "younger children" (<12 years) and "older children and adolescents" (12 to 17 years). In total, 1,046 pediatric LTxs were performed between 1987 and 2012 at 62 centers (adult 51 [82%], HVP 3 [5%], LVP 8 [13%]). Although adult centers had larger overall LTx volume, their pediatric experiences were severely limited (median 1/year). In younger children, HVP centers were significantly better than LVP centers for patient survival (half-life: 7.3 vs 2.9 years, p = 0.002). Similarly, in older children and adolescents, HVP centers were significantly better than adult centers for patient survival (half-life: 4.6 vs 2.5 years, p = 0.001). Of note, even LVP centers tended to have longer patient survival than adult centers (p = 0.064). Multivariable analysis identified adult centers as an independent risk factor for graft failure (hazard ratio: 1.5, p < 0.001) as with LVP (hazard ratio: 1.3, p = 0.0078). Despite larger overall clinical volume, outcomes among pediatric LTx recipients in adult centers are not superior to those of pediatric centers. Not only center volume but pediatric-specific experience has an impact on outcomes in pediatric LTx. Copyright © 2015 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Passive potassium transport in low potassium sheep red cells: dependence upon cell volume and chloride.

PubMed Central

Dunham, P B; Ellory, J C

1981-01-01

The major pathway of passive K influx (ouabain-insensitive) was characterized in low-K type (LK) red cells of sheep. 1. Passive K transport in these cells was highly sensitive to variations in cell volume; it increased threefold or more in cells swollen osmotically by 10%, and decreased up to twofold in cells shrunken 5-10%. Active K influx was insensitive to changes in cell volume. Three different methods for varying cell volume osmotically all gave similar results. 2. The volume-sensitive pathway was specific for K in that Na influx did not vary with changes in cell volume. 3. The volume-sensitive K influx was a saturable function of external K concentration. It was slightly inhibited by Na, whereas K influx in shrunken cells was unaffected by Na. 4. Passive K influx was dependent on the major anion in the medium in that replacement of Cl with any of six other anions resulted in a reduction of K influx by 50-80% (replacement of Cl by Br caused an increase in K influx). The activation of K influx by Cl followed sigmoid kinetics. 5. Passive K influx is inhibited by anti-L antibody. The antibody affected only that portion of influx which was Cl-dependent and volume-sensitve. Of the subfractions of the antibody, it is anti-L1 which inhibits passive K transport. 6. Pretreatment of cells with iodoacetamide reduced the sensitivity of K influx to cell volume in that the influx was reduced in swollen IAA-treated cells and increased in shrunken IAA-cells. 7. Intracellular Ca has no role in altering passive K transport in LK sheep cells. Therefore, the major pathway of passive K transport in LK sheep red cells is sensitive to changes in cell volume, specific for K, dependent on Cl, and inhibited by anti-L1 antibody, The minor pathway, observed in shrunken cells, has none of these properties. PMID:6798197

United States Air Force Summer Research Program -- 1993 Summer Research Program Final Reports. Volume 11. Arnold Engineering Development Center, Frank J. Seiler Research Laboratory, Wilford Hall Medical Center

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

external parameters such as airflow, temperature, pressure, etc, are measured. Turbine Engine testing generates massive volumes of data at very high...a form that describes the signal flow graph topology as well as specific parameters of the processing blocks in the diagram. On multiprocessor...provides an interface to the symbolic builder and control functions such that parameters may be set during the build operation that will affect the

A DFT study of thermodynamic properties of C36 and C14 Fe2Zr Laves phases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Kawsar; Ghosh, P. S.; Arya, A. K.

2018-04-01

Fe-Zr alloys are promising materials for metallic waste immobilization in nuclear industry. C36 and C14 Fe2Zr Laves phases are frequently observed in Fe-Zr alloys that can host radionuclides. The phonon dispersions of C36 and C14 Fe2Zr Laves phases shows that both intermetallics are dynamically stable. The Helmholtz free energy, vibrational entropy, internal energy and specific heat at constant volume has been calculated. The zero point energies of C36 and C14 phases are 9.23 and 9.91 kJ/mole, respectively. The vibrational free energy becomes negative at 250 K and 270 K. The high temperature specific heat at constant volume of both intermetallics is 74 J/K/mole.

Assessment of Uncertainty-Based Screening Volumes for NASA Robotic LEO and GEO Conjunction Risk Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Narvet, Steven W.; Frigm, Ryan C.; Hejduk, Matthew D.

2011-01-01

Conjunction Assessment operations require screening assets against the space object catalog by placing a pre-determined spatial volume around each asset and predicting when another object will violate that volume. The selection of the screening volume used for each spacecraft is a trade-off between observing all conjunction events that may pose a potential risk to the primary spacecraft and the ability to analyze those predicted events. If the screening volumes are larger, then more conjunctions can be observed and therefore the probability of a missed detection of a high risk conjunction event is small; however, the amount of data which needs to be analyzed increases. This paper characterizes the sensitivity of screening volume size to capturing typical orbit uncertainties and the expected number of conjunction events observed. These sensitivities are quantified in the form of a trade space that allows for selection of appropriate screen-ing volumes to fit the desired concept of operations, system limitations, and tolerable analyst workloads. This analysis will specifically highlight the screening volume determination and selection process for use in the NASA Conjunction Assessment Risk Analysis process but will also provide a general framework for other Owner / Operators faced with similar decisions.

[Treatment reality with respect to laparoscopic surgery of colonic cancer in Germany].

PubMed

Ptok, H; Gastinger, I; Bruns, C; Lippert, H

2014-07-01

Prospective randomized studies and meta-analyses have shown that laparoscopic resection for colonic cancer is equivalent to open resection with respect to the oncological results and has short-term advantages in the early postoperative outcome. The aim of this study was to investigate whether laparoscopic colonic resection has become established as the standard in routine treatment. Data from the multicenter observational study "Quality assurance colonic cancer (primary tumor)" from the time period from 1 January 2009 to 21 December 2011 were evaluated with respect to the total proportion of laparoscopic colonic cancer resections and tumor localization and specifically for laparoscopic sigmoid colon cancer resections. A comparison between low and high volume clinics (< 30 versus ≥ 30 colonic cancer resections/year) was carried out. Laparoscopic colonic cancer resections were carried out in 12 % versus 21.4 % of low and high volume clinics, respectively (p < 0.001) with a significant increase for low volume clinics (from 8.0 % to 15.6 %, p < 0.001) and a constant proportion in high volume clinics (from 21.7 % to 21.1 %, p = 0.905). For sigmoid colon cancer laparoscopic resection was carried out in 49.7 % versus 47.6 % (p = 0.584). Differences were found between low volume and high volume clinics in the conversion rates (17.3 % versus 6.6 %, p < 0.001), the length of the resected portion (Ø 23.6 cm versus 36.0 cm, p < 0.001) and the lymph node yield (Ø n = 15.7 versus 18.2, p = 0.008). There were no differences between the two groups of clinics regarding postoperative morbidity and mortality. The postoperative morbidity and length of stay were significantly lower for laparoscopic sigmoid resection than for conventional sigmoid resection. The laparoscopic access route for colonic cancer resection is not the standard approach in the participating clinics. The laparoscopic access route has the highest proportion for sigmoid colon resection. The differences in the conversion rates, length of the resected portion and the number of lymph nodes investigated between the low volume and high volume clinics must be viewed critically and must be interpreted in connection with the long-term oncological results.

High sensitivity and specificity of clinical microscopy in rural health facilities in western Kenya under an external quality assurance program.

PubMed

Wafula, Rebeccah; Sang, Edna; Cheruiyot, Olympia; Aboto, Angeline; Menya, Diana; O'Meara, Wendy Prudhomme

2014-09-01

Microscopic diagnosis of malaria is a well-established and inexpensive technique that has the potential to provide accurate diagnosis of malaria infection. However, it requires both training and experience. Although it is considered the gold standard in research settings, the sensitivity and specificity of routine microscopy for clinical care in the primary care setting has been reported to be unacceptably low. We established a monthly external quality assurance program to monitor the performance of clinical microscopy in 17 rural health centers in western Kenya. The average sensitivity over the 12-month period was 96% and the average specificity was 88%. We identified specific contextual factors that contributed to inadequate performance. Maintaining high-quality malaria diagnosis in high-volume, resource-constrained health facilities is possible. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Mesoporous carbon spheres with controlled porosity for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dexian; Fu, Aiping; Li, Hongliang; Wang, Yiqian; Guo, Peizhi; Liu, Jingquan; Zhao, Xiu Song

2015-07-01

Mesoporous carbon (MC) spheres with hierarchical pores, controlled pore volume and high specific surface areas have been prepared by a mass-producible spray drying assisted template method using sodium alginate as carbon precursor and commercial colloidal silica particles as hard template. The resulting MC spheres, possessing hierarchical pores in the range of 3-30 nm, are employed as conductive matrices for the preparation of cathode materials for lithium-sulfur batteries. A high pressure induced one-step impregnation of elemental sulfur into the pore of the MC spheres has been exploited. The electrochemical performances of sulfur-impregnated MC spheres (S-MC) derived from MC spheres with different pore volume and specific surface area but with the same sulfur loading ratio of 60 wt% (S-MC-X-60) have been investigated in details. The S-MC-4-60 composite cathode material displayed a high initial discharge capacity of 1388 mAhg-1 and a good cycling stability of 857 mAhg-1 after 100 cycles at 0.2C, and shows also excellent rate capability of 864 mAhg-1 at 2C. More importantly, the sulfur loading content in MC-4 spheres can reach as high as 80%, and it still can deliver a capacity of 569 mAhg-1 after 100 cycles at 0.2C.

USA Track & Field Coaching Manual. USA Track & Field.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

USA Track and Field, Inc., Indianapolis, IN.

This book presents comprehensive, ready-to-apply information from 33 world-class coaches and experts about major track and field events for high school and college coaches. The volume features proven predictive testing procedures; detailed event-specific technique instruction; carefully crafted training programs; and preparation and performance…

Regenerative Performance of the NASA Symmetrical Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cable, Thomas L.; Setlock, John A.; Farmer, Serene C.; Eckel, Andy J.

2009-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center is developing both a novel cell design (BSC) and a novel ceramic fabrication technique to produce fuel cells predicted to exceed a specific power density of 1.0 kW/kg. The NASA Glenn cell design has taken a completely different approach among planar designs by removing the metal interconnect and returning to the use of a thin, doped LaCrO3 interconnect. The cell is structurally symmetrical. Both electrodes support the thin electrolyte and contain micro-channels for gas flow-- a geometry referred to as a bi-electrode supported cell or BSC. The cell characteristics have been demonstrated under both SOFC and SOE conditions. Electrolysis tests verify that this cell design operates at very high electrochemical voltage efficiencies (EVE) and high H2O conversion percentages, even at the low flow rates predicted for closed loop systems encountered in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications. For UAVs the volume, weight and the efficiency are critical as they determine the size of the water tank, the solar panel size, and other system requirements. For UAVs, regenerative solid oxide fuel cell stacks (RSOFC) use solar panels during daylight to generate power for electrolysis and then operate in fuel cell mode during the night to power the UAV and electronics. Recent studies, performed by NASA for a more electric commercial aircraft, evaluated SOFCs for auxiliary power units (APUs). System studies were also conducted for regenerative RSOFC systems. One common requirement for aerospace SOFCs and RSOFCs, determined independently in each application study, was the need for high specific power density and volume density, on the order of 1.0 kW/kg and greater than 1.0 kW/L. Until recently the best reported performance for SOFCs was 0.2 kW/kg or less for stacks. NASA Glenn is working to prototype the light weight, low volume BSC design for such high specific power aerospace applications.

Cortical lamina-dependent blood volume changes in human brain at 7 T.

PubMed

Huber, Laurentius; Goense, Jozien; Kennerley, Aneurin J; Trampel, Robert; Guidi, Maria; Reimer, Enrico; Ivanov, Dimo; Neef, Nicole; Gauthier, Claudine J; Turner, Robert; Möller, Harald E

2015-02-15

Cortical layer-dependent high (sub-millimeter) resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in human or animal brain can be used to address questions regarding the functioning of cortical circuits, such as the effect of different afferent and efferent connectivities on activity in specific cortical layers. The sensitivity of gradient echo (GE) blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) responses to large draining veins reduces its local specificity and can render the interpretation of the underlying laminar neural activity impossible. The application of the more spatially specific cerebral blood volume (CBV)-based fMRI in humans has been hindered by the low sensitivity of the noninvasive modalities available. Here, a vascular space occupancy (VASO) variant, adapted for use at high field, is further optimized to capture layer-dependent activity changes in human motor cortex at sub-millimeter resolution. Acquired activation maps and cortical profiles show that the VASO signal peaks in gray matter at 0.8-1.6mm depth, and deeper compared to the superficial and vein-dominated GE-BOLD responses. Validation of the VASO signal change versus well-established iron-oxide contrast agent based fMRI methods in animals showed the same cortical profiles of CBV change, after normalization for lamina-dependent baseline CBV. In order to evaluate its potential of revealing small lamina-dependent signal differences due to modulations of the input-output characteristics, layer-dependent VASO responses were investigated in the ipsilateral hemisphere during unilateral finger tapping. Positive activation in ipsilateral primary motor cortex and negative activation in ipsilateral primary sensory cortex were observed. This feature is only visible in high-resolution fMRI where opposing sides of a sulcus can be investigated independently because of a lack of partial volume effects. Based on the results presented here, we conclude that VASO offers good reproducibility, high sensitivity and lower sensitivity than GE-BOLD to changes in larger vessels, making it a valuable tool for layer-dependent fMRI studies in humans. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of bread prepared from wheat flours blended with various kinds of newly developed rice flours.

PubMed

Nakamura, S; Suzuki, K; Ohtsubo, K

2009-04-01

Characteristics of the bread prepared from wheat flour blended with the flour of various kinds of newly developed rice cultivars were investigated. Qualities of the bread made from wheat flour blended with rice flour have been reported to be inferior to those from 100% wheat flour bread. To improve its qualities, we searched for the new-characteristic rice flours among the various kinds of newly developed rice cultivars to blend with the wheat flour for the bread preparation. The most suitable new characteristic rices are combination of purple waxy rice, high-amylose rice, and sugary rice. Specific volume of the bread from the combination of wheat and these 3 kinds of rice flours showed higher specific volume (3.93) compared with the traditional wheat/rice bread (3.58). We adopted the novel method, continuous progressive compression test, to measure the physical properties of the dough and the bread in addition to the sensory evaluation. As a result of the selection of the most suitable rice cultivars and blending ratio with the wheat flour, we could develop the novel wheat/rice bread, of which loaf volume, physical properties, and tastes are acceptable and resistant to firming on even 4 d after the bread preparation. To increase the ratio of rice to wheat, we tried to add a part of rice as cooked rice grains. The specific volume and qualities of the bread were maintained well although the rice content of total flour increased from 30% to 40%.

Disease management: a new and exciting opportunity in home healthcare.

PubMed

Huffman, Melinda H

2005-05-01

Disease management programs are beginning to encompass providers across the healthcare continuum, including home healthcare. The premise behind disease management is that coordinated, evidence-based interventions can be applied to the care of patients with specific high-cost, high-volume chronic conditions, resulting in improved clinical outcomes and lower overall costs. Outcomes data (actual results) are central in this approach to patient care.

Intensive training program for ultrasound diagnosis of adnexal masses: protocol and preliminary results.

PubMed

Alcázar, J L; Díaz, L; Flórez, P; Guerriero, S; Jurado, M

2013-08-01

To assess the feasibility of a specific training program for ultrasound diagnosis of adnexal masses. A 2-month intensive training program was developed. The program protocol consisted of a 1-day intensive theoretical course focused on clinical and sonographic issues related to adnexal masses and ovarian cancer, followed by a 4-week real-time ultrasound training program in a tertiary center (25-30 adnexal masses evaluated per month) and a final 4-week period for offline assessment of three-dimensional (3D) volumes from adnexal masses. In this final period, each trainee evaluated five sets of 100 3D volumes. 3D volumes contained gray-scale and power Doppler information, and the trainee was provided with clinical data for each case (patient age, menopausal status and reported symptoms). 3D volumes were obtained from surgically removed masses that had undergone histological diagnosis or from masses that had been followed up until resolution. After assessment of each set, the trainee's diagnostic performance was calculated (sensitivity and specificity) and each incorrectly classified mass was evaluated with the trainer. The objective was to achieve a sensitivity of > 95% and a specificity of > 90%. Learning curve cumulative summation (LC-CUSUM) graphs were plotted to assess the learning curve for the trainees. One trainer and two trainees with little experience in gynecological ultrasound (one gynecologist and one radiologist) participated in this study. LC-CUSUM graphs showed that competence was achieved after 170 or 185 examinations. The objectives for diagnostic performance were achieved after assessment of the second set of 3D volumes (200 cases) for each trainee. The proposed training program appears to be feasible. High diagnostic performance can be achieved after analysis of 200 cases and maintained thereafter. Copyright © 2013 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sensitive, microliter PCR with consensus degenerate primers for Epstein Barr virus amplification

PubMed Central

Oh, Kyudam; Pak, Nikita; Saunders, D. Curtis; Conrardy, Christina; Landers, James P.; Tong, Suxiang; Forest, Craig R.

2016-01-01

Sensitive identification of the etiology of viral diseases is key to implementing appropriate prevention and treatment. The gold standard for virus identification is the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a technique that allows for highly specific and sensitive detection of pathogens by exponentially amplifying a specific region of DNA from as little as a single copy through thermocycling a biochemical cocktail. Today, molecular biology laboratories use commercial instruments that operate in 0.5–2 h/analysis using reaction volumes of 5–50 μL contained within polymer tubes or chambers. Towards reducing this volume and maintaining performance, we present a semi-quantitative, systematic experimental study of how PCR yield is affected by tube/chamber substrate, surface-area-to-volume ratio (SA:V), and passivation methods. We perform PCR experiments using traditional PCR tubes as well as using disposable polymer microchips with 1 μL reaction volumes thermocycled using water baths. We report the first oil encapsulation microfluidic PCR method without fluid flow and its application to the first microfluidic amplification of Epstein Barr virus using consensus degenerate primers, a powerful and broad PCR method to screen for both known and novel members of a viral family. The limit of detection is measured as 140 starting copies of DNA from a starting concentration of 3×105 copies/mL, regarded as an accepted sensitivity threshold for diagnostic purposes, and reaction specificity was improved as compared to conventional methods. Also notable, these experiments were conducted with conventional reagent concentrations, rather than commonly spiked enzyme and/or template mixtures. This experimental study of the effects of substrate, SA:V, and passivation, together with sensitive and specific microfluidic PCR with consensus degenerate primers represent advances towards lower cost and higher throughput pathogen screening. PMID:23080522

Extending the excluded volume for percolation threshold estimates in polydisperse systems: The binary disk system

DOE PAGES

Meeks, Kelsey; Pantoya, Michelle L.; Green, Micah; ...

2017-06-01

For dispersions containing a single type of particle, it has been observed that the onset of percolation coincides with a critical value of volume fraction. When the volume fraction is calculated based on excluded volume, this critical percolation threshold is nearly invariant to particle shape. The critical threshold has been calculated to high precision for simple geometries using Monte Carlo simulations, but this method is slow at best, and infeasible for complex geometries. This article explores an analytical approach to the prediction of percolation threshold in polydisperse mixtures. Specifically, this paper suggests an extension of the concept of excluded volume,more » and applies that extension to the 2D binary disk system. The simple analytical expression obtained is compared to Monte Carlo results from the literature. In conclusion, the result may be computed extremely rapidly and matches key parameters closely enough to be useful for composite material design.« less

Potential low cost, safe, high efficiency propellant for future space program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, D.

2005-03-01

Mixtures of nanometer or micrometer sized carbon powder suspended in hydrogen and methane/hydrogen mixtures are proposed as candidates for low cost, high efficiency propellants for future space programs. While liquid hydrogen has low weight and high heat of combustion per unit mass, because of the low mass density the heat of combustion per unit volume is low, and the liquid hydrogen storage container must be large. The proposed propellants can produce higher gross heat combustion with small volume with trade off of some weight increase. Liquid hydrogen can serve as the fluid component of the propellant in the mixtures and thus used by current rocket engine designs. For example, for the same volume a mixture of 5% methane and 95% hydrogen, can lead to an increase in the gross heat of combustion by about 10% and an increase in the Isp (specific impulse) by 21% compared to a pure liquid hydrogen propellant. At liquid hydrogen temperatures of 20.3 K, methane will be in solid state, and must be formed as fine granules (or slush) to satisfy the requirement of liquid propellant engines.

Structural responses of metallic glasses under neutron irradiation.

PubMed

Yang, L; Li, H Y; Wang, P W; Wu, S Y; Guo, G Q; Liao, B; Guo, Q L; Fan, X Q; Huang, P; Lou, H B; Guo, F M; Zeng, Q S; Sun, T; Ren, Y; Chen, L Y

2017-12-01

Seeking nuclear materials that possess a high resistance to particle irradiation damage is a long-standing issue. Permanent defects, induced by irradiation, are primary structural changes, the accumulation of which will lead to structural damage and performance degradation in crystalline materials served in nuclear plants. In this work, structural responses of neutron irradiation in metallic glasses (MGs) have been investigated by making a series of experimental measurements, coupled with simulations in ZrCu amorphous alloys. It is found that, compared with crystalline alloys, MGs have some specific structural responses to neutron irradiation. Although neutron irradiation can induce transient vacancy-like defects in MGs, they are fully annihilated after structural relaxation by rearrangement of free volumes. In addition, the rearrangement of free volumes depends strongly on constituent elements. In particular, the change in free volumes occurs around the Zr atoms, rather than the Cu centers. This implies that there is a feasible strategy for identifying glassy materials with high structural stability against neutron irradiation by tailoring the microstructures, the systems, or the compositions in alloys. This work will shed light on the development of materials with high irradiation resistance.

Morphology, nectar characteristics and avian pollinators in five Andean Puya species (Bromeliaceae)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hornung-Leoni, C. T.; González-Gómez, P. L.; Troncoso, A. J.

2013-08-01

Five Andean Puya species (Puya alpestris, Puya chilensis, Puya coerulea, Puya raimondii and Puya venusta) were studied to determine the relationship between their avian visitors, and plant morphology and nectar characteristics. Our results showed a significant relationship between nectar concentration, presence of sterile apex and avian pollinators's species. In contrast, nectar composition was not related to the frequency of avian visits. We found that Puya species were mainly visited by specialist nectarivorous birds such as hummingbirds (i.e., P. coerulea and P. venusta), lacked a sterile apex and produced high nectar concentration in low volumes. In contrast, species mainly visited by generalist passerines (i.e., P. chilensis and P. alpestris) were characterized by the presence of a sterile apex and production of highly diluted nectar in large volumes. In a mono-specific group we found that P. raimondii produces highly concentrated nectar in large volumes, and its flowers were visited by hummingbirds and passerine birds. We found no effect of nectar composition on bird's visits. Our study highlights the interplay between morphological traits, nectar characteristics and the ecological framework to explain specialized and generalized birds pollination systems.

Pressure and Thrust Measurements of a High-Frequency Pulsed-Detonation Actuator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Namtran C.; Cutler, Andrew D.

2008-01-01

This paper describes the development of a small-scale, high-frequency pulsed detonation actuator. The device utilized a fuel mixture of H2 and air, which was injected into the device at frequencies of up to 1200 Hz. Pulsed detonations were demonstrated in an 8-inch long combustion volume, at approx.600 Hz, for the lambda/4 mode. The primary objective of this experiment was to measure the generated thrust. A mean value of thrust was measured up to 6.0 lb, corresponding to specific impulse of 2611 s. This value is comparable to other H2-fueled pulsed detonation engines (PDEs) experiments. The injection and detonation frequency for this new experimental case was approx.600 Hz, and was much higher than typical PDEs, where frequencies are usually less than 100 Hz. The compact size of the model and high frequency of detonation yields a thrust-per-unit-volume of approximately 2.0 lb/cu in, and compares favorably with other experiments, which typically have thrust-per-unit-volume values of approximately 0.01 lb/cu in.

Florida Red Tides, Manatee Brevetoxicosis, and Lung Models

PubMed Central

Kirkpatrick, Barbara; Colbert, Debborah E.; Dalpra, Dana; Newton, Elizabeth A. C.; Gaspard, Joseph; Littlefield, Brandi; Manire, Charles

2010-01-01

In 1996, 149 Florida manatees, Trichechus manatus latirostris, died along the southwest coast of Florida. Necropsy pathology results of these animals indicated that brevetoxin from the Florida red tide, Karenia brevis, caused their death. A red tide bloom had been previously documented in the area where these animals stranded. The necropsy data suggested the mortality occurred from chronic inhalation and/or ingestion. Inhalation theories include high doses of brevetoxin deposited/stored in the manatee lung or significant manatee sensitivity to the brevetoxin. Laboratory models of the manatee lungs can be constructed from casts of necropsied animals for further studies; however, it is necessary to define the breathing pattern in the manatee, specifically the volumes and flow rates per breath to estimate toxin deposition in the lung. To obtain this information, two captive-born Florida manatees, previously trained for husbandry and research behaviors, were trained to breathe into a plastic mask placed over their nares. The mask was connected to a spirometer that measured volumes and flows in situ. Results reveal high volumes, short inspiratory and expiratory times and high flow rates, all consistent with observed breathing patterns. PMID:26448968

High Pressure ZZ-Exchange NMR Reveals Key Features of Protein Folding Transition States.

PubMed

Zhang, Yi; Kitazawa, Soichiro; Peran, Ivan; Stenzoski, Natalie; McCallum, Scott A; Raleigh, Daniel P; Royer, Catherine A

2016-11-23

Understanding protein folding mechanisms and their sequence dependence requires the determination of residue-specific apparent kinetic rate constants for the folding and unfolding reactions. Conventional two-dimensional NMR, such as HSQC experiments, can provide residue-specific information for proteins. However, folding is generally too fast for such experiments. ZZ-exchange NMR spectroscopy allows determination of folding and unfolding rates on much faster time scales, yet even this regime is not fast enough for many protein folding reactions. The application of high hydrostatic pressure slows folding by orders of magnitude due to positive activation volumes for the folding reaction. We combined high pressure perturbation with ZZ-exchange spectroscopy on two autonomously folding protein domains derived from the ribosomal protein, L9. We obtained residue-specific apparent rates at 2500 bar for the N-terminal domain of L9 (NTL9), and rates at atmospheric pressure for a mutant of the C-terminal domain (CTL9) from pressure dependent ZZ-exchange measurements. Our results revealed that NTL9 folding is almost perfectly two-state, while small deviations from two-state behavior were observed for CTL9. Both domains exhibited large positive activation volumes for folding. The volumetric properties of these domains reveal that their transition states contain most of the internal solvent excluded voids that are found in the hydrophobic cores of the respective native states. These results demonstrate that by coupling it with high pressure, ZZ-exchange can be extended to investigate a large number of protein conformational transitions.

Comparison of image registration based measures of regional lung ventilation from dynamic spiral CT with Xe-CT

PubMed Central

Ding, Kai; Cao, Kunlin; Fuld, Matthew K.; Du, Kaifang; Christensen, Gary E.; Hoffman, Eric A.; Reinhardt, Joseph M.

2012-01-01

Purpose: Regional lung volume change as a function of lung inflation serves as an index of parenchymal and airway status as well as an index of regional ventilation and can be used to detect pathologic changes over time. In this paper, the authors propose a new regional measure of lung mechanics—the specific air volume change by corrected Jacobian. The authors compare this new measure, along with two existing registration based measures of lung ventilation, to a regional ventilation measurement derived from xenon-CT (Xe-CT) imaging. Methods: 4DCT and Xe-CT datasets from four adult sheep are used in this study. Nonlinear, 3D image registration is applied to register an image acquired near end inspiration to an image acquired near end expiration. Approximately 200 annotated anatomical points are used as landmarks to evaluate registration accuracy. Three different registration based measures of regional lung mechanics are derived and compared: the specific air volume change calculated from the Jacobian (SAJ); the specific air volume change calculated by the corrected Jacobian (SACJ); and the specific air volume change by intensity change (SAI). The authors show that the commonly used SAI measure can be derived from the direct SAJ measure by using the air-tissue mixture model and assuming there is no tissue volume change between the end inspiration and end expiration datasets. All three ventilation measures are evaluated by comparing to Xe-CT estimates of regional ventilation. Results: After registration, the mean registration error is on the order of 1 mm. For cubical regions of interest (ROIs) in cubes with size 20 mm × 20 mm × 20 mm, the SAJ and SACJ measures show significantly higher correlation (linear regression, average r2 = 0.75 and r2 = 0.82) with the Xe-CT based measure of specific ventilation (sV) than the SAI measure. For ROIs in slabs along the ventral-dorsal vertical direction with size of 150 mm × 8 mm × 40 mm, the SAJ, SACJ, and SAI all show high correlation (linear regression, average r2 = 0.88, r2 = 0.92, and r2 = 0.87) with the Xe-CT based sV without significant differences when comparing between the three methods. The authors demonstrate a linear relationship between the difference of specific air volume change and difference of tissue volume in all four animals (linear regression, average r2 = 0.86). Conclusions: Given a deformation field by an image registration algorithm, significant differences between the SAJ, SACJ, and SAI measures were found at a regional level compared to the Xe-CT sV in four sheep that were studied. The SACJ introduced here, provides better correlations with Xe-CT based sV than the SAJ and SAI measures, thus providing an improved surrogate for regional ventilation. PMID:22894434

PREVENTION REFERENCE MANUAL: CHEMICAL SPECIFIC, VOLUME 14: CONTROL OF ACCIDENTAL RELEASES OF PHOSGENE

EPA Science Inventory

The report, discussing phosgene, is one of a series addressing the prevention of accidental releases of toxic chemicals. Phosgene, a highly reactive and corrosive liquid that boils at room temperature has an Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (lDLH) conctntration of 2 ppm, ...

Study of short haul high-density V/STOL transportation systems. Volume 2: Appendices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solomon, H. L.

1972-01-01

Essential supporting data to the short haul transportation study are presented. The specific appendices are arena characteristics, aerospace transportation analysis computer program, economics, model calibration, STOLport siting and services path selection, STOL schedule definition, tabulated California corridor results, and tabulated Midwest arena results.

NCRVE Change Agent [1993].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

NCRVE Change Agent, 1993

1993-01-01

These four issues of volume 3 (1993) contains brief reports on published research of the National Center for Research in Vocational Education. In issue 1 are these two articles: "The Specifics: Integrating Vocational and Academic Education" and "A New Vision: Overhauling the Comprehensive High School." Issue 2 consists of four articles:…

IN VIVO STEREOISOMERIZATION OF HBCD GAMMA AND ALPHA IS TISSUE AND STEREOISOMER SPECIFIC

EPA Science Inventory

Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is a high production volume chemical that has been on the world market since the 1960s, and used today as a flame-retardant in thermal insulation, plastics and textiles. Previous literature has focused on the three diastereomers found in the commerci...

Fugitive gas adsorption capacity of biomass and animal-manure derived biochars

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This research characterized and investigated ammonia and hydrogen sulfide gas adsorption capacities of low- and high-temperature biochars made from wood shavings and chicken litter. The biochar samples were activated with steam or phosphoric acid. The specific surface areas and pore volumes of the a...

49 CFR 179.400-25 - Stenciling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Specification for Cryogenic Liquid Tank Car Tanks and Seamless Steel Tanks (Classes DOT-113 and 107A) § 179.400... design service temperature and maximum lading weight, in letters and figures at least 11/2 inches high... at its coldest operating temperature, after deduction for the volume above the inlet to the pressure...

Assurance specification documentation standard and Data Item Descriptions (DID). Volume of the information system life-cycle and documentation standards, volume 4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callender, E. David; Steinbacher, Jody

1989-01-01

This is the fourth of five volumes on Information System Life-Cycle and Documentation Standards. This volume provides a well organized, easily used standard for assurance documentation for information systems and software, hardware, and operational procedures components, and related processes. The specifications are developed in conjunction with the corresponding management plans specifying the assurance activities to be performed.

Mod-5A wind turbine generator program design report. Volume 4: Drawings and specifications, book 5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

The design, development and analysis of the 7.3 MW MOD-5A wind turbine generator is documented. There are four volumes. This volume contains the drawings and specifications that were developed in preparation for building the MOD-5A wind turbine generator. Detail drawings of several assemblies and subassemblies are given. This is the fifth book of volume 4.

Convection-enhanced delivery of AAV2 in white matter--a novel method for gene delivery to cerebral cortex.

PubMed

Barua, N U; Woolley, M; Bienemann, A S; Johnson, D; Wyatt, M J; Irving, C; Lewis, O; Castrique, E; Gill, S S

2013-10-30

Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) is currently under investigation for delivering therapeutic agents to subcortical targets in the brain. Direct delivery of therapies to the cerebral cortex, however, remains a significant challenge. We describe a novel method of targeting adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) mediated gene therapies to specific cerebral cortical regions by performing high volume, high flow rate infusions into underlying white matter in a large animal (porcine) model. Infusion volumes of up to 700 μl at flow rates as high as 10 μl/min were successfully performed in white matter without adverse neurological sequelae. Co-infusion of AAV2/5-GFP with 0.2% Gadolinium in artificial CSF confirmed transgene expression in the deep layers of cerebral cortex overlying the infused areas of white matter. AAV-mediated gene therapies have been previously targeted to the cerebral cortex by performing intrathalamic CED and exploiting axonal transport. The novel method described in this study facilitates delivery of gene therapies to specific regions of the cerebral cortex without targeting deep brain structures. AAV-mediated gene therapies can be targeted to specific cortical regions by performing CED into underlying white matter. This technique could be applied to the treatment of neurological disorders characterised by cerebral cortical degeneration. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exercise and type 2 diabetes mellitus: changes in tissue-specific fat distribution and cardiac function.

PubMed

Jonker, Jacqueline T; de Mol, Pieter; de Vries, Suzanna T; Widya, Ralph L; Hammer, Sebastiaan; van Schinkel, Linda D; van der Meer, Rutger W; Gans, Rijk O B; Webb, Andrew G; Kan, Hermien E; de Koning, Eelco J P; Bilo, Henk J G; Lamb, Hildo J

2013-11-01

To prospectively assess the effects of an exercise intervention on organ-specific fat accumulation and cardiac function in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants, and the study protocol was approved by the medical ethics committee. The study followed 12 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (seven men; mean age, 46 years ± 2 [standard error]) before and after 6 months of moderate-intensity exercise, followed by a high-altitude trekking expedition with exercise of long duration. Abdominal, epicardial, and paracardial fat volume were measured by using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Cardiac function was quantified with cardiac MR, and images were analyzed by a researcher who was supervised by a senior researcher (4 and 21 years of respective experience in cardiac MR). Hepatic, myocardial, and intramyocellular triglyceride (TG) content relative to water were measured with proton MR spectroscopy at 1.5 and 7 T. Two-tailed paired t tests were used for statistical analysis. Exercise reduced visceral abdominal fat volume from 348 mL ± 57 to 219 mL ± 33 (P < .01), and subcutaneous abdominal fat volume remained unchanged (P = .9). Exercise decreased hepatic TG content from 6.8% ± 2.3 to 4.6% ± 1.6 (P < .01) and paracardial fat volume from 4.6 mL ± 0.9 to 3.7 mL ± 0.8 (P = .02). Exercise did not change epicardial fat volume (P = .9), myocardial TG content (P = .9), intramyocellular lipid content (P = .3), or cardiac function (P = .5). A 6-month exercise intervention in type 2 diabetes mellitus decreased hepatic TG content and visceral abdominal and paracardial fat volume, which are associated with increased cardiovascular risk, but cardiac function was unaffected. Tissue-specific exercise-induced changes in body fat distribution in type 2 diabetes mellitus were demonstrated in this study. RSNA, 2013

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

Meeks, Kelsey; Pantoya, Michelle L.; Green, Micah

For dispersions containing a single type of particle, it has been observed that the onset of percolation coincides with a critical value of volume fraction. When the volume fraction is calculated based on excluded volume, this critical percolation threshold is nearly invariant to particle shape. The critical threshold has been calculated to high precision for simple geometries using Monte Carlo simulations, but this method is slow at best, and infeasible for complex geometries. This article explores an analytical approach to the prediction of percolation threshold in polydisperse mixtures. Specifically, this paper suggests an extension of the concept of excluded volume,more » and applies that extension to the 2D binary disk system. The simple analytical expression obtained is compared to Monte Carlo results from the literature. In conclusion, the result may be computed extremely rapidly and matches key parameters closely enough to be useful for composite material design.« less

Epoxidized Natural Rubber/Chitosan Network Binder for Silicon Anode in Lithium-Ion Battery.

PubMed

Lee, Sang Ha; Lee, Jeong Hun; Nam, Dong Ho; Cho, Misuk; Kim, Jaehoon; Chanthad, Chalathorn; Lee, Youngkwan

2018-05-16

Polymeric binder is extremely important for Si-based anode in lithium-ion batteries due to large volume variation during charging/discharging process. Here, natural rubber-incorporated chitosan networks were designed as a binder material to obtain both adhesion and elasticity. Chitosan could strongly anchor Si particles through hydrogen bonding, while the natural rubber could stretch reversibly during the volume variation of Si particles, resulting in high cyclic performance. The prepared electrode exhibited the specific capacities of 1350 mAh/g after 1600 cycles at the current density of 8 A/g and 2310 mAh/g after 500 cycles at the current density of 1 A/g. Furthermore, the cycle test with limiting lithiation capacity was conducted to study the optimal binder properties at varying degree of the volume expansion of silicon, and it was found that the elastic property of binder material was strongly required when the large volume expansion of Si occurred.

Sparse Bayesian Inference of White Matter Fiber Orientations from Compressed Multi-resolution Diffusion MRI

PubMed Central

Pisharady, Pramod Kumar; Duarte-Carvajalino, Julio M; Sotiropoulos, Stamatios N; Sapiro, Guillermo; Lenglet, Christophe

2017-01-01

The RubiX [1] algorithm combines high SNR characteristics of low resolution data with high spacial specificity of high resolution data, to extract microstructural tissue parameters from diffusion MRI. In this paper we focus on estimating crossing fiber orientations and introduce sparsity to the RubiX algorithm, making it suitable for reconstruction from compressed (under-sampled) data. We propose a sparse Bayesian algorithm for estimation of fiber orientations and volume fractions from compressed diffusion MRI. The data at high resolution is modeled using a parametric spherical deconvolution approach and represented using a dictionary created with the exponential decay components along different possible directions. Volume fractions of fibers along these orientations define the dictionary weights. The data at low resolution is modeled using a spatial partial volume representation. The proposed dictionary representation and sparsity priors consider the dependence between fiber orientations and the spatial redundancy in data representation. Our method exploits the sparsity of fiber orientations, therefore facilitating inference from under-sampled data. Experimental results show improved accuracy and decreased uncertainty in fiber orientation estimates. For under-sampled data, the proposed method is also shown to produce more robust estimates of fiber orientations. PMID:28845484

Sparse Bayesian Inference of White Matter Fiber Orientations from Compressed Multi-resolution Diffusion MRI.

PubMed

Pisharady, Pramod Kumar; Duarte-Carvajalino, Julio M; Sotiropoulos, Stamatios N; Sapiro, Guillermo; Lenglet, Christophe

2015-10-01

The RubiX [1] algorithm combines high SNR characteristics of low resolution data with high spacial specificity of high resolution data, to extract microstructural tissue parameters from diffusion MRI. In this paper we focus on estimating crossing fiber orientations and introduce sparsity to the RubiX algorithm, making it suitable for reconstruction from compressed (under-sampled) data. We propose a sparse Bayesian algorithm for estimation of fiber orientations and volume fractions from compressed diffusion MRI. The data at high resolution is modeled using a parametric spherical deconvolution approach and represented using a dictionary created with the exponential decay components along different possible directions. Volume fractions of fibers along these orientations define the dictionary weights. The data at low resolution is modeled using a spatial partial volume representation. The proposed dictionary representation and sparsity priors consider the dependence between fiber orientations and the spatial redundancy in data representation. Our method exploits the sparsity of fiber orientations, therefore facilitating inference from under-sampled data. Experimental results show improved accuracy and decreased uncertainty in fiber orientation estimates. For under-sampled data, the proposed method is also shown to produce more robust estimates of fiber orientations.

Interconnected silicon hollow nanospheres for lithium-ion battery anodes with long cycle life.

PubMed

Yao, Yan; McDowell, Matthew T; Ryu, Ill; Wu, Hui; Liu, Nian; Hu, Liangbing; Nix, William D; Cui, Yi

2011-07-13

Silicon is a promising candidate for the anode material in lithium-ion batteries due to its high theoretical specific capacity. However, volume changes during cycling cause pulverization and capacity fade, and improving cycle life is a major research challenge. Here, we report a novel interconnected Si hollow nanosphere electrode that is capable of accommodating large volume changes without pulverization during cycling. We achieved the high initial discharge capacity of 2725 mAh g(-1) with less than 8% capacity degradation every hundred cycles for 700 total cycles. Si hollow sphere electrodes also show a Coulombic efficiency of 99.5% in later cycles. Superior rate capability is demonstrated and attributed to fast lithium diffusion in the interconnected Si hollow structure.

Using Concentration Curves to Assess Organization-Specific Relationships between Surgeon Volumes and Outcomes.

PubMed

Kanter, Michael H; Huang, Yii-Chieh; Kally, Zina; Gordon, Margo A; Meltzer, Charles

2018-06-01

A well-documented association exists between higher surgeon volumes and better outcomes for many procedures, but surgeons may be reluctant to change practice patterns without objective, credible, and near real-time data on their performance. In addition, published thresholds for procedure volumes may be biased or perceived as arbitrary; typical reports compare surgeons grouped into discrete procedure volume categories, even though the volume-outcomes relationship is likely continuous. The concentration curves methodology, which has been used to analyze whether health outcomes vary with socioeconomic status, was adapted to explore the association between procedure volume and outcomes as a continuous relationship so that data for all surgeons within a health care organization could be included. Using widely available software and requiring minimal analytic expertise, this approach plots cumulative percentages of two variables of interest against each other and assesses the characteristics of the resulting curve. Organization-specific relationships between surgeon volumes and outcomes were examined for three example types of procedures: uncomplicated hysterectomies, infant circumcisions, and total thyroidectomies. The concentration index was used to assess whether outcomes were equally distributed unrelated to volumes. For all three procedures, the concentration curve methodology identified associations between surgeon procedure volumes and selected outcomes that were specific to the organization. The concentration indices confirmed the higher prevalence of examined outcomes among low-volume surgeons. The curves supported organizational discussions about surgical quality. Concentration curves require minimal resources to identify organization- and procedure-specific relationships between surgeon procedure volumes and outcomes and can support quality improvement. Copyright © 2018 The Joint Commission. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High-pressure studies of aggregation of recombinant human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist: Thermodynamics, kinetics, and application to accelerated formulation studies

PubMed Central

Seefeldt, Matthew B.; Kim, Yong-Sung; Tolley, Kevin P.; Seely, Jim; Carpenter, John F.; Randolph, Theodore W.

2005-01-01

Recombinant human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) in aqueous solutions unfolds and aggregates when subjected to hydrostatic pressures greater than about 180 MPa. This study examined the mechanism and thermodynamics of pressure-induced unfolding and aggregation of IL-1ra. The activation free energy for growth of aggregates (ΔG∓aggregation) was found to be 37 ± 3 kJ/mol, whereas the activation volume (ΔV∓aggregation) was −120 ± 20 mL/mol. These values compare closely with equilibrium values for denaturation: The free energy for denaturation, ΔGdenaturation, was 20 ± 5 kJ/mol, whereas the partial specific volume change for denaturation, ΔVdenaturation, was −110 ± 30 mL/mol. When IL-1ra begins to denature at pressures near 140 MPa, cysteines that are normally buried in the native state become exposed. Under oxidizing conditions, this results in the formation of covalently cross-linked aggregates containing nonnative, intermolecular disulfide bonds. The apparent activation free energy for nucleation of aggregates, ΔG∓nuc, was 42 ± 4 kJ/mol, and the activation volume for nucleation, ΔV∓nuc,was −175 ± 37 mL/mol, suggesting that a highly solvent-exposed conformation is needed for nucleation. We hypothesize that the large specific volume of IL-1ra, 0.752 ± 0.004 mL/g, coupled with its relatively low conformational stability, leads to its susceptibility to denaturation at relatively low pressures. The positive partial specific adiabatic compressibility of IL-1ra, 4.5 ± 0.7 ± 10−12 cm2/dyn, suggests that a significant component of the ΔVdenaturation is attributable to the elimination of solvent-free cavities. Lastly, we propose that hydrostatic pressure is a useful variable to conduct accelerated formulation studies of therapeutic proteins. PMID:16081653

Hydrogen-oxygen catalytic ignition and thruster investigation. Volume 1: Catalytic ignition and low pressure thruster evaluations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, R. J.

1972-01-01

An experimental and analytical program was conducted to evaluate catalytic igniter operational limits, igniter scaling criteria, and delivered performance of cooled, flightweight gaseous hydrogen-oxygen reaction control thrusters. Specific goals were to: (1) establish operating life and environmental effects for both Shell 405-ABSG and Engelhard MFSA catalysts, (2) provide generalized igniter design guidelines for high response without flashback, and (3) to determine overall performance of thrusters at chamber pressures of 15 and 300 psia (103 and 2068 kN/sq m) and thrust levels of 30 and 1500 lbf, respectively. The experimental results have demonstrated the feasibility of reliable, high response catalytic ignition and the effectiveness of ducted chamber cooling for a high performance flightweight thruster. This volume presents the results of the catalytic igniter and low pressure thruster evaluations are presented.

Container System Hardware (1992) Status Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-01

high ). The 35’ special-purpose flatracks were designed specifically for use on-board the T- AKR and are capable of carrying a maximum cargo ...primarily to ship ammunition having a high weight to volume ratio such as 155mm projectiles. STATUS In August 1989, the Navy awarded a contract to...and have external dimensions of 8’ wide, 8’ high , and 20’ long. Gross shipping weight is 20,000 pounds with a tare weight of approximately

Magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia cancer treatment efficacy dependence on cellular and tissue level particle concentration and particle heating properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petryk, Alicia A.; Misra, Adwiteeya; Mazur, Courtney M.; Petryk, James D.; Hoopes, P. J.

2015-03-01

The use of nanotechnology for the treatment of cancer affords the possibility of highly specific tumor targeting and improved treatment efficacy. Iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (IONPs) have demonstrated success as an ablative mono-therapy and targetable adjuvant therapy. However, the relative therapeutic value of intracellular vs. extracellular IONPs remains unclear. Our research demonstrates that both extracellular and intracellular IONPs generate cytotoxicity when excited by an alternating magnetic field (AMF). While killing individual cells via intracellular IONP heating is an attractive goal, theoretical models and experimental results suggest that this may not be possible due to limitations of cell volume, applied AMF, IONP concentration and specific absorption rate (SAR). The goal of this study was to examine the importance of tumor size (cell number) with respect to IONP concentration. Mouse mammary adenocarcinoma cells were incubated with IONPs, washed, spun into different pellet sizes (0.1, 0.5 and 2 million cells) and exposed to AMF. The level of heating and associated cytotoxicity depended primarily on the number of IONPs /amount Fe per cell pellet volume and the relative volume of the cell pellet. Specifically, larger cell pellets achieved greater relative cytotoxicity due to greater iron amounts, close association and subsequently higher temperatures.

Mean cerebral blood volume is an effective diagnostic index of recurrent and radiation injury in glioma patients: A meta-analysis of diagnostic test.

PubMed

Li, Zhanzhan; Zhou, Qin; Li, Yanyan; Yan, Shipeng; Fu, Jun; Huang, Xinqiong; Shen, Liangfang

2017-02-28

We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic values of mean cerebral blood volume for recurrent and radiation injury in glioma patients. We performed systematic electronic searches for eligible study up to August 8, 2016. Bivariate mixed effects models were used to estimate the combined sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratios, negative likelihood ratios, diagnostic odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Fifteen studies with a total number of 576 participants were enrolled. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic were 0.88 (95%CI: 0.82-0.92) and 0.85 (95%CI: 0.68-0.93). The pooled positive likelihood ratio is 5.73 (95%CI: 2.56-12.81), negative likelihood ratio is 0.15 (95%CI: 0.10-0.22), and the diagnostic odds ratio is 39.34 (95%CI:13.96-110.84). The summary receiver operator characteristic is 0.91 (95%CI: 0.88-0.93). However, the Deek's plot suggested publication bias may exist (t=2.30, P=0.039). Mean cerebral blood volume measurement methods seems to be very sensitive and highly specific to differentiate recurrent and radiation injury in glioma patients. The results should be interpreted with caution because of the potential bias.

Flexible and Lightweight Fuel Cell with High Specific Power Density.

PubMed

Ning, Fandi; He, Xudong; Shen, Yangbin; Jin, Hehua; Li, Qingwen; Li, Da; Li, Shuping; Zhan, Yulu; Du, Ying; Jiang, Jingjing; Yang, Hui; Zhou, Xiaochun

2017-06-27

Flexible devices have been attracting great attention recently due to their numerous advantages. But the energy densities of current energy sources are still not high enough to support flexible devices for a satisfactory length of time. Although proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) do have a high-energy density, traditional PEMFCs are usually too heavy, rigid, and bulky to be used in flexible devices. In this research, we successfully invented a light and flexible air-breathing PEMFC by using a new design of PEMFC and a flexible composite electrode. The flexible air-breathing PEMFC with 1 × 1 cm 2 working area can be as light as 0.065 g and as thin as 0.22 mm. This new PEMFC exhibits an amazing specific volume power density as high as 5190 W L -1 , which is much higher than traditional (air-breathing) PEMFCs. Also outstanding is that the flexible PEMFC retains 89.1% of its original performance after being bent 600 times, and it retains its original performance after being dropped five times from a height of 30 m. Moreover, the research has demonstrated that when stacked, the flexible PEMFCs are also useful in mobile applications such as mobile phones. Therefore, our research shows that PEMFCs can be made light, flexible, and suitable for applications in flexible devices. These innovative flexible PEMFCs may also notably advance the progress in the PEMFC field, because flexible PEMFCs can achieve high specific power density with small size, small volume, low weight, and much lower cost; they are also much easier to mass produce.

Electric double-layer capacitors based on highly graphitized nanoporous carbons derived from ZIF-67.

PubMed

Torad, Nagy L; Salunkhe, Rahul R; Li, Yunqi; Hamoudi, Hicham; Imura, Masataka; Sakka, Yoshio; Hu, Chi-Chang; Yamauchi, Yusuke

2014-06-23

Nanoporous carbons (NPCs) have large specific surface areas, good electrical and thermal conductivity, and both chemical and mechanical stability, which facilitate their use in energy storage device applications. In the present study, highly graphitized NPCs are synthesized by one-step direct carbonization of cobalt-containing zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67). After chemical etching, the deposited Co content can be completely removed to prepare pure NPCs with high specific surface area, large pore volume, and intrinsic electrical conductivity (high content of sp(2) -bonded carbons). A detailed electrochemical study is performed using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements. Our NPC is very promising for efficient electrodes for high-performance supercapacitor applications. A maximum specific capacitance of 238 F g(-1) is observed at a scan rate of 20 mV s(-1) . This value is very high compared to previous works on carbon-based electric double layer capacitors. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Dosage variability of topical ocular hypotensive products: a densitometric assessment.

PubMed

Gaynes, Bruce I; Singa, Ramesh M; Cao, Ying

2009-02-01

To ascertain consequence of variability in drop volume obtained from multiuse topical ocular hypotensive products in terms of uniformity of product dosage. Densitometric assessment of drop volume dispensed from 2 alternative bottle positions. All except one product demonstrated a statistically significant difference in drop volume when administered at either a 45-degree or 90-degree bottle angle (Student t test, P<0.001). Product-specific drop volume ranged from a nadir of 22.36 microL to a high of 53.54 microL depending on bottle angle of administration. Deviation in drop dose was directly proportional to variability in drop volume. Variability in per drop dosage was conspicuous among products with a coefficient of variation from 1.49% to 15.91%. In accordance with drop volume, all products demonstrated a statistically significant difference in drop dose at 45-degree versus 90-degree administration angles. Drop volume was found unrelated to drop uniformity (Spearman r=0.01987 and P=0.9463). Variability and lack of uniformity in drop dosage is clearly evident among select ocular hypotensive products and is related to angle of drop administration. Erratic dosage of topical ocular hypotensive therapy may contribute in part to therapeutic failure and/or toxicity.

Gray matter changes in right superior temporal gyrus in criminal psychopaths. Evidence from voxel-based morphometry.

PubMed

Müller, Jürgen L; Gänssbauer, Susanne; Sommer, Monika; Döhnel, Katrin; Weber, Tatjana; Schmidt-Wilcke, Tobias; Hajak, Göran

2008-08-30

"Psychopathy" according to the PCL-R describes a specific subgroup of antisocial personality disorder with a high risk for criminal relapses. Lesion and imaging studies point towards frontal or temporal brain regions connected with disturbed social behavior, antisocial personality disorder (APD) and psychopathy. Morphologically, some studies described a reduced prefrontal brain volume, whereas others reported on temporal lobe atrophy. To further investigate whether participants with psychopathy according to the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised Version (PCL-R) show abnormalities in brain structure, we used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to investigate region-specific changes in gray matter in 17 forensic male inpatients with high PCL-R scores (PCL-R>28) and 17 male control subjects with low PCL-R scores (PCL<10). We found significant gray matter reductions in frontal and temporal brain regions in psychopaths compared with controls. In particular, we found a highly significant volume loss in the right superior temporal gyrus. This is the first study to show that psychopathy is associated with a decrease in gray matter in both frontal and temporal brain regions, in particular in the right superior temporal gyrus, supporting the hypothesis that a disturbed frontotemporal network is critically involved in the pathogenesis of psychopathy.

Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction for Detection of Schistosoma DNA in Small-Volume Urine Samples Reflects Focal Distribution of Urogenital Schistosomiasis in Primary School Girls in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

PubMed Central

Pillay, Pavitra; Taylor, Myra; Zulu, Siphosenkosi G.; Gundersen, Svein G.; Verweij, Jaco J.; Hoekstra, Pytsje; Brienen, Eric A. T.; Kleppa, Elisabeth; Kjetland, Eyrun F.; van Lieshout, Lisette

2014-01-01

Schistosoma haematobium eggs and Schistosoma DNA levels were measured in urine samples from 708 girls recruited from 18 randomly sampled primary schools in South Africa. Microscopic analysis of two 10-mL urine subsamples collected on three consecutive days confirmed high day-to-day variation; 103 (14.5%) girls had positive results at all six examinations, and at least one positive sample was seen in 225 (31.8%) girls. Schistosoma-specific DNA, which was measured in a 200-μL urine subsample by using real-time polymerase chain reaction, was detected in 180 (25.4%) cases, and levels of DNA corresponded significantly with average urine egg excretion. In concordance with microscopic results, polymerase chain reaction results were significantly associated with history of gynecologic symptoms and confirmed highly focal distribution of urogenital schistosomiasis. Parasite-specific DNA detection has a sensitivity comparable to single urine microscopy and could be used as a standardized high-throughput procedure to assess distribution of urogenital schistosomiasis in relatively large study populations by using small sample volumes. PMID:24470560

Left nucleus accumbens atrophy in deficit schizophrenia: A preliminary study.

PubMed

De Rossi, Pietro; Dacquino, Claudia; Piras, Fabrizio; Caltagirone, Carlo; Spalletta, Gianfranco

2016-08-30

A question that remains to be answered is whether schizophrenia can be characterized by a single etiopathophysiology or whether separate sub-syndromes should be differentiated to define specific mechanisms for each sub-type. Individuals affected by the deficit subtype of schizophrenia (DSZ) display avolitional/amotivational features that respond poorly to conventional treatments. Characterizing DSZ from a neuroanatomical point of view may help clarify this issue and develop new treatment strategies. To determine if DSZ is associated with structural alterations in specific deep grey matter structures linked to its key clinical features, 22 DSZ patients, 22 non-deficit schizophrenia (NDSZ) patients and 22 healthy controls (HC) were recruited for a case-control cross-sectional study. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging was performed in all subjects and volumes of deep grey matter structures were measured using FreeSurfer. DSZ patients displayed smaller left accumbens volumes compared to both NDSZ patients and HC. Moreover, age and duration of illness were significantly associated with lower volume of the left accumbens in DSZ but not in NDSZ. Findings indicate that DSZ is associated with lower volume of the nucleus accumbens in the dominant hemisphere. This is consistent with the psychopathological features and functional impairments present in DSZ and thus indicates a potential mechanism. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Normalization to specific gravity prior to analysis improves information recovery from high resolution mass spectrometry metabolomic profiles of human urine.

PubMed

Edmands, William M B; Ferrari, Pietro; Scalbert, Augustin

2014-11-04

Extraction of meaningful biological information from urinary metabolomic profiles obtained by liquid-chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) necessitates the control of unwanted sources of variability associated with large differences in urine sample concentrations. Different methods of normalization either before analysis (preacquisition normalization) through dilution of urine samples to the lowest specific gravity measured by refractometry, or after analysis (postacquisition normalization) to urine volume, specific gravity and median fold change are compared for their capacity to recover lead metabolites for a potential future use as dietary biomarkers. Twenty-four urine samples of 19 subjects from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition (EPIC) cohort were selected based on their high and low/nonconsumption of six polyphenol-rich foods as assessed with a 24 h dietary recall. MS features selected on the basis of minimum discriminant selection criteria were related to each dietary item by means of orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis models. Normalization methods ranked in the following decreasing order when comparing the number of total discriminant MS features recovered to that obtained in the absence of normalization: preacquisition normalization to specific gravity (4.2-fold), postacquisition normalization to specific gravity (2.3-fold), postacquisition median fold change normalization (1.8-fold increase), postacquisition normalization to urinary volume (0.79-fold). A preventative preacquisition normalization based on urine specific gravity was found to be superior to all curative postacquisition normalization methods tested for discovery of MS features discriminant of dietary intake in these urinary metabolomic datasets.

A Comparison of Regional and SiteSpecific Volume Estimation Equations

Treesearch

Joe P. McClure; Jana Anderson; Hans T. Schreuder

1987-01-01

Regression equations for volume by region and site class were examined for lobiolly pine. The regressions for the Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions had significantly different slopes. The results shared important practical differences in percentage of confidence intervals containing the true total volume and in percentage of estimates within a specific proportion of...

Mechanical and thermodynamic properties of AlX (X = N, P, As) compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Lifang; Bu, Wei

2017-09-01

The Vickers hardness of various AlX (X = N, P, As) compound polymorphs were calculated with the bond resistance model. Thermodynamic properties, such as vibrational entropy, constant volume specific heat and Debye temperatures, were calculated using phonon dispersion relations and phonon density of states (DOS). The calculated values are in good agreement with the previous experimental and theoretical data. For the same structure of AlX (X = N, P, As) compounds, their hardness and Debye temperatures both decrease with the X atomic number. The wurtzite (wz) and zincblende (zb) structures of the same compounds AlX share an almost identical hardness, but have different Debye temperatures. The difference between wz and zb structures increases as the atomic number of X increases. The thermodynamic properties reveal that the constant volume specific heat approaches the Dulong-Petit rule at high temperatures.

A facile one-pot self-assembly approach to incorporate SnOx nanoparticles in ordered mesoporous carbon with soft templating for fuel cells.

PubMed

Huang, Yingqiang; Zhai, Zhicheng; Luo, Zhigang; Liu, Yingju; Liang, Zhurong; Fang, Yueping

2014-04-04

Unique SnO(x) (x = 1,2)/ordered mesoporous carbon nanocomposites (denoted as SnO(x)/OMC) are firstly synthesized through a 'one-pot' synthesis together with the soft template self-assembly approach. The obtained SnO(x)/OMC nanocomposites with various SnO(x) contents exhibit uniform pore sizes between 3.9 and 4.2 nm, high specific surface areas between 497 and 595 m(2) g(-1), and high pore volumes between 0.39 and 0.48 cm(3) g(-1). With loading of Pt, Pt-SnO(x)/OMC with relatively low SnO(x) content exhibits superior electrocatalytic performance, long-term durability, and resistance to CO poisoning for methanol oxidation, as compared to Pt/OMC, PtRu/C and Pt-SnO(x)/C, which may be attributed not only to the synergetic effect of embedded SnO(x), but also to the highly ordered mesostructure with high specific surface areas and large pore volumes affording plenty of surface area for support of Pt nanoparticles. This work supplies an efficient way to synthesize novel ordered mesoporous carbon self-supported metallic oxide as catalyst support and its further potential application to reduce the cost of catalysts in direct methanol fuel cells.

A facile one-pot self-assembly approach to incorporate SnOx nanoparticles in ordered mesoporous carbon with soft templating for fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yingqiang; Zhai, Zhicheng; Luo, Zhigang; Liu, Yingju; Liang, Zhurong; Fang, Yueping

2014-04-01

Unique SnOx (x = 1,2)/ordered mesoporous carbon nanocomposites (denoted as SnOx/OMC) are firstly synthesized through a ‘one-pot’ synthesis together with the soft template self-assembly approach. The obtained SnOx/OMC nanocomposites with various SnOx contents exhibit uniform pore sizes between 3.9 and 4.2 nm, high specific surface areas between 497 and 595 m2 g-1, and high pore volumes between 0.39 and 0.48 cm3 g-1. With loading of Pt, Pt-SnOx/OMC with relatively low SnOx content exhibits superior electrocatalytic performance, long-term durability, and resistance to CO poisoning for methanol oxidation, as compared to Pt/OMC, PtRu/C and Pt-SnOx/C, which may be attributed not only to the synergetic effect of embedded SnOx, but also to the highly ordered mesostructure with high specific surface areas and large pore volumes affording plenty of surface area for support of Pt nanoparticles. This work supplies an efficient way to synthesize novel ordered mesoporous carbon self-supported metallic oxide as catalyst support and its further potential application to reduce the cost of catalysts in direct methanol fuel cells.

Tumor volume in insignificant prostate cancer: increasing threshold gains increasing risk.

PubMed

Schiffmann, Jonas; Connan, Judith; Salomon, Georg; Boehm, Katharina; Beyer, Burkhard; Schlomm, Thorsten; Tennstedt, Pierre; Sauter, Guido; Karakiewicz, Pierre I; Graefen, Markus; Huland, Hartwig

2015-01-01

An increased tumor volume threshold (<2.5 ml) is suggested to define insignificant prostate cancer (iPCa). We hypothesize that an increasing tumor volume within iPCa patients increases the risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy (RP). We relied on RP patients treated between 1992 and 2008. Multivariable Cox regression analyses predicting BCR within patients harboring favorable pathological characteristics (≤pT2, pN0/Nx, Gleason 3 + 3). Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed for BCR-free survival within iPCa patients (≤pT2, pN0/Nx, Gleason 3 + 3, tumor volume: <0.5 vs. 0.5-2.49 ml). From 1,829 patients, 141 (7.7%) and 310 (16.9%) harbored iPCa (tumor volume: <0.5 vs. 0.5-2.49 ml), respectively. Of those, 21 (14.9%) versus 31 (10.0%) had PSA >10 ng/ml. Tumor volume achieved independent predictor status for BCR. Specifically, iPCa patients with increasing tumor volume (0.5-2.49 ml) were at higher risk of BCR after RP than those with tumor volume <0.5 ml (HR: 8.8, 95% CI: 1.2-65.9, P = 0.04). Kaplan-Meier analysis recorded superior BCR-free survival in iPCa patients with lower tumor volume (<0.5 ml) (log-rank P = 0.009). The 10-year cancer-specific death rate was 0 versus 0.5%. Contemporary iPCa definition incorporates intermediate and high-risk patients (PSA: 10-20 and >20 ng/ml). Despite most favorable pathological characteristics, iPCa patients are not devoid of BCR after RP. Moreover, iPCa patients were at higher risk of BCR, when increasing tumor volume up to 2.49 ml was at play. Taken together the contemporary concept of iPCa is suboptimal. Especially, an increased tumor volume threshold for defining iPCa cannot be recommended according to our data. Clinicians might take these considerations into account during decision-making process. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

When high-volume PCI operators in high-volume hospitals move to lower volume hospitals-Do they still maintain high volume and quality of outcomes?

PubMed

Lu, Tsung-Hsueh; Li, Sheng-Tun; Liang, Fu-Wen; Lee, Jo-Chi; Yin, Wei-Hsian

2017-10-31

The aim of this quasi-experimental study was to examine whether high-volume percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) operators still maintain high volume and quality of outcomes when they moved to lower volume hospitals. Systematic reviews have indicated that high-volume PCI operators and hospitals have higher quality outcomes. However, little is known on whether high PCI volume and high quality outcomes are mainly due to operator characteristics (i.e., skill and experience) and is portable across organizations or whether it is due to hospital characteristics (i.e., equipment, team, and management system) and is less portable. We used Taiwan National Health Insurance claims data 2000-2012 to identify 98 high-volume PCI operators, 10 of whom moved from one hospital to another during the study period. We compared the PCI volume, risk-adjusted mortality ratio, and major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) ratio before and after moving. Of the 10 high-volume operators who moved, 6 moved from high- to moderate- or low-volume hospitals, with median annual PCI volumes (interquartile range) of 130 (117-165) in prior hospitals and 54 (46-84) in subsequent hospitals (the hospital the operator moved to), and the remaining 4 moved from high to high-volume hospitals, with median annual PCI volumes (interquartile range) of 151 (133-162) in prior hospitals and 193 (178-239) in subsequent hospitals. No significant differences were observed in the risk-adjusted mortality ratios and MACE ratios between high-volume operators and matched controls before and after moving. High-volume operators cannot maintain high volume when they moved from high to moderate or low-volume hospitals; however, the quality of care is maintained. High PCI volume and high-quality outcomes are less portable and more hospital bound. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Preliminary Design and Experimental Investigation of a Novel Pneumatic Conveying Method to Disperse Natural Fibers in Thermoset Polymers

PubMed Central

Fahimian, Mahi; Kortschot, Mark; Sain, Mohini

2016-01-01

Natural fibers can be attractive reinforcing materials in thermosetting polymers due to their low density and high specific mechanical properties. Although the research effort in this area has grown substantially over the last 20 years, manufacturing technologies to make use of short natural fibers in high volume fraction composites; are still limited. Natural fibers, after retting and preprocessing, are discontinuous and easily form entangled bundles. Dispersion and mixing these short fibers with resin to manufacture high quality, high volume fraction composites presents a significant challenge. In this paper, a novel pneumatic design for dispersion of natural fibers in their original discontinuous form is described. In this design, compressed air is used to create vacuum to feed and convey fibres while breaking down fibre clumps and dispersing them in an aerosolized resin stream. Model composite materials, made using proof-of-concept prototype equipment, were imaged with both optical and X-ray tomography to evaluate fibre and resin dispersion. The images indicated that the system was capable of providing an intimate mixture of resin and detangled fibres for two different resin viscosities. The new pneumatic process could serve as the basis of a system to produce well-dispersed high-volume fraction composites containing discontinuous natural fibres drawn directly from a loosely packed source. PMID:28773670

Chemoradiation for ductal pancreatic carcinoma: principles of combining chemotherapy with radiation, definition of target volume and radiation dose.

PubMed

Wilkowski, Ralf; Thoma, Martin; Weingandt, Helmut; Dühmke, Eckhart; Heinemann, Volker

2005-05-10

Review of the role of chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer with a specific focus on the technical feasibility and the integration of chemoradiotherapy into multimodal treatment concepts. Combined chemoradiotherapy of pancreatic cancer is a safe treatment with an acceptable profile of side effects when applied with modern planning and radiation techniques as well as considering tissue tolerance. Conventionally fractionated radiation regimens with total doses of 45-50 Gy and small-volume boost radiation with 5.4 Gy have found the greatest acceptance. Locoregional lymphatic drainage should be included in the planning of target volumes because the risk of tumor involvement and local or loco-regional recurrence is high. Up to now, 5-fluorouracil has been considered the "standard" agent for concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The role of gemcitabine given concurrently with radiation has not yet been defined, since high local efficacy may also be accompanied by enhanced toxicities. In addition, no dose or administration form has been determined to be "standard" up to now. The focus of presently ongoing research is to define an effective and feasible regimen of concurrent chemoradiotherapy. While preliminary results indicate promising results using gemcitabine-based chemoradiotherapy, reliable data derived from mature phase III trials are greatly needed. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy has been developed to improve target-specific radiation and to reduce organ toxicity. Its clinical relevance still needs to be defined.

Methodologies for Verification and Validation of Space Launch System (SLS) Structural Dynamic Models: Appendices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coppolino, Robert N.

2018-01-01

Verification and validation (V&V) is a highly challenging undertaking for SLS structural dynamics models due to the magnitude and complexity of SLS subassemblies and subassemblies. Responses to challenges associated with V&V of Space Launch System (SLS) structural dynamics models are presented in Volume I of this paper. Four methodologies addressing specific requirements for V&V are discussed. (1) Residual Mode Augmentation (RMA). (2) Modified Guyan Reduction (MGR) and Harmonic Reduction (HR, introduced in 1976). (3) Mode Consolidation (MC). Finally, (4) Experimental Mode Verification (EMV). This document contains the appendices to Volume I.

Cognitive correlates of white matter lesion load and brain atrophy

PubMed Central

Dong, Chuanhui; Nabizadeh, Nooshin; Caunca, Michelle; Cheung, Ying Kuen; Rundek, Tatjana; Elkind, Mitchell S.V.; DeCarli, Charles; Sacco, Ralph L.; Stern, Yaakov

2015-01-01

Objective: We investigated white matter lesion load and global and regional brain volumes in relation to domain-specific cognitive performance in the stroke-free Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS) population. Methods: We quantified white matter hyperintensity volume (WMHV), total cerebral volume (TCV), and total lateral ventricular (TLV) volume, as well as hippocampal and cortical gray matter (GM) lobar volumes in a subgroup. We used general linear models to examine MRI markers in relation to domain-specific cognitive performance, adjusting for key covariates. Results: MRI and cognitive data were available for 1,163 participants (mean age 70 ± 9 years; 60% women; 66% Hispanic, 17% black, 15% white). Across the entire sample, those with greater WMHV had worse processing speed. Those with larger TLV volume did worse on episodic memory, processing speed, and semantic memory tasks, and TCV did not explain domain-specific variability in cognitive performance independent of other measures. Age was an effect modifier, and stratified analysis showed that TCV and WMHV explained variability in some domains above age 70. Smaller hippocampal volume was associated with worse performance across domains, even after adjusting for APOE ε4 and vascular risk factors, whereas smaller frontal lobe volumes were only associated with worse executive function. Conclusions: In this racially/ethnically diverse, community-based sample, white matter lesion load was inversely associated with cognitive performance, independent of brain atrophy. Lateral ventricular, hippocampal, and lobar GM volumes explained domain-specific variability in cognitive performance. PMID:26156514

Dose-volume metrics and their relation to memory performance in pediatric brain tumor patients: A preliminary study.

PubMed

Raghubar, Kimberly P; Lamba, Michael; Cecil, Kim M; Yeates, Keith Owen; Mahone, E Mark; Limke, Christina; Grosshans, David; Beckwith, Travis J; Ris, M Douglas

2018-06-01

Advances in radiation treatment (RT), specifically volumetric planning with detailed dose and volumetric data for specific brain structures, have provided new opportunities to study neurobehavioral outcomes of RT in children treated for brain tumor. The present study examined the relationship between biophysical and physical dose metrics and neurocognitive ability, namely learning and memory, 2 years post-RT in pediatric brain tumor patients. The sample consisted of 26 pediatric patients with brain tumor, 14 of whom completed neuropsychological evaluations on average 24 months post-RT. Prescribed dose and dose-volume metrics for specific brain regions were calculated including physical metrics (i.e., mean dose and maximum dose) and biophysical metrics (i.e., integral biological effective dose and generalized equivalent uniform dose). We examined the associations between dose-volume metrics (whole brain, right and left hippocampus), and performance on measures of learning and memory (Children's Memory Scale). Biophysical dose metrics were highly correlated with the physical metric of mean dose but not with prescribed dose. Biophysical metrics and mean dose, but not prescribed dose, correlated with measures of learning and memory. These preliminary findings call into question the value of prescribed dose for characterizing treatment intensity; they also suggest that biophysical dose has only a limited advantage compared to physical dose when calculated for specific regions of the brain. We discuss the implications of the findings for evaluating and understanding the relation between RT and neurocognitive functioning. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

LANDSAT-D data format control book. Volume 6, appendix K: Unprocessed multispectral scanner high density tape (HDT-RM/HDT-GM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Andersen, K. E.

1981-01-01

Unprocessed MSS data which is recorded on HDT-RM (a 28 track, high density tape) and on HDT-GM (a 14 track, nonbias recorded, high density tape) are inputs for the LANDSAT 4 data management system. All MSS data initially recorded on HDT-GM are copied to HDT-RM prior to processing. This specification establishes the requirements for the format of the LANDSAT D HDT-RM/HDT-GM.

Infrasound Waveform Inversion and Mass Flux Validation from Sakurajima Volcano, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fee, D.; Kim, K.; Yokoo, A.; Izbekov, P. E.; Lopez, T. M.; Prata, F.; Ahonen, P.; Kazahaya, R.; Nakamichi, H.; Iguchi, M.

2015-12-01

Recent advances in numerical wave propagation modeling and station coverage have permitted robust inversion of infrasound data from volcanic explosions. Complex topography and crater morphology have been shown to substantially affect the infrasound waveform, suggesting that homogeneous acoustic propagation assumptions are invalid. Infrasound waveform inversion provides an exciting tool to accurately characterize emission volume and mass flux from both volcanic and non-volcanic explosions. Mass flux, arguably the most sought-after parameter from a volcanic eruption, can be determined from the volume flux using infrasound waveform inversion if the volcanic flow is well-characterized. Thus far, infrasound-based volume and mass flux estimates have yet to be validated. In February 2015 we deployed six infrasound stations around the explosive Sakurajima Volcano, Japan for 8 days. Here we present our full waveform inversion method and volume and mass flux estimates of numerous high amplitude explosions using a high resolution DEM and 3-D Finite Difference Time Domain modeling. Application of this technique to volcanic eruptions may produce realistic estimates of mass flux and plume height necessary for volcanic hazard mitigation. Several ground-based instruments and methods are used to independently determine the volume, composition, and mass flux of individual volcanic explosions. Specifically, we use ground-based ash sampling, multispectral infrared imagery, UV spectrometry, and multigas data to estimate the plume composition and flux. Unique tiltmeter data from underground tunnels at Sakurajima also provides a way to estimate the volume and mass of each explosion. In this presentation we compare the volume and mass flux estimates derived from the different methods and discuss sources of error and future improvements.

Industrial Education Ventilation Study. Volume 1: Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanley Associates, Edmonton (Alberta).

A study assessed aspects of ventilation in industrial education facilities in selected junior and senior highs schools in Alberta (Canada). This report describes the purpose of the study and the four test methods used to acquire school specific information. Also discussed are (1) the results of the instructors' perception survey, the ventilation…

Radiographic Prevalence of Femoroacetabular Impingement in a Young Population with Hip Complaints Is High

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-27

Sciatica 724.3 Abnormality of gait 781.2 ICD-9 = International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision; NOS = not otherwise specified. Volume 468, Number...the patients were not considered in our analysis, specifically diagnoses such as sacroiliitis or sciatica , in which clinical symptoms may not be

HVI Colorimeter and Color Spectrophotometer Relationships and Their Impacts on Developing "Traceable" Cotton Color Standards

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Color measurements of cotton fiber and cotton textile products are important quality parameters. The Uster® High Volume Instrument (HVI) is an instrument used globally to classify cotton quality, including cotton color. Cotton color by HVI is based on two cotton-specific color parameters—Rd (diffuse...

Collins Center Update. Volume 14, Issue 3, April-June 2012

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

2012 leaders must weigh the risks associated with these operations. Recent media reports of the ‘ Duqu ’, ‘Flame’, and ‘Stuxnet’ malware high- light...cyberspace operation was depen- dent upon intelligence, provided by the ‘ Duqu ’ and ‘Flame’ malware, to identify specific systems in the Natanz uranium

Development of an economical thin, quiet, long-lasting, high friction surface layer for economical use in Illinois, volume 2 : field construction, field testing, and engineering benefit analysis.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-03-01

This project provides techniques to improve hot-mix asphalt (HMA) overlays specifically through the use of : special additives and innovative surfacing technologies with aggregates that are locally available in Illinois. The : ultimate goal is to imp...

Specific decrease in solution viscosity of antibodies by arginine for therapeutic formulations.

PubMed

Inoue, Naoto; Takai, Eisuke; Arakawa, Tsutomu; Shiraki, Kentaro

2014-06-02

Unacceptably high viscosity is observed in high protein concentration formulations due to extremely large therapeutic dose of antibodies and volume restriction of subcutaneous route of administration. Here, we show that a protein aggregation suppressor, arginine hydrochloride (ArgHCl), specifically decreases viscosity of antibody formulations. The viscosities of bovine gamma globulin (BGG) solution at 250 mg/mL and human gamma globulin (HGG) solution at 292 mg/mL at a physiological pH were too high for subcutaneous injections, but decreased to an acceptable level (below 50 cP) in the presence of 1,000 mM ArgHCl. ArgHCl also decreased the viscosity of BGG solution at acidic and alkaline pHs. Interestingly, ArgHCl decreased the viscosity of antibody solutions (BGG, HGG, and human immunoglobulin G) but not globular protein solutions (α-amylase and α-chymotrypsin). These results indicate not only high potency of ArgHCl as an excipient to decrease the solution viscosity of high concentration antibodies formulations but also specific interactions between ArgHCl and antibodies.

Utility of Early Post-operative High Resolution Volumetric MR Imaging after Transsphenoidal Pituitary Tumor Surgery

PubMed Central

Patel, Kunal S.; Kazam, Jacob; Tsiouris, Apostolos J.; Anand, Vijay K.; Schwartz, Theodore H.

2014-01-01

Objective Controversy exists over the utility of early post-operative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after transsphenoidal pituitary surgery for macroadenomas. We investigate whether valuable information can be derived from current higher resolution scans. Methods Volumetric MRI scans were obtained in the early (<10 days) and late (>30 days) post-operative periods in a series of patients undergoing transsphenoidal pituitary surgery. The volume of the residual tumor, resection cavity, and corresponding visual field tests were recorded at each time point. Statistical analyses of changes in tumor volume and cavity size were calculated using the late MRI as the gold standard. Results 40 patients met the inclusion criteria. Pre-operative tumor volume averaged 8.8 cm3. Early postoperative assessment of average residual tumor volume (1.18 cm3) was quite accurate and did not differ statistically from late post-operative volume (1.23 cm3, p=.64), indicating the utility of early scans to measure residual tumor. Early scans were 100% sensitive and 91% specific for predicting ≥ 98% resection (p<.001, Fisher’s exact test). The average percent decrease in cavity volume from pre-operative MRI (tumor volume) to early post-operative imaging was 45% with decreases in all but 3 patients. There was no correlation between the size of the early cavity and the visual outcome. Conclusions Early high resolution volumetric MRI is valuable in determining the presence or absence of residual tumor. Cavity volume almost always decreases after surgery and a lack of decrease should alert the surgeon to possible persistent compression of the optic apparatus that may warrant re-operation. PMID:25045791

Race-based differences in length of stay among patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy.

PubMed

Schneider, Eric B; Calkins, Keri L; Weiss, Matthew J; Herman, Joseph M; Wolfgang, Christopher L; Makary, Martin A; Ahuja, Nita; Haider, Adil H; Pawlik, Timothy M

2014-09-01

Race-based disparities in operative morbidity and mortality have been demonstrated for various procedures, including pancreatoduodenectomy (PD). Race-based differences in hospital length-of-stay (LOS), especially related to provider volume at the surgeon and hospital level, remain poorly defined. Using the 2003-2009 Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we determined year-specific PD volumes for surgeons and hospitals and grouped them into terciles. Patient race (white, black, or Hispanic), age, sex, and comorbidities were examined. Median length of stay was calculated, and multivariable logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with increased LOS. Among 4,319 eligible individuals, 3,502 (81.1%) were white, 423 (9.8%) were black, and 394 (9.1%) were Hispanic. Overall median LOS was 12 days (range, 0-234). Median annual surgeon volume was 8 (interquartile range [IQR], 2-19; range, 1-54). Annual hospital volume ranged from 1 to 129 (median, 19; IQR, 7-55). White patients were more likely to have been treated at medium- to high-volume hospitals (odds ratio [OR] 1.53, P < .001) and by medium- to high-volume surgeons (OR 1.62, P < .001) than black or Hispanic patients. After PD, white, black, and Hispanic patients demonstrated similar in-hospital mortality (5.1%, 5.7% and 7.2% respectively P = .250). After adjustment, black (OR 1.36, P = .010) and Hispanic (OR 1.68, P < .001) patients were more likely to have a greater LOS after PD. Black and Hispanic PD patients were less likely than white patients to be treated at higher-volume hospitals and by higher-volume surgeons. Proportional mortality and LOS after PD were greater among black and Hispanic patients. Copyright © 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Reduced Gray Matter Volume Is Associated With Poorer Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Performance in Heart Failure.

PubMed

Alosco, Michael L; Brickman, Adam M; Spitznagel, Mary Beth; Narkhede, Atul; Griffith, Erica Y; Cohen, Ronald; Sweet, Lawrence H; Josephson, Richard; Hughes, Joel; Gunstad, John

2016-01-01

Heart failure patients require assistance with instrumental activities of daily living in part because of the high rates of cognitive impairment in this population. Structural brain insult (eg, reduced gray matter volume) is theorized to underlie cognitive dysfunction in heart failure, although no study has examined the association among gray matter, cognition, and instrumental activities of daily living in heart failure. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations among gray matter volume, cognitive function, and functional ability in heart failure. A total of 81 heart failure patients completed a cognitive test battery and the Lawton-Brody self-report questionnaire to assess instrumental activities of daily living. Participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging to quantify total gray matter and subcortical gray matter volume. Impairments in instrumental activities of daily living were common in this sample of HF patients. Regression analyses controlling for demographic and medical confounders showed that smaller total gray matter volume predicted decreased scores on the instrumental activities of daily living composite, with specific associations noted for medication management and independence in driving. Interaction analyses showed that reduced total gray matter volume interacted with worse attention/executive function and memory to negatively impact instrumental activities of daily living. Smaller gray matter volume is associated with greater impairment in instrumental activities of daily living in persons with heart failure, possibly via cognitive dysfunction. Prospective studies are needed to clarify the utility of clinical correlates of gray matter volume (eg, cognitive dysfunction) in identifying heart failure patients at risk for functional decline and determine whether interventions that target improved brain and cognitive function can preserve functional independence in this high-risk population.

Challenges of Designing a 13-Hz High-Load Vibration Isolation System with Tight Volume Constraints: Lessons Learned and Path Forward

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dearing, Stella; Ruebsamen, Dale

2016-01-01

This paper describes the design of a passive isolation system using D-struts (Registered TradeMark) to isolate an optical payload from aircraft-borne jitter with challenging stroke per volume requirements. It discusses the use of viscoelastic-coated D-struts® that meet the customer performance and outgassing specification, NASA-1124. The result was a relatively soft isolation system, (where the first mode was 13 Hz), with each individual strut capable of withstanding loads on the order of magnitude of 623 N (140 lbf), weighing less than 910 g (2 lbm), fitting in a volume 5.1 cm (2 inches) in diameter and 12-cm (4.7-inches) long and capable of performing up to 1000 Hz without nonlinearities.

Rapid method for measuring rotenone in water at piscicidal concentrations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dawson, V.K.; Harman, P.D.; Schultz, D.P.; Allen, J.L.

1983-01-01

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) procedure that is rapid, specific, and sensitive (limit of detection <0.005 mg/liter) was developed for monitoring application and degradation rates of rotenone. For analysis, a water sample is buffered to pH 5 and injected through a Sep Pak(R) C18 disposable cartridge. The cartridge adsorbs and retains the rotenone which then can be eluted quantitatively from the cartridge with a small volume of methanol. This step effectively concentrates the sample and provides sample cleanup. The methanol extract is analyzed directly by HPLC on an MCH 10 reverse-phase column; methanol: water (75:25, volume : volume) is the mobile phase and flow rate is 1.5 ml/minute. The rotenone is detected by ultraviolet spectrophotometry at a wavelength of 295 nm.

Transcutaneous bowel sonography for inflammatory bowel disease is sensitive and specific when performed in a nonexpert low-volume North American center.

PubMed

Sey, Michael Sai Lai; Gregor, Jamie; Chande, Nilesh; Ponich, Terry; Bhaduri, Mousumi; Lum, Andrea; Zaleski, Witek; Yan, Brian

2013-08-01

Transcutaneous bowel sonography is a nonionizing imaging modality used in inflammatory bowel disease. Although available in Europe, its uptake in North America has been limited. Since the accuracy of bowel sonography is highly operator dependent, low-volume centers in North America may not achieve the same diagnostic accuracy reported in the European literature. Our objective was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of bowel sonography in a nonexpert low-volume center. All cases of bowel sonography at a single tertiary care center during an 18-month period were reviewed. Bowel sonography was compared with reference standards, including small-bowel follow-through, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, colonoscopy, and surgical findings. A total of 103 cases were included for analysis during the study period. The final diagnoses included Crohn disease (72), ulcerative colitis (8), hemolytic uremic syndrome (1), and normal (22). The sensitivity and specificity of bowel sonography for intestinal wall inflammation were 87.8% and 92.6%, respectively. In the subset of patients who had complications of Crohn disease, the sensitivity and specificity were 50% and 100% for fistulas and 14% and 100% for strictures. One patient had an abscess, which was detected by bowel sonography. Abnormal bowel sonographic findings contributed to the escalation of treatment in 55% of cases. Bowel sonography for inflammatory bowel disease can be performed in low-volume centers and provides diagnostic accuracy for luminal disease comparable with published data, although it is less sensitive for complications of Crohn disease.

Molecular Solid EOS based on Quasi-Harmonic Oscillator approximation for phonons

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

Menikoff, Ralph

2014-09-02

A complete equation of state (EOS) for a molecular solid is derived utilizing a Helmholtz free energy. Assuming that the solid is nonconducting, phonon excitations dominate the specific heat. Phonons are approximated as independent quasi-harmonic oscillators with vibrational frequencies depending on the specific volume. The model is suitable for calibrating an EOS based on isothermal compression data and infrared/Raman spectroscopy data from high pressure measurements utilizing a diamond anvil cell. In contrast to a Mie-Gruneisen EOS developed for an atomic solid, the specific heat and Gruneisen coefficient depend on both density and temperature.

Calibration of a semi-automated segmenting method for quantification of adipose tissue compartments from magnetic resonance images of mice.

PubMed

Garteiser, Philippe; Doblas, Sabrina; Towner, Rheal A; Griffin, Timothy M

2013-11-01

To use an automated water-suppressed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method to objectively assess adipose tissue (AT) volumes in whole body and specific regional body components (subcutaneous, thoracic and peritoneal) of obese and lean mice. Water-suppressed MR images were obtained on a 7T, horizontal-bore MRI system in whole bodies (excluding head) of 26 week old male C57BL6J mice fed a control (10% kcal fat) or high-fat diet (60% kcal fat) for 20 weeks. Manual (outlined regions) versus automated (Gaussian fitting applied to threshold-weighted images) segmentation procedures were compared for whole body AT and regional AT volumes (i.e., subcutaneous, thoracic, and peritoneal). The AT automated segmentation method was compared to dual-energy X-ray (DXA) analysis. The average AT volumes for whole body and individual compartments correlated well between the manual outlining and the automated methods (R2>0.77, p<0.05). Subcutaneous, peritoneal, and total body AT volumes were increased 2-3 fold and thoracic AT volume increased more than 5-fold in diet-induced obese mice versus controls (p<0.05). MRI and DXA-based method comparisons were highly correlative (R2=0.94, p<0.0001). Automated AT segmentation of water-suppressed MRI data using a global Gaussian filtering algorithm resulted in a fairly accurate assessment of total and regional AT volumes in a pre-clinical mouse model of obesity. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Is the prescribing behavior of Chinese physicians driven by financial incentives?

PubMed

Chen, Chun; Dong, Weizhen; Shen, Jay J; Cochran, Christopher; Wang, Ying; Hao, Mo

2014-11-01

The prescribing behavior to prescribe high-priced drugs has been hypothesized to be related to the increasing drug expenditures in China, but little empirical evidence exists. The purpose of this study was to examine whether Chinese physicians, driven by financial incentives, tend to prescribe high-priced drugs. The 2000-2008 drug data in the Yangtze River Basin Hospitals' Drug Use Analysis System were analyzed to examine the prescription patterns of penicillins and cephalosporins in Shanghai. Among the top-100 drugs (by volume), cephalosporins cost as 1.1- 2.3 times as penicillins and their volume was 1.7-18.2 times. Revenues generated from prescribing cephalosporins were 3.4-24.2 times as those from prescribing penicillins. The tendency of prescribing relatively high-priced drugs was observed given the same chemical name, dosage, and specification but different trade names. Furthermore, high-priced drugs remained on the top-100 list with increasing volumes, while some lower-priced drugs exited from the list due to decreases in volumes. Facing the policy dilemmas, the Chinese government needs to implement a new financially rewarding system in which hospitals and physicians are able to achieve financial gains in a cost-effective way including prescribing similar drugs with lower prices. Reforming hospitals' payment methods is necessary and feasible to reshape financial incentives of healthcare providers. The combination of the global budget policy and financial incentive measures would be likely to change providers' prescribing behaviors towards a cost-effective direction. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automatic segmentation in three-dimensional analysis of fibrovascular pigmentepithelial detachment using high-definition optical coherence tomography.

PubMed

Ahlers, C; Simader, C; Geitzenauer, W; Stock, G; Stetson, P; Dastmalchi, S; Schmidt-Erfurth, U

2008-02-01

A limited number of scans compromise conventional optical coherence tomography (OCT) to track chorioretinal disease in its full extension. Failures in edge-detection algorithms falsify the results of retinal mapping even further. High-definition-OCT (HD-OCT) is based on raster scanning and was used to visualise the localisation and volume of intra- and sub-pigment-epithelial (RPE) changes in fibrovascular pigment epithelial detachments (fPED). Two different scanning patterns were evaluated. 22 eyes with fPED were imaged using a frequency-domain, high-speed prototype of the Cirrus HD-OCT. The axial resolution was 6 mum, and the scanning speed was 25 kA scans/s. Two different scanning patterns covering an area of 6 x 6 mm in the macular retina were compared. Three-dimensional topographic reconstructions and volume calculations were performed using MATLAB-based automatic segmentation software. Detailed information about layer-specific distribution of fluid accumulation and volumetric measurements can be obtained for retinal- and sub-RPE volumes. Both raster scans show a high correlation (p<0.01; R2>0.89) of measured values, that is PED volume/area, retinal volume and mean retinal thickness. Quality control of the automatic segmentation revealed reasonable results in over 90% of the examinations. Automatic segmentation allows for detailed quantitative and topographic analysis of the RPE and the overlying retina. In fPED, the 128 x 512 scanning-pattern shows mild advantages when compared with the 256 x 256 scan. Together with the ability for automatic segmentation, HD-OCT clearly improves the clinical monitoring of chorioretinal disease by adding relevant new parameters. HD-OCT is likely capable of enhancing the understanding of pathophysiology and benefits of treatment for current anti-CNV strategies in future.

Australasian Gastrointestinal Trials Group (AGITG) Contouring Atlas and Planning Guidelines for Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy in Anal Cancer

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

Ng, Michael, E-mail: mng@radoncvic.com.au; Leong, Trevor; University of Melbourne

2012-08-01

Purpose: To develop a high-resolution target volume atlas with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) planning guidelines for the conformal treatment of anal cancer. Methods and Materials: A draft contouring atlas and planning guidelines for anal cancer IMRT were prepared at the Australasian Gastrointestinal Trials Group (AGITG) annual meeting in September 2010. An expert panel of radiation oncologists contoured an anal cancer case to generate discussion on recommendations regarding target definition for gross disease, elective nodal volumes, and organs at risk (OARs). Clinical target volume (CTV) and planning target volume (PTV) margins, dose fractionation, and other IMRT-specific issues were also addressed. A steeringmore » committee produced the final consensus guidelines. Results: Detailed contouring and planning guidelines and a high-resolution atlas are provided. Gross tumor and elective target volumes are described and pictorially depicted. All elective regions should be routinely contoured for all disease stages, with the possible exception of the inguinal and high pelvic nodes for select, early-stage T1N0. A 20-mm CTV margin for the primary, 10- to 20-mm CTV margin for involved nodes and a 7-mm CTV margin for the elective pelvic nodal groups are recommended, while respecting anatomical boundaries. A 5- to 10-mm PTV margin is suggested. When using a simultaneous integrated boost technique, a dose of 54 Gy in 30 fractions to gross disease and 45 Gy to elective nodes with chemotherapy is appropriate. Guidelines are provided for OAR delineation. Conclusion: These consensus planning guidelines and high-resolution atlas complement the existing Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) elective nodal ano-rectal atlas and provide additional anatomic, clinical, and technical instructions to guide radiation oncologists in the planning and delivery of IMRT for anal cancer.« less

Predictive models for subtypes of autism spectrum disorder based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms and magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Jiao, Y; Chen, R; Ke, X; Cheng, L; Chu, K; Lu, Z; Herskovits, E H

2011-01-01

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, of which Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism are subtypes. Our goal is: 1) to determine whether a diagnostic model based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), brain regional thickness measurements, or brain regional volume measurements can distinguish Asperger syndrome from high-functioning autism; and 2) to compare the SNP, thickness, and volume-based diagnostic models. Our study included 18 children with ASD: 13 subjects with high-functioning autism and 5 subjects with Asperger syndrome. For each child, we obtained 25 SNPs for 8 ASD-related genes; we also computed regional cortical thicknesses and volumes for 66 brain structures, based on structural magnetic resonance (MR) examination. To generate diagnostic models, we employed five machine-learning techniques: decision stump, alternating decision trees, multi-class alternating decision trees, logistic model trees, and support vector machines. For SNP-based classification, three decision-tree-based models performed better than the other two machine-learning models. The performance metrics for three decision-tree-based models were similar: decision stump was modestly better than the other two methods, with accuracy = 90%, sensitivity = 0.95 and specificity = 0.75. All thickness and volume-based diagnostic models performed poorly. The SNP-based diagnostic models were superior to those based on thickness and volume. For SNP-based classification, rs878960 in GABRB3 (gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptor, beta 3) was selected by all tree-based models. Our analysis demonstrated that SNP-based classification was more accurate than morphometry-based classification in ASD subtype classification. Also, we found that one SNP--rs878960 in GABRB3--distinguishes Asperger syndrome from high-functioning autism.

Highly deformation-tolerant carbon nanotube sponges as supercapacitor electrodes.

PubMed

Li, Peixu; Kong, Chuiyan; Shang, Yuanyuan; Shi, Enzheng; Yu, Yuntao; Qian, Weizhong; Wei, Fei; Wei, Jinquan; Wang, Kunlin; Zhu, Hongwei; Cao, Anyuan; Wu, Dehai

2013-09-21

Developing flexible and deformable supercapacitor electrodes based on porous materials is of high interest in energy related fields. Here, we show that carbon nanotube sponges, consisting of highly porous conductive networks, can serve as compressible and deformation-tolerant supercapacitor electrodes in aqueous or organic electrolytes. In aqueous electrolytes, the sponges maintain a similar specific capacitance (>90% of the original value) under a predefined compressive strain of 50% (corresponding to a volume reduction of 50%), and retain more than 70% of the original capacitance under 80% strain while the volume normalized capacitance increases by 3-fold. The sponge electrode maintains a stable performance after 1000 large strain compression cycles. A coin-shaped cell assembled with these sponges shows excellent stability over 15,000 charging cycles with negligible degradation after 500 cycles. Our results indicate that carbon nanotube sponges have the potential to fabricate deformable supercapacitor electrodes with stable performance.

High resolution microwave spectrometer sounder (HIMSS), volume 1, book 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The following topics are presented with respect to the high resolution microwave spectrometer sounder (HIMSS) that is to be used as an instrument for NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS): (1) preliminary program plans; (2) contract end item (CEI) specification; and (3) the instrument interface description document. Under the preliminary program plans section, plans dealing with the following subject areas are discussed: spares, performance assurance, configuration management, software implementation, contamination, calibration management, and verification.

Flexible thin film circuitry enabling ubiquitous electronics via post-fabrication customization (Presentation Recording)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cobb, Brian

2015-09-01

For decades, the electronics industry has been accurately described by Moore's Law, where the march towards increasing density and smaller feature sizes has enabled continuous cost reductions and performance improvements. With flexible electronics, this perpetual scaling is not foreseen to occur. Instead, the industry will be dominated by Wright's Law, first proposed in 1936, where increasing demand for high volumes of product will drive costs down. We have demonstrated thin film based circuitry compatible with flexible substrates with high levels of functionality designed for such a high volume industry. This includes a generic 8-bit microprocessor totaling more than 3.5k TFTs operating at 2.1 kHz. We have also developed a post fabrication programming technique via inkjet printing of conductive spots to form a one-time programmable instruction generator, allowing customization of the processor for a specific task. The combination demonstrates the possibility to achieve the high volume production of identical products necessary to reap the benefits promised by Wright's Law, while still retaining the individualization necessary for application differentiation. This is of particular importance in the area of item level identification via RFID, where low cost and individualized identification are necessary. Remotely powered RFID tags have been fabricated using an oxide semiconductor based TFT process. This process is compatible with the post-fabrication printing process to detail individual identification codes, with the goal of producing low cost, high volume flexible tags. The goal is to produce tags compatible with existing NFC communication protocols in order to communicate with readers that are already ubiquitous in the market.

Collecting duct-specific knockout of nitric oxide synthase 3 impairs water excretion in a sex-dependent manner

PubMed Central

Gao, Yang; Stuart, Deborah; Pollock, Jennifer S.; Takahishi, Takamune

2016-01-01

Nitric oxide (NO) inhibits collecting duct (CD) Na+ and water reabsorption. Mice with CD-specific knockout (KO) of NO synthase 1 (NOS1) have salt-sensitive hypertension. In contrast, the role of NOS3 in CD salt and water reabsorption is unknown. Mice with CD NOS3 KO were generated with loxP-flanked exons 9–12 (encodes the calmodulin binding site) of the NOS3 gene and the aquaporin-2 promoter-Cre transgene. There were no differences between control and CD NOS3 KO mice, irrespective of sex, in food intake, water intake, urine volume, urinary Na+ or K+ excretion, plasma renin concentration, blood pressure, or pulse during 7 days of normal (0.3%), high (3.17%), or low (0.03%) Na+ intake. Blood pressure was similar between genotypes during DOCA-high salt. CD NOS3 KO did not alter urine volume or urine osmolality after water deprivation. In contrast, CD NOS3 KO male, but not female, mice had lower urine volume and higher urine osmolality over the course of 7 days of water loading compared with control mice. Male, but not female, CD NOS3 KO mice had reduced urinary nitrite+nitrate excretion compared with controls after 7 days of water loading. Urine AVP and AVP-stimulated cAMP accumulation in isolated inner medullary CD were similar between genotypes. Western analysis did not reveal a significant effect of CD NOS3 KO on renal aquaporin expression. In summary, these data suggest that CD NOS3 may be involved in the diuretic response to a water load in a sex-specific manner; the mechanism of this effect remains to be determined. PMID:27707708

Estimating Highway Volumes Using Vehicle Probe Data - Proof of Concept: Preprint

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

Hou, Yi; Young, Stanley E; Sadabadi, Kaveh

This paper examines the feasibility of using sampled commercial probe data in combination with validated continuous counter data to accurately estimate vehicle volume across the entire roadway network, for any hour during the year. Currently either real time or archived volume data for roadways at specific times are extremely sparse. Most volume data are average annual daily traffic (AADT) measures derived from the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS). Although methods to factor the AADT to hourly averages for typical day of week exist, actual volume data is limited to a sparse collection of locations in which volumes are continuously recorded.more » This paper explores the use of commercial probe data to generate accurate volume measures that span the highway network providing ubiquitous coverage in space, and specific point-in-time measures for a specific date and time. The paper examines the need for the data, fundamental accuracy limitations based on a basic statistical model that take into account the sampling nature of probe data, and early results from a proof of concept exercise revealing the potential of probe type data calibrated with public continuous count data to meet end user expectations in terms of accuracy of volume estimates.« less

DETERMINATION OF THE SPEED OF SOUND ALONG THE HUGONIOT IN A SHOCKED MATERIAL

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-04-25

correctly predict higher speeds of sound for the higher energy shocked states. The approximations of higher shock pressures diverge progressively...List 11 FIGURES 1 Copper Hugoniot pressure-specific volume plane 4 2 Copper Hugoniot energy -specific volume plane 4 3 Comparison between rate of...volume and energy are being used. = (, ) Then by the chain rule: = | + | Dividing by dv

National Trends in Prostate Biopsy and Radical Prostatectomy Volumes Following the US Preventive Services Task Force Guidelines Against Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening.

PubMed

Halpern, Joshua A; Shoag, Jonathan E; Artis, Amanda S; Ballman, Karla V; Sedrakyan, Art; Hershman, Dawn L; Wright, Jason D; Shih, Ya Chen Tina; Hu, Jim C

2017-02-01

Studies demonstrate that use of prostate-specific antigen screening decreased significantly following the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation against prostate-specific antigen screening in 2012. To determine downstream effects on practice patterns in prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment following the 2012 USPSTF recommendation. Procedural volumes of certifying and recertifying urologists from 2009 through 2016 were evaluated for variation in prostate biopsy and radical prostatectomy (RP) volume. Trends were confirmed using the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System and Nationwide Inpatient Sample. The study included a representative sample of urologists across practice settings and nationally representative sample of all RP discharges. We obtained operative case logs from the American Board of Urology and identified urologists performing at least 1 prostate biopsy (n = 5173) or RP (n = 3748), respectively. The 2012 USPSTF recommendation against routine population-wide prostate-specific antigen screening. Change in median biopsy and RP volume per urologist and national procedural volume. Following the USPSTF recommendation, median biopsy volume per urologist decreased from 29 to 21 (interquartile range [IQR}, 12-34; P < .001). After adjusting for physician and practice characteristics, biopsy volume decreased by 28.7% following 2012 (parameter estimate, -0.25; SE, 0.03; P < .001). Similarly, following the USPSTF recommendation, median RP volume per urologist decreased from 7 (IQR, 3-15) to 6 (IQR, 2-12) (P < .001), and in adjusted analyses, RP volume decreased 16.2% (parameter estimate, -0.15; SE, 0.05; P = .003). Following the 2012 USPSTF recommendation, prostate biopsy and RP volumes decreased significantly. A panoramic vantage point is needed to evaluate the long-term consequences of the 2012 USPSTF recommendation.

Universal scaling of permeability through the granular-to-continuum transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wadsworth, F. B.; Scheu, B.; Heap, M. J.; Kendrick, J. E.; Vasseur, J.; Lavallée, Y.; Dingwell, D. B.

2015-12-01

Magmas fragment forming a transiently granular material, which can weld back to a fluid-continuum. This process results in dramatic changes in the gas-volume fraction of the material, which impacts the gas permeability. We collate published data for the gas-volume fraction and permeability of volcanic and synthetic materials which have undergone this process to different amounts and note that in all cases there exists a discontinuity in the relationship between these two properties. By discriminating data for which good microstructural information are provided, we use simple scaling arguments to collapse the data in both the still-granular, high gas-volume fraction regime and the fluid-continuum low gas-volume fraction regime such that a universal description can be achieved. We use this to argue for the microstructural meaning of the well-described discontinuity between gas-permeability and gas-volume fraction and to infer the controls on the position of this transition between dominantly granular and dominantly fluid-continuum material descriptions. As a specific application, we consider the transiently granular magma transported through and deposited in fractures in more-coherent magmas, thought to be a primary degassing pathway in high viscosity systems. We propose that our scaling coupled with constitutive laws for densification can provide insights into the longevity of such degassing channels, informing sub-surface pressure modelling at such volcanoes.

The Formula Design and Performance Study of Gas Generators based on 5-Aminotetrazole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Z. Y.; Zhang, Y. P.; Du, Z. M.; Li, Z. Y.; Yao, Q.; Yang, Y. Z.

2018-01-01

Up to now, the research studies about 5-aminotetrazole (5-AT) gas generators are still not complete. In this work, ten gas generators based on 5-AT with different ordinary oxidants were designed. At the same time, ten gas generators based on azodicarbonamide (ADC), a current gas-generating material, were also designed, which serves as a contrast to formulas of 5-AT. The oxidants of all formulas are the same in proportion. The specific volume, gas production rate, and combustion temperature of these gas generators were measured and calculated. In conclusion, 5-AT/KClO4/Fe2O3/MnO2 formula has high specific volume, acceptable combustion temperature (1466.07 K), and large gas production (maximum pressures can reach 1.79 MPa). It is a kind of gas generator with potential value of development such as using in inflating airbags of automobiles.

[Three-dimensional 3D modeling: First applications in radioanatomy and interventional radiology under CT guidance].

PubMed

Aubry, S; Pousse, A; Sarliève, P; Laborie, L; Delabrousse, E; Kastler, B

2006-11-01

To model vertebrae in 3D to improve radioanatomic knowledge of the spine with the vascular and nerve environment and simulate CT-guided interventions. Vertebra acquisitions were made with multidetector CT. We developed segmentation software and specific viewer software using the Delphi programming environment. This segmentation software makes it possible to model 3D high-resolution segments of vertebrae and their environment from multidetector CT acquisitions. Then the specific viewer software provides multiplanar reconstructions of the CT volume and the possibility to select different 3D objects of interest. This software package improves radiologists' radioanatomic knowledge through a new 3D anatomy presentation. Furthermore, the possibility of inserting virtual 3D objects in the volume can simulate CT-guided intervention. The first volumetric radioanatomic software has been born. Furthermore, it simulates CT-guided intervention and consequently has the potential to facilitate learning interventions using CT guidance.

Network, system, and status software enhancements for the autonomously managed electrical power system breadboard. Volume 2: Protocol specification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckee, James W.

1990-01-01

This volume (2 of 4) contains the specification, structured flow charts, and code listing for the protocol. The purpose of an autonomous power system on a spacecraft is to relieve humans from having to continuously monitor and control the generation, storage, and distribution of power in the craft. This implies that algorithms will have been developed to monitor and control the power system. The power system will contain computers on which the algorithms run. There should be one control computer system that makes the high level decisions and sends commands to and receive data from the other distributed computers. This will require a communications network and an efficient protocol by which the computers will communicate. One of the major requirements on the protocol is that it be real time because of the need to control the power elements.

[A new method for determining the body composition with the aid of a displacement balance and low-pressure volumetric analysis (author's transl)].

PubMed

Schmid, P; Schlick, W; Irsigler, K

1976-01-09

A new method for determination of the specific weight of the gas-free human body is presented. Volume measurement is facilitated by extremely precise scales, by means of which a well-defined amount of water which was removed from a "patient container" is weighed. After the test subject has entered the container and is standing up to the neck in water, the container is closed. The combined gas volume consisting of the subject's lung volume, his intestinal gas and the air around his head is measured by lowering the pressure by an exactly-defined amount. This is done by opening a valve at the bottom of the container, which results in the outflow of a certain amount of water, the volume of which corresponds to the volume expansion inside the container. The gas volume prior to expansion can then be calculated by application of the gas laws. The advantages of this measuring device are its relatively small size, the high precision and the fact that the procedure is not unpleasant for the subject, as the head is not submerged under water.

Exposure and materiality of the secondary room and its impact on the impulse response of coupled-volume concert halls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ermann, Michael; Johnson, Marty

2005-06-01

How does sound decay when one room is partially exposed to another (acoustically coupled)? More specifically, this research aims to quantify how operational and design decisions impact sound fields in the design of concert halls with acoustical coupling. By adding a second room to a concert hall, and designing doors to control the sonic transparency between the two rooms, designers can create a new, coupled acoustic. Concert halls use coupling to achieve a variable, longer, and distinct reverberant quality for their musicians and listeners. For this study a coupled-volume shoebox concert hall is conceived with a fixed geometric volume, form, and primary-room sound absorption. Aperture size and secondary-room sound absorption levels are established as variables. Statistical analysis of sound decay in this simulated hall suggests a highly sensitive relationship between the double-sloped condition and (1) architectural composition, as defined by the aperture size exposing the chamber and (2) materiality, as defined by the sound absorptance in the coupled volume. The theoretical, mathematical predictions are compared with coupled-volume concert hall field measurements and guidelines are suggested for future designs of coupled-volume concert halls.

A Highly Flexible, Automated System Providing Reliable Sample Preparation in Element- and Structure-Specific Measurements.

PubMed

Vorberg, Ellen; Fleischer, Heidi; Junginger, Steffen; Liu, Hui; Stoll, Norbert; Thurow, Kerstin

2016-10-01

Life science areas require specific sample pretreatment to increase the concentration of the analytes and/or to convert the analytes into an appropriate form for the detection and separation systems. Various workstations are commercially available, allowing for automated biological sample pretreatment. Nevertheless, due to the required temperature, pressure, and volume conditions in typical element and structure-specific measurements, automated platforms are not suitable for analytical processes. Thus, the purpose of the presented investigation was the design, realization, and evaluation of an automated system ensuring high-precision sample preparation for a variety of analytical measurements. The developed system has to enable system adaption and high performance flexibility. Furthermore, the system has to be capable of dealing with the wide range of required vessels simultaneously, allowing for less cost and time-consuming process steps. However, the system's functionality has been confirmed in various validation sequences. Using element-specific measurements, the automated system was up to 25% more precise compared to the manual procedure and as precise as the manual procedure using structure-specific measurements. © 2015 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening.

Histogram analysis of T2*-based pharmacokinetic imaging in cerebral glioma grading.

PubMed

Liu, Hua-Shan; Chiang, Shih-Wei; Chung, Hsiao-Wen; Tsai, Ping-Huei; Hsu, Fei-Ting; Cho, Nai-Yu; Wang, Chao-Ying; Chou, Ming-Chung; Chen, Cheng-Yu

2018-03-01

To investigate the feasibility of histogram analysis of the T2*-based permeability parameter volume transfer constant (K trans ) for glioma grading and to explore the diagnostic performance of the histogram analysis of K trans and blood plasma volume (v p ). We recruited 31 and 11 patients with high- and low-grade gliomas, respectively. The histogram parameters of K trans and v p , derived from the first-pass pharmacokinetic modeling based on the T2* dynamic susceptibility-weighted contrast-enhanced perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (T2* DSC-PW-MRI) from the entire tumor volume, were evaluated for differentiating glioma grades. Histogram parameters of K trans and v p showed significant differences between high- and low-grade gliomas and exhibited significant correlations with tumor grades. The mean K trans derived from the T2* DSC-PW-MRI had the highest sensitivity and specificity for differentiating high-grade gliomas from low-grade gliomas compared with other histogram parameters of K trans and v p . Histogram analysis of T2*-based pharmacokinetic imaging is useful for cerebral glioma grading. The histogram parameters of the entire tumor K trans measurement can provide increased accuracy with additional information regarding microvascular permeability changes for identifying high-grade brain tumors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Polyaniline-encapsulated silicon on three-dimensional carbon nanotubes foam with enhanced electrochemical performance for lithium-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Xiaoming; Liu, Yang; Du, Chunyu; Ren, Yang; Mu, Tiansheng; Zuo, Pengjian; Yin, Geping; Ma, Yulin; Cheng, Xinqun; Gao, Yunzhi

2018-03-01

Seeking free volume around nanostructures for silicon-based anodes has been a crucial strategy to improve cycling and rate performance in the next generation Li-ion batteries. Herein, through a simple pyrolysis and in-situ polymerization approach, the low cost commercially available melamine foam as a soft template converts carbon nanotubes into highly dispersed and three-dimensionally interconnected framework with encapsulated silicon/polyaniline hierarchical nanoarchitecture. This unique core-sheath structure based on carbon nanotubes foam integrates a large number of mesoporous, thus providing well-accessible space for electrolyte wetting, whereas the carbon nanotubes matrix serves as conductive thoroughfares for electron transport. Meanwhile, the outer polyaniline coated on silicon nanoparticles provides effective space for volume expansion of silicon, further inhibiting the active material escape from the current collector. As expected, the PANI-Si@CNTs foam exhibits a high initial specific capacity of 1954 mAh g-1 and retains 727 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA g-1, which can be attributed to highly electrical conductivity of carbon nanotubes and protective layer of polyaniline sheath, together with three-dimensionally interconnected porous skeleton. This facile structure can pave a way for large scale synthesis of high durable silicon-based anodes or other electrode materials with huge volume expansion.

Common genetic variants influence human subcortical brain structures.

PubMed

Hibar, Derrek P; Stein, Jason L; Renteria, Miguel E; Arias-Vasquez, Alejandro; Desrivières, Sylvane; Jahanshad, Neda; Toro, Roberto; Wittfeld, Katharina; Abramovic, Lucija; Andersson, Micael; Aribisala, Benjamin S; Armstrong, Nicola J; Bernard, Manon; Bohlken, Marc M; Boks, Marco P; Bralten, Janita; Brown, Andrew A; Chakravarty, M Mallar; Chen, Qiang; Ching, Christopher R K; Cuellar-Partida, Gabriel; den Braber, Anouk; Giddaluru, Sudheer; Goldman, Aaron L; Grimm, Oliver; Guadalupe, Tulio; Hass, Johanna; Woldehawariat, Girma; Holmes, Avram J; Hoogman, Martine; Janowitz, Deborah; Jia, Tianye; Kim, Sungeun; Klein, Marieke; Kraemer, Bernd; Lee, Phil H; Olde Loohuis, Loes M; Luciano, Michelle; Macare, Christine; Mather, Karen A; Mattheisen, Manuel; Milaneschi, Yuri; Nho, Kwangsik; Papmeyer, Martina; Ramasamy, Adaikalavan; Risacher, Shannon L; Roiz-Santiañez, Roberto; Rose, Emma J; Salami, Alireza; Sämann, Philipp G; Schmaal, Lianne; Schork, Andrew J; Shin, Jean; Strike, Lachlan T; Teumer, Alexander; van Donkelaar, Marjolein M J; van Eijk, Kristel R; Walters, Raymond K; Westlye, Lars T; Whelan, Christopher D; Winkler, Anderson M; Zwiers, Marcel P; Alhusaini, Saud; Athanasiu, Lavinia; Ehrlich, Stefan; Hakobjan, Marina M H; Hartberg, Cecilie B; Haukvik, Unn K; Heister, Angelien J G A M; Hoehn, David; Kasperaviciute, Dalia; Liewald, David C M; Lopez, Lorna M; Makkinje, Remco R R; Matarin, Mar; Naber, Marlies A M; McKay, D Reese; Needham, Margaret; Nugent, Allison C; Pütz, Benno; Royle, Natalie A; Shen, Li; Sprooten, Emma; Trabzuni, Daniah; van der Marel, Saskia S L; van Hulzen, Kimm J E; Walton, Esther; Wolf, Christiane; Almasy, Laura; Ames, David; Arepalli, Sampath; Assareh, Amelia A; Bastin, Mark E; Brodaty, Henry; Bulayeva, Kazima B; Carless, Melanie A; Cichon, Sven; Corvin, Aiden; Curran, Joanne E; Czisch, Michael; de Zubicaray, Greig I; Dillman, Allissa; Duggirala, Ravi; Dyer, Thomas D; Erk, Susanne; Fedko, Iryna O; Ferrucci, Luigi; Foroud, Tatiana M; Fox, Peter T; Fukunaga, Masaki; Gibbs, J Raphael; Göring, Harald H H; Green, Robert C; Guelfi, Sebastian; Hansell, Narelle K; Hartman, Catharina A; Hegenscheid, Katrin; Heinz, Andreas; Hernandez, Dena G; Heslenfeld, Dirk J; Hoekstra, Pieter J; Holsboer, Florian; Homuth, Georg; Hottenga, Jouke-Jan; Ikeda, Masashi; Jack, Clifford R; Jenkinson, Mark; Johnson, Robert; Kanai, Ryota; Keil, Maria; Kent, Jack W; Kochunov, Peter; Kwok, John B; Lawrie, Stephen M; Liu, Xinmin; Longo, Dan L; McMahon, Katie L; Meisenzahl, Eva; Melle, Ingrid; Mohnke, Sebastian; Montgomery, Grant W; Mostert, Jeanette C; Mühleisen, Thomas W; Nalls, Michael A; Nichols, Thomas E; Nilsson, Lars G; Nöthen, Markus M; Ohi, Kazutaka; Olvera, Rene L; Perez-Iglesias, Rocio; Pike, G Bruce; Potkin, Steven G; Reinvang, Ivar; Reppermund, Simone; Rietschel, Marcella; Romanczuk-Seiferth, Nina; Rosen, Glenn D; Rujescu, Dan; Schnell, Knut; Schofield, Peter R; Smith, Colin; Steen, Vidar M; Sussmann, Jessika E; Thalamuthu, Anbupalam; Toga, Arthur W; Traynor, Bryan J; Troncoso, Juan; Turner, Jessica A; Valdés Hernández, Maria C; van 't Ent, Dennis; van der Brug, Marcel; van der Wee, Nic J A; van Tol, Marie-Jose; Veltman, Dick J; Wassink, Thomas H; Westman, Eric; Zielke, Ronald H; Zonderman, Alan B; Ashbrook, David G; Hager, Reinmar; Lu, Lu; McMahon, Francis J; Morris, Derek W; Williams, Robert W; Brunner, Han G; Buckner, Randy L; Buitelaar, Jan K; Cahn, Wiepke; Calhoun, Vince D; Cavalleri, Gianpiero L; Crespo-Facorro, Benedicto; Dale, Anders M; Davies, Gareth E; Delanty, Norman; Depondt, Chantal; Djurovic, Srdjan; Drevets, Wayne C; Espeseth, Thomas; Gollub, Randy L; Ho, Beng-Choon; Hoffmann, Wolfgang; Hosten, Norbert; Kahn, René S; Le Hellard, Stephanie; Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas; Müller-Myhsok, Bertram; Nauck, Matthias; Nyberg, Lars; Pandolfo, Massimo; Penninx, Brenda W J H; Roffman, Joshua L; Sisodiya, Sanjay M; Smoller, Jordan W; van Bokhoven, Hans; van Haren, Neeltje E M; Völzke, Henry; Walter, Henrik; Weiner, Michael W; Wen, Wei; White, Tonya; Agartz, Ingrid; Andreassen, Ole A; Blangero, John; Boomsma, Dorret I; Brouwer, Rachel M; Cannon, Dara M; Cookson, Mark R; de Geus, Eco J C; Deary, Ian J; Donohoe, Gary; Fernández, Guillén; Fisher, Simon E; Francks, Clyde; Glahn, David C; Grabe, Hans J; Gruber, Oliver; Hardy, John; Hashimoto, Ryota; Hulshoff Pol, Hilleke E; Jönsson, Erik G; Kloszewska, Iwona; Lovestone, Simon; Mattay, Venkata S; Mecocci, Patrizia; McDonald, Colm; McIntosh, Andrew M; Ophoff, Roel A; Paus, Tomas; Pausova, Zdenka; Ryten, Mina; Sachdev, Perminder S; Saykin, Andrew J; Simmons, Andy; Singleton, Andrew; Soininen, Hilkka; Wardlaw, Joanna M; Weale, Michael E; Weinberger, Daniel R; Adams, Hieab H H; Launer, Lenore J; Seiler, Stephan; Schmidt, Reinhold; Chauhan, Ganesh; Satizabal, Claudia L; Becker, James T; Yanek, Lisa; van der Lee, Sven J; Ebling, Maritza; Fischl, Bruce; Longstreth, W T; Greve, Douglas; Schmidt, Helena; Nyquist, Paul; Vinke, Louis N; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Xue, Luting; Mazoyer, Bernard; Bis, Joshua C; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Seshadri, Sudha; Ikram, M Arfan; Martin, Nicholas G; Wright, Margaret J; Schumann, Gunter; Franke, Barbara; Thompson, Paul M; Medland, Sarah E

2015-04-09

The highly complex structure of the human brain is strongly shaped by genetic influences. Subcortical brain regions form circuits with cortical areas to coordinate movement, learning, memory and motivation, and altered circuits can lead to abnormal behaviour and disease. To investigate how common genetic variants affect the structure of these brain regions, here we conduct genome-wide association studies of the volumes of seven subcortical regions and the intracranial volume derived from magnetic resonance images of 30,717 individuals from 50 cohorts. We identify five novel genetic variants influencing the volumes of the putamen and caudate nucleus. We also find stronger evidence for three loci with previously established influences on hippocampal volume and intracranial volume. These variants show specific volumetric effects on brain structures rather than global effects across structures. The strongest effects were found for the putamen, where a novel intergenic locus with replicable influence on volume (rs945270; P = 1.08 × 10(-33); 0.52% variance explained) showed evidence of altering the expression of the KTN1 gene in both brain and blood tissue. Variants influencing putamen volume clustered near developmental genes that regulate apoptosis, axon guidance and vesicle transport. Identification of these genetic variants provides insight into the causes of variability in human brain development, and may help to determine mechanisms of neuropsychiatric dysfunction.

Injury to the Premature Cerebellum: Outcome is Related to Remote Cortical Development

PubMed Central

Limperopoulos, Catherine; Chilingaryan, Gevorg; Sullivan, Nancy; Guizard, Nicolas; Robertson, Richard L.; du Plessis, Adré J.

2014-01-01

Cerebellar injury is an important complication of preterm birth with far-reaching neuropsychiatric sequelae. We have previously shown a significant association between isolated injury to the premature cerebellum and subsequent impairment of regional volumetric growth in the contralateral cerebrum. In the current study, we examine the relationship between these remote regional impairments of cerebral volumetric growth and domain-specific functional deficits in these children. In 40 ex-preterm infants with isolated cerebellar injury, we performed neurodevelopmental evaluations and quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies at a mean age of 34 months. We measured cortical gray matter volumes in 8 parcellated regions of each cerebral hemisphere, as well as right and left cerebellar volumes. We show highly significant associations between early signs of autism and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex volume (P < 0.001); gross motor scores and sensorimotor cortical volumes (P < 0.001); and cognitive and expressive language scores and premotor and mid-temporal cortical volumes (P < 0.001). By multivariate analyses, each unit increase in the corresponding regional cerebral volume was associated with lower odds of abnormal outcome score, adjusted for age at MRI and contralateral cerebellar volume. This is the first report linking secondary impairment of remote cerebral cortical growth and functional disabilities in survivors of prematurity-related cerebellar brain injury. PMID:23146968

The role of informal dimensions of safety in high-volume organisational routines: an ethnographic study of test results handling in UK general practice.

PubMed

Grant, Suzanne; Checkland, Katherine; Bowie, Paul; Guthrie, Bruce

2017-04-27

The handling of laboratory, imaging and other test results in UK general practice is a high-volume organisational routine that is both complex and high risk. Previous research in this area has focused on errors and harm, but a complementary approach is to better understand how safety is achieved in everyday practice. This paper ethnographically examines the role of informal dimensions of test results handling routines in the achievement of safety in UK general practice and how these findings can best be developed for wider application by policymakers and practitioners. Non-participant observation was conducted of high-volume organisational routines across eight UK general practices with diverse organisational characteristics. Sixty-two semi-structured interviews were also conducted with the key practice staff alongside the analysis of relevant documents. While formal results handling routines were described similarly across the eight study practices, the everyday structure of how the routine should be enacted in practice was informally understood. Results handling safety took a range of local forms depending on how different aspects of safety were prioritised, with practices varying in terms of how they balanced thoroughness (i.e. ensuring the high-quality management of results by the most appropriate clinician) and efficiency (i.e. timely management of results) depending on a range of factors (e.g. practice history, team composition). Each approach adopted created its own potential risks, with demands for thoroughness reducing productivity and demands for efficiency reducing handling quality. Irrespective of the practice-level approach adopted, staff also regularly varied what they did for individual patients depending on the specific context (e.g. type of result, patient circumstances). General practices variably prioritised a legitimate range of results handling safety processes and outcomes, each with differing strengths and trade-offs. Future safety improvement interventions should focus on how to maximise practice-level knowledge and understanding of the range of context-specific approaches available and the safeties and risks inherent in each within the context of wider complex system conditions and interactions. This in turn has the potential to inform new kinds of proactive, contextually appropriate approaches to intervention development and implementation focusing on the enhanced deliberation of the safety of existing high-volume routines.

Usefulness of the volume-viscosity swallow test for screening dysphagia in subacute stroke patients in rehabilitation income.

PubMed

Guillén-Solà, Anna; Marco, Ester; Martínez-Orfila, Joan; Donaire Mejías, M Fernanda; Depolo Passalacqua, Marina; Duarte, Esther; Escalada, Ferran

2013-01-01

Swallowing disorders affect up to 35-85% of patients with stroke. Dysphagia complications can lead to malnutrition, dehydration, bronchoaspirative pneumonia and death, and have impact on health care costs. To evaluate the clinical screening capacity of the Volume Viscosity Swallow Test (V-VST) for oropharyngeal dysphagia and aspiration in a homogeneous stroke patient sample. Cohort study of 52 stroke patients in a subacute phase. Piecemeal deglutition and oropharyngeal residue were considered signs of impaired efficacy and cough, fall in oxygen saturation and voice changes, signs of impaired safety. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, accuracy and likelihood ratios were calculated for V-VST results and compared with those of videofluoroscopy (VFS), the gold standard for studies on swallowing disorders. The V-VST is a highly sensitive and specific test to detect aspiration with sensitivity of 88.2% and specificity of 71.4%; negative predictive value was 92.6%; accuracy index was 0.74. Sensitivity and specificity for penetration were 34.3% and 70.6%, respectively; accuracy was 32%. The V-VST is low in cost, easy to use and very sensitive, meeting the requirements of oropharyngeal dysphagia and aspiration screening test in subacute stroke patients.

Conserving herbivorous and predatory insects in urban green spaces.

PubMed

Mata, Luis; Threlfall, Caragh G; Williams, Nicholas S G; Hahs, Amy K; Malipatil, Mallik; Stork, Nigel E; Livesley, Stephen J

2017-01-19

Insects are key components of urban ecological networks and are greatly impacted by anthropogenic activities. Yet, few studies have examined how insect functional groups respond to changes to urban vegetation associated with different management actions. We investigated the response of herbivorous and predatory heteropteran bugs to differences in vegetation structure and diversity in golf courses, gardens and parks. We assessed how the species richness of these groups varied amongst green space types, and the effect of vegetation volume and plant diversity on trophic- and species-specific occupancy. We found that golf courses sustain higher species richness of herbivores and predators than parks and gardens. At the trophic- and species-specific levels, herbivores and predators show strong positive responses to vegetation volume. The effect of plant diversity, however, is distinctly species-specific, with species showing both positive and negative responses. Our findings further suggest that high occupancy of bugs is obtained in green spaces with specific combinations of vegetation structure and diversity. The challenge for managers is to boost green space conservation value through actions promoting synergistic combinations of vegetation structure and diversity. Tackling this conservation challenge could provide enormous benefits for other elements of urban ecological networks and people that live in cities.

Conserving herbivorous and predatory insects in urban green spaces

PubMed Central

Mata, Luis; Threlfall, Caragh G.; Williams, Nicholas S. G.; Hahs, Amy K.; Malipatil, Mallik; Stork, Nigel E.; Livesley, Stephen J.

2017-01-01

Insects are key components of urban ecological networks and are greatly impacted by anthropogenic activities. Yet, few studies have examined how insect functional groups respond to changes to urban vegetation associated with different management actions. We investigated the response of herbivorous and predatory heteropteran bugs to differences in vegetation structure and diversity in golf courses, gardens and parks. We assessed how the species richness of these groups varied amongst green space types, and the effect of vegetation volume and plant diversity on trophic- and species-specific occupancy. We found that golf courses sustain higher species richness of herbivores and predators than parks and gardens. At the trophic- and species-specific levels, herbivores and predators show strong positive responses to vegetation volume. The effect of plant diversity, however, is distinctly species-specific, with species showing both positive and negative responses. Our findings further suggest that high occupancy of bugs is obtained in green spaces with specific combinations of vegetation structure and diversity. The challenge for managers is to boost green space conservation value through actions promoting synergistic combinations of vegetation structure and diversity. Tackling this conservation challenge could provide enormous benefits for other elements of urban ecological networks and people that live in cities. PMID:28102333

Semantics by analogy for illustrative volume visualization☆

PubMed Central

Gerl, Moritz; Rautek, Peter; Isenberg, Tobias; Gröller, Eduard

2012-01-01

We present an interactive graphical approach for the explicit specification of semantics for volume visualization. This explicit and graphical specification of semantics for volumetric features allows us to visually assign meaning to both input and output parameters of the visualization mapping. This is in contrast to the implicit way of specifying semantics using transfer functions. In particular, we demonstrate how to realize a dynamic specification of semantics which allows to flexibly explore a wide range of mappings. Our approach is based on three concepts. First, we use semantic shader augmentation to automatically add rule-based rendering functionality to static visualization mappings in a shader program, while preserving the visual abstraction that the initial shader encodes. With this technique we extend recent developments that define a mapping between data attributes and visual attributes with rules, which are evaluated using fuzzy logic. Second, we let users define the semantics by analogy through brushing on renderings of the data attributes of interest. Third, the rules are specified graphically in an interface that provides visual clues for potential modifications. Together, the presented methods offer a high degree of freedom in the specification and exploration of rule-based mappings and avoid the limitations of a linguistic rule formulation. PMID:23576827

Shop for quality or volume? Volume, quality, and outcomes of coronary artery bypass surgery.

PubMed

Auerbach, Andrew D; Hilton, Joan F; Maselli, Judith; Pekow, Penelope S; Rothberg, Michael B; Lindenauer, Peter K

2009-05-19

Care from high-volume centers or surgeons has been associated with lower mortality rates in coronary artery bypass surgery, but how volume and quality of care relate to each other is not well understood. To determine how volume and differences in quality of care influence outcomes after coronary artery bypass surgery. Observational cohort. 164 hospitals in the United States. 81,289 patients 18 years or older who had coronary artery bypass grafting from 1 October 2003 to 1 September 2005. Hospital and surgeon case volumes were estimated by using a data set. Quality measures were defined by whether patients received specific medications and by counting the number of measures missed. Hierarchical models were used to estimate effects of volume and quality on death and readmission up to 30 days. After adjustment for clinical factors, lowest surgeon volume and highest hospital volume were associated with higher mortality rates and lower readmission risk, respectively. Patients who did not receive aspirin (odds ratio, 1.89 [95% CI, 1.65 to 2.16) or beta-blockers (odds ratio, 1.29 [CI, 1.12 to 1.49]) had higher odds for death, after adjustment for clinical risk factors and case volume. Adjustment for individual quality measures did not alter associations between volume and readmission or death. However, if no quality measures were missed, mortality rates at the lowest-volume centers (adjusted mortality rate, 1.05% [CI, 0.81% to 1.29%]) and highest-volume centers (adjusted mortality rate, 0.98% [CI, 0.72% to 1.25%]) were similar. Because administrative data were used, the quality measures may not replicate measures collected through chart abstraction. Maximizing adherence to quality measures is associated with improved mortality rates, independent of hospital or surgeon volume. California HealthCare Foundation.

Earth Observatory Satellite system definition study. Report 5: System design and specifications. Volume 6: Specification for EOS Central Data Processing Facility (CDPF)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

The specifications and functions of the Central Data Processing (CDPF) Facility which supports the Earth Observatory Satellite (EOS) are discussed. The CDPF will receive the EOS sensor data and spacecraft data through the Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network (STDN) and the Operations Control Center (OCC). The CDPF will process the data and produce high density digital tapes, computer compatible tapes, film and paper print images, and other data products. The specific aspects of data inputs and data processing are identified. A block diagram of the CDPF to show the data flow and interfaces of the subsystems is provided.

Semi-solid electrodes having high rate capability

DOEpatents

Chiang, Yet-Ming; Duduta, Mihai; Holman, Richard; Limthongkul, Pimpa; Tan, Taison

2016-06-07

Embodiments described herein relate generally to electrochemical cells having high rate capability, and more particularly to devices, systems and methods of producing high capacity and high rate capability batteries having relatively thick semi-solid electrodes. In some embodiments, an electrochemical cell includes an anode and a semi-solid cathode. The semi-solid cathode includes a suspension of an active material of about 35% to about 75% by volume of an active material and about 0.5% to about 8% by volume of a conductive material in a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte. An ion-permeable membrane is disposed between the anode and the semi-solid cathode. The semi-solid cathode has a thickness of about 250 .mu.m to about 2,000 .mu.m, and the electrochemical cell has an area specific capacity of at least about 7 mAh/cm.sup.2 at a C-rate of C/4. In some embodiments, the semi-solid cathode slurry has a mixing index of at least about 0.9.

Freestanding Gold/Graphene-Oxide/Manganese Oxide Microsupercapacitor Displaying High Areal Energy Density.

PubMed

Morag, Ahiud; Becker, James Y; Jelinek, Raz

2017-07-10

Microsupercapacitors are touted as one of the promising "next frontiers" in energy-storage research and applications. Despite their potential, significant challenges still exist in terms of physical properties and electrochemical performance, particularly attaining high energy density, stability, ease of synthesis, and feasibility of large-scale production. We present new freestanding microporous electrodes comprising self-assembled scaffold of gold and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanowires coated with MnO 2 . The electrodes exhibited excellent electrochemical characteristics, particularly superior high areal capacitance. Moreover, the freestanding Au/rGO scaffold also served as the current collector, obviating the need for an additional electrode support required in most reported supercapacitors, thus enabling low volume and weight devices with a high overall device specific energy. Stacked symmetrical solid-state supercapacitors were fabricated using the Au/rGO/MnO 2 electrodes in parallel configurations showing the advantage of using freestanding electrodes in the fabrication of low-volume devices. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A Competency Based, Field Centered, Systems Approach to Elementary Teacher Education. Volume I: Overview and Specifications. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schalock, H. Del, Ed.; Hale, James R., Ed.

This main volume (SP 002 155-SP 002 180 comprise the appendixes to this volume) explains the ComField (competency based, field centered) Model--a systems approach to the education of elementary school teachers which entails specifications (1) for instruction and (2) for management of the instructional program. In an overview, the ComField Model is…

Investigation of dioxin concentrations in the lower Roanoke River basin, North Carolina, February 26-March 7, 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, K.F.; Walters, D.A.

2001-01-01

Dioxin is a toxic chemical that, when present in the environment, can cause cancer and birth defects in humans. Dioxin is of particular concern because concentrations of dioxin that were released into the environment many years ago remain a contributing factor to current exposure. Dioxin exposure often occurs in surface-water systems downstream from contaminated sites and is detrimental to aquatic life. For these reasons and because the U.S. Geological Survey has expertise in conducting high-volume dioxin sampling, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of North Carolina asked the U.S. Geological Survey to collect water samples in the lower Roanoke River to be analyzed for the presence of dioxin. Water quality of the lower Roanoke River Basin in North Carolina was assessed at eight sites during February 26-March 7, 2001. Water- quality samples were collected for analysis of suspended-sediment and dioxin concentrations; high-volume (750-liter) water samples were collected for dioxin analysis. Discharge measurements were made at or near the high-volume sampling sites. Suspended-sediment sampling and water-quality measurements of specific conductance, pH, water temperature, and dissolved-oxygen concentrations made at each sampling site included multidepth measurements at two cross-section transects and hourly measurements at the point of high-volume sampling. Multidepth measurements were made near the surface, mid-depth, and near the bottom of the water column. These values were averaged for each cross section. During the sampling period, all sites sampled had dioxin concentrations above detection limits (1 part per quintillion) for both suspended and dissolved dioxin. Suspended dioxin ranged from 5.1 to 900 femtograms per liter, and dissolved dioxin values ranged from 0.31 to 41 femtograms per liter. Suspended-sediment concentrations ranged from 1.1 to 14 milligrams per liter. Specific conductance values ranges from 111 to 340 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius. The range of pH values at the sampling sites was from 6.6 to 7.7. Water temperatures ranged from 8.9 to 13 degrees Celsius. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations ranged from 7.3 to 10.9 milligrams per liter.

Spacecraft Habitable Volume: Results of an Interdisciplinary Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fitts, David J.; Connolly, Janis; Howard, Robert

2011-01-01

NASA's Human Exploration Framework Team posed the question: "Is 80 cubic meters per person of habitable volume acceptable for a proposed Deep Space Habitat?" The goal of the workshop was to address the "net habitable volume" necessary for long-duration human spaceflight missions and identify design and psychological issues and mitigations. The objectives were: (1) Identify psychological factors -- i.e., "stressors" -- that impact volume and layout specifications for long duration missions (2) Identify mitigation strategies for stressors, especially those that can be written as volume design specifications (3) Identify a forward research roadmap -- i.e., what future work is needed to define and validate objective design metrics? (4) Provide advisories on the human factors consequences of poor net habitable volume allocation and layout design.

What is the fundamental ion-specific series for anions and cations? Ion specificity in standard partial molar volumes of electrolytes and electrostriction in water and non-aqueous solvents.

PubMed

Mazzini, Virginia; Craig, Vincent S J

2017-10-01

The importance of electrolyte solutions cannot be overstated. Beyond the ionic strength of electrolyte solutions the specific nature of the ions present is vital in controlling a host of properties. Therefore ion specificity is fundamentally important in physical chemistry, engineering and biology. The observation that the strengths of the effect of ions often follows well established series suggests that a single predictive and quantitative description of specific-ion effects covering a wide range of systems is possible. Such a theory would revolutionise applications of physical chemistry from polymer precipitation to drug design. Current approaches to understanding specific-ion effects involve consideration of the ions themselves, the solvent and relevant interfaces and the interactions between them. Here we investigate the specific-ion effects trends of standard partial molar volumes and electrostrictive volumes of electrolytes in water and eleven non-aqueous solvents. We choose these measures as they relate to bulk properties at infinite dilution, therefore they are the simplest electrolyte systems. This is done to test the hypothesis that the ions alone exhibit a specific-ion effect series that is independent of the solvent and unrelated to surface properties. The specific-ion effects trends of standard partial molar volumes and normalised electrostrictive volumes examined in this work show a fundamental ion-specific series that is reproduced across the solvents, which is the Hofmeister series for anions and the reverse lyotropic series for cations, supporting the hypothesis. This outcome is important in demonstrating that ion specificity is observed at infinite dilution and demonstrates that the complexity observed in the manifestation of specific-ion effects in a very wide range of systems is due to perturbations of solvent, surfaces and concentration on the underlying fundamental series. This knowledge will guide a general understanding of specific-ion effects and assist in the development of a quantitative predictive theory of ion specificity.

An Ultra-Sensitive Method for the Analysis of Perfluorinated Alkyl Acids in Drinking Water using a Column Switching High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry

EPA Science Inventory

In epidemiological research, it has become increasingly important to assess subjects' exposure to different classes of chemicals in multiple environmental media. It is a common practice to aliquot limited volumes of samples into smaller quantities for specific trace level chemi...

Hiring Process | NREL

Science.gov Websites

in applying for more than one open position, submit separate applications for each position. Can I call about a specific job posting? We receive a high volume of calls, so one-on-one conversations are free to connect with one of our recruiters on LinkedIn, or speak with NREL representatives at upcoming

The Achievement Gap in Reading: Complex Causes, Persistent Issues, Possible Solutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horowitz, Rosalind, Ed.; Samuels, S. Jay, Ed.

2017-01-01

In this volume prominent scholars, experts in their respective fields and highly skilled in the research they conduct, address educational and reading research from varied perspectives and address what it will take to close the achievement gap--with specific attention to reading. The achievement gap is redefined as a level at which all groups can…

Strategies in Composition: Ideas that Work in the Classroom. Volume II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bordner, Marsha S., Ed.

This collection of 26 brief essays by college and high school faculty represents a variety of practical approaches that can be used in composition classes. After a foreword by the editor, the essays and their authors are as follows: "Writing as a Moral Activity" (Judith Anderson); "Specific Details (Orangen't You Wise to Use…

Minimization of operational impacts on spectrophotometer color measurements for cotton

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A key cotton quality and processing property that is gaining increasing importance is the color of the cotton. Cotton fiber in the U.S. is classified for color using the Uster® High Volume Instrument (HVI), using the parameters Rd and +b. Rd and +b are specific to cotton fiber and are not typical ...

IMPROVED SPECTROPHOTOMETER FIBER SAMPLING SYSTEM FOR COTTON FIBER COLOR MEASUREMENTS

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cotton in the U.S. is classified for color using the Uster® High Volume Instrument (HVI), and the parameters Rd and +b are used to designate color grades for cotton fiber. However, Rd and +b are cotton-specific color parameters, and the need existed to demonstrate the relationships of Rd and +b to...

Fiber sample presentation system for spectrophotometer cotton fiber color measurements

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Uster® High Volume Instrument (HVI) is used to class U.S. cotton for fiber color, yielding the industry accepted, cotton-specific color parameters Rd and +b. The HVI examines a 9 square inch fiber sample, and it is also used to test large AMS standard cotton “biscuits” or rectangles. Much inte...

Dosimetric Improvements with a Novel Breast Stereotactic Radiotherapy Device for Delivery of Preoperative Partial-Breast Irradiation.

PubMed

Snider, James W; Mutaf, Yildirim; Nichols, Elizabeth; Hall, Andrea; Vadnais, Patrick; Regine, William F; Feigenberg, Steven J

2017-01-01

Partial-breast irradiation (PBI) with external-beam radiotherapy has produced higher than expected rates of fair-to-poor cosmesis. Worsened outcomes have been correlated with larger volumes of breast tissue exposed to radiation. A novel breast-specific stereotactic radiotherapy (BSRT) device (BSRTD) has been developed at our institution and has shown promise in delivering highly conformal dose distributions. We compared normal tissue sparing with this device with that achieved with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)-PBI. Fifteen women previously treated with breast conservation therapy were enrolled on an institutional review board-approved protocol. Each of them underwent CT simulation in the prone position using the BSRTD-specific immobilization system. Simulated postoperative and preoperative treatment volumes were generated based on surgical bed/clip position. Blinded planners generated IMRT-PBI plans and BSRT plans for each set of volumes. These plans were compared based on clinically validated markers for cosmetic outcome and toxicity using a Wilcoxon rank-sum test. The BSRT plans consistently reduced the volumes receiving each of several dose levels (Vx) to breast tissue, the chest wall, the lung, the heart, and the skin in both preoperative and postoperative settings (p < 0.05). Preoperative BSRT yielded particularly dramatic improvements. The novel BSRTD has demonstrated significant dosimetric benefits over IMRT-PBI. Further investigation is currently proceeding through initial clinical trials. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Rhenium-186 liposomes as convection-enhanced nanoparticle brachytherapy for treatment of glioblastoma

PubMed Central

Phillips, William T.; Goins, Beth; Bao, Ande; Vargas, Daniel; Guttierez, Juan E.; Trevino, Abram; Miller, Jessica R.; Henry, James; Zuniga, Richard; Vecil, Giacomo; Brenner, Andrew J.

2012-01-01

Although external beam radiation is an essential component to the current standard treatment of primary brain tumors, its application is limited by toxicity at doses more than80 Gy. Recent studies have suggested that brachytherapy with liposomally encapsulated radionuclides may be of benefit, and we have reported methods to markedly increase the specific activity of rhenium-186 (186Re)–liposomes. To better characterize the potential delivery, toxicity, and efficacy of the highly specific activity of 186Re-liposomes, we evaluated their intracranial application by convection-enhanced delivery in an orthotopic U87 glioma rat model. After establishing an optimal volume of 25 µL, we observed focal activity confined to the site of injection over a 96-hour period. Doses of up to 1850 Gy were administered without overt clinical or microscopic evidence of toxicity. Animals treated with 186Re-liposomes had a median survival of 126 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 78.4–173 days), compared with 49 days (95% CI, 44–53 days) for controls. Log-rank analysis between these 2 groups was highly significant (P = .0013) and was even higher when 100 Gy was used as a cutoff (P < .0001). Noninvasive luciferase imaging as a surrogate for tumor volume showed a statistically significant separation in bioluminescence by 11 days after 100 Gy or less treatment between the experimental group and the control animals (χ2[1, N= 19] = 4.8; P = .029). MRI also supported this difference in tumor size. Duplication of tumor volume differences and survival benefit was possible in a more invasive U251 orthotopic model, with clear separation in bioluminescence at 6 days after treatment (χ2[1, N= 9] = 4.7; P = .029); median survival in treated animals was not reached at 120 days because lack of mortality, and log-rank analysis of survival was highly significant (P = .0057). Analysis of tumors by histology revealed minimal areas of necrosis and gliosis. These results support the potential efficacy of the highly specific activity of brachytherapy by 186Re-liposomes convection-enhanced delivery in glioma. PMID:22427110

High serum dihydrotestosterone examined by ultrasensitive LC-MS/MS as a predictor of benign prostatic hyperplasia or Gleason score 6 cancer in men with prostate-specific antigen levels of 3-10 ng/mL.

PubMed

Miyoshi, Y; Uemura, H; Suzuki, K; Shibata, Y; Honma, S; Harada, M; Kubota, Y

2017-03-01

There has been no consensus on the role of serum androgen concentrations in prostate cancer detection in men with prostate-specific antigen levels of 3-10 ng/mL. In this study, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone concentrations in blood were examined by a newly developed method using ultrasensitive liquid chromatography with two serially linked mass spectrometers (LC-MS/MS). We investigated the correlation between serum androgen levels and Gleason scores at biopsy. We analyzed data of 157 men with a total prostate-specific antigen range of 3-10 ng/mL who underwent initial systematic prostate needle biopsy for suspected prostate cancer between April 2000 and July 2003. Peripheral blood testosterone and dihydrotestosterone concentrations were determined by LC-MS/MS. Blood levels of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone were compared with pathological findings by multivariate analyses. Median values of prostate-specific antigen and prostate volume measured by ultrasound were 5.7 ng/mL and 31.4 cm 3 , respectively. Benign prostatic hyperplasia was diagnosed in 97 patients (61.8%), and prostate cancer was diagnosed in 60 (38.2%) patients, including 31 (19.7%) patients with a Gleason score of 6 and 29 (18.5%) patients with a Gleason score of 7-10. Median values of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in blood were 3798.7 and 371.7 pg/mL, respectively. There was a strong correlation between serum testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. In multivariate analysis, age, prostate volume, and serum dihydrotestosterone were significant predictors of benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostate cancer with a Gleason score of 6. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve for age, prostate volume, and serum dihydrotestosterone were 0.67, 0.67, and 0.67, respectively . We confirmed that high dihydrotestosterone blood levels can predict benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostate cancer with a Gleason score of 6 in men with prostate-specific antigen levels of 3-10 ng/mL. © 2016 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.

Product specification documentation standard and Data Item Descriptions (DID). Volume of the information system life-cycle and documentation standards, volume 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callender, E. David; Steinbacher, Jody

1989-01-01

This is the third of five volumes on Information System Life-Cycle and Documentation Standards which present a well organized, easily used standard for providing technical information needed for developing information systems, components, and related processes. This volume states the Software Management and Assurance Program documentation standard for a product specification document and for data item descriptions. The framework can be applied to any NASA information system, software, hardware, operational procedures components, and related processes.

Intrathoracic Fat Measurements Using Multidetector Computed Tomography (MDCT): Feasibility and Reproducibility

PubMed Central

Stojanovska, Jadranka; Ibrahim, El-Sayed H.; Chughtai, Aamer R.; Jackson, Elizabeth A.; Gross, Barry H.; Jacobson, Jon A.; Tsodikov, Alexander; Daneshvar, Brian; Long, Benjamin D.; Chenevert, Thomas L.; Kazerooni, Ella A.

2017-01-01

Intrathoracic fat volume, more specifically, epicardial fat volume, is an emerging imaging biomarker of adverse cardiovascular events. The purpose of this work is to show the feasibility and reproducibility of intrathoracic fat volume measurement applied to contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomography images. A retrospective cohort study of 62 subjects free of cardiovascular disease (55% females, age = 49 ± 11 years) conducted from 2008 to 2011 formed the study group. Intrathoracic fat volume was defined as all fat voxels measuring −50 to −250 Hounsfield Unit within the intrathoracic cavity from the level of the pulmonary artery bifurcation to the heart apex. The intrathoracic fat was separated into epicardial and extrapericardial fat by tracing the pericardium. The measurements were obtained by 2 readers and compared for interrater reproducibility. The fat volume measurements for the study group were 141 ± 72 cm3 for intrathoracic fat, 58 ± 27 cm3 for epicardial fat, and 84 ± 50 cm3 for extrapericardial fat. There was no statistically significant difference in intrathoracic fat volume measurements between the 2 readers, with correlation coefficients of 0.88 (P = .55) for intrathoracic fat volume and −0.12 (P = .33) for epicardial fat volume. Voxel-based measurement of intrathoracic fat, including the separation into epicardial and extrapericardial fat, is feasible and highly reproducible from multidetector computed tomography scans. PMID:28626797

Students' Reasoning about Invariance of Volume as a Quantity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kara, Melike

2013-01-01

The aims of this study were to investigate how upper-elementary-grade students compare the volume of rectangular prisms of equal volume (specifically, students' noticing and reasoning for invariance of volume and coordination of the three linear dimensions of rectangular prisms) and how students' levels of sophistication in volume measurement…

Evaluation of the LWVD Luminosity for Use in the Spectral-Based Volume Sensor Algorithms

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-29

VMI Vibro-Meter, Inc. VS Volume Sensor VSCS Volume Sensor Communications Specification VSDS Volume Sensor Detection Suite VSNP Volume Sensor Nodal Panel...using the VSCS communications protocol. Appendix A gives a complete listing of the SBVS EVENT parameters and the EVENT algorithm descriptions. See

The dissolution kinetics of major elements in municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bendz, David; Tüchsen, Peter L.; Christensen, Thomas H.

2007-12-01

Leaching and tracer experiments in batches at L/S 20 were performed with 3-month-old MSWI bottom ash separated into eight different particle sizes. The time-dependent leaching of major elements (Ca 2+, K +, Na +, Cl - and SO 4- 2 ) was monitored for up to 747 h. Physical properties of the particles, the specific surface (BET), pore volume and pore volume distribution over pore sizes (BJH) were determined for all particle classes by N 2 adsorption/desorption experiments. Some common features of physical pore structure for all particles were revealed. The specific surface and the particle pore volume were found to be negatively correlated with particle size, ranging from 3.2 m 2/g to 25.7 m 2/g for the surface area and from 0.0086 cm 3/g to 0.091 cm 3/g for the pore volume. Not surprisingly, the specific surface area was found to be the major material parameter that governed the leaching behavior for all elements (Ca 2+, K +, Na +, Cl - and SO 4- 2 ) and particle sizes. The diffusion resistance was determined independently by separate tracer (tritium) experiments. Diffusion gave a significant contribution to the apparent leaching kinetics for all elements during the first 10-40 h (depending on the particle size) of leaching and surface reaction was the overall rate controlling mechanism at late times for all particle sizes. For Ca 2+ and SO 4- 2 , the coupled effect of diffusion resistance and the degree of undersaturation in the intra particle pore volume was found to be a major rate limiting dissolution mechanism for both early and late times. The solubility control in the intra particulate porosity may undermine any attempt to treat bottom ash by washing out the sulfate. Even for high liquid/solid ratios, the solubility in the intra-particular porosity will limit the release rate.

Size and Carbon Content of Sub-seafloor Microbial Cells at Landsort Deep, Baltic Sea

PubMed Central

Braun, Stefan; Morono, Yuki; Littmann, Sten; Kuypers, Marcel; Aslan, Hüsnü; Dong, Mingdong; Jørgensen, Bo B.; Lomstein, Bente Aa.

2016-01-01

The discovery of a microbial ecosystem in ocean sediments has evoked interest in life under extreme energy limitation and its role in global element cycling. However, fundamental parameters such as the size and the amount of biomass of sub-seafloor microbial cells are poorly constrained. Here we determined the volume and the carbon content of microbial cells from a marine sediment drill core retrieved by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), Expedition 347, at Landsort Deep, Baltic Sea. To determine their shape and volume, cells were separated from the sediment matrix by multi-layer density centrifugation and visualized via epifluorescence microscopy (FM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Total cell-carbon was calculated from amino acid-carbon, which was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after cells had been purified by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). The majority of microbial cells in the sediment have coccoid or slightly elongated morphology. From the sediment surface to the deepest investigated sample (~60 m below the seafloor), the cell volume of both coccoid and elongated cells decreased by an order of magnitude from ~0.05 to 0.005 μm3. The cell-specific carbon content was 19–31 fg C cell−1, which is at the lower end of previous estimates that were used for global estimates of microbial biomass. The cell-specific carbon density increased with sediment depth from about 200 to 1000 fg C μm−3, suggesting that cells decrease their water content and grow small cell sizes as adaptation to the long-term subsistence at very low energy availability in the deep biosphere. We present for the first time depth-related data on the cell volume and carbon content of sedimentary microbial cells buried down to 60 m below the seafloor. Our data enable estimates of volume- and biomass-specific cellular rates of energy metabolism in the deep biosphere and will improve global estimates of microbial biomass. PMID:27630628

Nanoconfined phosphorus film coating on interconnected carbon nanotubes as ultrastable anodes for lithium ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Zhiwei; Zeng, Yan; Wang, Liyuan; Li, Nan; Chen, Cheng; Li, Cuiyu; Li, Jing; Lv, Hanming; Kuang, Liyun; Tian, Xu

2017-07-01

Elemental phosphorus (P) is extensively explored as promising anode candidates due to its abundance, low-cost and high theoretical specific capacity. However, it is of great challenge for P-based materials as practical high-energy-density and long-cycling anodes for its large volume expansion and low conductibility. Here, we significantly improve both cycling and rate performance of red P by cladding the nanoconfined P film on interconnected multi-walled carbon nanotube networks (P-MWCNTs composite) via facile wet ball-milling. The red P-MWCNTs anode presents a superior high reversible capacity of 1396.6 mAh g-1 on the basis of P-MWCNTs composite weight at 50 mA g-1 with capacity retention reaching at ∼90% over 50 cycles. Even at 1000 mA g-1, it still maintains remarkable specific reversible capacity of 934.0 mAh g-1. This markedly enhanced performance is ascribed to synergistic advantages of this unique structure: Intimate contacts between nanosized red P and entangled MWCNTs not only shorten the transmission routes of ions through MWCNTs toward red P, but also motivate the access with electrolyte to open structures of P film. Besides, the confined nanosized P film moderate volume expansions effectively and the entangled MWCNTs networks acted as conductive channels activate high ionic/electronic conductivity of the whole electrodes.

Subcortical volumetric changes across the adult lifespan: subregional thalamic atrophy accounts for age-related sensorimotor performance declines.

PubMed

Serbruyns, Leen; Leunissen, Inge; Huysmans, Toon; Cuypers, Koen; Meesen, Raf L; van Ruitenbeek, Peter; Sijbers, Jan; Swinnen, Stephan P

2015-04-01

Even though declines in sensorimotor performance during healthy aging have been documented extensively, its underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we explored whether age-related subcortical atrophy plays a role in sensorimotor performance declines, and particularly during bimanual manipulative performance (Purdue Pegboard Test). The thalamus, putamen, caudate and pallidum of 91 participants across the adult lifespan (ages 20-79 years) were automatically segmented. In addition to studying age-related changes in the global volume of each subcortical structure, local deformations within these structures, indicative of subregional volume changes, were assessed by means of recently developed shape analyses. Results showed widespread age-related global and subregional atrophy, as well as some notable subregional expansion. Even though global atrophy failed to explain the observed performance declines with aging, shape analyses indicated that atrophy in left and right thalamic subregions, specifically subserving connectivity with the premotor, primary motor and somatosensory cortical areas, mediated the relation between aging and performance decline. It is concluded that subregional volume assessment by means of shape analyses offers a sensitive tool with high anatomical resolution in the search for specific age-related associations between brain structure and behavior. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Decreasing effect and mechanism of moisture content of sludge biomass by granulation process.

PubMed

Zhao, Xia; Xu, Hao; Shen, Jimin; Yu, Bo; Wang, Xiaochun

2016-01-01

Disposal of a high volume of sludge significantly raises water treatment costs. A method for cultivating aerobic granules in a sequencing batch airlift bioreactor to significantly produce lower moisture content is described. Results indicate that optimization of settling time and control of the shear stresses acted on the granules. The diameter of the granule was within the range of 1.0-4.0 mm, and its sludge volume index was stabilized at 40-50 mL g(-1). Its specific gravity was increased by a factor of 0.0392, and specific oxygen uptake rate reached 60.126 mg h(-1) g(-1). Moreover, the percentage of its moisture content in the reactor ranged from 96.73% to 97.67%, and sludge volume was reduced to approximately 60%, greatly due to the presence of extracellular polymeric substances in the granules, as well as changes in their hydrophobic protein content. The removal rate of chemical oxygen demand and [Formula: see text] reaches up to 92.6% and 98%, respectively. The removal rates of total phosphorus is over 85%. Therefore, aerobic granular sludge process illustrates a good biological activity.

Precipitation, landsliding, and erosion across the Olympic Mountains, Washington State, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Stephen G.; Wegmann, Karl W.

2018-01-01

In the Olympic Mountains of Washington State, landsliding is the primary surface process by which bedrock and hillslope regolith are delivered to river networks. However, the relative importance of large earthquakes versus high magnitude precipitation events to the total volume of landslide material transported to valley bottoms remains unknown in part due to the absence of large historical earthquakes. To test the hypothesis that erosion is linked to precipitation, approximately 1000 landslides were mapped from Google Earth imagery between 1990 and 2015 along a 15 km-wide × 85 km-long (1250 km2) swath across the range. The volume of hillslope material moved by each slide was calculated using previously published area-volume scaling relationships, and the spatial distribution of landslide volume was compared to mean annual precipitation data acquired from the PRISM climate group for the period 1981-2010. Statistical analysis reveals a significant correlation (r = 0.55; p < 0.001) between total landslide volume and mean annual precipitation, with 98% of landslide volume occurring along the windward, high-precipitation side of the range during the 25-year interval. Normalized to area, this volume yields a basin-wide erosion rate of 0.28 ± 0.11 mm yr- 1, which is similar to previous time-variable estimates of erosion throughout the Olympic Mountains, including those from river sediment yield, cosmogenic 10Be, fluvial terrace incision, and thermochronometry. The lack of large historic earthquakes makes it difficult to assess the relative contributions of precipitation and seismic shaking to total erosion, but our results suggest that climate, and more specifically a sharp precipitation gradient, plays an important role in controlling erosion and landscape evolution over both short and long timescales across the Olympic Mountains.

SOLID WASTE INTEGRATED FORECAST TECHNICAL (SWIFT) REPORT FY2005 THRU FY2035 VERSION 2005.0 VOLUME 1

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

BARCOT, R.A.

2005-04-13

The SWIFT Report provides up-to-date life cycle information about the radioactive solid waste expected to be managed by Hanford's Waste Management (WM) Project from onsite and offsite generators. This report is an annual update to the SWIFT 2004.1 report that was published in August 2004. The SWIFT Report is published in two volumes. SWIFT Volume II provides detailed analyses of the data, graphical representation, comparison to previous years, and waste generator specific information. The data contained in this report are the official data for solid waste forecasting. In this revision, the volume numbers have been switched to reflect the timingmore » of their release. This particular volume provides the following data reports: (1) Summary volume data by DOE Office, company, and location; (2) Annual volume data by waste generator; (3) Annual waste specification record and physical waste form volume; (4) Radionuclide activities and dose-equivalent curies; and (5) Annual container type data by volume and count.« less

Final report of CCQM-K136 measurement of porosity properties (specific adsorption, BET specific surface area, specific pore volume and pore diameter) of nanoporous Al2O3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sobina, E.; Zimathis, A.; Prinz, C.; Emmerling, F.; Unger, W.; de Santis Neves, R.; Galhardo, C. E.; De Robertis, E.; Wang, H.; Mizuno, K.; Kurokawa, A.

2016-01-01

CCQM key comparison K-136 Measurement of porosity properties (specific adsorption, BET specific surface area, specific pore volume and pore diameter) of nanoporous Al2O3 has been performed by the Surface Analysis Working Group (SAWG) of the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance (CCQM). The objective of this key comparison is to compare the equivalency of the National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) and Designated Institutes (DIs) for the measurement of specific adsorption, BET specific surface area, specific pore volume and pore diameter) of nanoporous substances (sorbents, catalytic agents, cross-linkers, zeolites, etc) used in advanced technology. In this key comparison, a commercial sorbent (aluminum oxide) was supplied as a sample. Five NMIs participated in this key comparison. All participants used a gas adsorption method, here nitrogen adsorption at 77.3 K, for analysis according to the international standards ISO 15901-2 and 9277. In this key comparison, the degrees of equivalence uncertainties for specific adsorption, BET specific surface area, specific pore volume and pore diameter was established. Main text To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).

Network, system, and status software enhancements for the autonomously managed electrical power system breadboard. Volume 3: Commands specification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckee, James W.

1990-01-01

This volume (3 of 4) contains the specification for the command language for the AMPS system. The volume contains a requirements specification for the operating system and commands and a design specification for the operating system and command. The operating system and commands sits on top of the protocol. The commands are an extension of the present set of AMPS commands in that the commands are more compact, allow multiple sub-commands to be bundled into one command, and have provisions for identifying the sender and the intended receiver. The commands make no change to the actual software that implement the commands.

Computing volume potentials for noninvasive imaging of cardiac excitation.

PubMed

van der Graaf, A W Maurits; Bhagirath, Pranav; van Driel, Vincent J H M; Ramanna, Hemanth; de Hooge, Jacques; de Groot, Natasja M S; Götte, Marco J W

2015-03-01

In noninvasive imaging of cardiac excitation, the use of body surface potentials (BSP) rather than body volume potentials (BVP) has been favored due to enhanced computational efficiency and reduced modeling effort. Nowadays, increased computational power and the availability of open source software enable the calculation of BVP for clinical purposes. In order to illustrate the possible advantages of this approach, the explanatory power of BVP is investigated using a rectangular tank filled with an electrolytic conductor and a patient specific three dimensional model. MRI images of the tank and of a patient were obtained in three orthogonal directions using a turbo spin echo MRI sequence. MRI images were segmented in three dimensional using custom written software. Gmsh software was used for mesh generation. BVP were computed using a transfer matrix and FEniCS software. The solution for 240,000 nodes, corresponding to a resolution of 5 mm throughout the thorax volume, was computed in 3 minutes. The tank experiment revealed that an increased electrode surface renders the position of the 4 V equipotential plane insensitive to mesh cell size and reduces simulated deviations. In the patient-specific model, the impact of assigning a different conductivity to lung tissue on the distribution of volume potentials could be visualized. Generation of high quality volume meshes and computation of BVP with a resolution of 5 mm is feasible using generally available software and hardware. Estimation of BVP may lead to an improved understanding of the genesis of BSP and sources of local inaccuracies. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Binary Decision Trees for Preoperative Periapical Cyst Screening Using Cone-beam Computed Tomography.

PubMed

Pitcher, Brandon; Alaqla, Ali; Noujeim, Marcel; Wealleans, James A; Kotsakis, Georgios; Chrepa, Vanessa

2017-03-01

Cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) analysis allows for 3-dimensional assessment of periradicular lesions and may facilitate preoperative periapical cyst screening. The purpose of this study was to develop and assess the predictive validity of a cyst screening method based on CBCT volumetric analysis alone or combined with designated radiologic criteria. Three independent examiners evaluated 118 presurgical CBCT scans from cases that underwent apicoectomies and had an accompanying gold standard histopathological diagnosis of either a cyst or granuloma. Lesion volume, density, and specific radiologic characteristics were assessed using specialized software. Logistic regression models with histopathological diagnosis as the dependent variable were constructed for cyst prediction, and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to assess the predictive validity of the models. A conditional inference binary decision tree based on a recursive partitioning algorithm was constructed to facilitate preoperative screening. Interobserver agreement was excellent for volume and density, but it varied from poor to good for the radiologic criteria. Volume and root displacement were strong predictors for cyst screening in all analyses. The binary decision tree classifier determined that if the volume of the lesion was >247 mm 3 , there was 80% probability of a cyst. If volume was <247 mm 3 and root displacement was present, cyst probability was 60% (78% accuracy). The good accuracy and high specificity of the decision tree classifier renders it a useful preoperative cyst screening tool that can aid in clinical decision making but not a substitute for definitive histopathological diagnosis after biopsy. Confirmatory studies are required to validate the present findings. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The Architecture of the Golfer's Brain

PubMed Central

Jäncke, Lutz; Koeneke, Susan; Hoppe, Ariana; Rominger, Christina; Hänggi, Jürgen

2009-01-01

Background Several recent studies have shown practice-dependent structural alterations in humans. Cross-sectional studies of intensive practice of specific tasks suggest associated long-term structural adaptations. Playing golf at a high level of performance is one of the most demanding sporting activities. In this study, we report the relationship between a particular level of proficiency in playing golf (indicated by golf handicap level) and specific neuroanatomical features. Principal Findings Using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) of grey (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes and fractional anisotropy (FA) measures of the fibre tracts, we identified differences between skilled (professional golfers and golfers with an handicap from 1–14) and less-skilled golfers (golfers with an handicap from 15–36 and non-golfer). Larger GM volumes were found in skilled golfers in a fronto-parietal network including premotor and parietal areas. Skilled golfers revealed smaller WM volume and FA values in the vicinity of the corticospinal tract at the level of the internal and external capsule and in the parietal operculum. However, there was no structural difference within the skilled and less-skilled golfer group. Conclusion There is no linear relationship between the anatomical findings and handicap level, amount of practice, and practice hours per year. There was however a strong difference between highly-practiced golfers (at least 800–3,000 hours) and those who have practised less or non-golfers without any golfing practise, thus indicating a step-wise structural and not a linear change. PMID:19277116

Inventory development for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in Turkey: challenges to control chemicals in articles and products.

PubMed

Korucu, M Kemal; Gedik, Kadir; Weber, Roland; Karademir, Aykan; Kurt-Karakus, Perihan Binnur

2015-10-01

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and related substances have been listed as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Stockholm Convention. Countries which have ratified the Convention need to take appropriate actions to control PFOS use and release. This study compiles and enhances the findings of the first inventory of PFOS and related substances use in Turkey conducted within the frame of the Stockholm Convention National Implementation Plan (NIP) update. The specific Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (Harmonized System (HS)) codes of imported and exported goods that possibly contain PFOS and 165 of Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) numbers of PFOS-related substances were assessed for acquiring information from customs and other authorities. However, with the current approaches available, no useful information could be compiled since HS codes are not specific enough and CAS numbers are not used by customs. Furthermore, the cut-off volume in chemical databases in Turkey and the reporting limit in the HS system (0.1 %) are too high for controlling PFOS. The attempt of modeling imported volumes by a Monte Carlo simulation did not also result in a satisfactory estimate, giving an upper-bound estimate above the global production volumes. The replies to questionnaires were not satisfactory, highlighting that an elaborated approach is needed in the communication with potentially PFOS-using stakeholders. The experience of the challenges of gathering information on PFOS in articles and products revealed the gaps of controlling highly hazardous substances in products and articles and the need of improvements.

Preparation of a specific bamboo based activated carbon and its application for ciprofloxacin removal.

PubMed

Wang, Y X; Ngo, H H; Guo, W S

2015-11-15

The studied bamboo based activated carbon (BbAC) with high specific surface area (SSA) and high micro pore volume was prepared from bamboo scraps by the combined activation of H3PO4 and K2CO3. The BbAC was characterized based on the N2 adsorption isotherm at 77K. The results showed that the SSA and pore volume of BbAC increased with increasing impregnation ratio and reached maxima at the impregnation ratio of 3:1 at 750°C. Under these optimal conditions, the BbAC obtained could have a maximum SSA of 2237 m(2)/g and a maximum total pore volume of 1.23 cm(3)/g with the micro pore ratio of more than 90%. The adsorption performance of ciprofloxacin (CIP) on the BbAC was determined at 298 K. The Langmuir and Freundlich models were employed to describe the adsorption equilibrium and the kinetic data were fitted by pseudo first-order and pseudo second-order kinetic models. The results showed that the Langmuir model and the pseudo second-order kinetic model presented better fittings for the adsorption equilibrium and kinetics data, respectively. The maximum adsorption amount of CIP (613 mg/g) on the BbAC was much higher than the report in the literature. Conclusively, the BbAC could be a promising adsorption material for CIP removal from water. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of a high-performance transtibial cycling-specific prosthesis for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

PubMed

Dyer, Bryce; Woolley, Howard

2017-10-01

It has been reported that cycling-specific research relating to participants with an amputation is extremely limited in both volume and frequency. However, practitioners might participate in the development of cycling-specific prosthetic limbs. This technical note presents the development of a successful design of a prosthetic limb developed specifically for competitive cycling. This project resulted in a hollow composite construction which was low in weight and shaped to reduce a rider's aerodynamic drag. The new prosthesis reduces the overall mass of more traditional designs by a significant amount yet provides a more aerodynamic shape over traditional approaches. These decisions have yielded a measurable increase in cycling performance. While further refinement is needed to reduce the aerodynamic drag as much as possible, this project highlights the benefits that can exist by optimising the design of sports-specific prosthetic limbs. Clinical relevance This project resulted in the creation of a cycling-specific prosthesis which was tailored to the needs of a high-performance environment. Whilst further optimisation is possible, this project provides insight into the development of sports-specific prostheses.

Genetically targeted 3D visualisation of Drosophila neurons under Electron Microscopy and X-Ray Microscopy using miniSOG

PubMed Central

Ng, Julian; Browning, Alyssa; Lechner, Lorenz; Terada, Masako; Howard, Gillian; Jefferis, Gregory S. X. E.

2016-01-01

Large dimension, high-resolution imaging is important for neural circuit visualisation as neurons have both long- and short-range patterns: from axons and dendrites to the numerous synapses at terminal endings. Electron Microscopy (EM) is the favoured approach for synaptic resolution imaging but how such structures can be segmented from high-density images within large volume datasets remains challenging. Fluorescent probes are widely used to localise synapses, identify cell-types and in tracing studies. The equivalent EM approach would benefit visualising such labelled structures from within sub-cellular, cellular, tissue and neuroanatomical contexts. Here we developed genetically-encoded, electron-dense markers using miniSOG. We demonstrate their ability in 1) labelling cellular sub-compartments of genetically-targeted neurons, 2) generating contrast under different EM modalities, and 3) segmenting labelled structures from EM volumes using computer-assisted strategies. We also tested non-destructive X-ray imaging on whole Drosophila brains to evaluate contrast staining. This enabled us to target specific regions for EM volume acquisition. PMID:27958322

Earth Observatory Satellite system definition study. Report 5: System design and specifications. Volume 5: Specification for EROS operations control center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

The functional, performance, and design requirements for the Operations Control Center (OCC) of the Earth Observatory Satellite (EOS) system are presented. The OCC controls the operations of the EOS satellite to acquire mission data consisting of: (1) thematic mapper data, (2) multispectral scanner data on EOS-A, or High Resolution Pointable Imager data on EOS-B, and (3) data collection system (DCS) data. The various inputs to the OCC are identified. The functional requirements of the OCC are defined. The specific systems and subsystems of the OCC are described and block diagrams are provided.

Thyroid sonography as an effective tool to discriminate between euthyroid sick and hypothyroid dogs.

PubMed

Reese, Sven; Breyer, Ulrike; Deeg, Cornelia; Kraft, Wilfried; Kaspers, Bernd

2005-01-01

The diagnosis of canine hypothyroidism and its differentiation from euthyroid sick syndrome still is a major diagnostic challenge. In this study, ultrasonography was shown to be an effective tool for the investigation of thyroid gland diseases. Healthy control dogs (n = 87), dogs with euthyroid sick syndrome (n = 26), thyroglobulin autoantibody-positive (TgAA-positive, n = 30) hypothyroid dogs, and TgAA-negative (n = 23) hypothyroid dogs were examined by thyroid ultrasonography. Maximal cross sectional area (MCSA), thyroid volume, and echogenicity were measured. Statistical analysis identified highly significant (P < .001) differences between euthyroid and hypothyroid dogs both in thyroid volume and in MCSA, whereas no significant differences in thyroid size were detected between healthy euthyroid dogs and dogs with euthyroid sick syndrome. In euthyroid and euthyroid sick dogs, parenchymal echotexture was homogeneous and hyperechoic, whereas relative thyroid echogenicity of both TgAA-positive and TgAA-negative hypothyroid dogs was significantly lower (P < .001). When using arbitrarily chosen cutoff values for relative thyroid volume, MCSA, and echogenicity, thyroid volume especially was found to have highly specific predictive value for canine hypothyroidism. In summary, the data reveal that thyroid sonography is an effective ancillary diagnostic tool to differentiate between canine hypothyroidism and euthyroid sick syndrome.

Evaluation of 1.0 mm i.d. column performances on ultra high pressure liquid chromatography instrumentation.

PubMed

Lestremau, François; Wu, Di; Szücs, Roman

2010-07-23

The present study focuses on the evaluation of 1.0 mm i.d. (internal diameter) columns on a commercial Ultra-High Pressure system. These systems have been developed specifically to operate columns with small volumes, typically 2.1 mm i.d., by reducing extra-column volume dispersion. The use of columns with smaller i.d. results in a reduced solvent consumption and required sample volume. The evaluation of the columns was carried out with samples containing neutral and pharmaceutical compounds. In isocratic mode, the extra-column volume produced additional band broadening leading to poor performances compared to equivalent 2.1 mm i.d. columns. By increasing the length of the column, the influence of the extra-column bandspreading could be reduced and 75,000 plates were obtained when four columns were coupled. In gradient mode, the effect of the extra-column contribution on efficiency was limited and about 80% of the performance of the 2.1 mm i.d. columns was obtained. Optimum conditions in gradient mode were further investigated by changing flow rate, gradient time and column length. A different approach of the calculation of peak capacity was also considered for the comparison of the influence of these different parameters. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High-resolution Episcopic Microscopy (HREM) - Simple and Robust Protocols for Processing and Visualizing Organic Materials

PubMed Central

Geyer, Stefan H.; Maurer-Gesek, Barbara; Reissig, Lukas F.; Weninger, Wolfgang J.

2017-01-01

We provide simple protocols for generating digital volume data with the high-resolution episcopic microscopy (HREM) method. HREM is capable of imaging organic materials with volumes up to 5 x 5 x 7 mm3 in typical numeric resolutions between 1 x 1 x 1 and 5 x 5 x 5 µm3. Specimens are embedded in methacrylate resin and sectioned on a microtome. After each section an image of the block surface is captured with a digital video camera that sits on the phototube connected to the compound microscope head. The optical axis passes through a green fluorescent protein (GFP) filter cube and is aligned with a position, at which the bock holder arm comes to rest after each section. In this way, a series of inherently aligned digital images, displaying subsequent block surfaces are produced. Loading such an image series in three-dimensional (3D) visualization software facilitates the immediate conversion to digital volume data, which permit virtual sectioning in various orthogonal and oblique planes and the creation of volume and surface rendered computer models. We present three simple, tissue specific protocols for processing various groups of organic specimens, including mouse, chick, quail, frog and zebra fish embryos, human biopsy material, uncoated paper and skin replacement material. PMID:28715372

High-resolution Episcopic Microscopy (HREM) - Simple and Robust Protocols for Processing and Visualizing Organic Materials.

PubMed

Geyer, Stefan H; Maurer-Gesek, Barbara; Reissig, Lukas F; Weninger, Wolfgang J

2017-07-07

We provide simple protocols for generating digital volume data with the high-resolution episcopic microscopy (HREM) method. HREM is capable of imaging organic materials with volumes up to 5 x 5 x 7 mm 3 in typical numeric resolutions between 1 x 1 x 1 and 5 x 5 x 5 µm 3 . Specimens are embedded in methacrylate resin and sectioned on a microtome. After each section an image of the block surface is captured with a digital video camera that sits on the phototube connected to the compound microscope head. The optical axis passes through a green fluorescent protein (GFP) filter cube and is aligned with a position, at which the bock holder arm comes to rest after each section. In this way, a series of inherently aligned digital images, displaying subsequent block surfaces are produced. Loading such an image series in three-dimensional (3D) visualization software facilitates the immediate conversion to digital volume data, which permit virtual sectioning in various orthogonal and oblique planes and the creation of volume and surface rendered computer models. We present three simple, tissue specific protocols for processing various groups of organic specimens, including mouse, chick, quail, frog and zebra fish embryos, human biopsy material, uncoated paper and skin replacement material.

Superelliptical insert gradient coil with a field-modifying layer for breast imaging.

PubMed

Moon, Sung M; Goodrich, K Craig; Hadley, J Rock; Kim, Seong-Eun; Zeng, Gengsheng L; Morrell, Glen R; McAlpine, Matthew A; Chronik, Blaine A; Parker, Dennis L

2011-03-01

Many MRI applications such as dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI of the breast require high spatial and temporal resolution and can benefit from improved gradient performance, e.g., increased gradient strength and reduced gradient rise time. The improved gradient performance required to achieve high spatial and temporal resolution for this application may be achieved by using local insert gradients specifically designed for a target anatomy. Current flat gradient systems cannot create an imaging volume large enough to accommodate both breasts; further, their gradient fields are not homogeneous, dropping off rapidly with distance from the gradient coil surface. To attain an imaging volume adequate for bilateral breast MRI, a planar local gradient system design has been modified into a superellipse shape, creating homogeneous gradient volumes that are 182% (Gx), 57% (Gy), and 75% (Gz) wider (left/right direction) than those of the corresponding standard planar gradient. Adding an additional field-modifying gradient winding results in an additional improvement of the homogeneous gradient field near the gradient coil surface over the already enlarged homogeneous gradient volumes of the superelliptical gradients (67%, 89%, and 214% for Gx, Gy, and Gz respectively). A prototype y-gradient insert has been built to demonstrate imaging and implementation characteristics of the superellipse gradient in a 3 T MRI system. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Design of pellet surface grooves for fission gas plenum

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

Carter, T.J.; Jones, L.R.; Macici, N.

1986-01-01

In the Canada deuterium uranium pressurized heavy water reactor, short (50-cm) Zircaloy-4 clad bundles are fueled on-power. Although internal void volume within the fuel rods is adequate for the present once-through natural uranium cycle, the authors have investigated methods for increasing the internal gas storage volume needed in high-power, high-burnup, experimental ceramic fuels. This present work sought to prove the methodology for design of gas storage volume within the fuel pellets - specifically the use of grooves pressed or machined into the relatively cool pellet/cladding interface. Preanalysis and design of pellet groove shape and volume was accomplished using the TRUMPmore » heat transfer code. Postirradiation examination (PIE) was used to check the initial design and heat transfer assumptions. Fission gas release was found to be higher for the grooved pellet rods than for the comparison rods with hollow or unmodified pellets. This had been expected from the initial TRUMP thermal analyses. The ELESIM fuel modeling code was used to check in-reactor performance, but some modifications were necessary to accommodate the loss of heat transfer surface to the grooves. It was concluded that for plenum design purposes, circumferential pellet grooves could be adequately modeled by the codes TRUMP and ELESIM.« less

Heat Pipe Space Nuclear Reactor Design Assessment. Volume 2. Feasibility Study of Upgrading the SP-100 Heat Pipe Space Nuclear Power System.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-08-01

system thermal -to-electric energy conversion efficiency quite high (-20-25 percent). c. Fuel system--Figure 6 compares the fuel swelling of U02 , UN... high temperature reservoir. Figure 28 shows a schematic of an AMTEC operation. The efficiency of ANTEC is calculated by: IV IV + 1 (L + C AT) + Qloss... thermal energy to electrical energy. The high efficiency and low specific mass (for large systems) are the common advantages of these active systems. In

[Hippocampal subfield volume alteration in post-traumatic stress disorder: a magnetic resonance imaging study].

PubMed

Lu, Lu; Zhang, Lianqing; Hu, Xinyu; Hu, Xiaoxiao; Li, Lingjiang; Gong, Qiyong; Huang, Xiaoqi

2018-04-01

In the current study, we aim to investigate whether post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with structural alterations in specific subfields of hippocampus comparing with trauma-exposed control (TC) in a relatively large sample. We included 67 PTSD patients who were diagnosed under Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th Edition) (DSM-Ⅳ) criteria and 78 age- and sex-matched non-PTSD adult survivors who experienced similar stressors. High resolution T1 weighted images were obtained via a GE 3.0 T scanner. The structural data was automatically segmented using FreeSurfer software, and volume of whole hippocampus and subfield including CA1, CA2-3, CA4-DG, fimbria, presubiculum, subiculum and fissure were extracted. Volume differences between the two groups were statistically compared with age, years of education, duration from the events and intracranial volume (ICV) as covariates. Hemisphere, sex and diagnosis were entered as fixed factors. Relationship between morphometric measurements with Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) score and illness duration were performed using Pearson's correlation with SPSS. Comparing to TC, PTSD patients showed no statistically significant alteration in volumes of the whole hippocampus and all the subfields ( P > 0.05). In male patients, there were significant correlations between CAPS score and volume of right CA2-3 ( R 2 = 0.197, P = 0.034), right subiculum ( R 2 = 0.245, P = 0.016), and duration statistically correlated with right fissure ( R 2 = 0.247, P = 0.016). In female patients, CAPS scores significant correlated with volume of left presubiculum ( R 2 = 0.095, P = 0.042), left subiculum ( R 2 = 0.090, P = 0.048), and left CA4-DG ( R 2 = 0.099, P = 0.037). The main findings of the current study suggest that stress event causes non-selective damage to hippocampus in both PTSD patients and TC, and gender-specific lateralization may underlie PTSD pathology.

Thermodynamics of a Magnetic Transition in MnS2 at High Pressures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sidorov, V. A.; Guo, Jing; Sun, Liling; Brazhkin, V. V.

2018-03-01

The behavior of the specific heat of MnS2 at high pressures has been studied. A significant increase in the transition temperature T N to an antiferromagnetic state with the pressure from 48.2 K at atmospheric pressure to 76 K at a pressure of 5.3 GPa has been revealed. The initial pressure derivative is dT N / dP = 4.83 K/GPa. It has been found that the parameter α = d(log T N )/ d(log V ) = -6.6 ± 0.1 is significantly different from the value α = -10/3 ≈ -3.3 (Bloch relation), which is typical of numerous antiferromagnetic insulators—transition- metal oxides and fluorides. The volume jump at the magnetic transition point has been estimated. The necessity of direct dilatometric measurements of the volume has been justified.

Economic viability of geriatric hip fracture centers.

PubMed

Clement, R Carter; Ahn, Jaimo; Mehta, Samir; Bernstein, Joseph

2013-12-01

Management of geriatric hip fractures in a protocol-driven center can improve outcomes and reduce costs. Nonetheless, this approach has not spread as broadly as the effectiveness data would imply. One possible explanation is that operating such a center is not perceived as financially worthwhile. To assess the economic viability of dedicated hip fracture centers, the authors built a financial model to estimate profit as a function of costs, reimbursement, and patient volume in 3 settings: an average US hip fracture program, a highly efficient center, and an academic hospital without a specific hip fracture program. Results were tested with sensitivity analysis. A local market analysis was conducted to assess the feasibility of supporting profitable hip fracture centers. The results demonstrate that hip fracture treatment only becomes profitable when the annual caseload exceeds approximately 72, assuming costs characteristic of a typical US hip fracture program. The threshold of profitability is 49 cases per year for high-efficiency hip fracture centers and 151 for the urban academic hospital under review. The largest determinant of profit is reimbursement, followed by costs and volume. In the authors’ home market, 168 hospitals offer hip fracture care, yet 85% fall below the 72-case threshold. Hip fracture centers can be highly profitable through low costs and, especially, high revenues. However, most hospitals likely lose money by offering hip fracture care due to inadequate volume. Thus, both large and small facilities would benefit financially from the consolidation of hip fracture care at dedicated hip fracture centers. Typical US cities have adequate volume to support several such centers.

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

Ritter, Boyd

Insensitive high explosives (IHEs) based on 1,3,5-triamino 2,4,6-trinitro-benzene (TATB) are the IHEs of choice for use in nuclear warheads over conventional high explosives when safety is the only consideration, because they are very insensitive to thermal or mechanical initiation stimuli. It is this inherent insensitivity to high temperatures, shock, and impact, which provides detonation design challenges when designing TATB explosive systems while at the same time providing a significant level of protection against accidental initiation. Although classified as IHE, over the past few years the focus on explosive safety has demonstrated that the shock sensitivity of TATB is influenced withmore » respect to temperature. A number of studies have been performed on TATB and TATB formulations, plastic bonded explosives (PBX) 9502, and LX-17-01 (LX-17), which demonstrates the increase in shock sensitivity of the explosive after it has been preheated or thermally cycled over various temperature ranges. Many studies suggest the change in sensitivity is partly due to the decomposition rates of the temperature elevated TATB. Others point to the coefficient of thermal expansion, the crystalline structures of TATB and/or the combination of all factors, which create voids which can become active hot spots. During thermal cycling, TATB is known to undergo an irreversible increase in specific volume called ratchet growth. This increase in specific volume correlates to a decrease in density. This decrease in density and increase in volume, demonstrate the creations of additional void spaces which could serve as potential new initiation hot spots thus, increasing the overall sensitivity of the HE. This literature review evaluates the published works to understand why the shock sensitivity of TATB-based plastic bonded explosives (PBXs) changes with temperature.« less

Measurement and analysis of flow in 3D preforms for aerospace composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Andrew Lawrence

Composite materials have become viable alternatives to traditional engineering materials for many different product categories. Liquid transfer moulding (LTM) processes, specifically resin transfer moulding (RTM), is a cost-effective manufacturing technique for creating high performance composite parts. These parts can be tailor-made to their specific application by optimizing the properties of the textile preform. Preforms which require little or no further assembly work and are close to the shape of the final part are critical to obtaining high quality parts while simultaneously reducing labour and costs associated with other composite manufacturing techniques. One type of fabric which is well suited for near-net- shape preforms is stitched non-crimp fabrics. These fabrics offer very high in-plane strength and stiffness while also having increased resistance to delamination. Manufacturing parts from these dry preforms typically involves long-scale fluid flow through both open channels and porous fibre bundles. This thesis documents and analyzes the flow of fluid through preforms manufactured from non-crimp fabrics featuring through-thickness stitches. The objective of this research is to determine the effect of this type of stitch on the RTM injection process. All of the tests used preforms with fibre volume fractions representative of primary and secondary structural parts. A series of trials was conducted using different fibre materials, flow rates, fibre volumes fractions, and degrees of fibre consolidation. All of the trials were conducted for cases similar to RTM. Consolidation of the fibres showed improvements to both the thoroughness of the filling and to the fibre volume fraction. Experimentally determined permeability data was shown to trend well with simple models and precision of the permeability data was comparable to values presented by other authors who studied fabrics which did not feature the through-thickness stitches.

A visual approach to efficient analysis and quantification of ductile iron and reinforced sprayed concrete.

PubMed

Fritz, Laura; Hadwiger, Markus; Geier, Georg; Pittino, Gerhard; Gröller, M Eduard

2009-01-01

This paper describes advanced volume visualization and quantification for applications in non-destructive testing (NDT), which results in novel and highly effective interactive workflows for NDT practitioners. We employ a visual approach to explore and quantify the features of interest, based on transfer functions in the parameter spaces of specific application scenarios. Examples are the orientations of fibres or the roundness of particles. The applicability and effectiveness of our approach is illustrated using two specific scenarios of high practical relevance. First, we discuss the analysis of Steel Fibre Reinforced Sprayed Concrete (SFRSpC). We investigate the orientations of the enclosed steel fibres and their distribution, depending on the concrete's application direction. This is a crucial step in assessing the material's behavior under mechanical stress, which is still in its infancy and therefore a hot topic in the building industry. The second application scenario is the designation of the microstructure of ductile cast irons with respect to the contained graphite. This corresponds to the requirements of the ISO standard 945-1, which deals with 2D metallographic samples. We illustrate how the necessary analysis steps can be carried out much more efficiently using our system for 3D volumes. Overall, we show that a visual approach with custom transfer functions in specific application domains offers significant benefits and has the potential of greatly improving and optimizing the workflows of domain scientists and engineers.

Monitoring of performance and training in rowing.

PubMed

Mäestu, Jarek; Jürimäe, Jaak; Jürimäe, Toivo

2005-01-01

Rowing is a strength-endurance type of sport and competition performance depends on factors such as aerobic and anaerobic power, physical power, rowing technique and tactics. Therefore, a rower has to develop several capacities in order to be successful and a valid testing battery of a rower has to include parameters that are highly related to rowing performance. Endurance training is the mainstay in rowing. For the 2000 m race, power training at high velocities should be preferred to resistance training at low velocities in order to train more specifically during the off-season. The specific training of the international rower has to be approximately 70% of the whole training time. Several studies have reported different biochemical parameters for monitoring the training of rowers. There is some evidence that plasma leptin is more sensitive to training volume changes than specific stress hormones (e.g. cortisol, testosterone, growth hormone). In rowing, the stress hormone reactions to training volume and/or intensity changes are controversial. The Recovery-Stress Questionnaire for Athletes measures both stress and recovery, and may therefore be more effective than the previously used Borg ratio scale or the Profile of Mood States, which both focus mainly on the stress component. In the future, probably the most effective way to evaluate the training of rowers is to monitor both stress and recovery components at the same time, using both psychometric data together with the biochemical and performance parameters.

Seasonal and developmental differences in blubber stores of beluga whales in Bristol Bay, Alaska using high-resolution ultrasound

PubMed Central

Cornick, Leslie A.; Quakenbush, Lori T.; Norman, Stephanie A.; Pasi, Coral; Maslyk, Pamela; Burek, Kathy A.; Goertz, Caroline E. C.; Hobbs, Roderick C.

2016-01-01

Abstract Diving mammals use blubber for a variety of structural and physiological functions, including buoyancy, streamlining, thermoregulation, and energy storage. Estimating blubber stores provides proxies for body condition, nutritional status, and health. Blubber stores may vary topographically within individuals, across seasons, and with age, sex, and reproductive status; therefore, a single full-depth blubber biopsy does not provide an accurate measure of blubber depth, and additional biopsies are limited because they result in open wounds. We examined high-resolution ultrasound as a noninvasive method for assessing blubber stores by sampling blubber depth at 11 locations on beluga whales in Alaska. Blubber mass was estimated as a proportion of body mass (40% from the literature) and compared to a function of volume calculated using ultrasound blubber depth measurements in a truncated cone. Blubber volume was converted to total and mass-specific blubber mass estimates based on the density of beluga blubber. There was no significant difference in mean total blubber mass between the 2 estimates (R2 = 0.88); however, body mass alone predicted only 68% of the variation in mass-specific blubber stores in juveniles, 7% for adults in the fall, and 33% for adults in the spring. Mass-specific blubber stores calculated from ultrasound measurements were highly variable. Adults had significantly greater blubber stores in the fall (0.48±0.02kg/kgMB) than in the spring (0.33±0.02kg/kgMB). There was no seasonal effect in juveniles. High-resolution ultrasound is a more powerful, noninvasive method for assessing blubber stores in wild belugas, allowing for precise measurements at multiple locations. PMID:29899579

Mod-5A wind turbine generator program design report. Volume 4: Drawings and specifications, book 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

The design, development and analysis of the 7.3 MW MOD-5A wind turbine generator is documented. This volume contains the drawings and specifications developed for the final design. This volume is divided into 5 books of which this is the third, containing drawings 47A380074 through 47A380126. A full breakdown parts listing is provided as well as a where used list.

Response to Oil Sands Products Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

volume of the spill, its duration, and the viscosity and density of the crude oil involved. The denser components of a Dilbit spill would be difficult...C-4 Figure ‎C-2. Viscosity change for the three types of diluted bitumen. ......................................................... C...specific gravity) approaching or even exceeding the density of water. As a result of their high viscosity , bitumen cannot be produced by conventional

FCAT Retakes: Trends in Multiple Attempts at Satisfying FCAT Graduation Requirements. Research Brief. Volume 0805

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Froman, Terry; Brown, Shelly

2009-01-01

According to Florida Law, students must pass the Grade 10 FCAT, among other academic requirements, in order to receive a standard high school diploma. Specifically, students must achieve a "passing" score of 300 or above on both the FCAT SSS Reading and the FCAT SSS Mathematics tests. Technically, students can retake the FCAT as many…

Using specific volume increment (SVI) for quantifying growth responses in trees - theoretical and practical considerations

Treesearch

Eddie Bevilacqua

2002-01-01

Comparative analysis of growth responses among trees following natural or anthropogenic disturbances is often confounded when comparing trees of different size because of the high correlation between growth and initial tree size: large trees tend to have higher absolute grow rates. Relative growth rate (RGR) may not be the most suitable size-dependent measure of growth...

Larger Brains in Medication Naive High-Functioning Subjects with Pervasive Developmental Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmen, Saskia J. M. C.; Pol, Hilleke E. Hulshoff; Kemner, Chantal; Schnack, Hugo G.; Janssen, Joost; Kahn, Rene S.; van Engeland, Herman

2004-01-01

Background: Are brain volumes of individuals with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) still enlarged in adolescence and adulthood, and if so, is this enlargement confined to the gray and/or the white matter and is it global or more prominent in specific brain regions. Methods: Brain MRI scans were made of 21 adolescents with PDD and 21 closely…

Model for refining operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunbar, D. N.; Tunnah, B. G.

1979-01-01

Program predicts production volumes of petroleum refinery products, with particular emphasis on aircraft-turbine fuel blends and their key properties. It calculates capital and operating costs for refinery and its margin of profitability. Program also includes provisions for processing of synthetic crude oils from oil shale and coal liquefaction processes and contains highly-detailed blending computations for alternative jet-fuel blends of varying endpoint specifications.

Slash pine rootwood in flakeboard

Treesearch

E.T. Howard

1974-01-01

Flakes 3 Inches along the grain. 3/8-inch wide, and 0.02 inch thick were machined from the taproots (with 6-inch-high stump) and second logs at eight 31-year-old slash pines. Specific gravity (O.D. weight, green volume) of stems averaged 0.52; rootwood averaged 0.43 and decreased sharply with depth below ground. Forty-four-lb./cu. ft. structural-type particleboards...

ONR (Office of Naval Research) Far East Scientific Information Bulletin. Volume 14, Number 3, July-September 1989

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-09-01

and development in Japan onnetallic alloys, ceramics, and composites for use at high temperaturs are described by consid- ering the government programs ...temperatures above about 1,100 0C. carbW PROGRAMS TO DEVELOP IR 3 IMPROVED iIUGH TEUMEAT- 2 ic(C D)BA e fr e d cu sing specific research iiprograms...Performance * Research into conceptual design of Ceramics program is to develop new ceram- ceramics ics with high reliability and toughness when 0

Combining measurements from three anatomical areas for glaucoma diagnosis using Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography.

PubMed

Loewen, Nils A; Zhang, Xinbo; Tan, Ou; Francis, Brian A; Greenfield, David S; Schuman, Joel S; Varma, Rohit; Huang, David

2015-09-01

To improve the diagnostic power for glaucoma by combining measurements of peripapillary nerve fibre layer (NFL), macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) and disc variables obtained with Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) into the glaucoma structural diagnostic index (GSDI). In this observational, cross-sectional study of subjects from the Advanced Imaging of Glaucoma Study, GCC and NFL of healthy and perimetrical glaucoma subjects from four major academic referral centres of the Advanced Imaging of Glaucoma Study were mapped with the RTVue FD-OCT. Global loss volume and focal loss volume parameters were defined using NFL and GCC normative reference maps. Optimal weights for NFL, GCC and disc variables were combined using multivariate logistic regression to build the GSDI. Glaucoma severity was classified using the Enhanced Glaucoma Staging System (GSS2). Diagnostic accuracy was assessed by sensitivity, specificity and the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC). We analysed 118 normal eyes of 60 subjects, 236 matched eyes of 166 subjects with perimetrical glaucoma, and 105 eyes from a healthy reference group of 61 subjects. The GSDI included composite overall thickness and focal loss volume with weighted NFL and GCC components, as well as the vertical cup-to-disc ratio. The AUC of 0.922 from leave-one-out cross validation was better than the best component variable alone (p=0.047). The partial AUC in the high specificity region was also better (p=0.01), with a sensitivity of 69% at 99% specificity, and a sensitivity of 80.3% at 95% specificity. For GSS2 stages 3-5 the sensitivity was 98% at 99% specificity, and 100% at 95% specificity. Combining structural measurements of GCC, NFL and disc variables from FD-OCT created a GSDI that improved the accuracy for glaucoma diagnosis. NCT01314326. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Sector-specific issues and reporting methodologies supporting the General Guidelines for the voluntary reporting of greenhouse gases under Section 1605(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Volume 2: Part 4, Transportation sector; Part 5, Forestry sector; Part 6, Agricultural sector

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

Not Available

This volume, the second of two such volumes, contains sector-specific guidance in support of the General Guidelines for the voluntary reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration. This voluntary reporting program was authorized by Congress in Section 1605(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992. The General Guidelines, bound separately from this volume, provide the overall rationale for the program, discuss in general how to analyze emissions and emission reduction/carbon sequestration projects, and address programmatic issues such as minimum reporting requirements, time parameters, international projects, confidentiality, and certification. Together, the General Guidelines and the guidance in these supporting documentsmore » will provide concepts and approaches needed to prepare the reporting forms. This second volume of sector-specific guidance covers the transportation sector, the forestry sector, and the agricultural sector.« less

Effects of addition of different fibers on rheological characteristics of cake batter and quality of cakes.

PubMed

Aydogdu, Ayca; Sumnu, Gulum; Sahin, Serpil

2018-02-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of addition of dietary fibers on rheological properties of batter and cake quality. Wheat flour was replaced by 5 and 10% (wt%) oat, pea, apple and lemon fibers. All cake batters showed shear thinning behavior. Incorporation of fibers increased consistency index (k), storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G″). As quality parameters, specific volume, hardness, weight loss, color and microstructure of cakes were investigated. Cakes containing oat and pea fibers (5%) had similar specific volume and texture with control cakes which contained no fiber. As fiber concentration increased, specific volume decreased but hardness increased. No significant difference was found between weight loss of control cake and cakes with oat, pea and apple fibers. Lemon fiber enriched cakes had the lowest specific volume, weight loss and color difference. When microstructural images were examined, it was seen that control cake had more porous structure than fiber enriched cakes. In addition, lemon and apple fiber containing cakes had less porous crumb structure as compared to oat and pea containing ones. Oat and pea fiber (5%) enriched cakes had similar physical properties (volume, texture and color) with control cakes.

Interplay of hippocampal volume and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis function as markers of stress vulnerability in men at ultra-high risk for psychosis.

PubMed

Pruessner, M; Bechard-Evans, L; Pira, S; Joober, R; Collins, D L; Pruessner, J C; Malla, A K

2017-02-01

Altered hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function and reduced hippocampal volume (HV) are established correlates of stress vulnerability. We have previously shown an attenuated cortisol awakening response (CAR) and associations with HV specifically in male first-episode psychosis patients. Findings in individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis regarding these neurobiological markers are inconsistent, and assessment of their interplay, accounting for sex differences, could explain incongruent results. Study participants were 42 antipsychotic-naive UHR subjects (24 men) and 46 healthy community controls (23 men). Saliva samples for the assessment of CAR were collected at 0, 30 and 60 min after awakening. HV was determined from high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging scans using a semi-automatic segmentation protocol. Cortisol measures and HV were not significantly different between UHR subjects and controls in total, but repeated-measures multivariate regression analyses revealed reduced cortisol levels 60 min after awakening and smaller left HV in male UHR individuals. In UHR participants only, smaller left and right HV was significantly correlated with a smaller total CAR (ρ = 0.42, p = 0.036 and ρ = 0.44, p = 0.029, respectively), corresponding to 18% and 19% of shared variance (medium effect size). Our findings suggest that HV reduction in individuals at UHR for psychosis is specific to men and linked to reduced post-awakening cortisol concentrations. Abnormalities in the neuroendocrine circuitry modulating stress vulnerability specifically in male UHR subjects might explain increased psychosis risk and disadvantageous illness outcomes in men compared to women.

Analysis of the high water wave volume for the Sava River near Zagreb

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trninic, Dusan

2010-05-01

The paper analyses volumes of the Sava River high water waves near Zagreb during the period: 1926-2008 (N = 83 years), which is needed for more efficient control of high and flood waters. The primary Sava flood control structures in the City of Zagreb are dikes built on both riverbanks, and the Odra Relief Canal with lateral spillway upstream from the City of Zagreb. Intensive morphological changes in the greater Sava area near Zagreb, and anthropological and climate variations and changes at the Sava catchment up to the Zagreb area require detailed analysis of the water wave characteristics. In one analysis, maximum annual volumes are calculated for high water waves with constant duration of: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 days. Such calculations encompass total quantity of water (basic and surface runoff). The log Pearson III distribution is adapted for this series of maximum annual volumes. Based on the results obtained, the interrelations are established between the wave volume as function of duration and occurrence probability. In addition to the analysis of maximum volumes of constant duration, it is interesting to carry out the analyses of maximum volume in excess of the reference discharge since it is very important for the flood control. To determine the reference discharges, a discharge of specific duration is used from an average discharge duration curve. The adopted reference discharges have durations of 50, 40, 30, 20 and 10%. Like in the previous case, log Pearson III distribution is adapted to the maximum wave data series. For reference discharge Q = 604 m3/s (duration 10%), a linear trend is calculated of maximum annual volumes exceeding the reference discharge for the Sava near Zagreb during the analyzed period. The analysis results show a significant decrease trend. A similar analysis is carried out for the following three reference discharges: regular flood control measures at the Sava near Zagreb, which are proclaimed when the water level is 350 cm (Q = 2114 m3/s), extraordinary flood control measures taken when the water level is 450 cm (Q = 2648 m3/s), and the discharge at the deterministic inlet into the Odra Canal of approximately Q = 2300 m3/s. The results of these analyses have shown that water wave volumes higher than the reference discharges occurred in a comparatively small number of years, and that their duration was one to two days.

Concept for a Satellite-Based Advanced Air Traffic Management System : Volume 2. System Functional Description and System Specification.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1973-02-01

The volume provides a functional description and specification for the Satellite-Based Advanced Air Traffic Management System. The system description is presented in terms of the surveillance, navigation, and communications functions along with the a...

Density contrast sedimentation velocity for the determination of protein partial-specific volumes.

PubMed

Brown, Patrick H; Balbo, Andrea; Zhao, Huaying; Ebel, Christine; Schuck, Peter

2011-01-01

The partial-specific volume of proteins is an important thermodynamic parameter required for the interpretation of data in several biophysical disciplines. Building on recent advances in the use of density variation sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation for the determination of macromolecular partial-specific volumes, we have explored a direct global modeling approach describing the sedimentation boundaries in different solvents with a joint differential sedimentation coefficient distribution. This takes full advantage of the influence of different macromolecular buoyancy on both the spread and the velocity of the sedimentation boundary. It should lend itself well to the study of interacting macromolecules and/or heterogeneous samples in microgram quantities. Model applications to three protein samples studied in either H(2)O, or isotopically enriched H(2) (18)O mixtures, indicate that partial-specific volumes can be determined with a statistical precision of better than 0.5%, provided signal/noise ratios of 50-100 can be achieved in the measurement of the macromolecular sedimentation velocity profiles. The approach is implemented in the global modeling software SEDPHAT.

Industrial Sector Technology Use Model (ISTUM): industrial energy use in the United States, 1974-2000. Volume 4. Technology appendix. Final Report

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

Not Available

1979-10-01

Volume IV of the ISTUM documentation gives information on the individual technology specifications, but relates closely with Chapter II of Volume I. The emphasis in that chapter is on providing an overview of where each technology fits into the general-model logic. Volume IV presents the actual cost structure and specification of every technology modeled in ISTUM. The first chapter presents a general overview of the ISTUM technology data base. It includes an explanation of the data base printouts and how the separate-cost building blocks are combined to derive an aggregate-technology cost. The remaining chapters are devoted to documenting the specific-technologymore » cost specifications. Technologies included are: conventional technologies (boiler and non-boiler conventional technologies); fossil-energy technologies (atmospheric fluidized bed combustion, low Btu coal and medium Btu coal gasification); cogeneration (steam, machine drive, and electrolytic service sectors); and solar and geothermal technologies (solar steam, solar space heat, and geothermal steam technologies), and conservation technologies.« less

Effect of different flours on quality of legume cakes to be baked in microwave-infrared combination oven and conventional oven.

PubMed

Ozkahraman, Betul Canan; Sumnu, Gulum; Sahin, Serpil

2016-03-01

The objective of this study was to compare the quality of legume cakes baked in microwave-infrared combination (MW-IR) oven with conventional oven. Legume cake formulations were developed by replacing 10 % wheat flour by lentil, chickpea and pea flour. As a control, wheat flour containing cakes were used. Weight loss, specific volume, texture, color, gelatinization degree, macro and micro-structure of cakes were investigated. MW-IR baked cakes had higher specific volume, weight loss and crust color change and lower hardness values than conventionally baked cakes. Larger pores were observed in MW-IR baked cakes according to scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. Pea flour giving the hardest structure, lowest specific volume and gelatinization degree was determined to be the least acceptable legume flour. On the other hand, lentil and chickpea flour containing cakes had the softest structure and highest specific volume showing that lentil and chickpea flour can be used to produce functional cakes.

An innovative demonstration of high power density in a compact MDH (magnetohydrodynamic) generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, H. J.; Lineberry, J. T.; Chapman, J. N.

1990-06-01

The present program was conducted by the University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI). It was by its nature a high risk experimental program to demonstrate the feasibility of high power density operation in a laboratory scale combustion driven MHD generator. Maximization of specific energy was not a consideration for the present program, but the results have implications in this regard by virtue of high energy fuel used. The power density is the ratio of the electrical energy output to the internal volume of the generator channel. The MHD process is a volumetric process and the power density is therefore a direct measure of the compactness of the system. Specific energy, is the ratio of the electrical energy output to consumable energy used for its production. The two parameters are conceptually interrelated. To achieve high power density and implied commensurate low system volume and weight, it was necessary to use an energetic fuel. The high energy fuel of choice was a mixture of powdered aluminum and carbon seeded with potassium carbonate and burned with gaseous oxygen. The solid fuel was burned in a hybrid combustion scheme wherein the fuel was cast within a cylindrical combustor in analogy with a solid propellant rocket motor. Experimental data is limited to gross channel output current and voltage, magnetic field strength, fuel and oxidizer flow rates, flow train external temperatures and combustor pressure. Similarly, while instantaneous oxidizer flow rates were measured, only average fuel consumption based on pre and post test component weights and dimensions was possible.

Common genetic variants influence human subcortical brain structures

PubMed Central

Hibar, Derrek P.; Stein, Jason L.; Renteria, Miguel E.; Arias-Vasquez, Alejandro; Desrivières, Sylvane; Jahanshad, Neda; Toro, Roberto; Wittfeld, Katharina; Abramovic, Lucija; Andersson, Micael; Aribisala, Benjamin S.; Armstrong, Nicola J.; Bernard, Manon; Bohlken, Marc M.; Boks, Marco P.; Bralten, Janita; Brown, Andrew A.; Chakravarty, M. Mallar; Chen, Qiang; Ching, Christopher R. K.; Cuellar-Partida, Gabriel; den Braber, Anouk; Giddaluru, Sudheer; Goldman, Aaron L.; Grimm, Oliver; Guadalupe, Tulio; Hass, Johanna; Woldehawariat, Girma; Holmes, Avram J.; Hoogman, Martine; Janowitz, Deborah; Jia, Tianye; Kim, Sungeun; Klein, Marieke; Kraemer, Bernd; Lee, Phil H.; Olde Loohuis, Loes M.; Luciano, Michelle; Macare, Christine; Mather, Karen A.; Mattheisen, Manuel; Milaneschi, Yuri; Nho, Kwangsik; Papmeyer, Martina; Ramasamy, Adaikalavan; Risacher, Shannon L.; Roiz-Santiañez, Roberto; Rose, Emma J.; Salami, Alireza; Sämann, Philipp G.; Schmaal, Lianne; Schork, Andrew J.; Shin, Jean; Strike, Lachlan T.; Teumer, Alexander; van Donkelaar, Marjolein M. J.; van Eijk, Kristel R.; Walters, Raymond K.; Westlye, Lars T.; Whelan, Christopher D.; Winkler, Anderson M.; Zwiers, Marcel P.; Alhusaini, Saud; Athanasiu, Lavinia; Ehrlich, Stefan; Hakobjan, Marina M. H.; Hartberg, Cecilie B.; Haukvik, Unn K.; Heister, Angelien J. G. A. M.; Hoehn, David; Kasperaviciute, Dalia; Liewald, David C. M.; Lopez, Lorna M.; Makkinje, Remco R. R.; Matarin, Mar; Naber, Marlies A. M.; McKay, D. Reese; Needham, Margaret; Nugent, Allison C.; Pütz, Benno; Royle, Natalie A.; Shen, Li; Sprooten, Emma; Trabzuni, Daniah; van der Marel, Saskia S. L.; van Hulzen, Kimm J. E.; Walton, Esther; Wolf, Christiane; Almasy, Laura; Ames, David; Arepalli, Sampath; Assareh, Amelia A.; Bastin, Mark E.; Brodaty, Henry; Bulayeva, Kazima B.; Carless, Melanie A.; Cichon, Sven; Corvin, Aiden; Curran, Joanne E.; Czisch, Michael; de Zubicaray, Greig I.; Dillman, Allissa; Duggirala, Ravi; Dyer, Thomas D.; Erk, Susanne; Fedko, Iryna O.; Ferrucci, Luigi; Foroud, Tatiana M.; Fox, Peter T.; Fukunaga, Masaki; Gibbs, J. Raphael; Göring, Harald H. H.; Green, Robert C.; Guelfi, Sebastian; Hansell, Narelle K.; Hartman, Catharina A.; Hegenscheid, Katrin; Heinz, Andreas; Hernandez, Dena G.; Heslenfeld, Dirk J.; Hoekstra, Pieter J.; Holsboer, Florian; Homuth, Georg; Hottenga, Jouke-Jan; Ikeda, Masashi; Jack, Clifford R.; Jenkinson, Mark; Johnson, Robert; Kanai, Ryota; Keil, Maria; Kent, Jack W.; Kochunov, Peter; Kwok, John B.; Lawrie, Stephen M.; Liu, Xinmin; Longo, Dan L.; McMahon, Katie L.; Meisenzahl, Eva; Melle, Ingrid; Mohnke, Sebastian; Montgomery, Grant W.; Mostert, Jeanette C.; Mühleisen, Thomas W.; Nalls, Michael A.; Nichols, Thomas E.; Nilsson, Lars G.; Nöthen, Markus M.; Ohi, Kazutaka; Olvera, Rene L.; Perez-Iglesias, Rocio; Pike, G. Bruce; Potkin, Steven G.; Reinvang, Ivar; Reppermund, Simone; Rietschel, Marcella; Romanczuk-Seiferth, Nina; Rosen, Glenn D.; Rujescu, Dan; Schnell, Knut; Schofield, Peter R.; Smith, Colin; Steen, Vidar M.; Sussmann, Jessika E.; Thalamuthu, Anbupalam; Toga, Arthur W.; Traynor, Bryan J.; Troncoso, Juan; Turner, Jessica A.; Valdés Hernández, Maria C.; van ’t Ent, Dennis; van der Brug, Marcel; van der Wee, Nic J. A.; van Tol, Marie-Jose; Veltman, Dick J.; Wassink, Thomas H.; Westman, Eric; Zielke, Ronald H.; Zonderman, Alan B.; Ashbrook, David G.; Hager, Reinmar; Lu, Lu; McMahon, Francis J.; Morris, Derek W.; Williams, Robert W.; Brunner, Han G.; Buckner, Randy L.; Buitelaar, Jan K.; Cahn, Wiepke; Calhoun, Vince D.; Cavalleri, Gianpiero L.; Crespo-Facorro, Benedicto; Dale, Anders M.; Davies, Gareth E.; Delanty, Norman; Depondt, Chantal; Djurovic, Srdjan; Drevets, Wayne C.; Espeseth, Thomas; Gollub, Randy L.; Ho, Beng-Choon; Hoffmann, Wolfgang; Hosten, Norbert; Kahn, René S.; Le Hellard, Stephanie; Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas; Müller-Myhsok, Bertram; Nauck, Matthias; Nyberg, Lars; Pandolfo, Massimo; Penninx, Brenda W. J. H.; Roffman, Joshua L.; Sisodiya, Sanjay M.; Smoller, Jordan W.; van Bokhoven, Hans; van Haren, Neeltje E. M.; Völzke, Henry; Walter, Henrik; Weiner, Michael W.; Wen, Wei; White, Tonya; Agartz, Ingrid; Andreassen, Ole A.; Blangero, John; Boomsma, Dorret I.; Brouwer, Rachel M.; Cannon, Dara M.; Cookson, Mark R.; de Geus, Eco J. C.; Deary, Ian J.; Donohoe, Gary; Fernández, Guillén; Fisher, Simon E.; Francks, Clyde; Glahn, David C.; Grabe, Hans J.; Gruber, Oliver; Hardy, John; Hashimoto, Ryota; Hulshoff Pol, Hilleke E.; Jönsson, Erik G.; Kloszewska, Iwona; Lovestone, Simon; Mattay, Venkata S.; Mecocci, Patrizia; McDonald, Colm; McIntosh, Andrew M.; Ophoff, Roel A.; Paus, Tomas; Pausova, Zdenka; Ryten, Mina; Sachdev, Perminder S.; Saykin, Andrew J.; Simmons, Andy; Singleton, Andrew; Soininen, Hilkka; Wardlaw, Joanna M.; Weale, Michael E.; Weinberger, Daniel R.; Adams, Hieab H. H.; Launer, Lenore J.; Seiler, Stephan; Schmidt, Reinhold; Chauhan, Ganesh; Satizabal, Claudia L.; Becker, James T.; Yanek, Lisa; van der Lee, Sven J.; Ebling, Maritza; Fischl, Bruce; Longstreth, W. T.; Greve, Douglas; Schmidt, Helena; Nyquist, Paul; Vinke, Louis N.; van Duijn, Cornelia M.; Xue, Luting; Mazoyer, Bernard; Bis, Joshua C.; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Seshadri, Sudha; Ikram, M. Arfan; Martin, Nicholas G.; Wright, Margaret J.; Schumann, Gunter; Franke, Barbara; Thompson, Paul M.; Medland, Sarah E.

2015-01-01

The highly complex structure of the human brain is strongly shaped by genetic influences1. Subcortical brain regions form circuits with cortical areas to coordinate movement2, learning, memory3 and motivation4, and altered circuits can lead to abnormal behaviour and disease2. To investigate how common genetic variants affect the structure of these brain regions, here we conduct genome-wide association studies of the volumes of seven subcortical regions and the intracranial volume derived from magnetic resonance images of 30,717 individuals from 50 cohorts. We identify five novel genetic variants influencing the volumes of the putamen and caudate nucleus. We also find stronger evidence for three loci with previously established influences on hippocampal volume5 and intracranial volume6. These variants show specific volumetric effects on brain structures rather than global effects across structures. The strongest effects were found for the putamen, where a novel intergenic locus with replicable influence on volume (rs945270; P = 1.08 × 10−33; 0.52% variance explained) showed evidence of altering the expression of the KTN1 gene in both brain and blood tissue. Variants influencing putamen volume clustered near developmental genes that regulate apoptosis, axon guidance and vesicle transport. Identification of these genetic variants provides insight into the causes of variability inhuman brain development, and may help to determine mechanisms of neuropsychiatric dysfunction. PMID:25607358

STORMWATER BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES DESIGN GUIDE VOLUME 2 - VEGETATIVE BIOFILTERS

EPA Science Inventory

This document is Volume 2 of a three volume document that provides guidance on the selection and design of stormwater management Best Management Practices (BMPs). This second volume provides specific design guidance for a group of onsite BMP control practices that are referred t...

What is the fundamental ion-specific series for anions and cations? Ion specificity in standard partial molar volumes of electrolytes and electrostriction in water and non-aqueous solvents† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c7sc02691a Click here for additional data file.

PubMed Central

Mazzini, Virginia

2017-01-01

The importance of electrolyte solutions cannot be overstated. Beyond the ionic strength of electrolyte solutions the specific nature of the ions present is vital in controlling a host of properties. Therefore ion specificity is fundamentally important in physical chemistry, engineering and biology. The observation that the strengths of the effect of ions often follows well established series suggests that a single predictive and quantitative description of specific-ion effects covering a wide range of systems is possible. Such a theory would revolutionise applications of physical chemistry from polymer precipitation to drug design. Current approaches to understanding specific-ion effects involve consideration of the ions themselves, the solvent and relevant interfaces and the interactions between them. Here we investigate the specific-ion effects trends of standard partial molar volumes and electrostrictive volumes of electrolytes in water and eleven non-aqueous solvents. We choose these measures as they relate to bulk properties at infinite dilution, therefore they are the simplest electrolyte systems. This is done to test the hypothesis that the ions alone exhibit a specific-ion effect series that is independent of the solvent and unrelated to surface properties. The specific-ion effects trends of standard partial molar volumes and normalised electrostrictive volumes examined in this work show a fundamental ion-specific series that is reproduced across the solvents, which is the Hofmeister series for anions and the reverse lyotropic series for cations, supporting the hypothesis. This outcome is important in demonstrating that ion specificity is observed at infinite dilution and demonstrates that the complexity observed in the manifestation of specific-ion effects in a very wide range of systems is due to perturbations of solvent, surfaces and concentration on the underlying fundamental series. This knowledge will guide a general understanding of specific-ion effects and assist in the development of a quantitative predictive theory of ion specificity. PMID:29147533

High call volume at poison control centers: identification and implications for communication

PubMed Central

CARAVATI, E. M.; LATIMER, S.; REBLIN, M.; BENNETT, H. K. W.; CUMMINS, M. R.; CROUCH, B. I.; ELLINGTON, L.

2016-01-01

Context High volume surges in health care are uncommon and unpredictable events. Their impact on health system performance and capacity is difficult to study. Objectives To identify time periods that exhibited very busy conditions at a poison control center and to determine whether cases and communication during high volume call periods are different from cases during low volume periods. Methods Call data from a US poison control center over twelve consecutive months was collected via a call logger and an electronic case database (Toxicall®). Variables evaluated for high call volume conditions were: (1) call duration; (2) number of cases; and (3) number of calls per staff member per 30 minute period. Statistical analyses identified peak periods as busier than 99% of all other 30 minute time periods and low volume periods as slower than 70% of all other 30 minute periods. Case and communication characteristics of high volume and low volume calls were compared using logistic regression. Results A total of 65,364 incoming calls occurred over 12 months. One hundred high call volume and 4885 low call volume 30 minute periods were identified. High volume periods were more common between 1500 and 2300 hours and during the winter months. Coded verbal communication data were evaluated for 42 high volume and 296 low volume calls. The mean (standard deviation) call length of these calls during high volume and low volume periods was 3 minutes 27 seconds (1 minute 46 seconds) and 3 minutes 57 seconds (2 minutes 11 seconds), respectively. Regression analyses revealed a trend for fewer overall verbal statements and fewer staff questions during peak periods, but no other significant differences for staff-caller communication behaviors were found. Conclusion Peak activity for poison center call volume can be identified by statistical modeling. Calls during high volume periods were similar to low volume calls. Communication was more concise yet staff was able to maintain a good rapport with callers during busy call periods. This approach allows evaluation of poison exposure call characteristics and communication during high volume periods. PMID:22889059

High call volume at poison control centers: identification and implications for communication.

PubMed

Caravati, E M; Latimer, S; Reblin, M; Bennett, H K W; Cummins, M R; Crouch, B I; Ellington, L

2012-09-01

High volume surges in health care are uncommon and unpredictable events. Their impact on health system performance and capacity is difficult to study. To identify time periods that exhibited very busy conditions at a poison control center and to determine whether cases and communication during high volume call periods are different from cases during low volume periods. Call data from a US poison control center over twelve consecutive months was collected via a call logger and an electronic case database (Toxicall®).Variables evaluated for high call volume conditions were: (1) call duration; (2) number of cases; and (3) number of calls per staff member per 30 minute period. Statistical analyses identified peak periods as busier than 99% of all other 30 minute time periods and low volume periods as slower than 70% of all other 30 minute periods. Case and communication characteristics of high volume and low volume calls were compared using logistic regression. A total of 65,364 incoming calls occurred over 12 months. One hundred high call volume and 4885 low call volume 30 minute periods were identified. High volume periods were more common between 1500 and 2300 hours and during the winter months. Coded verbal communication data were evaluated for 42 high volume and 296 low volume calls. The mean (standard deviation) call length of these calls during high volume and low volume periods was 3 minutes 27 seconds (1 minute 46 seconds) and 3 minutes 57 seconds (2 minutes 11 seconds), respectively. Regression analyses revealed a trend for fewer overall verbal statements and fewer staff questions during peak periods, but no other significant differences for staff-caller communication behaviors were found. Peak activity for poison center call volume can be identified by statistical modeling. Calls during high volume periods were similar to low volume calls. Communication was more concise yet staff was able to maintain a good rapport with callers during busy call periods. This approach allows evaluation of poison exposure call characteristics and communication during high volume periods.

Stratified Diffractive Optic Approach for Creating High Efficiency Gratings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chambers, Diana M.; Nordin, Gregory P.

1998-01-01

Gratings with high efficiency in a single diffracted order can be realized with both volume holographic and diffractive optical elements. However, each method has limitations that restrict the applications in which they can be used. For example, high efficiency volume holographic gratings require an appropriate combination of thickness and permittivity modulation throughout the bulk of the material. Possible combinations of those two characteristics are limited by properties of currently available materials, thus restricting the range of applications for volume holographic gratings. Efficiency of a diffractive optic grating is dependent on its approximation of an ideal analog profile using discrete features. The size of constituent features and, consequently, the number that can be used within a required grating period restricts the applications in which diffractive optic gratings can be used. These limitations imply that there are applications which cannot be addressed by either technology. In this paper we propose to address a number of applications in this category with a new method of creating high efficiency gratings which we call stratified diffractive optic gratings. In this approach diffractive optic techniques are used to create an optical structure that emulates volume grating behavior. To illustrate the stratified diffractive optic grating concept we consider a specific application, a scanner for a space-based coherent wind lidar, with requirements that would be difficult to meet by either volume holographic or diffractive optic methods. The lidar instrument design specifies a transmissive scanner element with the input beam normally incident and the exiting beam deflected at a fixed angle from the optical axis. The element will be rotated about the optical axis to produce a conical scan pattern. The wavelength of the incident beam is 2.06 microns and the required deflection angle is 30 degrees, implying a grating period of approximately 4 microns. Creating a high efficiency volume grating with these parameters would require a grating thickness that cannot be attained with current photosensitive materials. For a diffractive optic grating, the number of binary steps necessary to produce high efficiency combined with the grating period requires feature sizes and alignment tolerances that are also unattainable with current techniques. Rotation of the grating and integration into a space-based lidar system impose the additional requirements that it be insensitive to polarization orientation, that its mass be minimized and that it be able to withstand launch and space environments.

Early parental care is important for hippocampal maturation: evidence from brain morphology in humans.

PubMed

Rao, Hengyi; Betancourt, Laura; Giannetta, Joan M; Brodsky, Nancy L; Korczykowski, Marc; Avants, Brian B; Gee, James C; Wang, Jiongjiong; Hurt, Hallam; Detre, John A; Farah, Martha J

2010-01-01

The effects of early life experience on later brain structure and function have been studied extensively in animals, yet the relationship between childhood experience and normal brain development in humans remains largely unknown. Using a unique longitudinal data set including ecologically valid in-home measures of early experience during childhood (at age 4 and 8 years) and high-resolution structural brain imaging during adolescence (mean age 14 years), we examined the effects on later brain morphology of two dimensions of early experience: parental nurturance and environmental stimulation. Parental nurturance at age 4 predicts the volume of the left hippocampus in adolescence, with better nurturance associated with smaller hippocampal volume. In contrast, environmental stimulation did not correlate with hippocampal volume. Moreover, the association between hippocampal volume and parental nurturance disappears at age 8, supporting the existence of a sensitive developmental period for brain maturation. These findings indicate that variation in normal childhood experience is associated with differences in brain morphology, and hippocampal volume is specifically associated with early parental nurturance. Our results provide neuroimaging evidence supporting the important role of warm parental care during early childhood for brain maturation.

Segment-specific resistivity improves body fluid volume estimates from bioimpedance spectroscopy in hemodialysis patients.

PubMed

Zhu, F; Kuhlmann, M K; Kaysen, G A; Sarkar, S; Kaitwatcharachai, C; Khilnani, R; Stevens, L; Leonard, E F; Wang, J; Heymsfield, S; Levin, N W

2006-02-01

Discrepancies in body fluid estimates between segmental bioimpedance spectroscopy (SBIS) and gold-standard methods may be due to the use of a uniform value of tissue resistivity to compute extracellular fluid volume (ECV) and intracellular fluid volume (ICV). Discrepancies may also arise from the exclusion of fluid volumes of hands, feet, neck, and head from measurements due to electrode positions. The aim of this study was to define the specific resistivity of various body segments and to use those values for computation of ECV and ICV along with a correction for unmeasured fluid volumes. Twenty-nine maintenance hemodialysis patients (16 men) underwent body composition analysis including whole body MRI, whole body potassium (40K) content, deuterium, and sodium bromide dilution, and segmental and wrist-to-ankle bioimpedance spectroscopy, all performed on the same day before a hemodialysis. Segment-specific resistivity was determined from segmental fat-free mass (FFM; by MRI), hydration status of FFM (by deuterium and sodium bromide), tissue resistance (by SBIS), and segment length. Segmental FFM was higher and extracellular hydration of FFM was lower in men compared with women. Segment-specific resistivity values for arm, trunk, and leg all differed from the uniform resistivity used in traditional SBIS algorithms. Estimates for whole body ECV, ICV, and total body water from SBIS using segmental instead of uniform resistivity values and after adjustment for unmeasured fluid volumes of the body did not differ significantly from gold-standard measures. The uniform tissue resistivity values used in traditional SBIS algorithms result in underestimation of ECV, ICV, and total body water. Use of segmental resistivity values combined with adjustment for body volumes that are neglected by traditional SBIS technique significantly improves estimations of body fluid volume in hemodialysis patients.

Assessment of geometrical characteristics of dental endodontic micro-instruments utilizing X-ray micro computed tomography

PubMed Central

Al JABBARI, Youssef S.; TSAKIRIDIS, Peter; ELIADES, George; AL-HADLAQ, Solaiman M.; ZINELIS, Spiros

2012-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to quantify the surface area, volume and specific surface area of endodontic files employing quantitative X-ray micro computed tomography (mXCT). Material and Methods Three sets (six files each) of the Flex-Master Ni-Ti system (Nº 20, 25 and 30, taper .04) were utilized in this study. The files were scanned by mXCT. The surface area and volume of all files were determined from the cutting tip up to 16 mm. The data from the surface area, volume and specific area were statistically evaluated using the one-way ANOVA and SNK multiple comparison tests at α=0.05, employing the file size as a discriminating variable. The correlation between the surface area and volume with nominal ISO sizes were tested employing linear regression analysis. Results The surface area and volume of Nº 30 files showed the highest value followed by Nº 25 and Nº 20 and the differences were statistically significant. The Nº 20 files showed a significantly higher specific surface area compared to Nº 25 and Nº 30. The increase in surface and volume towards higher file sizes follows a linear relationship with the nominal ISO sizes (r2=0.930 for surface area and r2=0.974 for volume respectively). Results indicated that the surface area and volume demonstrated an almost linear increase while the specific surface area exhibited an abrupt decrease towards higher sizes. Conclusions This study demonstrates that mXCT can be effectively applied to discriminate very small differences in the geometrical features of endodontic micro-instruments, while providing quantitative information for their geometrical properties. PMID:23329248

Evolution and Development of Effective Feedstock Specifications

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

Garold Gresham; Rachel Emerson; Amber Hoover

The U.S. Department of Energy promotes the production of a range of liquid fuels and fuel blend stocks from lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks by funding fundamental and applied research that advances the state of technology in biomass collection, conversion, and sustainability. As part of its involvement in this program, the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) investigates the feedstock logistics economics and sustainability of these fuels. The 2012 feedstock logistics milestone demonstrated that for high-yield areas that minimize the transportation distances of a low-density, unstable biomass, we could achieve a delivered cost of $35/ton. Based on current conventional equipment and processes, the 2012more » logistics design is able to deliver the volume of biomass needed to fulfill the 2012 Renewable Fuel Standard’s targets for ethanol. However, the Renewable Fuel Standard’s volume targets are continuing to increase and are expected to peak in 2022 at 36 billion gallons. Meeting these volume targets and achieving a national-scale biofuels industry will require expansion of production capacity beyond the 2012 Conventional Feedstock Supply Design Case to access diverse available feedstocks, regardless of their inherent ability to meet preliminary biorefinery quality feedstock specifications. Implementation of quality specifications (specs), as outlined in the 2017 Design Case – “Feedstock Supply System Design and Economics for Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Hydrocarbon Fuels” (in progress), requires insertion of deliberate, active quality controls into the feedstock supply chain, whereas the 2012 Conventional Design only utilizes passive quality controls.« less

Porosity of different dental luting cements.

PubMed

Milutinović-Nikolić, Aleksandra D; Medić, Vesna B; Vuković, Zorica M

2007-06-01

The aim of this in vitro study was to compare open porosity and pore size distribution of different types of luting cements (zinc phosphate and polycarboxylate produced by Harvard Cement, Great Britain, glass-ionomer product GC Fuji I, GC Corporation, Japan, and Panavia F, resin based composite cement, Kurraray Co. Ltd. Japan) using mercury intrusion porosimetry and use it as an additional parameter for ranging the quality of cements used in prosthetics. Samples were hand mixed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and formed in cylindrical test specimens. Density of samples was determined using a pycnometer while porous structure was estimated using high pressure mercury intrusion porosimeter enabling estimation of pore diameters in interval 7.5-15,000 nm. The polycarboxylate cement posses the highest porosity and specific pore volume among investigated cements. By comparison of the results obtained for zinc phosphate and glass-ionomer cement, it can be observed that according to some textural properties zinc phosphate cement is better choice (smaller specific pore volume and absence of macropores larger than 1 microm) while according to other textural properties the glass-ionomer has advantage (smaller porosity). The resin based composite cement poses the most desired porous structure for prosthetic application among the investigated cements (the lowest porosity and specific pore volume and all identified pores are smaller than 20 nm). Based on results of this study, it is possible to estimate the efficiency of luting cements to protect the interior of tooth from penetration of oral fluids, bacteria and bacterial toxins into unprotected dentine.

Pressure and Thrust Measurements of a High-Frequency Pulsed Detonation Tube

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, N.; Cutler, A. D.

2008-01-01

This paper describes measurements of a small-scale, high-frequency pulsed detonation tube. The device utilized a mixture of H2 fuel and air, which was injected into the device at frequencies of up to 1200 Hz. Pulsed detonations were demonstrated in an 8-inch long combustion volume, at about 600 Hz, for the quarter wave mode of resonance. The primary objective of this experiment was to measure the generated thrust. A mean value of thrust was measured up to 6.0 lb, corresponding to H2 flow based specific impulse of 2970 s. This value is comparable to measurements in H2-fueled pulsed detonation engines (PDEs). The injection and detonation frequency for this new experimental case was much higher than typical PDEs, where frequencies are usually less than 100 Hz. The compact size of the device and high frequency of detonation yields a thrust-per-unit-volume of approximately 2.0 pounds per cubic inch, and compares favorably with other experiments, which typically have thrust-per-unit-volume of order 0.01 pound per cubic inch. This much higher volumetric efficiency results in a potentially much more practical device than the typical PDE, for a wide range of potential applications, including high-speed boundary layer separation control, for example in hypersonic engine inlets, and propulsion for small aircraft and missiles.

Validation of MIL-F-9490D. General Specification for Flight Control System for Piloted Military Aircraft. Volume III. C-5A Heavy Logistics Transport Validation

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-04-01

U* AFFDL-TR-77-7 0 VOLUME III " 󈧦 VALIDATION OF MIL-F-9490D - GENERAL SPECIFICATION FOR FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM "FOR PILOTED MILITARY AIRCRAFT VOLUME...ý A1O 1 C I\\.FFBL Ti(-77-7. Vol. III f Validatio~n of UL-P-9-490D#,*. General Spacificatior "~inal 1’l -_t e for Flight ContrsA Zyn’om for Piloted...cation MIL-F-9490D (USAF), "Flight Control Systems - Design, Installation and Test of Piloted Aircraft, General Specifications for," dated 6 June 1975, by

Chitinolytic enzymes: an appraisal as a product of commercial potential.

PubMed

Chavan, S B; Deshpande, M V

2013-01-01

Chitin, its deacetylated form, chitosan and chitinolytic enzymes viz. endo-chitinase, N-acetylglucosaminidase, chitosanase, chitin deacetylase (CDA) are gaining importance for their biotechnological applications. Presently, chitin degrading enzymes constitute high-cost low-volume products in human health care and associated research. Indeed chitinases and CDA-chitosanase complex possesss tremendous potential in agriculture to control plant pathogenic fungi and insects. The success in exploring chitinases especially for agriculture, i.e. as a high-volume low-cost product, depends on the availability of highly active preparations with a reasonable cost. Therefore, a reconsideration in terms of understanding the roles of chitinolytic enzymes in applications, e.g. host-pathogen interaction for biocontrol, different mechanisms of chitin degradation, and identification of new enzymes with varying specificities, may make them more useful in a variety of commercial processes in the near future. The possible issues and challenges encountered in the translation of proof of concept into a commercial product will be appraised in this review. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Characterization of Aluminum Honeycomb and Experimentation for Model Development and Validation, Volume I: Discovery and Characterization Experiments for High-Density Aluminum Honeycomb

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

Lu, Wei-Yang; Korellis, John S.; Lee, Kenneth L.

2006-08-01

Honeycomb is a structure that consists of two-dimensional regular arrays of open cells. High-density aluminum honeycomb has been used in weapon assemblies to mitigate shock and protect payload because of its excellent crush properties. In order to use honeycomb efficiently and to certify the payload is protected by the honeycomb under various loading conditions, a validated honeycomb crush model is required and the mechanical properties of the honeycombs need to be fully characterized. Volume I of this report documents an experimental study of the crush behavior of high-density honeycombs. Two sets of honeycombs were included in this investigation: commercial grademore » for initial exploratory experiments, and weapon grade, which satisfied B61 specifications. This investigation also includes developing proper experimental methods for crush characterization, conducting discovery experiments to explore crush behaviors for model improvement, and identifying experimental and material uncertainties.« less

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

Chiang, Yet-Ming; Duduta, Mihai; Holman, Richard

Embodiments described herein relate generally to electrochemical cells having high rate capability, and more particularly to devices, systems and methods of producing high capacity and high rate capability batteries having relatively thick semi-solid electrodes. In some embodiments, an electrochemical cell includes an anode and a semi-solid cathode. The semi-solid cathode includes a suspension of an active material of about 35% to about 75% by volume of an active material and about 0.5% to about 8% by volume of a conductive material in a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte. An ion-permeable membrane is disposed between the anode and the semi-solid cathode. The semi-solidmore » cathode has a thickness of about 250 .mu.m to about 2,000 .mu.m, and the electrochemical cell has an area specific capacity of at least about 7 mAh/cm.sup.2 at a C-rate of C/4. In some embodiments, the semi-solid cathode slurry has a mixing index of at least about 0.9.« less

Estimating Adolescent Risk for Hearing Loss Based on Data From a Large School-Based Survey

PubMed Central

Verschuure, Hans; van der Ploeg, Catharina P. B.; Brug, Johannes; Raat, Hein

2010-01-01

Objectives. We estimated whether and to what extent a group of adolescents were at risk of developing permanent hearing loss as a result of voluntary exposure to high-volume music, and we assessed whether such exposure was associated with hearing-related symptoms. Methods. In 2007, 1512 adolescents (aged 12–19 years) in Dutch secondary schools completed questionnaires about their music-listening behavior and whether they experienced hearing-related symptoms after listening to high-volume music. We used their self-reported data in conjunction with published average sound levels of music players, discotheques, and pop concerts to estimate their noise exposure, and we compared that exposure to our own “loosened” (i.e., less strict) version of current European safety standards for occupational noise exposure. Results. About half of the adolescents exceeded safety standards for occupational noise exposure. About one third of the respondents exceeded safety standards solely as a result of listening to MP3 players. Hearing symptoms that occurred after using an MP3 player or going to a discotheque were associated with exposure to high-volume music. Conclusions. Adolescents often exceeded current occupational safety standards for noise exposure, highlighting the need for specific safety standards for leisure-time noise exposure. PMID:20395587

Individual differences in posterior cortical volume correlate with proneness to pride and gratitude

PubMed Central

Zahn, Roland; Garrido, Griselda; Moll, Jorge

2014-01-01

Proneness to specific moral sentiments (e.g. pride, gratitude, guilt, indignation) has been linked with individual variations in functional MRI (fMRI) response within anterior brain regions whose lesion leads to inappropriate behaviour. However, the role of structural anatomical differences in rendering individuals prone to particular moral sentiments relative to others is unknown. Here, we investigated grey matter volumes (VBM8) and proneness to specific moral sentiments on a well-controlled experimental task in healthy individuals. Individuals with smaller cuneus, and precuneus volumes were more pride-prone, whereas those with larger right inferior temporal volumes experienced gratitude more readily. Although the primary analysis detected no associations with guilt- or indignation-proneness, subgenual cingulate fMRI responses to guilt were negatively correlated with grey matter volumes in the left superior temporal sulcus and anterior dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (right >left). This shows that individual variations in functional activations within critical areas for moral sentiments were not due to grey matter volume differences in the same areas. Grey matter volume differences between healthy individuals may nevertheless play an important role by affecting posterior cortical brain systems that are non-critical but supportive for the experience of specific moral sentiments. This may be of particular relevance when their experience depends on visuo-spatial elaboration. PMID:24106333

The combination of ovarian volume and outline has better diagnostic accuracy than prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentrations in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOs).

PubMed

Bili, Eleni; Bili, Authors Eleni; Dampala, Kaliopi; Iakovou, Ioannis; Tsolakidis, Dimitrios; Giannakou, Anastasia; Tarlatzis, Basil C

2014-08-01

The aim of this study was to determine the performance of prostate specific antigen (PSA) and ultrasound parameters, such as ovarian volume and outline, in the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This prospective, observational, case-controlled study included 43 women with PCOS, and 40 controls. Between day 3 and 5 of the menstrual cycle, fasting serum samples were collected and transvaginal ultrasound was performed. The diagnostic performance of each parameter [total PSA (tPSA), total-to-free PSA ratio (tPSA:fPSA), ovarian volume, ovarian outline] was estimated by means of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, along with area under the curve (AUC), threshold, sensitivity, specificity as well as positive (+) and negative (-) likelihood ratios (LRs). Multivariate logistical regression models, using ovarian volume and ovarian outline, were constructed. The tPSA and tPSA:fPSA ratio resulted in AUC of 0.74 and 0.70, respectively, with moderate specificity/sensitivity and insufficient LR+/- values. In the multivariate logistic regression model, the combination of ovarian volume and outline had a sensitivity of 97.7% and a specificity of 97.5% in the diagnosis of PCOS, with +LR and -LR values of 39.1 and 0.02, respectively. In women with PCOS, tPSA and tPSA:fPSA ratio have similar diagnostic performance. The use of a multivariate logistic regression model, incorporating ovarian volume and outline, offers very good diagnostic accuracy in distinguishing women with PCOS patients from controls. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spaceflight Human System Standards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holubec, Keith; Tillman, Barry; Connolly, Jan

2009-01-01

NASA created a new approach for human system integration and human performance standards. NASA created two documents a standard and a reference handbook. The standard is titled NASA Space Flight Human-System Standard (SFHSS) and consists of two-volumes: Volume 1- Crew Health This volume covers standards needed to support astronaut health (medical care, nutrition, sleep, exercise, etc.) Volume 2 Human Factors, Habitability and Environmental Health This volume covers the standards for system design that will maintain astronaut performance (ie., environmental factors, design of facilities, layout of workstations, and lighting requirements). It includes classic human factors requirements. The new standards document is written in terms so that it is applicable to a broad range of present and future NASA systems. The document states that all new programs prepare system-specific requirements that will meet the general standards. For example, the new standard does not specify a design should accommodate specific percentiles of a defined population. Rather, NASA-STD-3001, Volume 2 states that all programs shall prepare program-specific requirements that define the user population and their size ranges. The design shall then accommodate the full size range of those users. The companion reference handbook, Human Integration Design Handbook (HIDH), was developed to capture the design consideration information from NASA-STD-3000, and adds spaceflight lessons learned, gaps in knowledge, example solutions, and suggests research to further mature specific disciplines. The HIDH serves two major purposes: HIDH is the reference document for writing human factors requirements for specific systems. HIDH contains design guidance information that helps insure that designers create systems which safely and effectively accommodate the capabilities and limitations of space flight crews.

Guide to Developing Performance-Related Specifications For PCC Pavements. Volume I: Practical Guide, Final Report and Appendix A

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-02-01

This report (FHWA-RD-98-155), the first of a four-volume set of reports, presents guidelines and recommendations to assist a highway agency in developing and using performance-related specifications for portland cement concrete pavement construction....

Automated geometric optimization for robotic HIFU treatment of liver tumors.

PubMed

Williamson, Tom; Everitt, Scott; Chauhan, Sunita

2018-05-01

High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) represents a non-invasive method for the destruction of cancerous tissue within the body. Heating of targeted tissue by focused ultrasound transducers results in the creation of ellipsoidal lesions at the target site, the locations of which can have a significant impact on treatment outcomes. Towards this end, this work describes a method for the optimization of lesion positions within arbitrary tumors, with specific anatomical constraints. A force-based optimization framework was extended to the case of arbitrary tumor position and constrained orientation. Analysis of the approximate reachable treatment volume for the specific case of treatment of liver tumors was performed based on four transducer configurations and constraint conditions derived. Evaluation was completed utilizing simplified spherical and ellipsoidal tumor models and randomly generated tumor volumes. The total volume treated, lesion overlap and healthy tissue ablated was evaluated. Two evaluation scenarios were defined and optimized treatment plans assessed. The optimization framework resulted in improvements of up to 10% in tumor volume treated, and reductions of up to 20% in healthy tissue ablated as compared to the standard lesion rastering approach. Generation of optimized plans proved feasible for both sub- and intercostally located tumors. This work describes an optimized method for the planning of lesion positions during HIFU treatment of liver tumors. The approach allows the determination of optimal lesion locations and orientations, and can be applied to arbitrary tumor shapes and sizes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A high gas fraction, reduced power, syngas bioprocessing method demonstrated with a Clostridium ljungdahlii OTA1 paper biocomposite

PubMed Central

Schulte, Mark J.; Wiltgen, Jeff; Ritter, John; Mooney, Charles B.; Flickinger, Michael C.

2018-01-01

We propose a novel approach to continuous bioprocessing of gases. A miniaturized coated-paper high gas fraction biocomposite absorber has been developed using slowly shaken horizontal anaerobic tubes with concentrated Clostridium ljungdahlii OTA1 absorbing syngas as a model system. These gas absorbers demonstrate elevated CO mass transfer with low power input, reduced liquid requirements, elevated substrate consumption, and increased product secretion compared to shaken suspended cells. We concentrate OTA1 in a cell paste which was coated by extrusion onto chromatography paper. Cell adhesion was by adsorption to the cellulose fibers; visualized by SEM. The C. ljungdahlii OTA1 coated paper mounted above the liquid level absorbs CO and H2 from a model syngas producing acetate with minimal ethanol. At 100 rpm shaking speed (7.7 W m−3) the optimal cell loading is 6.5 gDCW m−2 to maintain high CO absorbing reactivity without the cells coming off of the paper into the liquid phase. Reducing the medium volume from 10 mL to 4 mL (15% of tube volume) did not decrease CO reactivity. The reduced liquid volume increased secreted product concentration by 80%. The specific CO consumption by paper biocomposites was higher at all shaking frequencies <100 rpm than suspended cells under identical incubation conditions. At 25 rpm the biocomposite outperforms suspended cells for CO absorption by 2.5 fold, with a power reduction of 97% over the power input at 100 rpm. The estimated minimum apparent kLa for these biocomposite gas-absorbers is ~100 h−1, a 10 to 104 less power input than other syngas fermentation systems at similar kLa. Specific consumption rates in a biocomposite were measured as ~14 mmol gDCW−1 h−1. This work intensified CO absorption and reactivity by 14 fold to 94 mmol CO m−2 h−1 over previous C. ljungdahlii OTA1 work by our group. Specific acetate production rates were 23 mM h−1 or 46 mmol m−2 h−1. The specific rates and apparent kLa were shown to scale linearly with biocomposite coating area. These proof of concept results will be used to engineer a continuous biocomposite gas absorber bioreactor. PMID:26927418

Chemical and biotic characteristics of prairie lakes and large wetlands in south-central North Dakota—Effects of a changing climate

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mushet, David M.; Goldhaber, Martin B.; Mills, Christopher T.; McLean, Kyle I.; Aparicio, Vanessa M.; McCleskey, R. Blaine; Holloway, JoAnn M.; Stockwell, Craig A.

2015-09-28

The climate of the prairie pothole region of North America is known for variability that results in significant interannual changes in water depths and volumes of prairie lakes and wetlands; however, beginning in July 1993, the climate of the region shifted to an extended period of increased precipitation that has likely been unequaled in the preceding 500 years. Associated changing water volumes also affect water chemical characteristics, with potential effects on fish and wildlife populations. To explore the effect of changing climate patterns, in 2012 and 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey revisited 167 of 178 prairie lakes and large wetlands of south-central North Dakota that were originally sampled in the mid-1960s to mid-1970s. During the earlier sampling period, these lakes and wetlands displayed a great range of chemical characteristics (for example, specific conductance ranged from 365 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius to 70,300 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius); however, increased water volumes have resulted in greatly reduced variation among lakes and wetlands and a more homogeneous set of chemical conditions defined by pH, specific conductance, and concentrations of major cations and anions. High concentrations of dissolved solids previously limited fish occurrence in many of the lakes and wetlands sampled; however, freshening of these lakes and large wetlands has allowed fish to populate and flourish where they were previously absent. Conversely, the freshening of previously saline lakes and wetlands has resulted in concurrent shifts away from invertebrate species adapted to live in these highly saline environments. A shift in the regional climate has changed a highly diverse landscape of wetlands (fresh to highly saline) to a markedly more homogeneous landscape that has reshaped the fish and wildlife communities of this ecologically and economically important region.

5α-Reductase inhibitor is less effective in men with small prostate volume and low serum prostatic specific antigen level.

PubMed

Lin, Victor C; Liao, Chun-Hou; Wang, Chung-Cheng; Kuo, Hann-Chorng

2015-09-01

Large total prostate volumes (TPVs) or high serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels indicate high-risk clinical progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia. This prospective study investigated the treatment outcome of combined 5α-reductase inhibitor and α-blocker in patients with and without large TPVs or high PSA levels. Men aged ≥ 45 years with International Prostate Symptom scores (IPSS) ≥ 8, TPV ≥ 20 mL, and maximum flow rate ≤ 15 mL/s received a combination therapy (dutasteride plus doxaben) for 2 years. Patients with baseline PSA ≥ 4 ng/mL underwent prostatic biopsy for excluding malignancy. The changes in the parameters from baseline to 24 months after combination therapy were compared in those with and without TPV ≥ 40 mL or PSA levels ≥ 1.5 ng/mL. A total of 285 patients (mean age 72 ± 9 years) completed the study. Combination therapy resulted in significant continuous improvement in IPSS, quality of life index, maximum flow rate, and postvoid residual (all p < 0.0001) regardless of baseline TPV or PSA levels. However, only patients with baseline TPV ≥ 40 mL had significant improvements in IPSS-storage subscore, voided volume, reduction in TPV, transitional zone index, and PSA levels. In addition, patients with baseline TPV < 40 mL and PSA < 1.5 ng/mL had neither a reduction in TPV nor a decrease in serum PSA level. A high TPV indicates more outlet resistance, whereas elevated serum PSA level reflects glandular proliferation. Thus, patients with TPV<40 mL and low PSA levels has less benefit from 5α-reductase inhibitor therapy. The therapeutic effect of combined treatment may arise mainly from the α-blocker in these patients. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

High Center Volume Does Not Mitigate Risk Associated with Using High Donor Risk Organs in Liver Transplantation.

PubMed

Beal, Eliza W; Black, Sylvester M; Mumtaz, Khalid; Hayes, Don; El-Hinnawi, Ashraf; Washburn, Kenneth; Tumin, Dmitry

2017-09-01

High-risk donor allografts increase access to liver transplant, but potentially reduce patient and graft survival. It is unclear whether the risk associated with using marginal donor livers is mitigated by increasing center experience. The United Network for Organ Sharing registry was queried for adult first-time liver transplant recipients between 2/2002 and 12/2015. High donor risk was defined as donor risk index >1.9, and 1-year patient and graft survival were compared according to donor risk index in small and large centers. Multivariable Cox regression estimated the hazard ratio (HR) associated with using high-risk donor organs, according to a continuous measure of annual center volume. The analysis included 51,770 patients. In 67 small and 67 large centers, high donor risk index predicted increased mortality (p = 0.001). In multivariable analysis, high-donor risk index allografts predicted greater mortality hazard at centers performing 20 liver transplants per year (HR 1.35; 95% CI 1.22, 1.49; p < 0.001) and, similarly, at centers performing 70 per year (HR 1.35; 95% CI 1.26, 1.43; p < 0.001). The interaction between high donor risk index and center volume was not statistically significant (p = 0.747), confirming that the risk associated with using marginal donor livers was comparable between smaller and larger centers. Results were consistent when examining graft loss. At both small and large centers, high-risk donor allografts were associated with reduced patient and graft survival after liver transplant. Specific strategies to mitigate the risk of liver transplant involving high-risk donors are needed, in addition to accumulation of center expertise.

Rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury: creatine kinase as a prognostic marker and validation of the McMahon Score in a 10-year cohort: A retrospective observational evaluation.

PubMed

Simpson, Joanna P; Taylor, Andrew; Sudhan, Nazneen; Menon, David K; Lavinio, Andrea

2016-12-01

High-volume fluid resuscitation and the administration of sodium bicarbonate and diuretics have a theoretical renoprotective role in patients at high risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) following rhabdomyolysis. Abnormally elevated creatine kinase has previously been used as a biological marker for the identification of patients at high risk of AKI following rhabdomyolysis. To assess the sensitivity and specificity of plasma creatine kinase (admission and peak values) for the prediction of AKI requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) or of death in patients with confirmed rhabdomyolysis. To compare the diagnostic performance of creatine kinase with the McMahon score. Retrospective observational study. Data collection included McMahon and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores; daily creatine kinase; daily creatinine and electrolytes; ICU length of stay and mortality. Neurosciences and Trauma Critical Care Unit (Cambridge, UK). In total, 232 adults with confirmed rhabdomyolysis (creatine kinase > 1000 Ul) admitted to Neurosciences and Trauma Critical Care Unit between 2002 and 2012. AKI, RRT and mortality. Forty-five (19%) patients developed AKI and 29 (12.5%) patients required RRT. Mortality was significantly higher in patients who developed AKI (62 vs. 18%, P < 0.001). Average creatine kinase on admission was 5009 (range 69-157 860) Ul. Creatine kinase peaked between the day of admission and day 3 in 91% of cases. PEAK creatine kinase of at least 5000 Ul is 55% specific and 83% sensitive for the prediction of AKI requiring RRT. A McMahon Score of at least 6 calculated on admission is 68% specific and 86% sensitive for RRT. Creatine kinase is not a specific or early predictor of AKI in patients with rhabdomyolysis. Although a PEAK creatine kinase of at least 5000 Ul has sensitivity acceptable for screening purposes, this is often a delayed finding. A McMahon score of at least 6 calculated on admission allows for a more sensitive, specific and timely identification of patients who may benefit from high-volume fluid resuscitation.

Optimization of circulating cell-free DNA recovery for KRAS mutation and HPV detection in plasma.

PubMed

Mazurek, Agnieszka M; Fiszer-Kierzkowska, A; Rutkowski, T; Składowski, K; Pierzyna, M; Scieglińska, D; Woźniak, G; Głowacki, G; Kawczyński, R; Małusecka, E

2013-01-01

The precise analysis of tumour markers in blood such as circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) could have a significant impact in facilitating monitoring of patients after initial therapy. Although high levels of total cfDNA in plasma of cancer patients are consistently demonstrated, a low sensitivity of DNA alterations is reported. The major question regards the recovery of tumour-specific cfDNA such as KRAS mutated DNA and cancer-associated type 16 of human papillomavirus (HPV16). TaqMan technology was used for detection of KRAS mutation, HPV16 and to quantify cfDNA in blood plasma. Comparison of four different column-based commercial kits shows that the cfDNA purification carried out by the Genomic Mini AX Body Fluids kit and the QIAamp Circulating Nucleic Acid kit gave us the possibility to improve the sensitivity of detection of KRAS mutation and HPV16. The optimized method was used to follow the reduction in cancer-specific cfDNA after therapy. We found that large volume extractions with low volume of DNA eluate enabled trace amounts of tumour-specific cfDNA from cancer patients to be effectively identified. Data presented in this study facilitate detection of tumour-specific cfDNA and improve standards needed for the implementation of cfDNA technology into routine clinical practice.

Regular Topologies for Gigabit Wide-Area Networks. Volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shacham, Nachum; Denny, Barbara A.; Lee, Diane S.; Khan, Irfan H.; Lee, Danny Y. C.; McKenney, Paul

1994-01-01

In general terms, this project aimed at the analysis and design of techniques for very high-speed networking. The formal objectives of the project were to: (1) Identify switch and network technologies for wide-area networks that interconnect a large number of users and can provide individual data paths at gigabit/s rates; (2) Quantitatively evaluate and compare existing and proposed architectures and protocols, identify their strength and growth potentials, and ascertain the compatibility of competing technologies; and (3) Propose new approaches to existing architectures and protocols, and identify opportunities for research to overcome deficiencies and enhance performance. The project was organized into two parts: 1. The design, analysis, and specification of techniques and protocols for very-high-speed network environments. In this part, SRI has focused on several key high-speed networking areas, including Forward Error Control (FEC) for high-speed networks in which data distortion is the result of packet loss, and the distribution of broadband, real-time traffic in multiple user sessions. 2. Congestion Avoidance Testbed Experiment (CATE). This part of the project was done within the framework of the DARTnet experimental T1 national network. The aim of the work was to advance the state of the art in benchmarking DARTnet's performance and traffic control by developing support tools for network experimentation, by designing benchmarks that allow various algorithms to be meaningfully compared, and by investigating new queueing techniques that better satisfy the needs of best-effort and reserved-resource traffic. This document is the final technical report describing the results obtained by SRI under this project. The report consists of three volumes: Volume 1 contains a technical description of the network techniques developed by SRI in the areas of FEC and multicast of real-time traffic. Volume 2 describes the work performed under CATE. Volume 3 contains the source code of all software developed under CATE.

Effects of meal variety on expected satiation: Evidence for a ‘perceived volume’ heuristic☆

PubMed Central

Keenan, Gregory S.; Brunstrom, Jeffrey M.; Ferriday, Danielle

2015-01-01

Meal variety has been shown to increase energy intake in humans by an average of 29%. Historically, research exploring the mechanism underlying this effect has focused on physiological and psychological processes that terminate a meal (e.g., sensory-specific satiety). We sought to explore whether meal variety stimulates intake by influencing pre-meal planning. We know that individuals use prior experience with a food to estimate the extent to which it will deliver fullness. These ‘expected satiation’ judgments may be straightforward when only one meal component needs to be considered, but it remains unclear how prospective satiation is estimated when a meal comprises multiple items. We hypothesised that people simplify the task by using a heuristic, or ‘cognitive shortcut.’ Specifically, as within-meal variety increases, expected satiation tends to be based on the perceived volume of food(s) rather than on prior experience. In each trial, participants (N = 68) were shown a plate of food with six buffet food items. Across trials the number of different foods varied in the range one to six. In separate tasks, the participants provided an estimate of their combined expected satiation and volume. When meal variety was high, judgments of perceived volume and expected satiation ‘converged.’ This is consistent with a common underlying response strategy. By contrast, the low variety meals produced dissociable responses, suggesting that judgments of expected satiation were not governed solely by perceived volume. This evidence for a ‘volume heuristic’ was especially clear in people who were less familiar with the meal items. Together, these results are important because they expose a novel process by which meal variety might increase food intake in humans. PMID:25599925

Continuous Rapid Quantification of Stroke Volume Using Magnetohydrodynamic Voltages in 3T Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

PubMed

Gregory, T Stan; Oshinski, John; Schmidt, Ehud J; Kwong, Raymond Y; Stevenson, William G; Ho Tse, Zion Tsz

2015-12-01

To develop a technique to noninvasively estimate stroke volume in real time during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided procedures, based on induced magnetohydrodynamic voltages (VMHD) that occur in ECG recordings during MRI exams, leaving the MRI scanner free to perform other imaging tasks. Because of the relationship between blood flow (BF) and VMHD, we hypothesized that a method to obtain stroke volume could be derived from extracted VMHD vectors in the vectorcardiogram (VCG) frame of reference (VMHDVCG). To estimate a subject-specific BF-VMHD model, VMHDVCG was acquired during a 20-s breath-hold and calibrated versus aortic BF measured using phase-contrast magnetic resonance in 10 subjects (n=10) and 1 subject diagnosed with premature ventricular contractions. Beat-to-beat validation of VMHDVCG-derived BF was performed using real-time phase-contrast imaging in 7 healthy subjects (n=7) during 15-minute cardiac exercise stress tests and 30 minutes after stress relaxation in 3T MRIs. Subject-specific equations were derived to correlate VMHDVCG with BF at rest and validated using real-time phase-contrast. An average error of 7.22% and 3.69% in stroke volume estimation, respectively, was found during peak stress and after complete relaxation. Measured beat-to-beat BF time history derived from real-time phase-contrast and VMHD was highly correlated using a Spearman rank correlation coefficient during stress tests (0.89) and after stress relaxation (0.86). Accurate beat-to-beat stroke volume and BF were estimated using VMHDVCG extracted from intra-MRI 12-lead ECGs, providing a means to enhance patient monitoring during MR imaging and MR-guided interventions. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Focus control enhancement and on-product focus response analysis methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Young Ki; Chen, Yen-Jen; Hao, Xueli; Samudrala, Pavan; Gomez, Juan-Manuel; Mahoney, Mark O.; Kamalizadeh, Ferhad; Hanson, Justin K.; Lee, Shawn; Tian, Ye

2016-03-01

With decreasing CDOF (Critical Depth Of Focus) for 20/14nm technology and beyond, focus errors are becoming increasingly critical for on-product performance. Current on product focus control techniques in high volume manufacturing are limited; It is difficult to define measurable focus error and optimize focus response on product with existing methods due to lack of credible focus measurement methodologies. Next to developments in imaging and focus control capability of scanners and general tool stability maintenance, on-product focus control improvements are also required to meet on-product imaging specifications. In this paper, we discuss focus monitoring, wafer (edge) fingerprint correction and on-product focus budget analysis through diffraction based focus (DBF) measurement methodology. Several examples will be presented showing better focus response and control on product wafers. Also, a method will be discussed for a focus interlock automation system on product for a high volume manufacturing (HVM) environment.

Hadoop and friends - first experience at CERN with a new platform for high throughput analysis steps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duellmann, D.; Surdy, K.; Menichetti, L.; Toebbicke, R.

2017-10-01

The statistical analysis of infrastructure metrics comes with several specific challenges, including the fairly large volume of unstructured metrics from a large set of independent data sources. Hadoop and Spark provide an ideal environment in particular for the first steps of skimming rapidly through hundreds of TB of low relevance data to find and extract the much smaller data volume that is relevant for statistical analysis and modelling. This presentation will describe the new Hadoop service at CERN and the use of several of its components for high throughput data aggregation and ad-hoc pattern searches. We will describe the hardware setup used, the service structure with a small set of decoupled clusters and the first experience with co-hosting different applications and performing software upgrades. We will further detail the common infrastructure used for data extraction and preparation from continuous monitoring and database input sources.

High-Temperature Adiabatic Calorimeter for Constant-Volume Heat Capacity Measurements of Compressed Gases and Liquids

PubMed Central

Magee, Joseph W.; Deal, Renee J.; Blanco, John C.

1998-01-01

A high-temperature adiabatic calorimeter has been developed to measure the constant-volume specific heat capacities (cV) of both gases and liquids, especially fluids of interest to emerging energy technologies. The chief design feature is its nearly identical twin bomb arrangement, which allows accurate measurement of energy differences without large corrections for energy losses due to thermal radiation fluxes. Operating conditions for the calorimeter cover a range of temperatures from 250 K to 700 K and at pressures up to 20 MPa. Performance tests were made with a sample of twice-distilled water. Heat capacities for water were measured from 300 K to 420 K at pressures to 20 MPa. The measured heat capacities differed from those calculated with an independently developed standard reference formulation with a root-mean-square fractional deviation of 0.48 %. PMID:28009375

Effects of Stopping Ions and LET Fluctuations on Soft Error Rate Prediction.

DOE PAGES

Weeden-Wright, S. L.; King, Michael Patrick; Hooten, N. C.; ...

2015-02-01

Variability in energy deposition from stopping ions and LET fluctuations is quantified for specific radiation environments. When compared to predictions using average LET via CREME96, LET fluctuations lead to an order-of-magnitude difference in effective flux and a nearly 4x decrease in predicted soft error rate (SER) in an example calculation performed on a commercial 65 nm SRAM. The large LET fluctuations reported here will be even greater for the smaller sensitive volumes that are characteristic of highly scaled technologies. End-of-range effects of stopping ions do not lead to significant inaccuracies in radiation environments with low solar activity unless the sensitivevolumemore » thickness is 100 μm or greater. In contrast, end-of-range effects for stopping ions lead to significant inaccuracies for sensitive- volume thicknesses less than 10 μm in radiation environments with high solar activity.« less

Advanced nickel-hydrogen cell configuration study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

Long-term trends in the evolution of space power technology point toward increased payload power demand which in turn translates into both higher battery system charge storage capability and higher operating voltages. State of the art nickel-hydrogen cells of the 50 to 60 Wh size, packaged in individual pressure vessels, are capable of meeting the required cycle life for a wide range of anticipated operating conditions; however, they provided several drawbacks to battery system integrated efforts. Because of size, high voltage/high power systems require integrating hundreds of cells into the operating system. Packaging related weight and volume inefficiencies degrade the energy density and specific energy of individual cells currently at 30 Wh/cudm and 40 Wh/kg respectively. In addition, the increased parts count and associated handling significantly affect the overall battery related costs. Spacecraft battery systems designers within industry and Government realize that to reduce weight, volume, and cost requires increases in the capacity of nickel-hydrogen cells.

Micro-mesoporous carbon spheres derived from carrageenan as electrode material for supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Yang; Yang, Xin; Zhu, Bing; Liu, Pei-Fang; Lu, Hai-Ting

2014-12-01

The polysaccharide carrageenan is used as a natural precursor to prepare micro-mesoporous carbon spheres. The carbon spheres were synthesized by hydrothermal carbonization of carrageenan, and subsequent chemical activation by KOH at different temperatures. The obtained micro-mesoporous carbon spheres have high surface area (up to 2502 m2 g-1) and large pore volume (up to 1.43 cm3 g-1). Moreover, the micro- and mesoporosity can be finely tuned be modifying the activation temperatures in the range of 700-900 °C. The carbon spheres activated at 900 °C present high specific capacitance of 230 F g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1 and good ion transport kinetics. The good capacitive performance can be ascribed to the high specific surface area, well-controlled micro- and mesoporosity and narrow pore size distribution.

Advanced spinning disk-TIRF microscopy for faster imaging of the cell interior and the plasma membrane.

PubMed

Zobiak, Bernd; Failla, Antonio Virgilio

2018-03-01

Understanding the cellular processes that occur between the cytosol and the plasma membrane is an important task for biological research. Till now, however, it was not possible to combine fast and high-resolution imaging of both the isolated plasma membrane and the surrounding intracellular volume. Here, we demonstrate the combination of fast high-resolution spinning disk (SD) and total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy for specific imaging of the plasma membrane. A customised SD-TIRF microscope was used with specific design of the light paths that allowed, for the first time, live SD-TIRF experiments at high acquisition rates. A series of experiments is shown to demonstrate the feasibility and performance of our setup. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Microscopy published by JohnWiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal Microscopical Society.

Thermophysical properties of graphite HOPG and HAPG in the solid state and under melting (from 2000 K up to 5000 K)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savvatimskiy, A. I.; Onufriev, S. V.; Konyukhov, S. A.

2017-11-01

Experiments with HOPG graphite grade showed that the melting temperature of graphite equals 4800-4900 K and that the melting of graphite is possible only at elevated pressures. The data were obtained for resistivity, specific heat and input (Joule) energy up to 5000 K. HAPG (Highly Annealing Pyrolytic Graphite) is a form of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. HAPG specimens in the form of strips (thickness 30 microns) were placed in a cell (between two plates of glass-sapphire). The specimen temperature was measured by a high speed pyrometer. The heat of fusion for both graphite grades (heated in a confined volume) was less (and specific heat - higher) than for the case with nearly free expansion. A possible reason for the observed effects is discussed in the report.

Mod-5A wind turbine generator program design report. Volume 4: Drawings and specifications, book 4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

The design, development and analysis of the 7.3 MW MOD-5A wind turbine generator are documented. There are four volumes. This volume contains the drawings and specifications that were developed in preparation for building the MOD-5A wind turbine generator. This volume contains 5 books of which this is the fourth, providing drawings 47A380128 through 47A387125. In addition to the parts listing and where-used list, the logic design of the controller software and the code listing of the controller software are provided. Also given are the aerodynamic profile coordinates.

Mod-5A wind turbine generator program design report. Volume 4: Drawings and specifications, book 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

The design, development and analysis of the 7.3 MW MOD-5A wind turbine generator is documented. There are four volumes. This volume contains the drawings and specifications that were developed in preparation for building the MOD-5A wind turbine generator. This is the second book of volume four. Some of the items it contains are specs for the emergency shutdown panel, specs for the simulator software, simulator hardware specs, site operator terminal requirements, control data system requirements, software project management plan, elastomeric teeter bearing requirement specs, specs for the controls electronic cabinet, and specs for bolt pretensioning.

Draft Site Treatment Plan (DSTP), Volumes I and II

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

D`Amelio, J.

1994-08-30

Site Treatment Plans (STP) are required for facilities at which the DOE generates or stores mixed waste. This Draft Site Treatment Plan (DSTP) the second step in a three-phase process, identifies the currently preferred options for treating mixed waste at the Savannah River Site (SRS) or for developing treatment technologies where technologies do not exist or need modification. The DSTP reflects site-specific preferred options, developed with the state`s input and based on existing available information. To the extent possible, the DSTP identifies specific treatment facilities for treating the mixed waste and proposes schedules. Where the selection of specific treatment facilitiesmore » is not possible, schedules for alternative activities such as waste characterization and technology assessment are provided. All schedule and cost information presented is preliminary and is subject to change. The DSTP is comprised of two volumes: this Compliance Plan Volume and the Background Volume. This Compliance Plan Volume proposes overall schedules with target dates for achieving compliance with the land disposal restrictions (LDR) of RCRA and procedures for converting the target dates into milestones to be enforced under the Order. The more detailed discussion of the options contained in the Background Volume is provided for informational purposes only.« less

Hierarchically porous nitrogen-doped carbon derived from the activation of agriculture waste by potassium hydroxide and urea for high-performance supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Kaixiang; Deng, Yuanfu; Chen, Juping; Qian, Yunqian; Yang, Yuewang; Li, Yingwei; Chen, Guohua

2018-02-01

Nitrogen-doped carbon with an ultra-high specific surface area and a hierarchically interconnected porous structure is synthesized in large scale from a green route, that is, the activation of bagasse via a one-step method using KOH and urea. KOH and urea play a synergistic effect for the enhancement of the specific surface area and the modification of pore size of the as-prepared material. Benefiting from the multiple synergistic roles originated from an ultra-high specific area (2905.4 m2 g-1), a high porous volume (2.05 mL g-1 with 75.6 vol% micropores, which is an ideal proportion of micropores for obtaining high specific capacitance), a suitable nitrogen content (2.63 wt%), and partial graphitization, the hierarchically interconnected porous N-doped carbon exhibits an excellent electrochemical performance with a high specific capacitance (350.8, 301.9, and 259.5 F g-1 at 1.0 A g-1 in acidic, alkaline, and neutral electrolytes, respectively), superior rate capability and excellent cycling stability (almost no capacitance loss up to 5000 cycles). Furthermore, the symmetric device assembled by this material achieves high energy densities of 39.1 and 23.5 Wh kg-1 at power densities of 1.0 and 20 kW kg-1, respectively, and exhibits an excellent long-term cycling stability (with capacitance retention above 95.0% after 10 000 cycles).

Dosimetric and Clinical Analysis of Spatial Distribution of the Radiation Dose in Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Vestibular Schwannoma

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

Massager, Nicolas, E-mail: nmassage@ulb.ac.be; Neurosurgery-Department, Hospital Erasme, Brussels; Lonneville, Sarah

2011-11-15

Objectives: We investigated variations in the distribution of radiation dose inside (dose inhomogeneity) and outside (dose falloff) the target volume during Gamma Knife (GK) irradiation of vestibular schwannoma (VS). We analyzed the relationship between some parameters of dose distribution and the clinical and radiological outcome of patients. Methods and Materials: Data from dose plans of 203 patients treated for a vestibular schwannoma by GK C using same prescription dose (12 Gy at the 50% isodose) were collected. Four different dosimetric indexes were defined and calculated retrospectively in all plannings on the basis of dose-volume histograms: Paddick conformity index (PI), gradientmore » index (GI), homogeneity index (HI), and unit isocenter (UI). The different measures related to distribution of the radiation dose were compared with hearing and tumor outcome of 203 patients with clinical and radiological follow-up of minimum 2 years. Results: Mean, median, SD, and ranges of the four indexes of dose distribution analyzed were calculated; large variations were found between dose plans. We found a high correlation between the target volume and PI, GI, and UI. No significant association was found between the indexes of dose distribution calculated in this study and tumor control, tumor volume shrinkage, hearing worsening, loss of functional hearing, or complete hearing loss at last follow-up. Conclusions: Parameters of distribution of the radiation dose during GK radiosurgery for VS can be highly variable between dose plans. The tumor and hearing outcome of patients treated is not significantly related to these global indexes of dose distribution inside and around target volume. In GK radiosurgery for VS, the outcome seems more to be influenced by local radiation dose delivered to specific structures or volumes than by global dose gradients.« less

The Specific Volumes and Viscosities of the Ni-Zr Liquid Alloys and their Correlation with the Glass Formability of the Alloys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ohsaka, K.; Chung, S. K.; Rhim, W. K.

1997-01-01

The specific volumes and viscosities of the Ni-Zr liquid alloys as a function of temperature are determined by employing a digitizing technique and numeric analysis methods applied to the optical images of the electrostatically levitated liquid alloys.

Automatic optimization high-speed high-resolution OCT retinal imaging at 1μm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cua, Michelle; Liu, Xiyun; Miao, Dongkai; Lee, Sujin; Lee, Sieun; Bonora, Stefano; Zawadzki, Robert J.; Mackenzie, Paul J.; Jian, Yifan; Sarunic, Marinko V.

2015-03-01

High-resolution OCT retinal imaging is important in providing visualization of various retinal structures to aid researchers in better understanding the pathogenesis of vision-robbing diseases. However, conventional optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems have a trade-off between lateral resolution and depth-of-focus. In this report, we present the development of a focus-stacking optical coherence tomography (OCT) system with automatic optimization for high-resolution, extended-focal-range clinical retinal imaging. A variable-focus liquid lens was added to correct for de-focus in real-time. A GPU-accelerated segmentation and optimization was used to provide real-time layer-specific enface visualization as well as depth-specific focus adjustment. After optimization, multiple volumes focused at different depths were acquired, registered, and stitched together to yield a single, high-resolution focus-stacked dataset. Using this system, we show high-resolution images of the ONH, from which we extracted clinically-relevant parameters such as the nerve fiber layer thickness and lamina cribrosa microarchitecture.

A Bibliometric Analysis of Highly Cited and High Impact Occupational Therapy Publications by American Authors.

PubMed

Gutman, Sharon A; Brown, Ted; Ho, Yuh-Shan

2017-07-01

A bibliometric analysis was completed of peer-reviewed literature from 1991-2015, written by American occupational therapists, to examine US high impact scholarship with "occupational therapy" and "occupational therapist(s)" used as keywords to search journal articles' publication title, abstract, author details, and keywords. Results included 1,889 journal articles from 1991-2015 published by American occupational therapists as first or corresponding author. Sixty-nine articles attained a TotalCitation 2015 ≥ 50 and 151 attained a Citation 2015 ≥ 5 indicating that they were the most highly cited literature produced in this period. Although the majority (58%) of this literature was published in occupational therapy-specific journals, 41% was published in interdisciplinary journals. Results illustrate that the volume of highly cited American occupational therapy peer-reviewed literature has grown over the last two decades. There is need for the profession to strategize methods to enhance the publication metrics of occupational therapy-specific journals to reduce the loss of high quality publications to external periodicals.

A mass spectrometry primer for mass spectrometry imaging

PubMed Central

Rubakhin, Stanislav S.; Sweedler, Jonathan V.

2011-01-01

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), a rapidly growing subfield of chemical imaging, employs mass spectrometry (MS) technologies to create single- and multi-dimensional localization maps for a variety of atoms and molecules. Complimentary to other imaging approaches, MSI provides high chemical specificity and broad analyte coverage. This powerful analytical toolset is capable of measuring the distribution of many classes of inorganics, metabolites, proteins and pharmaceuticals in chemically and structurally complex biological specimens in vivo, in vitro, and in situ. The MSI approaches highlighted in this Methods in Molecular Biology volume provide flexibility of detection, characterization, and identification of multiple known and unknown analytes. The goal of this chapter is to introduce investigators who may be unfamiliar with MS to the basic principles of the mass spectrometric approaches as used in MSI. In addition to guidelines for choosing the most suitable MSI method for specific investigations, cross-references are provided to the chapters in this volume that describe the appropriate experimental protocols. PMID:20680583

The influence of sex steroids on structural brain maturation in adolescence.

PubMed

Koolschijn, P Cédric M P; Peper, Jiska S; Crone, Eveline A

2014-01-01

Puberty reflects a period of hormonal changes, physical maturation and structural brain reorganization. However, little attention has been paid to what extent sex steroids and pituitary hormones are associated with the refinement of brain maturation across adolescent development. Here we used high-resolution structural MRI scans from 215 typically developing individuals between ages 8-25, to examine the association between cortical thickness, surface area and (sub)cortical brain volumes with luteinizing hormone, testosterone and estradiol, and pubertal stage based on self-reports. Our results indicate sex-specific differences in testosterone related influences on gray matter volumes of the anterior cingulate cortex after controlling for age effects. No significant associations between subcortical structures and sex hormones were found. Pubertal stage was not a stronger predictor than chronological age for brain anatomical differences. Our findings indicate that sex steroids are associated with cerebral gray matter morphology in a sex specific manner. These hormonal and morphological differences may explain in part differences in brain development between boys and girls.

Rapid micromotor-based naked-eye immunoassay.

PubMed

de Ávila, Berta Esteban-Fernández; Zhao, Mingjiao; Campuzano, Susana; Ricci, Francesco; Pingarrón, José M; Mascini, Marcello; Wang, Joseph

2017-05-15

A dynamic micromotor-based immunoassay, exemplified by cortisol detection, based on the use of tubular micromotors functionalized with a specific antibody is described. The use of antibody-functionalized micromotors offers huge acceleration of both direct and competitive cortisol immunoassays, along with greatly enhanced sensitivity of direct and competitive immunoassays. The dramatically improved speed and sensitivity reflect the greatly increased likelihood of antibody-cortisol contacts and fluid mixing associated with the dynamic movement of these microtube motors and corresponding bubble generation that lead to a highly efficient and rapid recognition process. Rapid naked-eye detection of cortisol in the sample is achieved in connection to use of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) tag and TMB/H 2 O 2 system. Key parameters of the competitive immunoassay (e.g., incubation time and reaction volume) were optimized. This fast visual micromotor-based sensing approach enables "on the move" specific detection of the target cortisol down to 0.1μgmL -1 in just 2min, using ultrasmall (50µL) sample volumes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thyroid volumes and urinary iodine in German school children.

PubMed

Rendl, J; Juhran, N; Reiners, C

2001-01-01

Several recently published investigations showed a significant improvement in the iodine supply of the German population, but so far Germany is still considered an iodine deficient country. However most of the studies presented do not meet the epidemiological criteria established by WHO, UNICEF and ICCIDD and may therefore suffer from a selection bias with respect to goiter prevalence estimates. School children, owing to their easy recruitment, representativeness of different socio-economic classes and high vulnerability of Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD), are one of the best target groups for surveillance of IDD. In this field study a total of 591 children were investigated. The total sample included 268 females and 323 males aged 7-17 years. The following data were collected: thyroid size by ultrasound, urinary iodine concentration in a first-morning spot urine, weight, height, sex and age. The median urinary iodine concentration of the children was 183 microg/L. The proportion of samples with concentrations below 100 microg/L or below 50 microg/L was 15.4% and 4.3% respectively. Urine samples with high iodine concentrations were also found amounting to 17.3%. Almost all families (97%) declared to use iodized kitchen salt and 19.6% of all children are taking regularly iodine tablets. Application of the WHO/ICCIDD thyroid volume references to the German children resulted in a goiter prevalence of 0.2%, using either age/sex-specific or body surface area (BSA)/sex-specific cut-off values. Comparison with the P97 values of the original normative data of Gutekunst and Martin-Teichert however gives a goiter prevalence of 3% as expected. The thyroid volumes of the children in our study appear comparable with those reported recently for iodine sufficient children from Switzerland and for iodine replete Berlin children and for children with sufficient iodine supply in the region of Leipzig, so that Germany probably has no longer to be considered an iodine deficient country. Our own study and the most recently published studies on iodine replete children give rise to the supposition that the WHO/ICCIDD recommended thyroid volume references are too high.

Converting wood volume to biomass for pinyon and juniper. Forest Service research note

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

Chojnacky, D.C.; Moisen, G.G.

1993-03-01

A technique was developed to convert pinyon-juniper volume equation predictions to weights. The method uses specific gravity and biomass conversion equations to obtain foliage weight and total wood weight of all stems, branches, and bark. Specific gravity data are given for several Arizona pinyon-juniper species. Biomass conversion equations are constructed from pinyon-juniper data collected in Nevada. Results provide an interim means of estimating pinyon-juniper aboveground biomass from available volume inventory data.

Raytheon Advanced Miniature Cryocooler Characterization Testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conrad, T.; Yates, R.; Schaefer, B.; Bellis, L.; Pillar, M.; Barr, M.

2015-12-01

The Raytheon Advanced Miniature (RAM) cryocooler is a flight packaged, high frequency pulse tube cooler with an integrated surge volume and inertance tube. Its design has been fully optimized to make use of the Raytheon Advanced Regenerator, resulting in improved efficiency relative to previous Raytheon pulse tube coolers. In this paper, thermodynamic characterization data for the RAM cryocooler is presented along with details of its design specifications.

High Voltage Testing. Volume 2. Specifications and Test Procedures

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-08-01

the greatest impact on the initial assumption and criteria developed in the published criteria documents include: dielectric withstanding voltage...3382-75 Measurement of Energy and Integrated Charge Transfer Due to Partial Discharges (Corona) Using Bridge Techniques. ASTM-D 3426 - Dielectric... Energy (NEMA Publication No. WC 7-1971). NEMA Publication No. 109 - AIEE-EEI-NEMA Standard Basic Insulation Level. 092-57 - Method of Test for Flash and

Bouquet-Like Mn2SnO4 Nanocomposite Engineered with Graphene Sheets as an Advanced Lithium-Ion Battery Anode.

PubMed

Rehman, Wasif Ur; Xu, Youlong; Sun, Xiaofei; Ullah, Inam; Zhang, Yuan; Li, Long

2018-05-30

Volume expansion is a major challenge associated with tin oxide (SnO x ), which causes poor cyclability in lithium-ion battery anode. Bare tin dioxide (SnO 2 ), tin dioxide with graphene sheets (SnO 2 @GS), and bouquet-like nanocomposite structure (Mn 2 SnO 4 @GS) are prepared via hydrothermal method followed by annealing. The obtained composite material presents a bouquet structure containing manganese and tin oxide nanoparticle network with graphene sheets. Benefiting from this porous nanostructure, in which graphene sheets provide high electronic pathways to enhance the electronic conductivity, uniformly distributed particles offer accelerated kinetic reaction with lithium ion and reduced volume deviation in the tin dioxide (SnO 2 ) particle during charge-discharge testing. As a consequence, ternary composite Mn 2 SnO 4 @GS showed a high rate performance and outstanding cyclability of anode material for lithium-ion batteries. The electrode achieved a specific capacity of about 1070 mA h g -1 at a current density of 400 mA g -1 after 200 cycles; meanwhile, the electrode still delivered a specific capacity of about 455 mA h g -1 at a high current density of 2500 mA g -1 . Ternary Mn 2 SnO 4 @GS material could facilitate fabrication of unique structure and conductive network as advanced lithium-ion battery.

Glucose hypometabolism is highly localized, but lower cortical thickness and brain atrophy are widespread in cognitively normal older adults.

PubMed

Nugent, Scott; Castellano, Christian-Alexandre; Goffaux, Philippe; Whittingstall, Kevin; Lepage, Martin; Paquet, Nancy; Bocti, Christian; Fulop, Tamas; Cunnane, Stephen C

2014-06-01

Several studies have suggested that glucose hypometabolism may be present in specific brain regions in cognitively normal older adults and could contribute to the risk of subsequent cognitive decline. However, certain methodological shortcomings, including a lack of partial volume effect (PVE) correction or insufficient cognitive testing, confound the interpretation of most studies on this topic. We combined [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([(18)F]FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to quantify cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (CMRg) as well as cortical volume and thickness in 43 anatomically defined brain regions from a group of cognitively normal younger (25 ± 3 yr old; n = 25) and older adults (71 ± 9 yr old; n = 31). After correcting for PVE, we observed 11-17% lower CMRg in three specific brain regions of the older group: the superior frontal cortex, the caudal middle frontal cortex, and the caudate (P ≤ 0.01 false discovery rate-corrected). In the older group, cortical volumes and cortical thickness were 13-33 and 7-18% lower, respectively, in multiple brain regions (P ≤ 0.01 FDR correction). There were no differences in CMRg between individuals who were or were not prescribed antihypertensive medication. There were no significant correlations between CMRg and cognitive performance or metabolic parameters measured in fasting plasma. We conclude that highly localized glucose hypometabolism and widespread cortical thinning and atrophy can be present in older adults who are cognitively normal, as assessed using age-normed neuropsychological testing measures. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

Toward an Accurate Theoretical Framework for Describing Ensembles for Proteins under Strongly Denaturing Conditions

PubMed Central

Tran, Hoang T.; Pappu, Rohit V.

2006-01-01

Our focus is on an appropriate theoretical framework for describing highly denatured proteins. In high concentrations of denaturants, proteins behave like polymers in a good solvent and ensembles for denatured proteins can be modeled by ignoring all interactions except excluded volume (EV) effects. To assay conformational preferences of highly denatured proteins, we quantify a variety of properties for EV-limit ensembles of 23 two-state proteins. We find that modeled denatured proteins can be best described as follows. Average shapes are consistent with prolate ellipsoids. Ensembles are characterized by large correlated fluctuations. Sequence-specific conformational preferences are restricted to local length scales that span five to nine residues. Beyond local length scales, chain properties follow well-defined power laws that are expected for generic polymers in the EV limit. The average available volume is filled inefficiently, and cavities of all sizes are found within the interiors of denatured proteins. All properties characterized from simulated ensembles match predictions from rigorous field theories. We use our results to resolve between conflicting proposals for structure in ensembles for highly denatured states. PMID:16766618

Thermodynamic properties derived from the free volume model of liquids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, R. I.

1974-01-01

An equation of state and expressions for the isothermal compressibility, thermal expansion coefficient, heat capacity, and entropy of liquids have been derived from the free volume model partition function suggested by Turnbull. The simple definition of the free volume is used, and it is assumed that the specific volume is directly related to the cube of the intermolecular separation by a proportionality factor which is found to be a function of temperature and pressure as well as specific volume. When values of the proportionality factor are calculated from experimental data for real liquids, it is found to be approximately constant over ranges of temperature and pressure which correspond to the dense liquid phase. This result provides a single-parameter method for calculating dense liquid thermodynamic properties and is consistent with the fact that the free volume model is designed to describe liquids near the solidification point.

Overlap of highly FDG-avid and FMISO hypoxic tumor subvolumes in patients with head and neck cancer.

PubMed

Mönnich, David; Thorwarth, Daniela; Leibfarth, Sara; Pfannenberg, Christina; Reischl, Gerald; Mauz, Paul-Stefan; Nikolaou, Konstantin; la Fougère, Christian; Zips, Daniel; Welz, Stefan

2017-11-01

PET imaging may be used to personalize radiotherapy (RT) by identifying radioresistant tumor subvolumes for RT dose escalation. Using the tracers [ 18 F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and [ 18 F]-fluoromisonidazole (FMISO), different aspects of tumor biology can be visualized. FDG depicts various biological aspects, e.g., proliferation, glycolysis and hypoxia, while FMISO is more hypoxia specific. In this study, we analyzed size and overlap of volumes based on the two markers for head-and-neck cancer patients (HNSCC). Twenty five HNSCC patients underwent a CT scan, as well as FDG and dynamic FMISO PET/CT prior to definitive radio-chemotherapy in a prospective FMISO dose escalation study. Three PET-based subvolumes of the primary tumor (GTV prim ) were segmented: a highly FDG-avid volume V FDG , a hypoxic volume on the static FMISO image acquired four hours post tracer injection (V H ) and a retention/perfusion volume (V M ) using pharmacokinetic modeling of dynamic FMISO data. Absolute volumes, overlaps and distances to agreement (DTA) were evaluated. Sizes of PET-based volumes and the GTV prim are significantly different (GTV prim >V FDG >V H >V M ; p < .05). V H is covered by V FDG or DTAs are small (mean coverage 74.4%, mean DTA 1.4 mm). Coverage of V M is less pronounced. With respect to V FDG and V H , the mean coverage is 48.7% and 43.1% and the mean DTA is 5.3 mm and 6.3 mm, respectively. For two patients, DTAs were larger than 2 cm. Hypoxic subvolumes from static PET imaging are typically covered by or in close proximity to highly FDG-avid subvolumes. Therefore, dose escalation to FDG positive subvolumes should cover the static hypoxic subvolumes in most patients, with the disadvantage of larger volumes, resulting in a higher risk of dose-limiting toxicity. Coverage of subvolumes from dynamic FMISO PET is less pronounced. Further studies are needed to explore the relevance of mismatches in functional imaging.

Preparation of highly porous binderless activated carbon electrodes from fibres of oil palm empty fruit bunches for application in supercapacitors.

PubMed

Farma, R; Deraman, M; Awitdrus, A; Talib, I A; Taer, E; Basri, N H; Manjunatha, J G; Ishak, M M; Dollah, B N M; Hashmi, S A

2013-03-01

Fibres from oil palm empty fruit bunches, generated in large quantities by palm oil mills, were processed into self-adhesive carbon grains (SACG). Untreated and KOH-treated SACG were converted without binder into green monolith prior to N2-carbonisation and CO2-activation to produce highly porous binderless carbon monolith electrodes for supercapacitor applications. Characterisation of the pore structure of the electrodes revealed a significant advantage from combining the chemical and physical activation processes. The electrochemical measurements of the supercapacitor cells fabricated using these electrodes, using cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and galvanostatic charge-discharge techniques consistently found that approximately 3h of activation time, achieved via a multi-step heating profile, produced electrodes with a high surface area of 1704m(2)g(-1) and a total pore volume of 0.889cm(3)g(-1), corresponding to high values for the specific capacitance, specific energy and specific power of 150Fg(-1), 4.297Whkg(-1) and 173Wkg(-1), respectively. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Don't worry, be happy: cross-sectional associations between physical activity and happiness in 15 European countries.

PubMed

Richards, Justin; Jiang, Xiaoxiao; Kelly, Paul; Chau, Josephine; Bauman, Adrian; Ding, Ding

2015-01-31

Mental health disorders are major contributors to the global burden of disease and their inverse relationship with physical activity is widely accepted. However, research on the association between physical activity and positive mental health outcomes is limited. Happiness is an example of a positive construct of mental health that may be promoted by physical activity and could increase resilience to emotional perturbations. The aim of this study is to use a large multi-country dataset to assess the association of happiness with physical activity volume and its specificity to intensity and/or activity domain. We analysed Eurobarometer 2002 data from 15 countries (n = 11,637). This comprised one question assessing self-reported happiness on a six point scale (dichotomised: happy/unhappy) and physical activity data collected using the IPAQ-short (i.e. walking, moderate, vigorous) and four domain specific items (i.e. domestic, leisure, transport, vocation). Logistic regression was used to examine the association between happiness and physical activity volume adjusted for sex, age, country, general health, relationship status, employment and education. Analyses of intensity and domain specificity were assessed by logistic regression adjusted for the same covariates and physical activity volume. When compared to inactive people, there was a positive dose-response association between physical activity volume and happiness (highly active: OR = 1.52 [1.28-1.80]; sufficiently active: OR = 1.29 [1.11-1.49]; insufficiently active: OR = 1.20 [1.03-1.39]). There were small positive associations with happiness for walking (OR = 1.02 [1.00-1.03]) and vigorous-intensity physical activity (OR = 1.03 [1.01-1.05). Moderate-intensity physical activity was not associated with happiness (OR = 1.01 [0.99-1.03]). The strongest domain specific associations with happiness were found for "a lot" of domestic (OR = 1.42 [1.20-1.68]) and "some" vocational (OR = 1.33 [1.08-1.64]) physical activity. Happiness was also associated with "a lot" of leisure physical activity (OR = 1.15 [1.02-1.30]), but there were no significant associations for the transport domain. Increasing physical activity volume was associated with higher levels of happiness. Although the influence of physical activity intensity appeared minimal, the association with happiness was domain specific and was strongest for "a lot" of domestic and/or "some" vocational physical activity. Future studies to establish causation are indicated and may prompt changes in how physical activity for improving mental health is promoted.

Dilatancy of Shear Transformations in a Colloidal Glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Y. Z.; Jiang, M. Q.; Lu, X.; Qin, Z. X.; Huang, Y. J.; Shen, J.

2018-01-01

Shear transformations, as fundamental rearrangement events operating in local regions, hold the key of plastic flow of amorphous solids. Despite their importance, the dynamic features of shear transformations are far from clear, which is the focus of the present study. Here, we use a colloidal glass under shear as the prototype to directly observe the shear-transformation events in real space. By tracing the colloidal-particle rearrangements, we quantitatively determine two basic properties of shear transformations: local shear strain and dilatation (or free volume). It is revealed that the local free volume undergoes a significantly temporary increase prior to shear transformations, eventually leading to a jump of local shear strain. We clearly demonstrate that shear transformations have no memory of the initial free volume of local regions. Instead, their emergence strongly depends on the dilatancy ability of these local regions, i.e., the dynamic creation of free volume. More specifically, the particles processing the high dilatancy ability directly participate in subsequent shear transformations. These results experimentally enrich Argon's statement about the dilatancy nature of shear transformations and also shed insight into the structural origin of amorphous plasticity.

Start-up and operating costs for artisan cheese companies.

PubMed

Bouma, Andrea; Durham, Catherine A; Meunier-Goddik, Lisbeth

2014-01-01

Lack of valid economic data for artisan cheese making is a serious impediment to developing a realistic business plan and obtaining financing. The objective of this study was to determine approximate start-up and operating costs for an artisan cheese company. In addition, values are provided for the required size of processing and aging facilities associated with specific production volumes. Following in-depth interviews with existing artisan cheese makers, an economic model was developed to predict costs based on input variables such as production volume, production frequency, cheese types, milk types and cost, labor expenses, and financing. Estimated values for start-up cost for processing and aging facility ranged from $267,248 to $623,874 for annual production volumes of 3,402 kg (7,500 lb) and 27,216 kg (60,000 lb), respectively. First-year production costs ranged from $65,245 to $620,094 for the above-mentioned production volumes. It is likely that high start-up and operating costs remain a significant entry barrier for artisan cheese entrepreneurs. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Technology development of a biowaste resistojet, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, D. G.

1972-01-01

The materials research effort conducted in support of a NASA-sponsored biowaste resistojet development program is summarized. The resistojet concept under development is the concentric tube design wherein the final pass of the gases through the thruster is through the resistance heated center tube. To produce high specific impulses, this center tube must operate at very high temperatures and it is this element that is most critical in the design. Because of the corrosive nature of the biowaste gases at high temperature, and because of the limited data available for many potential materials, the subject materials study was conducted.

Strategies for hydration and energy provision during soccer-specific exercise.

PubMed

Clarke, N D; Drust, B; MacLaren, D P M; Reilly, T

2005-12-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of manipulating the provision of sports drink during soccer-specific exercise on metabolism and performance. Soccer players (N = 12) performed a soccer-specific protocol on three occasions. On two, 7 mL/kg carbohydrate-electrolyte (CHOv) or placebo (PLA) solutions were ingested at 0 and 45 min. On a third, the same total volume of carbohydrate-electrolyte was consumed (CHOf) in smaller volumes at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 min. Plasma glucose, glycerol, non-esterified free fatty acids (NEFA), cortisol, and CHO oxidation were not significantly different between CHOv and CHOf (P > 0.05). Sprint power was not significantly affected (P > 0.05) by the experimental trials. This study demonstrates when the total volume of carbohydrate consumed is equal, manipulating the timing and volume of ingestion elicits similar metabolic responses without affecting exercise performance.

Handbook of Parenting. Volume 2: Biology and Ecology of Parenting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bornstein, Marc H., Ed.

Concerned with social settings and correlates of parenting, this volume, the second of four volumes on parenting deals specifically with the biology and the ecology of parenting. The volume consists of 12 chapters as follows: (1) "Hormonal Basis of Parenting in Mammals" (Jay S. Rosenblatt); (2) "Parenting in Primates" (Kim A.…

Handbook of Parenting. Volume 2: Biology and Ecology of Parenting. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bornstein, Marc H., Ed.

Concerned with social settings and correlates of parenting, this volume, the second of five volumes on parenting, deals specifically with the biological and the contextual influences on parenting. The volume consists of the following 12 chapters: (1) "The Evolution of Parenting and Evolutionary Approaches to Childrearing" (David F.…

Handbook of Parenting. Volume 1: Children and Parenting. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bornstein, Marc H., Ed.

Concerned with different types of parents and the forces that shape parenting, this volume, the first of five volumes on parenting, deals specifically with parent-child relationships throughout the lifespan and the parenting of children of different physical, behavioral, and intellectual needs. The volume consists of the following 14 chapters: (1)…

Handbook of Parenting. Volume 1: Children and Parenting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bornstein, Marc H., Ed.

Concerned with different types of parents and the forces that shape parenting, this volume, the first of four volumes on parenting deals specifically with parent-child relationships throughout the lifespan and the parenting of children of different physical, behavioral, and intellectual needs. The volume consists of 12 chapters as follows: (1)…

A fuzzy feature fusion method for auto-segmentation of gliomas with multi-modality diffusion and perfusion magnetic resonance images in radiotherapy.

PubMed

Guo, Lu; Wang, Ping; Sun, Ranran; Yang, Chengwen; Zhang, Ning; Guo, Yu; Feng, Yuanming

2018-02-19

The diffusion and perfusion magnetic resonance (MR) images can provide functional information about tumour and enable more sensitive detection of the tumour extent. We aimed to develop a fuzzy feature fusion method for auto-segmentation of gliomas in radiotherapy planning using multi-parametric functional MR images including apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), fractional anisotropy (FA) and relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV). For each functional modality, one histogram-based fuzzy model was created to transform image volume into a fuzzy feature space. Based on the fuzzy fusion result of the three fuzzy feature spaces, regions with high possibility belonging to tumour were generated automatically. The auto-segmentations of tumour in structural MR images were added in final auto-segmented gross tumour volume (GTV). For evaluation, one radiation oncologist delineated GTVs for nine patients with all modalities. Comparisons between manually delineated and auto-segmented GTVs showed that, the mean volume difference was 8.69% (±5.62%); the mean Dice's similarity coefficient (DSC) was 0.88 (±0.02); the mean sensitivity and specificity of auto-segmentation was 0.87 (±0.04) and 0.98 (±0.01) respectively. High accuracy and efficiency can be achieved with the new method, which shows potential of utilizing functional multi-parametric MR images for target definition in precision radiation treatment planning for patients with gliomas.

Applications of Micro-CT scanning in medicine and dentistry: Microstructural analyses of a Wistar Rat mandible and a urinary tract stone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latief, F. D. E.; Sari, D. S.; Fitri, L. A.

2017-08-01

High-resolution tomographic imaging by means of x-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT) has been widely utilized for morphological evaluations in dentistry and medicine. The use of μCT follows a standard procedure: image acquisition, reconstruction, processing, evaluation using image analysis, and reporting of results. This paper discusses methods of μCT using a specific scanning device, the Bruker SkyScan 1173 High Energy Micro-CT. We present a description of the general workflow, information on terminology for the measured parameters and corresponding units, and further analyses that can potentially be conducted with this technology. Brief qualitative and quantitative analyses, including basic image processing (VOI selection and thresholding) and measurement of several morphometrical variables (total VOI volume, object volume, percentage of total volume, total VOI surface, object surface, object surface/volume ratio, object surface density, structure thickness, structure separation, total porosity) were conducted on two samples, the mandible of a wistar rat and a urinary tract stone, to illustrate the abilities of this device and its accompanying software package. The results of these analyses for both samples are reported, along with a discussion of the types of analyses that are possible using digital images obtained with a μCT scanning device, paying particular attention to non-diagnostic ex vivo research applications.

The risk of finding focal cancer (less than 3 mm) remains high on re-biopsy of patients with persistently increased prostate specific antigen but the clinical significance is questionable.

PubMed

Zackrisson, Bjørn; Aus, Gunnar; Bergdahl, Svante; Lilja, Hans; Lodding, Pär; Pihl, Carl-Gustav; Hugosson, Jonas

2004-04-01

We evaluated the significance of focal prostate cancer found in sextant biopsies in men participating in a biennial prostate specific antigen (PSA) based screening program. In 1995, 10000 men 50 to 65 years old were randomized to biennial screening with PSA testing. Sextant biopsies were recommended when total PSA was 3 ng/ml or greater at screening rounds 1 and 2, and 2.54 ng/ml or greater at subsequent screening rounds. Focal cancer was defined as total a core cancer length of less than 3 mm in the biopsy specimen. Low volume cancer was defined as a total tumor volume of less than 0.5 cm in the radical retropubic prostatectomy specimen. The number of men who underwent biopsy and the number of cancers detected in the 5 possible sets of biopsies were 1725 and 402, 706 and 124, 307 and 36, 103 and 9, and 13 and 0, respectively. The risk of detecting focal cancer was 7.9%, 10.2%, 7.5%, 5.8% and 0%, respectively, but the relative ratio (focal-to-all cancers) increased 34%, 58%, 64%, 67% and, not applicable, respectively. In men with a total core cancer length of less than 10 mm there was no correlation between core cancer length and total tumor volume, as measured in the prostatectomy specimen. Two-thirds of men with a total core cancer length of less than 3 mm had a tumor volume of greater than 0.5 cm, while the risk of low volume cancer was less than 5% only in men with a total core cancer length of greater than 10 mm. In a repeat PSA based screening program sextant biopsies are of little or no value for predicting tumor volume.

Equations for calculating hydrogeochemical reactions of minerals and gases such as CO2 at high pressures and temperatures

USGS Publications Warehouse

Appelo, C.A.J.; Parkhurst, David L.; Post, V.E.A.

2014-01-01

Calculating the solubility of gases and minerals at the high pressures of carbon capture and storage in geological reservoirs requires an accurate description of the molar volumes of aqueous species and the fugacity coefficients of gases. Existing methods for calculating the molar volumes of aqueous species are limited to a specific concentration matrix (often seawater), have been fit for a limited temperature (below 60 °C) or pressure range, apply only at infinite dilution, or are defined for salts instead of individual ions. A more general and reliable calculation of apparent molar volumes of single ions is presented, based on a modified Redlich–Rosenfeld equation. The modifications consist of (1) using the Born equation to calculate the temperature dependence of the intrinsic volumes, following Helgeson–Kirkham–Flowers (HKF), but with Bradley and Pitzer’s expression for the dielectric permittivity of water, (2) using the pressure dependence of the extended Debye–Hückel equation to constrain the limiting slope of the molar volume with ionic strength, and (3) adopting the convention that the proton has zero volume at all ionic strengths, temperatures and pressures. The modifications substantially reduce the number of fitting parameters, while maintaining or even extending the range of temperature and pressure over which molar volumes can be accurately estimated. The coefficients in the HKF-modified-Redlich–Rosenfeld equation were fitted by least-squares on measured solution densities.The limiting volume and attraction factor in the Van der Waals equation of state can be estimated with the Peng–Robinson approach from the critical temperature, pressure, and acentric factor of a gas. The Van der Waals equation can then be used to determine the fugacity coefficients for pure gases and gases in a mixture, and the solubility of the gas can be calculated from the fugacity, the molar volume in aqueous solution, and the equilibrium constant. The coefficients for the Peng–Robinson equations are readily available in the literature.The required equations have been implemented in PHREEQC, version 3, and the parameters for calculating the partial molar volumes and fugacity coefficients have been added to the databases that are distributed with PHREEQC. The ease of use and power of the formulation are illustrated by calculating the solubility of CO2 at high pressures and temperatures, and comparing with well-known examples from the geochemical literature. The equations and parameterizations are suitable for wide application in hydrogeochemical systems, especially in the field of carbon capture and storage.

Equations for calculating hydrogeochemical reactions of minerals and gases such as CO2 at high pressures and temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Appelo, C. A. J.; Parkhurst, D. L.; Post, V. E. A.

2014-01-01

Calculating the solubility of gases and minerals at the high pressures of carbon capture and storage in geological reservoirs requires an accurate description of the molar volumes of aqueous species and the fugacity coefficients of gases. Existing methods for calculating the molar volumes of aqueous species are limited to a specific concentration matrix (often seawater), have been fit for a limited temperature (below 60 °C) or pressure range, apply only at infinite dilution, or are defined for salts instead of individual ions. A more general and reliable calculation of apparent molar volumes of single ions is presented, based on a modified Redlich-Rosenfeld equation. The modifications consist of (1) using the Born equation to calculate the temperature dependence of the intrinsic volumes, following Helgeson-Kirkham-Flowers (HKF), but with Bradley and Pitzer’s expression for the dielectric permittivity of water, (2) using the pressure dependence of the extended Debye-Hückel equation to constrain the limiting slope of the molar volume with ionic strength, and (3) adopting the convention that the proton has zero volume at all ionic strengths, temperatures and pressures. The modifications substantially reduce the number of fitting parameters, while maintaining or even extending the range of temperature and pressure over which molar volumes can be accurately estimated. The coefficients in the HKF-modified-Redlich-Rosenfeld equation were fitted by least-squares on measured solution densities. The limiting volume and attraction factor in the Van der Waals equation of state can be estimated with the Peng-Robinson approach from the critical temperature, pressure, and acentric factor of a gas. The Van der Waals equation can then be used to determine the fugacity coefficients for pure gases and gases in a mixture, and the solubility of the gas can be calculated from the fugacity, the molar volume in aqueous solution, and the equilibrium constant. The coefficients for the Peng-Robinson equations are readily available in the literature. The required equations have been implemented in PHREEQC, version 3, and the parameters for calculating the partial molar volumes and fugacity coefficients have been added to the databases that are distributed with PHREEQC. The ease of use and power of the formulation are illustrated by calculating the solubility of CO2 at high pressures and temperatures, and comparing with well-known examples from the geochemical literature. The equations and parameterizations are suitable for wide application in hydrogeochemical systems, especially in the field of carbon capture and storage.

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

Mwidu, U; Devic, S; Shehadeh, M

Purpose: A retrospective comparison of dose distributions achievable by High dose rate brachytherapy (HDRBT), Helical TomoTherapy (TOMO), CyberKnife (CK) and RapidArc (RA) in locally advanced inoperable cervical cancer patients is presented. Methods: Five patients with advanced stage cervical carcinoma were selected for this study after a full course of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), chemotherapy and HDR Brachytherapy. To highlight any significant similarities/differences in dose distributions, high-risk clinical target volume (HRCTV) coverage, organs at risk (OAR) sparing, and machine specific delivery limitations, we used D90 (dose received by 90% of the volume) as the parameter for HRCTV coverage as recommended bymore » the GEC-ESTRO Working Group. We also compared both integral and differential dose volume histograms (DVH) between different dose distributions treatment modalities for HRCTV and OAR. Results: TOMO and RA provided the most conformal dose distributions to HRCTV. Median doses (in Gy) to organs at risk were; for rectal wall: 1.7±0.6, 2.5±0.6,1.2±0.3, and 1.5±0.6, and for bladder wall: 1.6±0.1, 2.4±0.4, 0.8±0.6, and 1.5±0.5, for HDRBT, TOMO, CK, and RA, respectively. Conclusion: Contemporary EBRT modalities might be able to replace brachytherapy treatments for cervix cancer. While brachytherapy dose distributions feature high dose gradients, EBRT modalities provide highly conformal dose distributions to the target. However, it is still not clear whether a highly conformal dose or high gradient dose is more clinically relevant for the HRCTV in cervix cancer patients.« less

Imaging whole mouse brains with a dual resolution serial swept-source optical coherence tomography scanner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lefebvre, Joël.; Castonguay, Alexandre; Lesage, Frédéric

2018-02-01

High resolution imaging of whole rodent brains using serial OCT scanners is a promising method to investigate microstructural changes in tissue related to the evolution of neuropathologies. Although micron to sub-micron sampling resolution can be obtained by using high numerical aperture objectives and dynamic focusing, such an imaging system is not adapted to whole brain imaging. This is due to the large amount of data it generates and the significant computational resources required for reconstructing such volumes. To address this limitation, a dual resolution serial OCT scanner was developed. The optical setup consists in a swept-source OCT made of two sample and reference arms, each arm being coupled with different microscope objectives (3X / 40X). Motorized flip mirrors were used to switch between each OCT arm, thus allowing low and high resolution acquisitions within the same sample. The low resolution OCT volumes acquired with the 3X arm were stitched together, providing a 3D map of the whole mouse brain. This brain can be registered to an OCT brain template to enable neurological structures localization. The high resolution volumes acquired with the 40X arm were also stitched together to create local high resolution 3D maps of the tissue microstructure. The 40X data can be acquired at any arbitrary location in the sample, thus limiting storage-heavy high resolution data to application restricted to specific regions of interest. By providing dual-resolution OCT data, this setup can be used to validate diffusion MRI with tissue microstructure derived metrics measured at any location in ex vivo brains.

High-temperature studies of grain boundaries in ultrafine grained alloys by means of positron lifetime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Würschum, R.; Shapiro, E.; Dittmar, R.; Schaefer, H.-E.

2000-11-01

Atomic free volumes and vacancies in the ultrafine grained alloys Pd84Zr16, Cu 0.1 wt % ZrO2, and Fe91Zr9 were studied by means of positron lifetime. The thermally stable microstructures serve as a novel type of model system for studying positron trapping and annihilation as well as the thermal behavior of vacancy-sized free volumes over a wide temperature range up to ca. 1200 K by making use of a metallic 58Co positron source. In ultrafine grained Cu the thermal formation of lattice vacancies could be observed. In Pd84Zr16 an increase of the specific positron trapping rate of nanovoids and, in addition, detrapping of positrons from free volumes with a mean size slightly smaller than one missing atom in the grain boundaries contributes to a reversible increase of the positron lifetime of more than 60 ps with measuring temperature. In Fe91Zr9 similar linear high-temperature increases of the positron lifetime are observed in the nanocrystalline and the amorphous state. The question of thermal vacancy formation in grain boundaries is addressed taking into account the different types of interface structures of the present alloys.

Geotechnical and mineralogical characterisations of marine-dredged sediments before and after stabilisation to optimise their use as a road material.

PubMed

Saussaye, L; van Veen, E; Rollinson, G; Boutouil, M; Andersen, J; Coggan, J

2017-12-01

Dredging activities to extend, deepen and maintain access to harbours generate significant volumes of waste dredged material. Some ways are investigated to add value to these sediments. One solution described here is their use in road construction following treatment with hydraulic binders. This paper presents the characterisation of four sediments, in their raw state and after 90 days of curing following stabilisation treatment with lime and cement, using a combination of novel and established analytical techniques to investigate subsequent changes in mineralogy. These sediments are classified as fine, moderately to highly organic and highly plastic and their behaviour is linked to the presence of smectite clays. The main minerals found in the sediments using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and automated mineralogy are quartz, calcite, feldspars, aluminium silicates, pyrite and halite. Stabilisation was found to improve the mechanical performances of all the sediments. The formation of cementitious hydrates was not specifically detected using automated mineralogy or XRD. However, a decrease in the percentage volume of aluminium silicates and aluminium-iron silicates and an increase of the percentage volume of feldspars and carbonates was observed.

Temporal dynamics of online petitions.

PubMed

Böttcher, Lucas; Woolley-Meza, Olivia; Brockmann, Dirk

2017-01-01

Online petitions are an important avenue for direct political action, yet the dynamics that determine when a petition will be successful are not well understood. Here we analyze the temporal characteristics of online-petition signing behavior in order to identify systematic differences between popular petitions, which receive a high volume of signatures, and unpopular ones. We find that, in line with other temporal characterizations of human activity, the signing process is typically non-Poissonian and non-homogeneous in time. However, this process exhibits anomalously high memory for human activity, possibly indicating that synchronized external influence or contagion play and important role. More interestingly, we find clear differences in the characteristics of the inter-event time distributions depending on the total number of signatures that petitions receive, independently of the total duration of the petitions. Specifically, popular petitions that attract a large volume of signatures exhibit more variance in the distribution of inter-event times than unpopular petitions with only a few signatures, which could be considered an indication that the former are more bursty. However, petitions with large signature volume are less bursty according to measures that consider the time ordering of inter-event times. Our results, therefore, emphasize the importance of accounting for time ordering to characterize human activity.

About Small Streams and Shiny Rocks: Macromolecular Crystal Growth in Microfluidics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

vanderWoerd, Mark; Ferree, Darren; Spearing, Scott; Monaco, Lisa; Molho, Josh; Spaid, Michael; Brasseur, Mike; Curreri, Peter A. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

We are developing a novel technique with which we have grown diffraction quality protein crystals in very small volumes, utilizing chip-based, microfluidic ("LabChip") technology. With this technology volumes smaller than achievable with any laboratory pipette can be dispensed with high accuracy. We have performed a feasibility study in which we crystallized several proteins with the aid of a LabChip device. The protein crystals are of excellent quality as shown by X-ray diffraction. The advantages of this new technology include improved accuracy of dispensing for small volumes, complete mixing of solution constituents without bubble formation, highly repeatable recipe and growth condition replication, and easy automation of the method. We have designed a first LabChip device specifically for protein crystallization in batch mode and can reliably dispense and mix from a range of solution constituents. We are currently testing this design. Upon completion additional crystallization techniques, such as vapor diffusion and liquid-liquid diffusion will be accommodated. Macromolecular crystallization using microfluidic technology is envisioned as a fully automated system, which will use the 'tele-science' concept of remote operation and will be developed into a research facility aboard the International Space Station.

Lysine production from methanol at 50 degrees C using Bacillus methanolicus: Modeling volume control, lysine concentration, and productivity using a three-phase continuous simulation.

PubMed

Lee, G H; Hur, W; Bremmon, C E; Flickinger, M C

1996-03-20

A simulation was developed based on experimental data obtained in a 14-L reactor to predict the growth and L-lysine accumulation kinetics, and change in volume of a large-scale (250-m(3)) Bacillus methanolicus methanol-based process. Homoserine auxotrophs of B. methanolicus MGA3 are unique methylotrophs because of the ability to secrete lysine during aerobic growth and threonine starvation at 50 degrees C. Dissolved methanol (100 mM), pH, dissolved oxygen tension (0.063 atm), and threonine levels were controlled to obtain threonine-limited conditions and high-cell density (25 g dry cell weight/L) in a 14-L reactor. As a fed-batch process, the additions of neat methanol (fed on demand), threonine, and other nutrients cause the volume of the fermentation to increase and the final lysine concentration to decrease. In addition, water produced as a result of methanol metabolism contributes to the increase in the volume of the reactor. A three-phase approach was used to predict the rate of change of culture volume based on carbon dioxide production and methanol consumption. This model was used for the evaluation of volume control strategies to optimize lysine productivity. A constant volume reactor process with variable feeding and continuous removal of broth and cells (VF(cstr)) resulted in higher lysine productivity than a fed-batch process without volume control. This model predicts the variation in productivity of lysine with changes in growth and in specific lysine productivity. Simple modifications of the model allows one to investigate other high-lysine-secreting strains with different growth and lysine productivity characteristics. Strain NOA2#13A5-2 which secretes lysine and other end-products were modeled using both growth and non-growth-associated lysine productivity. A modified version of this model was used to simulate the change in culture volume of another L-lysine producing mutant (NOA2#13A52-8A66) with reduced secretion of end-products. The modified simulation indicated that growth-associated production dominates in strain NOA2#13A52-8A66. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Stimulated Raman photoacoustic imaging

PubMed Central

Yakovlev, Vladislav V.; Zhang, Hao F.; Noojin, Gary D.; Denton, Michael L.; Thomas, Robert J.; Scully, Marlan O.

2010-01-01

Achieving label-free, molecular-specific imaging with high spatial resolution in deep tissue is often considered the grand challenge of optical imaging. To accomplish this goal, significant optical scattering in tissues has to be overcome while achieving molecular specificity without resorting to extrinsic labeling. We demonstrate the feasibility of developing such an optical imaging modality by combining the molecularly specific stimulated Raman excitation with the photoacoustic detection. By employing two ultrashort excitation laser pulses, separated in frequency by the vibrational frequency of a targeted molecule, only the specific vibrational level of the target molecules in the illuminated tissue volume is excited. This targeted optical absorption generates ultrasonic waves (referred to as stimulated Raman photoacoustic waves) which are detected using a traditional ultrasonic transducer to form an image following the design of the established photoacoustic microscopy. PMID:21059930

Corneal biomechanical data and biometric parameters measured with Scheimpflug-based devices on normal corneas

PubMed Central

Nemeth, Gabor; Szalai, Eszter; Hassan, Ziad; Lipecz, Agnes; Flasko, Zsuzsa; Modis, Laszlo

2017-01-01

AIM To analyze the correlations between ocular biomechanical and biometric data of the eye, measured by Scheimpflug-based devices on healthy subjects. METHODS Three consecutive measurements were carried out using the corneal visualization Scheimpflug technology (CorVis ST) device on healthy eyes and the 10 device-specific parameters were recorded. Pentacam HR-derived parameters (corneal curvature radii on the anterior and posterior surfaces; apical pachymetry; corneal volume; corneal aberration data; depth, volume and angle of the anterior chamber) and axial length (AL) from IOLMaster were correlated with the 10 specific CorVis ST parameters. RESULTS Measurements were conducted in 43 eyes of 43 volunteers (age 61.24±15.72y). The 10 specific CorVis ST data showed significant relationships with corneal curvature radii both on the anterior and posterior surface, pachymetric data, root mean square (RMS) data of lower-order aberrations, and posterior RMS of higher-order aberrations and spherical aberration of the posterior cornea. Anterior chamber depth showed a significant relationship, but there were no significant correlations between corneal volume, anterior chamber volume, mean chamber angle or AL and the 10 specific CorVis ST parameters. CONCLUSIONS CorVis ST-generated parameters are influenced by corneal curvature radii, some corneal RMS data, but corneal volume, anterior chamber volume, chamber angle and AL have no correlation with the biomechanical parameters. The parameters measured by CorVis ST seem to refer mostly to corneal properties of the eye. PMID:28251079

Corneal biomechanical data and biometric parameters measured with Scheimpflug-based devices on normal corneas.

PubMed

Nemeth, Gabor; Szalai, Eszter; Hassan, Ziad; Lipecz, Agnes; Flasko, Zsuzsa; Modis, Laszlo

2017-01-01

To analyze the correlations between ocular biomechanical and biometric data of the eye, measured by Scheimpflug-based devices on healthy subjects. Three consecutive measurements were carried out using the corneal visualization Scheimpflug technology (CorVis ST) device on healthy eyes and the 10 device-specific parameters were recorded. Pentacam HR-derived parameters (corneal curvature radii on the anterior and posterior surfaces; apical pachymetry; corneal volume; corneal aberration data; depth, volume and angle of the anterior chamber) and axial length (AL) from IOLMaster were correlated with the 10 specific CorVis ST parameters. Measurements were conducted in 43 eyes of 43 volunteers (age 61.24±15.72y). The 10 specific CorVis ST data showed significant relationships with corneal curvature radii both on the anterior and posterior surface, pachymetric data, root mean square (RMS) data of lower-order aberrations, and posterior RMS of higher-order aberrations and spherical aberration of the posterior cornea. Anterior chamber depth showed a significant relationship, but there were no significant correlations between corneal volume, anterior chamber volume, mean chamber angle or AL and the 10 specific CorVis ST parameters. CorVis ST-generated parameters are influenced by corneal curvature radii, some corneal RMS data, but corneal volume, anterior chamber volume, chamber angle and AL have no correlation with the biomechanical parameters. The parameters measured by CorVis ST seem to refer mostly to corneal properties of the eye.

Feasibility and reliability of pocket-size ultrasound examinations of the pleural cavities and vena cava inferior performed by nurses in an outpatient heart failure clinic.

PubMed

Dalen, Havard; Gundersen, Guri H; Skjetne, Kyrre; Haug, Hilde H; Kleinau, Jens O; Norekval, Tone M; Graven, Torbjorn

2015-08-01

Routine assessment of volume state by ultrasound may improve follow-up of heart failure patients. We aimed to study the feasibility and reliability of focused pocket-size ultrasound examinations of the pleural cavities and the inferior vena cava performed by nurses to assess volume state at an outpatient heart failure clinic. Ultrasound examinations were performed in 62 included heart failure patients by specialized nurses with a pocket-size imaging device (PSID). Patients were then re-examined by a cardiologist with a high-end scanner for reference within 1 h. Specialized nurses were able to obtain and interpret images from both pleural cavities and the inferior vena cava and estimate the volume status in all patients. Time consumption for focused ultrasound examination was median 5 min. In total 26 patients had any kind of pleural effusion (in 39 pleural cavities) by reference. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were high, all ≥ 92%. The correlations with reference were high for all measurements, all r ≥ 0.79. Coefficients of variation for end-expiratory dimension of inferior vena cava and quantification of pleural effusion were 10.8% and 12.7%, respectively. Specialized nurses were, after a dedicated training protocol, able to obtain reliable recordings of both pleural cavities and the inferior vena cava by PSID and interpret the images in a reliable way. Implementing focused ultrasound examinations to assess volume status by nurses in an outpatient heart failure clinic may improve diagnostics, and thus improve therapy. © The European Society of Cardiology 2014.

Assessment of Primary Site Response in Children With High-Risk Neuroblastoma: An International Multicenter Study

PubMed Central

McHugh, Kieran; Naranjo, Arlene; Van Ryn, Collin; Kirby, Chaim; Brock, Penelope; Lyons, Karen A.; States, Lisa J.; Rojas, Yesenia; Miller, Alexandra; Volchenboum, Sam L.; Simon, Thorsten; Krug, Barbara; Sarnacki, Sabine; Valteau-Couanet, Dominique; von Schweinitz, Dietrich; Kammer, Birgit; Granata, Claudio; Pio, Luca; Park, Julie R.; Nuchtern, Jed

2016-01-01

Purpose The International Neuroblastoma Response Criteria (INRC) require serial measurements of primary tumors in three dimensions, whereas the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) require measurement in one dimension. This study was conducted to identify the preferred method of primary tumor response assessment for use in revised INRC. Patients and Methods Patients younger than 20 years with high-risk neuroblastoma were eligible if they were diagnosed between 2000 and 2012 and if three primary tumor measurements (antero-posterior, width, cranio-caudal) were recorded at least twice before resection. Responses were defined as ≥ 30% reduction in longest dimension as per RECIST, ≥ 50% reduction in volume as per INRC, or ≥ 65% reduction in volume. Results Three-year event-free survival for all patients (N = 229) was 44% and overall survival was 58%. The sensitivity of both volume response measures (ability to detect responses in patients who survived) exceeded the sensitivity of the single dimension measure, but the specificity of all response measures (ability to identify lack of response in patients who later died) was low. In multivariable analyses, none of the response measures studied was predictive of outcome, and none was predictive of the extent of resection. Conclusion None of the methods of primary tumor response assessment was predictive of outcome. Measurement of three dimensions followed by calculation of resultant volume is more complex than measurement of a single dimension. Primary tumor response in children with high-risk neuroblastoma should therefore be evaluated in accordance with RECIST criteria, using the single longest dimension. PMID:26755515

Changes in the temperature-dependent specific volume of supported polystyrene films with film thickness.

PubMed

Huang, Xinru; Roth, Connie B

2016-06-21

Recent studies have measured or predicted thickness-dependent shifts in density or specific volume of polymer films as a possible means of understanding changes in the glass transition temperature Tg(h) with decreasing film thickness with some experimental works claiming unrealistically large (25%-30%) increases in film density with decreasing thickness. Here we use ellipsometry to measure the temperature-dependent index of refraction of polystyrene (PS) films supported on silicon and investigate the validity of the commonly used Lorentz-Lorenz equation for inferring changes in density or specific volume from very thin films. We find that the density (specific volume) of these supported PS films does not vary by more than ±0.4% of the bulk value for film thicknesses above 30 nm, and that the small variations we do observe are uncorrelated with any free volume explanation for the Tg(h) decrease exhibited by these films. We conclude that the derivation of the Lorentz-Lorenz equation becomes invalid for very thin films as the film thickness approaches ∼20 nm, and that reports of large density changes greater than ±1% of bulk for films thinner than this likely suffer from breakdown in the validity of this equation or in the difficulties associated with accurately measuring the index of refraction of such thin films. For larger film thicknesses, we do observed small variations in the effective specific volume of the films of 0.4 ± 0.2%, outside of our experimental error. These shifts occur simultaneously in both the liquid and glassy regimes uniformly together starting at film thicknesses less than ∼120 nm but appear to be uncorrelated with Tg(h) decreases; possible causes for these variations are discussed.

Porosity control in nanoporous carbide-derived carbon by oxidation in air and carbon dioxide

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

Osswald, S.; Portet, C.; Gogotsi, Y., E-mail: gogotsi@drexel.ed

2009-07-15

Carbide-derived carbons (CDC) allow a precise control over the pore size through the selection of the carbide precursor and varying of the synthesis conditions. However, their pore volume is limited by the carbide stoichiometry. While activation of carbons derived from various organic precursors has been widely studied, this process may similarly be able to increase the pore volume and specific surface area of CDC. Oxidation of carbide-derived carbon in air and CO{sub 2} at different temperatures and times allows for significant increase in pore volume and specific surface area as well as control over average pore size with subnanometer accuracy.more » The effect of activation and associated changes in the pore volume and surface area on the hydrogen uptake are also discussed. - Graphical abstract: Carbide-derived carbons (CDC) provide great potential for sorption of toxicants and gas storage applications. Activation of CDC in air and CO{sub 2} at different temperatures and times is applied in order to maximize pore volume and specific surface area, and control the average pore size with subnanometer accuracy.« less

Impact of robotic technique and surgical volume on the cost of radical prostatectomy.

PubMed

Hyams, Elias S; Mullins, Jeffrey K; Pierorazio, Phillip M; Partin, Alan W; Allaf, Mohamad E; Matlaga, Brian R

2013-03-01

Our present understanding of the effect of robotic surgery and surgical volume on the cost of radical prostatectomy (RP) is limited. Given the increasing pressures placed on healthcare resource utilization, such determinations of healthcare value are becoming increasingly important. Therefore, we performed a study to define the effect of robotic technology and surgical volume on the cost of RP. The state of Maryland mandates that all acute-care hospitals report encounter-level and hospital discharge data to the Health Service Cost Review Commission (HSCRC). The HSCRC was queried for men undergoing RP between 2008 and 2011 (the period during which robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy [RALRP] was coded separately). High-volume hospitals were defined as >60 cases per year, and high-volume surgeons were defined as >40 cases per year. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to evaluate whether robotic technique and high surgical volume impacted the cost of RP. There were 1499 patients who underwent RALRP and 2565 who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) during the study period. The total cost for RALRP was higher than for RRP ($14,000 vs 10,100; P<0.001) based primarily on operating room charges and supply charges. Multivariate regression demonstrated that RALRP was associated with a significantly higher cost (β coeff 4.1; P<0.001), even within high-volume hospitals (β coeff 3.3; P<0.001). High-volume surgeons and high-volume hospitals, however, were associated with a significantly lower cost for RP overall. High surgeon volume was associated with lower cost for RALRP and RRP, while high institutional volume was associated with lower cost for RALRP only. High surgical volume was associated with lower cost of RP. Even at high surgical volume, however, the cost of RALRP still exceeded that of RRP. As robotic surgery has come to dominate the healthcare marketplace, strategies to increase the role of high-volume providers may be needed to improve the cost-effectiveness of prostate cancer surgical therapy.

Requirements for AMLCDs in U.S. military applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopper, Darrel G.; Desjardins, Daniel D.

1995-06-01

Flat panel displays are fast becoming a significant source of more defense for less money. Military instruments have begun to use color active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCDs). This is the beginning of a significant transition from electromechanical, CRT. dichroic LCD, and electroluminescent display designs to the AMLCD designs. We have the opportunity with this new technology to establish common products capable of meeting user requirements for sunlight-readable, color and grayscale capable, high-sharpness high-pixel count, flat panel displays for military applications. The Wright Laboratory is leading the development of recommended best practice, draft guidance standard, and performance specifications for this new generation, the flat panel cockpit display generation, of display modules based on requirements for U.S. military aircraft and ground combat human system interfaces. These requirements are similar in many regards to those in both the civil aviation and automotive industries; accordingly, commonality with these civil applications is incorporated where possible, against the requirements for military combat applications. The performance requirement may be achieved by two approaches: militarization of displays made to low requirements of a large volume civil products manufacturer like Sharp or integration of displays made to high requirements by a niche market commercial vendor, like Optical Imaging Systems, Litton Systems Limited, ImageQuest Inc., and Planar Advanced Inc. teamed with Xerox PARC and Standish Industries. [Note that the niche market companies listed are commercial off-the shelf vendors, albeit for high requirement low volume customers.] Given that the performance specifications can be met for a particular military product by either approach, the choice is based on life cycle cost and a thin analysis based on initial costs alone is not acceptable as it ignores the fact that military product life cycles and procurements are 20-60 years compared to 1.5 years for civil products. Thus far there is no convincing evidence that the large volume commercial product approach for combat systems will meet the combat performance specification or be cheaper from a life cycle cost perspective. National and economic security requirements require some military/avionic-grade AMLCD production domestically (i.e. in the U.S. and/or Canada). Examples of AMLCD demand and performance requirements in U.S. military systems are provided.

Potential Large Decadal Missions Enabled by Nasas Space Launch System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stahl, H. Philip; Hopkins, Randall C.; Schnell, Andrew; Smith, David Alan; Jackman, Angela; Warfield, Keith R.

2016-01-01

Large space telescope missions have always been limited by their launch vehicle's mass and volume capacities. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was specifically designed to fit inside the Space Shuttle and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is specifically designed to fit inside an Ariane 5. Astrophysicists desire even larger space telescopes. NASA's "Enduring Quests Daring Visions" report calls for an 8- to 16-m Large UV-Optical-IR (LUVOIR) Surveyor mission to enable ultra-high-contrast spectroscopy and coronagraphy. AURA's "From Cosmic Birth to Living Earth" report calls for a 12-m class High-Definition Space Telescope to pursue transformational scientific discoveries. NASA's "Planning for the 2020 Decadal Survey" calls for a Habitable Exoplanet Imaging (HabEx) and a LUVOIR as well as Far-IR and an X-Ray Surveyor missions. Packaging larger space telescopes into existing launch vehicles is a significant engineering complexity challenge that drives cost and risk. NASA's planned Space Launch System (SLS), with its 8 or 10-m diameter fairings and ability to deliver 35 to 45-mt of payload to Sun-Earth-Lagrange-2, mitigates this challenge by fundamentally changing the design paradigm for large space telescopes. This paper reviews the mass and volume capacities of the planned SLS, discusses potential implications of these capacities for designing large space telescope missions, and gives three specific mission concept implementation examples: a 4-m monolithic off-axis telescope, an 8-m monolithic on-axis telescope and a 12-m segmented on-axis telescope.

Potential large missions enabled by NASA's space launch system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stahl, H. Philip; Hopkins, Randall C.; Schnell, Andrew; Smith, David A.; Jackman, Angela; Warfield, Keith R.

2016-07-01

Large space telescope missions have always been limited by their launch vehicle's mass and volume capacities. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was specifically designed to fit inside the Space Shuttle and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is specifically designed to fit inside an Ariane 5. Astrophysicists desire even larger space telescopes. NASA's "Enduring Quests Daring Visions" report calls for an 8- to 16-m Large UV-Optical-IR (LUVOIR) Surveyor mission to enable ultra-high-contrast spectroscopy and coronagraphy. AURA's "From Cosmic Birth to Living Earth" report calls for a 12-m class High-Definition Space Telescope to pursue transformational scientific discoveries. NASA's "Planning for the 2020 Decadal Survey" calls for a Habitable Exoplanet Imaging (HabEx) and a LUVOIR as well as Far-IR and an X-Ray Surveyor missions. Packaging larger space telescopes into existing launch vehicles is a significant engineering complexity challenge that drives cost and risk. NASA's planned Space Launch System (SLS), with its 8 or 10-m diameter fairings and ability to deliver 35 to 45-mt of payload to Sun-Earth-Lagrange-2, mitigates this challenge by fundamentally changing the design paradigm for large space telescopes. This paper reviews the mass and volume capacities of the planned SLS, discusses potential implications of these capacities for designing large space telescope missions, and gives three specific mission concept implementation examples: a 4-m monolithic off-axis telescope, an 8-m monolithic on-axis telescope and a 12-m segmented on-axis telescope.

Field Operations and Enforcement Manual for Air Pollution Control. Volume III: Inspection Procedures for Specific Industries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weisburd, Melvin I.

The Field Operations and Enforcement Manual for Air Pollution Control, Volume III, explains in detail the following: inspection procedures for specific sources, kraft pulp mills, animal rendering, steel mill furnaces, coking operations, petroleum refineries, chemical plants, non-ferrous smelting and refining, foundries, cement plants, aluminum…

Individual differences in posterior cortical volume correlate with proneness to pride and gratitude.

PubMed

Zahn, Roland; Garrido, Griselda; Moll, Jorge; Grafman, Jordan

2014-11-01

Proneness to specific moral sentiments (e.g. pride, gratitude, guilt, indignation) has been linked with individual variations in functional MRI (fMRI) response within anterior brain regions whose lesion leads to inappropriate behaviour. However, the role of structural anatomical differences in rendering individuals prone to particular moral sentiments relative to others is unknown. Here, we investigated grey matter volumes (VBM8) and proneness to specific moral sentiments on a well-controlled experimental task in healthy individuals. Individuals with smaller cuneus, and precuneus volumes were more pride-prone, whereas those with larger right inferior temporal volumes experienced gratitude more readily. Although the primary analysis detected no associations with guilt- or indignation-proneness, subgenual cingulate fMRI responses to guilt were negatively correlated with grey matter volumes in the left superior temporal sulcus and anterior dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (right >left). This shows that individual variations in functional activations within critical areas for moral sentiments were not due to grey matter volume differences in the same areas. Grey matter volume differences between healthy individuals may nevertheless play an important role by affecting posterior cortical brain systems that are non-critical but supportive for the experience of specific moral sentiments. This may be of particular relevance when their experience depends on visuo-spatial elaboration. Published by Oxford University Press 2013. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

Density Contrast Sedimentation Velocity for the Determination of Protein Partial-Specific Volumes

PubMed Central

Brown, Patrick H.; Balbo, Andrea; Zhao, Huaying; Ebel, Christine; Schuck, Peter

2011-01-01

The partial-specific volume of proteins is an important thermodynamic parameter required for the interpretation of data in several biophysical disciplines. Building on recent advances in the use of density variation sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation for the determination of macromolecular partial-specific volumes, we have explored a direct global modeling approach describing the sedimentation boundaries in different solvents with a joint differential sedimentation coefficient distribution. This takes full advantage of the influence of different macromolecular buoyancy on both the spread and the velocity of the sedimentation boundary. It should lend itself well to the study of interacting macromolecules and/or heterogeneous samples in microgram quantities. Model applications to three protein samples studied in either H2O, or isotopically enriched H2 18O mixtures, indicate that partial-specific volumes can be determined with a statistical precision of better than 0.5%, provided signal/noise ratios of 50–100 can be achieved in the measurement of the macromolecular sedimentation velocity profiles. The approach is implemented in the global modeling software SEDPHAT. PMID:22028836

Optimal hydration volume among high-risk patients with advanced congestive heart failure undergoing coronary angiography

PubMed Central

Wang, Kun; Chen, Ping Yan; Chen, Ji-Yan; Tan, Ning; Li, Li-Wen

2018-01-01

We investigated the relationship between weight-adjusted hydration volumes and the risk of developing contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) and worsening heart failure (WHF) and explored the relative safety of optimal hydration volumes in patients with advanced congestive heart failure (CHF) undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) or percutaneous coronary intervention. We included 551 patients with advanced CHF (New York Heart Association class > 2 or history of pulmonary edema) undergoing CAG (follow-up period 2.62 ± 0.9 years). There was a significant association between hydration volume-to-weight ratio (HV/W) (quintile Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, and Q5) and the incidence of CI-AKI (3.7%, 14.6%, 14.3%, 21.1%, and 31.5%, respectively) and WHF (3.6%, 5.4%, 8.3%, 13.6%, and 19.1%, respectively) (all P-trend < 0.001). Receiver operating curve analysis indicated that HV/W = 15 mL/kg and the mean HV/W (60.87% sensitivity and 64.96% specificity) were fair discriminators for CI-AKI (C-statistic 0.696). HV/W >15 mL/kg independently predicted CI-AKI (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.33; P = 0.016) and WHF (adjusted OR 2.13; P = 0.018). Moreover, both CI-AKI and WHF were independently associated with increased long-term mortality. Thus, for high-risk patients with advanced CHF undergoing CAG, HV/W > 15 mL/kg might be associated with an increased risk of developing CI-AKI and WHF. The potential benefits of a personalized limitation of hydration volume need further evaluation. PMID:29805771

Characteristics of highly cross-linked polyethylene wear debris in vivo

PubMed Central

Baxter, Ryan M.; MacDonald, Daniel W.; Kurtz, Steven M.; Steinbeck, Marla J.

2014-01-01

Despite the widespread implementation of highly cross-linked polyethylene (HXLPE) liners to reduce the clinical incidence of osteolysis, it is not known if the improved wear resistance will outweigh the inflammatory potential of HXLPE wear debris generated in vivo. Thus, we asked: What are the differences in size, shape, number, and biological activity of polyethylene wear particles obtained from primary total hip arthroplasty revision surgery of conventional polyethylene (CPE) versus remelted or annealed HXLPE liners? Pseudocapsular tissue samples were collected from revision surgery of CPE and HXLPE (annealed and remelted) liners, and digested using nitric acid. The isolated polyethylene wear particles were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy. Tissues from both HXLPE cohorts contained an increased percentage of submicron particles compared to the CPE cohort. However, the total number of particles was lower for both HXLPE cohorts, as a result there was no significant difference in the volume fraction distribution and specific biological activity (SBA; the relative biological activity per unit volume) between cohorts. In contrast, based on the decreased size and number of HXLPE wear debris there was a significant decrease in total particle volume (mm3/g of tissue). Accordingly, when the SBA was normalized by total particle volume (mm3/gm tissue) or by component wear volume rate (mm3/year), functional biological activity of the HXLPE wear debris was significantly decreased compared to the CPE cohort. Indications for this study are that the osteolytic potential of wear debris generated by HXLPE liners in vivo is significantly reduced by improvements in polyethylene wear resistance. PMID:23436587

Comparison of conventional versus three-dimensional ultrasound in fetal renal pelvis measurement and their potential prediction of neonatal uropathies.

PubMed

Duin, L K; Nijhuis, J G; Scherjon, S A; Vossen, M; Willekes, C

2016-01-01

To establish a threshold value for fetal renal pelvis dilatation measured by automatic volume calculation (SonoAVC) in the third trimester of pregnancy to predict neonatal uropathies, and to compare these results with conventional antero-posterior (AP) measurement, fetal kidney 3D volume and renal parenchymal thickness. In a prospective cohort study, 125 fetuses with renal pelvis AP diameter of ≥5 mm both at 20 weeks of gestation and in the third trimester, underwent an additional 3D volume measurement of the fetal kidney in the third trimester. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for establishing threshold values for fetal renal pelvis volume, AP measurement, fetal kidney volume and renal parenchymal thickness to predict neonatal uropathies were analyzed. Also, sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC) and likelihood ratios were calculated. A cut-off point of 1.58 cm³ was identified in the third trimester of pregnancy (AUC 0.865 (95% CI 0.789-0.940), sensitivity 76.3%, specificity 87.4%, LR+ 6.06, LR- 0.27) for measurements with SonoAVC. A cut-off value of 11.5 mm was established in the third trimester of pregnancy (AUC 0.828 (95% CI 0.737-0.918), sensitivity 71.1%, specificity 85.1%, LR+ 4.77, LR- 0.34) for the conventional AP measurement. A cut-off point for fetal kidney volume was calculated at 13.29 cm³ (AUC 0.769 (95% CI 0.657-0.881), sensitivity 71%, specificity 66%, LR+ 2.09, LR- 0.44). For renal parenchymal thickness, a cut-off point of 8.4 mm was established (AUC 0.216 (95% CI 0.117-0.315), sensitivity 31.6%, specificity 32.6%, LR+ 0.47, LR- 2.10). This study demonstrates that 3D fetal renal pelvis volume measurements and AP measurements both have a good and comparable diagnostic performance, fetal renal volume a fair accuracy and renal parenchymal thickness a poor accuracy in predicting postnatal renal outcome.

Operations and safety of Super 2 corridors with higher volumes.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-06-01

As traffic volumes increase, in both urban and rural areas, the demand on the highway network also : increases. Specifically, as rural traffic volumes rise in Texas, the pressure on the states network of two-lane : highways rises accordingly. Prev...

Beam-specific planning volumes for scattered-proton lung radiotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flampouri, S.; Hoppe, B. S.; Slopsema, R. L.; Li, Z.

2014-08-01

This work describes the clinical implementation of a beam-specific planning treatment volume (bsPTV) calculation for lung cancer proton therapy and its integration into the treatment planning process. Uncertainties incorporated in the calculation of the bsPTV included setup errors, machine delivery variability, breathing effects, inherent proton range uncertainties and combinations of the above. Margins were added for translational and rotational setup errors and breathing motion variability during the course of treatment as well as for their effect on proton range of each treatment field. The effect of breathing motion and deformation on the proton range was calculated from 4D computed tomography data. Range uncertainties were considered taking into account the individual voxel HU uncertainty along each proton beamlet. Beam-specific treatment volumes generated for 12 patients were used: a) as planning targets, b) for routine plan evaluation, c) to aid beam angle selection and d) to create beam-specific margins for organs at risk to insure sparing. The alternative planning technique based on the bsPTVs produced similar target coverage as the conventional proton plans while better sparing the surrounding tissues. Conventional proton plans were evaluated by comparing the dose distributions per beam with the corresponding bsPTV. The bsPTV volume as a function of beam angle revealed some unexpected sources of uncertainty and could help the planner choose more robust beams. Beam-specific planning volume for the spinal cord was used for dose distribution shaping to ensure organ sparing laterally and distally to the beam.

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

Smith, Jesse S.; Sinogeikin, Stanislav V.; Lin, Chuanlong

Complementary advances in high pressure research apparatus and techniques make it possible to carry out time-resolved high pressure research using what would customarily be considered static high pressure apparatus. This work specifically explores time-resolved high pressure x-ray diffraction with rapid compression and/or decompression of a sample in a diamond anvil cell. Key aspects of the synchrotron beamline and ancillary equipment are presented, including source considerations, rapid (de)compression apparatus, high frequency imaging detectors, and software suitable for processing large volumes of data. A number of examples are presented, including fast equation of state measurements, compression rate dependent synthesis of metastable statesmore » in silicon and germanium, and ultrahigh compression rates using a piezoelectric driven diamond anvil cell.« less

Rural Schools Prototype Analysis. Volume II: Methodology. An Example Process of Identifying Determinants, Selecting Options, & Developing Schematic Designs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Construction Systems Management, Inc., Anchorage, AK.

Volume II of a 3-volume report demonstrates the use of Design Determinants and Options (presented in Volume I) in the planning and design of small rural Alaskan secondary schools. Section I, a checklist for gathering site-specific information to be used as a data base for facility design, is organized in the same format as Volume I, which can be…

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

Not Available

This volume contains the interim change notice for physical testing. Covered are: properties of solutions, slurries, and sludges; rheological measurement with cone/plate viscometer; % solids determination; particle size distribution by laser scanning; penetration resistance of radioactive waste; operation of differential scanning calorimeter, thermogravimetric analyzer, and high temperature DTA and DSC; sodium rod for sodium bonded fuel; filling SP-100 fuel capsules; sodium filling of BEATRIX-II type capsules; removal of alkali metals with ammonia; specific gravity of highly radioactive solutions; bulk density of radioactive granular solids; purification of Li by hot gettering/filtration; and Li filling of MOTA capsules.

Use and Protection of GPS Sidelobe Signals for Enhanced Navigation Performance in High Earth Orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, Joel J. K.; Valdez, Jennifer E.; Bauer, Frank H.; Moreau, Michael C.

2016-01-01

GPS (Global Positioning System) Space Service Volume (SSV) signal environment is from 3,000-36,000 kilometers altitude. Current SSV specifications only capture performance provided by signals transmitted within 23.5(L1) or 26(L2-L5) off-nadir angle. Recent on-orbit data lessons learned show significant PNT (Positioning, Navigation and Timing) performance improvements when the full aggregate signal is used. Numerous military civil operational missions in High Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (HEOGEO) utilize the full signal to enhance vehicle PNT performance

Flat conductor cable for electrical packaging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Angele, W.

1972-01-01

Flat conductor cable (FCC) is relatively new, highly promising means for electrical packaging and system integration. FCC offers numerous desirable traits (weight, volume and cost savings, flexibility, high reliability, predictable and repeatable electrical characteristics) which make it extremely attractive as a packaging medium. FCC, today, finds wide application in everything from integration of lunar equipment to the packaging of electronics in nuclear submarines. Described are cable construction and means of termination, applicable specifications and standards, and total FCC systems. A list of additional sources of data is also included for more intensive study.

Surgeon specialization and operative mortality in United States: retrospective analysis

PubMed Central

Dalton, Maurice; Cutler, David M; Birkmeyer, John D; Chandra, Amitabh

2016-01-01

Objective To measure the association between a surgeon’s degree of specialization in a specific procedure and patient mortality. Design Retrospective analysis of Medicare data. Setting US patients aged 66 or older enrolled in traditional fee for service Medicare. Participants 25 152 US surgeons who performed one of eight procedures (carotid endarterectomy, coronary artery bypass grafting, valve replacement, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, lung resection, cystectomy, pancreatic resection, or esophagectomy) on 695 987 patients in 2008-13. Main outcome measure Relative risk reduction in risk adjusted and volume adjusted 30 day operative mortality between surgeons in the bottom quarter and top quarter of surgeon specialization (defined as the number of times the surgeon performed the specific procedure divided by his/her total operative volume across all procedures). Results For all four cardiovascular procedures and two out of four cancer resections, a surgeon’s degree of specialization was a significant predictor of operative mortality independent of the number of times he or she performed that procedure: carotid endarterectomy (relative risk reduction between bottom and top quarter of surgeons 28%, 95% confidence interval 0% to 48%); coronary artery bypass grafting (15%, 4% to 25%); valve replacement (46%, 37% to 53%); abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (42%, 29% to 53%); lung resection (28%, 5% to 46%); and cystectomy (41%, 8% to 63%). In five procedures (carotid endarterectomy, valve replacement, lung resection, cystectomy, and esophagectomy), the relative risk reduction from surgeon specialization was greater than that from surgeon volume for that specific procedure. Furthermore, surgeon specialization accounted for 9% (coronary artery bypass grafting) to 100% (cystectomy) of the relative risk reduction otherwise attributable to volume in that specific procedure. Conclusion For several common procedures, surgeon specialization was an important predictor of operative mortality independent of volume in that specific procedure. When selecting a surgeon, patients, referring physicians, and administrators assigning operative workload may want to consider a surgeon’s procedure specific volume as well as the degree to which a surgeon specializes in that procedure. PMID:27444190

Application of machine learning methods to describe the effects of conjugated equine estrogens therapy on region-specific brain volumes.

PubMed

Casanova, Ramon; Espeland, Mark A; Goveas, Joseph S; Davatzikos, Christos; Gaussoin, Sarah A; Maldjian, Joseph A; Brunner, Robert L; Kuller, Lewis H; Johnson, Karen C; Mysiw, W Jerry; Wagner, Benjamin; Resnick, Susan M

2011-05-01

Use of conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) has been linked to smaller regional brain volumes in women aged ≥65 years; however, it is unknown whether this results in a broad-based characteristic pattern of effects. Structural magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess regional volumes of normal tissue and ischemic lesions among 513 women who had been enrolled in a randomized clinical trial of CEE therapy for an average of 6.6 years, beginning at ages 65-80 years. A multivariate pattern analysis, based on a machine learning technique that combined Random Forest and logistic regression with L(1) penalty, was applied to identify patterns among regional volumes associated with therapy and whether patterns discriminate between treatment groups. The multivariate pattern analysis detected smaller regional volumes of normal tissue within the limbic and temporal lobes among women that had been assigned to CEE therapy. Mean decrements ranged as high as 7% in the left entorhinal cortex and 5% in the left perirhinal cortex, which exceeded the effect sizes reported previously in frontal lobe and hippocampus. Overall accuracy of classification based on these patterns, however, was projected to be only 54.5%. Prescription of CEE therapy for an average of 6.6 years is associated with lower regional brain volumes, but it does not induce a characteristic spatial pattern of changes in brain volumes of sufficient magnitude to discriminate users and nonusers. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Application of machine learning methods to describe the effects of conjugated equine estrogens therapy on region-specific brain volumes

PubMed Central

Casanova, Ramon; Espeland, Mark A.; Goveas, Joseph S.; Davatzikos, Christos; Gaussoin, Sarah A.; Maldjian, Joseph A.; Brunner, Robert L.; Kuller, Lewis H.; Johnson, Karen C.; Mysiw, W. Jerry; Wagner, Benjamin; Resnick, Susan M.

2011-01-01

Use of conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) has been linked to smaller regional brain volumes in women aged ≥65 years, however it is unknown whether this results in a broad-based characteristic pattern of effects. Structural MRI was used to assess regional volumes of normal tissue and ischemic lesions among 513 women who had been enrolled in a randomized clinical trial of CEE therapy for an average of 6.6 years, beginning at ages 65-80 years. A multivariate pattern analysis, based on a machine learning technique that combined Random Forest and logistic regression with L1 penalty, was applied to identify patterns among regional volumes associated with therapy and whether patterns discriminate between treatment groups. The multivariate pattern analysis detected smaller regional volumes of normal tissue within the limbic and temporal lobes among women that had been assigned to CEE therapy. Mean decrements ranged as high as 7% in the left entorhinal cortex and 5% in the left perirhinal cortex, which exceeded the effect sizes reported previously in frontal lobe and hippocampus. Overall accuracy of classification based on these patterns, however, was projected to be only 54.5%. Prescription of CEE therapy for an average of 6.6 years is associated with lower regional brain volumes, but it does not induce a characteristic spatial pattern of changes in brain volumes of sufficient magnitude to discriminate users and non-users. PMID:21292420

Mechanisms for Aiding Worker Adjustment to Technological Change: Volume 2: Concepts, Review of the Literature, Abstracts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utah Univ., Salt Lake City. Human Resources Inst.

Volume 2, which accompanies "Mechanisms for Aiding Worker Adjustment to Technological Change, Volume 1," consists of a key word index for locating specific topics and the abstracts of literature reviewed in Volume 1. Key words, referring to aspects of worker adjustment to technological change appearing in the abstracted literature, are grouped…

From rice bran to high energy density supercapacitors: a new route to control porous structure of 3D carbon.

PubMed

Hou, Jianhua; Cao, Chuanbao; Ma, Xilan; Idrees, Faryal; Xu, Bin; Hao, Xin; Lin, Wei

2014-12-01

Controlled micro/mesopores interconnected structures of three-dimensional (3D) carbon with high specific surface areas (SSA) are successfully prepared by carbonization and activation of biomass (raw rice brans) through KOH. The highest SSA of 2475 m(2) g(-1) with optimized pore volume of 1.21 cm(3) g(-1) (40% for mesopores) is achieved for KOH/RBC = 4 mass ratio, than others. The as-prepared 3D porous carbon-based electrode materials for supercapacitors exhibit high specific capacitance specifically at large current densities of 10 A g(-1) and 100 A g(-1) i.e., 265 F g(-1) and 182 F g(-1) in 6 M KOH electrolyte, respectively. Moreover, a high power density ca. 1223 W kg(-1) (550 W L(-1)) and energy density 70 W h kg(-1) (32 W h L(-1)) are achieved on the base of active material loading (~10 mg cm(2)) in the ionic liquid. The findings can open a new avenue to use abundant agricultural by-products as ideal materials with promising applications in high-performance energy-storage devices.

From Rice Bran to High Energy Density Supercapacitors: A New Route to Control Porous Structure of 3D Carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Jianhua; Cao, Chuanbao; Ma, Xilan; Idrees, Faryal; Xu, Bin; Hao, Xin; Lin, Wei

2014-12-01

Controlled micro/mesopores interconnected structures of three-dimensional (3D) carbon with high specific surface areas (SSA) are successfully prepared by carbonization and activation of biomass (raw rice brans) through KOH. The highest SSA of 2475 m2 g-1 with optimized pore volume of 1.21 cm3 g-1 (40% for mesopores) is achieved for KOH/RBC = 4 mass ratio, than others. The as-prepared 3D porous carbon-based electrode materials for supercapacitors exhibit high specific capacitance specifically at large current densities of 10 A g-1 and 100 A g-1 i.e., 265 F g-1 and 182 F g-1 in 6 M KOH electrolyte, respectively. Moreover, a high power density ca. 1223 W kg-1 (550 W L-1) and energy density 70 W h kg-1 (32 W h L-1) are achieved on the base of active material loading (~10 mg cm2) in the ionic liquid. The findings can open a new avenue to use abundant agricultural by-products as ideal materials with promising applications in high-performance energy-storage devices.

From Rice Bran to High Energy Density Supercapacitors: A New Route to Control Porous Structure of 3D Carbon

PubMed Central

Hou, Jianhua; Cao, Chuanbao; Ma, Xilan; Idrees, Faryal; Xu, Bin; Hao, Xin; Lin, Wei

2014-01-01

Controlled micro/mesopores interconnected structures of three-dimensional (3D) carbon with high specific surface areas (SSA) are successfully prepared by carbonization and activation of biomass (raw rice brans) through KOH. The highest SSA of 2475 m2 g−1 with optimized pore volume of 1.21 cm3 g−1 (40% for mesopores) is achieved for KOH/RBC = 4 mass ratio, than others. The as-prepared 3D porous carbon-based electrode materials for supercapacitors exhibit high specific capacitance specifically at large current densities of 10 A g−1 and 100 A g−1 i.e., 265 F g−1 and 182 F g−1 in 6 M KOH electrolyte, respectively. Moreover, a high power density ca. 1223 W kg−1 (550 W L−1) and energy density 70 W h kg−1 (32 W h L−1) are achieved on the base of active material loading (~10 mg cm2) in the ionic liquid. The findings can open a new avenue to use abundant agricultural by-products as ideal materials with promising applications in high-performance energy-storage devices. PMID:25434348

Formal Methods Specification and Analysis Guidebook for the Verification of Software and Computer Systems. Volume 2; A Practitioner's Companion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

This guidebook, the second of a two-volume series, is intended to facilitate the transfer of formal methods to the avionics and aerospace community. The 1st volume concentrates on administrative and planning issues [NASA-95a], and the second volume focuses on the technical issues involved in applying formal methods to avionics and aerospace software systems. Hereafter, the term "guidebook" refers exclusively to the second volume of the series. The title of this second volume, A Practitioner's Companion, conveys its intent. The guidebook is written primarily for the nonexpert and requires little or no prior experience with formal methods techniques and tools. However, it does attempt to distill some of the more subtle ingredients in the productive application of formal methods. To the extent that it succeeds, those conversant with formal methods will also nd the guidebook useful. The discussion is illustrated through the development of a realistic example, relevant fragments of which appear in each chapter. The guidebook focuses primarily on the use of formal methods for analysis of requirements and high-level design, the stages at which formal methods have been most productively applied. Although much of the discussion applies to low-level design and implementation, the guidebook does not discuss issues involved in the later life cycle application of formal methods.

Raman Line Imaging of Poly(ε-caprolactone)/Carbon Dioxide Solutions at High Pressures: A Combined Experimental and Computational Study for Interpreting Intermolecular Interactions and Free-Volume Effects.

PubMed

Pastore Carbone, Maria Giovanna; Musto, Pellegrino; Pannico, Marianna; Braeuer, Andreas; Scherillo, Giuseppe; Mensitieri, Giuseppe; Di Maio, Ernesto

2016-09-01

In the present study, a Raman line-imaging setup was employed to monitor in situ the CO2 sorption at elevated pressures (from 0.62 to 7.10 MPa) in molten PCL. The method allowed the quantitative measurement of gas concentration in both the time-resolved and the space-resolved modes. The combined experimental and theoretical approach allowed a molecular level characterization of the system. The dissolved CO2 was found to occupy a volume essentially coincident with its van der Waals volume and the estimated partial molar volume of the probe did not change with pressure. Lewis acid-Lewis base interactions with the PCL carbonyls was confirmed to be the main interaction mechanism. The geometry of the supramolecular complex and the preferential interaction site were controlled more by steric than electronic effects. On the basis of the indications emerging from Raman spectroscopy, an equation of state thermodynamic model for the PCL-CO2 system, based upon a compressible lattice fluid theory endowed with specific interactions, has been tailored to account for the interaction types detected spectroscopically. The predictions of the thermodynamic model in terms of molar volume of solution have been compared with available volumetric measurements while predictions for CO2 partial molar volume have been compared with the values estimated on the basis of Raman spectroscopy.

Ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry vs. commercial immunoassay for determination of vancomycin plasma concentration in children. Possible implications for everyday clinical practice.

PubMed

Barco, Sebastiano; Castagnola, Elio; Gennai, Iulian; Barbagallo, Laura; Loy, Anna; Tripodi, Gino; Cangemi, Giuliana

2016-10-01

Vancomycin therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is necessary for effective and safetherapy. The aim of the this paper was to develop a specific and robust ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method for vancomycin quantification starting from low plasma volumes to be applied for the routine TDM in children. Samples from children receiving intravenous vancomycin were analysed using a TSQ Quantum Access MAX Triple Quadrupole system coupled with an Accela 1250 UHPLC system after a rapid protein precipitation. Gradient separation chromatography was carried out using a Hypersil GOLD aQ C18 column (50 × 2.1 mm, particle size 1.9 μm). Method performance was validated following international guidelines. UHPLC-MS/MS allowed a rapid and specific quantification of vancomycin over the range 0.1-128 μg/mL from 50 μL of plasma with high reproducibility and accuracy in the absence of matrix effect. The comparison with the commercial immunoassay performed on 138 samples demonstrated the presence of a proportional bias. The concentrations of vancomycin measured with immunoassay were found to be 4.5% (95% CI: 1.3-7.7) higher than those determined with UHPLC-MS/MS. Importantly, a clinical discordance was found in about 10% of samples analysed. This new UHPLC-MS/MS method is accurate and specific for the measurement of vancomycin starting from small (50 μL) plasma volumes. The use of UHPLC-MS/MS is recommended to prevent a misclassification of therapeutic or toxic vancomycin levels in paediatrics.

Compressibilities and Volume Fluctuations of Archaeal Tetraether Liposomes

PubMed Central

Chong, Parkson Lee-Gau; Sulc, Michael; Winter, Roland

2010-01-01

Bipolar tetraether lipids (BTLs) are abundant in crenarchaeota, which thrive in both thermophilic and nonthermophilic environments, with wide-ranging growth temperatures (4–108°C). BTL liposomes can serve as membrane models to explore the role of BTLs in the thermal stability of the plasma membrane of crenarchaeota. In this study, we focus on the liposomes made of the polar lipid fraction E (PLFE). PLFE is one of the main BTLs isolated from the thermoacidophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. Using molecular acoustics (ultrasound velocimetry and densimetry), pressure perturbation calorimetry, and differential scanning calorimetry, we have determined partial specific adiabatic and isothermal compressibility, their respective compressibility coefficients, partial specific volume, and relative volume fluctuations of PLFE large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) over a wide range of temperatures (20–85°C). The results are compared with those obtained from liposomes made of dipalmitoyl-L-α-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), a conventional monopolar diester lipid. We found that, in the entire temperature range examined, compressibilities of PLFE LUVs are low, comparable to those found in gel state of DPPC. Relative volume fluctuations of PLFE LUVs at any given temperature examined are 1.6–2.2 times more damped than those found in DPPC LUVs. Both compressibilities and relative volume fluctuations in PLFE LUVs are much less temperature-sensitive than those in DPPC liposomes. The isothermal compressibility coefficient (βTlipid) of PLFE LUVs changes from 3.59 × 10−10 Pa−1 at 25°C to 4.08 × 10−10 Pa−1 at 78°C. Volume fluctuations of PLFE LUVs change only 0.25% from 30°C to 80°C. The highly damped volume fluctuations and their low temperature sensitivity, echo that PLFE liposomes are rigid and tightly packed. To our knowledge, the data provide a deeper understanding of lipid packing in PLFE liposomes than has been previously reported, as well as a molecular explanation for the low solute permeation and limited membrane lateral motion. The obtained results may help to establish new strategies for rational design of stable BTL-based liposomes for drug/vaccine delivery. PMID:21081080

High volume data storage architecture analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malik, James M.

1990-01-01

A High Volume Data Storage Architecture Analysis was conducted. The results, presented in this report, will be applied to problems of high volume data requirements such as those anticipated for the Space Station Control Center. High volume data storage systems at several different sites were analyzed for archive capacity, storage hierarchy and migration philosophy, and retrieval capabilities. Proposed architectures were solicited from the sites selected for in-depth analysis. Model architectures for a hypothetical data archiving system, for a high speed file server, and for high volume data storage are attached.

High tidal volume ventilation induces NOS2 and impairs cAMP- dependent air space fluid clearance.

PubMed

Frank, James A; Pittet, Jean-Francois; Lee, Hyon; Godzich, Micaela; Matthay, Michael A

2003-05-01

Tidal volume reduction during mechanical ventilation reduces mortality in patients with acute lung injury and the acute respiratory distress syndrome. To determine the mechanisms underlying the protective effect of low tidal volume ventilation, we studied the time course and reversibility of ventilator-induced changes in permeability and distal air space edema fluid clearance in a rat model of ventilator-induced lung injury. Anesthetized rats were ventilated with a high tidal volume (30 ml/kg) or with a high tidal volume followed by ventilation with a low tidal volume of 6 ml/kg. Endothelial and epithelial protein permeability were significantly increased after high tidal volume ventilation but returned to baseline levels when tidal volume was reduced. The basal distal air space fluid clearance (AFC) rate decreased by 43% (P < 0.05) after 1 h of high tidal volume but returned to the preventilation rate 2 h after tidal volume was reduced. Not all of the effects of high tidal volume ventilation were reversible. The cAMP-dependent AFC rate after 1 h of 30 ml/kg ventilation was significantly reduced and was not restored when tidal volume was reduced. High tidal volume ventilation also increased lung inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) expression and air space total nitrite at 3 h. Inhibition of NOS2 activity preserved cAMP-dependent AFC. Because air space edema fluid inactivates surfactant and reduces ventilated lung volume, the reduction of cAMP-dependent AFC by reactive nitrogen species may be an important mechanism of clinical ventilator-associated lung injury.

Low rates of complications for carotid artery stenting are associated with a high clinician volume of carotid artery stenting and aortic endografting but not with a high volume of percutaneous coronary interventions.

PubMed

Modrall, J Gregory; Chung, Jayer; Kirkwood, Melissa L; Baig, M Shadman; Tsai, Shirling X; Timaran, Carlos H; Valentine, R James; Rosero, Eric B

2014-07-01

Prior studies have demonstrated improved clinical outcomes for surgeons with a high-volume experience with certain open vascular operations. A high-volume experience with carotid artery stenting (CAS) improves clinical outcomes. Moreover, it is not known whether experience with other endovascular procedures, including percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs), is an adequate substitute for experience with CAS. The goal of this study was to quantify the effect of increasing clinician volume of CAS, endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), and thoracic endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (TEVAR), and PCI on the outcomes for CAS. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was analyzed to identify patients undergoing CAS for the years 2005 to 2009. Clinicians were stratified into tertiles of low-volume, medium-volume, and high-volume groups by annual volume of CAS, EVAR/TEVAR, and PCI. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between clinician volume and a composite outcome of the in-hospital stroke and death rate after CAS. Between 2005 and 2009, 56,374 elective CAS procedures were performed nationwide, with a crude in-hospital stroke and death rate of 3.22%. A median of nine CAS procedures (interquartile range, 3-20) were performed annually per clinician. As expected, stroke and death rates for CAS decreased with increasing volume of CAS performed by a clinician (low-volume vs medium-volume vs high-volume: 4.43% vs 2.89% vs 2.27%; P = .0001). Similar patterns were noted between clinicians' volume of EVAR/TEVAR (low-volume vs medium-volume vs high-volume: 4.58% vs 3.18% vs 2.16%; P = .0023). In contrast, increasing PCI volume was not associated with decreased stroke and death rates after CAS (low-volume vs medium-volume vs high-volume: 2.99% vs 3.18% vs 3.55%; P = .35). After adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics, clinician volume of CAS (odds ratio [OR], 0.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74-0.94; P = .003) and EVAR/TEVAR (OR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.75-0.97; P = .020) remained significant predictors of stroke and death after CAS, whereas increasing clinician volume of PCI was associated with significantly increasing likelihood of stroke or death after CAS (OR, 1.025; 95% CI, 1.004-1.047; P = .019). The stroke and death rate for CAS to treat carotid stenosis is inversely affected by the number of CAS and EVAR/TEVAR procedures performed by a clinician. In contrast, a high-volume experience with PCI is not associated with improved outcomes after CAS. Copyright © 2014 Society for Vascular Surgery. All rights reserved.

Mod-5A wind turbine generator program design report. Volume 4: Drawings and specifications, book 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1984-08-01

The design, development and analysis of the 7.3 MW MOD-5A wind turbine generator is documented. Volume 4 contains the drawings and specifications that were developed in preparation for building the MOD-5A wind turbine generator. This is the first of five books of volume four. It contains structural design criteria, generator step-up transformer specs, specs for design, fabrication and testing of the system, specs for the ground control enclosure, systems specs, slip ring specs, and control system specs.

Mod-5A Wind Turbine Generator Program Design Report. Volume 4: Drawings and Specifications, Book 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

The design, development and analysis of the 7.3 MW MOD-5A wind turbine generator is documented. Volume 4 contains the drawings and specifications that were developed in preparation for building the MOD-5A wind turbine generator. This is the first of five books of volume four. It contains structural design criteria, generator step-up transformer specs, specs for design, fabrication and testing of the system, specs for the ground control enclosure, systems specs, slip ring specs, and control system specs.

CD volume design and verification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Y. P.; Hughes, J. S.

1993-01-01

In this paper, we describe a prototype for CD-ROM volume design and verification. This prototype allows users to create their own model of CD volumes by modifying a prototypical model. Rule-based verification of the test volumes can then be performed later on against the volume definition. This working prototype has proven the concept of model-driven rule-based design and verification for large quantity of data. The model defined for the CD-ROM volumes becomes a data model as well as an executable specification.

ONRASIA Scientific Information Bulletin. Volume 17, Number 4, October-December 1992

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-12-01

Corporate Software Planning Oki’s Software Improvement Environment and Engineering Div. Strategy - Effective Management - Improvement of Informa- Mr...a CCITT-supported implementation phase. -- David K fore we have effectively implemented ISO Standard high-level language Kahaner, ONRASIA them...power with a system fo- putation) Result cused on their specific needs. Result Effective speed should be (Readers can write to me or to 150 times VP-400

Examining the Use of First Principles of Instruction by Instructional Designers in a Short-Term, High Volume, Rapid Production of Online K-12 Teacher Professional Development Modules

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mendenhall, Anne M.

2012-01-01

Merrill (2002a) created a set of fundamental principles of instruction that can lead to effective, efficient, and engaging (e[superscript 3]) instruction. The First Principles of Instruction (Merrill, 2002a) are a prescriptive set of interrelated instructional design practices that consist of activating prior knowledge, using specific portrayals…

Responding To Infectious Disease: Multiple Cases of Staph Infections in a Rural School District. Lessons Learned From School Crises and Emergencies, Volume 3, Issue 3, 2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Education, 2008

2008-01-01

"Lessons Learned" is a series of publications that are a brief recounting of actual school emergencies and crises. This "Lessons Learned" issue focuses on an incident involving several cases of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) at a rural high school. MRSA is a specific strain of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (often called staph)…

Regional grey matter volume abnormalities in bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder.

PubMed

Schäfer, Axel; Vaitl, Dieter; Schienle, Anne

2010-04-01

This study investigated whether bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge-eating disorder (BED) are associated with structural brain abnormalities. Both disorders share the main symptom binge-eating, but are considered differential diagnoses. We attempted to identify alterations in grey matter volume (GMV) that are present in both psychopathologies as well as disorder-specific GMV characteristics. Such information can help to improve neurobiological models of eating disorders and their classification. A total of 50 participants (patients suffering from BN (purge type), BED, and normal-weight controls) underwent structural MRI scanning. GMV for specific brain regions involved in food/reinforcement processing was analyzed by means of voxel-based morphometry. Both patient groups were characterized by greater volumes of the medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) compared to healthy controls. In BN patients, who had increased ventral striatum volumes, body mass index and purging severity were correlated with striatal grey matter volume. Altogether, our data implicate a crucial role of the medial OFC in the studied eating disorders. The structural abnormality might be associated with dysfunctions in food reward processing and/or self-regulation. The bulimia-specific volume enlargement of the ventral striatum is discussed in the framework of negative reinforcement through purging and associated weight regulation. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of high-volume outdoor smog chamber photo-reactors for studying physical and chemical atmospheric aerosol formation and composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borrás, E.; Ródenas, M.; Vera, T.; Muñoz, A.

2015-12-01

The atmospheric particulate matter has a large impact on climate, biosphere behaviour and human health. Its study is complex because of large number of species are present at low concentrations and the continuous time evolution, being not easily separable from meteorology, and transport processes. Closed systems have been proposed by isolating specific reactions, pollutants or products and controlling the oxidizing environment. High volume simulation chambers, such as EUropean PHOtoREactor (EUPHORE), are an essential tool used to simulate atmospheric photochemical reactions. This communication describes the last results about the reactivity of prominent atmospheric pollutants and the subsequent particulate matter formation. Specific experiments focused on organic aerosols have been developed at the EUPHORE photo-reactor. The use of on-line instrumentation, supported by off-line techniques, has provided well-defined reaction profiles, physical properties, and up to 300 different species are determined in particulate matter. The application fields include the degradation of anthropogenic and biogenic pollutants, and pesticides under several atmospheric conditions, studying their contribution on the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOA). The studies performed at the EUPHORE have improved the mechanistic studies of atmospheric degradation processes and the knowledge about the chemical and physical properties of atmospheric particulate matter formed during these processes.

On the impact of improved dosimetric accuracy on head and neck high dose rate brachytherapy.

PubMed

Peppa, Vasiliki; Pappas, Eleftherios; Major, Tibor; Takácsi-Nagy, Zoltán; Pantelis, Evaggelos; Papagiannis, Panagiotis

2016-07-01

To study the effect of finite patient dimensions and tissue heterogeneities in head and neck high dose rate brachytherapy. The current practice of TG-43 dosimetry was compared to patient specific dosimetry obtained using Monte Carlo simulation for a sample of 22 patient plans. The dose distributions were compared in terms of percentage dose differences as well as differences in dose volume histogram and radiobiological indices for the target and organs at risk (mandible, parotids, skin, and spinal cord). Noticeable percentage differences exist between TG-43 and patient specific dosimetry, mainly at low dose points. Expressed as fractions of the planning aim dose, percentage differences are within 2% with a general TG-43 overestimation except for the spine. These differences are consistent resulting in statistically significant differences of dose volume histogram and radiobiology indices. Absolute differences of these indices are however small to warrant clinical importance in terms of tumor control or complication probabilities. The introduction of dosimetry methods characterized by improved accuracy is a valuable advancement. It does not appear however to influence dose prescription or call for amendment of clinical recommendations for the mobile tongue, base of tongue, and floor of mouth patient cohort of this study. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ventricular enlargement in schizophrenia related to volume reduction of the thalamus, striatum, and superior temporal cortex.

PubMed

Gaser, Christian; Nenadic, Igor; Buchsbaum, Bradley R; Hazlett, Erin A; Buchsbaum, Monte S

2004-01-01

Enlargement of the lateral ventricles is among the most frequently reported macroscopic brain structural changes in schizophrenia, although variable in extent and localization. The authors investigated whether ventricular enlargement is related to regionally specific volume loss. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging scans from 39 patients with schizophrenia were analyzed with deformation-based morphometry, a voxel-wise whole brain morphometric technique. Significant negative correlations with the ventricle-brain ratio were found for voxels in the left and right thalamus and posterior putamen and in the left superior temporal gyrus and insula. Thalamic shrinkage, especially of medial nuclei and the adjacent striatum and insular cortex, appear to be important contributors to ventricular enlargement in schizophrenia.

Radiation Therapy and Hearing Loss

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

Bhandare, Niranjan; Jackson, Andrew; Eisbruch, Avraham

2010-03-01

A review of literature on the development of sensorineural hearing loss after high-dose radiation therapy for head-and-neck tumors and stereotactic radiosurgery or fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy for the treatment of vestibular schwannoma is presented. Because of the small volume of the cochlea a dose-volume analysis is not feasible. Instead, the current literature on the effect of the mean dose received by the cochlea and other treatment- and patient-related factors on outcome are evaluated. Based on the data, a specific threshold dose to cochlea for sensorineural hearing loss cannot be determined; therefore, dose-prescription limits are suggested. A standard for evaluating radiation therapy-associatedmore » ototoxicity as well as a detailed approach for scoring toxicity is presented.« less

Anthropometric characteristics, physical fitness and motor coordination of 9 to 11 year old children participating in a wide range of sports.

PubMed

Opstoel, Katrijn; Pion, Johan; Elferink-Gemser, Marije; Hartman, Esther; Willemse, Bas; Philippaerts, Renaat; Visscher, Chris; Lenoir, Matthieu

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate to what extent 9 to 11 year old children participating in a specific sport already exhibit a specific anthropometric, physical fitness and motor coordination profile, in line with the requirements of that particular sport. In addition, the profiles in children with a different training volume were compared and possible differences in training hours per week between children from a low, moderate, and high level of physical fitness and motor coordination were investigated. Data of 620 children, 347 boys and 273 girls, who participated in the Flemish Sports Compass were used. Only the primary sport of each child was considered and six groups of sports (Ball sports, Dance, Gymnastics, Martial arts, Racquet sports and Swimming) were formed based on common characteristics. Measurements consisted of 17 tests. Independent T-tests and Mann-Whitney U-tests revealed few differences between the groups of sports and the discriminant analyses with the moderate and low active group did not show any significant results (p > .05). However, when discriminating among the high active children, a 85.2 % correct classification between six groups of sports was found (Wilks' Λ = .137 and p < .001). Finally, children performing under average on the tests spent significantly fewer hours in sport per week (2.50 ± 1.84 hours) compared to the children performing best (3.25 ± 2.60 hours) (p = .016) and the children performing above average (2.90 ± 1.96 hours) (p = .029) on physical fitness and motor coordination. The study showed that in general, children at a young age do not exhibit sport-specific characteristics, except in children with a high training volume. It is possible that on the one hand, children have not spent enough time yet in their sport to develop sport-specific qualities. On the other hand, it could be possible that they do not take individual qualities into account when choosing a sport.