Sample records for induction logging mail

  1. MAIL LOG, program theory, volume 1. [Scout project automatic data system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harris, D. K.

    1979-01-01

    The program theory used to obtain the software package, MAIL LOG, developed for the Scout Project Automatic Data System, SPADS, is described. The program is written in FORTRAN for the PRIME 300 computer system. The MAIL LOG data base consists of three main subfiles: (1) incoming and outgoing mail correspondence; (2) design information releases and reports; and (3) drawings and engineering orders. All subroutine descriptions, flowcharts, and MAIL LOG outputs are given and the data base design is described.

  2. Utilization of a reminder mailing to improve blood glucose log reporting in an outpatient diabetes clinic.

    PubMed

    Moorman, John M; Frazee, Lawrence A; Dillon, Melanie L; Chomo, Diane L; Myers, Nancy A

    2012-07-01

    Self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG) offers a strategy used to achieve glycemic control in diabetic patients. However, if SMBG readings are unavailable to clinicians, this strategy will have a limited effect. This study assessed the impact of a reminder mailing on response rates to requests for SMBG logs. Patients were asked to mail completed SMBG logs to the clinic in 2 weeks. For the intervention, a reminder mailing was sent to each patient 1 week before SMBG logs were to be returned. Compliance rates pre and postinterventions were compared. The primary outcome was the percentage of all SMBG logs returned on time. Secondary outcomes included the percentage of SMBG logs returned, percentage fulfilled, percentage of clinic appointments kept, percentage of SMBG logs brought to follow-up appointments, and number of interventions made to antidiabetic therapy. Twenty SMBG requests were made in the preintervention cohort versus 19 in postintervention cohort. A trend toward more on time and fulfilled SMBG requests was observed post vs. preintervention. Overall return rates were similar between groups. A nonsignificant increase in clinic appointments kept and a nonsignificant decrease in interventions made were observed postintervention. Receipt of a reminder mail was not a significant predictor of patients bringing an SMBG log to follow-up appointments. In conclusion, the use of a reminder mail was not associated with an increase in the return rate of SMBG logs, although there were nonsignificant trends toward more on time and fulfilled SMBG logs received during the postintervention period.

  3. Mail LOG: Program operating instructions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harris, D. K.

    1979-01-01

    The operating instructions for the software package, MAIL LOG, developed for the Scout Project Automatic Data System, SPADS, are provided. The program is written in FORTRAN for the PRIME 300 computer system. The MAIL LOG program has the following four modes of operation: (1) INPUT - putting new records into the data base (2) REVISE - changing or modifying existing records in the data base (3) SEARCH - finding special records existing in the data base (4) ARCHIVE - store or put away existing records in the data base. The output includes special printouts of records in the data base and results from the INPUT and SEARCH modes. The MAIL LOG data base consists of three main subfiles: Incoming and outgoing mail correspondence; Design Information Releases and Releases and Reports; and Drawings and Engineering orders.

  4. MAIL LOG, program theory, volume 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harris, D. K.

    1979-01-01

    Information relevant to the MAIL LOG program theory is documented. The L-files for mail correspondence, design information release/report, and the drawing/engineering order are given. In addition, sources for miscellaneous external routines and special support routines are documented along with a glossary of terms.

  5. MAIL LOG, program summary and specifications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harris, D. K.

    1979-01-01

    The summary and specifications to obtain the software package, MAIL LOG, developed for the Scout Project Automatic Data System, SPADS are provided. The MAIL LOG program has four modes of operation: (1) input - putting new records into the data base; (2) revise - changing or modifying existing records in the data base; (3) search - finding special records existing in the data base; and (4) archive - store or put away existing records in the data base. The output includes special printouts of records in the data base and results from the input and search modes.

  6. Integrating surface and borehole geophysics in ground water studies - an example using electromagnetic soundings in south Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Paillet, Frederick; Hite, Laura; Carlson, Matthew

    1999-01-01

    Time domain surface electromagnetic soundings, borehole induction logs, and other borehole logging techniques are used to construct a realistic model for the shallow subsurface hydraulic properties of unconsolidated sediments in south Florida. Induction logs are used to calibrate surface induction soundings in units of pore water salinity by correlating water sample specific electrical conductivity with the electrical conductivity of the formation over the sampled interval for a two‐layered aquifer model. Geophysical logs are also used to show that a constant conductivity layer model is appropriate for the south Florida study. Several physically independent log measurements are used to quantify the dependence of formation electrical conductivity on such parameters as salinity, permeability, and clay mineral fraction. The combined interpretation of electromagnetic soundings and induction logs was verified by logging three validation boreholes, confirming quantitative estimates of formation conductivity and thickness in the upper model layer, and qualitative estimates of conductivity in the lower model layer.

  7. FORGE Milford Digitized Geophysical Logs from Acord 1

    DOE Data Explorer

    Jones, Clay G.; Moore, Joseph N.

    2016-03-31

    This submission includes digitalized versions of the following: McCulloch Geothermal Corp Acord 1-26 Cover Letter McCulloch Geothermal Corp Acord 1-26 Drilling Plan McCulloch Geothermal Corp Acord 1-26 Bond Documents Division of Water Rights Permission to Drill Drillers Log Geothermal Data (Mud) Log Compensated Densilog - Neutron Log Dual Induction Focused Log BHC Acoustilog Differential Temperature Log Dual Induction Focused Log Gamma Ray Neutron Log Temperature Log Caliper Temperature Log (Run 3) Densilog Gamma Ray Neutron Log Temperature Log (Run 4) Compensated Densilog Sample Log (Page 1 of 2) Report of Well Driller Stratigraphic Report (J.E. Welsh) Photographs and Negatives of Acord 1-26 Well Site (7) Petrography Report (M.J. Sweeney) Cuttings Samples (21 Boxes at Utah Core Research Center)

  8. 76 FR 11680 - Service Contracts and Non-Vessel-Operating Service Arrangements; Transmission of Approved Log-In...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-03

    ... Contracts and Non-Vessel-Operating Service Arrangements; Transmission of Approved Log-In ID and Passwords... advise applicants for log-in IDs and passwords. DATES: The Final Rule is effective March 3, 2011. FOR... the U.S. Mail to transmit approved log-on IDs and password to registrants in the Commission's...

  9. 15 CFR 762.3 - Records exempt from recordkeeping requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ...; (2) Special export file list; (3) Vessel log from freight forwarder; (4) Inspection certificate; (5... form; (12) Financial hold form; (13) Export parts shipping problem form; (14) Draft number log; (15) Expense invoice mailing log; (16) Financial status report; (17) Bank release of guarantees; (18) Cash...

  10. 15 CFR 762.3 - Records exempt from recordkeeping requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ...; (2) Special export file list; (3) Vessel log from freight forwarder; (4) Inspection certificate; (5... form; (12) Financial hold form; (13) Export parts shipping problem form; (14) Draft number log; (15) Expense invoice mailing log; (16) Financial status report; (17) Bank release of guarantees; (18) Cash...

  11. Induction conductivity and natural gamma logs collected in 15 wells at Camp Stanley Storage Activity, Bexar County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stanton, Gregory P.

    2005-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Camp Stanley Storage Activity conducted electromagnetic induction conductivity and natural gamma logging of 15 selected wells on the Camp Stanley Storage Activity, located in northern Bexar County, Texas, during March 28–30, 2005. In late 2004, a helicopter electromagnetic survey was flown of the Camp Stanley Storage Activity as part of a U.S. Geological Survey project to better define subsurface geologic units, the structure, and the catchment area of the Trinity aquifer. The electromagnetic induction conductivity and natural gamma log data in this report were collected to constrain the calculation of resistivity depth sections and to provide subsurface controls for interpretation of the helicopter electromagnetic data collected for the Camp Stanley Storage Activity. Logs were recorded digitally while moving the probe in an upward direction to maintain proper depth control. Logging speed was no greater than 30 feet per minute. During logging, a repeat section of at least 100 feet was recorded to check repeatability of log responses. Several of the wells logged were completed with polyvinyl chloride casing that can be penetrated by electromagnetic induction fields and allows conductivity measurement. However, some wells were constructed with steel centralizers and stainless steel screen that caused spikes on both conductivity and resulting resistivity log curves. These responses are easily recognizable and appear at regular intervals on several logs.

  12. Induction log responses to layered, dipping, and anisotropic formations: Induction log shoulder-bed corrections to anisotropic formations and the effect of shale anisotropy in thinly laminated sand/shale sequences

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

    Hagiwara, Teruhiko

    1996-12-31

    Induction log responses to layered, dipping, and anisotropic formations are examined analytically. The analytical model is especially helpful in understanding induction log responses to thinly laminated binary formations, such as sand/shale sequences, that exhibit macroscopically anisotropic: resistivity. Two applications of the analytical model are discussed. In one application we examine special induction log shoulder-bed corrections for use when thin anisotropic beds are encountered. It is known that thinly laminated sand/shale sequences act as macroscopically anisotropic: formations. Hydrocarbon-bearing formations also act as macroscopically anisotropic formations when they consist of alternating layers of different grain-size distributions. When such formations are thick, inductionmore » logs accurately read the macroscopic conductivity, from which the hydrocarbon saturation in the formations can be computed. When the laminated formations are not thick, proper shoulder-bed corrections (or thin-bed corrections) should be applied to obtain the true macroscopic formation conductivity and to estimate the hydrocarbon saturation more accurately. The analytical model is used to calculate the thin-bed effect and to evaluate the shoulder-bed corrections. We will show that the formation resistivity and hence the hydrocarbon saturation are greatly overestimated when the anisotropy effect is not accounted for and conventional shoulder-bed corrections are applied to the log responses from such laminated formations.« less

  13. 75 FR 76426 - Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-08

    ..., access control lists, file system permissions, intrusion detection and prevention systems and log..., address, mailing address, country, organization, phone, fax, mobile, pager, Defense Switched Network (DSN..., address, mailing address, country, organization, phone, fax, mobile, pager, Defense Switched Network (DSN...

  14. Numerical simulations of induction and MWD logging tools and data inversion method with X-window interface on a UNIX workstation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian, Xiang-Dong

    The purpose of this research is to simulate induction and measuring-while-drilling (MWD) logs. In simulation of logs, there are two tasks. The first task, the forward modeling procedure, is to compute the logs from known formation. The second task, the inversion procedure, is to determine the unknown properties of the formation from the measured field logs. In general, the inversion procedure requires the solution of a forward model. In this study, a stable numerical method to simulate induction and MWD logs is presented. The proposed algorithm is based on a horizontal eigenmode expansion method. Vertical propagation of modes is modeled by a three-layer module. The multilayer cases are treated as a cascade of these modules. The mode tracing algorithm possesses stable characteristics that are superior to other methods. This method is applied to simulate the logs in the formations with both vertical and horizontal layers, and also used to study the groove effects of the MWD tool. The results are very good. Two-dimensional inversion of induction logs is an nonlinear problem. Nonlinear functions of the apparent conductivity are expanded into a Taylor series. After truncating the high order terms in this Taylor series, the nonlinear functions are linearized. An iterative procedure is then devised to solve the inversion problem. In each iteration, the Jacobian matrix is calculated, and a small variation computed using the least-squares method is used to modify the background medium. Finally, the inverted medium is obtained. The horizontal eigenstate method is used to solve the forward problem. It is found that a good inverted formation can be obtained by using measurements. In order to help the user simulate the induction logs conveniently, a Wellog Simulator, based on the X-window system, is developed. The application software (FORTRAN codes) embedded in the Simulator is designed to simulate the responses of the induction tools in the layered formation with dipping beds. The graphic user-interface part of the Wellog Simulator is implemented with C and Motif. Through the user interface, the user can prepare the simulation data, select the tools, simulate the logs and plot the results.

  15. Fallon, Nevada FORGE Lithology Logs and Well 21-31 Drilling Data

    DOE Data Explorer

    Blankenship, Doug; Hinz, Nicholas; Faulds, James

    2018-03-11

    This submission includes lithology logs for all Fallon FORGE area wells; determined from core, cuttings, and thin section. Wells included are 84-31, 21-31, 82-36, FOH-3D, 62-36, 18-5, 88-24, 86-25, FOH-2, 14-36, 17-16, 34-33, 35A-11, 51A-20, 62-15, 72-7, 86-15, Carson_Strat_1_36-32, and several others. Lithology logs last updated 3/13/2018 with confirmation well 21-31 data, and revisited existing wells. Also included is well logging data for Fallon FORGE 21-31. Well logging data includes daily reports, well logs (drill rate, lithology, fractures, mud losses, minerals, temperature, gases, and descriptions), mud reports, drilling parameter plots, daily mud loss summaries, survey reports, progress reports, plan view maps (easting, northing), and wireline logs (caliper [with GR], triple combo [GR, caliper, SP, resistivity, array induction, density, photoelectric factor, and neutron porosity], array induction with linear correlation [GR, SP, Array Induction, caliper, conductivity], and monopole compression dipole shear [GR, SP, Caliper, sonic porosity, delta-T compressional, and delta-T shear])

  16. Comparison of formation and fluid-column logs in a heterogeneous basalt aquifer

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Paillet, F.L.; Williams, J.H.; Oki, D.S.; Knutson, K.D.

    2002-01-01

    Deep observation boreholes in the vicinity of active production wells in Honolulu, Hawaii, exhibit the anomalous condition that fluid-column electrical conductivity logs and apparent profiles of pore-water electrical conductivity derived from induction conductivity logs are nearly identical if a formation factor of 12.5 is assumed. This condition is documented in three boreholes where fluid-column logs clearly indicate the presence of strong borehole flow induced by withdrawal from partially penetrating water-supply wells. This result appears to contradict the basic principles of conductivity-log interpretation. Flow conditions in one of these boreholes was investigated in detail by obtaining flow profiles under two water production conditions using the electromagnetic flowmeter. The flow-log interpretation demonstrates that the fluid-column log resembles the induction log because the amount of inflow to the borehole increases systematically upward through the transition zone between deeper salt water and shallower fresh water. This condition allows the properties of the fluid column to approximate the properties of water entering the borehole as soon as the upflow stream encounters that producing zone. Because this condition occurs in all three boreholes investigated, the similarity of induction and fluid-column logs is probably not a coincidence, and may relate to aquifer response under the influence of pumping from production wells.

  17. Comparison of formation and fluid-column logs in a heterogeneous basalt aquifer.

    PubMed

    Paillet, F L; Williams, J H; Oki, D S; Knutson, K D

    2002-01-01

    Deep observation boreholes in the vicinity of active production wells in Honolulu, Hawaii, exhibit the anomalous condition that fluid-column electrical conductivity logs and apparent profiles of pore-water electrical conductivity derived from induction conductivity logs are nearly identical if a formation factor of 12.5 is assumed. This condition is documented in three boreholes where fluid-column logs clearly indicate the presence of strong borehole flow induced by withdrawal from partially penetrating water-supply wells. This result appears to contradict the basic principles of conductivity-log interpretation. Flow conditions in one of these boreholes was investigated in detail by obtaining flow profiles under two water production conditions using the electromagnetic flowmeter. The flow-log interpretation demonstrates that the fluid-column log resembles the induction log because the amount of inflow to the borehole increases systematically upward through the transition zone between deeper salt water and shallower fresh water. This condition allows the properties of the fluid column to approximate the properties of water entering the borehole as soon as the upflow stream encounters that producing zone. Because this condition occurs in all three boreholes investigated, the similarity of induction and fluid-column logs is probably not a coincidence, and may relate to aquifer response under the influence of pumping from production wells.

  18. Internet Passport: NorthWestNet's Guide to Our World Online. Fourth Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kochmer, Jonathan

    The purpose of this guide is to help computer network users get over the hurdle of new technologies. Every Internet user is different, but most network activities depend on the mastery of three basic skills: using electronic mail (e-mail) to communicate with other Internet users; logging in to remote computers with a service called Telnet, and…

  19. Transport Traffic Analysis for Abusive Infrastructure Characterization

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-09-01

    3 month sample of spam directed toward the Hotmail web-mail service. Their false positive rate was between 0.0011 and 0.0014 [11]. Unlike autoRE, our...they used 240 machines to analyze a 220 GB Hotmail log in 1.5 hours. In another experiment on 2 months of Hotmail logs (450 GB), BotGraph was able to

  20. Conversation Threads Hidden within Email Server Logs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Palus, Sebastian; Kazienko, Przemysław

    Email server logs contain records of all email Exchange through this server. Often we would like to analyze those emails not separately but in conversation thread, especially when we need to analyze social network extracted from those email logs. Unfortunately each mail is in different record and those record are not tided to each other in any obvious way. In this paper method for discussion threads extraction was proposed together with experiments on two different data sets - Enron and WrUT..

  1. Comparison between moving and stationary transmitter systems in induction logging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Poddar, M.; Caleb Dhanasekaran, P.; Prabhakar Rao, K.

    1985-09-01

    In a general treatment of the theory of induction logging, an exact integral representation has been obtained for the mutual impedance between a vertical dipole transmitter and a coaxial dipole receiver in a three layered earth. Based on this representation, a computer model has been devised using the traditional Slingram system of induction logging and the comparatively new Turam system, ignoring borehole effects. The model results indicate that due to its much larger response, the Turam system is in general preferable to the Slingram in mineral and groundwater investigations where formation conductivity much less than 1 S/m is generally encountered. However, if the surrounding media are conductive (more than 0.1 S/m), the Turam system suffers from large amplitude attenuation and phase rotation of the primary field caused by the conductive surrounding, and is less useful than the Slingram system which does not so suffer, unless the target bed is shallow. Because it is a more complex function of system parameters than the corresponding Slingram log, a Turam log can be conveniently interpreted only by the modern inverse method using a fast algorithm for the forward solution and a high speed digital computer.

  2. Multilingual Speech and Language Processing

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-04-01

    client software handles the user end of the transaction. Historically, four clients were provided: e-mail, web, FrameMaker , and command line. By...command-line client and an API. The API allows integration of CyberTrans into a number of processes including word processing packages ( FrameMaker ...preservation and logging, and others. The available clients remain e-mail, Web and FrameMaker . Platforms include both Unix and PC for clients, with

  3. Environmental corrections of a dual-induction logging while drilling tool in vertical wells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, Zhengming; Ke, Shizhen; Jiang, Ming; Yin, Chengfang; Li, Anzong; Li, Junjian

    2018-04-01

    With the development of Logging While Drilling (LWD) technology, dual-induction LWD logging is not only widely applied in deviated wells and horizontal wells, but it is used commonly in vertical wells. Accordingly, it is necessary to simulate the response of LWD tools in vertical wells for logging interpretation. In this paper, the investigation characteristics, the effects of the tool structure, skin effect and drilling environment of a dual-induction LWD tool are simulated by the three-dimensional (3D) finite element method (FEM). In order to closely simulate the actual situation, real structure of the tool is taking into account. The results demonstrate that the influence of the background value of the tool structure can be eliminated. The values of deducting the background of a tool structure and analytical solution have a quantitative agreement in homogeneous formations. The effect of measurement frequency could be effectively eliminated by chart of skin effect correction. In addition, the measurement environment, borehole size, mud resistivity, shoulder bed, layer thickness and invasion, have an effect on the true resistivity. To eliminate these effects, borehole correction charts, shoulder bed correction charts and tornado charts are computed based on real tool structure. Based on correction charts, well logging data can be corrected automatically by a suitable interpolation method, which is convenient and fast. Verified with actual logging data in vertical wells, this method could obtain the true resistivity of formation.

  4. Collection, processing, and quality assurance of time-series electromagnetic-induction log datasets, 1995–2016, south Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Prinos, Scott T.; Valderrama, Robert

    2016-12-13

    Time-series electromagnetic-induction log (TSEMIL) datasets are collected from polyvinyl-chloride cased or uncased monitoring wells to evaluate changes in water conductivity over time. TSEMIL datasets consist of a series of individual electromagnetic-induction logs, generally collected at a frequency of once per month or once per year that have been compiled into a dataset by eliminating small uniform offsets in bulk conductivity between logs probably caused by minor variations in calibration. These offsets are removed by selecting a depth at which no changes are apparent from year to year, and by adjusting individual logs to the median of all logs at the selected depth. Generally, the selected depths are within the freshwater saturated part of the aquifer, well below the water table. TSEMIL datasets can be used to monitor changes in water conductivity throughout the full thickness of an aquifer, without the need for long open-interval wells which have, in some instances, allowed vertical water flow within the well bore that has biased water conductivity profiles. The TSEMIL dataset compilation process enhances the ability to identify small differences between logs that were otherwise obscured by the offsets. As a result of TSEMIL dataset compilation, the root mean squared error of the linear regression between bulk conductivity of the electromagnetic-induction log measurements and the chloride concentration of water samples decreased from 17.4 to 1.7 millisiemens per meter in well G–3611 and from 3.7 to 2.2 millisiemens per meter in well G–3609. The primary use of the TSEMIL datasets in south Florida is to detect temporal changes in bulk conductivity associated with saltwater intrusion in the aquifer; however, other commonly observed changes include (1) variations in bulk conductivity near the water table where water saturation of pore spaces might vary and water temperature might be more variable, and (2) dissipation of conductive water in high-porosity rock layers, which might have entered these layers during drilling. Although TSEMIL dataset processing of even a few logs improves evaluations of the differences between the logs that are related to changes in the salinity, about 16 logs are needed to estimate the bulk conductivity within ±2 millisiemens per meter. Unlike many other types of data published by the U.S. Geological Survey, the median of TSEMIL datasets should not be considered final until 16 logs are collected and the median of the dataset is stable.

  5. Dielectric method of high-resolution gas hydrate estimation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Y. F.; Goldberg, D.

    2005-02-01

    In-situ dielectric properties of natural gas hydrate are measured for the first time in the Mallik 5L-38 Well in the Mackenzie Delta, Canada. The average dielectric constant of the hydrate zones is 9, ranging from 5 to 20. The average resistivity is >5 ohm.m in the hydrate zones, ranging from 2 to 10 ohm.m at a 1.1 GHz dielectric tool frequency. The dielectric logs show similar trends with sonic and induction resistivity logs, but exhibits inherently higher vertical resolution (<5 cm). The average in-situ hydrate saturation in the well is about 70%, ranging from 20% to 95%. The dielectric estimates are overall in agreement with induction estimates but the induction log tends to overestimate hydrate content up to 15%. Dielectric estimates could be used as a better proxy of in-situ hydrate saturation in modeling hydrate dynamics. The fine-scale structure in hydrate zones could help reveal hydrate formation history.

  6. Close-Call Action Log Form

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spuler, Linda M.; Ford, Patricia K.; Skeete, Darren C.; Hershman, Scot; Raviprakash, Pushpa; Arnold, John W.; Tran, Victor; Haenze, Mary Alice

    2005-01-01

    "Close Call Action Log Form" ("CCALF") is the name of both a computer program and a Web-based service provided by the program for creating an enhanced database of close calls (in the colloquial sense of mishaps that were avoided by small margins) assigned to the Center Operations Directorate (COD) at Johnson Space Center. CCALF provides a single facility for on-line collaborative review of close calls. Through CCALF, managers can delegate responses to employees. CCALF utilizes a pre-existing e-mail system to notify managers that there are close calls to review, but eliminates the need for the prior practices of passing multiple e-mail messages around the COD, then collecting and consolidating them into final responses: CCALF now collects comments from all responders for incorporation into reports that it generates. Also, whereas it was previously necessary to manually calculate metrics (e.g., numbers of maintenance-work orders necessitated by close calls) for inclusion in the reports, CCALF now computes the metrics, summarizes them, and displays them in graphical form. The reports and all pertinent information used to generate the reports are logged, tracked, and retained by CCALF for historical purposes.

  7. Network Basics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tennant, Roy

    1992-01-01

    Explains how users can find and access information resources available on the Internet. Highlights include network information centers (NICs); lists, both formal and informal; computer networking protocols, including international standards; electronic mail; remote log-in; and file transfer. (LRW)

  8. Borehole geophysical logs at Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant, Dallas, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Braun, Christopher L.; Anaya, Roberto; Kuniansky, Eve L.

    2000-01-01

    A shallow alluvial aquifer at the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant near Dallas, Texas, has been contaminated by organic solvents used in the fabrication and assembly of aircraft and aircraft parts. Natural gamma-ray and electromagnetic-induction borehole geophysical logs were obtained from 162 poly vinyl-chloride-cased wells at the plant and were integrated with existing lithologic data to improve site characterization of the subsurface alluvium. Software was developed for filtering and classifying the log data and for processing, analyzing, and creating graphical output of the digital data. The alluvium consists of mostly fine-grained low-permeability sediments; however for this study, the alluvium was classified into low, intermediate, and high clay-content sediments on the basis of the gamma-ray logs. The low clay-content sediments were interpreted as being relatively permeable, whereas the high clay-content sediments were interpreted as being relatively impermeable. Simple statistics were used to identify zones of potentially contaminated sediments on the basis of the gamma-ray log classifications and the electromagnetic-induction log conductivity data.

  9. A Student Teamwork Induction Protocol

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kamau, Caroline; Spong, Abigail

    2015-01-01

    Faulty group processes have harmful effects on performance but there is little research about intervention protocols to pre-empt them in higher education. This naturalistic experiment compared a control cohort with an inducted cohort. The inducted cohort attended a workshop, consultations, elected a leader and used tools (a group log and group…

  10. AFTER: Batch jobs on the Apollo ring

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

    Hofstadler, P.

    1987-07-01

    This document describes AFTER, a system that allows users of an Apollo ring to submit batch jobs to run without leaving themselves logged in to the ring. Jobs may be submitted to run at a later time or on a different node. Results from the batch job are mailed to the user through some designated mail system. AFTER features an understandable user interface, good on line help, and site customization. This manual serves primarily as a user's guide to AFTER although administration and installation are covered for completeness.

  11. Problems and Mitigation Strategies for Developing and Validating Statistical Cyber Defenses

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-04-01

    Clustering Support  Vector  Machine   (SVM)  Classification Netflow Twitter   Training  Datasets Trained  SVMs Enriched  Feature   State...requests. • Netflow data for TCP connections • E-mail data from SMTP logs • Chat data from XMPP logs • Microtext data (from Twitter message archives...summary data from Bro and Netflow data captured on the BBN network over the period of 1 month, plus simulated attacks WHOIS Domain name record

  12. 78 FR 69822 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Pacific Tuna Fisheries Logbook

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-21

    ... assessments and other research concerning the fishery. If the data were not collected or if erroneous data... logs on a daily basis, and the forms are either mailed to the IATTC or to National Marine Fisheries...

  13. A Mixed-Methods Study of Patient-Provider E-mail Content in a Safety-Net Setting

    PubMed Central

    Mirsky, Jacob B.; Tieu, Lina; Lyles, Courtney; Sarkar, Urmimala

    2016-01-01

    Objective To explore the content of patient-provider e-mails in a safety-net primary care clinic. Methods We conducted a content analysis using inductive and deductive coding of e-mail exchanges (n=31) collected from January through November of 2013. Participants were English-speaking adult patients with a chronic condition (or their caregivers) cared for at a single publicly-funded general internal medicine clinic and their primary care providers (attending general internist physicians, clinical fellows, internal medicine residents, and nurse practitioners). Results All e-mails were non-urgent. Patients included a medical update in 19% of all e-mails. Patients requested action in 77% of e-mails, and the most common requests overall were for action regarding medications or treatment (29%). Requests for information were less common (45% of e-mails). Patient requests (n=56) were resolved in 84% of e-mail exchanges, resulting in 63 actions. Conclusion Patients in safety-net clinics are capable of safely and effectively using electronic messaging for between-visit communication with providers. Practical Implications Safety-net systems should implement electronic communications tools as soon as possible to increase healthcare access and enhance patient involvement in their care. PMID:26332306

  14. Log evaluation in wells drilled with inverted oil emulsion mud. [GLOBAL program

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

    Edwards, D.P.; Lacour-Gayet, P.J.; Suau, J.

    1981-01-01

    As greater use is made of inverted oil emulsion, muds in the development of North Sea oil fields, the need for more precise log evaluation in this environment becomes apparent. This paper demonstrates an approach using the Dual Induction Log, taking into account invasion and boundary effects. Lithology and porosity are derived from the Formation Density or Litho-Density Log, Compensated Neutron Log, Sonic Log and the Natural Gamma Ray Spectrometry log. The effect of invasion by the oil component of the mud filtrate is treated in the evaluation, and a measurement of Moved Water is made Computations of petrophysical propertiesmore » are implemented by means of the GLOBAL interpretation program, taking advantage of its capability of adaption to any combination of logging sensors. 8 refs.« less

  15. 47 CFR 27.72 - Information sharing requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... MISCELLANEOUS WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES Technical Standards § 27.72 Information sharing requirements... less than ± 1 second latitude and longitude; (ii) The proposed operating power(s), frequency band(s... evidenced by the notifying party's fax transmission confirmation log. If notification is by e-mail, the date...

  16. NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 39: The role of computer networks in aerospace engineering

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bishop, Ann P.; Pinelli, Thomas E.

    1994-01-01

    This paper presents selected results from an empirical investigation into the use of computer networks in aerospace engineering. Such networks allow aerospace engineers to communicate with people and access remote resources through electronic mail, file transfer, and remote log-in. The study drew its subjects from private sector, government and academic organizations in the U.S. aerospace industry. Data presented here were gathered in a mail survey, conducted in Spring 1993, that was distributed to aerospace engineers performing a wide variety of jobs. Results from the mail survey provide a snapshot of the current use of computer networks in the aerospace industry, suggest factors associated with the use of networks, and identify perceived impacts of networks on aerospace engineering work and communication.

  17. Thermal isomerizations of ketenimines to nitriles: evaluations of sigma-Dot (sigma(*)) constants for spin-delocalizations

    PubMed

    Kim; Zhu; Lee

    2000-05-19

    Rate constants (k(Y)) of the isomerizations of 11 diphenyl N-(substituted benzyl) ketenimines were measured at 40, 50, 60, and 70 degrees C. Activation parameters DeltaH()(Y) and DeltaS()(Y) were obtained using the Eyring equation. The relative rates (k(Y)/k(H)) were fitted into Hammett single correlations (log k(Y)/k(H) = rhosigma and log k(Y)/k(H) = rho(*)sigma(*)). The single correlations have been compared with Hammett dual correlations (log k(Y)/k(H) = rhosigma + rho(*)sigma(*) ). Separate treatments of para and meta substituents yielded even better correlations. Para substituents control the rates through spin-delocalizations and inductive effects. The former outweighs the latter when the latter exerts a modest but distinct influence on the rates. On the other hand, inductive effects are the "major" or the sole interactions triggered by meta substituents.

  18. All Aboard the Internet.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Descy, Don E.

    1993-01-01

    This introduction to the Internet with examples for Macintosh computer users demonstrates the ease of using e-mail, participating on discussion group listservs, logging in to remote sites using Telnet, and obtaining resources using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Included are lists of discussion groups, Telnet sites, and FTP Archive sites. (EA)

  19. Techtalk: Telecommunications for Improving Developmental Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caverly, David C.; Broderick, Bill

    1993-01-01

    Explains how to access the Internet, discussing hardware and software considerations, connectivity, and types of access available to users. Describes the uses of electronic mail; TELNET, a method for remotely logging onto another computer; and anonymous File Transfer Protocol (FTP), a method for downloading files from a remote computer. (MAB)

  20. The Internet and Technical Services: A Point Break Approach.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCombs, Gillian M.

    1994-01-01

    Discusses implications of using the Internet for library technical services. Topics addressed include creative uses of the Internet; three basic applications on the Internet, i.e., electronic mail, remote log-in to another computer, and file transfer; electronic processing of information; electronic access to information; and electronic processing…

  1. Use of borehole geophysical logs for improved site characterization at Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant, Dallas, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Anaya, Roberto; Braun, Christopher L.; Kuniansky, Eve L.

    2000-01-01

    A shallow alluvial aquifer at the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant near Dallas, Texas, has been contaminated by organic solvents used in the fabrication and assembly of aircraft and aircraft parts. Natural gamma-ray and electromagnetic-induction log data collected during 1997 from 162 wells were integrated with existing lithologic and cone-penetrometer test log data to improve characterization of the subsurface alluvium at the site. The alluvium, consisting of mostly fine-grained, low-permeability sediments, was classified into low, intermediate, and high clay-content sediments on the basis of the gamma-ray logs. Low clay-content sediments were interpreted as being relatively permeable, whereas high clay-content sediments were interpreted as being relatively impermeable. Gamma-ray logs, cone-penetrometer test logs, and electromagnetic-induction logs were used to develop a series of intersecting sections to delineate the spatial distribution of low, intermediate, and high clay-content sediments and to delineate zones of potentially contaminated sediments. The sections indicate three major sedimentary units in the shallow alluvial aquifer at NWIRP. The lower unit consists of relatively permeable, low clay-content sediments and is absent over the southeastern and northwestern part of the site. Permeable zones in the complex, discontinuous middle unit are present mostly in the western part of the site. In the eastern and southeastern part of the site, the upper unit has been eroded away and replaced by fill material. Zones of potentially contaminated sediments are generally within the uppermost clay layer or fill material. In addition, the zones tend to be local occurrences.

  2. Electromagnetic-induction logging to monitor changing chloride concentrations

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Metzger, Loren F.; Izbicki, John A.

    2013-01-01

    Water from the San Joaquin Delta, having chloride concentrations up to 3590 mg/L, has intruded fresh water aquifers underlying Stockton, California. Changes in chloride concentrations at depth within these aquifers were evaluated using sequential electromagnetic (EM) induction logs collected during 2004 through 2007 at seven multiple-well sites as deep as 268 m. Sequential EM logging is useful for identifying changes in groundwater quality through polyvinyl chloride-cased wells in intervals not screened by wells. These unscreened intervals represent more than 90% of the aquifer at the sites studied. Sequential EM logging suggested degrading groundwater quality in numerous thin intervals, typically between 1 and 7 m in thickness, especially in the northern part of the study area. Some of these intervals were unscreened by wells, and would not have been identified by traditional groundwater sample collection. Sequential logging also identified intervals with improving water quality—possibly due to groundwater management practices that have limited pumping and promoted artificial recharge. EM resistivity was correlated with chloride concentrations in sampled wells and in water from core material. Natural gamma log data were used to account for the effect of aquifer lithology on EM resistivity. Results of this study show that a sequential EM logging is useful for identifying and monitoring the movement of high-chloride water, having lower salinities and chloride concentrations than sea water, in aquifer intervals not screened by wells, and that increases in chloride in water from wells in the area are consistent with high-chloride water originating from the San Joaquin Delta rather than from the underlying saline aquifer.

  3. 46 CFR 310.58 - Service obligation for students executing or reexecuting contracts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... repair; municipal and State port authorities; and port development, marine engineering, and tug and barge... MARAD using the web-based Internet system at https://mscs.marad.dot.gov. Reports may also be mailed to... and Plans by logging into the service obligation contract compliance Web site at http://mscs.marad.dot...

  4. 46 CFR 310.58 - Service obligation for students executing or reexecuting contracts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... repair; municipal and State port authorities; and port development, marine engineering, and tug and barge... MARAD using the web-based Internet system at https://mscs.marad.dot.gov. Reports may also be mailed to... and Plans by logging into the service obligation contract compliance Web site at http://mscs.marad.dot...

  5. 40 CFR 49.24 - Federal Implementation Plan Provisions for Navajo Generating Station, Navajo Nation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... in a log. (f) Reporting and recordkeeping requirements. Unless otherwise stated all requests, reports... shall be submitted to the Director, Navajo Environmental Protection Agency, P.O. Box 339, Window Rock... to the Director, Navajo Environmental Protection Agency, by mail to: P.O. Box 339, Window Rock...

  6. CAMUS: Automatically Mapping Cyber Assets to Mission and Users (PREPRINT)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-10-01

    which machines regularly use a particular mail server. Armed with these basic data sources – LDAP, NetFlow traffic and user logs – fuselets were created... NetFlow traffic used in the demonstration has over ten thousand unique IP Addresses and is over one gigabyte in size. A number of high performance

  7. 30 CFR 250.116 - How do I determine producibility if my well is in the Gulf of Mexico?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ..., REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE... oil or gas. (3) Wireline formation test and/or mud-logging analyses that show that the section is capable of producing oil or gas. (4) A resistivity or induction electric log of the well showing a minimum...

  8. Embracing Tablet Technology in Military Construction

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-06-01

    addition, 3D models can be loaded from websites, Google Docs, e-mail attachments (iPad only) or from iTunes (iPad only). Document Viewer iBlueprint—With...share and store project photos, log time card entries and more. The Procore app can be used on iPhones (OS 3.0 or later), iPads and iPod Touch. 27

  9. 76 FR 24372 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Mispillion River, Milford, DE

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-02

    ... position from 12 a.m. on May 13, 2011 through 11:59 p.m. on July 17, 2011. Logs from the past two years... through Friday, except Federal holidays. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this...-6629, e-mail [email protected] . If you have questions on viewing the docket, call Renee V...

  10. Instant Messaging between Students and Faculty: A Tool for Increasing Student-Faculty Interaction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hickerson, Corey A.; Giglio, Matt

    2009-01-01

    This study explores the pedagogical potential of instant messaging in a communication course. Two instructors made themselves available to students via instant messaging as a supplement to other modes of communication (e.g., e-mail, office hours). In order to gauge students' reactions to and use of the technology, the researchers kept logs of…

  11. 40 CFR 49.24 - Federal Implementation Plan Provisions for Navajo Generating Station, Navajo Nation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... observations, and any corrective actions taken shall be noted in a log. (f) Reporting and recordkeeping... Environmental Protection Agency, P.O. Box 339, Window Rock, Arizona 86515, (928) 871 -7692, (928) 871-7996... Protection Agency, by mail to: P.O. Box 339, Window Rock, Arizona 86515, or by facsimile to: (928) 871-7996...

  12. A profile of Pennsylvania's hardwood sawmill industry

    Treesearch

    Paul M. Smith; Sudipta Dasmohapatra; William G. Luppold

    2004-01-01

    A mail survey of all identified hardwood sawmills in Pennsylvania was conducted in the fall of 2000 to better understand firm size, species used, origin of logs, processing technology employed, the hardwood lumber grades produced, and the value-added features performed by these sawmills in 1999. An adjusted response rate of 31 percent was obtained for the study's...

  13. Wister, CA Downhole and Seismic Data

    DOE Data Explorer

    Akerley, John

    2010-12-18

    This submission contains Downhole geophysical logs associated with Wister, CA Wells 12-27 and 85-20. The logs include Spontaneous Potential (SP), HILT Caliper (HCAL), Gamma Ray (GR), Array Induction (AIT), and Neutron Porosity (NPOR) data. Also included are a well log, Injection Test, Pressure Temperature Spinner log, shut in temperature survey, a final well schematic, and files about the well's location and drilling history. This submission also contains data from a three-dimensional (3D) multi-component (3C) seismic reflection survey on the Wister Geothermal prospect area in the northern portion of the Imperial Valley, California. The Wister seismic survey area was 13.2 square miles. (Resistivity image logs (Schlumberger FMI) in 85-20 indicate that maximum horizontal stress (Shmax) is oriented NNE but that open fractures are oriented suboptimally).

  14. Hydrostatigraphic characterization of coastal aquifer by geophysical log analysis, Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Morin, Roger H.; Urish, Daniel W.

    1995-01-01

    The Cape Cod National Seashore comprises part of Provincetown, Massachusetts, which lies at the northern tip of Cape Cod. The hydrologic regime in this area consists of unconsolidated sand-and-gravel deposits that constitute a highly permeable aquifer within which is a freshwater lens floating on denser sea water. A network of wells was installed into this aquifer to monitor a leachate plume emanating from the Provincetown landfill. Wells were located along orthogonal transects perpendicular to and parallel to the general groundwater flow path from the landfill to the seashore approximately 1,000 m to the southeast. Temperature, epithermal neutron, natural gamma. and electronmagnetic induction logs were obtained in five wells to depths ranging from 23 to 37 m. These logs identify the primary contamination and show that its movement is controlled by and confined within a dominant hydrostratigraphic unit about 2 to 5 m thick that exhibits low porosity, large representative grain size, and high relative permeability. A relation is also found between the temperaturegradient logs and water quality, with the gradient traces serving as effective delineators of the contaminant plume in wells nearest the landfill. Contamination is not detectable in the well nearest the seashore and farthest from the landfill, and the induction log from this well clearly identifies the freshwater/seawater transition zone at a depth of about 18 m. The geophysical logs provide fundamental information concerning the spatial distribution of aquifer properties near the landfill and lend valuable insight into how these properties influence the migration of the leachate plume to the sea.

  15. Geophysical, stratigraphic, and flow-zone logs of selected test, monitor, and water-supply wells in Cayuga County, New York

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Anderson, J. Alton; Williams, John H.; Eckhardt, David A.V.; Miller, Todd S.

    2003-01-01

    Volatile-organic compounds have been detected in water sampled from more than 50 supply wells between the City of Auburn and Village of Union Springs in Cayuga County, New York, and the area was declared a Superfund site in 2002. In 2001-04, geophysical logs were collected from 37 test, monitor, and water-supply wells as a preliminary part of the investigation of volatile-organic compound contamination in the carbonate-bedrock aquifer system. The geophysical logs included gamma, induction, caliper, wellbore image, deviation, fluid resistivity and temperature, and flowmeter. The geophysical logs were analyzed along with core samples and outcrops of the bedrock to define the stratigraphic units and flow zones penetrated by the wells. This report describes the logging methods used in the study and presents the geophysical, stratigraphic, and flow-zone logs.

  16. On coincident loop transient electromagnetic induction logging

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

    Swidinsky, Andrei; Weiss, Chester J.

    Coincident loop transient induction wireline logging is examined as the borehole analog of the well-known land and airborne time-domain electromagnetic (EM) method. The concept of whole-space late-time apparent resistivity is modified from the half-space version commonly used in land and airborne geophysics and applied to the coincident loop voltages produced from various formation, borehole, and invasion models. Given typical tool diameters, off-time measurements with such an instrument must be made on the order of nanoseconds to microseconds — much more rapidly than for surface methods. Departure curves of the apparent resistivity for thin beds, calculated using an algorithm developed tomore » model the transient response of a loop in a multilayered earth, indicate that the depth of investigation scales with the bed thickness. Modeled resistivity logs are comparable in accuracy and resolution with standard frequency-domain focused induction logs. However, if measurement times are longer than a few microseconds, the thicknesses of conductors can be overestimated, whereas resistors are underestimated. Thin-bed resolution characteristics are explained by visualizing snapshots of the EM fields in the formation, where a conductor traps the electric field while two current maxima are produced in the shoulder beds surrounding a resistor. Radial profiling is studied using a concentric cylinder earth model. Results found that true formation resistivity can be determined in the presence of either oil- or water-based mud, although in the latter case, measurements must be taken several orders of magnitude later in time. Lastly, the ability to determine true formation resistivity is governed by the degree that the EM field heals after being distorted by borehole fluid and invasion, a process visualized and particularly evident in the case of conductive water-based mud.« less

  17. On coincident loop transient electromagnetic induction logging

    DOE PAGES

    Swidinsky, Andrei; Weiss, Chester J.

    2017-05-31

    Coincident loop transient induction wireline logging is examined as the borehole analog of the well-known land and airborne time-domain electromagnetic (EM) method. The concept of whole-space late-time apparent resistivity is modified from the half-space version commonly used in land and airborne geophysics and applied to the coincident loop voltages produced from various formation, borehole, and invasion models. Given typical tool diameters, off-time measurements with such an instrument must be made on the order of nanoseconds to microseconds — much more rapidly than for surface methods. Departure curves of the apparent resistivity for thin beds, calculated using an algorithm developed tomore » model the transient response of a loop in a multilayered earth, indicate that the depth of investigation scales with the bed thickness. Modeled resistivity logs are comparable in accuracy and resolution with standard frequency-domain focused induction logs. However, if measurement times are longer than a few microseconds, the thicknesses of conductors can be overestimated, whereas resistors are underestimated. Thin-bed resolution characteristics are explained by visualizing snapshots of the EM fields in the formation, where a conductor traps the electric field while two current maxima are produced in the shoulder beds surrounding a resistor. Radial profiling is studied using a concentric cylinder earth model. Results found that true formation resistivity can be determined in the presence of either oil- or water-based mud, although in the latter case, measurements must be taken several orders of magnitude later in time. Lastly, the ability to determine true formation resistivity is governed by the degree that the EM field heals after being distorted by borehole fluid and invasion, a process visualized and particularly evident in the case of conductive water-based mud.« less

  18. Browser-Based Online Applications: Something for Everyone!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Descy, Don E.

    2007-01-01

    Just as many people log onto a Web mail site (Gmail, Yahoo, MSN, etc.) to read, write and store their email, there are Web sites out there with word processing, database, and a myriad of other software applications that are not downloadable but used on the site through a Web browser. The user does not have to download the applications to a…

  19. Event Driven Messaging with Role-Based Subscriptions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bui, Tung; Bui, Bach; Malhotra, Shantanu; Chen, Fannie; Kim, rachel; Allen, Christopher; Luong, Ivy; Chang, George; Zendejas, Silvino; Sadaqathulla, Syed

    2009-01-01

    Event Driven Messaging with Role-Based Subscriptions (EDM-RBS) is a framework integrated into the Service Management Database (SMDB) to allow for role-based and subscription-based delivery of synchronous and asynchronous messages over JMS (Java Messaging Service), SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), or SMS (Short Messaging Service). This allows for 24/7 operation with users in all parts of the world. The software classifies messages by triggering data type, application source, owner of data triggering event (mission), classification, sub-classification and various other secondary classifying tags. Messages are routed to applications or users based on subscription rules using a combination of the above message attributes. This program provides a framework for identifying connected users and their applications for targeted delivery of messages over JMS to the client applications the user is logged into. EDMRBS provides the ability to send notifications over e-mail or pager rather than having to rely on a live human to do it. It is implemented as an Oracle application that uses Oracle relational database management system intrinsic functions. It is configurable to use Oracle AQ JMS API or an external JMS provider for messaging. It fully integrates into the event-logging framework of SMDB (Subnet Management Database).

  20. The influence of topology on hydraulic conductivity in a sand-and-gravel aquifer.

    PubMed

    Morin, Roger H; LeBlanc, Denis R; Troutman, Brent M

    2010-01-01

    A field experiment consisting of geophysical logging and tracer testing was conducted in a single well that penetrated a sand-and-gravel aquifer at the U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology research site on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Geophysical logs and flowmeter/pumping measurements were obtained to estimate vertical profiles of porosity phi, hydraulic conductivity K, temperature, and bulk electrical conductivity under background, freshwater conditions. Saline-tracer fluid was then injected into the well for 2 h and its radial migration into the surrounding deposits was monitored by recording an electromagnetic-induction log every 10 min. The field data are analyzed and interpreted primarily through the use of Archie's (1942) law to investigate the role of topological factors such as pore geometry and connectivity, and grain size and packing configuration in regulating fluid flow through these coarse-grained materials. The logs reveal no significant correlation between K and phi, and imply that groundwater models that link these two properties may not be useful at this site. Rather, it is the distribution and connectivity of the fluid phase as defined by formation factor F, cementation index m, and tortuosity alpha that primarily control the hydraulic conductivity. Results show that F correlates well with K, thereby indicating that induction logs provide qualitative information on the distribution of hydraulic conductivity. A comparison of alpha, which incorporates porosity data, with K produces only a slightly better correlation and further emphasizes the weak influence of the bulk value of varphi on K.

  1. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Resident Use of iPad Mini Mobile Devices.

    PubMed

    Niehaus, William; Boimbo, Sandra; Akuthota, Venu

    2015-05-01

    Previous research on the use of tablet devices in residency programs has been undertaken in radiology and medicine or with standard-sized tablet devices. With new, smaller tablet devices, there is an opportunity to assess their effect on resident behavior. This prospective study attempts to evaluate resident behavior after receiving a smaller tablet device. To evaluate whether smaller tablet computers facilitate residents' daily tasks. Prospective study that administered surveys to evaluate tablet computer use. Residency program. Thirteen physical medicine and rehabilitation residents. Residents were provided 16-GB iPad Minis and surveyed with Redcap to collect usage information at baseline, 3, and 6 months. Survey analysis was conducted using SAS (SAS, Cary, NC) for descriptive analysis. To evaluate multiple areas of resident education, the following tasks were selected: accessing e-mail, logging duty hours, logging procedures, researching clinical information, accessing medical journals, reviewing didactic presentations, and completing evaluations. Then, measurements were taken of: (1) residents' response to how tablet computers made it easier to access the aforementioned tasks; and (2) residents' response to how tablet computers affected the frequency they performed the aforementioned tasks. After being provided tablet computers, our physical medicine and rehabilitation residents reported significantly greater access to e-mail, medical journals, and didactic material. Also, receiving tablet computers was reported to increase the frequency that residents accessed e-mail, researched clinical information, accessed medical journals, reviewed didactic presentations, and completed evaluations. After receiving a tablet computer, residents reported an increase in the use of calendar programs, note-taking programs, PDF readers, online storage programs, and file organization programs. These physical medicine and rehabilitation residents reported tablet computers increased access to e-mail, presentation material, and medical journals. Tablet computers also were reported to increase the frequency residents were able to complete tasks associated with residency training. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Data for four geologic test holes in the Sacramento Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Berkstresser, C.F.; French, J.J.; Schaal, M.E.

    1985-01-01

    The report provides geological and geophysical data for four of seven test holes drilled as a part of the Central Valley Aquifer Project, which is part of the Regional Aquifer Systems Analysis. The holes were drilled with a rotary well drilling machine to depths of 900 feet in the southwestern part of the Sacramento Valley in Solano and Yolo Counties. Geologic data for each well include lithology, texture, color, character of the contact, sorting, rounding, and cementation, determined from cuttings, cores, and sidewall covers. Fifty cores, 3 feet long, were obtained from each hole, and from eight to fourteen sidewall cores were collected. Geophysical data include a dual-induction log, spherically focused log (SFL), compensated neutron-formation density log, gamma-ray log, and a caliper log. These data are presented in four tables and on four plates. (USGS)

  3. 75 FR 31288 - Plant-Verified Drop Shipment (PVDS)-Nonpostal Documentation

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-03

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 111 Plant-Verified Drop Shipment (PVDS)--Nonpostal Documentation AGENCY... 8125, Plant-Verified Drop Shipment (PVDS) Verification and Clearance, is the sole source of evidence... induction points of plant-verified drop shipment mailings, the Postal Service is adopting this final rule to...

  4. Wilderness experience in Rocky Mountain National Park 2002: Report to RMNP

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schuster, Elke; Johnson, S. Shea; Taylor, Jonathan G.

    2004-01-01

    The social science technique of Visitor Employed Photography [VEP] was used to obtain information from visitors about wilderness experiences. Visitors were selected at random from Park-designated wilderness trails, in proportion to their use, and asked to participate in the survey. Respondents were given single-use, 10-exposure cameras and photo-log diaries to record experiences. A total of 293 cameras were distributed, with a response rate of 87%. Following the development of the photos, a copy of the photos, two pertinent pages from the photo-log, and a follow-up survey were mailed to respondents. Fifty six percent of the follow-up surveys were returned. Findings from the two surveys were analyzed and compared.

  5. Managing Perception: A Twenty-First Century Imperative

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-02-13

    computer users not logged on, insurgents have distributed CDs and DVDs. This material, enhanced with video , soundtracks, and professional editing...news, and bloggers, and e-mails, and digital cameras, and Sony video cams, and all of these things that bring so much information near instantaneously...December 2005. 10 Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press, “Pentagon Describes Iraq Propaganda Plan,” Miami Herald, 4 December 2005, [article on-line

  6. The thermal maturation degree of organic matter from source rocks revealed by wells logs including examples from Murzuk Basin, Libya

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

    Negoita, V.; Gheorghe, A.

    1995-08-01

    The customary technique used to know the organic matter quantity per rock volume it as well as the organic matter maturation stage is based on geochemical analyses accomplished on a preselected number of samples and cuttings drawn from boreholes during the drilling period. But the same objectives can be approached without any extra cost using the continuous measurements of well logs recorded in each well from the ground surface to the total depth. During the diagenetic stage, the identification of potential source rocks out of which no hydrocarbon have been generated may be carried out using a well logging suitemore » including Gamma Ray Spectrometry, the Compensated Neutron/Litho Density combination and a Dual Induction/Sonic Log. During the catagenetic stage the onset of oil generation brings some important changes in the organic matter structure as well as in the fluid distribution throughout the pore space of source rocks. The replacement of electric conductive water by electric non-conductive hydrocarbons, together with water and oil being expelled from source rocks represent a process of different intensities dependent of time/temperature geohistory and kerogen type. The different generation and expulsion scenarios of hydrocarbons taking place during the catagenetic and metagenetic stages of source rocks are very well revealed by Induction and Laterolog investigations. Several crossplots relating vitrinite reflectance, total organic carbon and log-derived physical parameters are illustrated and discussed. The field applications are coming from Murzuk Basin, where Rompetrol of Libya is operating.« less

  7. The influence of topology on hydraulic conductivity in a sand-and-gravel aquifer

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Morin, Roger H.; LeBlanc, Denis R.; Troutman, Brent M.

    2010-01-01

    A field experiment consisting of geophysical logging and tracer testing was conducted in a single well that penetrated a sand-and-gravel aquifer at the U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology research site on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Geophysical logs and flowmeter/pumping measurements were obtained to estimate vertical profiles of porosity ϕ, hydraulic conductivity K, temperature, and bulk electrical conductivity under background, freshwater conditions. Saline-tracer fluid was then injected into the well for 2 h and its radial migration into the surrounding deposits was monitored by recording an electromagnetic-induction log every 10 min. The field data are analyzed and interpreted primarily through the use of Archie's (1942) law to investigate the role of topological factors such as pore geometry and connectivity, and grain size and packing configuration in regulating fluid flow through these coarse-grained materials. The logs reveal no significant correlation between K and ϕ, and imply that groundwater models that link these two properties may not be useful at this site. Rather, it is the distribution and connectivity of the fluid phase as defined by formation factor F, cementation index m, and tortuosity α that primarily control the hydraulic conductivity. Results show that F correlates well with K, thereby indicating that induction logs provide qualitative information on the distribution of hydraulic conductivity. A comparison of α, which incorporates porosity data, with K produces only a slightly better correlation and further emphasizes the weak influence of the bulk value of ϕ on K.

  8. The influence of topology on hydraulic conductivity in a sand-and-gravel aquifer

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Morin, R.H.; LeBlanc, D.R.; Troutman, B.M.

    2010-01-01

    A field experiment consisting of geophysical logging and tracer testing was conducted in a single well that penetrated a sand-and-gravel aquifer at the U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology research site on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Geophysical logs and flowmeter/pumping measurements were obtained to estimate vertical profiles of porosity ??, hydraulic conductivity K, temperature, and bulk electrical conductivity under background, freshwater conditions. Saline-tracer fluid was then injected into the well for 2 h and its radial migration into the surrounding deposits was monitored by recording an electromagnetic-induction log every 10 min. The field data are analyzed and interpreted primarily through the use of Archie's (1942) law to investigate the role of topological factors such as pore geometry and connectivity, and grain size and packing configuration in regulating fluid flow through these coarse-grained materials. The logs reveal no significant correlation between K and ??, and imply that groundwater models that link these two properties may not be useful at this site. Rather, it is the distribution and connectivity of the fluid phase as defined by formation factor F, cementation index m, and tortuosity ?? that primarily control the hydraulic conductivity. Results show that F correlates well with K, thereby indicating that induction logs provide qualitative information on the distribution of hydraulic conductivity. A comparison of ??, which incorporates porosity data, with K produces only a slightly better correlation and further emphasizes the weak influence of the bulk value of ?? on K. Copyright ?? 2009 The Author(s) are Federal Government Employees. Journal compilation ?? 2009 National Ground Water Association.

  9. Response simulation and theoretical calibration of a dual-induction resistivity LWD tool

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Wei; Ke, Shi-Zhen; Li, An-Zong; Chen, Peng; Zhu, Jun; Zhang, Wei

    2014-03-01

    In this paper, responses of a new dual-induction resistivity logging-while-drilling (LWD) tool in 3D inhomogeneous formation models are simulated by the vector finite element method (VFEM), the influences of the borehole, invaded zone, surrounding strata, and tool eccentricity are analyzed, and calibration loop parameters and calibration coefficients of the LWD tool are discussed. The results show that the tool has a greater depth of investigation than that of the existing electromagnetic propagation LWD tools and is more sensitive to azimuthal conductivity. Both deep and medium induction responses have linear relationships with the formation conductivity, considering optimal calibration loop parameters and calibration coefficients. Due to the different depths of investigation and resolution, deep induction and medium induction are affected differently by the formation model parameters, thereby having different correction factors. The simulation results can provide theoretical references for the research and interpretation of the dual-induction resistivity LWD tools.

  10. REPHLEX II: An information management system for the ARS Water Data Base

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thurman, Jane L.

    1993-08-01

    The REPHLEX II computer system is an on-line information management system which allows scientists, engineers, and other researchers to retrieve data from the ARS Water Data Base using asynchronous communications. The system features two phone lines handling baud rates from 300 to 2400, customized menus to facilitate browsing, help screens, direct access to information and data files, electronic mail processing, file transfers using the XMODEM protocol, and log-in procedures which capture information on new users, process passwords, and log activity for a permanent audit trail. The primary data base on the REPHLEX II system is the ARS Water Data Base which consists of rainfall and runoff data from experimental agricultural watersheds located in the United States.

  11. Technical data on new engineering products

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1985-02-01

    New grades of permanently magnetic materials; automatic digital radiolocator; bench winder; analog induction gauge; programmable pulse generator; portable defibrillators; pipe welders; two-component electromagnetic log; sulphur content analyzer; peristaltic pumps; function generators; welding manipulator; and tonsiometer are described.

  12. Bias in ground-water data caused by well-bore flow in long-screen wells

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Church, P.E.; Granato, G.E.

    1996-01-01

    The results of a field experiment comparing water-quality constituents, specific conductance, geophysical measurements, and well-bore hydraulics in two long-screen wells and adjacent vertical clusters of short-screen wells show bias in ground-water data caused by well-bore flow in long-screen wells. The well screen acts as a conduit for vertical flow because it connects zones of different head and transmissivity, even in a relatively homogeneous, unconfined, sand and gravel aquifer where such zones are almost indistinguishable. Flow in the well bore redistributes water and solutes in the aquifer adjacent to the well, increasing the risk of bias in water-quality samples, failure of plume detection, and cross-contamination of the aquifer. At one site, downward flow from a contaminated zone redistributes solutes over the entire length of the long-screen well. At another site, upward flow from an uncontaminated zone masks the presence of road salt plume. Borehole induction logs, conducted in a fully penetrating short-screen well, can provide a profile of solutes in the aquifer that is not attainable in long-screen wells. In this study, the induction-log profiles show close correlation with data from analyses of water-quality samples from the short-screen wells; however, both of these data sets differ markedly from the biased water-quality samples from the long-screen wells. Therefore, use of induction logs in fully cased wells for plume detection and accurate placement of short-screen wells is a viable alternative to use of long screen wells for water-quality sampling.

  13. Induction logging device

    DOEpatents

    Koelle, A.R.; Landt, J.A.

    An instrument is disclosed for mapping vertical conductive fractures in a resistive bedrock, magnetically inducing eddy currents by a pair of vertically oriented, mutually perpendicular, coplanar coils. The eddy currents drive magnetic fields which are picked up by a second, similar pair of coils.

  14. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA Quantitation in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid From Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients With CMV Pneumonia.

    PubMed

    Boeckh, Michael; Stevens-Ayers, Terry; Travi, Giovanna; Huang, Meei-Li; Cheng, Guang-Shing; Xie, Hu; Leisenring, Wendy; Erard, Veronique; Seo, Sachiko; Kimball, Louise; Corey, Lawrence; Pergam, Steven A; Jerome, Keith R

    2017-05-15

    Quantitative cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis is widely used as a surveillance method for hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) recipients. However, no CMV DNA threshold exists in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) to differentiate pneumonia from pulmonary shedding. We tested archived BAL fluid samples from 132 HCT recipients with CMV pneumonia and 139 controls (100 patients with non-CMV pneumonia, 18 with idiopathic pneumonia syndrome [IPS], and 21 who were asymptomatic) by quantitative CMV and β-globin DNA-specific PCR. Patients with CMV pneumonia had higher median viral loads (3.9 log10 IU/mL; interquartile range [IQR], 2.6-6.0 log10 IU/mL) than controls (0 log10 IU/mL [IQR, 0-1.6 log10 IU/mL] for patients with non-CMV pneumonia, 0 log10 IU/mL [IQR, 0-1.6 log10 IU/mL] for patients with IPS, and 1.63 log10 IU/mL [IQR, 0-2.5 log10 IU/mL] for patients who were asymptomatic; P < .001 for all comparisons to patients with CMV pneumonia). Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses and predictive models identified a cutoff CMV DNA level of 500 IU/mL to differentiate between CMV pneumonia and pulmonary shedding, using current CMV pneumonia prevalence figures. However, different levels may be appropriate in settings of very high or low CMV pneumonia prevalence. The presence of pulmonary copathogens, radiographic presentation, or pulmonary hemorrhage did not alter predictive values. CMV DNA load in BAL can be used to differentiate CMV pneumonia from pulmonary shedding. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  15. Monitoring InBaskets With Feedback to Providers Enhances the Timeliness of Patient Care.

    PubMed

    Trant, Amelia A; Strait, Michael; Kaplan, Rory; Dest, Vanna; Roshka, Adam; Lyons, Catherine A; Vest, Kevin A; Steffen, Tessa; Chiang, Anne; Adelson, Kerin B

    2018-05-01

    Electronic health records have changed providers' workflow. Epic's InBasket supplants traditional communication and is a central hub for clinical information. Failure to promptly complete records impairs communication and revenue collection. By tracking providers' InBasket activities and offering feedback, we hoped to improve InBasket management and interdisciplinary communication. We created a report to track 273 providers' InBasket activities, including ambulatory transcriptions, chart cosignatures, order cosignatures, patient calls, results, and billable encounters. The report showed how often and for how long each activity was delinquent. We completed three Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles. During cycle 1 (November to December 2015), we sent all providers automated e-mails with their monthly results. During cycle 2 (January to April 2016), we focused solely on billable encounter closure and sent targeted e-mails to providers with > 50 delinquent encounters. The e-mails stated that providers had 30 days to complete encounters or their practices would be closed to new patients; at 30 days, noncompliant providers had 60 days before practice suspension. During cycle 3 (May to September 2016), we continued to monitor and send targeted e-mails to providers who accumulated > 50 encounters. We modeled the financial impact of the intervention using net closure data, the report's aging function, and billing logs. InBasket monitoring with structured feedback decreased open encounters by 53.43%. We did not see improvements in the other metrics that the report tracked. We estimate that $231,724 was saved as a result of the intervention and $349,179 was lost to filing deadlines. Automated e-mails did not reduce open encounters; targeted e-mails to providers improved InBasket management.

  16. Detailed evaluation of gas hydrate reservoir properties using JAPEX/JNOC/GSC Mallik 2L-38 gas hydrate research well downhole well-log displays

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Collett, T.S.

    1999-01-01

    The JAPEX/JNOC/GSC Mallik 2L-38 gas hydrate research well project was designed to investigate the occurrence of in situ natural gas hydrate in the Mallik area of the Mackenzie Delta of Canada. Because gas hydrate is unstable at surface pressure and temperature conditions, a major emphasis was placed on the downhole logging program to determine the in situ physical properties of the gas-hydrate-bearing sediments. Downhole logging tool strings deployed in the Mallik 2L-38 well included the Schlumberger Platform Express with a high resolution laterolog, Array Induction Imager Tool, Dipole Shear Sonic Imager, and a Fullbore Formation Microlmager. The downhole log data obtained from the log- and core-inferred gas-hydrate-bearing sedimentary interval (897.25-1109.5 m log depth) in the Mallik 2L-38 well is depicted in a series of well displays. Also shown are numerous reservoir parameters, including gas hydrate saturation and sediment porosity log traces, calculated from available downhole well-log and core data. The gas hydrate accumulation delineated by the Mallik 2L-38 well has been determined to contain as much as 4.15109 m3 of gas in the 1 km2 area surrounding the drill site.

  17. A Luciferase Reporter Gene Assay to Measure Ebola Virus Viral Protein 35-Associated Inhibition of Double-Stranded RNA-Stimulated, Retinoic Acid-Inducible Gene 1-Mediated Induction of Interferon β.

    PubMed

    Cannas, Valeria; Daino, Gian Luca; Corona, Angela; Esposito, Francesca; Tramontano, Enzo

    2015-10-01

    During Ebola virus (EBOV) infection, the type I interferon α/β (IFN-α/β) innate immune response is suppressed by EBOV viral protein 35 (VP35), a validated drug target. Identification of EBOV VP35 inhibitors requires a cellular system able to assess the VP35-based inhibitory functions of viral double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) IFN-β induction. We established a miniaturized luciferase gene reporter assay in A549 cells that measures IFN-β induction by viral dsRNA and is dose-dependently inhibited by VP35 expression. When compared to influenza A virus NS1 protein, EBOV VP35 showed improved inhibition of viral dsRNA-based IFN-β induction. This assay can be used to screen for EBOV VP35 inhibitors. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. The Impact of Western Criticisms of Japanese Rhetorical Approaches on Learners of Japanese

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKinley, Jim

    2014-01-01

    For learners of Japanese, a conundrum arises at university level as they are expected to be able to shift between direct and indirect language in various writing tasks. The apparent indirectness in inductive language is required of regular writing tasks such as response essays and e-mails, while the directness of deductive academic writing, a…

  19. Uptake and adherence of a self-directed internet-based mental health intervention with tailored e-mail reminders in senior high schools in Norway.

    PubMed

    Lillevoll, Kjersti R; Vangberg, Hans Christian B; Griffiths, Kathleen M; Waterloo, Knut; Eisemann, Martin R

    2014-01-21

    Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) is a promising approach to the prevention and reduction of depressive symptoms among adolescents. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of disseminating a self-directed internet-based mental health intervention (MoodGYM) in senior high schools. It also sought to investigate possible effects of tailored and weekly e-mail reminders on initial uptake and adherence to the intervention. A baseline survey was conducted in four senior high schools in two Norwegian municipalities (n = 1337). 52.8% (707/1337) of the students consented to further participation in the trial and were randomly allocated to one of three MoodGYM intervention groups (tailored weekly e-mail reminder (n = 175), standardized weekly e-mail reminder (n = 176 ) or no e-mail reminder (n = 175)) or a waitlist control group (n = 180). We tested for effects of the intervention on depression and self-esteem using multivariate analysis of variance, effects of tailored e-mail and self-reported current need of help on initial uptake of the intervention using logistic regression and the effect of weekly e-mails on adherence using ordinal regression. There was substantial non-participation from the intervention, with only 8.5% (45/527) participants logging on to MoodGYM, and few proceeding beyond the first part of the programme. No significant effect on depression or self-esteem was found among the sample as a whole or among participants with elevated depression scores at baseline. Having a higher average grade in senior high school predicted initial uptake of the intervention, but tailored e-mail and self-reported current need of help did not. Weekly e-mail prompts did not predict adherence. The main reasons for non-use reported were lack of time/forgetting about it and doubt about the usefulness of the program. Overall, disseminating a self-directed internet-based intervention to a school population proved difficult despite steps taken to reduce barriers in terms of tailoring feedback and dispatching weekly e-mail reminders. Providing mental health interventions within the school environment is likely to ensure better uptake among senior high school students, but there is a need to effectively communicate that such programmes can be helpful. The trial was registered retrospectively as ACTRN12612001106820.

  20. Comparative molecular field analysis to derive pharmacophore maps for induction doses of intravenous anaesthetic agents.

    PubMed

    Sear, J W

    2011-03-01

    The present study examines the molecular basis of induction of anaesthesia by i.v. hypnotic agents using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA). ED(50) induction doses for 14 i.v. anaesthetics in human subjects (expressed as molar dose per kilogram body weight) were obtained from the literature. Immobilizing potency data for the same 14 agents (expressed as the EC(50) plasma free drug concentrations that abolish movement in response to a noxious stimulus in 50% patients) were taken from our previous publication. These data were used to form CoMFA models for the two aspects of anaesthetic activity. Molecular alignment was achieved by field-fit minimization techniques. The lead structure for both models was eltanolone. The final CoMFA model for the ED(50) induction dose was based on two latent variables, and explained 99.3% of the variance in observed activities. It showed good intrinsic predictability (cross-validated q(2)=0.849). The equivalent model for immobilizing activity was also based on two latent variables, with r(2)=0.988 and q(2)=0.852. Although there was a correlation between -log ED(50) and -log EC(50) (r(2)=0.779), comparison of the pharmacophore maps showed poor correlation for both electrostatic and steric regions when isocontours were constructed by linking lattice grid points, making the greatest 40% contributions; the relative contributions of electrostatic and steric interactions differing between the models (induction dose: 2.5:1; immobilizing activity 1.8:1). Comparison of two CoMFA activity models shows only small elements of commonality, suggesting that different molecular features may be responsible for these two properties of i.v. anaesthetics.

  1. VALORATE: fast and accurate log-rank test in balanced and unbalanced comparisons of survival curves and cancer genomics.

    PubMed

    Treviño, Victor; Tamez-Pena, Jose

    2017-06-15

    The association of genomic alterations to outcomes in cancer is affected by a problem of unbalanced groups generated by the low frequency of alterations. For this, an R package (VALORATE) that estimates the null distribution and the P -value of the log-rank based on a recent reformulation is presented. For a given number of alterations that define the size of survival groups, the log-rank density is estimated by a weighted sum of conditional distributions depending on a co-occurrence term of mutations and events. The estimations are accurately accelerated by sampling across co-occurrences allowing the analysis of large genomic datasets in few minutes. In conclusion, the proposed VALORATE R package is a valuable tool for survival analysis. The R package is available in CRAN at https://cran.r-project.org and in http://bioinformatica.mty.itesm.mx/valorateR . vtrevino@itesm.mx. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

  2. Induction logging device with a pair of mutually perpendicular bucking coils

    DOEpatents

    Koelle, Alfred R.; Landt, Jeremy A.

    1981-01-01

    An instrument is disclosed for mapping vertical conductive fractures in a resistive bedrock, magnetically inducing eddy currents by a pair of vertically oriented, mutually perpendicular, coplanar coils. The eddy currents drive magnetic fields which are picked up by a second, similar pair of coils.

  3. Non-contact electromagnetic induction heating for eradicating bacteria and yeasts on biomaterials and possible relevance to orthopaedic implant infections: In vitro findings.

    PubMed

    Pijls, B G; Sanders, I M J G; Kuijper, E J; Nelissen, R G H H

    2017-05-01

    Infection of implants is a major problem in elective and trauma surgery. Heating is an effective way to reduce the bacterial load in food preparation, and studies on hyperthermia treatment for cancer have shown that it is possible to heat metal objects with pulsed electromagnetic fields selectively (PEMF), also known as induction heating. We therefore set out to answer the following research question: is non-contact induction heating of metallic implants effective in reducing bacterial load in vitro ? Titanium alloy cylinders (Ti6Al4V) were exposed to PEMF from an induction heater with maximum 2000 watts at 27 kHz after being contaminated with five different types of micro-organisms: Staphylococcus epidermidis; Staphylococcus aureus; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; spore-forming Bacillus cereus; and yeast Candida albicans . The cylinders were exposed to incremental target temperatures (35°C, 45°C, 50°C, 55°C, 60°C, 65°C, 70°C) for up to 3.5 minutes. There was an average linear heating rate of 0.39°C per second up to the target temperature, and thereafter the target temperature was maintained until the end of the experiment. At 60°C and higher (duration 3.5 minutes), there was a 6-log reduction or higher for every micro-organism tested. At 60°C, we found that the shortest duration of effective induction heating was 1.5 minutes. This resulted in a 5-log reduction or higher for every micro-organism tested. Non-contact induction heating of a titanium disk is effective in reducing bacterial load in vitro . These promising results can be further explored as a new treatment modality for infections of metal orthopaedic implants. Cite this article : B. G. Pijls, I. M. J. G. Sanders, E. J. Kuijper, R. G. H. H. Nelissen. Non-contact electromagnetic induction heating for eradicating bacteria and yeasts on biomaterials and possible relevance to orthopaedic implant infections: In vitro findings. Bone Joint Res 2017;6:323-330. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.65.BJR-2016-0308.R1. © 2017 Pijls et al.

  4. Preliminary report on geophysical well-logging activity on the Salton Sea Scientific Drilling Project, Imperial Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Paillet, Frederick L.; Morin, R.H.; Hodges, H.E.

    1986-01-01

    The Salton Sea Scientific Drilling Project has culminated in a 10,564-ft deep test well, State 2-14 well, in the Imperial Valley of southern California. A comprehensive scientific program of drilling, coring, and downhole measurements, which was conducted for about 5 months, has obtained much scientific information concerning the physical and chemical processes associated with an active hydrothermal system. This report primarily focuses on the geophysical logging activities at the State 2-14 well and provides early dissemination of geophysical data to other investigators working on complementary studies. Geophysical-log data were obtained by a commercial logging company and by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Most of the commercial logs were obtained during three visits to the site; only one commercial log was obtained below a depth of 6,000 ft. The commercial logs obtained were dual induction, natural gamma, compensated neutron formation density, caliper and sonic. The USGS logging effort consisted of four primary periods, with many logs extending below a depth of 6,000 ft. The USGS logs obtained were temperature, caliper, natural gamma, gamma spectral, epithermal neutron, acoustic velocity, full-waveform, and acoustic televiewer. Various problems occurred throughout the drilling phase of the Salton Sea Scientific Drilling Project that made successful logging difficult: (1) borehole constrictions, possibly resulting from mud coagulation, (2) maximum temperatures of about 300 C, and (3) borehole conditions unfavorable for logging because of numerous zones of fluid loss, cement plugs, and damage caused by repeated trips in and out of the hole. These factors hampered and compromised logging quality at several open-hole intervals. The quality of the logs was dependent on the degree of probe sophistication and sensitivity to borehole-wall conditions. Digitized logs presented were processed on site and are presented in increments of 1,000 ft. A summary of the numerous factors that may be relevant to this interpretation also is presented. (Lantz-PTT)

  5. Delineation of salt water intrusion through use of electromagnetic-induction logging: A case study in Southern Manhattan Island, New York

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stumm, Frederick; Como, Michael D.

    2017-01-01

    Groundwater with chloride concentrations up to 15,000 mg/L has intruded the freshwater aquifer underlying southern Manhattan Island, New York. Historical (1940–1950) chloride concentration data of glacial aquifer wells in the study area indicate the presence of four wedges of saltwater intrusion that may have been caused by industrial pumpage. The limited recharge capability of the aquifer, due to impervious surfaces and the 22.7 million liters per day (mld) of reported industrial pumpage early in the 20th Century was probably the cause for the saltwater intrusion and the persistence of the historical saltwater intrusion wedges over time. Recent drilling of wells provided new information on the hydrogeology and extent of saltwater intrusion of the glacial aquifer overlying bedrock. The new observation wells provided ground-water level, chloride concentration, hydraulic conductivity, and borehole geophysical data of the glacial aquifer. The glacial sediments range in thickness from less than 0.3 m to more than 76.2 m within the study area. A linear relation between Electromagnetic-induction (EM) conductivity log response and measured chloride concentration was determined. Using this relation, chloride concentration was estimated in parts of the glacial aquifer where sampling was not possible. EM logging is an effective tool to monitor changes in saltwater intrusion wedges.

  6. Induction of Larval Settlement in the Reef Coral Porites astreoides by a Cultivated Marine Roseobacter Strain.

    PubMed

    Sharp, K H; Sneed, J M; Ritchie, K B; Mcdaniel, L; Paul, V J

    2015-04-01

    Successful larval settlement and recruitment by corals is critical for the survival of coral reef ecosystems. Several closely related strains of γ-proteobacteria have been identified as cues for coral larval settlement, but the inductive properties of other bacterial taxa naturally occurring in reef ecosystems have not yet been explored. In this study, we assayed bacterial strains representing taxonomic groups consistently detected in corals for their ability to influence larval settlement in the coral Porites astreoides. We identified one α-proteobacterial strain, Roseivivax sp. 46E8, which significantly increased larval settlement in P. astreoides. Logarithmic growth phase (log phase) cell cultures of Roseivivax sp. 46E8 and filtrates (0.22μm) from log phase Roseivivax sp. 46E8 cultures significantly increased settlement, suggesting that an extracellular settlement factor is produced during active growth phase. Filtrates from log phase cultures of two other bacterial isolates, Marinobacter sp. 46E3, and Cytophaga sp. 46B6, also significantly increased settlement, but the cell cultures themselves did not. Monospecific biofilms of the three strains did not result in significant increases in larval settlement. Organic and aqueous/methanol extracts of Roseivivax sp. 46E8 cultures did not affect larval settlement. Examination of filtrates from cell cultures showed that Roseivivax sp. 46E8 spontaneously generated virus-like particles in log and stationary phase growth. Though the mechanism of settlement enhancement by Roseivivax sp. 46E8 is not yet elucidated, our findings point to a new aspect of coral-Roseobacter interactions that should be further investigated, especially in naturally occurring, complex microbial biofilms on reef surfaces. © 2015 Marine Biological Laboratory.

  7. Prospective evaluation of gene mutations and minimal residual disease in patients with core binding factor acute myeloid leukemia.

    PubMed

    Jourdan, Eric; Boissel, Nicolas; Chevret, Sylvie; Delabesse, Eric; Renneville, Aline; Cornillet, Pascale; Blanchet, Odile; Cayuela, Jean-Michel; Recher, Christian; Raffoux, Emmanuel; Delaunay, Jacques; Pigneux, Arnaud; Bulabois, Claude-Eric; Berthon, Céline; Pautas, Cécile; Vey, Norbert; Lioure, Bruno; Thomas, Xavier; Luquet, Isabelle; Terré, Christine; Guardiola, Philippe; Béné, Marie C; Preudhomme, Claude; Ifrah, Norbert; Dombret, Hervé

    2013-03-21

    Not all patients with core binding factor acute myeloid leukemia (CBF-AML) display a good outcome. Modern risk factors include KIT and/or FLT3 gene mutations and minimal residual disease (MRD) levels, but their respective values have never been prospectively assessed. A total of 198 CBF-AML patients were randomized between a reinforced and a standard induction course, followed by 3 high-dose cytarabine consolidation courses. MRD levels were monitored prospectively. Gene mutations were screened at diagnosis. Despite a more rapid MRD decrease after reinforced induction, induction arm did not influence relapse-free survival (RFS) (64% in both arms; P = .91). Higher WBC, KIT, and/or FLT3-ITD/TKD gene mutations, and a less than 3-log MRD reduction after first consolidation, were associated with a higher specific hazard of relapse, but MRD remained the sole prognostic factor in multivariate analysis. At 36 months, cumulative incidence of relapse and RFS were 22% vs 54% (P < .001) and 73% vs 44% (P < .001) in patients who achieved 3-log MRD reduction vs the others. These results suggest that MRD, rather than gene mutations, should be used for future treatment stratifications in CBF-AML patients. This trial was registered at EudraCT as #2006-005163-26 and at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT 00428558.

  8. Evidence acquisition tools for cyber sex crimes investigations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Novotny, Jon M.; Meehan, A.; Schulte, D.; Manes, Gavin W.; Shenoi, Sujeet

    2002-08-01

    Sexually explicit Internet chat rooms are increasingly used by pedophiles to reach potential victims. Logging and linking suspects to chat room conversations and e-mails exchanged with undercover detectives are crucial to prosecuting travelers, i.e., pedophiles who travel across state lines to engage in sexual acts with minors. This paper describes two tools, a chat room monitor and a remote fingerprinter, for acquiring and preserving evidence. The chat room monitor logs online communications as well as screen images and keystrokes of the undercover detective. stored to allow the chronological reconstruction and replay of the investigation. The remote fingerprinter uses sophisticated scanning techniques to capture and preserve a unique fingerprint of the suspect's computer over the Internet. Once the suspect's computer is seized, it is scanned again; matching this new fingerprint with the remotely acquired fingerprint establishes that the suspect's computer was used to communicate with the detective.

  9. Phase 1 results from the Stirling-powered vehicle project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shaltens, Richard K.

    1988-01-01

    The NASA Technology Utilization (TU) Office is sponsoring a multiyear, multiphase demonstration program to assess the technology developed under the DOE/NASA automotive Stirling engine (ASE) program with engines installed in various Air Force vehicles while being evaluated by independent third parties under realistic conditions. This paper reviews the operational history of Phase 1 with a Mod 1 Stirling engine installed in an Air Force multistop van in a variety of missions. Ten months of operation were with Air Force personnel at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, where over 1100 hr and 4000 mi were logged on the Langley flight line. The Stirling-powered van operated on unleaded gasoline, JP-4 aircraft fuel, and diesel fuel at Langley Air Force Base. Two months of operation were completed with Deere and Company personnel in the Moline, Illinois area where over 175 hr and 2650 mi were logged on a Deere mail delivery route.

  10. Demonstration of ROV-based Underwater Electromagnetic Array Technology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-05-25

    Volume Magnetic Source Model that Was Modified to Address EM Propagation through a Conductive Seawater Medium...16  Figure 7. Still Shots of the Integrated ROV- EM System (left) and the EM Sensor (right) Performing Bottom Following...of Defense DVL Doppler Velocity Log E Easting EOD Explosive Ordnance Disposal EM Electromagnetic EMI Electromagnetic Induction EMF

  11. Multi-Sensor Systems Development for UXO Detection and Discrimination: Hand-Held Dual Magnetic/Electromagnetic Induction Sensor

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-04-01

    5 Fluxgate magnetometer ... magnetometer into digital format, and transmitted as a single serial data string to log the Cs and fluxgate magnetometer data. After procurement...Hardware The system hardware comprises an EMI sensor, Cs vapor magnetometer , fluxgate magnetometer , hand-held data acquisition computer, integrated

  12. Detection of contaminant plumes by bore­ hole geophysical logging

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mack, Thomas J.

    1993-01-01

    Two borehole geophysical methods—electromagnetic induction and natural gamma radiation logs—were used to vertically delineate landfill leachate plumes in a glacial aquifer. Geophysical logs of monitoring wells near two land-fills in a glacial aquifer in west-central Vermont show that borehole geophysical methods can aid in interpretation of geologic logs and placement of monitoring well screens to sample landfill leachate plumes.Zones of high electrical conductance were delineated from the electromagnetic log in wells near two landfills. Some of these zones were found to correlate with silt and clay units on the basis of drilling and gamma logs. Monitoring wells were screened specifically in zones of high electrical conductivity that did not correlate to a silt or clay unit. Zones of high electrical conductivity that did not correlate to a silt or clay unit were caused by the presence of ground water with a high specific conductance, generally from 1000 to 2370 μS/cm (microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius). Ambient ground water in the study area has a specific conductance of approximately 200 to 400 μS/cm. Landfill leachate plumes were found to be approximately 5 to 20 feet thick and to be near the water table surface.

  13. Electromagnetic mapping of buried paleochannels in eastern Abu Dhabi Emirate, U.A.E.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fitterman, D.V.; Menges, C.M.; Al Kamali, A.M.; Essa, Jama F.

    1991-01-01

    Transient electromagnetic soundings and terrain conductivity meter measurements were used to map paleochannel geometry in the Al Jaww Plain of eastern Abu Dhabi Emirate, U.A.E. as part of an integrated hydrogeologic study of the Quaternary alluvial aquifer system. Initial interpretation of the data without benefit of well log information was able to map the depth to a conductive clay layer of Tertiary age that forms the base of the aquifer. Comparison of the results with induction logs reveals that a resistive zone exists that was incorporated into the interpretation and its lateral extent mapped with the transient electromagnetic sounding data. ?? 1991.

  14. Borehole-geophysical investigation of the University of Connecticut landfill, Storrs, Connecticut

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johnson, Carole D.; Haeni, F.P.; Lane, John W.; White, Eric A.

    2002-01-01

    A borehole-geophysical investigation was conducted to help characterize the hydrogeology of the fractured-rock aquifer and the distribution of unconsolidated glacial deposits near the former landfill and chemical waste-disposal pits at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut. Eight bedrock boreholes near the landfill and three abandoned domestic wells located nearby were logged using conventional and advanced borehole-geophysical methods from June to October 1999. The conventional geophysical-logging methods included caliper, gamma, fluid temperature, fluid resistivity, and electromagnetic induction. The advanced methods included deviation, optical and acoustic imaging of the borehole wall, heat-pulse flowmeter, and directional radar reflection. Twenty-one shallow piezometers (less than 50-feet deep) were logged with gamma and electromagnetic induction tools to delineate unconsolidated glacial deposits. Five additional shallow bedrock wells were logged with conventional video camera, caliper, electromagnetic induction, and fluid resistivity and temperature tools. The rock type, foliation, and fracturing of the site were characterized from high-resolution optical-televiewer (OTV) images of rocks penetrated by the boreholes. The rocks are interpreted as fine- to medium-grained quartz-feldspar-biotite-garnet gneiss and schist with local intrusions of quartz diorite and pegmatite and minor concentrations of sulfide mineralization similar to rocks described as the Bigelow Brook Formation on regional geologic maps. Layers containing high concentrations of sulfide minerals appear as high electrical conductivity zones on electromagnetic-induction and borehole-radar logs. Foliation in the rocks generally strikes to the northeast-southwest and dips to the west, consistent with local outcrop observations. The orientation of foliation and small-scale gneissic layering in the rocks, however, varies locally and with depth in some of the boreholes. In two of the boreholes, the foliation strikes predominantly to the northwest and dips to the northeast. Although small-scale faults and lithologic discontinuities were observed in the OTV data, no large-scale faults were observed that appear on regional geologic maps. Fractures were located and characterized through the use of conventional geophysical, OTV, acoustic-televiewer (ATV), and borehole-radar logs. The orientation of fractures varies considerably across the site; some fractures are parallel to the foliation, whereas others cross-cut the foliation. Many of the transmissive fractures in the bedrock boreholes strike about N170?E and N320?E with dips of less than 45?. Other transmissive fractures strike about N60?E with dips of more than 60?. Most of the transmissive fractures in the domestic wells strike about N60?E and N22?E with dips of more than 45?. The strike of N60?E is parallel to the trend of a thrust fault that appears on regional geologic maps. Vertical flow in the boreholes was measured with the heat-pulse flowmeter under ambient and (or) pumping conditions. Results of ATV, OTV, and conventional logs were used to locate specific zones for flowmeter testing. Ambient downflow was measured in three boreholes, ambient upflow was measured in two other boreholes, and both ambient downflow and upflow were measured in a sixth borehole. The other five bedrock boreholes and domestic wells did not have measurable vertical flow. The highest rate of ambient flow was measured in the background borehole in which upflow and downflow converged and exited the borehole at a fracture zone near a depth of 62 feet. Ambient flow of about 340 gallons per day was measured. In the other five wells, ambient flow of about 20 to 35 gallons per day was measured. Under low-rate pumping (0.25 to 1 gallon per minute), one to six inflow zones were identified in each well. Usually the fractures that are active under ambient conditions contribute to the well under pumping conditions. To prevent

  15. First insight into dead wood protistan diversity: a molecular sampling of bright-spored Myxomycetes (Amoebozoa, slime-moulds) in decaying beech logs.

    PubMed

    Clissmann, Fionn; Fiore-Donno, Anna Maria; Hoppe, Björn; Krüger, Dirk; Kahl, Tiemo; Unterseher, Martin; Schnittler, Martin

    2015-06-01

    Decaying wood hosts a large diversity of seldom investigated protists. Environmental sequencing offers novel insights into communities, but has rarely been applied to saproxylic protists. We investigated the diversity of bright-spored wood-inhabiting Myxomycetes by environmental sequencing. Myxomycetes have a complex life cycle culminating in the formation of mainly macroscopic fruiting bodies, highly variable in shape and colour that are often found on decaying logs. Our hypothesis was that diversity of bright-spored Myxomycetes would increase with decay. DNA was extracted from wood chips collected from 17 beech logs of varying decay stages from the Hainich-Dün region in Central Germany. We obtained 260 partial small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences of bright-spored Myxomycetes that were assembled into 29 OTUs, of which 65% were less than 98% similar to those in the existing database. The OTU richness revealed by molecular analysis surpassed that of a parallel inventory of fruiting bodies. We tested several environmental variables and identified pH, rather than decay stage, as the main structuring factor of myxomycete distribution. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. A Proven Method for Meeting Export Control Objectives in Postal and Shipping Sectors

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-02-01

    Mellon University for the operation of the Software Engineering Institute, a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the United...Export Control at USPS 5 3.3 Objectives for Improving Export Screening at USPS 6 4 Development of the New Screening Process 7 4.1 “Walking the Model...Export Screening Development Process 10 Figure 2: Induction and Processing of International Mail 10 Figure 3: The Export Screening Process 11

  17. Investigation of origin for seawater intrusion using geophysical well logs and absolute ages of volcanic cores in the eastern part of Jeju Island

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hwang, Seho; Shin, Jehyun

    2010-05-01

    Jeju located in the southern extremity of Korea is volcanic island, one of best-known tourist attractions in Korea. Jeju Province operates the monitoring boreholes for the evaluation of groundwater resources in coastal area. Major rock types identified from drill cores are trachybasalt, acicular basalt, scoria, hyalocastite, tuff, unconsolidated U formation, and seoguipo formation and so on. Various conventional geophysical well loggings including radioactive logs (natural gamma log, dual neutron log, and gamma-gamma log), electrical log (or electromagnetic induction log), caliper log, fluid temperature/ conductivity log, and televiewer logs have been conducted to identify basalt sequences and permeable zone, and verify seawater intrusion in monitoring boreholes. The conductivity logs clearly show the fresh water-saline water boundaries, but we find it hard to identify the permeable zones because of the mixed groundwater within the boreholes. Temperature gradient logs are mostly related with lithologic boundaries and permeable zones intersected by boreholes of eastern coasts. The wide range of periodic electrical conductivity logging in the deeper depth of monitoring boreholes indicates the possibility of submarine groundwater discharge. However we did not clearly understand the origin of seawater intrusion in the eastern coast until now. So we analysis the electrical conductivity profiles, record of sea-level change and 40Ar/39Ar absolute ages of volcanic rock cores from twenty boreholes in east coast. From comparing absolute ages of volcanic rock cores and sea-level of their ages, we find that the almost ages of depth showing high salinity groundwater are about 100 Ka, and from 130Ka to about 180Ka. The former is after the interglacial period and the latter is illinoian. These results indicate that the abrupt raising of sea level after illinoian formed the regional coast, and the zone of present seawater intrusion also are above the depth of illinoin period. So we conclude that the origin of seawater intrusion in eastern coast is caused mainly by the sea-level change.

  18. Empirical Evaluation of Advanced Electromagnetic Induction Systems - Factors Affecting Classification Effectiveness in Challenging Geologic Environments

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-10-01

    Figure 2-2). The array structure is fabricated from PVC and Garolite fiberglass. The array is normally deployed on a set of wheels, resulting in a sensor...Low branches were cleared to 8 feet above ground to reduce obstruction of the RTS prism; large logs and fallen timber were not removed. CH2M also

  19. Petrophysical analysis of geophysical logs of the National Drilling Company-U.S. Geological Survey ground-water research project for Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jorgensen, Donald G.; Petricola, Mario

    1994-01-01

    A program of borehole-geophysical logging was implemented to supply geologic and geohydrologic information for a regional ground-water investigation of Abu Dhabi Emirate. Analysis of geophysical logs was essential to provide information on geohydrologic properties because drill cuttings were not always adequate to define lithologic boundaries. The standard suite of logs obtained at most project test holes consisted of caliper, spontaneous potential, gamma ray, dual induction, microresistivity, compensated neutron, compensated density, and compensated sonic. Ophiolitic detritus from the nearby Oman Mountains has unusual petrophysical properties that complicated the interpretation of geophysical logs. The density of coarse ophiolitic detritus is typically greater than 3.0 grams per cubic centimeter, porosity values are large, often exceeding 45 percent, and the clay fraction included unusual clays, such as lizardite. Neither the spontaneous-potential log nor the natural gamma-ray log were useable clay indicators. Because intrinsic permeability is a function of clay content, additional research in determining clay content was critical. A research program of geophysical logging was conducted to determine the petrophysical properties of the shallow subsurface formations. The logging included spectral-gamma and thermal-decay-time logs. These logs, along with the standard geophysical logs, were correlated to mineralogy and whole-rock chemistry as determined from sidewall cores. Thus, interpretation of lithology and fluids was accomplished. Permeability and specific yield were calculated from geophysical-log data and correlated to results from an aquifer test. On the basis of results from the research logging, a method of lithologic and water-resistivity interpretation was developed for the test holes at which the standard suite of logs were obtained. In addition, a computer program was developed to assist in the analysis of log data. Geohydrologic properties were estimated, including volume of clay matrix, volume of matrix other than clay, density of matrix other than clay, density of matrix, intrinsic permeability, specific yield, and specific storage. Geophysical logs were used to (1) determine lithology, (2) correlate lithologic and permeable zones, (3) calibrate seismic reprocessing, (4) calibrate transient-electromagnetic surveys, and (5) calibrate uphole-survey interpretations. Logs were used at the drill site to (1) determine permeability zones, (2) determine dissolved-solids content, which is a function of water resistivity, and (3) design wells accordingly. Data and properties derived from logs were used to determine transmissivity and specific yield of aquifer materials.

  20. Dive and discover: Expeditions to the seafloor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lawrence, Lisa Ayers

    The Dive and Discover Web site is a virtual treasure chest of deep sea science and classroom resources. The goals of Dive and Discover are to engage students, teachers, and the general public in the excitement of ocean disco very through an interactive educational Web site. You can follow scientists on oceanographic research cruises by reading their daily cruise logs, viewing photos and video clips of the discoveries, and even e-mailing questions to the scientists and crew. WHOI has also included an “Educator's Companion” section with teaching strategies, activities, and assessments, making Dive and Discover an excellent resource for the classroom.

  1. Dive and discover: Expeditions to the seafloor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ayers Lawrence, Lisa

    The Dive and Discover Web site is a virtual treasure chest of deep sea science and classroom resources. The goals of Dive and Discover are to engage students, teachers, and the general public in the excitement of ocean disco very through an interactive educational Web site. You can follow scientists on oceanographic research cruises by reading their daily cruise logs, viewing photos and video clips of the discoveries, and even e-mailing questions to the scientists and crew. WHOI has also included an "Educator's Companion" section with teaching strategies, activities, and assessments, making Dive and Discover an excellent resource for the classroom.

  2. Multigeneration Cross Contamination of Mail with Bacillus Species Spores by Tumbling ▿

    PubMed Central

    Edmonds, Jason; Clark, Paul; Williams, Leslie; Lindquist, H. D. Alan; Martinez, Kenneth; Gardner, Warren; Shadomy, Sean; Hornsby-Myers, Jennifer

    2010-01-01

    In 2001, envelopes loaded with Bacillus anthracis spores were mailed to Senators Daschle and Leahy as well as to the New York Post and NBC News buildings. Additional letters may have been mailed to other news agencies because there was confirmed anthrax infection of employees at these locations. These events heightened the awareness of the lack of understanding of the mechanism(s) by which objects contaminated with a biological agent might spread disease. This understanding is crucial for the estimation of the potential for exposure to ensure the appropriate response in the event of future attacks. In this study, equipment to simulate interactions between envelopes and procedures to analyze the spread of spores from a “payload” envelope (i.e., loaded internally with a powdered spore preparation) onto neighboring envelopes were developed. Another process to determine whether an aerosol could be generated by opening contaminated envelopes was developed. Subsequent generations of contaminated envelopes originating from a single payload envelope showed a consistent two-log decrease in the number of spores transferred from one generation to the next. Opening a tertiary contaminated envelope resulted in an aerosol containing 103 B. anthracis spores. We developed a procedure for sampling contaminated letters by a nondestructive method aimed at providing information useful for consequence management while preserving the integrity of objects contaminated during the incident and preserving evidence for law enforcement agencies. PMID:20511424

  3. Sanitizer Efficacy against Murine Norovirus, a Surrogate for Human Norovirus, on Stainless Steel Surfaces when Using Three Application Methods

    PubMed Central

    Kotwal, Grishma; Harrison, Mark A.; Law, S. Edward; Harrison, Judy A.

    2013-01-01

    Human noroviruses are major etiologic agents of epidemic gastroenteritis. Outbreaks are often accompanied by contamination of environmental surfaces, but since these viruses cannot be routinely propagated in laboratory cultures, their response to surface disinfectants is predicted by using surrogates, such as murine norovirus 1 (MNV-1). This study compared the virucidal efficacies of various liquid treatments (three sanitizer liquids, 5% levulinic acid plus 2% SDS [LEV/SDS], 200 ppm chlorine, and an isopropanol-based quaternary ammonium compound [Alpet D2], and two control liquids, sterile tap water and sterile tap water plus 2% SDS) when delivered to MNV-1-inoculated stainless steel surfaces by conventional hydraulic or air-assisted, induction-charged (AAIC) electrostatic spraying or by wiping with impregnated towelettes. For the spray treatments, LEV/SDS proved effective when applied with hydraulic and AAIC electrostatic spraying, providing virus reductions of 2.71 and 1.66 log PFU/ml, respectively. Alpet D2 provided a 2.23-log PFU/ml reduction with hydraulic spraying, outperforming chlorine (1.16-log PFU/ml reduction). Chlorine and LEV/SDS were equally effective as wipes, reducing the viral load by 7.05 log PFU/ml. Controls reduced the viral load by <1 log with spraying applications and by >3 log PFU/ml with wiping. Results indicated that both sanitizer type and application methods should be carefully considered when choosing a surface disinfectant to best prevent and control environmental contamination by noroviruses. PMID:23263949

  4. Log-Based Recovery in Asynchronous Distributed Systems. Ph.D. Thesis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kane, Kenneth Paul

    1989-01-01

    A log-based mechanism is described for restoring consistent states to replicated data objects after failures. Preserving a causal form of consistency based on the notion of virtual time is focused upon in this report. Causal consistency has been shown to apply to a variety of applications, including distributed simulation, task decomposition, and mail delivery systems. Several mechanisms have been proposed for implementing causally consistent recovery, most notably those of Strom and Yemini, and Johnson and Zwaenepoel. The mechanism proposed here differs from these in two major respects. First, a roll-forward style of recovery is implemented. A functioning process is never required to roll-back its state in order to achieve consistency with a recovering process. Second, the mechanism does not require any explicit information about the causal dependencies between updates. Instead, all necessary dependency information is inferred from the orders in which updates are logged by the object servers. This basic recovery technique appears to be applicable to forms of consistency other than causal consistency. In particular, it is shown how the recovery technique can be modified to support an atomic form of consistency (grouping consistency). By combining grouping consistency with casual consistency, it may even be possible to implement serializable consistency within this mechanism.

  5. KSC-2013-2077

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-04-20

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, shuttle astronaut Curt Brown listens as he is being introduced for induction into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame AHOF. Brown, a veteran of six spaceflights, began his career with NASA in 1987 as a pilot and has logged more than 1,383 hours in space. Brown’s missions aboard the space shuttle include STS-47, STS-66, STS-77, STS-85, STS-95 and STS-103. Shuttle astronauts Eileen Collins and Bonnie Dunbar also were inducted into the AHOF. This induction is the twelfth group of space shuttle astronauts named to the AHOF, and the first time two women are inducted at the same time. The year’s inductees were selected by a committee of current Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials, historians and journalists. The selection process is administered by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. For more on the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, go to http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/astronaut-hall-of-fame.aspx For more on the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, go to http://astronautscholarship.org/ Photo credit: NASA/ Kim Shiflett

  6. KSC-2013-2076

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-04-20

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, shuttle astronaut Bonnie Dunbar speaks after being inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame AHOF. Dunbar received NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Award in 1993 and NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal in 1998 and 1991. During her career with NASA, she served as a mission specialist and a payload commander. Dunbar logged 1,208 hours in space, and her spaceflights include STS 61-A, STS-32, STS-50, STS-71 and STS-89. Shuttle astronauts Curt Brown and Eileen Collins also were inducted into the AHOF. This induction is the twelfth group of space shuttle astronauts named to the AHOF, and the first time two women are inducted at the same time. The year’s inductees were selected by a committee of current Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials, historians and journalists. The selection process is administered by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. For more on the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, go to http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/astronaut-hall-of-fame.aspx For more on the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, go to http://astronautscholarship.org/ Photo credit: NASA/ Kim Shiflett

  7. The use of herbs by california midwives.

    PubMed

    Dennehy, Cathi; Tsourounis, Candy; Bui, Lindsey; King, Tekoa L

    2010-01-01

    To characterize herbal product use (prevalence, types, indications) among Certified Nurse Midwives/Certified Midwives (CNMs/CMs) and Licensed Midwives (LMs) practicing in the state of California and to describe formal education related to herbal products received by midwives during midwifery education. Cross-sectional survey/California/Practicing midwives. A list of LMs and CNMs/CMs practicing in California was obtained through the California Medical Board (CMB) and the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM), respectively. The survey was mailed to 343 CNMs/CMs (one third of the ACNM mailing list) and 157 LMs (the complete CMB mailing list). Of the 500 surveys mailed, 40 were undeliverable, 146 were returned, and 7 were excluded (30% response rate). Of the 139 completed surveys, 58/102 (57%) of CNMs/CMs and 35/37 (95%) of LMs used herbs, and LMs were more comfortable than CNMs/CMs in recommending herbs to their patients. A majority of LMs had >20 hours of midwifery education on herbs whereas a majority of CNMs/CMs received 0 to 5 hours. Some CNMs/CMs indicated that their practice site limited their ability to use herbs. Common conditions in which LMs and CNMs/CMs used herbs were nausea/vomiting (86% vs. 83%), labor induction (89% vs. 58%), and lactation (86% vs. 65%). Specific herbs for all indications are described. Licensed midwives were more likely than CNMs/CMs to use herbs in clinical practice. This trend was likely a reflection of the amount of education devoted to herbs as well as herbal use limitations that may be encountered in institutional facilities. © 2010 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

  8. Prophage Induction Is Enhanced and Required for Renal Disease and Lethality in an EHEC Mouse Model

    PubMed Central

    Reynolds, Jared L.; Alteri, Christopher J.; Skinner, Katherine G.; Friedman, Jonathan H.; Eaton, Kathryn A.; Friedman, David I.

    2013-01-01

    Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), particularly serotype O157:H7, causes hemorrhagic colitis, hemolytic uremic syndrome, and even death. In vitro studies showed that Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2), the primary virulence factor expressed by EDL933 (an O157:H7 strain), is encoded by the 933W prophage. And the bacterial subpopulation in which the 933W prophage is induced is the producer of Stx2. Using the germ-free mouse, we show the essential role 933W induction plays in the virulence of EDL933 infection. An EDL933 derivative with a single mutation in its 933W prophage, resulting specifically in that phage being uninducible, colonizes the intestines, but fails to cause any of the pathological changes seen with the parent strain. Hence, induction of the 933W prophage is the primary event leading to disease from EDL933 infection. We constructed a derivative of EDL933, SIVET, with a biosensor that specifically measures induction of the 933W prophage. Using this biosensor to measure 933W induction in germ-free mice, we found an increase three logs greater than was expected from in vitro results. Since the induced population produces and releases Stx2, this result indicates that an activity in the intestine increases Stx2 production. PMID:23555250

  9. Downhole measurements in the AND-1B borehole, ANDRILL McMurdo Ice Shelf Project, Antarctica

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Morin, R.; Williams, T.; Henrys, S.; Crosby, T.; Hansaraj, D.

    2007-01-01

    A comprehensive set of downhole measurements was collected in the AND-1B drillhole as part of the on-ice scientific programme defined for the McMurdo Ice Shelf (MIS) Project. Geophysical logs were recorded over two operation phases and consisted of calliper, temperature, fluid conductivity, induction resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, natural gamma activity, acoustic televiewer, borehole deviation, and dipmeter. In addition, two standard vertical seismic profiles (VSP) and one walk-away VSP were obtained. Radioactive logs (porosity and density) were not run because of unstable borehole conditions. Although the total depth of the hole is 1285 metres below seafloor (mbsf), the depth range for in situ measurements was limited by the length of the wireline (1018 mbsf) and by the nullification of some geophysical logs due to the presence of steel casing. A depth correction was derived to account for systematic discrepancies in depth between downhole measurements and cores; consequently, log responses can be directly compared to core properties. The resulting data are amenable to studies of cyclicity and climate, heat flux and fluid flow, and stricture and stress. When integrated with physical properties and fractures measured on the core, this information should play a significant role in addressing many of the scientific objectives of the ANDRILL programme.

  10. Application of advanced geophysical logging methods in the characterization of a fractured-sedimentary bedrock aquifer, Ventura County, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Williams, John H.; Lane, John W.; Singha, Kamini; Haeni, F. Peter

    2002-01-01

    An integrated suite of advanced geophysical logging methods was used to characterize the geology and hydrology of three boreholes completed in fractured-sedimentary bedrock in Ventura County, California. The geophysical methods included caliper, gamma, electromagnetic induction, borehole deviation, optical and acoustic televiewer, borehole radar, fluid resistivity, temperature, and electromagnetic flowmeter. The geophysical logging 1) provided insights useful for the overall geohydrologic characterization of the bedrock and 2) enhanced the value of information collected by other methods from the boreholes including core-sample analysis, multiple-level monitoring, and packer testing.The logged boreholes, which have open intervals of 100 to 200 feet, penetrate a sequence of interbedded sandstone and mudstone with bedding striking 220 to 250 degrees and dipping 15 to 40 degrees to the northwest. Fractures intersected by the boreholes include fractures parallel to bedding and fractures with variable strike that dip moderately to steeply. Two to three flow zones were detected in each borehole. The flow zones consist of bedding-parallel or steeply dipping fractures or a combination of bedding-parallel fractures and moderately to steeply dipping fractures. About 75 to more than 90 percent of the measured flow under pumped conditions was produced by only one of the flow zones in each borehole.

  11. Antimicrobial activity of Lactobacillus salivarius and Lactobacillus fermentum against Staphylococcus aureus.

    PubMed

    Kang, Mi-Sun; Lim, Hae-Soon; Oh, Jong-Suk; Lim, You-Jin; Wuertz-Kozak, Karin; Harro, Janette M; Shirtliff, Mark E; Achermann, Yvonne

    2017-03-01

    The increasing prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has become a major public health threat. While lactobacilli were recently found useful in combating various pathogens, limited data exist on their therapeutic potential for S. aureus infections. The aim of this study was to determine whether Lactobacillus salivarius was able to produce bactericidal activities against S. aureus and to determine whether the inhibition was due to a generalized reduction in pH or due to secreted Lactobacillus product(s). We found an 8.6-log10 reduction of planktonic and a 6.3-log10 reduction of biofilm S. aureus. In contrast, the previously described anti-staphylococcal effects of L. fermentum only caused a 4.0-log10 reduction in planktonic S. aureus cells, with no effect on biofilm S. aureus cells. Killing of S. aureus was partially pH dependent, but independent of nutrient depletion. Cell-free supernatant that was pH neutralized and heat inactivated or proteinase K treated had significantly reduced killing of L. salivarius than with pH-neutralized supernatant alone. Proteomic analysis of the L. salivarius secretome identified a total of five secreted proteins including a LysM-containing peptidoglycan binding protein and a protein peptidase M23B. These proteins may represent potential novel anti-staphylococcal agents that could be effective against S. aureus biofilms. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  12. KSC-2013-2075

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-04-20

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, shuttle astronaut Bonnie Dunbar listens as she is being introduced for induction into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame AHOF. Dunbar received NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Award in 1993 and NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal in 1998 and 1991. During her career with NASA, she served as a mission specialist and a payload commander. Dunbar logged 1,208 hours in space, and her spaceflights include STS 61-A, STS-32, STS-50, STS-71 and STS-89. Shuttle astronauts Curt Brown and Eileen Collins also were inducted into the AHOF. This induction is the twelfth group of space shuttle astronauts named to the AHOF, and the first time two women are inducted at the same time. The year’s inductees were selected by a committee of current Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials, historians and journalists. The selection process is administered by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. For more on the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, go to http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/astronaut-hall-of-fame.aspx For more on the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, go to http://astronautscholarship.org/ Photo credit: NASA/ Kim Shiflett

  13. KSC-2013-2074

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-04-20

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, shuttle astronaut Bonnie Dunbar listens as she is being introduced for induction into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame AHOF. Dunbar received NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Award in 1993 and NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal in 1998 and 1991. During her career with NASA, she served as a mission specialist and a payload commander. Dunbar logged 1,208 hours in space, and her spaceflights include STS 61-A, STS-32, STS-50, STS-71 and STS-89. Shuttle astronauts Curt Brown and Eileen Collins also were inducted into the AHOF. This induction is the twelfth group of space shuttle astronauts named to the AHOF, and the first time two women are inducted at the same time. The year’s inductees were selected by a committee of current Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials, historians and journalists. The selection process is administered by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. For more on the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, go to http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/astronaut-hall-of-fame.aspx For more on the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, go to http://astronautscholarship.org/ Photo credit: NASA/ Kim Shiflett

  14. Engagement and satisfaction with an Internet-based physical activity intervention in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

    PubMed

    van den Berg, M H; Ronday, H K; Peeters, A J; Voogt-van der Harst, E M; Munneke, M; Breedveld, F C; Vliet Vlieland, T P M

    2007-03-01

    To assess the engagement in and satisfaction with an Internet-mediated physical activity intervention with individual supervision in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The intervention studied was one of the two strategies aimed at enhancing physical activity in RA patients that were being compared in a randomized controlled trial. A total of 82 patients, all experienced in using Internet and e-mail and registered at three different rheumatology out-patient clinics, were randomly allocated to the Internet-mediated individualized intervention (52 weeks). They had access to personal physical activity schedules and received individual supervision by a physical therapist by means of weekly e-mail feedback. In addition, telephone contacts, an online discussion forum, six face-to-face group meetings and electronic newsletters were offered. Besides registration of returned physical activity schedules, engagement and satisfaction were measured through questionnaires. The median physical activity schedule return rate of the 82 participants was 55%. The mean number of patients logging into the website at least once a week was 53 (70%) over 12 months. Of all patients, 69 returned the questionnaires (response 84%). Telephone contacts were used by 38/67 patients (57%), the mean (SD) number of attended group meetings was 3.1 (1.5) and the discussion forum comprised 15 posted messages. Overall, the proportions of patients being (very) satisfied with the amount of e-mail contacts, telephone contacts, usefulness of website information, physical activity schedules, group meetings and website layout were >/=85%. A smaller proportion of patients were satisfied with the links to other websites (68%), the newsletters (55%) and the online discussion forum (32%). Physical activity schedules with weekly feedback by e-mail, telephone contacts and a limited number of group meetings were frequently used website tools and modes of communication of an Internet-based physical activity intervention, with high-satisfaction rates from RA patients. Discussion forum and newsletters were less used and appreciated. Caution should be taken when extrapolating the results found to groups of patients who are not experienced Internet and e-mail users or patients with more severe physical disabilities.

  15. Safer Prescribing and Care for the Elderly (SPACE): feasibility of audit and feedback plus practice mail-out to patients with high-risk prescribing.

    PubMed

    Wallis, Katharine; Tuckey, Rebecca

    2017-06-01

    INTRODUCTION High-risk prescribing in general practice is common and places patients at increased risk of adverse events. AIM The Safer Prescribing and Care for the Elderly (SPACE) intervention, comprising audit and feedback plus practice mail-out to patients with high-risk prescribing, was designed to promote medicines review and support safer prescribing. This study aims to test the SPACE intervention feasibility in general practice. METHODS This feasibility study involved an Auckland Primary Health Organisation (PHO), a clinical advisory pharmacist, two purposively sampled urban general practices, and seven GPs. The acceptability and utility of the SPACE intervention were assessed by semi- structured interviews involving study participants, including 11 patients with high-risk prescribing. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a general inductive approach to identify emergent themes. RESULTS The pharmacist said the SPACE intervention facilitated communication with GPs, and provided a platform for their clinical advisory role at no extra cost to the PHO. GPs said the feedback session with the pharmacist was educational but added to time pressures. GPs selected 29 patients for the mail-out. Some GPs were concerned the mail-out might upset patients, but patients said they felt cared for. Some patients intended to take the letter to their next appointment and discuss their medicines with their GP; others said there were already many things to discuss and not enough time. Some patients were confused by the medicines information brochure. DISCUSSION The SPACE intervention is feasible in general practice. The medicines information brochure needs simplification. Further research is needed to test the effect of SPACE on high-risk prescribing.

  16. A field test of electromagnetic geophysical techniques for locating simulated in situ mining leach solution

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

    Tweeton, D.R.; Hanson, J.C.; Friedel, M.J.

    1994-01-01

    The US Bureau of Mines, The University of Arizona, Sandia National Laboratories, and Zonge Engineering and Research Organization, Inc., conducted cooperative field tests of six electromagnetic (EM) geophysical methods to compare their effectiveness in locating a brine solution simulating in situ leach solution or a high-conductivity plume of contamination. The brine was approximately 160 m below the surface. The testsite was the University's San Xavier experimental mine near Tucson, AZ. Geophysical surveys using surface and surface-borehole, time-domain electromagnetic (TEM) induction; surface controlled-source audiofrequency magnetotellurics (CSAMT); surface-borehole, frequency-domain electromagnetic (FEM) induction; crosshole FEM; and surface magnetic field ellipticity were conducted beforemore » and during brine injection. The surface TEM data showed a broad decrease in resistivity. CSAMT measurements with the conventional orientation did not detect the brine, but measurements with another orientation indicated some decrease in resistivity. The surface-borehole and crosshole methods located a known fracture and other fracture zones inferred from borehole induction logs. Surface magnetic field ellipticity data showed a broad decrease in resistivity at depth following brine injection.« less

  17. Feasibility of using a web-based nutrition intervention among residents of multiethnic working-class neighborhoods.

    PubMed

    McNeill, Lorna H; Viswanath, K; Bennett, Gary G; Puleo, Elaine; Emmons, Karen M

    2007-07-01

    Using the Internet to promote behavior change is becoming more desirable as Internet use continues to increase among diverse audiences. Yet we know very little about whether this medium is useful or about different strategies to encourage Internet use by various populations. This pilot study tested the usefulness of a Web-based intervention designed to deliver nutrition-related information to and increase fruit and vegetable consumption among adults from working-class neighborhoods. Participants (N = 52) had access to the Web site for 6 weeks and received three e-mail reminders encouraging them to eat fruits and vegetables. The Web site provided information about overcoming barriers to healthy eating, accessing social support for healthy eating, setting goals for healthy eating, and maintaining a healthy diet, including recipes. We collected data on participants' use of the Web site, their Internet access and use, and their fruit and vegetable consumption. The mean age of the participants was 46 years, 73% were white, 46% did not have a college degree, and 12% had household incomes at or below 185% of the federal poverty index. They reported consuming an average of 3.4 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. More than half of the participants owned a computer, 75% logged onto the Web site at least once, and those who visited the site averaged 3.8 visits and viewed an average of 24.5 pages. The number of log-ons per day declined over the study period; however, reminder e-mails appeared to motivate participants to return to the Web site. Roughly 74% of participants viewed information on goal setting, 72% viewed information on dietary tracking, and 56% searched for main course recipes. The results of this pilot study suggest that Internet-based health messages have the potential to reach a large percentage of adults from working-class neighborhoods who have access to the Internet.

  18. Role of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 and Gastric Inhibitory Peptide in Anorexia Induction Following Oral Exposure to the Trichothecene Mycotoxin Deoxynivalenol (Vomitoxin).

    PubMed

    Jia, Hui; Wu, Wen-Da; Lu, Xi; Zhang, Jie; He, Cheng-Hua; Zhang, Hai-Bin

    2017-09-01

    Deoxynivalenol (DON), which is a Type B trichothecene mycotoxin produced by Fusarium, frequently contaminates cereal staples, such as wheat, barley and corn. DON threatens animal and human health by suppressing food intake and impairing growth. While anorexia induction in mice exposed to DON has been linked to the elevation of the satiety hormones cholecystokinin and peptide YY3-36 in plasma, the effects of DON on the release of other satiety hormones, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP), have not been established. The purpose of this study was to determine the roles of GLP-1 and GIP in DON-induced anorexia. In a nocturnal mouse food consumption model, the elevation of plasma GLP-1 and GIP concentrations markedly corresponded to anorexia induction by DON. Pretreatment with the GLP-1 receptor antagonist Exendin9-39 induced a dose-dependent attenuation of both GLP-1- and DON-induced anorexia. In contrast, the GIP receptor antagonist Pro3GIP induced a dose-dependent attenuation of both GIP- and DON-induced anorexia. Taken together, these results suggest that GLP-1 and GIP play instrumental roles in anorexia induction following oral exposure to DON, and the effect of GLP-1 is more potent and long-acting than that of GIP. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Toxicology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  19. Genotype-Specific Minimal Residual Disease Interpretation Improves Stratification in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

    PubMed Central

    O’Connor, David; Enshaei, Amir; Bartram, Jack; Hancock, Jeremy; Harrison, Christine J.; Hough, Rachael; Samarasinghe, Sujith; Schwab, Claire; Vora, Ajay; Wade, Rachel; Moppett, John; Moorman, Anthony V.; Goulden, Nick

    2018-01-01

    Purpose Minimal residual disease (MRD) and genetic abnormalities are important risk factors for outcome in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Current risk algorithms dichotomize MRD data and do not assimilate genetics when assigning MRD risk, which reduces predictive accuracy. The aim of our study was to exploit the full power of MRD by examining it as a continuous variable and to integrate it with genetics. Patients and Methods We used a population-based cohort of 3,113 patients who were treated in UKALL2003, with a median follow-up of 7 years. MRD was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction analysis of Ig/TCR gene rearrangements, and patients were assigned to a genetic subtype on the basis of immunophenotype, cytogenetics, and fluorescence in situ hybridization. To examine response kinetics at the end of induction, we log-transformed the absolute MRD value and examined its distribution across subgroups. Results MRD was log normally distributed at the end of induction. MRD distributions of patients with distinct genetic subtypes were different (P < .001). Patients with good-risk cytogenetics demonstrated the fastest disease clearance, whereas patients with high-risk genetics and T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia responded more slowly. The risk of relapse was correlated with MRD kinetics, and each log reduction in disease level reduced the risk by 20% (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.77 to 0.83; P < .001). Although the risk of relapse was directly proportional to the MRD level within each genetic risk group, absolute relapse rate that was associated with a specific MRD value or category varied significantly by genetic subtype. Integration of genetic subtype–specific MRD values allowed more refined risk group stratification. Conclusion A single threshold for assigning patients to an MRD risk group does not reflect the response kinetics of the different genetic subtypes. Future risk algorithms should integrate genetics with MRD to accurately identify patients with the lowest and highest risk of relapse. PMID:29131699

  20. Interaction of ozone exposure with airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation induced by trimellitic anhydride in sensitized guinea pigs

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

    Sun, Jian; Chung, K.Fan

    1997-09-01

    The effect of prior ozone (O{sub 3}) exposure on airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation induced by trimellitic anhydride (TMA) has been investigated in TMA-sensitized guinea pigs. Airway responsiveness was measured as the concentration of acetylcholine needed to increase baseline lung resistance (RL) by 300% (PC300). Ozone (3 ppm, for 3 h) caused an increase in-log PC300 at 1 h after exposure, with return of -log PC300 to control levels at 8 h. Ozone also increased baseline RL at 8 h. TMA challenge increase -log PC300 in TMA-sensitized guinea pigs at 8 h after challenge from 3.85 {+-} 0.09 to 4.11 {+-}more » 0.09. Ozone exposure prior to TMA challenge prevented the induction of airway hyperresponsiveness with a mean -log PC300 of 3.51 {+-} 0.20, which was not different from that of control TMA-Sensitized group. Baseline RL was significantly higher in ozone-pretreated animals after TMA challenge when compared to those of either control or challenged with TMA alone. Ozone had no effect on TMA challenge-induced BAL eosinophilia and neutrophilia. We conclude that a single exposure to ozone inhibits the increase in airway responsiveness, but increases the bronchoconstrictor response induced by TMA in TMA-Sensitized guinea pigs; however, the inflammatory airway response to TMA is unchanged by preexposure to ozone. 29 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.« less

  1. Digital signal processing and interpretation of full waveform sonic log for well BP-3-USGS, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Alamosa County, Colorado

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Burke, Lauri

    2011-01-01

    Along the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve boundary (fig. 1), 10 monitoring wells were drilled by the National Park Service in order to monitor water flow in an unconfined aquifer spanning the park boundary. Adjacent to the National Park Service monitoring well named Boundary Piezometer Well No. 3, or BP-3, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) drilled the BP-3-USGS well. This well was drilled from September 14 through 17, 2009, to a total depth of 99.4 meters (m) in order to acquire additional subsurface information. The BP-3-USGS well is located at lat 37 degrees 43'18.06' and long -105 degrees 43'39.30' at a surface elevation of 2,301 m. Approximately 23 m of core was recovered beginning at a depth of 18 m. Drill cuttings were also recovered. The wireline geophysical logs acquired in the well include natural gamma ray, borehole caliper, temperature, full waveform sonic, density, neutron, resistivity, and induction logs. The BP-3-USGS well is now plugged and abandoned. This report details the full waveform digital signal processing methodology and the formation compressional-wave velocities determined for the BP-3-USGS well. These velocity results are compared to several velocities that are commonly encountered in the subsurface. The density log is also discussed in context of these formation velocities.

  2. Physician-to-physician consultation via electronic mail: the Walter Reed Army Medical Center Ask a Doc system.

    PubMed

    Abbott, Kevin C; Mann, Scott; DeWitt, Daisy; Sales, Linda Youngblood; Kennedy, Sean; Poropatich, Ron K

    2002-03-01

    Physician-to-physician consultation and discussion have traditionally been conducted by telephone, paper, and "curbside" (face to face meetings). The implementation and use of physician-to-physician consultation via electronic mail in a military health care system has not been reported previously. The group mail function of the Composite Health Care System, the main outpatient medical automation system for the Department of Defense, was modified to create mailgroups for every specialty of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center to facilitate ease of physician-to-physician consultation. This modification was called the "Ask a Doc" system. The system was deployed to a 21-state health care network among triservice participants. There were 3,121 consultations logged from April 22, 1998, to December 31, 2000. Growth in use expanded initially and was sustained during a 3-year period. Average response time to consultations was less than 1 day (11.93 hours). Additional training and maintenance requirements were minimal. In general, the use of electronic consultation mirrored that of clinical practice. Most specialty consultations involved the disciplines of internal medicine. Use of the Ask a Doc system was representative of total clinical workload and increased access to specialty medical care over a wide geographic area. The distribution of use indicated that user statistics were legitimate, and quality improvement programs could easily troubleshoot the system. Ask a Doc was inserted into a regional health care network with minimal cost to support and implement and was sustained with very little effort for 3 years. Barriers to even wider use currently include lack of secure communications and the difficulty in assigning workload credit for electronic consultations.

  3. An assessment of current clinical attitudes toward letrozole use in reproductive endocrinology practices.

    PubMed

    Malloch, Lindsay; Rhoton-Vlasak, Alice

    2013-12-01

    To assess the clinical use and practice attitudes among Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) members regarding the use of letrozole for ovulation induction and infertility treatment. The SART clinic physicians were mailed a cover letter and consent form, a two-page survey, and return envelope. The surveys were returned and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Not applicable. None. A 13-question survey. Reproductive endocrinology and infertility physicians use patterns and attitudes regarding letrozole. A total of 77.9% of physician prescribe letrozole. Of those who do not, 32.4% cited concern about the US Food and Drug Administration warning, 35.1% cited satisfaction with current medications, 25.7% cited both reasons, and 6.8% cited no experience with letrozole. Physicians (11.5%) were unaware of the US Food and Drug Administration warning. Physicians (99.7%) were aware that ovulation induction is an off-label use of letrozole. The most common use was for ovulation induction in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Physicians (14.9%) prescribe letrozole as first-line ovulation therapy prior to clomid, 47.9% use for clomid failures, and 25.7% reported use in both situations. Most physicians surveyed use letrozole for ovulation induction despite the current US Food and Drug Administration warning. Even when accounting for nonrespondents, more than 25% of physicians indicated success with letrozole use. Questions regarding doses and clinical concerns about letrozole revealed no standardized manner of letrozole administration despite wide interest, therefore additional research is warranted. Copyright © 2013 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Pretreatment of low dose radiation reduces radiation-induced apoptosis in mouse lymphoma (EL4) cells.

    PubMed

    Kim, J H; Hyun, S J; Yoon, M Y; Ji, Y H; Cho, C K; Yoo, S Y

    1997-06-01

    Induction of an adaptive response to ionizing radiation in mouse lymphoma (EL4) cells was studied by using cell survival fraction and apoptotic nucleosomal DNA fragmentation as biological end points. Cells in early log phase were pre-exposed to low dose of gamma-rays (0.01 Gy) 4 or 20 hrs prior to high dose gamma-ray (4, 8 and 12 Gy for cell survival fraction analysis; 8 Gy for DNA fragmentation analysis) irradiation. Then cell survival fractions and the extent of DNA fragmentation were measured. Significant adaptive response, increase in cell survival fraction and decrease in the extent of DNA fragmentation were induced when low and high dose gamma-ray irradiation time interval was 4 hr. Addition of protein or RNA synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide or 5,6-dichloro-1-beta-d-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole (DRFB), respectively during adaptation period, the period from low dose gamma-ray irradiation to high dose gamma-ray irradiation, was able to inhibit the induction of adaptive response, which is the reduction of the extent DNA fragmentation in irradiated EL4 cells. These data suggest that the induction of adaptive response to ionizing radiation in EL4 cells required both protein and RNA synthesis.

  5. Fishing tool retrieves MWD nuclear source from deep well

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

    Not Available

    A new wire line tool has successfully retrieved the nuclear sources and formation data from a measurement-while-drilling (MWD) tool stuck in a deep, highly deviated well in the Gulf of Mexico. On Nov. 8, 1993, Schlumberger Wireline and Testing and Anadrill ran a logging-while-drilling inductive coupling (LINC) tool on conventional wire line to fish the gamma ray and neutron sources from a compensated density neutron (CDN) tool stuck in a well at 19,855 ft with an inclination greater than 80[degree]. The paper briefly describes the operation and equipment.

  6. Simulation Modeling of the C-5 Galaxy High Velocity Regionalized Isochronal (HVRISO) Inspection Concept

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-03-01

    flu en ce Lo g Q ue ue 4 8 X 2 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Row s Breusch - Pagan Response Residual Log Queue 48 X Squared Whole Model Actual...aircraft cannot be immediately inducted into the servicing inspection dock. This study uses discrete-event simulation techniques to test the...for a 10 percent boost in reliability (Hebert, 2007). With 2 C-5Bs and 1 C-5A retrofitted with RERP for test and evaluation purposes, Air Force

  7. Augmenting Plasticity Induction in Human Motor Cortex by Disinhibition Stimulation.

    PubMed

    Cash, Robin F H; Murakami, Takenobu; Chen, Robert; Thickbroom, Gary W; Ziemann, Ulf

    2016-01-01

    Cellular studies showed that disinhibition, evoked pharmacologically or by a suitably timed priming stimulus, can augment long-term plasticity (LTP) induction. We demonstrated previously that transcranial magnetic stimulation evokes a period of presumably GABA(B)ergic late cortical disinhibition (LCD) in human primary motor cortex (M1). Here, we hypothesized that, in keeping with cellular studies, LCD can augment LTP-like plasticity in humans. In Experiment 1, patterned repetitive TMS was applied to left M1, consisting of 6 trains (intertrain interval, 8 s) of 4 doublets (interpulse interval equal to individual peak I-wave facilitation, 1.3-1.5 ms) spaced by the individual peak LCD (interdoublet interval (IDI), 200-250 ms). This intervention (total of 48 pulses applied over ∼45 s) increased motor-evoked potential amplitude, a marker of corticospinal excitability, in a right hand muscle by 147% ± 4%. Control experiments showed that IDIs shorter or longer than LCD did not result in LTP-like plasticity. Experiment 2 indicated topographic specificity to the M1 hand region stimulated by TMS and duration of the LTP-like plasticity of 60 min. In conclusion, GABA(B)ergic LCD offers a powerful new approach for augmenting LTP-like plasticity induction in human cortex. We refer to this protocol as disinhibition stimulation (DIS). © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  8. Sequential colonization of periodontal pathogens in induction of periodontal disease and atherosclerosis in LDLRnull mice.

    PubMed

    Chukkapalli, Sasanka S; Easwaran, Meena; Rivera-Kweh, Mercedes F; Velsko, Irina M; Ambadapadi, Sriram; Dai, Jiayin; Larjava, Hannu; Lucas, Alexandra R; Kesavalu, Lakshmyya

    2017-01-01

    Periodontal disease (PD) and atherosclerotic vascular disease (ASVD) are both chronic inflammatory diseases with a polymicrobial etiology and have been epidemiologically associated. The purpose is to examine whether periodontal bacteria that infect the periodontium can also infect vascular tissues and enhance pre-existing early aortic atherosclerotic lesions in LDLRnull mice. Mice were orally infected with intermediate bacterial colonizer Fusobacterium nucleatum for the first 12 weeks followed by late bacterial colonizers (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola and Tannerella forsythia) for the remaining 12 weeks mimicking the human oral microbiota ecological colonization. Genomic DNA from all four bacterial was detected in gingival plaque by PCR, consistently demonstrating infection of mouse gingival surfaces. Infected mice had significant levels of IgG and IgM antibodies, alveolar bone resorption, and showed apical migration of junctional epithelium revealing the induction of PD. These results support the ability of oral bacteria to cause PD in mice. Detection of bacterial genomic DNA in systemic organs indicates hematogenous dissemination from the gingival pockets. Bacterial infection did not alter serum lipid fractions or serum amyloid A levels and did not induce aortic atherosclerotic plaque. This is the first study examining the causal role of periodontal bacteria in induction of ASVD in LDLRnull mice. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. Saline aquifer mapping project in the southeastern United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Williams, Lester J.; Spechler, Rick M.

    2011-01-01

    In 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a study of saline aquifers in the southeastern United States to evaluate the potential use of brackish or saline water from the deeper portions of the Floridan aquifer system and the underlying Coastal Plain aquifer system (Fig. 1). The objective of this study is to improve the overall understanding of the available saline water resources for potential future development. Specific tasks are to (1) develop a digital georeferenced database of borehole geophysical data to enable analysis and characterization of saline aquifers (see locations in Fig. 1), (2) identify and map the regional extent of saline aquifer systems and describe the thickness and character of hydrologic units that compose these systems, and (3) delineate salinity variations at key well sites and along section lines to provide a regional depiction of the freshwater-saltwater interfaces. Electrical resistivity and induction logs, coupled with a variety of different porosity logs (sonic, density, and neutron), are the primary types of borehole geophysical logs being used to estimate the water quality in brackish and saline formations. The results from the geophysical log calculations are being compared to available water-quality data obtained from water wells and from drill-stem water samples collected in test wells. Overall, the saline aquifer mapping project is helping to improve the understanding of saline water resources in the area. These aquifers may be sources of large quantities of water that could be treated by using reverse osmosis or similar technologies, or they could be used for aquifer storage and recovery systems.

  10. Real-time use of the iPad by third-year medical students for clinical decision support and learning: a mixed methods study.

    PubMed

    Nuss, Michelle A; Hill, Janette R; Cervero, Ronald M; Gaines, Julie K; Middendorf, Bruce F

    2014-01-01

    Despite widespread use of mobile technology in medical education, medical students' use of mobile technology for clinical decision support and learning is not well understood. Three key questions were explored in this extensive mixed methods study: 1) how medical students used mobile technology in the care of patients, 2) the mobile applications (apps) used and 3) how expertise and time spent changed overtime. This year-long (July 2012-June 2013) mixed methods study explored the use of the iPad, using four data collection instruments: 1) beginning and end-of-year questionnaires, 2) iPad usage logs, 3) weekly rounding observations, and 4) weekly medical student interviews. Descriptive statistics were generated for the questionnaires and apps reported in the usage logs. The iPad usage logs, observation logs, and weekly interviews were analyzed via inductive thematic analysis. Students predominantly used mobile technology to obtain real-time patient data via the electronic health record (EHR), to access medical knowledge resources for learning, and to inform patient care. The top four apps used were Epocrates(®), PDF Expert(®), VisualDx(®), and Micromedex(®). The majority of students indicated that their use (71%) and expertise (75%) using mobile technology grew overtime. This mixed methods study provides substantial evidence that medical students used mobile technology for clinical decision support and learning. Integrating its use into the medical student's daily workflow was essential for achieving these outcomes. Developing expertise in using mobile technology and various apps was critical for effective and efficient support of real-time clinical decisions.

  11. Characterization of fractures and flow zones in a contaminated crystalline-rock aquifer in the Tylerville section of Haddam, Connecticut

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johnson, Carole D.; Kiel, Kristal F.; Joesten, Peter K.; Pappas, Katherine L.

    2016-10-04

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, investigated the characteristics of the bedrock aquifer in the Tylerville section of Haddam, Connecticut, from June to August 2014. As part of this investigation, geophysical logs were collected from six water-supply wells and were analyzed to (1) identify well construction, (2) determine the rock type and orientation of the foliation and layering of the rock, (3) characterize the depth and orientation of fractures, (4) evaluate fluid properties of the water in the well, and (5) determine the relative transmissivity and head of discrete fractures or fracture zones. The logs included the following: caliper, electromagnetic induction, gamma, acoustic and (or) optical televiewer, heat-pulse flowmeter under ambient and pumped conditions, hydraulic head data, fluid electrical conductivity and temperature under postpumping conditions, and borehole-radar reflection collected in single-hole mode. In a seventh borehole, a former water-supply well, only caliper, fluid electrical conductivty, and temperature logs were collected, because of a constriction in the borehole.This report includes a description of the methods used to collect and process the borehole geophysical data, the description of the data collected in each of the wells, and a comparison of the results collected in all of the wells. The data are presented in plots of the borehole geophysical logs, tables, and figures. Collectively these data provide valuable characterizations that can be used to improve or inform site conceptual models of groundwater flow in the study area.

  12. Near Surface Investigation of Agricultural Soils using a Multi-Frequency Electromagnetic Sensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sadatcharam, K.; Unc, A.; Krishnapillai, M.; Cheema, M.; Galagedara, L.

    2017-12-01

    Electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensors have been used as precision agricultural tools over decades. They are being used to measure spatiotemporal variability of soil properties and soil stratification in the sense of apparent electrical conductivity (ECa). We mapped the ECa variability by horizontal coplanar (HCP) and by vertical coplanar (VCP) orientation of a multi-frequency EMI sensor and identified its interrelation with physical properties of soil. A broadband, multi-frequency handheld EMI sensor (GEM-2) was used on a loamy sand soil cultivated with silage-corn in western Newfoundland, Canada. Log and line spaced, three frequency ranges (weak, low, and high), based on the factory calibration were tested using HCP and VCP orientation to produce spatiotemporal data of ECa. In parallel, we acquired data on soil moisture content, texture and bulk density. We then assessed the statistical significance of the relationship between ECa and soil physical properties. The test site had three areas of distinct soil properties corresponding to the elevation, in particular. The same spatial variability was also identified by ECa mapping at different frequencies and the two modes of coil orientations. Data analysis suggested that the high range frequency (38 kHz (log-spaced) and 49 kHz (line-spaced)) for both HCP and VCP orientations produced accurate ECa maps, better than the weak and low range frequencies tested. Furthermore, results revealed that the combined effects of soil texture, moisture content and bulk density affect ECameasurements as obtained by both frequencies and two coil orientations. Keywords: Apparent electrical conductivity, Electromagnetic induction, Horizontal coplanar, Soil properties, Vertical coplanar

  13. Shedding of Hepatitis C Virus Into the Rectum of HIV-infected Men Who Have Sex With Men.

    PubMed

    Foster, Andrew L; Gaisa, Michael M; Hijdra, Rosanne M; Turner, Samuel S; Morey, Tristan J; Jacobson, Karen B; Fierer, Daniel S

    2017-02-01

    For over a decade we have known of an epidemic of sexually transmitted hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected men who have sex with men (MSM), but there still remains significant controversy over which bodily fluid(s) are responsible for HCV transmission in these men. We enrolled HIV-infected MSM with recent and chronic HCV infection and quantified HCV from rectal fluid obtained by blind swab. We compared the rectal HCV viral load (VL) with paired blood HCV VL. We found rectal HCV shedding in 20 (47%) of 43 men, only one (2%) of whom had visible bleeding. Detection of rectal HCV shedding was associated with blood VL > 5 log 10 IU/mL (p = .01), and 85% with blood VL > 5 log 10 IU/mL had rectal shedding. The HCV VL of the rectal fluid ranged from 2.6 to 5.5 log 10 IU/mL. Based on the median rectal fluid VL, the surface of an average human penis would be exposed to at least 2,300 IU of HCV for the duration of anal intercourse. This study provides the first direct evidence to our knowledge that a sufficient quantity of HCV is shed into the rectum in HIV-infected men with HCV infection to directly infect an inserted penis or be passed indirectly through fomite-like transmission to the rectum of sex partner. We must develop an appropriate public health campaign to educate MSM about these routes of HCV infection to reverse the HCV epidemic among HIV-infected MSM. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. KSC-06pd0790

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2006-05-06

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Brewster H. Shaw Jr. (right) accepts congratulations from Al Worden, U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame member and chairman of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. The occasion is the 2006 induction ceremony for the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, held in the Apollo/Saturn V Center. The inductees for 2006 are former NASA astronauts Shaw, Henry "Hank" Hartsfield Jr., and Charles F. Bolden Jr. Shaw flew on three space shuttle missions including STS-9, STS-61B, STS-28, logging 533 hours in space. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame now includes 63 space explorers. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

  15. 2016 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2016-04-14

    The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame welcomed astronaut inductees Brian Duffy and Scott Parazynski to its ranks during a May 14 ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, in Florida. Parazynski, who retired from NASA in 2009, flew on five spaceflights and performed seven spacewalks during his career. Duffy, retired from the Air Force and NASA in 2001. He logged more than forty total days in space during his four spaceflights. The pair join an elite group of well-known space explorers, including Alan Shepard, John Glenn, John Young, Neil Armstrong and Sally Ride.

  16. KSC-06pd0789

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2006-05-06

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Henry "Hank" Hartsfield Jr. (right) accepts congratulations from Al Worden, U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame member and chairman of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. The occasion is the 2006 induction ceremony for the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, held in the Apollo/Saturn V Center. The inductees for 2006 are former NASA astronauts Hartsfield, Brewster H. Shaw Jr. and Charles F. Bolden Jr. Hartsfield flew on three space shuttle missions including STS-4, STS-41D and STS-61A, logging 482 hours in space. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame now includes 63 space explorers. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

  17. High dose melphalan in the treatment of advanced neuroblastoma: results of a randomised trial (ENSG-1) by the European Neuroblastoma Study Group.

    PubMed

    Pritchard, Jon; Cotterill, Simon J; Germond, Shirley M; Imeson, John; de Kraker, Jan; Jones, David R

    2005-04-01

    High dose myeloablative chemotherapy ("megatherapy"), with haematopoietic stem cell support, is now widely used to consolidate response to induction chemotherapy in patients with advanced neuroblastoma. In this study (European Neuroblastoma Study Group, ENSG1), the value of melphalan myeloablative "megatherapy" was evaluated in a randomised, multi-centre trial. Between 1982 and 1985, 167 children with stages IV and III neuroblastoma (123 stage IV > 1 year old at diagnosis and 44 stage III and stage IV from 6 to 12 months old at diagnosis) were treated with oncovin, cisplatin, epipodophyllotoxin, and cyclophosphamide (OPEC) induction chemotherapy every 3 weeks. After surgical excision of primary tumour, the 90 patients (69% of the total) who achieved complete response (CR) or good partial response (GPR) were eligible for randomisation either to high dose melphalan (180 mg per square meter) with autologous bone marrow support or to no further treatment. Sixty-five (72%) of eligible children were actually randomised and 21 of these patients were surviving at time of this analysis, with median follow-up from randomisation of 14.3 years. Five year event-free survival (EFS) was 38% (95% confidence interval (CI) 21-54%) in the melphalan-treated group and 27% (95% CI 12-42%) in the "no-melphalan" group. This difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.08, log rank test) but for the 48 randomised stage IV patients aged >1 year at diagnosis outcome was significantly better in the melphalan-treated group-5 year EFS 33% versus 17% (P = 0.01, log rank test). In this trial, high dose melphalan improved the length of EFS and overall survival of children with stage IV neuroblastoma >1 year of age who achieved CR or GPR after OPEC induction therapy and surgery. Multi-agent myeloablative regimens are now widely used as consolidation therapy for children with stage IV disease and in those with other disease stages when the MYCN gene copy number in tumour cells is amplified. Because they are more toxic, complex, and costly these combination megatherapy regimens should be compared with single agent melphalan in randomised clinical trials.

  18. Using open hole and cased-hole resistivity logs to monitor gas hydrate dissociation during a thermal test in the mallik 5L-38 research well, Mackenzie Delta, Canada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Anderson, B.I.; Collett, T.S.; Lewis, R.E.; Dubourg, I.

    2008-01-01

    Gas hydrates, which are naturally occurring ice-like combinations of gas and water, have the potential to provide vast amounts of natural gas from the world's oceans and polar regions. However, producing gas economically from hydrates entails major technical challenges. Proposed recovery methods such as dissociating or melting gas hydrates by heating or depressurization are currently being tested. One such test was conducted in northern Canada by the partners in the Mallik 2002 Gas Hydrate Production Research Well Program. This paper describes how resistivity logs were used to determine the size of the annular region of gas hydrate dissociation that occurred around the wellbore during the thermal test in the Mallik 5L-38 well. An open-hole logging suite, run prior to the thermal test, included array induction, array laterolog, nuclear magnetic resonance and 1.1-GHz electromagnetic propagation logs. The reservoir saturation tool was run both before and after the thermal test to monitor formation changes. A cased-hole formation resistivity log was run after the test.Baseline resistivity values in each formation layer (Rt) were established from the deep laterolog data. The resistivity in the region of gas hydrate dissociation near the wellbore (Rxo) was determined from electromagnetic propagation and reservoir saturation tool measurements. The radius of hydrate dissociation as a function of depth was then determined by means of iterative forward modeling of cased-hole formation resistivity tool response. The solution was obtained by varying the modeled dissociation radius until the modeled log overlaid the field log. Pretest gas hydrate production computer simulations had predicted that dissociation would take place at a uniform radius over the 13-ft test interval. However, the post-test resistivity modeling showed that this was not the case. The resistivity-derived dissociation radius was greatest near the outlet of the pipe that circulated hot water in the wellbore, where the highest temperatures were recorded. The radius was smallest near the center of the test interval, where a conglomerate section with low values of porosity and permeability inhibited dissociation. The free gas volume calculated from the resistivity-derived dissociation radii yielded a value within 20 per cent of surface gauge measurements. These results show that the inversion of resistivity measurements holds promise for use in future gas hydrate monitoring. ?? 2008 Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts. All rights reserved.

  19. Use of advanced borehole geophysical techniques to delineate fractured-rock ground-water flow and fractures along water-tunnel facilities in northern Queens County, New York

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stumm, Frederick; Chu, Anthony; Lange, Andrew D.; Paillet, Frederick L.; Williams, John H.; Lane, John W.

    2001-01-01

    Advanced borehole geophysical methods were used to assess the geohydrology of crystalline bedrock along the course of a new water tunnel for New York City. The logging methods include natural gamma, spontaneous potential, single-point resistance, mechanical and acoustic caliper, focused electromagnetic induction, electromagnetic resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, borehole-fluid temperature and conductance, differential temperature, heat-pulse flowmeter, acoustic televiewer, borehole deviation, optical televiewer, and borehole radar. Integrated interpretation of the geophysical logs from an 825-foot borehole (1) provided information on the extent, orientation, and structure (foliation and fractures) within the entire borehole, including intensely fractured intervals from which core recovery may be poor; (2) delineated transmissive fracture zones intersected by the borehole and provided estimates of their transmissivity and hydraulic head; and (3) enabled mapping of the location and orientation of structures at distances as much as 100 ft from the borehole.Analyses of the borehole-wall image and the geophysical logs from the borehole on Crescent Street, in northern Queens County, are presented here to illustrate the application of the methods. The borehole penetrates gneiss and other crystalline bedrock that has predominantly southeastward dipping foliation and nearly horizontal and southeastward-dipping fractures. The heat-pulse flowmeter logs obtained under pumping and nonpumping conditions, together with the other geophysical logs, indicate five transmissive fracture zones. More than 90 percent of the open-hole transmissivity is associated with a fracture zone 272 feet BLS (below land surface). A transmissive zone at 787 feet BLS that consists of nearly parallel fractures lies within the projected tunnel path; here the hydraulic head is 12 to 15 feet lower than that of transmissive zones above the 315-foot depth. The 60-megahertz directional borehole radar logs indicate the location and orientation of two closely spaced radar reflectors that would intersect the projection of the borehole below its drilled depth.Subsequent excavation of the tunnel past the borehole allowed comparison of the log analysis with conditions observed in the tunnel. The tunnel was found to intersect gneiss with southeastward dipping foliation; many nearly horizontal fractures; and a southeastward dipping fracture zone whose location, character, and orientation was consistent with that of the mapped radar reflectors. The fracture zone produced inflow to the tunnel at a rate of 50 to 100 gallons per minute. All conditions indicated by the logging methods were consistent with those observed within the tunnel.

  20. Phoning logistics in a longitudinal follow-up of batterers and their partners.

    PubMed

    Gondolf, Edward W; Deemer, Crystal

    2004-07-01

    More needs to be known about the phoning logistics of interviewing subjects for longitudinal follow-up studies in the domestic violence field. Using phoning logs from a 4-year follow-up of batterer intervention, the authors calculated the number, results, and costs of phone calls from a subsample of 100 men and 138 women. The number of calls is high (5.5 per man and 7.1 per woman), locators play a substantial role (for 25% of the men and women), and mailed questionnaires are a useful supplement (increasing response rate 5% for men and 11% for women). On average, about half of the subjects were interviewed at each interval. The main obstacle is not refusals but no response and not being able to locate a subject. Strategies to address "no response" are considered.

  1. Dual excitation acoustic paramagnetic logging tool

    DOEpatents

    Vail, III, William B.

    1989-01-01

    New methods and apparatus are disclosed which allow measurement of the presence of oil and water in gelogical formations using a new physical effect called the Acoustic Paramagnetic Logging Effect (APLE). The presence of petroleum in formation causes a slight increase in the earth's magnetic field in the vicinity of the reservoir. This is the phenomena of paramagnetism. Application of an acoustic source to a geological formation at the Larmor frequency of the nucleous present causes the paramagnetism of the formation to disappear. This results in a decrease in the earth's magnetic field in the vicinity of the oil bearing formation. Repetitively frequency sweeping the acoustic source through the Larmor frequency of the nucleons present (approx. 2 kHz) causes an amplitude modulation of the earth's magnetic field which is a consequence of the APLE. The amplitude modulation of the earth's magnetic field is measured with an induction coil gradiometer and provides a direct measure of the amount of oil and water in the excitation zone of the formation. The phase of the signal is used to infer the longitudinal relaxation times of the fluids present, which results in the ability in general to separate oil and water and to measure the viscosity of the oil present. Such measurements may be preformed in open boreholes and in cased well bores. The Dual Excitation Acoustic Paramagnetic Logging Tool employing two acoustic sources is also described.

  2. Geologic, hydrologic, and water-quality data from multiple-well monitoring sites in the Central and West Coast basins, Los Angeles County, California, 1995-2000

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Land, Michael; Everett, R.R.; Crawford, S.M.

    2002-01-01

    In 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the HYPERLINK 'http://wrd.org' Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRDSC), began a study to examine ground-water resources in the Central and West Coast Basins in Los Angeles County, California. The study characterizes the geohydrology and geochemistry of the regional ground-water flow system and provides extensive data for evaluating ground-water management issues. This report is a compilation of geologic, hydrologic, and water-quality data collected from 24 recently constructed multiple-well monitoring sites for the period 1995?2000. Descriptions of the collected drill cuttings were compiled into lithologic logs, which are summarized along with geophysical logs?including gamma-ray, spontaneous potential, resistivity, electromagnetic induction, and temperature tool logs?for each monitoring site. At selected sites, cores were analyzed for magnetic orientation, physical and thermal properties, and mineralogy. Field and laboratory estimates of hydraulic conductivity are presented for most multiple-well monitoring sites. Periodic water-level measurements are also reported. Water-quality information for major ions, nutrients, trace elements, deuterium and oxygen-18, and tritium is presented for the multiple-well monitoring locations, and for selected existing production and observation wells. In addition, boron-11, carbon-13, carbon-14, sulfur-34, and strontium-87/86 data are presented for selected wells.

  3. Persistence of Infectious Shiga Toxin-Encoding Bacteriophages after Disinfection Treatments

    PubMed Central

    Allué-Guardia, Anna; Martínez-Castillo, Alexandre

    2014-01-01

    In Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), induction of Shiga toxin-encoding bacteriophages (Stx phages) causes the release of free phages that can later be found in the environment. The ability of Stx phages to survive different inactivation conditions determines their prevalence in the environment, the risk of stx transduction, and the generation of new STEC strains. We evaluated the infectivity and genomes of two Stx phages (Φ534 and Φ557) under different conditions. Infectious Stx phages were stable at 4, 22, and 37°C and at pH 7 and 9 after 1 month of storage but were completely inactivated at pH 3. Infective Stx phages decreased moderately when treated with UV (2.2-log10 reduction for an estimated UV dose of 178.2 mJ/cm2) or after treatment at 60 and 68°C for 60 min (2.2- and 2.5-log10 reductions, respectively) and were highly inactivated (3 log10) by 10 ppm of chlorine in 1 min. Assays in a mesocosm showed lower inactivation of all microorganisms in winter than in summer. The number of Stx phage genomes did not decrease significantly in most cases, and STEC inactivation was higher than phage inactivation under all conditions. Moreover, Stx phages retained the ability to lysogenize E. coli after some of the treatments. PMID:24463973

  4. Dual excitation acoustic paramagnetic logging tool

    DOEpatents

    Vail, W.B. III.

    1989-02-14

    New methods and apparatus are disclosed which allow measurement of the presence of oil and water in geological formations using a new physical effect called the Acoustic Paramagnetic Logging Effect (APLE). The presence of petroleum in formation causes a slight increase in the earth's magnetic field in the vicinity of the reservoir. This is the phenomena of paramagnetism. Application of an acoustic source to a geological formation at the Larmor frequency of the nucleons present causes the paramagnetism of the formation to disappear. This results in a decrease in the earth's magnetic field in the vicinity of the oil bearing formation. Repetitively frequency sweeping the acoustic source through the Larmor frequency of the nucleons present (approx. 2 kHz) causes an amplitude modulation of the earth's magnetic field which is a consequence of the APLE. The amplitude modulation of the earth's magnetic field is measured with an induction coil gradiometer and provides a direct measure of the amount of oil and water in the excitation zone of the formation. The phase of the signal is used to infer the longitudinal relaxation times of the fluids present, which results in the ability in general to separate oil and water and to measure the viscosity of the oil present. Such measurements may be performed in open boreholes and in cased well bores. The Dual Excitation Acoustic Paramagnetic Logging Tool employing two acoustic sources is also described. 6 figs.

  5. Listeria arpJ gene modifies T helper type 2 subset differentiation.

    PubMed

    Kanoh, Makoto; Maruyama, Saho; Shen, Hua; Matsumoto, Akira; Shinomiya, Hiroto; Przybilla, Karin; Gouin, Edith; Cossart, Pascale; Goebel, Werner; Asano, Yoshihiro

    2015-07-15

    Although the T-cell subset differentiation pathway has been characterized extensively from the view of host gene regulation, the effects of genes of the pathogen on T-cell subset differentiation during infection have yet to be elucidated. Especially, the bacterial genes that are responsible for this shift have not yet been determined. Utilizing a single-gene-mutation Listeria panel, we investigated genes involved in the host-pathogen interaction that are required for the initiation of T-cell subset differentiation in the early phase of pathogen infection. We demonstrate that the induction of T helper types 1 and 2 (Th1 and Th2) subsets are separate phenomena and are mediated by distinct Listeria genes. We identified several candidate Listeria genes that appear to be involved in the host-Listeria interaction. Among them, arpJ is the strongest candidate gene for inhibiting Th2 subset induction. Furthermore, the analysis utilizing arpJ-deficient Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) revealed that the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily (Tnfsf) 9-TNF receptor superfamily (Tnfrsf) 9 interaction inhibits the Th2 response during Lm infection. arpJ is the candidate gene for inhibiting Th2 T-cell subset induction. The arpJ gene product influences the expression of Tnfsf/Tnfrsf on antigen-presenting cells and inhibits the Th2 T-cell subset differentiation during Listeria infection. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  6. Induction dosing of peginterferon alfa-2a (40 KD) and/or high-dose ribavirin in genotype 1 CHC patients with difficult-to-treat characteristics: pharmacokinetic and viral kinetic (PK/VK) assessment from PROGRESS.

    PubMed

    Morcos, Peter N; Leong, Ruby; Thommes, James A; DePamphilis, Jean; Grippo, Joseph F; Brennan, Barbara J

    2015-01-01

    PROGRESS randomized chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 patients with a baseline viral load ≥400,000 IU/mL weighing ≥85 kg to regimens of 180 μg/week for 48 weeks or 360 μg/week for 12 weeks followed by 180 μg/week for 36 weeks peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin. This analysis explored pharmacokinetics and early viral kinetics (VK) and evaluates differences between groups. Blood samples for pharmacokinetic and VK analyses were collected from 51 patients enrolled in the PROGRESS study. Mean peginterferon alfa-2a trough concentration at week 12 was 11.7±4.3 ng/mL for 180 μg and 23.4±11.3 ng/mL for 360 μg. Early VK profiles suggested a trend towards an enhanced viral decline in the 360 μg groups with a mean decrease in HCV RNA at 48 hours post first dose of 1.04 log10 (IU/mL) compared with 0.76 log10 (IU/mL) in the 180 μg groups. Mean beta slope increased with dose, ranging from 0.38±0.26 log10 IU/week at 180 μg to 0.52±0.32 log10 IU/week at 360 μg. Early viral de clines may be enhanced with the 360 μg dose. These data may suggest the utility of high-dose peginterfer on alfa-2a plus direct-acting antivirals (DAA) in select difficult-to-treat populations.

  7. Evaluation of the use of salivary lead levels as a surrogate of blood lead or plasma lead levels in lead exposed subjects.

    PubMed

    Barbosa, Fernando; Corrêa Rodrigues, Maria Heloísa; Buzalaf, Maria R; Krug, Francisco J; Gerlach, Raquel F; Tanus-Santos, José Eduardo

    2006-10-01

    We conducted a study to evaluate the use of parotid salivary lead (Pb-saliva) levels as a surrogate of the blood lead (Pb-B) or plasma lead levels (Pb-P) to diagnose lead exposure. The relationship between these biomarkers was assessed in a lead exposed population. Pb-saliva and Pb-P were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, while in whole blood lead was determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. We studied 88 adults (31 men and 57 women) from 18 to 60 years old. Pb-saliva levels varied from 0.05 to 4.4 microg/l, with a mean of 0.85 microg/l. Blood lead levels varied from 32.0 to 428.0 microg/l in men (mean 112.3 microg/l) and from 25.0 to 263.0 microg/l (mean 63.5 microg/l) in women. Corresponding Pb-Ps were 0.02-2.50 microg/l (mean 0.77 microg/l) and 0.03-1.6 microg/l (mean 0.42 microg/l) in men and women, respectively. A weak correlation was found between Log Pb-saliva and Log Pb-B (r=0.277, P<0.008), and between Log Pb-saliva and Log Pb-P (r=0.280, P=0.006). The Pb-saliva/Pb-P ratio ranged from 0.20 to 18.0. Age or gender does not affect Pb-saliva levels or Pb-saliva/Pb-P ratio. Taken together, these results suggest that salivary lead may not be used as a biomarker to diagnose lead exposure nor as a surrogate of plasma lead levels at least for low to moderately lead exposed population.

  8. Real-time use of the iPad by third-year medical students for clinical decision support and learning: a mixed methods study

    PubMed Central

    Nuss, Michelle A.; Hill, Janette R.; Cervero, Ronald M.; Gaines, Julie K.; Middendorf, Bruce F.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose Despite widespread use of mobile technology in medical education, medical students’ use of mobile technology for clinical decision support and learning is not well understood. Three key questions were explored in this extensive mixed methods study: 1) how medical students used mobile technology in the care of patients, 2) the mobile applications (apps) used and 3) how expertise and time spent changed overtime. Methods This year-long (July 2012–June 2013) mixed methods study explored the use of the iPad, using four data collection instruments: 1) beginning and end-of-year questionnaires, 2) iPad usage logs, 3) weekly rounding observations, and 4) weekly medical student interviews. Descriptive statistics were generated for the questionnaires and apps reported in the usage logs. The iPad usage logs, observation logs, and weekly interviews were analyzed via inductive thematic analysis. Results Students predominantly used mobile technology to obtain real-time patient data via the electronic health record (EHR), to access medical knowledge resources for learning, and to inform patient care. The top four apps used were Epocrates®, PDF Expert®, VisualDx®, and Micromedex®. The majority of students indicated that their use (71%) and expertise (75%) using mobile technology grew overtime. Conclusions This mixed methods study provides substantial evidence that medical students used mobile technology for clinical decision support and learning. Integrating its use into the medical student's daily workflow was essential for achieving these outcomes. Developing expertise in using mobile technology and various apps was critical for effective and efficient support of real-time clinical decisions. PMID:25317266

  9. Factors Limiting SOS Expression in Log-Phase Cells of Escherichia coli

    PubMed Central

    Massoni, Shawn C.; Leeson, Michael C.; Long, Jarukit Edward; Gemme, Kristin; Mui, Alice

    2012-01-01

    In Escherichia coli, RecA–single-stranded DNA (RecA-ssDNA) filaments catalyze DNA repair, recombination, and induction of the SOS response. It has been shown that, while many (15 to 25%) log-phase cells have RecA filaments, few (about 1%) are induced for SOS. It is hypothesized that RecA's ability to induce SOS expression in log-phase cells is repressed because of the potentially detrimental effects of SOS mutagenesis. To test this, mutations were sought to produce a population where the number of cells with SOS expression more closely equaled the number of RecA filaments. Here, it is shown that deleting radA (important for resolution of recombination structures) and increasing recA transcription 2- to 3-fold with a recAo1403 operator mutation act independently to minimally satisfy this condition. This allows 24% of mutant cells to have elevated levels of SOS expression, a percentage similar to that of cells with RecA-green fluorescent protein (RecA-GFP) foci. In an xthA (exonuclease III gene) mutant where there are 3-fold more RecA loading events, recX (a destabilizer of RecA filaments) must be additionally deleted to achieve a population of cells where the percentage having elevated SOS expression (91%) nearly equals the percentage with at least one RecA-GFP focus (83%). It is proposed that, in the xthA mutant, there are three independent mechanisms that repress SOS expression in log-phase cells. These are the rapid processing of RecA filaments by RadA, maintaining the concentration of RecA below a critical level, and the destabilizing of RecA filaments by RecX. Only the first two mechanisms operate independently in a wild-type cell. PMID:22843848

  10. Factors limiting SOS expression in log-phase cells of Escherichia coli.

    PubMed

    Massoni, Shawn C; Leeson, Michael C; Long, Jarukit Edward; Gemme, Kristin; Mui, Alice; Sandler, Steven J

    2012-10-01

    In Escherichia coli, RecA-single-stranded DNA (RecA-ssDNA) filaments catalyze DNA repair, recombination, and induction of the SOS response. It has been shown that, while many (15 to 25%) log-phase cells have RecA filaments, few (about 1%) are induced for SOS. It is hypothesized that RecA's ability to induce SOS expression in log-phase cells is repressed because of the potentially detrimental effects of SOS mutagenesis. To test this, mutations were sought to produce a population where the number of cells with SOS expression more closely equaled the number of RecA filaments. Here, it is shown that deleting radA (important for resolution of recombination structures) and increasing recA transcription 2- to 3-fold with a recAo1403 operator mutation act independently to minimally satisfy this condition. This allows 24% of mutant cells to have elevated levels of SOS expression, a percentage similar to that of cells with RecA-green fluorescent protein (RecA-GFP) foci. In an xthA (exonuclease III gene) mutant where there are 3-fold more RecA loading events, recX (a destabilizer of RecA filaments) must be additionally deleted to achieve a population of cells where the percentage having elevated SOS expression (91%) nearly equals the percentage with at least one RecA-GFP focus (83%). It is proposed that, in the xthA mutant, there are three independent mechanisms that repress SOS expression in log-phase cells. These are the rapid processing of RecA filaments by RadA, maintaining the concentration of RecA below a critical level, and the destabilizing of RecA filaments by RecX. Only the first two mechanisms operate independently in a wild-type cell.

  11. Induction of Shiga Toxin-Encoding Prophage by Abiotic Environmental Stress in Food.

    PubMed

    Fang, Yuan; Mercer, Ryan G; McMullen, Lynn M; Gänzle, Michael G

    2017-10-01

    The prophage-encoded Shiga toxin is a major virulence factor in Stx-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Toxin production and phage production are linked and occur after induction of the RecA-dependent SOS response. However, food-related stress and Stx-prophage induction have not been studied at the single-cell level. This study investigated the effects of abiotic environmental stress on stx expression by single-cell quantification of gene expression in STEC O104:H4 Δ stx2 :: gfp :: amp r In addition, the effect of stress on production of phage particles was determined. The lethality of stressors, including heat, HCl, lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and high hydrostatic pressure, was selected to reduce cell counts by 1 to 2 log CFU/ml. The integrity of the bacterial membrane after exposure to stress was measured by propidium iodide (PI). The fluorescent signals of green fluorescent protein (GFP) and PI were quantified by flow cytometry. The mechanism of prophage induction by stress was evaluated by relative gene expression of recA and cell morphology. Acid (pH < 3.5) and H 2 O 2 (2.5 mM) induced the expression of stx 2 in about 18% and 3% of the population, respectively. The mechanism of prophage induction by acid differs from that of induction by H 2 O 2 H 2 O 2 induction but not acid induction corresponded to production of infectious phage particles, upregulation of recA , and cell filamentation. Pressure (200 MPa) or heat did not induce the Stx2-encoding prophage (Stx2-prophage). Overall, the quantification method developed in this study allowed investigation of prophage induction and physiological properties at the single-cell level. H 2 O 2 and acids mediate different pathways to induce Stx2-prophage. IMPORTANCE Induction of the Stx-prophage in STEC results in production of phage particles and Stx and thus relates to virulence as well as the transduction of virulence genes. This study developed a method for a detection of the induction of Stx-prophages at the single-cell level; membrane permeability and an indication of SOS response to environmental stress were additionally assessed. H 2 O 2 and mitomycin C induced expression of the prophage and activated a SOS response. In contrast, HCl and lactic acid induced the Stx-prophage but not the SOS response. The lifestyle of STEC exposes the organism to intestinal and extraintestinal environments that impose oxidative and acid stress. A more thorough understanding of the influence of food processing-related stressors on Stx-prophage expression thus facilitates control of STEC in food systems by minimizing prophage induction during food production and storage. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  12. Induction of Shiga Toxin-Encoding Prophage by Abiotic Environmental Stress in Food

    PubMed Central

    Fang, Yuan; Mercer, Ryan G.; McMullen, Lynn M.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT The prophage-encoded Shiga toxin is a major virulence factor in Stx-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Toxin production and phage production are linked and occur after induction of the RecA-dependent SOS response. However, food-related stress and Stx-prophage induction have not been studied at the single-cell level. This study investigated the effects of abiotic environmental stress on stx expression by single-cell quantification of gene expression in STEC O104:H4 Δstx2::gfp::ampr. In addition, the effect of stress on production of phage particles was determined. The lethality of stressors, including heat, HCl, lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and high hydrostatic pressure, was selected to reduce cell counts by 1 to 2 log CFU/ml. The integrity of the bacterial membrane after exposure to stress was measured by propidium iodide (PI). The fluorescent signals of green fluorescent protein (GFP) and PI were quantified by flow cytometry. The mechanism of prophage induction by stress was evaluated by relative gene expression of recA and cell morphology. Acid (pH < 3.5) and H2O2 (2.5 mM) induced the expression of stx2 in about 18% and 3% of the population, respectively. The mechanism of prophage induction by acid differs from that of induction by H2O2. H2O2 induction but not acid induction corresponded to production of infectious phage particles, upregulation of recA, and cell filamentation. Pressure (200 MPa) or heat did not induce the Stx2-encoding prophage (Stx2-prophage). Overall, the quantification method developed in this study allowed investigation of prophage induction and physiological properties at the single-cell level. H2O2 and acids mediate different pathways to induce Stx2-prophage. IMPORTANCE Induction of the Stx-prophage in STEC results in production of phage particles and Stx and thus relates to virulence as well as the transduction of virulence genes. This study developed a method for a detection of the induction of Stx-prophages at the single-cell level; membrane permeability and an indication of SOS response to environmental stress were additionally assessed. H2O2 and mitomycin C induced expression of the prophage and activated a SOS response. In contrast, HCl and lactic acid induced the Stx-prophage but not the SOS response. The lifestyle of STEC exposes the organism to intestinal and extraintestinal environments that impose oxidative and acid stress. A more thorough understanding of the influence of food processing-related stressors on Stx-prophage expression thus facilitates control of STEC in food systems by minimizing prophage induction during food production and storage. PMID:28778890

  13. Treatment Outcomes for T4 Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

    PubMed

    Zenga, Joseph; Wilson, Michael; Adkins, Douglas R; Gay, Hiram A; Haughey, Bruce H; Kallogjeri, Dorina; Michel, Loren S; Paniello, Randal C; Rich, Jason T; Thorstad, Wade L; Nussenbaum, Brian

    2015-12-01

    Little is known about treatment outcomes for T4 oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), particularly in the era of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related disease. To evaluate oncologic outcomes for T4 OPSCC treated with primary surgical and nonsurgical therapies. Retrospective cohort study of 131 patients from a single academic hospital, who were treated for T4a or T4b OPSCC (with any N stage and without distant metastatic disease at presentation) between 1998 and 2012 and had a minimum 2-year follow-up (the median follow-up time was 34.6 months). This study was conducted between January 1, 1998, and November 1, 2012. Sixty-nine patients underwent nonsurgical therapy, 47 (68%) of whom had p16-positive tumors. Nonsurgical treatment paradigms included induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiotherapy (n = 36 [54%]), concurrent chemoradiotherapy (n = 29 [43%]), and induction chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy alone (n = 2 [3%]). Sixty-two patients underwent surgical treatment, 50 (81%) of whom had p16-positive tumors. Fifty-seven surgical patients (92%) received adjuvant therapy. Overall survival (OS) was the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcome measures included disease-specific survival (DSS), disease-free survival (DFS), 2-year gastrostomy and tracheostomy tube rates, and major complication rates. Significant baseline differences between the surgical vs nonsurgical groups included age (mean 59.8 vs 55.4 years [P = .005]), sex (male, 95% vs 84% [P = .04]), body mass index (<18.5 [calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared], 3% vs 16% [P = .02]), and smoking history of 10 or more pack-years (48% vs 77% [P = .003]). For p16-positive patients, Kaplan-Meier estimates of OS, DSS, and DFS were significantly higher for surgically treated patients than for the nonsurgical group (χ(2)(1) = 7.335 for log-rank P = .007, χ(2)(1) = 8.607 for log-rank P = .003, and χ(2)(1) = 7.763 for log-rank P = .005, respectively). For p16-negative patients, Kaplan-Meier estimates of OS and DSS were higher for the surgical group but did not reach statistical significance (χ(2)(1) = 2.649 for log-rank P = .10 and χ(2)(1) = 2.077 for log-rank P = .15, respectively), while estimates of DFS were significantly higher for patients treated with primary surgery (χ(2)(1)= 3.869 for log-rank P = .049. In a multivariable Cox survival analysis, p16-positive immunohistochemical status had a significant positive association with OS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.55; 95% CI, 0.32-0.95 [P = .03]), DSS (HR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.22-0.92 [P = .03]), and DFS (HR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.32-0.95 [P = .03]), and nonsurgical treatment had a significant negative association with OS (HR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.51-5.16 [P = .001]), DSS (HR, 3.38; 95% CI, 1.59-7.16 [P = .002]), and DFS (HR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.51-4.45 [P = .001]). Primary surgical treatment may be associated with improved outcomes in patients with T4 OPSCC. p16 Immunohistochemical status remains a strong prognostic indicator even in patients with locally advanced disease.

  14. Arthritis is inhibited in Borrelia-primed and infected interleukin-17A-deficient mice after administration of anti-gamma-interferon, anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha and anti-interleukin-6 antibodies.

    PubMed

    Kuo, Joseph; Warner, Thomas F; Schell, Ronald F

    2017-08-31

    The role that cytokines play in the induction of Lyme arthritis is gradually being delineated. We showed previously that severe arthritis developed in a T-cell-driven murine model, even in mice lacking interleukin-17A (IL-17A) and administered anti-gamma-interferon (IFN-γ) antibody. Increased levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), two pro-inflammatory cytokines, were detected in cultures of popliteal lymph node cells obtained from these mice. We hypothesized that concomitantly administered anti-IL-6, anti-TNF-α and anti-IFN-γ antibodies would inhibit the development of arthritis in IL-17A-deficient mice. Our results showed that swelling of the hind paws and histopathological changes consistent with arthritis were significantly reduced in IL-17A-deficient mice that administered the three anti-cytokine antibodies. These results suggest that treatment with multiple anti-cytokine antibodies can abrogate the induction of Lyme arthritis in mice. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  15. Apparent resistivity for transient electromagnetic induction logging and its correction in radial layer identification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meng, Qingxin; Hu, Xiangyun; Pan, Heping; Xi, Yufei

    2018-04-01

    We propose an algorithm for calculating all-time apparent resistivity from transient electromagnetic induction logging. The algorithm is based on the whole-space transient electric field expression of the uniform model and Halley's optimisation. In trial calculations for uniform models, the all-time algorithm is shown to have high accuracy. We use the finite-difference time-domain method to simulate the transient electromagnetic field in radial two-layer models without wall rock and convert the simulation results to apparent resistivity using the all-time algorithm. The time-varying apparent resistivity reflects the radially layered geoelectrical structure of the models and the apparent resistivity of the earliest time channel follows the true resistivity of the inner layer; however, the apparent resistivity at larger times reflects the comprehensive electrical characteristics of the inner and outer layers. To accurately identify the outer layer resistivity based on the series relationship model of the layered resistance, the apparent resistivity and diffusion depth of the different time channels are approximately replaced by related model parameters; that is, we propose an apparent resistivity correction algorithm. By correcting the time-varying apparent resistivity of radial two-layer models, we show that the correction results reflect the radially layered electrical structure and the corrected resistivities of the larger time channels follow the outer layer resistivity. The transient electromagnetic fields of radially layered models with wall rock are simulated to obtain the 2D time-varying profiles of the apparent resistivity and corrections. The results suggest that the time-varying apparent resistivity and correction results reflect the vertical and radial geoelectrical structures. For models with small wall-rock effect, the correction removes the effect of the low-resistance inner layer on the apparent resistivity of the larger time channels.

  16. Support vector regression to predict porosity and permeability: Effect of sample size

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Al-Anazi, A. F.; Gates, I. D.

    2012-02-01

    Porosity and permeability are key petrophysical parameters obtained from laboratory core analysis. Cores, obtained from drilled wells, are often few in number for most oil and gas fields. Porosity and permeability correlations based on conventional techniques such as linear regression or neural networks trained with core and geophysical logs suffer poor generalization to wells with only geophysical logs. The generalization problem of correlation models often becomes pronounced when the training sample size is small. This is attributed to the underlying assumption that conventional techniques employing the empirical risk minimization (ERM) inductive principle converge asymptotically to the true risk values as the number of samples increases. In small sample size estimation problems, the available training samples must span the complexity of the parameter space so that the model is able both to match the available training samples reasonably well and to generalize to new data. This is achieved using the structural risk minimization (SRM) inductive principle by matching the capability of the model to the available training data. One method that uses SRM is support vector regression (SVR) network. In this research, the capability of SVR to predict porosity and permeability in a heterogeneous sandstone reservoir under the effect of small sample size is evaluated. Particularly, the impact of Vapnik's ɛ-insensitivity loss function and least-modulus loss function on generalization performance was empirically investigated. The results are compared to the multilayer perception (MLP) neural network, a widely used regression method, which operates under the ERM principle. The mean square error and correlation coefficients were used to measure the quality of predictions. The results demonstrate that SVR yields consistently better predictions of the porosity and permeability with small sample size than the MLP method. Also, the performance of SVR depends on both kernel function type and loss functions used.

  17. CYP1A2 in a smoking and a non-smoking population; correlation of urinary and salivary phenotypic ratios.

    PubMed

    Woolridge, Helen; Williams, John; Cronin, Anna; Evans, Nicola; Steventon, Glyn B

    2004-01-01

    The use of caffeine as a probe for CYP1A2 phenotyping has been extensively investigated over the last 25 years. Numerous metabolic ratios have been employed and various biological fluids analysed for caffeine and its metabolites. These investigations have used non-smoking, smoking and numerous disease populations to investigate the role of CYP1A2 in possible disease aetiology and for induction and inhibition studies in vivo using dietary, environmental and pharmaceutical compounds. This investigation found that the 17X/137X CYP1A2 metabolic ratio in a 5 h saliva sample and 0-5 h urine collection was not normally distributed in both a non-smoking and a smoking population. The urinary and salivary CYP1A2 metabolic ratio was log normally distributed in the non-smoking population but the smoking population showed a bi- (or tri-)modal distribution on log transformation of both the urinary and salivary CYP1A2 metabolic ratios. The CYP1A2 metabolic ratios were significantly higher in the smoking population compared to the non-smoking population when both the urinary and salivary CYP1A2 metabolic ratios were analysed. These results indicate that urinary flow rate was not a factor in the variation in CYP1A2 phenotype in the non-smoking and smoking populations studied here. The increased CYP1A2 activity in the smoking population was probably due to induction of the CYP1A2 gene via the Ah receptor causing an increase in the concentration of CYP1A2 protein.

  18. [Lung Resection after Definitive and Neo-Adjuvant Chemoradiation for Stage IIIA/B Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: a Retrospective Analysis].

    PubMed

    Schreiner, Waldemar; Gavrychenkova, Sofiia; Dudek, Wojciech; Lettmaier, Sebastian; Rieker, Ralf; Fietkau, Rainer; Sirbu, Horia

    2018-06-01

    The outcomes of so called "salvage" resections after definitive chemoradiation vs. curative resections after neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (IT-resection) in patients with stage IIIA/B locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer have rarely been compared. The aim of our study was to compare perioperative results, postoperative and recurrence-free survival and to identify relevant prognostic survival factors for both therapy strategies. Between June 2008 and May 2017, 43 patients underwent pulmonary resection following induction therapy (group 1) and 14 patients underwent salvage resection after definitive chemoradiation (group 2). Retrospective analysis was performed of demographic factors, tumour stage and location, initial therapy, preoperative regression status, perioperative morbidity and mortality, postoperative and recurrence-free survival. In group 2, significantly higher radiation dose was applied (p < 0.001) and the interval between chemoradiation and lung resection was significantly longer (p = 0.02). In addition, significantly higher perioperative blood loss and more frequent blood transfusions were noted (p = 0.003 and 0.005, respectively). Perioperative morbidity and mortality were statistically comparable in the two groups (p = 0.72 and 0.395, respectively). Postoperative 5 year survival in group 1 was 55%, in group 2 48% (log-rank p = 0.353). Five year recurrence-free survival in group 1 was 53%, in group 2 42% (log-rank p = 0.180). Diffuse metastasis occurred mostly in group 2, whereas in group 1 oligometastasis was more frequently noted. Postoperative outcome after salvage resection seems statistically comparable to results following curative resection after induction therapy. Diffuse distant metastasis is frequently noted. Careful patient selection is required. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  19. ANDRILL Borehole AND-1B: Well Log Analysis of Lithofacies and Glacimarine Cycles.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jackolski, C. L.; Williams, T.; Powell, R. D.; Jarrard, R.; Morin, R. H.; Talarico, F. M.; Niessen, F.; Kuhn, G.

    2008-12-01

    During the 2006-2007 austral summer, the Antarctic geological drilling program ANDRILL recovered cores of sedimentary rock from a 1285-m-deep borehole below the McMurdo Ice Shelf. Well logging instruments were deployed to a depth of 1017 mbsf after core recovery. This study focuses on two intervals of the AND-1B borehole: upper HQ (238-343 mbsf; Pliocene) and NQ (698-1017 mbsf; upper Miocene), which were logged with natural gamma ray, induction resistivity and magnetic susceptibility tools. To understand how the well logs fit into a more complete physical properties data set, we performed factor and cluster analyses on a suite of well logs and core logs in the upper HQ and NQ intervals. In both intervals, factor analysis groups resistivity and core P-velocity into a factor that we interpret as being inversely proportional to porosity. It also groups natural gamma and potassium (from the XRF core scanner) into a factor that we interpret as a particle-size or lithology index. An additional factor in the NQ interval, influenced by clast number and magnetic susceptibility, distinguishes subglacial diamictites from other lithofacies. The factors in each interval (2 in HQ, 3 in NQ) are used as input to cluster analysis. The results are log data objectively organized into clusters, or electrofacies. We compare these electrofacies to the lithofacies, well logs and unconformity-bounded glacimarine cycles of AND-1B. Patterns in the glacimarine cycles are observed in the well logs and electrofacies. In the NQ glacimarine sediments, an electrofacies pattern is produced between subglacial diamictites at the bottom of each sequence and the glacial retreat facies above. Subglacial diamictites have higher values for the additional NQ factor, corresponding to clast number and magnetic susceptibility, than the muds and sands that form the retreat facies. Differences in the porosity factor are not observed in any electrofacies pattern in the NQ interval, but subtle patterns in the resistivity well log are observed. Subglacial diamictites have greater resistivities than most retreat facies. In the HQ interval, there is only one glacimarine cycle that resembles those in the NQ interval, and most of the interval is subglacial or ice-proximal diamictite. There are only two and a half cycles in the HQ interval, but they contain an incipient electrofacies pattern. In the lower two cycles, the potassium/gamma factor is low at the bottom and high toward the top, and porosity, as indicated by the porosity factor, is low at the bottom and high toward the top. Throughout most of the HQ interval, potassium and natural gamma correlate with porosity. Two exceptions are the lower half of the top cycle, in which resistivity increases toward the top, and the two diatomite beds at the top of the two lower cycles, in which potassium/gamma is low and porosity is very high.

  20. Integrated Geophysical Investigation of Preferential Flow Paths at the Former Tyson Valley Powder Farm near Eureka, Missouri, May 2006

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Burton, Bethany L.; Ball, Lyndsay B.; Stanton, Gregory P.; Hobza, Christopher M.

    2009-01-01

    In May 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, conducted surface and borehole geophysical surveys at the former Tyson Valley Powder Farm near Eureka, Mo., to identify preferential pathways for potential contaminant transport along the bedrock surface and into dissolution-enhanced fractures. The Tyson Valley Powder Farm was formerly used as a munitions storage and disposal facility in the 1940s and 1950s, and the site at which the surveys were performed was a disposal area for munitions and waste solvents such as trichloroethylene and dichloroethylene. Direct-current resistivity and seismic refraction data were acquired on the surface; gamma, electromagnetic induction, and full waveform sonic logs were acquired in accessible boreholes. Through the combined interpretation of the seismic refraction tomographic and resistivity inversion results and borehole logs, inconsistencies in the bedrock surface were identified that may provide horizontal preferential flow paths for dense nonaqueous phase liquid contaminants. These results, interpreted and displayed in georeferenced three-dimensional space, should help to establish more effective monitoring and remediation strategies.

  1. Shock Initiation Behavior of PBXN-9 Determined by Gas Gun Experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanchez, N. J.; Gustavsen, R. L.; Hooks, D. E.

    2009-12-01

    The shock to detonation transition was evaluated in the HMX based explosive PBXN-9 by a series of light-gas gun experiments. PBXN-9 consists of 92 wt% HMX, 2wt% Hycar 4054 & 6 wt&percent; dioctyl adipate with a density of 1.75 g/cm3 and 0.8&% voids. The experiments were designed to understand the specifics of wave evolution and the run distance to detonation as a function of input shock pressure. These experiments were conducted on gas guns in order to vary the input shock pressure accurately. The primary diagnostics were embedded magnetic gauges, which are based on Faraday's law of induction, and Photon Doppler Velocimetry (PDV). The run distance to detonation vs. shock pressure, or "Pop plot," was redefined as log(X) = 2.14-1.82 log (P), which is substantially different than previous data. The Hugoniot was refined as Us = 2.32+2.211 Up. This data will be useful for the development of predictive models for the safety and performance of PBXN-9 along with providing increased understanding of HMX based explosives in varying formulations.

  2. Shock initiation behavior of PBXN-9 determined by gas gun experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanchez, Nathaniel; Gustavsen, Richard; Hooks, Daniel

    2009-06-01

    The shock to detonation transition was evaluated in the HMX based explosive PBXN-9 by a series of light-gas gun experiments. PBXN-9 consists of 92 wt% HMX, 2wt% Hycar 4054 & 6 wt% dioctyl adipate with a density of 1.75 g/cm^3 and 0.8% voids. The experiments were designed to understand the specifics of wave evolution and the run distance to detonation as a function of input shock pressure. These experiments were conducted on gas guns in order to vary the input shock pressure accurately. The primary diagnostics are embedded magnetic gauges which are based on Faraday's law of induction along with photon Doppler velocimetry (PDV). The run distance to detonation vs. shock pressure, or ``Pop plot,'' was redefined as log (X*) = 2.14 -- 1.82 log (P), which is substantially different than previous data. The Hugoniot was refined as Us = 2.32 + 2.21 Up. This data will be useful for the development of predictive models for the safety and performance of PBXN-9 in addition to providing an increased understanding of HMX based explosives in varying formulations.

  3. Mannan- and xylooligosaccharides modulate caecal microbiota and expression of inflammatory-related cytokines and reduce caecal Salmonella Enteritidis colonisation in young chickens.

    PubMed

    Pourabedin, Mohsen; Chen, Qiaoling; Yang, MingMing; Zhao, Xin

    2017-01-01

    Salmonella Enteritidis is a pathogen, which can infect humans and chickens. This study was designed to address the impact of two potential prebiotics, mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) and xylooligosaccharides (XOS), on the caecal microbiota and expression of cytokines in chickens infected with S. Enteritidis. Newly hatched chicks were assigned to one of five groups: (1) uninfected control, (2) infected control, (3) infected + XOS, (4) infected + MOS and (5) infected + virginiamycin. The number of S. Enteritidis recovered from the caecum was significantly lower, by 1.6 log, in the MOS, and to a less extent (1.0 log) in the XOS-fed birds compared to the infected control. Coprococcus, Ruminococcus and Enterococcus genera were increased in response to MOS, whereas XOS enriched Clostridium, Lactobacillus and Roseburia MOS, but not XOS, lessened the increase of lipopolysaccharide-induced tumour necrosis factor alpha factor and interferon-γ in caecal tonsils after challenge. The canonical correspondence analysis for cytokine genes showed a correlation with the composition of the microbial community at the genus level. Thus, MOS and XOS differently changed the relative abundance of specific microbial genera and the immune response during infection, and these changes were correlated with their abilities to reduce S. Enteritidis colonisation. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  4. Arsenic trioxide improves event-free and overall survival for adults with acute promyelocytic leukemia: North American Leukemia Intergroup Study C9710

    PubMed Central

    Moser, Barry; Stock, Wendy; Gallagher, Robert E.; Willman, Cheryl L.; Stone, Richard M.; Rowe, Jacob M.; Coutre, Steven; Feusner, James H.; Gregory, John; Couban, Stephen; Appelbaum, Frederick R.; Tallman, Martin S.; Larson, Richard A.

    2010-01-01

    Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) is a highly effective treatment for patients with relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL); its role as consolidation treatment for patients in first remission has not been defined. We randomized 481 patients (age ≥ 15 years) with untreated APL to either a standard induction regimen of tretinoin, cytarabine, and daunorubicin, followed by 2 courses of consolidation therapy with tretinoin plus daunorubicin, or to the same induction and consolidation regimen plus two 25-day courses of As2O3 consolidation immediately after induction. After consolidation, patients were randomly assigned to one year of maintenance therapy with either tretinoin alone or in combination with methotrexate and mercaptopurine. Ninety percent of patients on each arm achieved remission and were eligible to receive their assigned consolidation therapy. Event-free survival, the primary end point, was significantly better for patients assigned to receive As2O3 consolidation, 80% compared with 63% at 3 years (stratified log-rank test, P < .0001). Survival, a secondary end point, was better in the As2O3 arm, 86% compared with 81% at 3 years (P = .059). Disease-free survival, a secondary end point, was significantly better in the As2O3 arm, 90% compared with 70% at 3 years (P < .0001). The addition of As2O3 consolidation to standard induction and consolidation therapy significantly improves event-free and disease-free survival in adults with newly diagnosed APL. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00003934). PMID:20705755

  5. Castor oil as a natural alternative to labor induction: A retrospective descriptive study.

    PubMed

    DeMaria, Andrea L; Sundstrom, Beth; Moxley, Grace E; Banks, Kendall; Bishop, Ashlan; Rathbun, Lesley

    2018-04-01

    To describe birthing outcomes among women who consumed castor oil cocktail as part of a freestanding birth center labor induction protocol. De-identified data from birth logs and electronic medical records were entered into SPSS Statistics 22.0 for analysis for all women who received the castor oil cocktail (n=323) to induce labor between January 2008 and May 2015 at a birth center in the United States. Descriptive statistics were analyzed for trends in safety and birthing outcomes. Of the women who utilized the castor oil cocktail to stimulate labor, 293 (90.7%) birthed vaginally at the birth center or hospital. The incidence of maternal adverse effects (e.g., nausea, vomiting, extreme diarrhea) was less than 7%, and adverse effects of any kind were reported in less than 15% of births. An independent sample t-test revealed that parous women were more likely to birth vaginally at the birth center after using the castor oil cocktail than their nulliparous counterparts (p<.010), while gestational age (p=.26), woman's age (p=.23), and body mass index (p=.28) were not significantly associated. Nearly 91% of women in the study who consumed the castor oil cocktail to induce labor were able to give birth vaginally with little to no maternal or fetal complications. Findings indicate further research is needed to compare the safety and effectiveness of natural labor induction methodologies, including castor oil, to commonly used labor induction techniques in a prospective study or clinical trial. Copyright © 2017 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. KSC-06pd0791

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2006-05-06

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Charles F. Bolden Jr. (right) accepts congratulations from Al Worden, U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame member and chairman of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. The occasion is the 2006 induction ceremony for the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, held in the Apollo/Saturn V Center. The inductees for 2006 are former NASA astronauts Bolden, Henry "Hank" Hartsfield Jr. and Brewster H. Shaw Jr. Bolden flew on four space shuttle missions including STS-61C, STS-31, STS-45 and STS-60, logging 680 hours in space. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame now includes 63 space explorers. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

  7. 3D Extended Logging for Geothermal Resources: Field Trials with the Geo-Bilt System

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

    Mallan, R; Wilt, M; Kirkendall, B

    2002-05-29

    Geo-BILT (Geothermal Borehole Induction Logging Tool) is an extended induction logging tool designed for 3D resistivity imaging around a single borehole. The tool was developed for deployment in high temperature geothermal wells under a joint program funded by the California Energy Commission, Electromagnetic Instruments (EMI) and the U.S. Department of Energy. EM1 was responsible for tool design and manufacture, and numerical modeling efforts were being addressed at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLNL) and other contractors. The field deployment was done by EM1 and LLNL. The tool operates at frequencies from 2 to 42 kHz, and its design features a series ofmore » three-component magnetic sensors offset at 2 and 5 meters from a three-component magnetic source. The combined package makes it possible to do 3D resistivity imaging, deep into the formation, from a single well. The manufacture and testing of the tool was completed in spring of 2001, and the initial deployment of Geo-BILT occurred in May 2001 at the Lost Hills oil field in southern California at leases operated by Chevron USA. This site was chosen for the initial field test because of the favorable geological conditions and the availability of a number of wells suitable for tool deployment. The second deployment occurred in April 2002 at the Dixie Valley geothermal field, operated by Caithness Power LLC, in central Nevada. This constituted the first test in a high temperature environment. The Chevron site features a fiberglass-cased observation well in the vicinity of a water injector. The injected water, which is used for pressure maintenance and for secondary sweep of the heavy oil formation, has a much lower resistivity than the oil bearing formation. This, in addition to the non-uniform flow of this water, creates a 3D resistivity structure, which is analogous to conditions produced from flowing fractures adjacent to geothermal boreholes. Therefore, it is an excellent site for testing the 3D capability of the tool in a low risk environment. The Dixie Valley site offered an environment where the tool could locate near-well fractures associated with steam development. The Lost Hills field measurements yielded a data set suitable for 3D imaging. The Geo-BLT data corresponded to existing conventional logging data and showed clear indications, in several depth intervals, of near-well 3D structure. Subsequent 3D inversion of these data produced a model consistent with non-planar water flow in specific layers. The Dixie Valley measurements identified structures associated with dike intrusions and water inflow at particular depths. Preliminary analysis suggests these structures are steeply dipping, which is consistent with the geology.« less

  8. Use of a web-based image reporting and tracking system for assessing abdominal imaging examination quality issues in a single practice.

    PubMed

    Rosenkrantz, Andrew B; Johnson, Evan; Sanger, Joseph J

    2015-10-01

    This article presents our local experience in the implementation of a real-time web-based system for reporting and tracking quality issues relating to abdominal imaging examinations. This system allows radiologists to electronically submit examination quality issues during clinical readouts. The submitted information is e-mailed to a designate for the given modality for further follow-up; the designate may subsequently enter text describing their response or action taken, which is e-mailed back to the radiologist. Review of 558 entries over a 6-year period demonstrated documentation of a broad range of examination quality issues, including specific issues relating to protocol deviation, post-processing errors, positioning errors, artifacts, and IT concerns. The most common issues varied among US, CT, MRI, radiography, and fluoroscopy. In addition, the most common issues resulting in a patient recall for repeat imaging (generally related to protocol deviation in MRI and US) were identified. In addition to submitting quality problems, radiologists also commonly used the tool to provide recognition of a well-performed examination. An electronic log of actions taken in response to radiologists' submissions indicated that both positive and negative feedback were commonly communicated to the performing technologist. Information generated using the tool can be used to guide subsequent quality improvement initiatives within a practice, including continued protocol standardization as well as education of technologists in the optimization of abdominal imaging examinations.

  9. The dependence of educational infrastructure on clinical infrastructure.

    PubMed Central

    Cimino, C.

    1998-01-01

    The Albert Einstein College of Medicine needed to assess the growth of its infrastructure for educational computing as a first step to determining if student needs were being met. Included in computing infrastructure are space, equipment, software, and computing services. The infrastructure was assessed by reviewing purchasing and support logs for a six year period from 1992 to 1998. This included equipment, software, and e-mail accounts provided to students and to faculty for educational purposes. Student space has grown at a constant rate (averaging 14% increase each year respectively). Student equipment on campus has grown by a constant amount each year (average 8.3 computers each year). Student infrastructure off campus and educational support of faculty has not kept pace. It has either declined or remained level over the six year period. The availability of electronic mail clearly demonstrates this with accounts being used by 99% of students, 78% of Basic Science Course Leaders, 38% of Clerkship Directors, 18% of Clerkship Site Directors, and 8% of Clinical Elective Directors. The collection of the initial descriptive infrastructure data has revealed problems that may generalize to other medical schools. The discrepancy between infrastructure available to students and faculty on campus and students and faculty off campus creates a setting where students perceive a paradoxical declining support for computer use as they progress through medical school. While clinical infrastructure may be growing, it is at the expense of educational infrastructure at affiliate hospitals. PMID:9929262

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

    Poutsma, Marvin L.

    Recently we presented structure-reactivity correlations for the gas-phase ambient-temperature rate constants for hydrogen abstraction from sp 3-hybridized carbon by chlorine atom and hydroxyl radical (Cl•/HO• + HCR 3 → HCl/HOH + •CR 3); the reaction enthalpy effect was represented by the independent variable Δ rH and the polar effect by the independent variables F and R, the Hammett constants for field/inductive and resonance effects. Both these reactions are predominantly exothermic and have early transition states. Here we present a parallel treatment for Br• whose reaction is significantly endothermic with a correspondingly late transition state. In spite of lower expectations becausemore » the available data base is less extensive and much more scattered and because long temperature extrapolations are often required, the resulting least-squares fit (log k 298,Br = –0.147 Δ rH –4.32 ΣF –4.28 ΣR –12.38 with r 2 = 0.92) was modestly successful and useful for initial predictions. The coefficient of Δ rH was ~4-fold greater, indicative of the change from an early to a late transition state; meanwhile the sizable coefficients of ΣF and ΣR indicate the persistence of the polar effect. Although the mean unsigned deviation of 0.79 log k 298 units is rather large, it must be considered in the context of a total span of over 15 log units in the data set. Lastly, the major outliers are briefly discussed.« less

  11. Extension of Structure-Reactivity Correlations for the Hydrogen Abstraction Reaction by Bromine Atom and Comparison to Chlorine Atom and Hydroxyl Radical.

    PubMed

    Poutsma, Marvin L

    2016-01-21

    Recently we presented structure-reactivity correlations for the gas-phase ambient-temperature rate constants for hydrogen abstraction from sp(3)-hybridized carbon by chlorine atom and hydroxyl radical (Cl•/HO• + HCR3 → HCl/HOH + •CR3); the reaction enthalpy effect was represented by the independent variable ΔrH and the "polar effect" by the independent variables F and R, the Hammett constants for field/inductive and resonance effects. Both these reactions are predominantly exothermic and have early transition states. Here, we present a parallel treatment for Br• whose reaction is significantly endothermic with a correspondingly late transition state. Despite lower expectations because the available database is less extensive and much more scattered and because long temperature extrapolations are often required, the resulting least-squares fit (log k298,Br = -0.147 ΔrH - 4.32 ΣF - 4.28 ΣR - 12.38 with r(2) = 0.92) was modestly successful and useful for initial predictions. The coefficient of ΔrH was ∼4-fold greater, indicative of the change from an early to a late transition state; meanwhile the sizable coefficients of ΣF and ΣR indicate the persistence of the "polar effect". Although the mean unsigned deviation of 0.79 log k298 units is rather large, it must be considered in the context of a total span of over 15 log units in the data set. The major outliers are briefly discussed.

  12. Autologous dendritic cells transfected with prostate-specific antigen RNA stimulate CTL responses against metastatic prostate tumors

    PubMed Central

    Heiser, Axel; Coleman, Doris; Dannull, Jens; Yancey, Donna; Maurice, Margaret A.; Lallas, Costas D.; Dahm, Philipp; Niedzwiecki, Donna; Gilboa, Eli; Vieweg, Johannes

    2002-01-01

    Autologous dendritic cells (DCs) transfected with mRNA encoding prostate-specific antigen (PSA) are able to stimulate potent, T cell–mediated antitumor immune responses in vitro. A phase I trial was performed to evaluate this strategy for safety, feasibility, and efficacy to induce T cell responses against the self-protein PSA in patients with metastatic prostate cancer. In 13 study subjects, escalating doses of PSA mRNA–transfected DCs were administered with no evidence of dose-limiting toxicity or adverse effects, including autoimmunity. Induction of PSA-specific T cell responses was consistently detected in all patients, suggesting in vivo bioactivity of the vaccine. Vaccination was further associated with a significant decrease in the log slope PSA in six of seven subjects; three patients that could be analyzed exhibited a transient molecular clearance of circulating tumor cells. The demonstration of vaccine safety, successful in vivo induction of PSA-specific immunity, and impact on surrogate clinical endpoints provides a scientific rationale for further clinical investigation of RNA-transfected DCs in the treatment of human cancer. PMID:11828001

  13. Optimization of territory control of the mail carrier by using Hungarian methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Supian, S.; Wahyuni, S.; Nahar, J.; Subiyanto

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, the territory control of the mail carrier from the central post office Bandung in delivering the package to the destination location was optimized by using Hungarian method. Sensitivity analysis against data changes that may occur was also conducted. The sampled data in this study are the territory control of 10 mail carriers who will be assigned to deliver mail package to 10 post office delivery centers in Bandung. The result of this research is the combination of territory control optimal from 10 mail carriers as follows: mail carrier 1 to Cikutra, mail carrier 2 to Ujung Berung, mail carrier 3 to Dayeuh Kolot, mail carrier 4 to Padalarang, mail carrier 5 to Situ Saeur, mail carrier 6 to Cipedes, mail carrier 7 to Cimahi, mail carrier 8 to Soreang, mail carrier 9 to Asia-Afrika, mail carrier 10 to Cikeruh. Based on this result, manager of the central post office Bandung can make optimal decisions to assign tasks to their mail carriers.

  14. Postinduction Minimal Residual Disease Predicts Outcome and Benefit From Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in Acute Myeloid Leukemia With NPM1 Mutation: A Study by the Acute Leukemia French Association Group.

    PubMed

    Balsat, Marie; Renneville, Aline; Thomas, Xavier; de Botton, Stéphane; Caillot, Denis; Marceau, Alice; Lemasle, Emilie; Marolleau, Jean-Pierre; Nibourel, Olivier; Berthon, Céline; Raffoux, Emmanuel; Pigneux, Arnaud; Rodriguez, Céline; Vey, Norbert; Cayuela, Jean-Michel; Hayette, Sandrine; Braun, Thorsten; Coudé, Marie Magdeleine; Terre, Christine; Celli-Lebras, Karine; Dombret, Hervé; Preudhomme, Claude; Boissel, Nicolas

    2017-01-10

    Purpose This study assessed the prognostic impact of postinduction NPM1-mutated ( NPM1m) minimal residual disease (MRD) in young adult patients (age, 18 to 60 years) with acute myeloid leukemia, and addressed the question of whether NPM1m MRD may be used as a predictive factor of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) benefit. Patients and Methods Among 229 patients with NPM1m who were treated in the Acute Leukemia French Association 0702 (ALFA-0702) trial, MRD evaluation was available in 152 patients in first remission. Patients with nonfavorable AML according to the European LeukemiaNet (ELN) classification were eligible for ASCT in first remission. Results After induction therapy, patients who did not achieve a 4-log reduction in NPM1m peripheral blood-MRD (PB-MRD) had a higher cumulative incidence of relapse (subhazard ratio [SHR], 5.83; P < .001) and a shorter overall survival (OS; hazard ratio [HR], 10.99; P < .001). In multivariable analysis, an abnormal karyotype, the presence of FLT3-internal tandem duplication (ITD), and a < 4-log reduction in PB-MRD were significantly associated with a higher relapse incidence and shorter OS. In the subset of patients with FLT3-ITD, only age, white blood cell count, and < 4-log reduction in PB-MRD, but not FLT3-ITD allelic ratio, remained of significant prognostic value. In these patients with nonfavorable AML according to European LeukemiaNet, disease-free survival and OS were significantly improved by ASCT in those with a < 4-log reduction in PB-MRD. This benefit was not observed in those with a > 4-log reduction in PB-MRD, with a significant interaction between ASCT effect and PB-MRD response ( P = .024 and .027 for disease-free survival and OS, respectively). Conclusion Our study supports the strong prognostic significance of early NPM1m PB-MRD, independent of the cytogenetic and molecular context. Moreover, NPM1m PB-MRD may be used as a predictive factor for ASCT indication.

  15. Early phase evaluation of SQ109 alone and in combination with rifampicin in pulmonary TB patients.

    PubMed

    Heinrich, Norbert; Dawson, Rodney; du Bois, Jeannine; Narunsky, Kim; Horwith, Gary; Phipps, Andrew J; Nacy, Carol A; Aarnoutse, Rob E; Boeree, Martin J; Gillespie, Stephen H; Venter, Amour; Henne, Sonja; Rachow, Andrea; Phillips, Patrick P J; Hoelscher, Michael; Diacon, Andreas H

    2015-05-01

    SQ109, an asymmetrical diamine, is a novel anti-TB drug candidate. This first study in patients was done to determine safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and bacteriological effect of different doses of SQ109 alone and in combination with rifampicin when administered over 14 days. Smear-positive pulmonary TB patients were randomized into six groups of 15 to receive once-daily oral treatment with 75, 150 or 300 mg of SQ109, rifampicin (10 mg/kg body weight), rifampicin plus 150 mg of SQ109, or rifampicin plus 300 mg of SQ109 for 14 days. Patients were hospitalized for supervised treatment, regular clinical, biochemical and electrocardiographic safety assessments, pharmacokinetic profiling and daily overnight sputum collection. SQ109 was safe and generally well tolerated. Mild to moderate dose-dependent gastrointestinal complaints were the most frequent adverse events. No relevant QT prolongation was noted. Maximum SQ109 plasma concentrations were lower than MICs. Exposure to SQ109 (AUC0-24) increased by drug accumulation upon repeated administration in the SQ109 monotherapy groups. Co-administration of SQ109 150 mg with rifampicin resulted in decreasing SQ109 exposures from day 1 to day 14. A higher (300 mg) dose of SQ109 largely outweighed the evolving inductive effect of rifampicin. The daily fall in log cfu/mL of sputum (95% CI) was 0.093 (0.126-0.059) with rifampicin, 0.133 (0.166-0.100) with rifampicin plus 150 mg of SQ109 and 0.089 (0.121-0.057) with rifampicin plus 300 mg of SQ109. Treatments with SQ109 alone showed no significant activity. SQ109 alone or with rifampicin was safe over 14 days. Upon co-administration with rifampicin, 300 mg of SQ109 yielded a higher exposure than the 150 mg dose. SQ109 did not appear to be active alone or to enhance the activity of rifampicin during the 14 days of treatment. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. Methadone induction in primary care for opioid dependence: a pragmatic randomized trial (ANRS Methaville).

    PubMed

    Carrieri, Patrizia Maria; Michel, Laurent; Lions, Caroline; Cohen, Julien; Vray, Muriel; Mora, Marion; Marcellin, Fabienne; Spire, Bruno; Morel, Alain; Roux, Perrine

    2014-01-01

    Methadone coverage is poor in many countries due in part to methadone induction being possible only in specialized care (SC). This multicenter pragmatic trial compared the effectiveness of methadone treatment between two induction models: primary care (PC) and SC. In this study, registered at ClinicalTrials.Gov (NCT00657397), opioid-dependent individuals not on methadone treatment for at least one month or receiving buprenorphine but needing to switch were randomly assigned to start methadone in PC (N = 155) or in SC (N = 66) in 10 sites in France. Visits were scheduled at months M0, M3, M6 and M12. The primary outcome was self-reported abstinence from street-opioids at 12 months (M12) (with an underlying 15% non-inferiority hypothesis for PC). Secondary outcomes were abstinence during follow-up, engagement in treatment (i.e. completing the induction period), retention and satisfaction with the explanations provided by the physician. Primary analysis used intention to treat (ITT). Mixed models and the log-rank test were used to assess the arm effect (PC vs. SC) on the course of abstinence and retention, respectively. In the ITT analysis (n = 155 in PC, 66 in SC), which compared the proportions of street-opioid abstinent participants, 85/155 (55%) and 22/66 (33%) of the participants were classified as street-opioid abstinent at M12 in PC and SC, respectively. This ITT analysis showed the non-inferiority of PC (21.5 [7.7; 35.3]). Engagement in treatment and satisfaction with the explanations provided by the physician were significantly higher in PC than SC. Retention in methadone and abstinence during follow-up were comparable in both arms (p = 0.47, p = 0.39, respectively). Under appropriate conditions, methadone induction in primary care is feasible and acceptable to both physicians and patients. It is as effective as induction in specialized care in reducing street-opioid use and ensuring engagement and retention in treatment for opioid dependence. Number Eudract 2008-001338-28; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00657397; International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Register ISRCTN31125511.

  17. 39 CFR 111.1 - Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual; incorporated by...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Service, Domestic Mail Manual; incorporated by reference of regulations governing domestic mail services..., Domestic Mail Manual; incorporated by reference of regulations governing domestic mail services. Section... by reference in this part, the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail...

  18. Mechanisms for Hepatobiliary Toxicity in Rats Treated with an Antagonist of Melanin Concentrating Hormone Receptor 1 (MCHR1).

    PubMed

    Otieno, Monicah A; Bhaskaran, Vasanthi; Janovitz, Evan; Callejas, Yimer; Foster, William B; Washburn, William; Megill, John R; Lehman-McKeeman, Lois; Gemzik, Brian

    2017-02-01

    The objective of this work was to investigate the mechanisms of hepatobiliary toxicity caused by thienopyrimidone MCHR1 antagonists using BMS-773174 as a tool molecule. Co-administration of the pan CYP inhibitor 1-aminobenzotriazole with BMS-773174 prevented hepatobiliary damage, and direct delivery of the diol metabolite BMS-769750 caused hepatobiliary toxicity, identifying the diol and possibly its downstream hydroxyacid (BMS-800754) metabolite as the toxic species. Rat liver gene expression revealed treatment-related changes in hepatic transporters and induction of oval cell-specific genes including deleted malignant tumor 1 (Dmbt1). The metabolites did not alter hepatic transporter activities, suggesting that transporter-mediated cholestasis was not involved. Because injury to biliary epithelium can result in adaptive hyperplasia, rat biliary epithelial cells (BECs) were isolated and exposed to the oxidative metabolites. BMS-769750 was cytotoxic to BECs, but not rat hepatocytes, suggesting a role of the diol in biliary epithelial injury. BMS-800754 was cytotoxic to rat hepatocytes therefore its contribution to hepatocyte injury in rats is a possibility. Induction of Dmbt1 in rat BECs was investigated because of its role in hepatic progenitor cell differentiation/proliferation during injury. Dmbt1 mRNA was induced by BMS-769750, but not BMS-800754 in BECs; this induction and cellular injury was confirmed with diol metabolites formed by other compounds with the same hepatobiliary liability. In conclusion, hepatobiliary injury by thienopyrimidinone MCHR1 antagonists was driven through a CYP-mediated bioactivation pathway. Induction of Dmbt1 mRNA coupled with cellular injury suggests that injury of biliary epithelium may be the first step toward an adaptive proliferative response causing BDH by these compounds. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Toxicology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  19. Investigation of Global Lightning using Schumann Resonances measured by High Frequency Induction Coil Magnetometers in the UK

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beggan, C.; Gabillard, T.; Swan, A.; Flower, S. M.; Thomson, A. W.

    2012-12-01

    In June 2012, the British Geological Survey Geomagnetism team installed two high frequency (100 Hz) induction coil magnetometers at the Eskdalemuir Observatory, in the Scottish Borders of the United Kingdom. The induction coils permit us to measure the very rapid changes of the magnetic field. The Eskdalemuir Observatory is one of the longest running geophysical sites in the UK (beginning operation in 1904) and is located in a rural valley with a quiet magnetic environment. The data output from the induction coils are digitized and logged onsite before being collected once per hour and sent to the Edinburgh office via the Internet. We intend to run the coils as a long term experiment. We present initial results from first five months of data. Analysis of spectrograms and power spectral density plots in the frequency band of 3-40 Hz from the coils show diffuse bands of peak power around 7.8 Hz, 14.3 Hz, 20.8 Hz, 27 Hz, 34 Hz and 39Hz related to the global Schumann resonances. We also detect a strong narrow peak at 25 Hz, which is a harmonic of the UK electrical power system. There are a number of features in the data that we wish to investigate, including the diurnal and seasonal variation of the Schumann resonances. For example, it has been suggested that lightning activity is related to climate variability in the tropics and that perhaps Madden-Julian Oscillations (MJO) or El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-like correlations are detectable within the data. On longer timescales, we will look for solar cycle and climate variations. We also wish to note that the data is freely available on request to the community.

  20. P-glycoprotein expression in Ehrlich ascites tumour cells after in vitro and in vivo selection with daunorubicin.

    PubMed Central

    Nielsen, D.; Eriksen, J.; Maare, C.; Jakobsen, A. H.; Skovsgaard, T.

    1998-01-01

    Fluctuation analysis experiments were performed to assess whether selection or induction determines expression of P-glycoprotein and resistance in the murine Ehrlich ascites tumour cell line (EHR2) after exposure to daunorubicin. Thirteen expanded populations of EHR2 cells were exposed to daunorubicin 7.5 x 10(-9) M or 10(-8) M for 2 weeks. Surviving clones were scored and propagated. Only clones exposed to daunorubicin 7.5 x 10(-9) M could be expanded for investigation. Drug resistance was assessed by the tetrazolium dye (MTT) cytotoxicity assay. Western blot was used for determination of P-glycoprotein. Compared with EHR2, the variant cells were 2.5- to 5.2-fold resistant to daunorubicin (mean 3.6-fold). P-glycoprotein was significantly increased in 11 of 25 clones (44%). Analysis of variance supported the hypothesis that spontaneous mutations conferred drug resistance in EHR2 cells exposed to daunorubicin 7.5 x 10(-9) M. At this level (5 log cell killing) of drug exposure, the mutation rate was estimated at 4.1 x 10(-6) per cell generation. In contrast, induction seemed to determine resistance in EHR2 cells in vitro exposed to daunorubicin 10(-8) M. The revertant EHR2/0.8/R was treated in vivo with daunorubicin for 24 h. After treatment, P-glycoprotein increased in EHR2/0.8/R (sevenfold) and the cell line developed resistance to daunorubicin (12-fold), suggesting that in EHR2/0.8/R the mdr1 gene was activated by induction. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that P-glycoprotein expression and daunorubicin resistance are primarily acquired by selection of spontaneously arising mutants. However, under certain conditions the mdr1 gene may be activated by induction. PMID:9820176

  1. Long-term outcome of intravitreal pegaptanib sodium as maintenance therapy in Japanese patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

    PubMed

    Inoue, Maiko; Kadonosono, Kazuaki; Arakawa, Akira; Yamane, Shin; Ishibashi, Tatsuro

    2015-05-01

    To evaluate the results of a 3-year follow-up of intravitreal pegaptanib sodium injection as maintenance therapy for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Japanese patients. In this prospective, uncontrolled interventional study, 20 eyes of 19 patients with treatment-naïve AMD who had received 3 consecutive monthly injections of 0.5 mg/0.05 mL ranibizumab as the induction treatment and had shown clinical/anatomical improvement were enrolled. An intravitreal injection of 0.3 mg/0.09 mL pegaptanib sodium was administered as the maintenance therapy every 6 weeks. Booster treatments using ranibizumab were allowed if clinical deterioration was judged to be present. The primary outcome measures were the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and the central foveal thickness (CFT) as evaluated using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Sixteen of the 20 eyes (80 %) were assessed at the 3-year follow-up. The mean logMAR BCVA improved significantly from 0.56 ± 0.31 before the induction treatment to 0.24 ± 0.25 at baseline (P < 0.001) and was well maintained at 156 weeks (0.25 ± 0.28, P = 0.938). Moreover, the mean CFT also decreased significantly from 346 ± 111 μm before the induction treatment to 232 ± 54 μm at baseline (P < 0.001) and was well preserved at 156 weeks (210 ± 59 μm, P = 0.278). Thirteen eyes (81.3 %) received an unscheduled booster treatment, and no severe systemic or ocular side effects occurred during follow-up. Intravitreal pegaptanib sodium injection as the maintenance therapy was effective in stabilizing the vision of patients with AMD in whom induction treatment led to improved BCVA, as evaluated at the 3-year follow-up.

  2. Towards the establishment of a general rate law for gypsum nucleation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reznik, Itay J.; Ganor, Jiwchar; Gruber, Chen; Gavrieli, Ittai

    2012-05-01

    Gypsum nucleation kinetics from a wide range of chemical compositions (1.45 < Ca2+/SO42- < 115), ionic strengths (I = 2.5-10 m) and saturation state with respect to gypsum (Ωgyp = 1.07-8.4) were examined in batch experiments containing mixtures of Ca2+-rich Dead Sea brine and SO42-rich seawater with or without addition of extra Na2SO4 and CaCl2·2H2O. The induction times attained in the present study were compiled together with literature values from experiments carried out under significantly different conditions (synthetic NaCl solutions; I = 0.09-6.3 m; Ca2+/SO42- = 1; Ωgyp:1.59-7.76). Despite the variability in the experimental solutions, a single rate law based on classic nucleation theory was formulated to describe the induction times from more than 80 experiments: logT=log{1}/{3.17·Cs·exp{-}7.08ln2Ω}+0.072·Cs·exp-{1.426}/{ln2Ω} where Tind is the induction time, Cs is the solubility of gypsum and Ω is the saturation state with respect to gypsum. The rate law provides Tind for gypsum precipitation from aqueous solutions at 25 °C, containing no synthetic antiscalants or catalysts, within a 95% confidence interval within a factor of 5. Based on this rate law, we show that at present most of the precipitation of gypsum from the Dead Sea brine occurs following significant evaporation in the industrial evaporation ponds and not in the Dead Sea itself. Whereas Tind in Dead Sea brines is very long (on the order of 3 years), the evaporation of brine in the industrial ponds leads to increased Ω values, and thus to short Tind in the order of a few days. However, if seawater or reject brine from seawater desalinization will be introduced to the Dead Sea to restore its declining level, Tind will be significantly reduced and gypsum nucleation and precipitation will occur. For evaporated seawater, the proposed rate law predicts that even though saturation is obtained when seawater is evaporated by a factor of 2.8, gypsum will nucleate at reasonable times (few years) only when seawater are evaporated by a factor of ˜3.3.

  3. Sodium Carbonate is Saltier Than Sodium Chloride to Sodium-Depleted Rats.

    PubMed

    St John, Steven J; McBrayer, Anya M; Krauskopf, Erin E

    2017-10-01

    In a series of behavioral experiments in the 1960s, G.R. Morrison identified several unique features of the taste of Na2CO3 to rats; namely, it is 1) considerably more intense than NaCl at isomolar concentrations, 2) avoided at 10 times lower concentrations than NaCl to thirsty rats, 3) preferred at 10 times lower concentrations than NaCl in sodium-depleted rats. He also demonstrated its qualitatively similarity to NaCl. In Experiment 1, we confirmed and extended many of Morrison's observations. Rats were injected with furosemide on 3 occasions to stimulate a sodium appetite. After each depletion, rats were given a brief-access taste test in a lickometer presenting, in random order, water and 7 concentrations of salt. One test used NaCl (0.028-0.89 M, quarter log steps), another used Na2CO3, and the third used Na2CO3, but at a tenfold lower concentration range (0.0028-0.089 M). Rats licked NaCl in an inverted-U shaped concentration-response function peaking at 0.158-0.281 M. As Morrison's results predicted, rats licked Na2CO3 in nearly identical fashion, but at a tenfold lower concentration range (peak at 0.0158-0.028 M). In a second experiment, furosemide-treated rats were repeatedly tested with the lower Na2CO3 range but mixed in the epithelial sodium channel blocker amiloride at various concentrations (3-300 μM, half log steps). Amiloride reduced licking for Na2CO3 and shifted the peak response rightward up to about half a log unit. Thus, this "super-saltiness" of Na2CO3 to rats is at least partly amiloride-dependent. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  4. Validation of a Novel Digital Tool in Automatic Scoring of an Online ECG Examination at an International Cardiology Meeting.

    PubMed

    Quinn, Kieran L; Crystal, Eugene; Lashevsky, Ilan; Arouny, Banafsheh; Baranchuk, Adrian

    2016-07-01

    We have previously developed a novel digital tool capable of automatically recognizing correct electrocardiography (ECG) diagnoses in an online exam and demonstrated a significant improvement in diagnostic accuracy when utilizing an inductive-deductive reasoning strategy over a pattern recognition strategy. In this study, we sought to validate these findings from participants at the International Winter Arrhythmia School meeting, one of the foremost electrophysiology events in Canada. Preregistration to the event was sent by e-mail. The exam was administered on day 1 of the conference. Results and analysis were presented the following morning to participants. Twenty-five attendees completed the exam, providing a total of 500 responses to be marked. The online tool accurately identified 195 of a total of 395 (49%) correct responses (49%). In total, 305 responses required secondary manual review, of which 200 were added to the correct responses pool. The overall accuracy of correct ECG diagnosis for all participants was 69% and 84% when using pattern recognition or inductive-deductive strategies, respectively. Utilization of a novel digital tool to evaluate ECG competency can be set up as a workshop at international meetings or educational events. Results can be presented during the sessions to ensure immediate feedback. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Passive acquisition of CLIPS rules

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kovarik, Vincent J., Jr.

    1991-01-01

    The automated acquisition of knowledge by machine has not lived up to expectations, and knowledge engineering remains a human intensive task. Part of the reason for the lack of success is the difference in the cognitive focus of the expert. The expert must shift his or her focus from the subject domain to that of the representation environment. In doing so this cognitive shift introduces opportunity for errors and omissions. Presented here is work that observes the expert interact with a simulation of the domain. The system logs changes in the simulation objects and the expert's actions in response to those changes. This is followed by the application of inductive reasoning to move the domain specific rules observed to general domain rules.

  6. The impact of clinical, demographic and risk factors on rates of HIV transmission: a population-based phylogenetic analysis in British Columbia, Canada.

    PubMed

    Poon, Art F Y; Joy, Jeffrey B; Woods, Conan K; Shurgold, Susan; Colley, Guillaume; Brumme, Chanson J; Hogg, Robert S; Montaner, Julio S G; Harrigan, P Richard

    2015-03-15

    The diversification of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is shaped by its transmission history. We therefore used a population based province wide HIV drug resistance database in British Columbia (BC), Canada, to evaluate the impact of clinical, demographic, and behavioral factors on rates of HIV transmission. We reconstructed molecular phylogenies from 27,296 anonymized bulk HIV pol sequences representing 7747 individuals in BC-about half the estimated HIV prevalence in BC. Infections were grouped into clusters based on phylogenetic distances, as a proxy for variation in transmission rates. Rates of cluster expansion were reconstructed from estimated dates of HIV seroconversion. Our criteria grouped 4431 individuals into 744 clusters largely separated with respect to risk factors, including large established clusters predominated by injection drug users and more-recently emerging clusters comprising men who have sex with men. The mean log10 viral load of an individual's phylogenetic neighborhood (composed of 5 other individuals with shortest phylogenetic distances) increased their odds of appearing in a cluster by >2-fold per log10 viruses per milliliter. Hotspots of ongoing HIV transmission can be characterized in near real time by the secondary analysis of HIV resistance genotypes, providing an important potential resource for targeting public health initiatives for HIV prevention. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  7. Chikungunya Virus: In Vitro Response to Combination Therapy With Ribavirin and Interferon Alfa 2a.

    PubMed

    Gallegos, Karen M; Drusano, George L; D Argenio, David Z; Brown, Ashley N

    2016-10-15

    We evaluated the antiviral activities of ribavirin (RBV) and interferon (IFN) alfa as monotherapy and combination therapy against chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Vero cells were infected with CHIKV in the presence of RBV and/or IFN alfa, and viral production was quantified by plaque assay. A mathematical model was fit to the data to identify drug interactions for effect. We ran simulations using the best-fit model parameters to predict the antiviral activity associated with clinically relevant regimens of RBV and IFN alfa as combination therapy. The model predictions were validated using the hollow fiber infection model (HFIM) system. RBV and IFN alfa were effective against CHIKV as monotherapy at supraphysiological concentrations. However, RBV and IFN alfa were highly synergistic for antiviral effect when administered as combination therapy. Simulations with our mathematical model predicted that a standard clinical regimen of RBV plus IFN alfa would inhibit CHIKV burden by 2.5 log10 following 24 hours of treatment. In the HFIM system, RBV plus IFN alfa at clinical exposures resulted in a 2.1-log10 decrease in the CHIKV burden following 24 hours of therapy. These findings validate the prediction made by the mathematical model. These studies illustrate the promise of RBV plus IFN alfa as a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of CHIKV infections. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

  8. Improving our understanding of hydraulic-electrical relations: A case study of the surficial aquifer in Emirate Abu Dhabi

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ikard, Scott; Kress, Wade

    2016-01-01

    Transmissivity is a bulk hydraulic property that can be correlated with bulk electrical properties of an aquifer. In aquifers that are electrically-resistive relative to adjacent layers in a horizontally stratified sequence, transmissivity has been shown to correlate with bulk transverse resistance. Conversely, in aquifers that are electrically-conductive relative to adjacent layers, transmissivity has been shown to correlate with bulk longitudinal conductance. In both cases, previous investigations have relied on small datasets (on average less than eight observations) that have yielded coefficients of determination (R2) that are typically in the range of 0.6 to 0.7 to substantiate these relations. Compared to previous investigations, this paper explores hydraulic-electrical relations using a much larger dataset. Geophysical data collected from 26 boreholes in Emirate Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, are used to correlate transmissivity modeled from neutron porosity logs to the bulk electrical properties of the surficial aquifer that are computed from deep-induction logs. Transmissivity is found to be highly correlated with longitudinal conductance. An R2 value of 0.853 is obtained when electrical effects caused by variations in pore-fluid salinity are taken into consideration.

  9. 78 FR 23137 - Implementation of Full-Service Intelligent Mail Requirements for Automation Prices

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-18

    ..., which provides high-value services and enables efficient mail processing. Mailings must bear Intelligent Mail barcodes on mailpieces, trays, and containers, where applicable. Also, mailers must submit mailing... Intelligent Mail tray barcodes (IMtb) on trays, tubs, and sacks. Apply unique Intelligent Mail container...

  10. Differences between co-cultures and monocultures in testing the toxicity of particulate matter derived from log wood and pellet combustion.

    PubMed

    Kasurinen, Stefanie; Happo, Mikko S; Rönkkö, Teemu J; Orasche, Jürgen; Jokiniemi, Jorma; Kortelainen, Miika; Tissari, Jarkko; Zimmermann, Ralf; Hirvonen, Maija-Riitta; Jalava, Pasi I

    2018-01-01

    In vitro studies with monocultures of human alveolar cells shed deeper knowledge on the cellular mechanisms by which particulate matter (PM) causes toxicity, but cannot account for mitigating or aggravating effects of cell-cell interactions on PM toxicity. We assessed inflammation, oxidative stress as well as cytotoxic and genotoxic effects induced by PM from the combustion of different types of wood logs and softwood pellets in three cell culture setups: two monocultures of either human macrophage-like cells or human alveolar epithelial cells, and a co-culture of these two cell lines. The adverse effects of the PM samples were compared between these setups. We detected clear differences in the endpoints between the mono- and co-cultures. Inflammatory responses were more diverse in the macrophage monoculture and the co-culture compared to the epithelial cells where only an increase of IL-8 was detected. The production of reactive oxygen species was the highest in epithelial cells and macrophages seemed to have protective effects against oxidative stress from the PM samples. With no metabolically active cells at the highest doses, the cytotoxic effects of the PM samples from the wood log combustion were far more pronounced in the macrophages and the co-culture than in the epithelial cells. All samples caused DNA damage in macrophages, whereas only beech and spruce log combustion samples caused DNA damage in epithelial cells. The organic content of the samples was mainly associated with cytotoxicity and DNA damage, while the metal content of the samples correlated with the induction of inflammatory responses. All of the tested PM samples induce adverse effects and the chemical composition of the samples determines which pathway of toxicity is induced. In vitro testing of the toxicity of combustion-derived PM in monocultures of one cell line, however, is inadequate to account for all the possible pathways of toxicity.

  11. Differences between co-cultures and monocultures in testing the toxicity of particulate matter derived from log wood and pellet combustion

    PubMed Central

    Happo, Mikko S.; Rönkkö, Teemu J.; Orasche, Jürgen; Jokiniemi, Jorma; Kortelainen, Miika; Tissari, Jarkko; Zimmermann, Ralf; Hirvonen, Maija-Riitta; Jalava, Pasi I.

    2018-01-01

    Background In vitro studies with monocultures of human alveolar cells shed deeper knowledge on the cellular mechanisms by which particulate matter (PM) causes toxicity, but cannot account for mitigating or aggravating effects of cell-cell interactions on PM toxicity. Methods We assessed inflammation, oxidative stress as well as cytotoxic and genotoxic effects induced by PM from the combustion of different types of wood logs and softwood pellets in three cell culture setups: two monocultures of either human macrophage-like cells or human alveolar epithelial cells, and a co-culture of these two cell lines. The adverse effects of the PM samples were compared between these setups. Results We detected clear differences in the endpoints between the mono- and co-cultures. Inflammatory responses were more diverse in the macrophage monoculture and the co-culture compared to the epithelial cells where only an increase of IL-8 was detected. The production of reactive oxygen species was the highest in epithelial cells and macrophages seemed to have protective effects against oxidative stress from the PM samples. With no metabolically active cells at the highest doses, the cytotoxic effects of the PM samples from the wood log combustion were far more pronounced in the macrophages and the co-culture than in the epithelial cells. All samples caused DNA damage in macrophages, whereas only beech and spruce log combustion samples caused DNA damage in epithelial cells. The organic content of the samples was mainly associated with cytotoxicity and DNA damage, while the metal content of the samples correlated with the induction of inflammatory responses. Conclusions All of the tested PM samples induce adverse effects and the chemical composition of the samples determines which pathway of toxicity is induced. In vitro testing of the toxicity of combustion-derived PM in monocultures of one cell line, however, is inadequate to account for all the possible pathways of toxicity. PMID:29466392

  12. Developmental practicum experiences of preservice teachers in deaf education: implications for practicum placement and faculty-student collaborative research.

    PubMed

    Guteng, S I; Tracy, T; Chappell, B

    2000-12-01

    The study examined the developmental practicum experiences of second-year graduate students in deaf education. Participants in the study consisted of a convenient sample of five practicum students. Triangulated data for the study came from the researcher's observational notes, e-mail correspondence with participants, and participants' journals. Inductive analysis was used to analyze the data. Results of the study evinced developmental experiences that are different from those reported in previous studies. The results of the study have significant implications for (a) practicum placement of graduate students in deaf education in terms of site-based orientation, use of the clinical model of supervision, opportunities for self-reflection, and periodic practicum seminars; and (b) faculty-student collaborative research in terms of planning, ethical issues, students' time needs, and training.

  13. Use of simulated electronic mail (e-mail) to assess medical student knowledge, professionalism, and communication skills.

    PubMed

    Christner, Jennifer G; Stansfield, R Brent; Schiller, Jocelyn H; Madenci, Arin; Keefer, Patricia M; Pituch, Ken

    2010-10-01

    Physicians communicate with patients using electronic mail (e-mail) with increasing frequency. Communication skills specific to e-mail do not appear to be taught explicitly in medical school. Therefore, the effect of an instructive session on effective e-mail communication was examined. Four simulated e-mails from a parent were developed. Students responded to an initial e-mail and then participated in a session on effective e-mail communication. Responses to a final e-mail were assessed using a rubric with subscores for medical knowledge, communication, and professionalism. Performance improved from the first to final e-mail response in the overall score and in each subscore. Improvement was sustained over the course of the academic year. Interrater reliability revealed good agreement. Communicating effectively with patients via e-mail is not intuitive but can be taught. It is feasible to introduce responses to a simulated e-mail case in a clinical clerkship as an assessment tool.

  14. PML-RARα kinetics and impact of FLT3-ITD mutations in newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukaemia treated with ATRA and ATO or ATRA and chemotherapy.

    PubMed

    Cicconi, L; Divona, M; Ciardi, C; Ottone, T; Ferrantini, A; Lavorgna, S; Alfonso, V; Paoloni, F; Piciocchi, A; Avvisati, G; Ferrara, F; Di Bona, E; Albano, F; Breccia, M; Cerqui, E; Sborgia, M; Kropp, M G; Santoro, A; Levis, A; Sica, S; Amadori, S; Voso, M T; Mandelli, F; Lo-Coco, F

    2016-10-01

    The APL0406 study showed that arsenic trioxide (ATO) and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) are not inferior to standard ATRA and chemotherapy (CHT) in newly diagnosed, low-intermediaterisk acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL). We analysed the kinetics of promyelocytic leukaemia-retinoic acid receptor-α (PML-RARα) transcripts by real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR) in bone marrow samples from 184 patients and assessed the prognostic impact of fms-related tyrosine kinase 3-internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD) in 159 patients enrolled in this trial in Italy. After induction therapy, the reduction of PML-RARα transcripts was significantly greater in patients receiving ATRA-CHT as compared with those treated with ATRA-ATO (3.4 vs 2.9 logs; P=0.0182). Conversely, at the end of consolidation, a greater log reduction of PML-RARα transcripts was detected in the ATRA-ATO as compared with the ATRA-CHT group (6.3 vs 5.3 logs; P=0.0024). FLT3-ITD mutations had no significant impact on either event-free survival (EFS) or cumulative incidence of relapse in patients receiving ATRA-ATO, whereas a trend for inferior EFS was observed in FLT3-ITD-positive patients receiving ATRA-CHT. Our study shows at the molecular level that ATRA-ATO exerts at least equal and probably superior antileukaemic efficacy compared with ATRA-CHT in low-intermediaterisk APL. The data also suggest that ATRA-ATO may abrogate the negative prognostic impact of FLT3-ITD.

  15. Geophysical monitoring of a field-scale biostimulation pilot project

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lane, J.W.; Day-Lewis, F. D.; Casey, C.C.

    2006-01-01

    The USGS conducted a geophysical investigation in support of a U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southern Division field-scale biostimulation pilot project at Anoka County Riverfront Park (ACP), downgradient of the Naval Industrial Reserve Ordnance Plant, Fridley, Minnesota. The goal of the pilot project is to evaluate subsurface injection of vegetable oil emulsion (VOE) to stimulate microbial degradation of chlorinated hydrocarbons. To monitor the emplacement and movement of the VOE and changes in water chemistry resulting from VOE dissolution and/or enhanced biological activity, the USGS acquired cross-hole radar zero-offset profiles, traveltime tomograms, and borehole geophysical logs during five site visits over 1.5 years. Analysis of pre- and postinjection data sets using petrophysical models developed to estimate VOE saturation and changes in total dissolved solids provides insights into the spatial and temporal distribution of VOE and ground water with altered chemistry. Radar slowness-difference tomograms and zero-offset slowness profiles indicate that the VOE remained close to the injection wells, whereas radar attenuation profiles and electromagnetic induction logs indicate that bulk electrical conductivity increased downgradient of the injection zone, diagnostic of changing water chemistry. Geophysical logs indicate that some screened intervals were located above or below zones of elevated dissolved solids; hence, the geophysical data provide a broader context for interpretation of water samples and evaluation of the biostimulation effort. Our results include (1) demonstration of field and data analysis methods for geophysical monitoring of VOE biostimulation and (2) site-specific insights into the spatial and temporal distributions of VOE at the ACP. ?? 2006 National Ground Water Association.

  16. Geophysical monitoring of a field-scale biostimulation pilot project.

    PubMed

    Lane, John W; Day-Lewis, Frederick D; Casey, Clifton C

    2006-01-01

    The USGS conducted a geophysical investigation in support of a U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southern Division field-scale biostimulation pilot project at Anoka County Riverfront Park (ACP), down-gradient of the Naval Industrial Reserve Ordnance Plant, Fridley, Minnesota. The goal of the pilot project is to evaluate subsurface injection of vegetable oil emulsion (VOE) to stimulate microbial degradation of chlorinated hydrocarbons. To monitor the emplacement and movement of the VOE and changes in water chemistry resulting from VOE dissolution and/or enhanced biological activity, the USGS acquired cross-hole radar zero-offset profiles, travel-time tomograms, and borehole geophysical logs during five site visits over 1.5 years. Analysis of pre- and postinjection data sets using petrophysical models developed to estimate VOE saturation and changes in total dissolved solids provides insights into the spatial and temporal distribution of VOE and ground water with altered chemistry. Radar slowness-difference tomograms and zero-offset slowness profiles indicate that the VOE remained close to the injection wells, whereas radar attenuation profiles and electromagnetic induction logs indicate that bulk electrical conductivity increased down-gradient of the injection zone, diagnostic of changing water chemistry. Geophysical logs indicate that some screened intervals were located above or below zones of elevated dissolved solids; hence, the geophysical data provide a broader context for interpretation of water samples and evaluation of the biostimulation effort. Our results include (1) demonstration of field and data analysis methods for geophysical monitoring of VOE biostimulation and (2) site-specific insights into the spatial and temporal distributions of VOE at the ACP.

  17. Extension of structure-reactivity correlations for the hydrogen abstraction reaction by bromine atom and comparison to chlorine atom and hydroxyl radical

    DOE PAGES

    Poutsma, Marvin L.

    2015-12-14

    Recently we presented structure-reactivity correlations for the gas-phase ambient-temperature rate constants for hydrogen abstraction from sp 3-hybridized carbon by chlorine atom and hydroxyl radical (Cl•/HO• + HCR 3 → HCl/HOH + •CR 3); the reaction enthalpy effect was represented by the independent variable Δ rH and the polar effect by the independent variables F and R, the Hammett constants for field/inductive and resonance effects. Both these reactions are predominantly exothermic and have early transition states. Here we present a parallel treatment for Br• whose reaction is significantly endothermic with a correspondingly late transition state. In spite of lower expectations becausemore » the available data base is less extensive and much more scattered and because long temperature extrapolations are often required, the resulting least-squares fit (log k 298,Br = –0.147 Δ rH –4.32 ΣF –4.28 ΣR –12.38 with r 2 = 0.92) was modestly successful and useful for initial predictions. The coefficient of Δ rH was ~4-fold greater, indicative of the change from an early to a late transition state; meanwhile the sizable coefficients of ΣF and ΣR indicate the persistence of the polar effect. Although the mean unsigned deviation of 0.79 log k 298 units is rather large, it must be considered in the context of a total span of over 15 log units in the data set. Lastly, the major outliers are briefly discussed.« less

  18. 75 FR 57410 - Address Correction Notices for Letters and Flats Qualifying for Full-Service Intelligent Mail and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-21

    ... First-Class Mail[supreg], Standard Mail[supreg], and Bound Printed Matter (BPM) pieces that are eligible...-Class Mail, Standard Mail, or BPM prices. This change will coincide with the current Move Update... First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, and BPM full-service pieces. Prices for notices provided after this...

  19. You've Got Mail!: Understanding How E-Mail Works

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roman, Harry T.

    2007-01-01

    Conceptually, e-mail is not a whole lot different from regular postal mail ("snail mail"), except that it is much faster. E-mail requires three things: (1) a personal computer; (2) a telephone or communication line; and (3) an Internet provider (e-mail service account). This article provides details on how it works--plus some research activities…

  20. Comparison of clinical outcomes of patients with relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia induced with arsenic trioxide and consolidated with either an autologous stem cell transplant or an arsenic trioxide-based regimen.

    PubMed

    Thirugnanam, Rajasekar; George, Biju; Chendamarai, Ezhil; Lakshmi, Kavitha M; Balasubramanian, Poonkuzhali; Viswabandya, Auro; Srivastava, Alok; Chandy, Mammen; Mathews, Vikram

    2009-11-01

    In patients with relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), the best consolidation regimen following induction of remission with arsenic trioxide (ATO) remains to be defined. Since January 2000, 37 patients with relapsed APL were treated at our center. The median age was 34 years (range, 6-57 years), and there were 20 males (54.1%). The median duration of first remission was 20.3 months (range, 2.9-81.2 months). Relapse was treated with single-agent ATO in 22 patients (59.5%), ATO+ATRA in 5 patients (13.5%), and ATO+ATRA + anthracycline in 10 patients (27%). Thirty-three patients (89%) achieved molecular remission after induction and a consolidation course. Fourteen patients opted to undergo autologous stem cell transplantation (SCT), and the remaining 19 patients received monthly cycles of ATO as a single agent (n=13) or ATO+ATRA (n=6) for 6 months. At a median follow-up of 32 months, the 5-year Kaplan-Meier estimate of event-free survival (EFS) was 83.33% +/- 15.21% in those who underwent autologous SCT versus 34.45% +/- 11.24% in those who did not (P=.001; log-rank test). Following remission induction with ATO-based regimens in patients with relapsed APL, consolidation with autologous SCT is associated with a significantly superior clinical outcome compared with ATO- and ATO+ATRA-based maintenance regimens.

  1. Promoting walking among office employees ― evaluation of a randomized controlled intervention with pedometers and e-mail messages

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background The purpose of the study was to evaluate a 6-month intervention to promote office-employees’ walking with pedometers and e-mail messages. Methods Participants were recruited by 10 occupational health care units (OHC) from 20 worksites with 2,230 employees. Voluntary and insufficiently physically active employees (N = 241) were randomized to a pedometer (STEP, N = 123) and a comparison group (COMP, N = 118). STEP included one group meeting, log-monitored pedometer-use and six e-mail messages from OHC. COMP participated in data collection. Reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance (RE-AIM) and costs were assessed with questionnaires (0, 2, 6, 12 months), process evaluation and interviews (12 months). Results The intervention reached 29% (N = 646) of employees in terms of participation willingness. Logistic regression showed that the proportion of walkers tended to increase more in STEP than in COMP at 2 months in “walking for transportation” (Odds ratio 2.12, 95%CI 0.94 to 4.81) and at 6 months in “walking for leisure” (1.86, 95%CI 0.94 to 3.69). Linear model revealed a modest increase in the mean duration of “walking stairs” at 2 and 6 months (Geometric mean ratio 1.26, 95%CI 0.98 to 1.61; 1.27, 0.98 to 1.64). Adoption and implementation succeeded as intended. At 12 months, some traces of the intervention were sustained in 15 worksites, and a slightly higher number of walkers in STEP in comparison with COMP was observed in “walking stairs” (OR 2.24, 95%CI 0.94 to 5.31) and in “walking for leisure” (2.07, 95%CI 0.99 to 4.34). The direct costs of the intervention were 43 Euros per participant. Conclusions The findings indicate only modest impact on some indicators of walking. Future studies should invest in reaching the employees, minimizing attrition rate and using objective walking assessment. Trial registeration ISRCTN79432107 PMID:22672576

  2. Well network installation and hydrogeologic data collection, Assateague Island National Seashore, Worcester County, Maryland, 2010

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Banks, William S.L.; Masterson, John P.; Johnson, Carole D.

    2012-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, as part of its Climate and Land Use Change Research and Development Program, is conducting a multi-year investigation to assess potential impacts on the natural resources of Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland that may result from changes in the hydrologic system in response to projected sea-level rise. As part of this effort, 26 monitoring wells were installed in pairs along five east-west trending transects. Each of the five transects has between two and four pairs of wells, consisting of a shallow well and a deeper well. The shallow well typically was installed several feet below the water table—usually in freshwater about 10 feet below land surface (ft bls)—to measure water-level changes in the shallow groundwater system. The deeper well was installed below the anticipated depth to the freshwater-saltwater interface—usually in saltwater about 45 to 55 ft bls—for the purpose of borehole geophysical logging to characterize local differences in lithology and salinity and to monitor tidal influences on groundwater. Four of the 13 shallow wells and 5 of the 13 deeper wells were instrumented with water-level recorders that collected water-level data at 15-minute intervals from August 12 through September 28, 2010. Data collected from these instrumented wells were compared with tide data collected north of Assateague Island at the Ocean City Inlet tide gage, and precipitation data collected by National Park Service staff on Assateague Island. These data indicate that precipitation events coupled with changes in ambient sea level had the largest effect on groundwater levels in all monitoring wells near the Atlantic Ocean and Chincoteague and Sinepuxent Bays, whereas precipitation events alone had the greatest impact on shallow groundwater levels near the center of the island. Daily and bi-monthly tidal cycles appeared to have minimal influence on groundwater levels throughout the island and the water-level changes that were observed appeared to vary among well sites, indicating that changes in lithology and salinity also may affect the response of water levels in the shallow and deeper groundwater systems throughout the island. Borehole geophysical logs were collected at each of the 13 deeper wells along the 5 transects. Electromagnetic induction logs were collected to identify changes in lithology; determine the approximate location of the freshwater-saltwater interface; and characterize the distribution of fresh and brackish water in the shallow aquifer, and the geometry of the fresh groundwater lens beneath the island. Natural gamma logs were collected to provide information on the geologic framework of the island including the presence and thickness of finer-grained deposits found in the subsurface throughout the island during previous investigations. Results of this investigation show the need for collection of continuous water-level data in both the shallow and deeper parts of the flow system and electromagnetic induction and natural gamma geophysical logging data to better understand the response of this groundwater system to changes in precipitation and tidal forcing. Hydrologic data collected as part of this investigation will serve as the foundation for the development of numerical flow models to assess the potential effects of climate change on the coastal groundwater system of Assateague Island.

  3. 11 CFR 100.27 - Mass mailing (2 U.S.C. 431(23)).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 11 Federal Elections 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Mass mailing (2 U.S.C. 431(23)). 100.27 Section...) General Definitions § 100.27 Mass mailing (2 U.S.C. 431(23)). Mass mailing means a mailing by United... nature within any 30-day period. A mass mailing does not include electronic mail or Internet...

  4. Comparing Two Survey Research Approaches: E-Mail and Web-Based Technology versus Traditional Mail.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Howes, Colleen M.; Mailloux, Mark R.

    2001-01-01

    Contrasted two survey methodologies: e-mail-Web and traditional mail. Found that: (1) e-mail-Web respondents were proportionately more likely to be male and enrolled in school full-time; (2) more individual question non-response was present for the e-mail-Web sample; and (3) e-mail-Web respondents value different aspects of graduate school. (EV)

  5. 11 CFR 100.27 - Mass mailing (2 U.S.C. 431(23)).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 11 Federal Elections 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Mass mailing (2 U.S.C. 431(23)). 100.27 Section...) General Definitions § 100.27 Mass mailing (2 U.S.C. 431(23)). Mass mailing means a mailing by United... nature within any 30-day period. A mass mailing does not include electronic mail or Internet...

  6. The Use of Electronic Mail in Biomedical Communication

    PubMed Central

    Costello, Richard; Shaw, Anthony; Cheetham, Roz; Moots, Robert J.

    2000-01-01

    Objectives: To determine whether there are statistically significant differences in the content of electronic mail (e-mail) and conventional mail sent to authors of papers published in medical journals. Design: Prospective study by postal questionnaire. Over two one-month periods, corresponding authors of papers published in medical journals were asked to record details of the correspondence prompted by their publications. Measurements: Conventional and e-mail correspondence received. Reprint requests. Content of correspondence. Quality of correspondence. Results: Eighty-two of 96 authors replied. Fifty received e-mail (mean, 5.7 ± 8.8 e-mails per author) and 72 received conventional mail (15.5 ± 32.8 letters per author) (p ≪ 0.05). Seventy percent of e-mails and only 53% of correspondence sent by conventional mail (p ≪ 0.05) referred to the content of the paper. Conclusions: Publication in general medical journals stimulates more conventional than electronic mail. However, the content of e-mail may be of greater scientific relevance. Electronic mail can be encouraged without fear of diminishing the quality of the communications received. PMID:10641967

  7. E2F3a gene expression has prognostic significance in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

    PubMed

    Wang, Kai-Ling; Mei, Yan-Yan; Cui, Lei; Zhao, Xiao-Xi; Li, Wei-Jing; Gao, Chao; Liu, Shu-Guang; Jiao, Ying; Liu, Fei-Fei; Wu, Min-Yuan; Ding, Wei; Li, Zhi-Gang

    2014-10-01

    To study E2F3a expression and its clinical significance in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We quantified E2F3a expression at diagnosis in 148 children with ALL by real-time PCR. In the test cohort (n = 48), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to find the best cut-off point to divide the patients into E2F3a low- and high-expression groups. The prognostic significance of E2F3a expression was investigated in the test cohort and confirmed in the validation cohort (n = 100). The correlations of E2F3a expression with the clinical features and treatment outcome of these patients were analyzed. ROC curve analysis indicated that the best cut-off point of E2F3a expression was 0.3780. In the test cohort, leukemia-free survival (LFS) and event-free survival (EFS) of the low-expression group were lower than those of the high-expression group (log rank: P = 0.026 for both). This finding was verified in the validation cohort. LFS, EFS, and overall survival were also lower in the low-expression group than in the high-expression group (log rank, P = 0.015, 0.008, and 0.002 respectively). E2F3a low expression was correlated with the existence of BCR-ABL fusion. An algorithm composed of E2F3a expression and minimal residual disease (MRD) could predict relapse or induction failure more precisely than current risk stratification. These results were still significant in the ALL patients without BCR-ABL fusion. Low expression of E2F3a was associated with inferior prognosis in childhood ALL. An algorithm composed of E2F3a expression and MRD could predict relapse or induction failure more precisely than that of the current risk stratification. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Neuroblastoma mRNAs predict outcome in children with stage 4 neuroblastoma: a European HR-NBL1/SIOPEN study.

    PubMed

    Viprey, Virginie F; Gregory, Walter M; Corrias, Maria V; Tchirkov, Andrei; Swerts, Katrien; Vicha, Ales; Dallorso, Sandro; Brock, Penelope; Luksch, Roberto; Valteau-Couanet, Dominique; Papadakis, Vassilios; Laureys, Genevieve; Pearson, Andrew D; Ladenstein, Ruth; Burchill, Susan A

    2014-04-01

    To evaluate the hypothesis that detection of neuroblastoma mRNAs by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RTqPCR) in peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow aspirates (BM) from children with stage 4 neuroblastoma are clinically useful biomarkers of risk. RTqPCR for paired-like homeobox 2b (PHOX2B), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and doublecortin (DCX) mRNA in PB and BM of children enrolled onto the High-Risk Neuroblastoma Trial-1 of the European Society of Pediatric Oncology Neuroblastoma Group (HR-NBL1/SIOPEN) was performed at diagnosis and after induction therapy. High levels of TH, PHOX2B, or DCX mRNA in PB or BM at diagnosis strongly predicted for worse event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) in a cohort of 290 children. After induction therapy, high levels of these mRNAs predicted worse EFS and OS in BM but not in PB. Combinations of mRNAs in BM did not add to the predictive power of any single mRNA. However, in the original (n = 182) and validation (n = 137) PB cohorts, high TH (log10TH > 0.8) or high PHOX2B (log10PHOX2B > 0.28) identify 19% of children as ultrahigh risk, with 5-year EFS and OS rates of 0%; OS rate was 25% (95% CI, 16% to 36%) and EFS rate was 38% (95% CI, 28% to 49%) in the remaining children. The magnitude of reduction in mRNA level between diagnosis and postinduction therapy in BM or PB was not of additional predictive value. High levels of TH and PHOX2B mRNA in PB at diagnosis objectively identify children with ultrahigh-risk disease who may benefit from novel treatment approaches. The level of TH, PHOX2B, and DCX mRNA in BM and/or PB at diagnosis might contribute to an algorithm to improve stratification of children for treatment.

  9. 49 CFR 107.109 - Application for renewal.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... submitted by electronic mail (e-mail) to: [email protected] Electronic submissions need not be... the name, street and mailing addresses, e-mail address (if available), US DOT Registration number (if... name, street and mailing addresses, e-mail address (if available), and telephone number of an...

  10. 76 FR 76619 - International Mail: New Prices and Fee Changes-Mailing Services

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-08

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 20 International Mail: New Prices and Fee Changes--Mailing Services... Individual Country Listings (ICLs) to reflect price adjustments for First-Class Mail International[supreg... mailing services price adjustments with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), effective on January 22...

  11. 76 FR 7114 - International Mail: Mailing Services Price Change

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-09

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 20 International Mail: Mailing Services Price Change AGENCY: Postal... States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM[supreg]) for Mailing Services. This price change correlates to the Postal Service's January 13, 2011 filing of Docket No. R2011-2, Notice of Price Adjustment...

  12. 49 CFR 107.105 - Application for special permit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ...; or (iii) Be submitted by electronic mail (e-mail) to: [email protected] Electronic submissions need not be submitted in duplicate; (2) State the name, street and mailing addresses, e-mail address... the applicant is not an individual, also state the name, street and mailing addresses, e-mail address...

  13. The Impact of a Targeted Training Program on E-Mail System Processing Capabilities and Self-Perception of E-Mail Overload

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Einstein, Michael M.

    2014-01-01

    As business e-mail volumes continue to grow and employees spend increasingly larger portions of their day processing e-mail, there is strong evidence of the negative impacts of e-mail processing, especially with respect to e-mail overload. This study sought to determine whether a training program focused on select e-mail features and processing…

  14. 75 FR 65593 - Periodic Reporting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-26

    ... waivers for First-Class Mail Flats at the district level, non-retail First- Class Mail Parcels, all categories of Standard Mail, Outside County Periodicals, non-retail Media Mail, Library Mail, Bound Printed...

  15. The impact of e-mail in acquiring and retaining whole-blood donors: a comparative analysis of the Puget Sound Blood Center donor e-mail communication program.

    PubMed

    Geyer, Maria Elena

    2005-12-01

    With the emergence of e-mail as a common form of communication, it is important to understand the role and impact e-mail can have on acquiring and retaining whole-blood donors. Whole-blood donors who opted in to receive e-mail communications (n = 43,232) from the Puget Sound Blood Center (PSBC) and as a result participated in one or more of five e-mail marketing campaigns between July 2002 and March 2003 were studied. New donors with e-mail addresses grew by 74 percent over the measurement period compared with 2 percent growth of those without e-mail addresses. Nearly 15,000 prospective donors were reached as a result of donors passing along e-mails they received from PSBC to friends and family. Nearly 5 percent of PSBC e-mail campaign recipients registered to donate online. PSBC e-mail campaigns have outperformed e-mail marketing industry mean open rates by 44 percent and click-through rates by 36 percent. E-mail is now a mainstream communication medium. It has proven to be an effective method of reaching new donors and generating new donation registrations. Donors respond more favorably to e-mail communications from PSBC compared with e-mail they receive from other organizations. Deeper understanding of how different segments of blood donors use e-mail may help blood centers adjust their donor acquisition and retention programs. New recruitment methods are needed to grow the overall donor base, and e-mail appears to have the potential to make a significant contribution to meeting this objective.

  16. Quantitative analysis of gold nanoparticles in single cells by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Wang, Meng; Zheng, Ling-Na; Wang, Bing; Chen, Han-Qing; Zhao, Yu-Liang; Chai, Zhi-Fang; Reid, Helen J; Sharp, Barry L; Feng, Wei-Yue

    2014-10-21

    Single cell analysis has become an important field of research in recent years reflecting the heterogeneity of cellular responses in biological systems. Here, we demonstrate a new method, based on laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS), which can quantify in situ gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) in single cells. Dried residues of picoliter droplets ejected by a commercial inkjet printer were used to simulate matrix-matched calibration standards. The gold mass in single cells exposed to 100 nM NIST Au NPs (Reference material 8012, 30 nm) for 4 h showed a log-normal distribution, ranging from 1.7 to 72 fg Au per cell, which approximately corresponds to 9 to 370 Au NPs per cell. The average result from 70 single cells (15 ± 13 fg Au per cell) was in good agreement with the result from an aqua regia digest solution of 1.2 × 10(6) cells (18 ± 1 fg Au per cell). The limit of quantification was 1.7 fg Au. This paper demonstrates the great potential of LA-ICPMS for single cell analysis and the beneficial study of biological responses to metal drugs or NPs at the single cell level.

  17. 12 CFR 1202.9 - How do I appeal a response denying my FOIA request?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... writing directly to the FOIA Appeals Officer through electronic mail, mail, delivery service, or facsimile. The electronic mail address is: [email protected] For mail or delivery service, the mailing address is... by marking electronic mail, letters, or facsimiles and the subject line, envelope, or facsimile cover...

  18. 12 CFR 1202.9 - How do I appeal a response denying my FOIA request?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... writing directly to the FOIA Appeals Officer through electronic mail, mail, delivery service, or facsimile. The electronic mail address is: [email protected] For mail or delivery service, the mailing address is... by marking electronic mail, letters, or facsimiles and the subject line, envelope, or facsimile cover...

  19. 77 FR 40527 - New Express Mail Price Category-Express Mail Padded Flat Rate Envelope

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-10

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 111 New Express Mail Price Category--Express Mail Padded Flat Rate.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This final rule describes a new price category under Express Mail, Express Mail... new price category is available under Docket Number CP2012-39 on the Postal Regulatory Commission's...

  20. Information Management: Records Management: Official Mail and Distribution Management

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-11-30

    Official Mail Cost Control Program and the Department of the Army Official Mail and Distribution Management Program. It addresses the use of postage meters...mailing permits, special mail services, postage stamps, correspondence distribution management , mailing procedures for certain U.S. Army activities and U.S. citizens overseas, and street addressing of correspondence.

  1. Professional e-mail communication among health care providers: proposing evidence-based guidelines.

    PubMed

    Malka, S Terez; Kessler, Chad S; Abraham, John; Emmet, Thomas W; Wilbur, Lee

    2015-01-01

    E-mail is now a primary method of correspondence in health care, and proficiency with professional e-mail use is a vital skill for physicians. Fundamentals of e-mail courtesy can be derived from lay literature, but there is a dearth of scientific literature that addresses the use of e-mail between physicians. E-mail communication between providers is generally more familiar and casual than other professional interactions, which can promote unprofessional behavior or misunderstanding. Not only e-mail content but also wording, format, and tone may influence clinical recommendations and perceptions of the e-mail sender. In addition, there are serious legal and ethical implications when unprofessional or unsecured e-mails related to patient-identifying information are exchanged or included within an electronic medical record. The authors believe that the appropriate use of e-mail is a vital skill for physicians, with serious legal and ethical ramifications and the potential to affect professional development and patient care. In this article, the authors analyze a comprehensive literature search, explore several facets of e-mail use between physicians, and offer specific recommendations for professional e-mail use.

  2. Access to Network Login by Three-Factor Authentication for Effective Information Security.

    PubMed

    Vaithyasubramanian, S; Christy, A; Saravanan, D

    2016-01-01

    Today's technology development in the field of computer along with internet of things made huge difference in the transformation of our lives. Basic computer framework and web client need to make significant login signify getting to mail, long range interpersonal communication, internet keeping money, booking tickets, perusing online daily papers, and so forth. The login user name and secret key mapping validate if the logging user is the intended client. Secret key is assumed an indispensable part in security. The objective of MFA is to make a layered safeguard and make it more troublesome for an unauthenticated entity to get to an objective, for example, a physical area, processing gadget, system, or database. In the event that one element is bargained or broken, the assailant still has two more boundaries to rupture before effectively breaking into the objective. An endeavor has been made by utilizing three variable types of authentication. In this way managing additional secret key includes an additional layer of security.

  3. Access to Network Login by Three-Factor Authentication for Effective Information Security

    PubMed Central

    Vaithyasubramanian, S.; Christy, A.; Saravanan, D.

    2016-01-01

    Today's technology development in the field of computer along with internet of things made huge difference in the transformation of our lives. Basic computer framework and web client need to make significant login signify getting to mail, long range interpersonal communication, internet keeping money, booking tickets, perusing online daily papers, and so forth. The login user name and secret key mapping validate if the logging user is the intended client. Secret key is assumed an indispensable part in security. The objective of MFA is to make a layered safeguard and make it more troublesome for an unauthenticated entity to get to an objective, for example, a physical area, processing gadget, system, or database. In the event that one element is bargained or broken, the assailant still has two more boundaries to rupture before effectively breaking into the objective. An endeavor has been made by utilizing three variable types of authentication. In this way managing additional secret key includes an additional layer of security. PMID:27006976

  4. Employee Attitudes Regarding Electronic Mail Policies: A Case Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hacker, Kenneth L.; Goss, Blaine; Townley, Charles; Horton, Valerie J.

    1998-01-01

    Investigates attitudes toward e-mail and e-mail policies through a case study of e-mail users at a university library. Indicates those who use e-mail frequently have more favorable attitudes to it than less frequent users and are more opposed to policies regulating e-mail communication. Notes that employees prefer guidelines to restrictive…

  5. 11 CFR 100.27 - Mass mailing (2 U.S.C. 431(23)).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 100.27 Federal Elections FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION GENERAL SCOPE AND DEFINITIONS (2 U.S.C. 431) General Definitions § 100.27 Mass mailing (2 U.S.C. 431(23)). Mass mailing means a mailing by United States mail or facsimile of more than 500 pieces of mail matter of an identical or substantially similar...

  6. 11 CFR 100.27 - Mass mailing (2 U.S.C. 431(23)).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 100.27 Federal Elections FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION GENERAL SCOPE AND DEFINITIONS (2 U.S.C. 431) General Definitions § 100.27 Mass mailing (2 U.S.C. 431(23)). Mass mailing means a mailing by United States mail or facsimile of more than 500 pieces of mail matter of an identical or substantially similar...

  7. 11 CFR 100.27 - Mass mailing (2 U.S.C. 431(23)).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 100.27 Federal Elections FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION GENERAL SCOPE AND DEFINITIONS (2 U.S.C. 431) General Definitions § 100.27 Mass mailing (2 U.S.C. 431(23)). Mass mailing means a mailing by United States mail or facsimile of more than 500 pieces of mail matter of an identical or substantially similar...

  8. 75 FR 4741 - Express Mail Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Open and Distribute Changes and Updates

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-29

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 111 Express Mail Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Open and... proposes to revise its standards to reflect changes and updates for Express Mail[supreg] Open and Distribute and Priority Mail[supreg] Open and Distribute to improve efficiencies in processing and to control...

  9. 75 FR 14076 - Express Mail Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Open and Distribute Changes and Updates

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-24

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 111 Express Mail Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Open and... to reflect changes and updates for Express Mail[supreg] Open and Distribute and Priority Mail[supreg] Open and Distribute to improve efficiencies in processing and to control costs. DATES: Effective Date...

  10. 75 FR 72686 - Express Mail Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Open and Distribute

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-26

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 111 Express Mail Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Open and... ``DB'' prefix along with new Tag 257, Tag 267, or Label 257S, on all Express Mail[supreg] Open and Distribute containers. The Postal Service is also revising the service commitment for Express Mail Open and...

  11. Comparing Response Rates in E-Mail and Paper Surveys: A Meta-Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shih, Tse-Hua; Fan, Xitao

    2009-01-01

    This meta-analysis examined 35 study results within last 10 years that directly compared the response rates of e-mail versus mail surveys. Individual studies reported inconsistent findings concerning the response rate difference between e-mail and mail surveys, but e-mail surveys generally have lower response rate (about 20% lower on the average)…

  12. The Educational Impact of E-Mail: Extraverted versus Introverted Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kunderewicz, Larisa; Michener, Stacey; Chambliss, Catherine

    College students (N=151) completed surveys assessing the relationship between e-mail use and extraversion. The variables studied included time spent on e-mail; the frequency of e-mail usage; and the purposes e-mail served for each student. The results suggest that extraverts use e-mail as a form of procrastination more than introverts, and that…

  13. A high-temperature furnace for in situ synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy under controlled atmospheric conditions.

    PubMed

    Eeckhout, Sigrid Griet; Gorges, Bernard; Barthe, Laurent; Pelosi, Orietta; Safonova, Olga; Giuli, Gabriele

    2008-09-01

    A high-temperature furnace with an induction heater coil has been designed and constructed for in situ X-ray spectroscopic experiments under controlled atmospheric conditions and temperatures up to 3275 K. The multi-purpose chamber design allows working in backscattering and normal fluorescence mode for synchrotron X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy. The use of the furnace is demonstrated in a study of the in situ formation of Cr oxide between 1823 K and 2023 K at logPO(2) values between -10.0 and -11.3 using X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy. The set-up is of particular interest for studying liquid metals, alloys and other electrically conductive materials under extreme conditions.

  14. Doctors Who Are Using E-mail With Their Patients: a Qualitative Exploration

    PubMed Central

    Patt, Madhavi R; Jenckes, Mollie W; Sands, Daniel Z; Ford, Daniel E

    2003-01-01

    Background Despite the potential for rapid, asynchronous, documentable communication, the use of e-mail for physician-patient communication has not been widely adopted. Objective To survey physicians currently using e-mail with their patients daily to understand their experiences. Methods In-depth phone interviews of 45 physicians currently using e-mail with patients were audio taped and transcribed verbatim. Two investigators independently qualitatively coded comments. Differences were adjudicated by group consensus. Results Almost all of the 642 comments from these physicians who currently use e-mail with patients daily could be grouped into 1 of 4 broad domains: (1) e-mail access and content, (2) effects of e-mail on the doctor-patient relationship, (3) managing clinical issues by e-mail, and (4) integrating e-mail into office processes. The most consistent theme was that e-mail communication enhances chronic-disease management. Many physicians also reported improved continuity of care and increased flexibility in responding to nonurgent issues. Integration of e-mail into daily workflow, such as utilization of office personnel, appears to be a significant area of concern for many of the physicians. For other issues, such as content, efficiency of e-mail, and confidentiality, there were diverging experiences and opinions. Physicians appear to be selective in choosing which patients they will communicate with via e-mail, but the criteria for selection is unclear. Conclusions These physician respondents did perceive benefits to e-mail with a select group of patients. Several areas, such as identifying clinical situations where e-mail communication is effective, incorporating e-mail into office flow, and being reimbursed for online medical care/communication, need to be addressed before this mode of communication diffuses into most practices. PMID:12857665

  15. A randomized study of electronic mail versus telephone follow-up after emergency department visit.

    PubMed

    Ezenkwele, Ugo A; Sites, Frank D; Shofer, Frances S; Pritchett, Ellen N; Hollander, Judd E

    2003-02-01

    This study was conducted to determine whether electronic mail (e-mail) increases contact rates after patients are discharged from the emergency department (ED). Following discharge, patients were randomized to be contacted by telephone or e-mail. The main outcome was success of contact. Secondary outcome was the median time of response. There were 1561 patients initially screened. Of these, 444 had e-mail and were included in the study. Half were contacted by telephone and the rest via e-mail. Our telephone contact rate was 58% (129/222) after two calls in a 48-h period and our e-mail contact was 41% (90/222). The telephone was nearly two times better than e-mail. The median time of response was 48 h for e-mail and 18 h for telephone. It is concluded that the telephone is a better modality of contact than e-mail for patients discharged from the ED.

  16. Geohydrologic and water-quality data in the vicinity of the Rialto-Colton Fault, San Bernardino, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Teague, Nicholas F.; Brown, Anthony A.; Woolfenden, Linda R.

    2014-01-01

    The Rialto-Colton Basin is in western San Bernardino County, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, California. The basin is bounded by faults on the northeast and southwest sides and contains multiple barriers to groundwater flow. The structural geology of the basin leads to complex hydrology. Between 2001 and 2008, in an effort to better understand the complex hydrologic system of the Rialto-Colton Basin, seven multiple-well monitoring sites were constructed. Two to six observation wells were installed in the borehole at each site; a total of 32 observation wells were installed. This report presents geologic, hydrologic, and water-quality data collected from these seven multiple-well monitoring sites. Descriptions of the collected drill cuttings were compiled into lithologic logs for each monitoring site. The lithologic logs are summarized along with the geophysical logs, including gamma-ray, spontaneous potential, resistivity, and electromagnetic induction tool logs. At selected sites, sonic tool logs also were recorded. Periodic water-level measurements are reported, and water-level data are displayed on hydrographs. Water levels at multiple-well monitoring sites in the northern part of the study area differed between the shallow and deep observation wells; in the remaining multiple-well monitoring sites, water levels differed little with depth. Along the southern trace of the Rialto-Colton Fault, water levels are slightly higher east of the fault than west of the fault. Selected water-quality data for 21 of the observation wells show water from wells in the northern and central parts of the study area is calcium-carbonate water. In the southern part of the study area, water from wells screened above 400 feet below land surface is of mixed type or is calcium-carbonate water. Water from wells screened greater than 400 feet below land surface in the southern part of the study area is sodium-carbonate or sodium-mixed anion water. Water from most wells in the study area plots above the Global Meteoric Water Line along an apparent local meteoric water line, indicating the water has not experienced substantial evaporation before infiltration. A few samples from shallow wells in the study area plot slightly to the right of the Global Meteoric Water Line, possibly indicating the water experienced some evaporation before recharge.

  17. 77 FR 26185 - POSTNET Barcode Discontinuation

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-03

    ....17.2 regarding Courtesy Reply Mail (CRM). [Revise the title and text of 3.17.2 as follows:] 3.17.2 Courtesy Reply Mail Courtesy reply mail (CRM) is reply mail other than BRM or MRM enclosed in other mail...

  18. Internet-Enabled Audio Communication: A Richer Medium For Students Feedback?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Roy D.; Keil, Mark

    This study compared the effects of using voice mail (v-mail) to electronic mail (e-mail) over the Internet to provide student feedback using Media Richness Theory (MRT) and Social Presence Theory (SPT) as the theoretical framework. MRT and SPT would predict that v-mail would be perceived as higher than e-mail in media richness and social presence.…

  19. Retrospective study of various conservative treatment options with bacille Calmette-Guérin in bladder urothelial carcinoma T1G3: Maintenance therapy.

    PubMed

    Palou-Redorta, J; Solsona, E; Angulo, J; Fernández, J M; Madero, R; Unda, M; Martínez-Piñeiro, J A; Portillo, J; Chantada, V; Moyano, J L

    2016-01-01

    To compare various conservative treatment options for high-grade T1 nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the preferred intravesical treatment for high-grade T1 tumours; however, a number of experts still question the need for maintenance BCG. We retrospectively analysed data from 1039 patients with primary and recurrent T1G3 NMIBC. All patients underwent complete transurethral resection of the bladder tumour (TURBT), with muscle in the sample and multiple bladder biopsies. The patients were treated with the following: only one initial TURBT (n=108), re-TURBT (n=153), induction with 27mg of BCG (Connaught strain) (n=87), induction with 81mg of BCG (n=489) or induction with 81mg of BCG+maintenance (n=202). The time to first recurrence, progression (to T2 or greater or to metastatic disease) and specific mortality of the disease was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier survival function and were compared using the log-rank test and the Cox multivariate regression model of proportional risks. The mean follow-up was 62±39 months. The risk of recurrence was significantly lower for the patients treated with maintenance therapy of 81mg of BCG than in the other treatment groups (P<.001). The risk of tumour progression was also significantly lower for the patients treated with maintenance BCG than for the patients treated only with one TURBT, re-TURBT and with induction therapy with 27mg of BCG (P=.0003). The specific disease mortality was significantly lower with BCG maintenance (9.4%) than with only one TURBT (27.8%; P=.003). In the case of T1G3 NMIBC, a complete dose of BCG with maintenance is associated with better recurrence results than are other conservative treatment modalities. The results of progression and survival specific to the disease were also better with induction BCG, with or without maintenance. Copyright © 2016 AEU. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  20. Preinduction incentive spirometry versus deep breathing to improve apnea tolerance during induction of anesthesia in patients of abdominal sepsis: A randomized trial.

    PubMed

    Tripathi, M; Subedi, A; Raimajhi, A; Pokharel, K; Pandey, M

    2013-01-01

    Abdominal sepsis is associated with varied degree of hypoxemia and atelactasis in the lung and can enhance the onset of desaturation of arterial blood during apnea. This study looked at methods to improve safety margin of apnea during induction of anesthesia in these high-risk patients. It was a randomized, single blind study on adult patients presenting for emergency laparotomy due to peritonitis in a university teaching hospital setting. In group 1 (IS) (n = 32), three sessions of incentive spirometry (IS) were performed within one hour before induction of anesthesia. In group 2 (DB) (n = 34), patients were subjected to deep breathing sessions in a similar manner. All patients received preoxygenation (100%) by mask for 3 min, followed by rapid-sequence induction of anesthesia using fentanyl, thiopental, and suxamethonium and endotracheal intubation. Patients were subjected to a period of apnea by keeping the end of the endotracheal tube open to air till they developed 95% hemoglobin saturation (SpO 2) by pulse oxymetry. Positive pressure ventilation was resumed at the end. We observed for hemodynamic changes, apnea time, and SpO 2 (100%) recovery time on resuming ventilation. Arterial blood gas samples were taken before intervention, after IS or DB, after preoxygenation, and at the end of apnea. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), X 2 test, Kaplan-Meier graph, and log-rank tests were applied to compare the two study groups. Oxygenation level in group 1 (265 ± 76.7 mmHg) patients was significantly (P < 0.001) higher than in group 2 (221 ± 61.8 mmHg)at the end of preoxygenation. The apnea time (median: lower bound - upper bound Confidence Interval apnea time) (272:240-279 s) in group 1 (IS) patients was significantly higher P < 0.05) than in group 2 (180:163-209 s) patients. Saturation recovery time (35:34-46 s) in group 1 (IS) patients was also quicker than in group 2 patients (48:44-58 s). IS in the preoperative period is superior to deep breathing sessions for improving apnea tolerance during induction of anesthesia in abdominal sepsis patients.

  1. Personality Traits Are Associated with Academic Achievement in Medical School: A Nationally Representative Study.

    PubMed

    Sobowale, Kunmi; Ham, Sandra A; Curlin, Farr A; Yoon, John D

    2018-06-01

    This nationally representative study sought to identify personality traits that are associated with academic achievement in medical school. Third-year medical students, who completed an initial questionnaire in January 2011, were mailed a second questionnaire several months later during their fourth year. Controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and burnout, the authors used multivariate logistic regressions to determine whether Big Five personality traits were associated with receiving honors/highest grade in clinical clerkships, failing a course or rotation, and being selected for the Alpha Omega Alpha or Gold Humanism Honor Society. The adjusted response rates for the two surveys were 61 (n = 564/919) and 84% (n = 474/564). The personality trait conscientiousness predicted obtaining honors/highest grade in all clinical clerkships. In contrast, students high in neuroticism were less likely to do well in most specialties. Students with higher conscientiousness were more likely to be inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, while students high in openness or agreeableness traits were more likely to be inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. Burnout was not associated with any clinical performance measures. This study suggests the importance of personality traits, particularly conscientiousness, in predicting success during the clinical years of medical school. Medical educators should consider a nuanced examination of personality traits and other non-cognitive factors, particularly for psychiatry.

  2. You Smell Dangerous: Communicating Fight Responses Through Human Chemosignals of Aggression.

    PubMed

    Mutic, Smiljana; Parma, Valentina; Brünner, Yvonne F; Freiherr, Jessica

    2016-01-01

    The ability to detect conspecifics that represent a potential harm for an individual represents a high survival benefit. Humans communicate socially relevant information using all sensory modalities, including the chemosensory systems. In study 1, we investigated whether the body odor of a stranger with the intention to harm serves as a chemosignal of aggression. Sixteen healthy male participants donated their body odor while engaging in a boxing session characterized by aggression-induction methods (chemosignal of aggression) and while performing an ergometer session (exercise chemosignal). Self-reports on aggression-related physical activity, motivation to harm and angry emotions selectively increased after aggression induction. In study 2, we examined whether receivers smelling such chemosignals experience emotional contagion (e.g., anger) or emotional reciprocity (e.g., anxiety). The aggression and exercise chemosignals were therefore presented to 22 healthy normosmic participants in a double-blind, randomized exposure during which affective/cognitive processing was examined (i.e., emotion recognition task, emotional stroop task). Behavioral results indicate that chemosignals of aggression induce an affective/cognitive modulation compatible with an anxiety reaction in the recipients. These findings are discussed in light of mechanisms of emotional reciprocity as a way to convey not only affective but also motivational information via chemosensory signals in humans. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  3. 12 CFR 620.21 - Contents of the information statement and other information to be furnished in connection with...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... is to be held in more than one session and paper mail or electronic mail balloting will be conducted... only at the first session. (B) If shareholders will not vote solely by paper mail or electronic mail... annual meeting is held in a region, and if paper mail or electronic mail balloting will be conducted at...

  4. Variations in cerebrospinal fluid viral loads among enterovirus genotypes in patients hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed meningitis due to enterovirus.

    PubMed

    Volle, Romain; Bailly, Jean-Luc; Mirand, Audrey; Pereira, Bruno; Marque-Juillet, Stéphanie; Chambon, Martine; Regagnon, Christel; Brebion, Amélie; Henquell, Cécile; Peigue-Lafeuille, Hélène; Archimbaud, Christine

    2014-08-15

    Acute enterovirus (EV) meningitis is a major cause of hospitalization among adults and children. It is caused by multiple EV genotypes assigned to 4 species (EV-A, EV-B, EV-C, and EV-D). We determined viral loads in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 156 patients of all ages with EV meningitis during a 5-year observational prospective study. The virus strains were genotyped, and their time origin was determined with Bayesian phylogenetic methods. The CSF viral loads ranged between 3.4 and 7.5 log10 copies/mL (median, 4.9 log10 copies/mL). They were higher in neonates than in infants and children (P = .02) but were comparable in adults. Viral loads were associated with EV genotypes (P < .001). The EV strains were identified in 152 of 156 patients and assigned to 23 genotypes within the EV-A and EV-B species. The most frequent genotypes, echoviruses 6 and 30, were associated with different viral loads (P < .001). The highest viral loads were in meningitis cases caused by coxsackievirus A9, B4, and B5 genotypes. Most patients infected by a same genotype were infected by a major virus variant of recent emergence. The variations in CSF viral loads in patients at the onset of EV meningitis are related to genotypic differences in the virus strains involved. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  5. Identification of filamentous fungi isolates by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry: clinical evaluation of an extended reference spectra library.

    PubMed

    Becker, Pierre T; de Bel, Annelies; Martiny, Delphine; Ranque, Stéphane; Piarroux, Renaud; Cassagne, Carole; Detandt, Monique; Hendrickx, Marijke

    2014-11-01

    The identification of filamentous fungi by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) relies mainly on a robust and extensive database of reference spectra. To this end, a large in-house library containing 760 strains and representing 472 species was built and evaluated on 390 clinical isolates by comparing MALDI-TOF MS with the classical identification method based on morphological observations. The use of MALDI-TOF MS resulted in the correct identification of 95.4% of the isolates at species level, without considering LogScore values. Taking into account the Brukers' cutoff value for reliability (LogScore >1.70), 85.6% of the isolates were correctly identified. For a number of isolates, microscopic identification was limited to the genus, resulting in only 61.5% of the isolates correctly identified at species level while the correctness reached 94.6% at genus level. Using this extended in-house database, MALDI-TOF MS thus appears superior to morphology in order to obtain a robust and accurate identification of filamentous fungi. A continuous extension of the library is however necessary to further improve its reliability. Indeed, 15 isolates were still not represented while an additional three isolates were not recognized, probably because of a lack of intraspecific variability of the corresponding species in the database. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  6. Tobacco industry marketing: an analysis of direct mail coupons and giveaways.

    PubMed

    Brock, Betsy; Schillo, Barbara A; Moilanen, Molly

    2015-09-01

    Despite marketing prohibitions, tobacco company marketing expenditures in the USA have continued to grow with tobacco companies shifting focus towards point-of-sale-marketing and direct marketing to consumers through the mail and on the web. The purpose of this observational study was to investigate the content of direct marketing sent in response to registrations on select industry websites. An analysis of 659 tobacco company direct mail marketing pieces received between July 2011 and June 2012 was conducted. Mailings were coded for type and value of tobacco coupons, type of tobacco products promoted with coupons and number and type of giveaways offered. The most common type of mailing was tobacco coupon distribution; 86.5% of the mailings contained at least one coupon. Mailings with coupons had an average estimated coupon value of $4.17. The total coupon value of each mailing varied by the type of coupon offer and product promoted. The Camel and Marlboro coupon mailings heavily promoted snus, with over half of Camel coupon mailings (60.9%) and nearly half (44.8%) of Marlboro coupon mailings promoting snus alone. In addition, 47.9% of Marlboro coupon mailings and 11.4% of Camel mailings promoted snus alongside cigarettes. Tobacco companies use direct mail marketing to communicate with consumers and provide valuable tobacco coupons. More research is needed to understand the content of these mailings and how they are used by tobacco consumers in order to develop effective policy solutions. 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.

  7. Physicians' use of and attitudes toward electronic mail for patient communication.

    PubMed

    Gaster, Barak; Knight, Christopher L; DeWitt, Dawn E; Sheffield, John V L; Assefi, Nassim P; Buchwald, Dedra

    2003-05-01

    To assess physicians' use of and attitudes toward electronic mail (e-mail) for patient communication, we conducted a mail-in survey of physicians who see patients in outpatient clinics affiliated with a large academic medical center (N = 283). Seventy-two percent of physicians reported using e-mail to communicate with patients, averaging 7.7 e-mails from patients per month. The lowest level of use was by community-based primary care physicians (odds ratio, 0.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.08 to 0.59). Those physicians who reported using e-mail with patients reported high satisfaction with its use. Although physicians were concerned about the confidentiality of e-mail, few discussed this issue with patients.

  8. Twin-Telescope Wettzell (TTW)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hase, H.; Dassing, R.; Kronschnabl, G.; Schlüter, W.; Schwarz, W.; Lauber, P.; Kilger, R.

    2007-07-01

    Following the recommendations made by the VLBI2010 vision report of the IVS, a proposal has been made to construct a Twin Telescope for the Fundamental Station Wettzell in order to meet the future requirements of the next VLBI generation. The Twin Telescope consists of two identical radiotelescopes. It is a project of the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG). This article summarizes the project and some design ideas for the Twin-Telescope. %ZALMA (2005). Technical Specification for Design, Manufacturing, Transport and Integration on Site of the ALMA ANTENNAS, Doc. ALMA-34.00.00.00.006-BSPE. Behrend, D. (2006). VLBI2010 Antenna Specs, Data sheet. DeBoer, D. (2001). The ATA Offset Gregorian Antenna, ATA Memo #16, February 10. Imbriale, W.A. (2006). Design of a Wideband Radio Telescope, Jet Propulsion Laboratory and S. Weinreb and H. Mandi, California Institute of Technology. Kilger, R. (2007). TWIN-Design studies, Presentation for the IVS board members (internal document),Wettzell. Kronschnabl, G. (2006). Subject: Memo from Bill Petrachenko, E-mail to the Twin-Working Group (in German), July. Lindgren, ETS-Lindgren (2005). The Model 3164-05 Open Boundary Quadridge Horn, Data Sheet. Niell, A., A. Whitney, W. Petrachenko, W. Schlüter, N. Vandenberg, H.Hase, Y. Koyama, C. Ma, H. Schuh, G. Tucari (2006). in: IVS Annual Report 2005, pg. 13-40, NASA/TP-2006-214136, April. Olsson, R., Kildal, P.-S., and Weinreb, S. (2006). IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 54, No. 2, February. Petrachenko, B. (2006). The Case For and Against Multiple Antennas at a Site, IVS Memorandum, 2006-019v01. Petrachenko, B. (2006). IVS Memorandum, 2006-016v01. RFSpin (2004). Double Ridged Waveguide Horn-Model DRH20, Antenna Specifications, Data Sheet. Rohde&Schwarz (2004). SHF Antennas Crossed Log- Periodic Antennas HL024A1/S1, Data Sheet. Rohde&Schwarz (2004). SHF Antennas Log-Periodic Antennas HL050/HL050S1, Data Sheet. Rogers, A.E.E. (2006). Simulations of broadband delay measurements, Mark 5 Memo #043, MIT Haystack Observatory. Rogers, A.E.E. (2006). Some thoughts on the calibration of broadband geodetic VLBI, Mark 5 Memo #044, MIT Haystack Observatory. Rothacher M. (2006). GGOS: the IAG contribution to Earth observation, IGS Workshop 2006 "Perspectives and Visions for 2010 and beyond", May 8-12, Darmstadt, Germany Weinreb, S., Mandi, H. (2006). Pattern and Noise Tests of ETS-Lindgren 3164-05 Quadridge/Vivaldi Antenna, California Institute of Technology. Weinreb, S. (2007). Broadband feeds, E-mail, January. Welch, Wm. J. (2005). The Allen Telescope Array, URSI, UC Berkeley, January.

  9. Structured scaffolding for reflection and problem solving in diabetes self-management: qualitative study of mobile diabetes detective.

    PubMed

    Mamykina, Lena; Heitkemper, Elizabeth M; Smaldone, Arlene M; Kukafka, Rita; Cole-Lewis, Heather; Davidson, Patricia G; Mynatt, Elizabeth D; Tobin, Jonathan N; Cassells, Andrea; Goodman, Carrie; Hripcsak, George

    2016-01-01

    To investigate subjective experiences and patterns of engagement with a novel electronic tool for facilitating reflection and problem solving for individuals with type 2 diabetes, Mobile Diabetes Detective (MoDD). In this qualitative study, researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with individuals from economically disadvantaged communities and ethnic minorities who are participating in a randomized controlled trial of MoDD. The transcripts of the interviews were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis; usage logs were analyzed to determine how actively the study participants used MoDD. Fifteen participants in the MoDD randomized controlled trial were recruited for the qualitative interviews. Usage log analysis showed that, on average, during the 4 weeks of the study, the study participants logged into MoDD twice per week, reported 120 blood glucose readings, and set two behavioral goals. The qualitative interviews suggested that individuals used MoDD to follow the steps of the problem-solving process, from identifying problematic blood glucose patterns, to exploring behavioral triggers contributing to these patterns, to selecting alternative behaviors, to implementing these behaviors while monitoring for improvements in glycemic control. This qualitative study suggested that informatics interventions for reflection and problem solving can provide structured scaffolding for facilitating these processes by guiding users through the different steps of the problem-solving process and by providing them with context-sensitive evidence and practice-based knowledge related to diabetes self-management on each of those steps. This qualitative study suggested that MoDD was perceived as a useful tool in engaging individuals in self-monitoring, reflection, and problem solving. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  10. 39 CFR 3020.11 - Initial Mail Classification Schedule.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 39 Postal Service 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Initial Mail Classification Schedule. 3020.11 Section 3020.11 Postal Service POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION PERSONNEL PRODUCT LISTS Mail Classification Schedule § 3020.11 Initial Mail Classification Schedule. The initial Mail Classification Schedule shall...

  11. 77 FR 61307 - New Postal Product

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-09

    ...: Transfer Mail Processing Cost Model for Machinable and Irregular Standard Mail Parcels to the Mail Processing Cost Model for Parcel Select/Parcel Return Service. The Postal Service proposes to move the machinable and irregular cost worksheets contained in the Standard Mail parcel mail processing cost model to...

  12. Cyberdermatoethics I: ethical, legal, technologic, and clinical aspects of patient-physician e-mail.

    PubMed

    Luo, John; Logan, Christopher; Long, Thomas P; Bercovitch, Lionel

    2009-01-01

    As Internet access has become ubiquitous, electronic mail (e-mail) is becoming more widely used as a means of communication between patient and dermatologist. Dealing with the ethical, legal, and clinical consequences has lagged behind the technology. Privacy of e-mail cannot exist without security, and as a foundation for understanding e-mail security, the elements of e-mail technology are reviewed. One of the greatest risks of e-mail is compromise of privacy. Although self-documenting and convenient, e-mail lacks the emotional cues of face-to-face encounters, is asynchronous and not always read in timely fashion, and is not suitable for certain clinical concerns such as urgent matters and cancer diagnoses. Legal issues relating to federal privacy regulations, ethical issues such as autonomy and justice, and guidelines for the use of e-mail in clinical practice are reviewed. Case scenarios are used to present the pitfalls in clinical e-mail encounters, including establishment of the doctor-patient relationship, diagnosis and treatment over the Internet, and curbside consultations.

  13. Acoustic paramagnetic logging tool

    DOEpatents

    Vail, III, William B.

    1988-01-01

    New methods and apparatus are disclosed which allow measurement of the presence of oil and water in geological formations using a new physical effect called the Acoustic Paramagnetic Logging Effect (APLE). The presence of petroleum in formation causes a slight increase in the earth's magnetic field in the vicinity of the reservoir. This is the phenomena of paramagnetism. Application of an acoustic source to a geological formation at the Larmor frequency of the nucleons present causes the paramagnetism of the formation to disappear. This results in a decrease in the earth3 s magnetic field in the vicinity of the oil bearing formation. Repetitively frequency sweeping the acoustic source through the Larmor frequency of the nucleons present (approx. 2 kHz) causes an amplitude modulation of the earth's magnetic field which is a consequence of the APLE. The amplitude modulation of the earth's magnetic field is measured with an induction coil gradiometer and provides a direct measure of the amount of oil and water in the excitation zone of the formation . The phase of the signal is used to infer the longitudinal relaxation times of the fluids present, which results in the ability in general to separate oil and water and to measure the viscosity of the oil present. Such measurements may be preformed in open boreholes and in cased well bores.

  14. Results of time-domain electromagnetic soundings in Miami-Dade and southern Broward Counties, Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fitterman, David V.; Prinos, Scott T.

    2011-01-01

    Time-domain electromagnetic (TEM) soundings were made in Miami-Dade and southern Broward Counties to aid in mapping the landward extent of saltwater in the Biscayne aquifer. A total of 79 soundings were collected in settings ranging from urban to undeveloped land, with some of the former posing problems of land access and interference from anthropogenic features. TEM soundings combined with monitoring-well data were used to determine if the saltwater front had moved since the last time it was mapped, to provide additional spatial coverage where existing monitoring wells were insufficient, and to help interpret a previously collected helicopter electromagnetic (HEM) survey flown in the southernmost portion of the study area. TEM soundings were interpreted as layered resistivity-depth models. Using information from well logs and water-quality data, the resistivity of the freshwater saturated Biscayne aquifer is expected to be above 30 ohm-meters, and the saltwater-saturated aquifer will have resistivities of less than 10 ohm-meters allowing determination of water quality from the TEM interpretations. TEM models from 29 soundings were compared to electromagnetic induction logs collected in nearby monitoring wells. In general, the agreement of these results was very good, giving confidence in the use of the TEM data for mapping saltwater encroachment.

  15. Usage of insecure E-mail services among researchers with different scientific background.

    PubMed

    Solić, Kresimir; Grgić, Krešimir; Ilakovac, Vesna; Zagar, Drago

    2011-08-01

    Free web‑based e-mail services are considered to have more security flaws than institutional ones, but they are frequently used among scientific researchers for professional communication. The aim of this study was to analyze frequency of usage of the insecure free e-mail services for professional communication among biomedical, economical and technical researchers, who published papers in one of three different journals: Croatian Medical Journal, Automatika and Economic Research. Contact details of the authors who provided their e‑mail address from the papers published in those three journals during one year period were collected. These e‑mail addresses were collected from the electronic archive of the journals in question. The domains of all e‑mail addresses were assessed and contacts were categorized into three groups according to the following types: world-wide known free web‑based e‑mail services, national Internet Service Provider (ISP) e-mail services, and institutional or corporate e-mail addresses. The proportion of authors using free web-based e-mail services, the least secure group type, was highest among biomedical researchers (17.8%) while every e‑mail address collected from the technical journal belonged to the secured institutional e‑mail group type. It seems that all researchers from the technical scientific field and most of the researchers from the economical field value good security practice and use more secure systems for professional communication. High percentage of the biomedical researchers who use insecure e‑mail services may mean that they need to be warned of the possible security disadvantages of those kinds of e‑mail addresses.

  16. 75 FR 34017 - International Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-16

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 20 International Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference AGENCY: Postal... Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM[supreg]) and its..., (202) 268-3789. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Issue 36 of the International Mail Manual was issued on May...

  17. Electronic Mail for Personal Computers: Development Issues.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tomer, Christinger

    1994-01-01

    Examines competing, commercially developed electronic mail programs and how these technologies will affect the functionality and quality of electronic mail. How new standards for client-server mail systems are likely to enhance messaging capabilities and the use of electronic mail for information retrieval are considered. (Contains eight…

  18. 75 FR 80068 - Renewal of Approved Information Collection

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-21

    ...-0168 in your correspondence. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other..., or by electronic mail at [email protected] . Please provide a copy of your comments to the BLM via mail, fax, or electronic mail. Mail: Bureau Information Collection Clearance Officer (WO-630...

  19. Crossing the Threshold of Rocket Mail: E-Mail Use by U.S. Humanities Faculty.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bridges, Anne E.; Clement, Russell T.

    1997-01-01

    Discusses the use of e-mail by humanities faculty based on an e-mail survey of faculty at Brigham Young University (Utah) and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Results indicate that humanities faculty are significantly heavier e-mail users than previously reported. (LRW)

  20. The Traveler's Guide to E-mail Access.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clyde, Anne

    1999-01-01

    Presents options that travelers can use to keep in e-mail contact. Discusses equipment/access issues related to traveling with a laptop; Internet cafes; free e-mail services; accessing home mail via a Web page; and new options e-mail access for travelers. Includes Internet resources on Internet access providers. (AEF)

  1. 76 FR 48722 - Domestic Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-09

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR PART 111 Domestic Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference AGENCY: Postal... 5, 2011, of the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM... the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) was issued on July 5, 2011. This Issue of the DMM contains all Postal...

  2. 39 CFR 20.3 - Availability of the International Mail Manual.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 39 Postal Service 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Availability of the International Mail Manual. 20.3 Section 20.3 Postal Service UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE INTERNATIONAL MAIL INTERNATIONAL POSTAL SERVICE § 20.3 Availability of the International Mail Manual. Copies of the International Mail Manual may...

  3. 39 CFR 20.3 - Availability of the International Mail Manual.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 39 Postal Service 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Availability of the International Mail Manual. 20.3 Section 20.3 Postal Service UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE INTERNATIONAL MAIL INTERNATIONAL POSTAL SERVICE § 20.3 Availability of the International Mail Manual. Copies of the International Mail Manual may...

  4. 77 FR 42016 - Product Change-Every Door Direct Mail-Retail

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-17

    ... POSTAL SERVICE Product Change--Every Door Direct Mail--Retail AGENCY: Postal Service\\TM\\. ACTION... Regulatory Commission to add Every Door Direct Mail--Retail to the market-dominant product list within the... Request of the United States Postal Service to Add Every Door Direct Mail--Retail to the Mail...

  5. E-mail, decisional styles, and rest breaks.

    PubMed

    Baker, James R; Phillips, James G

    2007-10-01

    E-mail is a common but problematic work application. A scale was created to measure tendencies to use e-mail to take breaks (e-breaking); and self-esteem and decisional style (vigilance, procrastination, buck-passing, hypervigilance) were used to predict the self-reported and actual e-mail behaviors of 133 participants (students and marketing employees). Individuals who were low in defensive avoidance (buck-passing) engaged in more e-mailing per week, both in time spent on e-mail and message volume. E-breakers were more likely to engage in behavioral procrastination and spent more time on personal e-mail.

  6. Physicians' Use of and Attitudes Toward Electronic Mail for Patient Communication

    PubMed Central

    Gaster, Barak; Knight, Christopher L; DeWitt, Dawn E; Sheffield, John V L; Assefi, Nassim P; Buchwald, Dedra

    2003-01-01

    To assess physicians' use of and attitudes toward electronic mail (e-mail) for patient communication, we conducted a mail-in survey of physicians who see patients in outpatient clinics affiliated with a large academic medical center (N = 283). Seventy-two percent of physicians reported using e-mail to communicate with patients, averaging 7.7 e-mails from patients per month. The lowest level of use was by community-based primary care physicians (odds ratio, 0.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.08 to 0.59). Those physicians who reported using e-mail with patients reported high satisfaction with its use. Although physicians were concerned about the confidentiality of e-mail, few discussed this issue with patients. PMID:12795738

  7. Is it too early to move to full electronic PROM data collection?: A randomized controlled trial comparing PROM's after hallux valgus captured by e-mail, traditional mail and telephone.

    PubMed

    Palmen, Leonieke N; Schrier, Joost C M; Scholten, Ruben; Jansen, Justus H W; Koëter, Sander

    2016-03-01

    Patient reported outcome measures (PROM's) after hallux valgus surgery are used to rate the effectiveness as perceived by the patient. The interpretability of these PROM's is highly dependent on participation rate. Data capture method may be an important factor contributing to the response rate. We investigated the effect on response rate of traditional paper mail, telephone and e-mail PROM's after hallux valgus surgery. All consecutive patients operated between January and September 2013, were identified. Included patients were randomized by envelope in three groups: traditional pen and paper mail, e-mail and telephone. They were asked to fill in a FFI and EQ-5D. Two weeks later non-responders were sent a reminder. Of the 73 included patients, 25 were approached by mail, 24 by e-mail and 24 patients by telephone. The response rate on traditional mail was highest (88%), while response on e-mail was lowest (33%). Response rate on telephone was also high (79%). Response rate on traditional mail and telephone was significantly higher (p<0.001) than response on e-mail. Though electronic data collection has enormous potential, this study shows that e-mail yields unacceptable low response rates. It is too early to replace traditional pen-and-paper PROM's by electronic questionnaires. Copyright © 2015 European Foot and Ankle Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. E-mail in patient–provider communication: A systematic review

    PubMed Central

    Ye, Jiali; Rust, George; Fry-Johnson, Yvonne; Strothers, Harry

    2014-01-01

    Objective To review systematically the role of e-mails in patient–provider communication in terms of e-mail content, and perspectives of providers and patients on e-mail communication in health care. Methods A systematic review of studies on e-mail communication between patients and health providers in regular health care published from 2000 to 2008. Results A total of 24 studies were included in the review. Among these studies, 21 studies examined e-mail communication between patients and providers, and three studies examined the e-mail communication between parents of patients in pediatric primary care and pediatricians. In the content analyses of e-mail messages, topics well represented were medical information exchange, medical condition or update, medication information, and subspecialty evaluation. A number of personal and institutional features were associated with the likelihood of e-mail use between patients and providers. While benefits of e-mails in enhancing communication were recognized by both patients and providers, concerns about confidentiality and security were also expressed. Conclusion The e-mail is transforming the relationship between patients and providers. The rigorous exploration of pros and cons of electronic interaction in health care settings will help make e-mail communication a more powerful, mutually beneficial health care provision tool. Practice implications It is important to develop an electronic communication system for the clinical practice that can address a range of concerns. More efforts need to be made to educate patients and providers to appropriately and effectively use e-mail for communication. PMID:19914022

  9. Use of Immunization Information Systems in Primary Care.

    PubMed

    Kempe, Allison; Hurley, Laura P; Cardemil, Cristina V; Allison, Mandy A; Crane, Lori A; Brtnikova, Michaela; Beaty, Brenda L; Pabst, Laura J; Lindley, Megan C

    2017-02-01

    Immunization information systems (IISs) are highly effective for increasing vaccination rates but information about how primary care physicians use them is limited. Pediatricians, family physicians (FPs), and general internists (GIMs) were surveyed by e-mail and mail from January 2015 to April 2015 from all states with an existing IIS. Providers were recruited to be representative of national provider organization memberships. Multivariable log binomial regression examined factors associated with IIS use (October 2015-April 2016). Response rates among pediatricians, FPs, and GIMs, respectively, were 75% (325/435), 68% (310/459), and 63% (272/431). A proportion of pediatricians (5%), FPs (14%), and GIMs (48%) did not know there was a state/local IIS; 81%, 72%, and 27% reported using an IIS (p<0.0001). Among those who used IISs, 64% of pediatricians, 61% of FPs, and 22% of GIMs thought the IIS could tell them a patient's immunization needs; 22%, 29%, and 51% did not know. The most frequently reported major barriers to use included the IIS not updating the electronic medical record (29%, 28%, 35%) and lack of ability to submit data electronically (22%, 27%, 31%). Factors associated with lower IIS use included FP (adjusted risk ratio=0.85; 95% CI=0.75, 0.97) or GIM (adjusted risk ratio=0.33; 95% CI=0.25, 0.42) versus pediatric specialty and older versus younger provider age (adjusted risk ratio=0.96; 95 CI%=0.94, 0.98). There are substantial gaps in knowledge of IIS capabilities, especially among GIMs; barriers to interoperability between IISs and electronic medical records affect all specialties. Closing these gaps may increase use of proven IIS functions including decision support and reminder/recall. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  10. Real-Time Multimission Event Notification System for Mars Relay

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wallick, Michael N.; Allard, Daniel A.; Gladden, Roy E.; Wang, Paul; Hy, Franklin H.

    2013-01-01

    As the Mars Relay Network is in constant flux (missions and teams going through their daily workflow), it is imperative that users are aware of such state changes. For example, a change by an orbiter team can affect operations on a lander team. This software provides an ambient view of the real-time status of the Mars network. The Mars Relay Operations Service (MaROS) comprises a number of tools to coordinate, plan, and visualize various aspects of the Mars Relay Network. As part of MaROS, a feature set was developed that operates on several levels of the software architecture. These levels include a Web-based user interface, a back-end "ReSTlet" built in Java, and databases that store the data as it is received from the network. The result is a real-time event notification and management system, so mission teams can track and act upon events on a moment-by-moment basis. This software retrieves events from MaROS and displays them to the end user. Updates happen in real time, i.e., messages are pushed to the user while logged into the system, and queued when the user is not online for later viewing. The software does not do away with the email notifications, but augments them with in-line notifications. Further, this software expands the events that can generate a notification, and allows user-generated notifications. Existing software sends a smaller subset of mission-generated notifications via email. A common complaint of users was that the system-generated e-mails often "get lost" with other e-mail that comes in. This software allows for an expanded set (including user-generated) of notifications displayed in-line of the program. By separating notifications, this can improve a user's workflow.

  11. A comparison of mail-service and retail community pharmacy claims in 5 prescription benefit plans.

    PubMed

    Clark, Bartholomew E; Siracuse, Mark V; Garis, Robert I

    2009-06-01

    Little evidence has been presented to date that would either support or refute a widely held belief that mail-service pharmacy utilization routinely produces savings in drug benefit costs for prescription benefit plan sponsors. To present a comparative analysis of mail-service and community pharmacy service drug benefit costs for 5 employer-sponsored prescription drug benefit plans. A cross-sectional comparison of 17,725 matched transaction pairs of community and mail-service prescriptions from a data set comprised 484,987 prescription claims from a convenience sample of 5 employer-sponsored prescription benefit plans. Differences between community pharmacy and mail-service prescription transactions were examined at the per-unit level of analysis for drug ingredient costs, dispensing fees, co-payments, dollar amounts paid by plan sponsor, and total dollar amounts. Overall, the total cost of prescriptions was lower through mail-service pharmacies for all 5 plans studied. Two of 5 plans had co-payment incentives to use mail-service, yet plan sponsors paid more for mail-service drugs; respectively, 4.5% and 8.3% more overall, 25.0% and 21.4% more for generic medications; and 3.0% and 7.0% more for brand name medications. Mail-service co-payments were 48.9% and 51.7% lower. Mail-service utilization rates were 15.2% and 31.5% of the total number of prescriptions dispensed in the period studied. Three of 5 plans had no co-payment incentive to use mail-service and paid less for mail-service drugs; respectively, 18.7%, 6.6%, and 15.7% less overall; 17.4%, 15.6%, and 7.9% less for generic medications; and 18.8%, 5.2%, and 16.6% less for brand name medications. Mail-service co-payments were 10.5% more, 5.2% less, and 1.8% more than community pharmacy co-payments, respectively. Mail-service utilization rates were 0.8%, 1.2%, and 4.4%. Co-payment incentives to use mail-service pharmacies instead of community pharmacies were associated with higher mail-service utilization rates and with higher costs to plan sponsors. Absence of a co-payment incentive to use mail-service pharmacies was associated with lower mail-service utilization rates and with lower costs to plan sponsors.

  12. Perceived Barriers to and Facilitators of Patient-to-Provider E-Mail in the Management of Diabetes Care.

    PubMed

    Popeski, Naomi; McKeen, Caitlin; Khokhar, Bushra; Edwards, Alun; Ghali, William A; Sargious, Peter; White, Debbie; Hebert, Marilynne; Rabi, Doreen M

    2015-12-01

    1) to describe current utilization of e-mail in the clinical care of patients with diabetes; and 2) to identify barriers to and facilitators of the adoption of e-mail in diabetes care. Participants included diabetes care providers, including 9 physicians and 7 allied health professionals (AHPs). Participation involved, first, completing a self-administered survey to evaluate the use of e-mail within diabetes-related clinical practice. Second, focus group discussions were conducted with diabetes care providers using semistructured interviews to collect data about their perceptions of using e-mail to exchange information with patients diagnosed with diabetes. Patients' perspectives on the use of e-communication with their care providers was also proposed on the basis of the discussions. Significant differences were found between physicians and AHPs concerning questions that were related to the use of e-mail and the amount of time spent using e-mail to communicate to patients. There was perceived function and value to the use of e-mail among AHPs, while few physicians used e-mail routinely and were uncertain about its potential in improving care. Five themes, including barriers, benefits, risks, safeguards and compensation, were developed from the focus group interviews. Currently, most of the physicians surveyed do not e-mail patients directly; however, AHPs frequently use e-mail in diabetes care and find this tool valuable. Variation in practices regarding clinical e-mail across care disciplines suggest that appropriate policy with guidelines for e-mail and e-communication within the health care system may improve uptake of clinical e-mail and perhaps, by extension, improve efficiency and access in diabetes care. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  13. 75 FR 70132 - New Incentive Programs and Other Changes for Domestic Mailing Services

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-17

    ... pieces that are part of full-service Intelligent Mail [supreg] automation mailings entered at PostalOne... conditions. Reply pieces must bear an Intelligent Mail barcode as of May 1, 2011. This new program provides... time of mailing, mailers pay the applicable 2-ounce price for these pieces. All commercial (presorted...

  14. 39 CFR 233.2 - Circulars and rewards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... robbery. (ii) Mailing or causing to be mailed bombs, explosives, poison, weapons of mass destruction, or.... Bombs or Explosives, $100,000. Mailing or causing to be mailed any bombs or explosives which may kill or harm another, or injure the mails or other property, or the placing of any bomb or explosive in a...

  15. 41 CFR 102-192.130 - What are your general responsibilities as an agency mail manager?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... as a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative), other agency mail managers, and the GSA Office... responsibilities as an agency mail manager? 102-192.130 Section 102-192.130 Public Contracts and Property... ADMINISTRATIVE PROGRAMS 192-MAIL MANAGEMENT Agency Mail Manager Requirements § 102-192.130 What are your general...

  16. 41 CFR 102-192.130 - What are your general responsibilities as an agency mail manager?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... as a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative), other agency mail managers, and the GSA Office... responsibilities as an agency mail manager? 102-192.130 Section 102-192.130 Public Contracts and Property... ADMINISTRATIVE PROGRAMS 192-MAIL MANAGEMENT Agency Mail Manager Requirements § 102-192.130 What are your general...

  17. 41 CFR 102-192.130 - What are your general responsibilities as an agency mail manager?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... as a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative), other agency mail managers, and the GSA Office... responsibilities as an agency mail manager? 102-192.130 Section 102-192.130 Public Contracts and Property... ADMINISTRATIVE PROGRAMS 192-MAIL MANAGEMENT Agency Mail Manager Requirements § 102-192.130 What are your general...

  18. 41 CFR 102-192.130 - What are your general responsibilities as an agency mail manager?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... as a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative), other agency mail managers, and the GSA Office... responsibilities as an agency mail manager? 102-192.130 Section 102-192.130 Public Contracts and Property... ADMINISTRATIVE PROGRAMS 192-MAIL MANAGEMENT Agency Mail Manager Requirements § 102-192.130 What are your general...

  19. 76 FR 1376 - Physical Protection of Irradiated Reactor Fuel in Transit Extension of Comment Period

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-10

    ... dockets to Carol Gallagher, telephone: 301-492- 3668, e-mail: [email protected] . Mail comments to... Adjudications Staff. E-mail comments to: [email protected] . If you do not receive a reply e-mail..., e-mail: [email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Submitting Comments and Accessing...

  20. 49 CFR 209.7 - Subpoenas; witness fees.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... and is not less than eighteen (18) years of age, or by certified or registered mail. (d) Service of a... suitable age and discretion then residing therein; (iv) Mailing it by registered or certified mail to him..., director, or agent in charge of any office of the person; (ii) Mailing it by registered or certified mail...

  1. A comparison of costs of Medicare Part D prescriptions dispensed at retail and mail order pharmacies.

    PubMed

    Carroll, Norman V

    2014-09-01

    Plan sponsors encourage the use of mail order pharmacies because they believe mail order dispensing will lower their prescription drug costs. Health plans and pharmacy benefit management companies (PBMs) usually offer patients substantially lower copayments to incentivize them to use mail order pharmacies. A number of health plans and PBMs now require patients to use these pharmacies for maintenance prescriptions. To (a) compare costs for prescriptions dispensed through mail order and retail pharmacies in Medicare Part D plans and (b) examine whether mail order or retail pharmacies provided lower all third-party costs for each of the top 300 products; the relationship between whether a product was available generically and whether mail order or retail pharmacies provided lower prices; and the generic substitution rates at mail order and retail pharmacies. The sample for this study consisted of 2010 Medicare Part D prescription drug data for the 300 products with the highest sales at mail order pharmacies. The prescriptions included in the study were dispensed in the initial coverage limit phase of Part D by retail or mail order pharmacies to patients who were insured by Part D for 12 months in 2010, who received no Part D subsidies, and who were alive for the full year in 2010. Mean-per-unit costs were calculated for both mail order and retail prescriptions for each of the top 300 products. Products were defined by Medi-Span Generic Product Indentifier. Summary statistics for the overall costs of mail order and retail prescriptions were calculated as the weighted mean-per-unit costs of the top 300 products. The weighting factor for both mail order and retail prescriptions included both the mail order quantity dispensed per prescription and the number of prescriptions dispensed. Weighting both mail and retail prescriptions by mail order quantities dispensed and numbers of prescriptions ensured that the results reflected actual cost differences rather than differences in the mix or quantities of prescriptions dispensed. These calculations were made for total costs, costs covered by the Medicare Standard Benefit (MSB), costs paid by all third-party payers (including Medicare), and patient costs. The top 300 products accounted for 84.8% of mail order costs. Among all prescriptions in the sample--both mail order and retail--mail order prescriptions accounted for 7.8% of prescriptions dispensed and 14.1% of total spending. Comparison of 90-day or greater supplies indicated that costs per unit of medication for retail pharmacies were lower for total costs ($0.94 for retail pharmacies vs. $0.96 for mail order pharmacies), MSB costs ($0.59 for retail pharmacies vs. $0.63 for mail order pharmacies), and all third-party payer costs ($0.64 for retail pharmacies vs. $0.72 for mail order pharmacies), but higher for patient costs ($0.31 for retail pharmacies vs. $0.24 for mail order pharmacies). Retail pharmacies had lower all third-party payer costs for 244 products, while mail pharmacies had lower costs for 56 products. Retail pharmacies were more likely to have lower costs for products that included generic alternatives, while mail order pharmacies were more likely to have lower costs for products that included only branded drugs. Generic substitution rates were 91.4% for retail pharmacies versus 88.8% for mail order pharmacies. Results from secondary analyses that compared all prescriptions which met the inclusion criteria, regardless of days supply, and that compared exactly 90-day supplies, yielded similar results. Third-party payers, including Medicare, paid more for prescriptions dispensed at mail order pharmacies than for those dispensed at retail pharmacies in the Medicare Part D program. The higher payments appeared to result, for the most part, because of higher patient cost sharing at retail pharmacies. Further, total costs--including both third-party payer and patient payments--for 90-day and 90-day or greater supplies were lower at retail pharmacies than at mail pharmacies. These results suggest that, all other things being equal, Medicare Part D plan sponsors do not realize savings when patients use mail order pharmacies.

  2. Getting started with electronic mail.

    PubMed Central

    Van Vuren, D D; Johnson, D E

    1985-01-01

    This paper gives suggestions to librarians on how to get started with electronic mail. It discusses the cost- and time-saving advantages of using electronic mail rather than TWX, United States mail, or telephones for communicating ILL requests and messages. For instance, preliminary cost data show that electronic mail is often half as expensive as TWX and costs no more than a 22 stamp. Key management concerns that must be considered when setting up electronic mail are discussed, including the need for subscribers to agree on one system. Also covered are the types of equipment that can be used with electronic mail, including print terminals. PMID:4027444

  3. Secure E-mailing Between Physicians and Patients

    PubMed Central

    Garrido, Terhilda; Meng, Di; Wang, Jian J.; Palen, Ted E.; Kanter, Michael H.

    2014-01-01

    Secure e-mailing between Kaiser Permanente physicians and patients is widespread; primary care providers receive an average of 5 e-mails from patients each workday. However, on average, secure e-mailing with patients has not substantially impacted primary care provider workloads. Secure e-mail has been associated with increased member retention and improved quality of care. Separate studies associated patient portal and secure e-mail use with both decreased and increased use of other health care services, such as office visits, telephone encounters, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. Directions for future research include more granular analysis of associations between patient-physician secure e-mail and health care utilization. PMID:24887522

  4. Encouraging climate-friendly behaviors through a community energy challenge: The effects of information, feedback, and shared stories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wolske, Kimberly S.

    Research suggests that changes in household behavior can play a significant role in mitigating climate change. While surveys indicate that many Americans care about climate change and believe something should be done to reduce it, a number of real and perceived barriers prevent them from acting on that concern. This research investigated two strategies to promote engagement in climate-friendly behaviors: (1) providing feedback about the positive impact of participants' energy-saving efforts on their carbon footprint; and (2) sharing stories about other participants' conservation successes. A random sample of residents in a Midwest college town were invited to participate in a month-long community Energy Challenge that asked households to try to reduce their carbon footprint by 2 percent. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: monthly feedback, weekly feedback, and weekly feedback + stories. All participants received a booklet that gave procedural guidance and estimated carbon savings for 34 behaviors related to personal transportation, household energy use, and dietary choices. In addition, all participants were asked to track their efforts in an online log. For participants in the weekly feedback conditions, these logs estimated their total carbon savings for each week of the challenge. Weekly e-mails were sent to all groups to encourage completion of the logs. For participants in the weekly feedback + stories condition, these reminders included anecdotes about other participants' conservation experiences. Overall, the results suggest that the basic format of the Energy Challenge provided a supportive setting for developing new climate-friendly behaviors and increasing existing ones. The majority of participants (78 percent), regardless of treatment condition, achieved the Energy Challenge goal, with a median carbon savings of 6 percent. For some participants, weekly feedback helped reduce perceived barriers related to driving less and the perception that conserving requires sacrifice. Participants who had less prior conservation experience as well as those who received weekly feedback were more likely to engage in a broader set of climate-friendly behaviors. Finally, results from a follow-up survey suggest that most participants maintained the behaviors they adopted one month after the Energy Challenge ended.

  5. Send it: study of e-mail etiquette and notions from doctors in training.

    PubMed

    Resendes, Sarah; Ramanan, Thammi; Park, Angela; Petrisor, Brad; Bhandari, Mohit

    2012-01-01

    Worldwide, more than 247 billion e-mails are sent each day. Little empiric evidence is available to guide how e-mail presentation style, tone, and content affect e-mail recipients and whether these factors impact opinions about the sender and the rapidity of response. In a study of physicians in training assessing a series of 100 e-mail examples, we examined the following: (1) formatting characteristics most and least endorsed, (2) impression of the sender based on the e-mail itself, and (3) factors associated with the decision to respond. We reasoned that our study would provide empiric data to support recommendations for e-mail etiquette, focusing specifically on doctors in training. Cross-sectional survey study. Division of Orthopaedic Surgery at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. After each e-mail, the participating surgical residents completed a series of questions focusing on their impression of the e-mail appearance, their perception of the sender, and their motivation to respond to the e-mail. Thirty-two residents participated in this study. The responses indicate that the key negatively endorsed features of the e-mails included the use of colored backgrounds (84%), difficult-to-read font (83%), lack of a subject header (55%), opening salutations without recipient names (50%), or no salutation at all (42%). The senders of negatively endorsed e-mails were perceived by participants as inefficient (p = 0.03), unprofessional (p < 0.001), and irritating (p = 0.007). E-mails with overall positive endorsements were significantly more likely to have the participants perceive the e-mail senders as professional (p < 0.001), pleasant (p = 0.048), and kind (p = 0.059). The participants were 2.6-fold more likely to respond immediately when they perceived e-mails as favorable compared with disliking them (42% vs 16% of responses, respectively, p < 0.001). The e-mails perceived as being disliked overall are likely to result in a negative perception of the sender and delays in response time. Copyright © 2012 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Did You Get My E-Mail? Moving E-Mails beyond the Inbox

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ellis, Susan J.

    2011-01-01

    The challenge today is how to make e-mail and other forms of electronic communication effective in motivating volunteer action. Is it possible to make e-mails feel personal and welcoming? E-mail, instant messaging, texting, and social media are tools that allow individuals to communicate quickly and inexpensively, but they are lifeless without the…

  7. 78 FR 12234 - Promotions and Incentive Programs for First-Class Mail and Standard Mail

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-22

    ...] (BRM) or Courtesy Reply Mail TM (CRM) card or letter bearing a qualifying Intelligent Mail[supreg... mechanism for their customers and to keep the BRM/ CRM envelopes in their outgoing mail pieces by providing a financial benefit when the BRM/CRM envelopes are used. Registration is January 15 to March 31...

  8. 77 FR 23643 - Advance Notice of Implementation of Full-Service Intelligent Mail Required for Automation Prices

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-20

    ... of the technology evolution. The plan is that effective with the proposed starting date of January...), business mail acceptance procedures will be scaled down, with automation mailings verified during mail... tools, to make it easier for mailers to prepare and submit Full-Service mailings. In support of the...

  9. 41 CFR 102-192.150 - What are your general responsibilities as a program level mail manager?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... responsibilities as a program level mail manager? 102-192.150 Section 102-192.150 Public Contracts and Property... general responsibilities as a program level mail manager? Your responsibilities at the program level include— (a) Working closely with the agency mail manager and mail center managers who handle significant...

  10. 41 CFR 102-192.120 - Must we have an agency mail manager?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... mail manager? 102-192.120 Section 102-192.120 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property... MANAGEMENT Agency Mail Manager Requirements § 102-192.120 Must we have an agency mail manager? Yes, every Federal agency as defined in § 102-192.35 must have an agency mail manager. Agencies that are not “large...

  11. 41 CFR 102-192.145 - Which program levels should have a mail manager?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... should have a mail manager? 102-192.145 Section 102-192.145 Public Contracts and Property Management... have a mail manager? Every program level within a Federal agency that generates a significant quantity of outgoing mail should have its own mail manager. Each agency must decide which programs will have a...

  12. 75 FR 56920 - Express Mail Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Open and Distribute

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-17

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 111 Express Mail Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Open and...] Open and Distribute containers. The Postal Service also proposes to revise the service commitment for Express Mail Open and Distribute as a guaranteed end of day product; and to add a five-pound minimum...

  13. 78 FR 78720 - Deferral of Compliance Date: Full-Service Intelligent Mail Barcode Requirement To Qualify for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-27

    ...The Postal Service gives notice that it is deferring the previously-announced compliance date of January 26, 2014, for mailers to use full-service Intelligent Mail[supreg] to qualify for automation prices when mailing First-Class Mail[supreg], Standard Mail[supreg]; Periodicals[supreg], and Bound Printed Matter[supreg] mailpieces.

  14. 41 CFR 102-192.175 - What types of support does GSA offer to Federal agency mail management programs?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... container two or more pieces of mail directed to the same addressee or installation on the same day... System (OMAS) means the USPS Government-specific system used to track postage. Outgoing mail means mail... keep track of mail expenditures? All agencies must have an accountable system for making postage...

  15. Ethical guidelines for use of electronic mail between patients and physicians.

    PubMed

    Bovi, Amy M

    2003-01-01

    This report examines the ethical implications of electronic communication, focusing on the use of electronic mail (e-mail), considers its impact on a previously established patient-physician relationship, and the limitations in using e-mail to create a new patient-physician relationship. In its recommendations, this report offers guidance to physicians who use electronic mail to communicate with patients and online users. These guidelines maintain that e-mail should not be used to establish a patient-physician relationship, but rather to supplement personal encounters. When using e-mail, physicians hold the same ethical responsibilities to their patients as they do during other encounters and that information must be presented in a manner that meets professional standards. The report requires that physicians notify patients of e-mail's inherent limitations and that patients be given the opportunity to accept these limitations prior to the communication of privileged information. Finally, physicians should be aware of privacy and confidentiality concerns when using e-mail to communicate with patients.

  16. Design of monitoring system for mail-sorting based on the Profibus S7 series PLC

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, W.; Jia, S. H.; Wang, Y. H.; Liu, H.; Tang, G. C.

    2017-01-01

    With the rapid development of the postal express, the workload of mail sorting is increasing, but the automatic technology of mail sorting is not mature enough. In view of this, the system uses Siemens S7-300 PLC as the main station controller, PLC of Siemens S7-200/400 is from the station controller, through the man-machine interface configuration software MCGS, PROFIBUS-DP communication, RFID technology and mechanical sorting hand achieve mail classification sorting monitoring. Among them, distinguish mail-sorting by scanning RFID posted in the mail electronic bar code (fixed code), the system uses the corresponding controller on the acquisition of information processing, the processed information transmit to the sorting manipulator by PROFIBUS-DP. The system can realize accurate and efficient mail sorting, which will promote the development of mail sorting technology.

  17. Unsolicited E-mails to Forensic Psychiatrists.

    PubMed

    Friedman, Susan Hatters; Appel, Jacob M; Ash, Peter; Frierson, Richard L; Giorgi-Guarnieri, Deborah; Martinez, Richard; Newman, Alan W; Pinals, Debra A; Resnick, Phillip J; Simpson, Alexander I F

    2016-12-01

    E-mail communication is pervasive. Since many forensic psychiatrists have their e-mail addresses available online (either on personal websites, university websites, or articles they have authored), they are likely to receive unsolicited e-mails. Although there is an emerging body of literature about exchanging e-mail with patients, there is little guidance about how to respond to e-mails from nonpatients. Therefore, we used a Delphi technique to develop a consensus about salient points for the forensic psychiatrist to consider regarding responding to e-mails from nonpatients and the risks entailed. Four scenarios are described, including e-mails from nonpatients and unknown others requesting advice or help. The potential ethics-related, legal, moral, and practical concerns for forensic psychiatrists are discussed. Finally, potential pitfalls for forensic psychiatrists are described. © 2016 American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.

  18. {open_quotes}Media-On-Demand{close_quotes} multimedia electronic mail: A tool for collaboration on the web

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

    Tsoi, Kei Nam; Rahman, S.M.

    1996-12-31

    Undoubtedly, multimedia electronic mail has many advantages in exchanging information electronically in a collaborative work. The existing design of e-mail systems architecture is inefficient in exchanging multimedia message which has much larger volume, and requires more bandwidth and storage space than the text-only messages. This paper presents an innovative method for exchanging multimedia mail messages in a heterogeneous environment to support collaborative work over YAW on the Internet. We propose a {open_quotes}Parcel Collection{close_quotes} approach for exchanging multimedia electronic mail messages. This approach for exchanging multimedia electronic mail messages integrates the current WWW technologies with the existing electronic mail systems.

  19. Secure e-mailing between physicians and patients: transformational change in ambulatory care.

    PubMed

    Garrido, Terhilda; Meng, Di; Wang, Jian J; Palen, Ted E; Kanter, Michael H

    2014-01-01

    Secure e-mailing between Kaiser Permanente physicians and patients is widespread; primary care providers receive an average of 5 e-mails from patients each workday. However, on average, secure e-mailing with patients has not substantially impacted primary care provider workloads. Secure e-mail has been associated with increased member retention and improved quality of care. Separate studies associated patient portal and secure e-mail use with both decreased and increased use of other health care services, such as office visits, telephone encounters, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. Directions for future research include more granular analysis of associations between patient-physician secure e-mail and health care utilization.

  20. The Use of Certified Mail in Mail Surveys. Research Memorandum No. 73-25.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Echternacht, Gary J.; McCaffrey, Patty J.

    The cost effectiveness of using certified mail as a device to raise response rates in mail surveys is investigated. Of the three optional services offered by the Post Office when sending certified mail, the base certified rate was recommended, since the Post Office often failed to perform the more expensive services. A sample of 120 students from…

  1. Feasibility study of the use of a daily electronic mail reminder to improve oral contraceptive compliance.

    PubMed

    Fox, Michelle C; Creinin, Mitchell D; Murthy, Amitasrigowri S; Harwood, Bryna; Reid, Lynn M

    2003-11-01

    Women who ingest their oral contraceptive pill (OCP) as part of a daily routine are more likely use their OCPs correctly. This trial examines the feasibility of an electronic-mail (e-mail) reminder system to improve OCP compliance. An e-mail reminder was sent to 50 new OCP users daily for 3 months. Subjects sent an e-mail reply to confirm receipt. OCP compliance was recorded on diaries. Four subjects were discontinued for not checking their e-mail. Active participants missed a median of 18% of the e-mail reminders (range: 0-65%). A follow-up visit was scheduled after completion of three OCP cycles. Of the 40 subjects returning completed diaries, 50% missed no active pills at all and 20% missed at least one in each cycle. Most found the daily e-mail somewhat (65%) or very helpful (19%) for OCP compliance. Of those continuing OCPs, 64% wanted to continue receiving e-mail reminders at the completion of the study. Because inconsistent OCP use is a significant cause of unplanned conception, the use of e-mail to improve OCP compliance has the potential to decrease unintended pregnancies.

  2. E-Mail Communication Practices and Preferences Among Patients and Providers in a Large Comprehensive Cancer Center.

    PubMed

    Cook, Natalie; Maganti, Manjula; Dobriyal, Aditi; Sheinis, Michal; Wei, Alice C; Ringash, Jolie; Krzyzanowska, Monika K

    2016-07-01

    Little is known about how electronic mail (e-mail) is currently used in oncology practice to facilitate patient care. The objective of our study was to understand the current e-mail practices and preferences of patients and physicians in a large comprehensive cancer center. Separate cross-sectional surveys were administered to patients and physicians (staff physicians and clinical fellows) at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with current e-mail use. Record review was performed to assess the impact of e-mail communication on care. The survey was completed by 833 patients. E-mail contact with a member of the health care team was reported by 41% of respondents. The team members contacted included administrative assistants (52%), nurses (45%), specialist physicians (36%), and family physicians (18%). Patient factors associated with a higher likelihood of e-mail contact with the health care team included younger age, higher education, higher income, enrollment in a clinical trial, and receipt of multiple treatments. Eighty percent of physicians (n = 63 of 79) reported previous contact with a patient via e-mail. Physician factors associated with a greater likelihood of e-mail contact with patients included older age, more senior clinical position, and higher patient volume. Nine hundred sixty-two patient records were reviewed, with e-mail correspondence documented in only 9% of cases. E-mail is commonly used for patient care but is poorly documented. The use of e-mail in this setting can be developed with appropriate guidance; however, there may be concerns about widening the gap between certain groups of patients. Copyright © 2016 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

  3. A brain-computer interface controlled mail client.

    PubMed

    Yu, Tianyou; Li, Yuanqing; Long, Jinyi; Wang, Cong

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, we propose a brain-computer interface (BCI) based mail client. This system is controlled by hybrid features extracted from scalp-recorded electroencephalographic (EEG). We emulate the computer mouse by the motor imagery-based mu rhythm and the P300 potential. Furthermore, an adaptive P300 speller is included to provide text input function. With this BCI mail client, users can receive, read, write mails, as well as attach files in mail writing. The system has been tested on 3 subjects. Experimental results show that mail communication with this system is feasible.

  4. Mass Median Plume Angle: A novel approach to characterize plume geometry in solution based pMDIs.

    PubMed

    Moraga-Espinoza, Daniel; Eshaghian, Eli; Smyth, Hugh D C

    2018-05-30

    High-speed laser imaging (HSLI) is the preferred technique to characterize the geometry of the plume in pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs). However, current methods do not allow for simulation of inhalation airflow and do not use drug mass quantification to determine plume angles. To address these limitations, a Plume Induction Port Evaluator (PIPE) was designed to characterize the plume geometry based on mass deposition patterns. The method is easily adaptable to current pMDI characterization methodologies, uses similar calculations methods, and can be used under airflow. The effect of airflow and formulation on the plume geometry were evaluated using PIPE and HSLI. Deposition patterns in PIPE were highly reproducible and log-normal distributed. Mass Median Plume Angle (MMPA) was a new characterization parameter to describe the effective angle of the droplets deposited in the induction port. Plume angles determined by mass showed a significant decrease in size as ethanol increases which correlates to the decrease on vapor pressure in the formulation. Additionally, airflow significantly decreased the angle of the plumes when cascade impactor was operated under flow. PIPE is an alternative to laser-based characterization methods to evaluate the plume angle of pMDIs based on reliable drug quantification while simulating patient inhalation. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  5. Nitrogen Gas Plasma Generated by a Static Induction Thyristor as a Pulsed Power Supply Inactivates Adenovirus

    PubMed Central

    Sakudo, Akikazu; Toyokawa, Yoichi; Imanishi, Yuichiro

    2016-01-01

    Adenovirus is one of the most important causative agents of iatrogenic infections derived from contaminated medical devices or finger contact. In this study, we investigated whether nitrogen gas plasma, generated by applying a short high-voltage pulse to nitrogen using a static induction thyristor power supply (1.5 kilo pulse per second), exhibited a virucidal effect against adenoviruses. Viral titer was reduced by one log within 0.94 min. Results from detection of viral capsid proteins, hexon and penton, by Western blotting and immunochromatography were unaffected by the plasma treatment. In contrast, analysis using the polymerase chain reaction suggested that plasma treatment damages the viral genomic DNA. Reactive chemical products (hydrogen peroxide, nitrate, and nitrite), ultraviolet light (UV-A) and slight temperature elevations were observed during the operation of the gas plasma device. Viral titer versus intensity of each potential virucidal factor were used to identify the primary mechanism of disinfection of adenovirus. Although exposure to equivalent levels of UV-A or heat treatment did not inactivate adenovirus, treatment with a relatively low concentration of hydrogen peroxide efficiently inactivated the virus. Our results suggest the nitrogen gas plasma generates reactive chemical products that inactivate adenovirus by damaging the viral genomic DNA. PMID:27322066

  6. Advantages and Disadvantages of Using E-Mail as Instructional Aid: Some Random Thoughts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Xu, Gong-Li

    This paper explores the educational benefits and limitations of e-mail as an instructional aid to classroom-based teaching. It looks at practical ideas of how e-mail has been used to aid classroom instruction, and highlights and examines each usage of e-mail in terms of its effects on classroom teaching. E-mail systems have been used for classroom…

  7. 75 FR 17861 - 2010 Standard Mail Incentive Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-08

    ...The Postal Service is revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]), to replace existing section 709.2 with new standards for a volume incentive program for mailers of Standard Mail[supreg] letters and flats with mail volume exceeding their individual USPS[supreg]--determined threshold levels. The program period will be from July 1, 2010 through September 30, 2010.

  8. Perceptions and use of e-mail among Universiti Utara Malaysia staff: A pilot study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohamed, Shafinah Farvin Packeer; Ku-Mahamud, Ku Ruhana; Ramli, Razamin; Abdullah, Kamarudin

    2017-10-01

    The use of e-mail has become common either for work purposes or personal usage. Despite its usefulness, complain about the overwhelming messages received which cause the users to have problem in managing those messages. Similar situation occurred among Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) staff. Thus, a pilot study was conducted to investigate its staff's perception and use of e-mail in order to improve the e-mail service provided to them. This paper discusses the findings from the pilot study, which involves 41 UUM staff. Self-administered questionnaires were used to gather the data, while descriptive statistical analysis was used for data analysis. The findings of the study reveal that UUM staff appreciate the e-mail service. However they faced problems like limited storage size and overwhelming e-mails. They think that UUM e-mail is being abused by the repeating advertisements and news sent to them. The output of this study can be used as a guideline by the UUM management in revising its e-mail policy to serve better quality of e-mail service.

  9. Physicians slow to e-mail routinely with patients.

    PubMed

    Boukus, Ellyn R; Grossman, Joy M; O'Malley, Ann S

    2010-10-01

    Some experts view e-mail between physicians and patients as a potential tool to improve physician-patient communication and, ultimately, patient care. Despite indications that many patients want to e-mail their physicians, physician adoption and use of e-mail with patients remains uncommon--only 6.7 percent of office-based physicians routinely e-mailed patients in 2008, according to a new national study from the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC). Overall, about one-third of office-based physicians reported that information technology (IT) was available in their practice for e-mailing patients about clinical issues. Of those, fewer than one in five reported using e-mail with patients routinely; the remaining physicians were roughly evenly split between occasional users and non-users. Physicians in practices with access to electronic medical records and those working in health maintenance organizations (HMOs) or medical school settings were more likely to adopt and use e-mail to communicate with patients compared with other physicians. However, even among the highest users--physicians in group/staff-model HMOs--only 50.6 percent reported routinely e-mailing patients.

  10. 21 CFR 56.106 - Registration.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... institution operating the IRB and the name, mailing address, phone number, facsimile number, and electronic... address), phone number, facsimile number, and electronic mail address; each IRB chairperson's name, phone number, and electronic mail address; and the name, mailing address, phone number, facsimile number, and...

  11. 41 CFR 102-192.100 - How do we submit our annual mail management report to GSA?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... ADMINISTRATIVE PROGRAMS 192-MAIL MANAGEMENT Reporting Requirements § 102-192.100 How do we submit our annual mail... annual reports using the GSA web-based Electronic Performance Support Tool (EPST). Agency mail managers...

  12. 41 CFR 102-192.100 - How do we submit our annual mail management report to GSA?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... ADMINISTRATIVE PROGRAMS 192-MAIL MANAGEMENT Reporting Requirements § 102-192.100 How do we submit our annual mail... annual reports using the GSA web-based Electronic Performance Support Tool (EPST). Agency mail managers...

  13. 41 CFR 102-192.100 - How do we submit our annual mail management report to GSA?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... ADMINISTRATIVE PROGRAMS 192-MAIL MANAGEMENT Reporting Requirements § 102-192.100 How do we submit our annual mail... annual reports using the GSA web-based Electronic Performance Support Tool (EPST). Agency mail managers...

  14. 41 CFR 102-192.100 - How do we submit our annual mail management report to GSA?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... ADMINISTRATIVE PROGRAMS 192-MAIL MANAGEMENT Reporting Requirements § 102-192.100 How do we submit our annual mail... annual reports using the GSA web-based Electronic Performance Support Tool (EPST). Agency mail managers...

  15. 21 CFR 56.106 - Registration.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... institution operating the IRB and the name, mailing address, phone number, facsimile number, and electronic... address), phone number, facsimile number, and electronic mail address; each IRB chairperson's name, phone number, and electronic mail address; and the name, mailing address, phone number, facsimile number, and...

  16. 21 CFR 56.106 - Registration.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... institution operating the IRB and the name, mailing address, phone number, facsimile number, and electronic... address), phone number, facsimile number, and electronic mail address; each IRB chairperson's name, phone number, and electronic mail address; and the name, mailing address, phone number, facsimile number, and...

  17. The Use of E-Mail as a Tool To Enhance Second Language Education Programs: An Example from a Core French Classroom.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lawrence, Geoff

    2002-01-01

    Outlines reasons why electronic mail, and specifically e-mail exchanges, are valuable tools for promoting authentic target language interaction in the second language (L2) classroom. Research examining the use of e-mail exchanges on the L2 learning process is outlined, followed by one specific example of an e-mail exchange in a secondary core…

  18. Tobacco industry direct mail receipt and coupon use among young adult smokers.

    PubMed

    Jane Lewis, M; Bover Manderski, Michelle T; Delnevo, Cristine D

    2015-02-01

    To examine young adult smokers' receipt of tobacco industry direct mail and use of coupons to purchase cigarettes. A total of 699 young adults from a 2011 national survey who reported smoking every day/some days provided self-report data on past-six month receipt of direct mail and past-six month use of coupons to purchase cigarettes. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to calculate adjusted odds of direct mail receipt and coupon use. Overall, 25.1% of young adult smokers reported receiving direct mail from a tobacco company and 24.2% had used a coupon to buy cigarettes in the past 6 months. Direct mail receipt and coupon use to purchase cigarettes were significantly higher among females, daily smokers, and whites. Nearly 70% of smokers who received direct mail had also used a coupon to purchase cigarettes in the preceding 6 months. Brand websites were the most commonly reported means of joining a direct mailing list. This study adds to limited research showing receipt of direct mail and use of price reducing coupons by young adults. Also, higher rates of direct mail receipt and coupon use among females suggest that these strategies may be especially effective in encouraging smoking in females. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. 75 FR 10529 - Mail Classification Change

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-08

    ... POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket Nos. MC2010-19; Order No. 415] Mail Classification Change...-filed Postal Service request to make a minor modification to the Mail Classification Schedule. The.... concerning a change in classification which reflects a change in terminology from Bulk Mailing Center (BMC...

  20. Oral and Vaginal Tenofovir for Genital Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Shedding in Immunocompetent Women: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Cross-over Trial.

    PubMed

    Bender Ignacio, Rachel A; Perti, Tara; Magaret, Amalia S; Rajagopal, Sharanya; Stevens, Claire E; Huang, Meei-Li; Selke, Stacy; Johnston, Christine; Marrazzo, Jeanne; Wald, Anna

    2015-12-15

    Tenofovir is a potent anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) agent that decreased risk of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) acquisition in HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis trials. Whether tenofovir has utility in established HSV-2 disease is unclear. We randomized immunocompetent women with symptomatic HSV-2 infection to oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)/placebo vaginal gel, oral placebo/tenofovir (TFV) vaginal gel, or double placebo (ratio 2:2:1) in a one-way cross-over trial. Women collected genital swabs twice daily for HSV PCR during 4-week lead-in and 5-week treatment phases. The primary intent-to-treat end point was within-person comparison of genital HSV shedding and lesion rates. 64 women completed the lead-in phase and were randomized. Neither TDF nor TFV gel decreased overall shedding or lesion rate in the primary analysis; TFV gel decreased quantity of HSV DNA by -0.50 (-0.86-0.13) log10 copies/mL. In the per-protocol analysis, TDF reduced shedding (relative risk [RR] = 0.74, P = .006) and lesion rates (RR = 0.75, P = .032); quantity of virus shed decreased by 0.41 log10 copies/mL. Oral TDF modestly decreased HSV shedding and lesion rate, and quantity of virus shed when used consistently. Vaginal TFV gel decreased quantity of virus shed by 60%. In contrast to effects on HSV-2 acquisition, tenofovir is unlikely to provide clinically meaningful reductions in the frequency of HSV shedding or genital lesions. NCT01448616. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  1. Genital Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Shedding Among Adults With and Without HIV Infection in Uganda.

    PubMed

    Phipps, Warren; Nakku-Joloba, Edith; Krantz, Elizabeth M; Selke, Stacy; Huang, Meei-Li; Kambugu, Fred; Orem, Jackson; Casper, Corey; Corey, Lawrence; Wald, Anna

    2016-02-01

    Despite the high prevalence of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) in sub-Saharan Africa, the natural history of infection among Africans is not well characterized. We evaluated the frequency of genital HSV shedding in HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative men and women in Uganda. Ninety-three HSV-2-seropositive Ugandan adults collected anogenital swab specimens for HSV DNA quantification by polymerase chain reaction 3 times daily for 6 weeks. HSV-2 was detected from 2484 of 11 283 swab specimens collected (22%), with a median quantity of 4.3 log10 HSV copies/mL (range, 2.2-8.9 log10 HSV copies/mL). Genital lesions were reported on 749 of 3875 days (19%), and subclinical HSV shedding was detected from 1480 of 9113 swab specimens (16%) collected on days without lesions. Men had higher rates of total HSV shedding (relative risk [RR], 2.0 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.3-2.9]; P < .001); subclinical shedding (RR, 1.7 [95% CI, 1.1-2.7]; P = .01), and genital lesions (RR, 2.1 [95% CI, 1.2-3.4]; P = .005), compared with women. No differences in shedding rates or lesion frequency were observed based on HIV serostatus. HSV-2 shedding frequency and quantity are high among HSV-2-seropositive adults in sub-Saharan Africa, including persons with and those without HIV infection. Shedding rates were particularly high among men, which may contribute to the high prevalence of HSV-2 and early acquisition among African women. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

  2. Association between informal caregiving and cellular aging in the survey of the health of wisconsin: the role of caregiving characteristics, stress, and strain.

    PubMed

    Litzelman, Kristin; Witt, Whitney P; Gangnon, Ronald E; Nieto, F Javier; Engelman, Corinne D; Mailick, Marsha R; Skinner, Halcyon G

    2014-06-01

    The pathophysiological consequences of caregiving have not been fully elucidated. We evaluated how caregiving, stress, and caregiver strain were associated with shorter relative telomere length (RTL), a marker of cellular aging. Caregivers (n = 240) and some noncaregivers (n = 98) in the 2008-2010 Survey of the Health of Wisconsin, comprising a representative sample of Wisconsin adults aged 21-74 years, reported their sociodemographic, health, and psychological characteristics. RTL was assayed from blood or saliva samples. Median T and S values were used to determine the telomere-to-single copy gene ratio (T/S) for each sample, and log(T/S) was used as the dependent variable in analyses. Multivariable generalized additive models showed that RTL did not differ between caregivers and noncaregivers (difference in log(T/S) = -0.03; P > 0.05), but moderate-to-high levels of stress versus low stress were associated with longer RTL (difference = 0.15; P = 0.04). Among caregivers, more hours per week of care, caring for a young person, and greater strain were associated with shorter RTL (P < 0.05). Caregivers with discordant levels of stress and strain (i.e., low perceived stress/high strain) compared with low stress/low strain had the shortest RTL (difference = -0.24; P = 0.02, Pinteraction = 0.13), corresponding to approximately 10-15 additional years of aging. Caregivers with these characteristics may be at increased risk for accelerated aging. Future work is necessary to better elucidate these relationships and develop interventions to improve the long-term health and well-being of caregivers. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  3. Efficacy, Safety, and Pharmacokinetics of Coadministered Diethylcarbamazine, Albendazole, and Ivermectin for Treatment of Bancroftian Filariasis.

    PubMed

    Thomsen, Edward K; Sanuku, Nelly; Baea, Manasseh; Satofan, Samson; Maki, Elit; Lombore, Bart; Schmidt, Mark S; Siba, Peter M; Weil, Gary J; Kazura, James W; Fleckenstein, Lawrence L; King, Christopher L

    2016-02-01

    Available treatments for lymphatic filariasis (LF) are limited in their longterm clearance of microfilaria from the blood. The safety and efficacy of a single-dose triple-drug therapy of the antifilarial drugs diethylcarbamazine (DEC), ivermectin (IVM), and albendazole (ALB) for LF are unknown. We performed a pilot study to test the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of single-dose DEC, IVM, and ALB in Wuchereria bancrofti-infected Papua New Guineans. Adults were randomized into 2 treatment arms, DEC 6 mg/kg + ALB 400 mg (N = 12) or DEC 6 mg/kg + ALB 400 mg + IVM 200 μg/kg (N = 12), and monitored for microfilaria, parasite antigenemia, adverse events (AEs), and serum drug levels. Triple-drug therapy induced >2-log reductions in microfilaria levels at 36 and 168 hours after treatment compared with approximately 1-log reduction with 2 drugs. All 12 individuals who received 3 drugs were microfilaria negative 1 year after treatment, whereas 11 of 12 individuals in the 2-drug regimen were microfilaria positive. In 6 participants followed 2 years after treatment, those who received 3 drugs remained microfilaria negative. AEs, particularly fever, myalgias, pruritus, and proteinuria/hematuria, occurred in 83% vs 50% of those receiving triple-drug compared to 2-drug treatment respectively (P = .021); all resolved within 7 days after treatment. No serious AEs were observed in either group. There was no significant effect of IVM on DEC or ALB drug levels. Triple-drug therapy is safe and more effective than DEC + ALB for Bancroftian filariasis and has the potential to accelerate elimination of lymphatic filariasis. NCT01975441. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

  4. A novel chimeric phage lysin with high in vitro and in vivo bactericidal activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae.

    PubMed

    Díez-Martínez, Roberto; De Paz, Héctor D; García-Fernández, Esther; Bustamante, Noemí; Euler, Chad W; Fischetti, Vincent A; Menendez, Margarita; García, Pedro

    2015-01-01

    Streptococcus pneumoniae is becoming increasingly antibiotic resistant worldwide and new antimicrobials are urgently needed. Our aim was new chimeric phage endolysins, or lysins, with improved bactericidal activity by swapping the structural components of two pneumococcal phage lysozymes: Cpl-1 (the best lysin tested to date) and Cpl-7S. The bactericidal effects of four new chimeric lysins were checked against several bacteria. The purified enzymes were added at different concentrations to resuspended bacteria and viable cells were measured after 1 h. Killing capacity of the most active lysin, Cpl-711, was tested in a mouse bacteraemia model, following mouse survival after injecting different amounts (25-500 μg) of enzyme. The capacity of Cpl-711 to reduce pneumococcal biofilm formation was also studied. The chimera Cpl-711 substantially improved the killing activity of the parental phage lysozymes, Cpl-1 and Cpl-7S, against pneumococcal bacteria, including multiresistant strains. Specifically, 5 μg/mL Cpl-711 killed ≥7.5 log of pneumococcal R6 strain. Cpl-711 also reduced pneumococcal biofilm formation and killed 4 log of the bacterial population at 1 μg/mL. Mice challenged intraperitoneally with D39_IU pneumococcal strain were protected by treatment with a single intraperitoneal injection of Cpl-711 1 h later, resulting in about 50% greater protection than with Cpl-1. Domain swapping among phage lysins allows the construction of new chimeric enzymes with high bactericidal activity and a different substrate range. Cpl-711, the most powerful endolysin against pneumococci, offers a promising therapeutic perspective for the treatment of multiresistant pneumococcal infections. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  5. An MCMC method for the evaluation of the Fisher information matrix for non-linear mixed effect models.

    PubMed

    Riviere, Marie-Karelle; Ueckert, Sebastian; Mentré, France

    2016-10-01

    Non-linear mixed effect models (NLMEMs) are widely used for the analysis of longitudinal data. To design these studies, optimal design based on the expected Fisher information matrix (FIM) can be used instead of performing time-consuming clinical trial simulations. In recent years, estimation algorithms for NLMEMs have transitioned from linearization toward more exact higher-order methods. Optimal design, on the other hand, has mainly relied on first-order (FO) linearization to calculate the FIM. Although efficient in general, FO cannot be applied to complex non-linear models and with difficulty in studies with discrete data. We propose an approach to evaluate the expected FIM in NLMEMs for both discrete and continuous outcomes. We used Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) to integrate the derivatives of the log-likelihood over the random effects, and Monte Carlo to evaluate its expectation w.r.t. the observations. Our method was implemented in R using Stan, which efficiently draws MCMC samples and calculates partial derivatives of the log-likelihood. Evaluated on several examples, our approach showed good performance with relative standard errors (RSEs) close to those obtained by simulations. We studied the influence of the number of MC and MCMC samples and computed the uncertainty of the FIM evaluation. We also compared our approach to Adaptive Gaussian Quadrature, Laplace approximation, and FO. Our method is available in R-package MIXFIM and can be used to evaluate the FIM, its determinant with confidence intervals (CIs), and RSEs with CIs. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  6. See Attachment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cameron, W. Scott

    2003-01-01

    Since e-mail generates itself on a round-the-clock, daily basis, it's not unusual for me to receive an average of fifty e-mails a day, or more than 300 a week. That s a lot of e-mail. I have spoken with many of my fellow project managers about my relationship with e-mail. In my case, reading and responding to it is a temptation almost too hard to resist. When I receive an e-mail I tend to want to stop everything I m doing, and open and answer it. Indeed, in my life you could say e-mail is a force to be reckoned with. Interestingly, my fascination with mail began a long time ago. I trace it back to my days as a young boy when I started receiving my first letters from friends and family. Walking home from school, I was often filled with curiosity, wondering if I had received any mail that day. In college, I knew the exact time the mail was delivered, and I headed for my mailbox as close to that hour as I could. After that, I served in an Army Reserve Post Office Unit, where I came to realize how important a postal unit was to the military. There were many others like myself, far from home, who relied on the written word to stay connected to the people in their lives. Over the years I have changed in many ways, and so has the mail. But the same sense of connection, and the same urge to respond to someone who has written me, remains. The 24/7 nature of e-mail has compounded the situation. It is relentless in its pursuit of my time and attention-and, as such, e-mail has become something I have had to manage in a variety of situations

  7. Factors determining the smooth flow and the non-operative time in a one-induction room to one-operating room setting

    PubMed Central

    Mulier, Jan P; De Boeck, Liesje; Meulders, Michel; Beliën, Jeroen; Colpaert, Jan; Sels, Annabel

    2015-01-01

    Rationale, aims and objectives What factors determine the use of an anaesthesia preparation room and shorten non-operative time? Methods A logistic regression is applied to 18 751 surgery records from AZ Sint-Jan Brugge AV, Belgium, where each operating room has its own anaesthesia preparation room. Surgeries, in which the patient's induction has already started when the preceding patient's surgery has ended, belong to a first group where the preparation room is used as an induction room. Surgeries not fulfilling this property belong to a second group. A logistic regression model tries to predict the probability that a surgery will be classified into a specific group. Non-operative time is calculated as the time between end of the previous surgery and incision of the next surgery. A log-linear regression of this non-operative time is performed. Results It was found that switches in surgeons, being a non-elective surgery as well as the previous surgery being non-elective, increase the probability of being classified into the second group. Only a few surgery types, anaesthesiologists and operating rooms can be found exclusively in one of the two groups. Analysis of variance demonstrates that the first group has significantly lower non-operative times. Switches in surgeons, anaesthesiologists and longer scheduled durations of the previous surgery increases the non-operative time. A switch in both surgeon and anaesthesiologist strengthens this negative effect. Only a few operating rooms and surgery types influence the non-operative time. Conclusion The use of the anaesthesia preparation room shortens the non-operative time and is determined by several human and structural factors. PMID:25496600

  8. Autologous stem cell transplantation in first complete remission may not extend progression-free survival in patients with peripheral T cell lymphomas.

    PubMed

    Yam, Clinton; Landsburg, Daniel J; Nead, Kevin T; Lin, Xinyi; Mato, Anthony R; Svoboda, Jakub; Loren, Alison W; Frey, Noelle V; Stadtmauer, Edward A; Porter, David L; Schuster, Stephen J; Nasta, Sunita D

    2016-07-01

    Patients with peripheral T cell lymphomas (PTCL) generally have a poor prognosis when treated with conventional chemotherapy. Consolidation with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has been reported to improve progression-free survival. However, these studies have not compared consolidative ASCT with active observation in patients with PTCL achieving first complete remission (CR1) following induction chemotherapy. We conducted a retrospective analysis of PTCL patients treated at the University of Pennsylvania between 1/1/2007 and 12/31/2014. Patients with cutaneous T cell lymphoma, concurrent B cell lymphomas, and anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALK-positive ALCL) were excluded from the study. We compared progression-free survival for patients who underwent ASCT in CR1 following CHOP-like induction regimens and patients who underwent active observation during CR1. 48 patients met all inclusion and exclusion criteria and underwent either active observation (28 patients) or consolidative ASCT (20 patients) in CR1. The 1-year cumulative incidence of relapse in the observation and ASCT groups was 50% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 30-67%) and 46% (95% CI: 23-67%), respectively (P = 0.55). Median progression-free survival in the observation and ASCT groups was 15.8 and 12.8 months, respectively (log rank, P = 0.79). Estimated 3-year progression-free survival in the observation and ASCT groups was 37 and 41%, respectively. In conclusion, for PTCL patients achieving CR1 following CHOP-like induction chemotherapy, ASCT does not appear to improve progression-free survival compared to active observation. This finding should be confirmed in a larger, prospective study. Am. J. Hematol. 91:672-676, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. 76 FR 23749 - Intelligent Mail Package Barcode (IMpb) Implementation for Commercial Parcels

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-28

    ...The Postal Service is proposing to revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) to require the use of a unique tracking barcode on all commercial parcels, except Standard Mail[supreg] parcels, claiming presort and destination entry pricing by January 2012; and to encourage use of unique tracking barcodes by providing free Delivery Confirmation[supreg] service on all commercial parcels except Standard Mail parcels.

  10. Characterizing Resilience and Growth Among Soldiers: A Trajectory Study

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-04-01

    0120 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER Nansook Park 5e. TASK NUMBER e -mail: nspak@umich.edu 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7...tried all available methods to reach potential participants including e -mail, regular mail, phone and social media like Facebook. We were able to...utilize all possible ways of contacting participants including e -mail, regular mail, phone calls, and social media (e.g., Facebook). Furthermore

  11. Exposure to As-, Cd-, and Pb-mixture induces Aβ, amyloidogenic APP processing and cognitive impairments via oxidative stress-dependent neuroinflammation in young rats.

    PubMed

    Ashok, Anushruti; Rai, Nagendra Kumar; Tripathi, Sachin; Bandyopadhyay, Sanghamitra

    2015-01-01

    Environmental pollutants act as risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD), mainly affecting the aging population. We investigated early manifestations of AD-like pathology by a mixture of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb), reported to impair neurodevelopment. We treated rats with As+Cd+Pb at their concentrations detected in groundwater of India, ie, 0.38, 0.098, and 0.22 ppm or 10 times of each, respectively, from gestation-05 to postnatal day-180. We identified dose-dependent increase in amyloid-beta (Aβ) in frontal cortex and hippocampus as early as post-weaning. The effect was strongly significant during early-adulthood, reaching levels comparable to an Aβ-infused AD-like rat model. The metals activated the proamyloidogenic pathway, mediated by increase in amyloid precursor protein (APP), and subsequent beta secretase (BACE) and presenilin (PS)-mediated APP-processing. Investigating the mechanism of Aβ-induction revealed an augmentation in oxidative stress-dependent neuroinflammation that stimulated APP expression through interleukin-responsive-APP-mRNA 5'-untranslated region. We then examined the effects of individual metals and binary mixtures in comparison with the tertiary. Among individual metals, Pb triggered maximum induction of Aβ, whereas individual As or Cd had a relatively non-significant effect on Aβ despite enhanced APP, owing to reduced induction of BACE and PS. Interestingly, when combined the metals demonstrated synergism, with a major contribution by As. The synergistic effect was significant and consistent in tertiary mixture, resulting in the augmentation of Aβ. Eventually, increase in Aβ culminated in cognitive impairments in the young rats. Together, our data demonstrate that exposure to As+Cd+Pb induces premature manifestation of AD-like pathology that is synergistic, and oxidative stress and inflammation dependent. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Toxicology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  12. 78 FR 63433 - International Mailing Services: Proposed Price Changes-CPI

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-24

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 20 International Mailing Services: Proposed Price Changes--CPI AGENCY... mailing services price adjustments with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), effective on January 26... Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM[supreg]) to reflect these new price changes. DATES: We...

  13. 78 FR 63434 - International Mailing Services: Proposed Price Changes-Exigent

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-24

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 20 International Mailing Services: Proposed Price Changes--Exigent... notice of mailing services price adjustments with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), effective on... United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM[supreg]) to reflect these new price changes...

  14. 76 FR 46853 - International Business Machines Corporation, ITD Business Unit, Division 7, E-mail and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-03

    ...] International Business Machines Corporation, ITD Business Unit, Division 7, E-mail and Collaboration Group... Business Machines Corporation (IBM), ITD Business Unit, Division 7, E- mail and Collaboration Group... Business Unit, Division 7, E-mail and Collaboration [[Page 46854

  15. Factors that impact nurses' use of electronic mail (e-mail).

    PubMed

    Hughes, J A; Pakieser, R A

    1999-01-01

    As electronic applications are used increasingly in healthcare, nurses are being challenged to adopt them. Electronic mail (e-mail) is an electronic tool with general as well as healthcare uses. E-mail use may be an opportunity to learn a tool that requires skills similar to those used in other applications. This study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators that impact nurses' use of e-mail in the workplace. Data for this study were gathered using focus group methodology. Content analysis identified and labeled factors into seven major categories. Specific factors identified were generally consistent with those previously described in the literature as affecting use of computers in general. However, there were several additional factors identified that were not reported in other previous studies: lack of face-to-face communication, individual writing skills, recency of any educational experience, volume of mail received, password integrity, and technical support. Findings from this study provide information for any individual involved in introducing or updating an e-mail system in a healthcare environment.

  16. Characteristics of effective electronic mail messages distributed to healthcare professionals in a hospital setting.

    PubMed

    Kaltschmidt, Jens; Schmitt, Simon P W; Pruszydlo, Markus G; Haefeli, Walter E

    2008-01-01

    Electronic mailing systems (e-mail) are an important means to disseminate information within electronic networks. However, in large business communities including the hectic environment of hospitals it may be difficult to induce account holders to read the e-mail. In two mailings disseminated in a large university hospital we evaluated the impact of e-mail layout (three e-mail text versions, two e-mails with graphics) on the willingness of its approximately 6500 recipients to seek additional electronic information and open an integrated link. Overall access rates after 90 days were 21.1 and 23.5% with more than 70% of the respondents opening the link within 3 days. Differences between different layouts were large and artwork text, HTML text, animated GIF, and static image prompted 1.2, 1.7, 1.8, and 2.3 times more often access than the courier plain text message (p

  17. Characteristics of Effective Electronic Mail Messages Distributed to Healthcare Professionals in a Hospital Setting

    PubMed Central

    Kaltschmidt, Jens; Schmitt, Simon P.W.; Pruszydlo, Markus G.; Haefeli, Walter E.

    2008-01-01

    Electronic mailing systems (e-mail) are an important means to disseminate information within electronic networks. However, in large business communities including the hectic environment of hospitals it may be difficult to induce account holders to read the e-mail. In two mailings disseminated in a large university hospital we evaluated the impact of e-mail layout (three e-mail text versions, two e-mails with graphics) on the willingness of its ∼6500 recipients to seek additional electronic information and open an integrated link. Overall access rates after 90 days were 21.1 and 23.5% with more than 70% of the respondents opening the link within 3 days. Differences between different layouts were large and artwork text, HTML text, animated GIF, and static image prompted 1.2, 1.7, 1.8, and 2.3 times more often access than the courier plain text message (p ≤ 0.001). This study revealed that layout is a major determinant of the success of an information campaign. PMID:18096910

  18. Determining conserved metabolic biomarkers from a million database queries.

    PubMed

    Kurczy, Michael E; Ivanisevic, Julijana; Johnson, Caroline H; Uritboonthai, Winnie; Hoang, Linh; Fang, Mingliang; Hicks, Matthew; Aldebot, Anthony; Rinehart, Duane; Mellander, Lisa J; Tautenhahn, Ralf; Patti, Gary J; Spilker, Mary E; Benton, H Paul; Siuzdak, Gary

    2015-12-01

    Metabolite databases provide a unique window into metabolome research allowing the most commonly searched biomarkers to be catalogued. Omic scale metabolite profiling, or metabolomics, is finding increased utility in biomarker discovery largely driven by improvements in analytical technologies and the concurrent developments in bioinformatics. However, the successful translation of biomarkers into clinical or biologically relevant indicators is limited. With the aim of improving the discovery of translatable metabolite biomarkers, we present search analytics for over one million METLIN metabolite database queries. The most common metabolites found in METLIN were cross-correlated against XCMS Online, the widely used cloud-based data processing and pathway analysis platform. Analysis of the METLIN and XCMS common metabolite data has two primary implications: these metabolites, might indicate a conserved metabolic response to stressors and, this data may be used to gauge the relative uniqueness of potential biomarkers. METLIN can be accessed by logging on to: https://metlin.scripps.edu siuzdak@scripps.edu Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  19. Enhanced, Partially Redundant Emergency Notification System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pounds, Clark D.

    2005-01-01

    The Johnson Space Center Emergency Notification System (JENS) software utilizes pre-existing computation and communication infrastructure to augment a prior variable-tone, siren-based, outdoor alarm system, in order to enhance the ability to give notice of emergencies to employees working in multiple buildings. The JENS software includes a component that implements an administrative Web site. Administrators can grant and deny access to the administrative site and to an originator Web site that enables authorized individuals to quickly compose and issue alarms. The originator site also facilitates maintenance and review of alarms already issued. A custom client/server application program enables an originator to notify every user who is logged in on a Microsoft Windows-based desktop computer by means of a pop-up message that interrupts, but does not disrupt, the user s work. Alternatively or in addition, the originator can send an alarm message to recipients on an e-mail distribution list and/or can post the notice on an internal Web site. An alarm message can consist of (1) text describing the emergency and suggesting a course of action and (2) a replica of the corresponding audible outdoor alarm.

  20. Document Concurrence System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Muhsin, Mansour; Walters, Ian

    2004-01-01

    The Document Concurrence System is a combination of software modules for routing users expressions of concurrence with documents. This system enables determination of the current status of concurrences and eliminates the need for the prior practice of manually delivering paper documents to all persons whose approvals were required. This system runs on a server, and participants gain access via personal computers equipped with Web-browser and electronic-mail software. A user can begin a concurrence routing process by logging onto an administration module, naming the approvers and stating the sequence for routing among them, and attaching documents. The server then sends a message to the first person on the list. Upon concurrence by the first person, the system sends a message to the second person, and so forth. A person on the list indicates approval, places the documents on hold, or indicates disapproval, via a Web-based module. When the last person on the list has concurred, a message is sent to the initiator, who can then finalize the process through the administration module. A background process running on the server identifies concurrence processes that are overdue and sends reminders to the appropriate persons.

  1. Service Management Database for DSN Equipment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zendejas, Silvino; Bui, Tung; Bui, Bach; Malhotra, Shantanu; Chen, Fannie; Wolgast, Paul; Allen, Christopher; Luong, Ivy; Chang, George; Sadaqathulla, Syed

    2009-01-01

    This data- and event-driven persistent storage system leverages the use of commercial software provided by Oracle for portability, ease of maintenance, scalability, and ease of integration with embedded, client-server, and multi-tiered applications. In this role, the Service Management Database (SMDB) is a key component of the overall end-to-end process involved in the scheduling, preparation, and configuration of the Deep Space Network (DSN) equipment needed to perform the various telecommunication services the DSN provides to its customers worldwide. SMDB makes efficient use of triggers, stored procedures, queuing functions, e-mail capabilities, data management, and Java integration features provided by the Oracle relational database management system. SMDB uses a third normal form schema design that allows for simple data maintenance procedures and thin layers of integration with client applications. The software provides an integrated event logging system with ability to publish events to a JMS messaging system for synchronous and asynchronous delivery to subscribed applications. It provides a structured classification of events and application-level messages stored in database tables that are accessible by monitoring applications for real-time monitoring or for troubleshooting and analysis over historical archives.

  2. Comparative Study Of Artificial Intelligence Techniques As Applied To The Location Of Address Blocks On Mail Pieces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koljonen, Juha T.; Glickman, Frederick R.

    1989-03-01

    Rule-based reasoning when applied to locating destination addresses on mail pieces can enhance system performance and accuracy. One of the critical steps in the automatic reading and sorting of mail by machine is in locating the block of text that is the destination address on a mail piece. This is complicated by the variation of global structure on mail piece faces, e.g., return and destination addresses can be anywhere on the mail piece, in any orientation and of any size. Compounding the problem is the addition of extraneous text and graphics such as advertising.

  3. The STRENGTH Ezine: an application of e-mail for health promotion in adolescent girls.

    PubMed

    Abroms, Lorien C; Fagan, Pebbles; Eisenberg, Marla E; Lee, Hye-Seung H; Remba, Natania; Sorensen, Glorian

    2004-01-01

    Few studies have investigated the efficacy of e-mail for promoting behavior change. This study evaluates the participation in and outcomes associated with an e-mail-based health promotion program. Adolescent girls aged 15 to 17 years were recruited at a shopping mall. Participants with an e-mail address were assigned to the interactive e-mail magazine (Ezine) group (n = 37), whereas those not reporting an e-mail address were assigned to the non-Ezine group (n = 33). Participants in the Ezine group received the health Ezine, which included a quiz and an advice column, on a weekly basis. Results indicate that among the Ezine group, there was a high recall of the Ezine (81.1%), and more than one third of the participants replied to Ezine volumes with quiz answers or an advice question (36.6%). Differences in health behavior change between the Ezine and non-Ezine groups were not significant. E-mails on health-related matters can generate moderate levels of involvement in adolescent girls. Given the widespread use of e-mail, more studies are needed on the effective application of e-mail for health behavior change.

  4. 75 FR 29893 - Business Reply Mail Online Application Option

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-28

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 111 Business Reply Mail Online Application Option AGENCY: Postal Service TM . ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Postal Service TM will revise the Mailing Standards of the... option to obtain a Business Reply Mail[supreg] (BRM) permit online. Additionally, the electronic version...

  5. 32 CFR 516.7 - Mailing addresses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Mailing addresses. 516.7 Section 516.7 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY AID OF CIVIL AUTHORITIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS LITIGATION General § 516.7 Mailing addresses. Mailing addresses for organizations referenced in...

  6. Take charge of your e-mail!

    PubMed

    Mehta, Neil B; Atreja, Ashish; Jain, Anil

    2008-08-01

    Although e-mail is supposed to help save time and increase efficiency, for many it has become a burden. You can fight e-mail overload by taking steps to decrease the amount of unwanted e-mail you receive and by managing your in-box in an organized manner.

  7. 76 FR 50414 - International Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-15

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 20 International Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference AGENCY: Postal... Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM[supreg]) dated April 17, 2011.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The International Mail Manual was issued on April 17, 2011, and was updated with...

  8. 32 CFR 516.7 - Mailing addresses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 3 2011-07-01 2009-07-01 true Mailing addresses. 516.7 Section 516.7 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY AID OF CIVIL AUTHORITIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS LITIGATION General § 516.7 Mailing addresses. Mailing addresses for organizations referenced in...

  9. 34 CFR 300.505 - Electronic mail.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 34 Education 2 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true Electronic mail. 300.505 Section 300.505 Education... DISABILITIES Procedural Safeguards Due Process Procedures for Parents and Children § 300.505 Electronic mail. A....508 by an electronic mail communication, if the public agency makes that option available. (Authority...

  10. 34 CFR 300.505 - Electronic mail.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Electronic mail. 300.505 Section 300.505 Education... DISABILITIES Procedural Safeguards Due Process Procedures for Parents and Children § 300.505 Electronic mail. A....508 by an electronic mail communication, if the public agency makes that option available. (Authority...

  11. 34 CFR 300.505 - Electronic mail.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 34 Education 2 2011-07-01 2010-07-01 true Electronic mail. 300.505 Section 300.505 Education... DISABILITIES Procedural Safeguards Due Process Procedures for Parents and Children § 300.505 Electronic mail. A....508 by an electronic mail communication, if the public agency makes that option available. (Authority...

  12. 34 CFR 300.505 - Electronic mail.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 34 Education 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Electronic mail. 300.505 Section 300.505 Education... DISABILITIES Procedural Safeguards Due Process Procedures for Parents and Children § 300.505 Electronic mail. A....508 by an electronic mail communication, if the public agency makes that option available. (Authority...

  13. 34 CFR 300.505 - Electronic mail.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 34 Education 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Electronic mail. 300.505 Section 300.505 Education... DISABILITIES Procedural Safeguards Due Process Procedures for Parents and Children § 300.505 Electronic mail. A....508 by an electronic mail communication, if the public agency makes that option available. (Authority...

  14. 49 CFR 107.107 - Application for party status.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ...; or (iii) Be submitted by electronic mail (e-mail) to: [email protected] Electronic submissions..., e-mail address (if available), US DOT Registration number (if applicable), and telephone number of... addresses, e-mail address (if available), and telephone number of an individual designated as an agent of...

  15. The role of maintenance thalidomide therapy in multiple myeloma: MRC Myeloma IX results and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Morgan, Gareth J; Gregory, Walter M; Davies, Faith E; Bell, Sue E; Szubert, Alexander J; Brown, Julia M; Coy, Nuria N; Cook, Gordon; Russell, Nigel H; Rudin, Claudius; Roddie, Huw; Drayson, Mark T; Owen, Roger G; Ross, Fiona M; Jackson, Graham H; Child, J Anthony

    2012-01-05

    Thalidomide maintenance has the potential to modulate residual multiple myeloma (MM) after an initial response. This trial compared the effect of thalidomide maintenance and no maintenance on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in MM patients. After intensive or nonintensive induction therapy, 820 newly diagnosed MM patients were randomized to open-label thalidomide maintenance until progression, or no maintenance. Interphase FISH (iFISH) analysis was performed at study entry. Median PFS was significantly longer with thalidomide maintenance (log-rank P < .001). Median OS was similar between regimens (log-rank P = .40). Patients with favorable iFISH showed improved PFS (P = .004) and a trend toward a late survival benefit. Patients with adverse iFISH receiving thalidomide showed no significant PFS benefit and worse OS (P = .009). Effective relapse therapy enhanced survival after progression, translating into a significant OS benefit. Meta-analysis of this and other studies show a significant late OS benefit (P < .001, 7-year difference hazard ratio = 12.3; 95% confidence interval, 5.5-19.0). Thalidomide maintenance significantly improves PFS and can be associated with improved OS. iFISH testing is important in assessing the clinical impact of maintenance therapy. Overview analysis demonstrated that thalidomide maintenance was associated with a significant late OS benefit. This trial was registered at www.isrctn.org as #ISRCTN68454111.

  16. Multifactorial analysis of renal transplants reported to the United Network for Organ Sharing Registry: a 1994 update.

    PubMed

    Gjertson, D W

    1994-01-01

    1. From a multivariate log-linear analysis of 57,303 renal transplants between 1988 and 1994, the top 10 factors influencing one-year and 3-year cadaveric graft survival rates were ranked as follows: [table: see text] 2. Center effects accounted for 30% and 28% of all assignable variations in one-year and 3-year outcomes, respectively. Although center variation dominated 32 other variables, most factors were relatively independent of transplant center. 3. Novel to our own multifactorial analyses of the UNOS Kidney Transplant Registry were 6 pretransplant factors (recipient pretransplant dialysis, pregnancy, PRA technique, donor disposition and preservation, and ABO compatibility). Survival rates over the various combinations of these new factors were not significantly different. 4. For the first time in our multivariate analyses, 4 posttransplantation factors (delayed graft function, rejection episodes prior to discharge, induction and maintenance drug therapies) were included in the log-linear model. It is noteworthy that graft survival in both transplant periods was seriously imperiled following delayed graft function or rejection prior to discharge, yet the accounting for these pseudo-outcome variables did not alter the influence of the remaining 31 transplant factors. Finally, maintenance drug therapies strongly influenced short-term outcomes but did not influence long-term results, except for a noteworthy trend toward increased survival rates for FK506 therapy.

  17. Analysis of the Bacterial Heat Shock Response to Photodynamic Therapy-Mediated Oxidative Stress

    PubMed Central

    St. Denis, Tyler G.; Huang, Liyi; Dai, Tianhong; Hamblin, Michael R.

    2011-01-01

    Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (PDT) has recently emerged as an effective modality for the selective destruction of bacteria and other pathogenic microorganisms. We investigated whether PDT induced protective responses such as heat shock proteins in bacteria. Using the photosensitizer Toluidine Blue O (TBO) at sub-lethal PDT conditions, a 7-fold increase in bacterial heat shock protein GroEL and a 3-fold increase in heat shock protein DnaK were observed in Escherichia coli post PDT. Pretreatment with 50o C heat for 30 minutes reduced PDT killing in both E. coli and in Enterococcus faecalis, with the most pronounced inhibition occurring at 50-μM TBO with 5-J/cm2 635 nm light, where E. coli killing was reduced by 2- log10 and E. faecalis killing was reduced by 4-log10. Finally, inhibition of the highly conserved chaperone DnaK using a small molecule benzylidene lactam heat shock protein inhibitor potentiated (but not significantly) the effect of PDT at a TBO concentration of 2.5 μM in E. faecalis; however, this effect was not observed in E. coli presumably because inhibitor could not gain access due to Gram-negative permeability barrier. Induction of heat shock proteins may be a mechanism whereby bacteria could become resistant to PDT and warrants the need for further study in the application of dual PDT-heat shock protein-inhibition therapies. PMID:21261628

  18. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated toxic potency of dissolved lipophilic organic contaminants collected from Lincoln Creek, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, to PLHC-1 (Poeciliopsis lucida) fish hepatoma cells

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

    Villeneuve, D.L.; Crunkilton, R.L.; DeVita, W.M.

    1997-05-01

    Lincoln Creek is a severely degraded urban stream located in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, USA. As part of a comprehensive study on effects of urban storm water runoff on the stream biota, an in vitro bioassay with PLHC-1 (Poeciliopsis lucida) fish hepatoma cells was used to assess potential toxic potency of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-active compounds, collected by semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) exposed to Lincoln Creek water. Dialysates from SPMDs exposed to Lincoln Creek water caused marked cytochrome P4501A induction in PLHC-1. Toxic potency of dialysates, expressed as bioassay-derived 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents (TCDD-EQ) ranged from 1,300 to 6,600 pg TCDD-EQ/g SPMD formore » 14-d exposures. Dialysates from SPMDs exposed to stream water at base flow had potencies consistently lower than those exposed to storm-flow (high-flow) events that occurred during the same 14-d period. Polychlorinated biphenyls were not detectable in the dialysates. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis identified polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as major contaminants in the dialysates. A log-log correlation of total PAHs and TCDD-EQ yielded an r{sup 2} of 0.802. Empirical evidence suggests that AhR-active PAHs can account for about 20 to 50% of the potency observed.« less

  19. Early-life metal exposure and schizophrenia: A proof-of-concept study using novel tooth-matrix biomarkers.

    PubMed

    Modabbernia, A; Velthorst, E; Gennings, C; De Haan, L; Austin, C; Sutterland, A; Mollon, J; Frangou, S; Wright, R; Arora, M; Reichenberg, A

    2016-08-01

    Despite evidence for the effects of metals on neurodevelopment, the long-term effects on mental health remain unclear due to methodological limitations. Our objective was to determine the feasibility of studying metal exposure during critical neurodevelopmental periods and to explore the association between early-life metal exposure and adult schizophrenia. We analyzed childhood-shed teeth from nine individuals with schizophrenia and five healthy controls. We investigated the association between exposure to lead (Pb(2+)), manganese (Mn(2+)), cadmium (Cd(2+)), copper (Cu(2+)), magnesium (Mg(2+)), and zinc (Zn(2+)), and schizophrenia, psychotic experiences, and intelligence quotient (IQ). We reconstructed the dose and timing of early-life metal exposures using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We found higher early-life Pb(2+) exposure among patients with schizophrenia than controls. The differences in log Mn(2+) and log Cu(2+) changed relatively linearly over time to postnatal negative values. There was a positive correlation between early-life Pb(2+) levels and psychotic experiences in adulthood. Moreover, we found a negative correlation between Pb(2+) levels and adult IQ. In our proof-of-concept study, using tooth-matrix biomarker that provides direct measurement of exposure in the fetus and newborn, we provide support for the role of metal exposure during critical neurodevelopmental periods in psychosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  20. Evolution of structure-reactivity correlations for the hydrogen abstraction reaction by chlorine atom.

    PubMed

    Poutsma, Marvin L

    2013-01-31

    Empirical structure-reactivity correlations are developed for log k(298), the gas-phase rate constants for the reaction (Cl(•) + HCR(3) → ClH + CR(3)(•)). It has long been recognized that correlation with Δ(r)H is weak. The poor performance of the linear Evans-Polanyi formulation is illustrated and was little improved by adding a quadratic term, for example, by making its slope smoothly dependent on Δ(r)H [η ≡ (Δ(r)H - Δ(r)H(min))/(Δ(r)H(max) - Δ(r)H(min))]. The "polar effect" ((δ-)Cl---H---CR(3)(δ+))(++) has also been long discussed, but there is no formalization of this dependence based on widely available independent variable(s). Using the sum of Hammett constants for the R substituents also gave at best modest correlations, either for σ(para) or for its dissection into F (field/inductive) and R (resonance) effects. Much greater success was achieved by combining these approaches with the preferred independent variable set being either [(Δ(r)H)(2), Δ(r)H, ΣF, and ΣR] or [η, Δ(r)H, ΣF, and ΣR]. For 64 rate constants that span 7 orders of magnitude, these correlation formulations give r(2) > 0.87 and a mean unsigned deviation of <0.5 log k units, with even better performance if primary, secondary, and tertiary reaction centers are treated separately.

  1. Associations between Diet and Toenail Arsenic Concentration among Pregnant Women in Bangladesh: A Prospective Study

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Pi-I. D.; Bromage, Sabri; Mostofa, Md. Golam; Allen, Joseph; Oken, Emily; Kile, Molly L.; Christiani, David C.

    2017-01-01

    This prospective study evaluated the relationship between long-term dietary habits and total arsenic (As) concentration in toenail clippings in a cohort of 1616 pregnant women in the Bangladeshi administrative regions of Sirajdikhan and Pabna Sadar. Diet was assessed at Gestation Week 28 and at Postpartum Month 1, using a locally-validated dish-based semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Toenail As concentration was analyzed by microwave-assisted acid digestion and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Associations between natural log-transformed consumption of individual food items and temporally matched natural log-transformed toenail As concentration were quantified using general linear models that accounted for As concentration in the primary drinking water source and other potential confounders. The analysis was stratified by As in drinking water (≤50 μg/L versus >50 μg/L) and the time of dietary assessment (Gestation Week 28 versus Postpartum Week 1). Interestingly, toenail As was not significantly associated with consumption of plain rice as hypothesized. However, toenail As was positively associated with consumption of several vegetable, fish and meat items and was negatively associated with consumption of rice, cereal, fruits, and milk based food items. Further studies in pregnant women are needed to compare As metabolism at different levels of As exposure and the interaction between dietary composition and As absorption. PMID:28441747

  2. A hybrid brain-computer interface-based mail client.

    PubMed

    Yu, Tianyou; Li, Yuanqing; Long, Jinyi; Li, Feng

    2013-01-01

    Brain-computer interface-based communication plays an important role in brain-computer interface (BCI) applications; electronic mail is one of the most common communication tools. In this study, we propose a hybrid BCI-based mail client that implements electronic mail communication by means of real-time classification of multimodal features extracted from scalp electroencephalography (EEG). With this BCI mail client, users can receive, read, write, and attach files to their mail. Using a BCI mouse that utilizes hybrid brain signals, that is, motor imagery and P300 potential, the user can select and activate the function keys and links on the mail client graphical user interface (GUI). An adaptive P300 speller is employed for text input. The system has been tested with 6 subjects, and the experimental results validate the efficacy of the proposed method.

  3. A Hybrid Brain-Computer Interface-Based Mail Client

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Tianyou; Li, Yuanqing; Long, Jinyi; Li, Feng

    2013-01-01

    Brain-computer interface-based communication plays an important role in brain-computer interface (BCI) applications; electronic mail is one of the most common communication tools. In this study, we propose a hybrid BCI-based mail client that implements electronic mail communication by means of real-time classification of multimodal features extracted from scalp electroencephalography (EEG). With this BCI mail client, users can receive, read, write, and attach files to their mail. Using a BCI mouse that utilizes hybrid brain signals, that is, motor imagery and P300 potential, the user can select and activate the function keys and links on the mail client graphical user interface (GUI). An adaptive P300 speller is employed for text input. The system has been tested with 6 subjects, and the experimental results validate the efficacy of the proposed method. PMID:23690880

  4. Adherence to medication under mandatory and voluntary mail benefit designs.

    PubMed

    Liberman, Joshua N; Hutchins, David S; Shrank, Will H; Slezak, Julie; Brennan, Troyen A

    2011-07-01

    To compare adherence rates under voluntary and mandatory mail benefit designs. Matched retrospective cohort. Adherence rates in the first year of therapy were compared between voluntary and mandatory mail cohorts composed of individuals who initiated statin, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), platelet aggregation inhibitor, metformin, glitazone, or sulfonylurea therapy at a retail pharmacy between January 1 and March 31, 2009. Initiators in mandatory mail plans were matched on therapeutic class, age, sex, prospective risk, and cost of initial prescription with those in voluntary mail plans. Logistic regression models of optimal adherence were constructed to adjust for measured confounders. Persistence rates were similar through the first 60 days of therapy. The mandatory mail cohort had a notable drop in persistence by day 90 (63.3% vs 56.3%, P <.001), with a more pronounced drop among those without previous mail-service pharmacy use (50.5%). Median medication possession ratio (49.2% vs 57.4%) and optimal adherence (33.6% vs 36.1) were also lower. In the multivariable models, mandatory mail participants were less likely to achieve optimal adherence overall (odds ratio [OR] 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.67-0.74) and in the metformin (OR 0.55), sulfonylurea (OR 0.72), ACE inhibitor (OR 0.74), ARB (OR 0.69), and statin (OR 0.69) classes. Participants with no prior use of mail-service pharmacy had significantly lower odds of achieving optimal adherence in all therapeutic classes. Mandatory mail appears to cause some members to discontinue therapy prematurely, particularly those without previous mail service pharmacy experience.

  5. Coupling Financial Incentives With Direct Mail in Population-Based Practice.

    PubMed

    Slater, Jonathan S; Parks, Michael J; Malone, Michael E; Henly, George A; Nelson, Christina L

    2017-02-01

    Financial incentives are being used increasingly to encourage a wide array of health behaviors because of their well-established efficacy. However, little is known about how to translate incentive-based strategies to public health practice geared toward improving population-level health, and a dearth of research exists on how individuals respond to incentives through public health communication strategies such as direct mail. This study reports results of a population-based randomized controlled trial testing a direct mail, incentive-based intervention for promoting mammography uptake. The study population was composed of a random sample of Minnesota women enrolled in Medicare fee-for-service and overdue for breast cancer screening. Participants ( N = 18,939) were randomized into three groups: (1) Direct Mail only, (2) Direct Mail plus Incentive, and (3) Control. Both direct mail groups received two mailers with a message about the importance of mammography; however, Mail plus Incentive mailers also offered a $25 incentive for getting a mammogram. Logistic regression analyses measured intervention effects. Results showed the odds for receiving mammography were significantly higher for the Direct Mail plus Incentive group compared with both Direct Mail only and Control groups. The use of incentives also proved to be cost-effective. Additionally, the Direct Mail only group was more likely to receive mammography than the Control group. Findings offer experimental evidence on how the population-based strategy of direct mail coupled with a financial incentive can encourage healthy behavior, as well as how incentive-based programs can be translated into health promotion practice aimed at achieving population-level impact.

  6. The comparative effectiveness of mail order pharmacy use vs. local pharmacy use on LDL-C control in new statin users.

    PubMed

    Schmittdiel, Julie A; Karter, Andrew J; Dyer, Wendy; Parker, Melissa; Uratsu, Connie; Chan, James; Duru, O Kenrik

    2011-12-01

    Mail order pharmacies are commonly used to deliver CVD risk factor medications. Previous studies have shown that mail order pharmacy use is associated with greater medication adherence; however, no studies have examined whether mail order pharmacy use is related to improved CVD risk factor outcomes. To examine the comparative effectiveness of mail order pharmacy vs. local pharmacy use on LDL-C control in new statin users. Observational cohort study. 100,298 adult Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) members who were new users of statins between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2007. The main outcome measure was LDL-C control in the 3-15 month period after statin therapy was initiated. After adjustment for patient, clinical, and census-block characteristics, and for potential unmeasured differences between mail order and local KPNC pharmacy users with instrumental variables analysis, 85.0% of patients who used the mail order pharmacy to deliver their statin at any time achieved target LDL-C levels compared with 74.2% of patients who only used the local KPNC pharmacy to dispense the statin (p < 0.001). Greater adjusted rates of LDL-C control in mail order pharmacy users were seen across all gender and race/ethnicity subgroups. Mail order pharmacy use was positively associated with LDL-C control in new statin users. Future research should continue to explore the relationship between mail order pharmacy use and outcomes, and address how to appropriately target mail order services to patients most likely to benefit without compromising patient choice, care, and safety.

  7. E-mail communication in the management of gastroenterology patients: A review

    PubMed Central

    Plener, Ian; Hayward, Andrew; Saibil, Fred

    2014-01-01

    E-mail correspondence between physicians and patients can be a useful tool to improve communication efficiency, provide economic and ecological benefits, improve therapeutic interventions and adherence, and enhance self-management. The model of self-management in chronic disease has become an integral component of North American and British medicine. From a practical standpoint, the use of e-mail between physicians and patients can complement the self-management model. E-mail communication has many benefits from both patient and physician perspectives. E-mail contact reduces the inefficiencies associated with telecommunications. Physicians are able to better document out-of-office patient encounters and provide access to specialist care for patients in remote locations. This use of e-mail has the potential to increase patient safety through physician approval of self-manager actions, including earlier initiation of needed treatments. Fewer clinic visits afford additional time for new consultations and sicker patients, reducing the overall burden on referral and wait times. The present article reviews some of the literature regarding physician-patient e-mail communication in the general ambulatory setting, in the context of chronic disease and with a specific focus on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The authors provide a framework for the use of e-mail communication in the IBD population, with emphasis on the concept of e-mail use. Also illustrated are the benefits and disadvantages, and examples of the e-mail contract as proposed by the Canadian Medical Protective Association. Examples of specific e-mail communication topics are provided for several IBD scenarios. Potential negative consequences of this mode of communication are also discussed. PMID:24619639

  8. The messages they send: e-mail use by adolescents with and without a history of specific language impairment (SLI).

    PubMed

    Conti-Ramsden, Gina; Durkin, Kevin; Walker, Allan J

    2012-01-01

    Contemporary adolescents use e-mail for a variety of purposes, including peer communication and education. Research into these uses has focused on typically developing individuals; much less is known about the use of e-mail by exceptional youth. The present study examined the structure and form of e-mail messages sent by adolescents with and without a history of specific language impairment (SLI). Thirty-eight adolescents with a history of SLI and 56 typically developing (TD) peers were assessed on measures of nonverbal abilities, core language skills and literacy skills (reading and spelling). The participants were asked to compose an e-mail reply to a standard e-mail sent by an experimenter. These reply e-mails were coded for linguistic structure, readability and spelling errors. Two adult raters, blind to the participants' language ability, judged how understandable the e-mails were, how grammatically correct the e-mails were, and also the sender's command of the English language. Adolescents with a history of SLI produced e-mails that were similar to those sent by their TD peers in terms of structure and readability. However, they made significantly more spelling errors. Furthermore, the adult raters considered the messages from participants with a history of SLI to be of poorer standard than those sent by their TD peers. The findings suggest that the e-mail messages of adolescents with a history of SLI provide indicators of the sender's language and literacy skills. Implications for intervention and technology development are discussed. © 2011 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

  9. 75 FR 69921 - Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure, Seventh Edition

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-16

    ... suggestions for improving the form and content of the TMEP be submitted via electronic mail message to [email protected] . Written comments may also be submitted by mail addressed to: Commissioner for Trademarks, P... Commissioner for Trademark Examination Policy, by electronic mail at: [email protected] ; or by mail...

  10. 78 FR 38070 - Renewal of Approved Information Collection

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-25

    ... information from individuals and entities seeking authorization for free use of mineral or vegetative... Information and Regulatory Affairs, fax 202-395-5806, or by electronic mail at [email protected] . Please provide a copy of your comments to the BLM. You may do so via mail, fax, or electronic mail. Mail...

  11. 78 FR 6830 - Renewal of Approved Information Collection

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-31

    ... of information from persons who seek authorization for free use of mineral or vegetative materials...: Comments may be submitted by mail, fax, or electronic mail. Mail: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau.... Fax: to Jean Sonneman at 202-245-0050. Electronic mail: [email protected] . Please indicate ``Attn...

  12. 78 FR 69553 - Domestic Competitive Products Pricing and Mailing Standards Changes

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-20

    ... increase 5.0 percent. The Intelligent Mail[supreg] package barcode (IMpb) will continue to provide free... Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]), to reflect changes to..., by class of mail, established by the Governors of the United States Postal Service[supreg]. New...

  13. 45 CFR 46.502 - What information must be provided when registering an IRB?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ...) of the institution or organization operating the IRB(s); and the name, mailing address, phone number..., phone number, facsimile number, and electronic mail address of the contact person providing the... IRB's mailing address, street address (if different from the mailing address), phone number, facsimile...

  14. 77 FR 45246 - Domestic Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-31

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 111 Domestic Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference AGENCY: Postal... Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) dated June 24, 2012, and...) 268-3789. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The most recent issue of the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) is dated...

  15. 77 FR 64724 - International Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-23

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 20 International Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference AGENCY: Postal... Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM[supreg]) dated June 24, 2012... International Mail Manual was issued on June 24, 2012, and was updated with postal bulletin revisions through...

  16. 39 CFR 20.1 - International Mail Manual; incorporation by reference.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... reference. 20.1 Section 20.1 Postal Service UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE INTERNATIONAL MAIL INTERNATIONAL POSTAL SERVICE § 20.1 International Mail Manual; incorporation by reference. (a) Section 552(a) of Title... provided in this part, the U.S. Postal Service hereby incorporates by reference its International Mail...

  17. 39 CFR 3055.60 - Package Services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Printed Matter Parcels, and Media Mail/Library Mail. For each of the Bound Printed Matter Flats, Bound Printed Matter Parcels, and Media Mail/Library Mail products within the Package Services class, report the... Post. For the Single-Piece Parcel Post product within the Package Services class, report the: (1) On...

  18. 77 FR 63771 - Implementation of Full-Service Intelligent Mail Requirements for Automation Prices

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-17

    ... tray barcodes (IMtb) on trays, tubs, and sacks; apply unique Intelligent Mail container barcodes (IMcb) on placards for containers, such as pallets; schedule appointments through Facility Access and... preparation of mail, which provides high-value services and enables efficient mail processing. The strategic...

  19. 47 CFR 3.26 - Where application is to be mailed.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... ACCOUNTING AUTHORITIES IN MARITIME AND MARITIME MOBILE-SATELLITE RADIO SERVICES Application Procedures § 3.26 Where application is to be mailed. All applications shall be mailed to the Accounting Authority... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Where application is to be mailed. 3.26 Section...

  20. 76 FR 12208 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-04

    ... or other forms of information technology. Mail, e-mail, or fax your comments and recommendations on...: 202-395-6974, E-mail address: [email protected] (SSA) Social Security Administration, DCBFM... above e-mail address. 1. Request for Social Security Earnings Information--20 CFR 404.810 and 401.100...

  1. 31 CFR 560.508 - Telecommunications and mail transactions authorized.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Telecommunications and mail... REGULATIONS Licenses, Authorizations and Statements of Licensing Policy § 560.508 Telecommunications and mail... telecommunications and mail between the United States and Iran are authorized. For purposes of this section, the term...

  2. 31 CFR 560.508 - Telecommunications and mail transactions authorized.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Telecommunications and mail... REGULATIONS Licenses, Authorizations and Statements of Licensing Policy § 560.508 Telecommunications and mail... telecommunications and mail between the United States and Iran are authorized. For purposes of this section, the term...

  3. Factors That Impact Nurses’ Utilization of Electronic Mail (E-Mail).

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1998-05-21

    of a system but did little to influence behavior. A study by Golden, Beauclair , & Sussman (1992) surveyed 200 electronic mail account holders at an...Aldine Publishing. Golden, P. A., Beauclair , R., & Sussman, L. (1992). Factors affecting electronic mail use. Computers in Human Behavior, 8, 297-311

  4. 31 CFR 560.508 - Telecommunications and mail transactions authorized.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Telecommunications and mail... REGULATIONS Licenses, Authorizations and Statements of Licensing Policy § 560.508 Telecommunications and mail... telecommunications and mail between the United States and Iran are authorized. For purposes of this section, the term...

  5. 45 CFR 46.502 - What information must be provided when registering an IRB?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ...) of the institution or organization operating the IRB(s); and the name, mailing address, phone number..., phone number, facsimile number, and electronic mail address of the contact person providing the... IRB's mailing address, street address (if different from the mailing address), phone number, facsimile...

  6. 45 CFR 46.502 - What information must be provided when registering an IRB?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ...) of the institution or organization operating the IRB(s); and the name, mailing address, phone number..., phone number, facsimile number, and electronic mail address of the contact person providing the... IRB's mailing address, street address (if different from the mailing address), phone number, facsimile...

  7. 45 CFR 46.502 - What information must be provided when registering an IRB?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ...) of the institution or organization operating the IRB(s); and the name, mailing address, phone number..., phone number, facsimile number, and electronic mail address of the contact person providing the... IRB's mailing address, street address (if different from the mailing address), phone number, facsimile...

  8. 45 CFR 46.502 - What information must be provided when registering an IRB?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ...) of the institution or organization operating the IRB(s); and the name, mailing address, phone number..., phone number, facsimile number, and electronic mail address of the contact person providing the... IRB's mailing address, street address (if different from the mailing address), phone number, facsimile...

  9. Outcomes of an Intercultural E-Mail Based University Discussion Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Furcsa, Laura

    2009-01-01

    This article investigates the development of intercultural awareness in an electronic mail (e-mail) discussion project between Hungarian learners of English and American speakers. Students discussed topics relating to cultures, languages, and pedagogical issues. The e-mails were analyzed in terms of language skill improvement, apprehensiveness…

  10. CERT Resilience Management Model - Mail-Specific Process Areas: Mail Revenue Assurance (Version 1.0)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-08-01

    Revenue Assurance ( MRA ), Mail Transportation (MT), and Mail Delivery (MD)—were accepted by the USPIS, as well as an initial draft of the MRA PA...versions of two complete PAs, MI [Allen 2014b] and MRA , were accepted by the USPIS. Following this initial effort, the USPIS asked CERT to extend the...Revenue Assurance ( MRA ) is to ensure that the USPS is compensated for all mail that is accepted, transported, and delivered. Outline MRA:SG1

  11. Development of an E-mail Application Seemit and its Utilization in an Information Literacy Course

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kita, Toshihiro; Miyazaki, Makoto; Nakano, Hiroshi; Sugitani, Kenichi; Akiyama, Hidenori

    We have developed a simple e-mail application named Seemit which is designed for being used in information literacy courses. It has necessary and sufficient functionality of an e-mail application, and it has been developed for the purpose of learning basic operations and mechanisms of e-mail transfer easily. It is equipped with the function to automatically set the configuration of user's SMTP/POP servers and e-mail address, etc. The process of transferring e-mail via SMTP and POP can be demonstrated step by step showing actual messages passed during the client-server interaction. We have utilized Seemit in a university-wide information literacy course which holds about 1800 students.

  12. Improved Speed Control System for the 87,000 HP Wind Tunnel Drive

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Becks, Edward A.; Bencic, Timothy J.; Blumenthal, Philip Z.

    1995-01-01

    This paper describes the design, installation, and integrated systems tests for a new drive motor speed control system which was part of a recent rehab project for the NASA Lewis 8x6 Supersonic Wind Tunnel. The tunnel drive consists of three mechanically-coupled 29,000 HP wound rotor induction motors driving an axial flow compressor. Liquid rheostats are used to vary the impedance of the rotor circuits, thus varying the speed of the drive system. The new design utilizes a distributed digital control system with a dual touch screen CRT operator console to provide alarm monitoring, logging, and trending. The liquid rheostats are driven by brushtype servomotor systems with magnetostrictive linear displacement transducers used for position feedback. The new system achieved all goals for speed variations with load, motor load balance, and control of total power.

  13. Engineering parvovirus-like particles for the induction of B-cell, CD4(+) and CTL responses.

    PubMed

    Rueda, P; Martínez-Torrecuadrada, J L; Sarraseca, J; Sedlik, C; del Barrio, M; Hurtado, A; Leclerc, C; Casal, J I

    1999-09-01

    An antigen delivery system based on hybrid recombinant parvovirus-like particles (VLPs) formed by the self-assembly of the capsid VP2 protein of porcine (PPV) or canine parvovirus (CPV) expressed in insect cells with the baculovirus system has been developed. PPV:VLPs containing a CD8(+) epitope from the LCMV nucleoprotein evoked a potent CTL response and were able to protect mice against a lethal infection with the virus. Also, PPV:VLPs containing the C3:T epitope from poliovirus elicited a CD4(+)3 log(10) units) against poliovirus. The possibility of combining different types of epitopes in different positions of a single particle to stimulate different branches of the immune system paves the way to the production of more potent vaccines in a simple and cheap way.

  14. Improved speed control system for the 87,000 HP wind tunnel drive

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Becks, Edward A.; Bencic, Timothy J.; Blumenthal, Philip Z.

    1995-01-01

    This paper describes the design, installation, and integrated systems tests for a new drive motor speed control system which was part of a recent rehab project for the NASA Lewis 8x6 Supersonic Wind Tunnel. The tunnel drive consists of three mechanically-coupled 29,000 HP wound rotor induction motors driving an axial flow compressor. Liquid rheostats are used to vary the impedance of the rotor circuits, thus varying the speed of the drive system. The new design utilizes a distributed digital control system with a dual touch screen CRT operator console to provide alarm monitoring, logging, and trending. The liquid rheostats are driven by brushtype servomotor systems with magnetostrictive linear displacement transducers used for position feedback. The new system achieved all goals for speed variations with load, motor load balance, and control of total power.

  15. Exposure of Metarhizium acridum mycelium to light induces tolerance to UV-B radiation.

    PubMed

    Brancini, Guilherme T P; Rangel, Drauzio E N; Braga, Gilberto Ú L

    2016-03-01

    Metarhizium acridum is an entomopathogenic fungus commonly used as a bioinsecticide. The conidium is the fungal stage normally employed as field inoculum in biological control programs and must survive under field conditions such as high ultraviolet-B (UV-B) exposure. Light, which is an important stimulus for many fungi, has been shown to induce the production of M. robertsii conidia with increased stress tolerance. Here we show that a two-hour exposure to white or blue/UV-A light of fast-growing mycelium induces tolerance to subsequent UV-B irradiation. Red light, however, does not have the same effect. In addition, we established that this induction can take place with as little as 1 min of white-light exposure. This brief illumination scheme could be relevant in future studies of M. acridum photobiology and for the production of UV-B resistant mycelium used in mycelium-based formulations for biological control. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. 76 FR 4820 - New Mailing Standards for Domestic Mailing Services

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-27

    ... prices for their parcels when they pay postage by any of the following three methods: Permit imprint... permit imprint, meet specific mailing requirements, and whose account volume exceeds a minimum threshold... prices in a calendar year. Pay for postage using a permit imprint. Enter a minimum of 500 pieces of mail...

  17. Uses and Perceptions of E-Mail for Course-Related Communication between Business Faculty and Undergraduates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Costello, Robert

    2011-01-01

    Technological advancements have facilitated the learning process by offering faculty members and students better access to resources, while increasing the potential for more interaction and communication flexibility (Firmin & Miller, 2005). Among these technologies is electronic mail or e-mail. The uses and perceptions of e-mail between business…

  18. 76 FR 62000 - Express Mail Domestic Postage Refund Policy and Waiver of Signature

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-06

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 111 Express Mail Domestic Postage Refund Policy and Waiver of Signature... days to 30 days after the date of mailing, and to change the Express Mail ``waiver of signature'' standard for domestic items by obtaining an addressee's signature only when the mailer selects the...

  19. 76 FR 75461 - Express Mail Domestic Postage Refund Policy and Waiver of Signature

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-02

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 111 Express Mail Domestic Postage Refund Policy and Waiver of Signature... to 30 days after the date of mailing, and to change the Express Mail ``waiver of signature'' standard for domestic items by obtaining an addressee's signature only when the mailer selects the ``signature...

  20. 7 CFR 273.16 - Disqualification for intentional Program violation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... has been scheduled. If mailed, the notice shall be sent either first class mail or certified mail... sent using first class mail and is returned as undeliverable, the hearing may still be held. (ii) If no... free legal representation, the notice shall advise the affected individual of the availability of the...

  1. 7 CFR 273.16 - Disqualification for intentional Program violation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... has been scheduled. If mailed, the notice shall be sent either first class mail or certified mail... sent using first class mail and is returned as undeliverable, the hearing may still be held. (ii) If no... free legal representation, the notice shall advise the affected individual of the availability of the...

  2. The Utility of Electronic Mail Follow-Ups for Library Research.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roselle, Ann; Neufeld, Steven

    1998-01-01

    A survey of academic librarians determined that the use of e-mail in the follow-up stage of a library research project using mailed questionnaires was as effective as postal mail in speed and size of response. Discusses additional benefits (interpersonal communication, reduced time and costs) and drawbacks (time spent identifying messages…

  3. 76 FR 37655 - Combined Mailings of Standard Mail and Periodicals Flats

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-28

    ... Periodicals flats to be made using a minimum of six (6) pieces, as is currently permitted for Periodicals... Regulations to reflect that the Standard Mail service standards apply to all Periodicals flats pieces entered... for Standard Mail of 200 pieces or 50 pounds. Periodicals publications must be authorized or have a...

  4. 39 CFR Appendix A to Subpart A of... - Mail Classification Schedule

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 39 Postal Service 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Mail Classification Schedule A Appendix A to Subpart A of Part 3020 Postal Service POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION PERSONNEL PRODUCT LISTS Mail Classification Schedule Pt. 3020, Subpt. A, App. A Appendix A to Subpart A of Part 3020—Mail Classification...

  5. Understanding the "Other Side": Intercultural learning in a Spanish-English E-Mail Exchange.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Dowd, Robert

    2003-01-01

    Reviews recent research on intercultural learning and reports on a yearlong e-mail exchange between Spanish and English second year university students. Identifies key characteristics of e-mail exchanges that helped to develop learners' intercultural communicative competence. Outlines elements of e-mail messages that may enable students to develop…

  6. 39 CFR 121.1 - First-Class Mail.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... First-Class Mail® pieces properly accepted before the day-zero Critical Entry Time at origin, the..., if that mail is accepted before the day-zero Critical Entry Time at origin, if sufficient customer... domestic First-Class Mail pieces properly accepted before the day-zero Critical Entry Time at origin if a 1...

  7. O How Wondrous Is E-Mail!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buchanan, Larry

    1998-01-01

    Addresses the use of e-mail for communication and collaborative projects in schools. Discusses the effectiveness of an e-mail system based on a UNIX host; problems with POP (post office protocol) client programs; and the new Internet Mail Access Protocol (IMAP) which addresses most of the shortcomings of the POP protocol while keeping advantages…

  8. 76 FR 39136 - Applications and Amendments to Facility Operating Licenses Involving Proposed No Significant...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-05

    ...) courier, express mail, or expedited delivery service to the Office of the Secretary, Sixteenth Floor, One... the mail, or by courier, express mail, or expedited delivery service upon depositing the document with..., Office of the General Counsel, Washington, DC 20555-0001. The expedited delivery or courier mail address...

  9. 75 FR 3758 - Proposed Extension of the Approval of Information Collection Requirements

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-22

    ..., identified by Control Number 1215- 0036, by either one of the following methods: E-mail: [email protected] . Mail, Hand Delivery, Courier: Regulatory Analysis Branch, Wage and Hour Division, U.S... transmit their comments electronically via e-mail or to submit them by mail early. Comments, including any...

  10. 19 CFR 10.422 - Submission of certificate of eligibility.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... following information: (i) The legal name, address, telephone and e-mail address of the importer of record... and e-mail address, if available; (iii) The legal name, address, telephone and e-mail address of the exporter of the good (if different from the producer); (iv) The legal name, address, telephone and e-mail...

  11. 14 CFR 232.2 - Answers to applications for review.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... expected actual density of mail which will be tendered to the carrier if the order in question is upheld... order in question is upheld; (5) The volume (including density of mail, amount and types of containers... (including density of mail, amount and types of containers) of mail historically carried on the flight or...

  12. 39 CFR 233.11 - Mail reasonably suspected of being dangerous to persons or property.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... employees as provided in paragraph (b) of this section. (6) After screening, mail sealed against inspection... property. (a) Screening of mail. When the Chief Postal Inspector determines that there is a credible threat... the screening of such mail by any means capable of identifying explosives, nonmailable firearms, or...

  13. 21 CFR 203.36 - Fulfillment houses, shipping and mailing services, comarketing agreements, and third-party...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 4 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Fulfillment houses, shipping and mailing services... Samples § 203.36 Fulfillment houses, shipping and mailing services, comarketing agreements, and third... manufacturer or authorized distributor of record that uses a fulfillment house, shipping or mailing service, or...

  14. How Colleges, Universities, and Other Educational Institutions Can Use Direct Mail More Effectively.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, Glenn L.

    This series of magazine articles stresses ways in which educational institutions can use direct mail advertising to promote lectures, concerts, and other programs to off-campus audiences. The application of direct mail principles to selling education is suggested, and the advantages and disadvantages of direct mailings by colleges and universities…

  15. Senior Citizens Who Use E-Mail

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stark-Wroblewski, Kimberly; Edelbaum, Jessica K.; Ryan, Joseph J.

    2007-01-01

    Increases in the aging population and use of computer-related technology have spawned research regarding older adults' use of the Internet. This study examined characteristics differentiating rural Midwestern senior citizens (N = 298) who use e-mail from those who do not. Compared to those who did not use e-mail, e-mail-using seniors were younger…

  16. 76 FR 16588 - Combined Mailings of Standard Mail and Periodicals Flats

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-24

    ... may be combined in carrier route, 5-digit (scheme), 3-digit, ADC, and Mixed ADC bundles when prepared...-digit scheme through NDC pallets must contain at least 250 pounds of combined Standard Mail and... scheme through NDC pallets must contain at least 250 pounds of combined Standard Mail and Periodicals...

  17. 14 CFR 223.24 - Transportation of empty mail bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Transportation of empty mail bags. Any carrier authorized to engage in foreign air transportation may transport in foreign air transportation empty air mail bags from any country to the country of origin of such... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Transportation of empty mail bags. 223.24...

  18. 14 CFR 223.24 - Transportation of empty mail bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Transportation of empty mail bags. Any carrier authorized to engage in foreign air transportation may transport in foreign air transportation empty air mail bags from any country to the country of origin of such... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Transportation of empty mail bags. 223.24...

  19. 14 CFR 223.24 - Transportation of empty mail bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Transportation of empty mail bags. Any carrier authorized to engage in foreign air transportation may transport in foreign air transportation empty air mail bags from any country to the country of origin of such... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Transportation of empty mail bags. 223.24...

  20. You've got mail! An examination of a statewide direct-mail marketing campaign to promote deceased organ donor registrations.

    PubMed

    Quick, Brian L; LaVoie, Nicole R; Morgan, Susan E; Bosch, Dave

    2015-11-01

    This study extends previous direct-mail campaigns by evaluating the effectiveness of a marketing campaign promoting organ donation message strategies from the vantage point of organ donors, organ recipients, individuals on the waiting list, or a combination of these three frames. Illinois residents were randomly assigned to one of four organ donation brochures disseminated via U.S. postal mail. Registrations occurred via the Internet and U.S. postal mail. Individuals register at a greater rate following exposure to the combination framed message compared to organ donor, organ recipient, and waiting list narratives. The campaign revealed that individuals are more likely to register via U.S. postal mail than the Internet. Direct-mail marketing efforts were shown to be an effective approach to promote organ and tissue donation registrations. The results demonstrated a preference for the combination framed brochure. The results are discussed with an emphasis on the practical implications of utilizing direct-mail marketing efforts to promote organ donation among young adults. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Embracing technology: patients', family members' and nurse specialists' experience of communicating using e-mail.

    PubMed

    Cornwall, Amanda; Moore, Sally; Plant, Hilary

    2008-07-01

    This paper reports on a study exploring the usefulness of e-mail as a means of communication between nurse specialists and patients with lung cancer and their families. The study involved two lung cancer nurse specialists and 16 patients and family members who used e-mail with them during the 6-month study period. Data were collected from three sources: (1) e-mail contact between the nurse specialists and patients/family members, (2) patient/family member questionnaire and (3) a focus group/reflective session with the nurse specialists. Quantitative data collected from the e-mails and the questionnaires were analysed descriptively and are presented as summary statistics. Text data from the questionnaires and e-mails were analysed using content analysis. Findings suggest that e-mail can be an effective and convenient means of communication between nurse specialists, and patients and family members. Patients and family members reported high levels of satisfaction with this method of communication. It was found to be quick and easy, and patients and family members were satisfied with both the response and the speed of response from the nurse specialists. Nurse specialists were also positive about e-mail use and found that the benefits of using e-mail with patients/family members outweighed any disadvantages. Further investigation is recommended involving other health care professionals and different patient groups to ensure the safe and appropriate use of e-mail within health care.

  2. Assessing the potential of e-mail for communicating drug therapy recommendations to physicians in patients with heart failure and ventricular-assist devices.

    PubMed

    Lekura, Jona; Tita, Cristina; Lanfear, David E; Williams, Celeste T; Jennings, Douglas L

    2014-10-01

    This project explores electronic mail (e-mail) as a potential medium for pharmacists to communicate pharmacotherapy interventions to prescribers. This retrospective descriptive analysis was conducted at an urban, academic teaching hospital. The pharmacist attempted a drug therapy intervention via e-mail when unable to make face-to-face contact with the attending physician. Eligible patients for this project were admitted to the advanced heart failure (HF) team between December 1, 2010, and July 31, 2011, and had at least 1 attempted e-mail intervention. The primary outcome was the number of accepted interventions, while the secondary end point was the time until a physician e-mail response. A total of 51 e-mail interventions were attempted on 29 patients (mean age = 53, 24% caucasian, 59% male, 69% left ventricular-assist device [VAD]). Overall, of the total 51 interventions,44 (86.3%) were accepted. The average time to a physician e-mail response was 41 minutes. Initiation of drug therapy and changing dose and route or frequency accounted for the most frequent intervention (33%). The most common drug classes involved in the e-mail interventions were angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (15.7%), loop diuretics (9.8%), and antiplatelet agents (7.8%). Clinical pharmacists with well-established physician relationships can effectively implement timely drug therapy recommendations using e-mail communications in patients with advanced HF or VADs. © The Author(s) 2013.

  3. Remote Collection of Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Outpatient Hand Surgery: A Randomized Trial of Telephone, Mail, and E-Mail.

    PubMed

    Schwartzenberger, Justin; Presson, Angela; Lyle, Adam; O'Farrell, Andrew; Tyser, Andrew R

    2017-09-01

    Obtaining remote patient-reported outcomes (PRO) is limited by low patient response rates and resource-intensive collection methods. We hypothesized that an e-mail-delivered Web-based data collection tool would outperform the traditional methods of telephone and standard mail for collecting long-term Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) scores at a minimum of 1 year following carpal tunnel release (CTR). We conducted a randomized trial of 969 patients who underwent CTR at a tertiary medical center within the past 5 years. Participants were randomized to the PRO collection methods of mail, telephone, and e-mail. The primary outcome was survey response rate at 1 year after surgery. Secondary analyses included data completeness and the effect of time from surgery, mode effects, and patient modality preference. At 1 year from surgery, the response rates were 64% for telephone and 42% for both mail and e-mail. Ninety-nine percent of telephone surveys were complete compared with 88% and 83% for mail and e-mail, respectively. There was no significant difference in the overall response rate at 1 or 5 years after surgery, nor in the BCTQ score between the modalities. A higher response rate and increased survey completeness was achieved by telephone contact methods compared with standard mailings or Web-based methods for PRO collection after CTR 1 to 5 years after surgery. A Web-based method demonstrated response rates equivalent to those of standard mail, was the most preferred modality, and offered logistical advantages such as automation and immediate integration with outcome databases. Obtaining PRO routinely after treatment may increase in importance. A Web-based interface may assist clinicians in decreasing the resource utilization typically associated with more traditional methods used to obtain outcome data. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. 39 CFR 233.11 - Mail reasonably suspected of being dangerous to persons or property.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 39 Postal Service 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Mail reasonably suspected of being dangerous to... ADMINISTRATION INSPECTION SERVICE AUTHORITY § 233.11 Mail reasonably suspected of being dangerous to persons or... other dangerous contents in the mails. The screening must be within the limits of this section and...

  5. 39 CFR 233.11 - Mail reasonably suspected of being dangerous to persons or property.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 39 Postal Service 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Mail reasonably suspected of being dangerous to... ADMINISTRATION INSPECTION SERVICE AUTHORITY § 233.11 Mail reasonably suspected of being dangerous to persons or... other dangerous contents in the mails. The screening must be within the limits of this section and...

  6. 39 CFR 233.11 - Mail reasonably suspected of being dangerous to persons or property.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 39 Postal Service 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Mail reasonably suspected of being dangerous to... ADMINISTRATION INSPECTION SERVICE AUTHORITY § 233.11 Mail reasonably suspected of being dangerous to persons or... other dangerous contents in the mails. The screening must be within the limits of this section and...

  7. 39 CFR 233.11 - Mail reasonably suspected of being dangerous to persons or property.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 39 Postal Service 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Mail reasonably suspected of being dangerous to... ADMINISTRATION INSPECTION SERVICE AUTHORITY § 233.11 Mail reasonably suspected of being dangerous to persons or... other dangerous contents in the mails. The screening must be within the limits of this section and...

  8. 76 FR 17787 - Market Dominant Negotiated Service Agreement (NSA) for First-Class Mail and Standard Mail

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-31

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 111 Market Dominant Negotiated Service Agreement (NSA) for First- Class....1, to establish a new Negotiated Service Agreement (NSA) Market Dominant product for First-Class... Gifford at 202-268-8082. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This new NSA for First-Class Mail and Standard Mail is...

  9. 78 FR 123 - Diablo Canyon, Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation; License Amendment Request...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-02

    ... receipt of the document. The E-Filing system also distributes an email notice that provides access to the...: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff; or (2) courier, express mail, or expedited delivery service to the Office... mail as of the time of deposit in the mail, or by courier, express mail, or expedited delivery service...

  10. 78 FR 119 - Consideration of Approval of Application Containing Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-02

    ... receipt of the document. The E-Filing system also distributes an email notice that provides access to the...: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff; or (2) courier, express mail, or expedited delivery service to the Office... mail as of the time of deposit in the mail, or by courier, express mail, or expedited delivery service...

  11. 25 CFR 115.405 - How frequently will a minor's statement of performance be mailed?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false How frequently will a minor's statement of performance be mailed? 115.405 Section 115.405 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FINANCIAL... minor's statement of performance be mailed? We will mail a minor's statement of performance to the...

  12. Analysis of the Questions Asked through Digital and Face-to-Face Reference Services

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tsuji, Keita; Arai, Shunsuke; Suga, Reina; Ikeuchi, Atsushi; Yoshikane, Fuyuki

    2013-01-01

    In Japan, only a few public libraries provide e-mail reference services. To help public libraries start e-mail reference services, the authors investigated reference questions received by libraries via e-mail and traditional face-to-face services. The authors found that research questions are more frequently observed among e-mail questions and…

  13. Comparing Two Web/Mail Mixed-Mode Contact Protocols to a Unimode Mail Survey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Newberry, Milton G., III; Israel, Glenn D.

    2017-01-01

    Recent research has shown mixed-mode surveys are advantageous for organizations to use in collecting data. Previous research explored web/mail mode effects for four-contact waves. This study explores the effect of web/mail mixed-mode systems over a series of contacts on the customer satisfaction data from the Florida Cooperative Extension Service…

  14. 41 CFR 102-192.135 - Must we have a mail center manager at our facility?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... center manager at our facility? 102-192.135 Section 102-192.135 Public Contracts and Property Management... PROGRAMS 192-MAIL MANAGEMENT Mail Center Manager Requirements § 102-192.135 Must we have a mail center manager at our facility? Yes, every facility that has more than two full time people dedicated to...

  15. Collaboration via E-Mail and Internet Relay Chat: Understanding Time and Technology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duin, Ann Hill; Archee, Ray

    1996-01-01

    Examines how college students working across distances used e-mail and Internet Relay Chat (IRC) to facilitate their collaboration and decision-making processes. Finds that students came to a decision more quickly using e-mail than with IRC, and when IRC was slow, students reverted to a series of rapid-fire e-mail messages. (RS)

  16. A Case Study of Culturally Sensitive Mail Survey Methods for Understanding Walking within an Orthodox Jewish Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kahan, David

    2006-01-01

    Adequate response to mail health surveys by minority populations has proved problematic. The impact of mail survey design features utilized to promote Orthodox Jews' responses (N = 138; 82 eligible synagogue member households) to a mailed questionnaire used to measure walking behavior are described and assessed. An examination of response…

  17. 75 FR 70335 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board; Notice of Filing and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-17

    ... Mail Contacts, and Form G-40, on Electronic Mail Contacts November 12, 2010. Pursuant to Section 19(b... agency''); (iv) amendments to Rule G-40, on electronic mail contacts, by municipal advisors; and (v) amendments to Form G-40, on electronic mail contacts. The proposed rule change is effective immediately upon...

  18. 40 CFR 710.59 - Availability of reporting form and instructions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... page. (2) By phone. Call the EPA TSCA Hotline at (202) 554-1404. (3) By e-mail. Send an e-mail request for this information to the EPA TSCA Hotline at TSCA-Hotline@epa.gov. (4) By mail. Send a written request for this information to the following address: TSCA Hotline, Mail Code 7408M, ATTN: Inventory...

  19. Improving Instructor Response to Student E-Mails Using Template and Reminder Interventions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Elbeck, Matthew; Song, Minjung

    2011-01-01

    Student e-mails without the student's name, message, file attachment, and other identifying information may impede a timely and thorough instructor response. To help resolve this issue, we apply template and reminder interventions to improve student e-mail format defined as the degree of agreement between a student's e-mail format and an…

  20. Prevent Spam Filters from Blocking Legitimate E-Mail

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldsborough, Reid

    2004-01-01

    There's no question about it: Spam is a scourge. This ever-increasing torrent of unsolicited commercial mass e-mail saps productivity and, for some, threatens the very viability of e-mail. The battle against spam, unfortunately, is creating problems of its own, with people sometimes unable to send legitimate e-mail and other times unable to…

  1. Survey Methods to Optimize Response Rate in the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network.

    PubMed

    Funkhouser, Ellen; Vellala, Kavya; Baltuck, Camille; Cacciato, Rita; Durand, Emily; McEdward, Deborah; Sowell, Ellen; Theisen, Sarah E; Gilbert, Gregg H

    2017-09-01

    Surveys of health professionals typically have low response rates, and these rates have been decreasing in the recent years. We report on the methods used in a successful survey of dentist members of the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network. The objectives were to quantify the (1) increase in response rate associated with successive survey methods, (2) time to completion with each successive step, (3) contribution from the final method and personal contact, and (4) differences in response rate and mode of response by practice/practitioner characteristics. Dentist members of the network were mailed an invitation describing the study. Subsequently, up to six recruitment steps were followed: initial e-mail, two e-mail reminders at 2-week intervals, a third e-mail reminder with postal mailing a paper questionnaire, a second postal mailing of paper questionnaire, and staff follow-up. Of the 1,876 invited, 160 were deemed ineligible and 1,488 (87% of 1,716 eligible) completed the survey. Completion by step: initial e-mail, 35%; second e-mail, 15%; third e-mail, 7%; fourth e-mail/first paper, 11%; second paper, 15%; and staff follow-up, 16%. Overall, 76% completed the survey online and 24% on paper. Completion rates increased in absolute numbers and proportionally with later methods of recruitment. Participation rates varied little by practice/practitioner characteristics. Completion on paper was more likely by older dentists. Multiple methods of recruitment resulted in a high participation rate: Each step and method produced incremental increases with the final step producing the largest increase.

  2. Experiences of patients who were early adopters of electronic communication with their physician: satisfaction, benefits, and concerns.

    PubMed

    Houston, Thomas K; Sands, Daniel Z; Jenckes, Mollie W; Ford, Daniel E

    2004-09-01

    To explore the experiences of patients who were early adopters of e-mail communication with their physicians. Patients' experiences were assessed with an Internetbased survey of 1881 individuals and in-depth telephone follow-up interviews with 56 individuals who used e-mail to communicate with providers. Two investigators qualitatively coded interview comments independently, with differences adjudicated by group consensus. A total of 311 (16.5%) of the 1881 individuals reported using electronic mail to communicate with their physicians. Compared with the population-based Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, users of e-mail with physicians were twice as likely to have a college education, were younger, were less frequently ethnic minorities, and more frequently reported fair/poor health. Among the 311 patients who used e-mail with their physicians, the most frequent topics were results of laboratory testing and prescription renewals. However, many of the 311 users (21%) also reported using asynchronous e-mail inappropriately to convey urgent or sensitive issues (suicidality, chest pain, etc). Almost all (95%) perceived that e-mail was more efficient than the telephone. Important benefits uncovered from the interviews were that some patients felt more emboldened to ask questions in e-mail compared with face-to-face communication with doctors, and liked the ability to save the e-mail messages. Users also expressed concerns about privacy. Patients that use electronic communication with their physicians find the communication efficient for disease management. Further patient education about inappropriate use of e-mail for urgent issues is needed.

  3. Folate and Cobalamin Modify Associations between S-adenosylmethionine and Methylated Arsenic Metabolites in Arsenic-Exposed Bangladeshi Adults123

    PubMed Central

    Howe, Caitlin G.; Niedzwiecki, Megan M.; Hall, Megan N.; Liu, Xinhua; Ilievski, Vesna; Slavkovich, Vesna; Alam, Shafiul; Siddique, Abu B.; Graziano, Joseph H.; Gamble, Mary V.

    2014-01-01

    Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic (InAs) through drinking water is a major problem worldwide. InAs undergoes hepatic methylation to form mono- and dimethyl arsenical species (MMA and DMA, respectively), facilitating arsenic elimination. Both reactions are catalyzed by arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (AS3MT) using S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) as the methyl donor, yielding the methylated product and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), a potent product-inhibitor of AS3MT. SAM biosynthesis depends on folate- and cobalamin-dependent one-carbon metabolism. With the use of samples from 353 participants in the Folate and Oxidative Stress Study, our objective was to test the hypotheses that blood SAM and SAH concentrations are associated with arsenic methylation and that these associations differ by folate and cobalamin nutritional status. Blood SAM and SAH were measured by HPLC. Arsenic metabolites in blood and urine were measured by HPLC coupled to dynamic reaction cell inductively coupled plasma MS. In linear regression analyses, SAH was not associated with any of the arsenic metabolites. However, log(SAM) was negatively associated with log(% urinary InAs) (β: −0.11; 95% CI: −0.19, −0.02; P = 0.01), and folate and cobalamin nutritional status significantly modified associations between SAM and percentage of blood MMA (%bMMA) and percentage of blood DMA (%bDMA) (P = 0.02 and P = 0.01, respectively). In folate- and cobalamin-deficient individuals, log(SAM) was positively associated with %bMMA (β: 6.96; 95% CI: 1.86, 12.05; P < 0.01) and negatively associated with %bDMA (β: −6.19; 95% CI: −12.71, 0.32; P = 0.06). These findings suggest that when exposure to InAs is high, and methyl groups are limiting, SAM is used primarily for MMA synthesis rather than for DMA synthesis, contributing additional evidence that nutritional status may explain some of the interindividual differences in arsenic metabolism and, consequently, susceptibility to arsenic toxicity. PMID:24598884

  4. What a difference your e-mail makes: effects of informal e-mail addresses in online résumé screening.

    PubMed

    van Toorenburg, Marlies; Oostrom, Janneke K; Pollet, Thomas V

    2015-03-01

    Résumés are screened rapidly, with some reports stating that recruiters form their impressions within 10 seconds. Certain résumé characteristics can have a significant impact on the snap judgments these recruiters make. The main goal of the present study was to examine the effect of the e-mail address (formal vs. informal) used in a résumé on the hirability perceptions formed by professional recruiters (N=73). In addition, the effect of the e-mail address on hirability perceptions was compared to the effects of spelling errors and typeface. Participants assessed the cognitive ability, personality, and the hirability of six fictitious applicants for the job of an HR specialist. The hirability ratings for the résumés with informal e-mail addresses were significantly lower than the hirability ratings for résumés that featured a formal e-mail address. The effect of e-mail address was as strong as the effect of spelling errors and stronger than that of typeface. The effect of e-mail address on hirability was mediated by perceptions of conscientiousness and honesty-humility. This study among actual recruiters shows for the first time that the choice of the e-mail address used on a résumé might make a real difference.

  5. 41 CFR 102-192.30 - What types of mail does this part apply to?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 192-MAIL MANAGEMENT Introduction to this Part § 102-192.30 What types of mail does this part apply to... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What types of mail does this part apply to? 102-192.30 Section 102-192.30 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal...

  6. Talking Shop via E-Mail: A Thematic and Linguistic Analysis of Electronic Mail Communication. Research Report 99.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tella, Seppo

    The linguistic purposes of this research were to focus on content, themes and topics, and to analyze the way the target language (English) was used in e-mail. Communicativeness and the roles of the communicator (writer-reader) became central, emphasizing the multidirectional character of e-mail communication. The basic tenet of communicativeness…

  7. 41 CFR 102-192.90 - What must we include in our annual mail management report to GSA?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... our annual mail management report to GSA? 102-192.90 Section 102-192.90 Public Contracts and Property... annual mail management report to GSA? Your annual report must— (a) Identify your agency mail manager; in... person serving in this role. (b) State the total amounts paid to each service provider during the...

  8. The Application of E-Mail to College English Teaching in China

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Guofeng

    2010-01-01

    With the development of information technology in the past 10 years, e-mail has been widely used in the field of English teaching. This paper, based on an analysis of the ways of using e-mail in college English teaching in China, probes the feasibility and the benefits of application of e-mail to college English teaching.

  9. A Comparative Analysis of E-Mail and Face-to-Face Communication in an Educational Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lightfoot, Jay M.

    2006-01-01

    Electronic mail (e-mail) is an extremely important medium for Internet-based education. Due to its unique characteristics, there is reason to be concerned that students do not put appropriate care into writing messages that are sent via e-mail. This has significant implications for the effectiveness of online learning environments. This paper…

  10. 75 FR 32005 - National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Major Sources: Industrial...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-04

    ... Web site. E-mail: Comments may be sent by electronic mail (e-mail) to a-and-r[email protected] otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site is... Web site: http://www.epa.gov/airquality/combustion . Please refer to this Web site to confirm the date...

  11. 75 FR 66120 - Information Collection Sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Approval; OMB...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-27

    ...-mail). Please provide a copy of your comments to Hope Grey, Information Collection Clearance Officer, U...), or hope_grey@fws.gov (e-mail). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information about this ICR, contact Hope Grey by mail or e-mail (see ADDRESSES) or by telephone at (703) 358-2482...

  12. 76 FR 17650 - Federal Communications Commission Recharters and Seeks Nominations for Membership on the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-30

    ... Communications Commission, via e- mail at lisa[email protected] ; via facsimile at 202- 418-2817; or via U.S. mail... submission by e-mail or facsimile. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa M. Fowlkes, Deputy Chief, Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau, (202) 418-7452 (voice) or lisa[email protected] (e-mail) or Jeffery...

  13. 76 FR 11291 - NextEra Energy Seabrook, LLC; Seabrook Station Unit No. 1; Notice of Consideration of Issuance of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-01

    ... Adjudications Staff; or (2) courier, express mail, or expedited delivery service to the Office of the Secretary... time of deposit in the mail, or by courier, express mail, or expedited delivery service upon depositing... expedited delivery or courier mail address for both offices is: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 11555...

  14. 76 FR 763 - Finding of Substantial Inadequacy of Implementation Plan; Call for Kansas Section 110 State...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-06

    ... : Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments. 2. E-mail: [email protected] . 3. Mail... disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit through http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail, information... provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without going...

  15. TVDG Contacts

    Science.gov Websites

    for Sandy Fax By Fax: 1 631 344 4583 Attention Chuck Carlson EMail By E-Mail: Send E-Mail to Chuck Group Leader James Alessi Telephone: 1-631-344-4004 E-Mail: Peter Thieberger Information can be returned 1 631 344 4581. An organizational list of staff members and how to contact them. The BNL E-Mail and

  16. The Impact of E-Mail Address on Credibility in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Livermore, Jeffrey A.; Scafe, Marla G.; Asher, Corinne

    2016-01-01

    The researchers have often been surprised to see the e-mail addresses used by our students and colleagues. Many students and faculty choose their own user names and choose their providers. E-mail addresses may provide an insight into the background and employment situation of the user. This study quantifies the impact that e-mail address choices…

  17. The Development of E-Mail Literacy: From Writing to Peers to Writing to Authority Figures

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Chi-Fen Emily

    2006-01-01

    Though e-mail has become a common interpersonal communication medium, it does not mean that this medium is used without difficulty. While people can write e-mails to peers in any manner they like, writing e-mails to authority figures requires higher pragmatic competence and critical language awareness of how discourse shapes and reflects power…

  18. Trends in Information Technology and Future Prospects with Regard to Transforming Classroom Interaction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hashem, Mahboub E.; Crawford, Christopher B.; Strohkirch, C. Sue

    Educators have conquered e-mail and surfing the net; now they are striving to provide quality distance education. Classes often form discussion groups and use listservs to facilitate interaction. A discussion group is little more than a mailing list. Messages can be mailed to the list address and are copied to each person on that mailing list. The…

  19. Social work practice in the digital age: therapeutic e-mail as a direct practice methodology.

    PubMed

    Mattison, Marian

    2012-07-01

    The author addresses the risks and benefits of incorporating therapeutic e-mail communication into clinical social work practice. Consumer demand for online clinical services is growing faster than the professional response. E-mail, when used as an adjunct to traditional meetings with clients, offers distinct advantages and risks. Benefits include the potential to reach clients in geographically remote and underserved communities, enhancing and extending the therapeutic relationship and improving treatment outcomes. Risks include threats to client confidentiality and privacy, liability coverage for practitioners, licensing jurisdiction, and the lack of competency standards for delivering e-mail interventions. Currently, the social work profession does not have adequate instructive guidelines and best-practice standards for using e-mail as a direct practice methodology. Practitioners need (formal) academic training in the techniques connected to e-mail exchanges with clients. The author describes the ethical and legal risks for practitioners using therapeutic e-mail with clients and identifies recommendations for establishing best-practice standards.

  20. [E-mail in psychotherapy--an aftercare model via electronic mail for psychotherapy inpatients].

    PubMed

    Wolf, Markus; Maurer, Wolf-Jürgen; Dogs, Peter; Kordy, Hans

    2006-01-01

    We introduce an aftercare program for psychotherapy inpatients, which is based on regular communication via E-mail. The organizational and operational structure of the program are described within the context of computer mediated communication. First results on utilization and acceptance are reported. In comparison to patients who did not participate in either aftercare program of the clinic, the E-mail participants are younger and higher educated. Inpatient treatment of the participants was three days shorter in duration than that of non participants. Both groups were similar with regard to symptom distress at discharge from hospital. A low dropout rate of 8%, the high activity and satisfaction emphasize the positive acceptance of the program. Therapists' E-mail activity turned out to be important for the participants. Neither age, internet experience or symptom related variables nor the own E-mail activity were associated with participants' evaluation of the new service. Based on these first positive experiences the perspectives of using E-mail in psychotherapy will be discussed.

  1. How new subscribers use cancer-related online mailing lists.

    PubMed

    Rimer, Barbara K; Lyons, Elizabeth J; Ribisl, Kurt M; Bowling, J Michael; Golin, Carol E; Forlenza, Michael J; Meier, Andrea

    2005-07-01

    Online cancer-related support is an under-studied resource that may serve an important function in the information seeking, care, and support of cancer patients and their families. With over 9.8 million cancer survivors (defined as anyone living with cancer) in the United States alone and the number growing worldwide, it is important to understand how they seek and use online resources to obtain the information they need, when they need it, and in a form and manner appropriate to them. These are stated cancer communication goals of the US National Cancer Institute. Our purposes are to (1) present background information about online mailing lists and electronic support groups, (2) describe the rationale and methodology for the Health eCommunities (HeC) study, and (3) present preliminary baseline data on new subscribers to cancer-related mailing lists. In particular, we describe subscribers' use of mailing lists, their reasons for using them, and their reactions to participating shortly after joining the lists. From April to August 2004, we invited all new subscribers to 10 Association of Cancer Online Resources mailing lists to complete Web-based surveys. We analyzed baseline data from the respondents to examine their perceptions about cancer-related mailing lists and to describe how cancer patients and survivors used these lists in the period shortly after joining them. Cumulative email invitations were sent to 1368 new mailing list subscribers; 293 Web surveys were completed within the allotted time frame (21.4% response rate). Most respondents were over age 50 (n = 203, 72%), white (n = 286, 98%), college graduates (n = 161, 55%), and had health insurance (n = 283, 97%). About 41% (n = 116) of new subscribers reported spending 1 to 3 hours per day reading and responding to list messages. They used the mailing lists for several reasons. Among the most frequently reported, 62% (n = 179) strongly agreed they used mailing lists to obtain information on how to deal with cancer, 42% (n = 121) strongly agreed they used mailing lists for support, and 37% (n = 109) strongly agreed that they were on the mailing lists to help others. Smaller proportions of new subscribers strongly agreed that others on the mailing lists had similar cancer experiences (n = 23, 9%), that they could relate to the experiences of others on the lists (n = 66, 27%), and that others on the list gave them good ideas about how to cope with cancer (n = 66, 27%). Cancer-related online mailing lists appear to be an important resource, especially for information seeking but also for support of cancer survivors. These were the primary motivators most members reported for joining mailing lists. The modest proportion of subscribers who strongly agreed that they could relate to others' cancer experiences (as well as similar responses to other process questions) is undoubtedly due at least in part to the short duration that these subscribers were involved with the mailing lists. Emerging data, including our own, suggest that mailing lists are perhaps under-used by minority patients/survivors. These preliminary data add to a growing body of research on health-related online communities, of which online mailing lists are one variant.

  2. The fate of verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli C600φ3538(Δvtx2 ::cat) and its vtx2 prophage during grass silage preparation.

    PubMed

    Nyambe, S; Burgess, C; Whyte, P; O'Kiely, P; Bolton, D

    2017-05-01

    Silage is grass, preserved by fermentation and used as winter feed for cattle. The impact of a range of current grass silage preparation practices on the survival of Escherichia coli C600φ3538(Δvtx 2 ::cat) and on the induction, release and infectivity of free phage were investigated. Wilted and fresh grass samples, from plots with and without slurry application, were ensiled with or without formic acid. Each treatment combination was inoculated with approximately 6 log 10 CFU per g E. coli C600φ3538(Δvtx 2 ::cat) (donor strain) and E. coli C600::kanamycin R (recipient strain) in test-tube model silos and incubated in the dark at 15°C. The physico-chemical (pH, ammonia, ethanol, lactic acid and volatile fatty acids) and microbiological (total viable counts, TVC, total Enterobacteriaceae counts, TEC, E. coli counts, ECC and lactic acid bacteria, LAB) properties of each fermentation were monitored throughout the experiment as were the concentrations of E. coli C600φ3538(Δvtx 2 ::cat), E. coli C600::kanamycin R , free phage and transductants, using culture and PCR-based methods. Over the course of the experiment the pH of the grass samples typically decreased by 2 pH units. TVC, TEC and ECC decreased by up to 2·3, 6·4 and 6·2 log 10 CFU per g, respectively, while the LAB counts remained relatively stable at 5·2-7·1 log 10 CFU per g. Both donor and recipient strains decreased by approximately 5 log 10 CFU per g. Free phages were detected in all treatments and transductants were detected and confirmed by PCR in the silo containing wilted grass, pretreated with slurry and ensiled without formic acid. Verocytotoxigenic E. coli may survive the ensiling process and the conditions encountered are sufficient to induce vtx 2 bacteriophage leading to low levels of phage-mediated vtx 2 gene transfer. These studies suggest that the ensiling of grass may create an environment which facilitates the emergence of new verocytotoxigenic E. coli. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  3. Transparent Proxy for Secure E-Mail

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Michalák, Juraj; Hudec, Ladislav

    2010-05-01

    The paper deals with the security of e-mail messages and e-mail server implementation by means of a transparent SMTP proxy. The security features include encryption and signing of transported messages. The goal is to design and implement a software proxy for secure e-mail including its monitoring, administration, encryption and signing keys administration. In particular, we focus on automatic public key on-the-fly encryption and signing of e-mail messages according to S/MIME standard by means of an embedded computer system whose function can be briefly described as a brouter with transparent SMTP proxy.

  4. Effects of phone versus mail survey methods on the measurement of health-related quality of life and emotional and behavioural problems in adolescents.

    PubMed

    Erhart, Michael; Wetzel, Ralf M; Krügel, André; Ravens-Sieberer, Ulrike

    2009-12-30

    Telephone interviews have become established as an alternative to traditional mail surveys for collecting epidemiological data in public health research. However, the use of telephone and mail surveys raises the question of to what extent the results of different data collection methods deviate from one another. We therefore set out to study possible differences in using telephone and mail survey methods to measure health-related quality of life and emotional and behavioural problems in children and adolescents. A total of 1700 German children aged 8-18 years and their parents were interviewed randomly either by telephone or by mail. Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and mental health problems (MHP) were assessed using the KINDL-R Quality of Life instrument and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) children's self-report and parent proxy report versions. Mean Differences ("d" effect size) and differences in Cronbach alpha were examined across modes of administration. Pearson correlation between children's and parents' scores was calculated within a multi-trait-multi-method (MTMM) analysis and compared across survey modes using Fisher-Z transformation. Telephone and mail survey methods resulted in similar completion rates and similar socio-demographic and socio-economic makeups of the samples. Telephone methods resulted in more positive self- and parent proxy reports of children's HRQoL (SMD < or = 0.27) and MHP (SMD < or = 0.32) on many scales. For the phone administered KINDL, lower Cronbach alpha values (self/proxy Total: 0.79/0.84) were observed (mail survey self/proxy Total: 0.84/0.87). KINDL MTMM results were weaker for the phone surveys: mono-trait-multi-method mean r = 0.31 (mail: r = 0.45); multi-trait-mono-method mean (self/parents) r = 0.29/0.36 (mail: r = 0.34/0.40); multi-trait-multi-method mean r = 0.14 (mail: r = 0.21). Weaker MTMM results were also observed for the phone administered SDQ: mono-trait-multi-method mean r = 0.32 (mail: r = 0.40); multi-trait-mono-method mean (self/parents) r = 0.24/0.30 (mail: r = 0.20/0.32); multi-trait-multi-method mean r = 0.14 (mail = 0.14). The SDQ classification into borderline and abnormal for some scales was affected by the method (OR = 0.36-1.55). The observed differences between phone and mail surveys are small but should be regarded as relevant in certain settings. Therefore, while both methods are valid, some changes are necessary. The weaker reliability and MTMM validity associated with phone methods necessitates improved phone adaptations of paper and pencil questionnaires. The effects of phone versus mail survey modes are partly different across constructs/measures.

  5. Exploring Students' Use of E-Mail for Out-of-Class Communication: Frequency, Satisfaction, and Learning Self-Efficacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhao, Q.; Ahn, S.; Meyers, R. A.; Timmerman, C. E.; Fonner, K. L.

    2012-01-01

    The authors assessed students' use of e-mail for out-of-class communication (OCC) and its impact on satisfaction and learning self-efficacy. Findings showed that students and instructors use e-mail frequently for OCC, and frequency of use is positively associated with student satisfaction with e-mail as an OCC medium. Moreover, the content of…

  6. 75 FR 31895 - National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Area Sources: Industrial, Commercial...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-04

    ... the EPA Air and Radiation Docket Web site. E-mail: Comments may be sent by electronic mail (e-mail) to a-and-r[email protected] , Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2006- 0790. Fax: Fax your comments to... otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site is...

  7. Deaf and Hard of Hearing Americans' Instant Messaging and E-mail Use: A National Survey.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bowe, Frank G.

    2002-01-01

    A survey of 884 adults with hearing impairments found they were using e-mail and instant messaging (IM) more than TTY and telecommunications relay services. Virtually all participants had e-mail and IM at home. While the vast majority also had and used e-mail at work, just 1 in 3 had IM. (Contains 2 references.) (Author/CR)

  8. The Messages They Send: E-Mail Use by Adolescents with and without a History of Specific Language Impairment (SLI)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Conti-Ramsden, Gina; Durkin, Kevin; Walker, Allan J.

    2012-01-01

    Background: Contemporary adolescents use e-mail for a variety of purposes, including peer communication and education. Research into these uses has focused on typically developing individuals; much less is known about the use of e-mail by exceptional youth. Aims: The present study examined the structure and form of e-mail messages sent by…

  9. Cost and performance tradeoffs between mail and internet survey modes in a nonmarket valuation study

    Treesearch

    Robert M. Campbell; Tyron Venn; Nathaniel M. Anderson

    2018-01-01

    Using the results of a choice modeling survey, internet, mail-only and mixed internet and mail survey modes were examined with regards to their cost-effectiveness, representativeness, and willingness to pay (WTP). The topical focus of the study was biomass energy generation preferences of the residents of Montana, Colorado and Arizona, USA. Compared to the mail and...

  10. 7 CFR 352.11 - Mail.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... open mail or in closed dispatches. They may do so if it comes to their attention that any such mail or parcel post contains prohibited or restricted products or articles which require safeguard action...

  11. Mailing List | NOAA Gulf Spill Restoration

    Science.gov Websites

    Projects Near You Strategic Frameworks Monitoring and Adaptive Management Restoration Areas Alabama Florida Archive Home Mailing List Mailing List Gulf Spill Restoration Menu Home Restoration Areas About Us Data

  12. A Content Analysis of E-mail Communication between Patients and Their Providers: Patients Get the Message

    PubMed Central

    White, Casey B.; Moyer, Cheryl A.; Stern, David T.; Katz, Steven J.

    2004-01-01

    Objective: E-mail use in the clinical setting has been slow to diffuse for several reasons, including providers' concerns about patients' inappropriate and inefficient use of the technology. This study examined the content of a random sample of patient–physician e-mail messages to determine the validity of those concerns. Design: A qualitative analysis of patient–physician e-mail messages was performed. Measurements: A total of 3,007 patient–physician e-mail messages were collected over 11 months as part of a randomized, controlled trial of a triage-based e-mail system in two primary care centers (including 98 physicians); 10% of messages were randomly selected for review. Messages were coded across such domains as message type, number of requests per e-mail, inclusion of sensitive content, necessity of a physician response, and message tone. Results: The majority (82.8%) of messages addressed a single issue. The most common message types included information updates to the physicians (41.4%), prescription renewals (24.2%), health questions (13.2%), questions about test results (10.9%), referrals (8.8%), “other” (including thank yous, apologies) (8.8%), appointments (5.4%), requests for non-health-related information (4.8%), and billing questions (0.3%). Overall, messages were concise, formal, and medically relevant. Very few (5.1%) included sensitive content, and none included urgent messages. Less than half (43.2%) required a physician response. Conclusion: A triage-based e-mail system promoted e-mail exchanges appropriate for primary care. Most patients adhered to guidelines aimed at focusing content, limiting the number of requests per message, and avoiding urgent requests or highly sensitive content. Thus, physicians' concerns about the content of patients' e-mails may be unwarranted. PMID:15064295

  13. 47 CFR 7.17 - Informal complaints; form and content.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ..., telephone (voice/TRS/TTY), Internet e-mail, ASCII text, Internet e-mail, audio-cassette recording, and...), Internet e-mail, ASCII text, audio-cassette recording, braille; or some other method that will best...

  14. 47 CFR 7.17 - Informal complaints; form and content.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ..., telephone (voice/TRS/TTY), Internet e-mail, ASCII text, Internet e-mail, audio-cassette recording, and...), Internet e-mail, ASCII text, audio-cassette recording, braille; or some other method that will best...

  15. 47 CFR 7.17 - Informal complaints; form and content.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ..., telephone (voice/TRS/TTY), Internet e-mail, ASCII text, Internet e-mail, audio-cassette recording, and...), Internet e-mail, ASCII text, audio-cassette recording, braille; or some other method that will best...

  16. Forensic Application of Microbiological Culture Analysis To Identify Mail Intentionally Contaminated with Bacillus anthracis Spores†

    PubMed Central

    Beecher, Douglas J.

    2006-01-01

    The discovery of a letter intentionally filled with dried Bacillus anthracis spores in the office of a United States senator prompted the collection and quarantine of all mail in congressional buildings. This mail was subsequently searched for additional intentionally contaminated letters. A microbiological sampling strategy was used to locate heavy contamination within the 642 separate plastic bags containing the mail. Swab sampling identified 20 bags for manual and visual examination. Air sampling within the 20 bags indicated that one bag was orders of magnitude more contaminated than all the others. This bag contained a letter addressed to Senator Patrick Leahy that had been loaded with dried B. anthracis spores. Microbiological sampling of compartmentalized batches of mail proved to be efficient and relatively safe. Efficiency was increased by inoculating culture media in the hot zone rather than transferring swab samples to a laboratory for inoculation. All mail sampling was complete within 4 days with minimal contamination of the sampling environment or personnel. However, physically handling the intentionally contaminated letter proved to be exceptionally hazardous, as did sorting of cross-contaminated mail, which resulted in generation of hazardous aerosol and extensive contamination of protective clothing. Nearly 8 × 106 CFU was removed from the most highly cross-contaminated piece of mail found. Tracking data indicated that this and other heavily contaminated envelopes had been processed through the same mail sorting equipment as, and within 1 s of, two intentionally contaminated letters. PMID:16885280

  17. The attenuated inflammation of MPL is due to the lack of CD14-dependent tight dimerization of the TLR4/MD2 complex at the plasma membrane.

    PubMed

    Tanimura, Natsuko; Saitoh, Shin-Ichiroh; Ohto, Umeharu; Akashi-Takamura, Sachiko; Fujimoto, Yukari; Fukase, Koichi; Shimizu, Toshiyuki; Miyake, Kensuke

    2014-06-01

    TLR4/MD-2 senses lipid A, activating the MyD88-signaling pathway on the plasma membrane and the TRIF-signaling pathway after CD14-mediated TLR4/MD-2 internalization into endosomes. Monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL), a detoxified derivative of lipid A, is weaker than lipid A in activating the MyD88-dependent pathway. Little is known, however, about mechanisms underlying the attenuated activation of MyD88-dependent pathways. We here show that MPL was impaired in induction of CD14-dependent TLR4/MD-2 dimerization compared with lipid A. Impaired TLR4/MD-2 dimerization decreased CD14-mediated TNFα production. In contrast, MPL was comparable to lipid A in CD14-independent MyD88-dependent TNFα production and TRIF-dependent responses including cell surface CD86 up-regulation and IFNβ induction. Although CD86 up-regulation is dependent on TRIF signaling, it was induced by TLR4/MD-2 at the plasma membrane. These results revealed that the attenuated MPL responses were due to CD14-initiated responses at the plasma membrane, but not just to responses initiated by MyD88, that is, MPL was specifically unable to induce CD14-dependent TLR4/MD-2 dimerization that selectively enhances MyD88-mediated responses at the plasma membrane. © The Japanese Society for Immunology. 2013. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. The Role of E-Mail Communications in Determining Response Rates and Mode of Participation in a Mixed-Mode Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cernat, Alexandru; Lynn, Peter

    2018-01-01

    This article is concerned with the extent to which the propensity to participate in a web face-to-face sequential mixed-mode survey is influenced by the ability to communicate with sample members by e-mail in addition to mail. Researchers may be able to collect e-mail addresses for sample members and to use them subsequently to send survey…

  19. A rural mail-carrier index of North Dakota red foxes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Allen, S.H.; Sargeant, A.B.

    1975-01-01

    Rural mail-carrier sightings of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) during mid-April, -July, and -September of 1969-73 were compared to spring fox family estimates derived by aerial searches of six townships. The mid-April mail-carrier index reflected annual fox density changes on the six townships (correlation coefficient = 0.958) . Random exclusions of individual mail-carrier reports indicated participation could decline 40 percent without affecting index accuracy.

  20. Speech-based E-mail and driver behavior: effects of an in-vehicle message system interface.

    PubMed

    Jamson, A Hamish; Westerman, Stephen J; Hockey, G Robert J; Carsten, Oliver M J

    2004-01-01

    As mobile office technology becomes more advanced, drivers have increased opportunity to process information "on the move." Although speech-based interfaces can minimize direct interference with driving, the cognitive demands associated with such systems may still cause distraction. We studied the effects on driving performance of an in-vehicle simulated "E-mail" message system; E-mails were either system controlled or driver controlled. A high-fidelity, fixed-base driving simulator was used to test 19 participants on a car-following task. Virtual traffic scenarios varying in driving demand. Drivers compensated for the secondary task by adopting longer headways but showed reduced anticipation of braking requirements and shorter time to collision. Drivers were also less reactive when processing E-mails, demonstrated by a reduction in steering wheel inputs. In most circumstances, there were advantages in providing drivers with control over when E-mails were opened. However, during periods without E-mail interaction in demanding traffic scenarios, drivers showed reduced braking anticipation. This may be a result of increased cognitive costs associated with the decision making process when using a driver-controlled interface when the task of scheduling E-mail acceptance is added to those of driving and E-mail response. Actual or potential applications of this research include the design of speech-based in-vehicle messaging systems.

  1. How New Subscribers Use Cancer-Related Online Mailing Lists

    PubMed Central

    Lyons, Elizabeth J; Ribisl, Kurt M; Bowling, J Michael; Golin, Carol E; Forlenza, Michael J; Meier, Andrea

    2005-01-01

    Background Online cancer-related support is an under-studied resource that may serve an important function in the information seeking, care, and support of cancer patients and their families. With over 9.8 million cancer survivors (defined as anyone living with cancer) in the United States alone and the number growing worldwide, it is important to understand how they seek and use online resources to obtain the information they need, when they need it, and in a form and manner appropriate to them. These are stated cancer communication goals of the US National Cancer Institute. Objectives Our purposes are to (1) present background information about online mailing lists and electronic support groups, (2) describe the rationale and methodology for the Health eCommunities (HeC) study, and (3) present preliminary baseline data on new subscribers to cancer-related mailing lists. In particular, we describe subscribers' use of mailing lists, their reasons for using them, and their reactions to participating shortly after joining the lists. Methods From April to August 2004, we invited all new subscribers to 10 Association of Cancer Online Resources mailing lists to complete Web-based surveys. We analyzed baseline data from the respondents to examine their perceptions about cancer-related mailing lists and to describe how cancer patients and survivors used these lists in the period shortly after joining them. Results Cumulative email invitations were sent to 1368 new mailing list subscribers; 293 Web surveys were completed within the allotted time frame (21.4% response rate). Most respondents were over age 50 (n = 203, 72%), white (n = 286, 98%), college graduates (n = 161, 55%), and had health insurance (n = 283, 97%). About 41% (n = 116) of new subscribers reported spending 1 to 3 hours per day reading and responding to list messages. They used the mailing lists for several reasons. Among the most frequently reported, 62% (n = 179) strongly agreed they used mailing lists to obtain information on how to deal with cancer, 42% (n = 121) strongly agreed they used mailing lists for support, and 37% (n = 109) strongly agreed that they were on the mailing lists to help others. Smaller proportions of new subscribers strongly agreed that others on the mailing lists had similar cancer experiences (n = 23, 9%), that they could relate to the experiences of others on the lists (n = 66, 27%), and that others on the list gave them good ideas about how to cope with cancer (n = 66, 27%). Conclusions Cancer-related online mailing lists appear to be an important resource, especially for information seeking but also for support of cancer survivors. These were the primary motivators most members reported for joining mailing lists. The modest proportion of subscribers who strongly agreed that they could relate to others' cancer experiences (as well as similar responses to other process questions) is undoubtedly due at least in part to the short duration that these subscribers were involved with the mailing lists. Emerging data, including our own, suggest that mailing lists are perhaps under-used by minority patients/survivors. These preliminary data add to a growing body of research on health-related online communities, of which online mailing lists are one variant. PMID:15998623

  2. 41 CFR 102-192.35 - What definitions apply to this part?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    .... (2) First class (includes priority mail). (3) Periodicals. (4) Standard mail (e.g., bulk marketing... the use of penalty or commercial mail stamps, meter impressions, or other postage indicia for personal...

  3. 41 CFR 102-192.35 - What definitions apply to this part?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    .... (2) First class (includes priority mail). (3) Periodicals. (4) Standard mail (e.g., bulk marketing... the use of penalty or commercial mail stamps, meter impressions, or other postage indicia for personal...

  4. 22 CFR 102.14 - Salvage of mail and other property.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... States Aircraft Accidents Abroad § 102.14 Salvage of mail and other property. (a) Mail. Article 3... disposition instructions. If it is learned that the postal authorities have already recovered United States...

  5. 41 CFR 102-192.35 - What definitions apply to this part?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    .... (2) First class (includes priority mail). (3) Periodicals. (4) Standard mail (e.g., bulk marketing... the use of penalty or commercial mail stamps, meter impressions, or other postage indicia for personal...

  6. 41 CFR 102-192.35 - What definitions apply to this part?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    .... (2) First class (includes priority mail). (3) Periodicals. (4) Standard mail (e.g., bulk marketing... the use of penalty or commercial mail stamps, meter impressions, or other postage indicia for personal...

  7. 41 CFR 102-192.35 - What definitions apply to this part?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    .... (2) First class (includes priority mail). (3) Periodicals. (4) Standard mail (e.g., bulk marketing... the use of penalty or commercial mail stamps, meter impressions, or other postage indicia for personal...

  8. Synthetic Biology Toolbox for Controlling Gene Expression in the Cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7002

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

    Markley, Andrew L.; Begemann, Matthew B.; Clarke, Ryan E.

    The application of synthetic biology requires characterized tools to precisely control gene expression. This toolbox of genetic parts previously did not exist for the industrially promising cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7002. To address this gap, two orthogonal constitutive promoter libraries, one based on a cyanobacterial promoter and the other ported from Escherichia coli, were built and tested in PCC 7002. The libraries demonstrated 3 and 2.5 log dynamic ranges, respectively, but correlated poorly with E. coli expression levels. These promoter libraries were then combined to create and optimize a series of IPTG inducible cassettes. The resultant induction system hadmore » a 48-fold dynamic range and was shown to out-perform P trc constructs. Finally, a RBS library was designed and tested in PCC 7002. The presented synthetic biology toolbox will enable accelerated engineering of PCC 7002.« less

  9. Synthetic Biology Toolbox for Controlling Gene Expression in the Cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7002

    DOE PAGES

    Markley, Andrew L.; Begemann, Matthew B.; Clarke, Ryan E.; ...

    2014-09-12

    The application of synthetic biology requires characterized tools to precisely control gene expression. This toolbox of genetic parts previously did not exist for the industrially promising cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7002. To address this gap, two orthogonal constitutive promoter libraries, one based on a cyanobacterial promoter and the other ported from Escherichia coli, were built and tested in PCC 7002. The libraries demonstrated 3 and 2.5 log dynamic ranges, respectively, but correlated poorly with E. coli expression levels. These promoter libraries were then combined to create and optimize a series of IPTG inducible cassettes. The resultant induction system hadmore » a 48-fold dynamic range and was shown to out-perform P trc constructs. Finally, a RBS library was designed and tested in PCC 7002. The presented synthetic biology toolbox will enable accelerated engineering of PCC 7002.« less

  10. Magnetostriction measurement by four probe method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dange, S. N.; Radha, S.

    2018-04-01

    The present paper describes the design and setting up of an indigenouslydevelopedmagnetostriction(MS) measurement setup using four probe method atroom temperature.A standard strain gauge is pasted with a special glue on the sample and its change in resistance with applied magnetic field is measured using KeithleyNanovoltmeter and Current source. An electromagnet with field upto 1.2 tesla is used to source the magnetic field. The sample is placed between the magnet poles using self designed and developed wooden probe stand, capable of moving in three mutually perpendicular directions. The nanovoltmeter and current source are interfaced with PC using RS232 serial interface. A software has been developed in for logging and processing of data. Proper optimization of measurement has been done through software to reduce the noise due to thermal emf and electromagnetic induction. The data acquired for some standard magnetic samples are presented. The sensitivity of the setup is 1microstrain with an error in measurement upto 5%.

  11. Unsymmetric Mono- and Dinuclear Platinum(IV) Complexes Featuring an Ethylene Glycol Moiety: Synthesis, Characterization, and Biological Activity

    PubMed Central

    Pichler, Verena; Heffeter, Petra; Valiahdi, Seied M.; Kowol, Christian R.; Egger, Alexander; Berger, Walter; Jakupec, Michael A.; Galanski, Markus; Keppler, Bernhard K.

    2014-01-01

    Eight novel mononuclear and two dinuclear platinum(IV) complexes were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and reversed-phase HPLC (log kw) and in one case by X-ray diffraction. Cytotoxicity of the compounds was studied in three human cancer cell lines (CH1, SW480, and A549) by means of the MTT assay, featuring IC50 values to the low micromolar range. Furthermore a selected set of compounds was investigated in additional cancer cell lines (P31 and P31/cis, A2780 and A2780/cis, SW1573, 2R120, and 2R160) with regard to their resistance patterns, offering a distinctly different scheme compared to cisplatin. To gain further insights into the mode of action, drug uptake, DNA synthesis inhibition, cell cycle effects, and induction of apoptosis were determined for two characteristic substances. PMID:23194425

  12. Multi-stage microbial system for continuous hydrogen production

    DOEpatents

    Kosourov, Sergey; Ghirardi, Maria L.; Seibert, Michael

    2010-06-08

    A method of using sequential chemostat culture vessels to provide continuous H.sub.2 production, in which photosynthetic O.sub.2 evolution and H.sub.2 photoproduction are separated physically into two separate bioreactors, comprising: a) growing a microorganism culture able to continuously generate H.sub.2 by photosynthetically producing cells at about the early-to-late log state in a first photobioreactor operating as a sulfur chemostat under aerobic and/or conditions; b) continuously feeding cells from the first photobioreactor to a second photobioreactor operating under anaerobic conditions and sulfur deprivation conditions resulting from constant uptake of sulfate in the first bioreactor and a low rate of culture flow between the first and second bioreactors, for induction of hydrogenase and H.sub.2 photoproduction to allow for continuous cultivation of the microorganism's cells in the first photobioreactor and constant H.sub.2 production in the second photobioreactor, and c) H.sub.2 gas from the second photobioreactor.

  13. Do you feel you know how to write an e-mail?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leonova, Anna O.

    2003-10-01

    Computers have opened doors to the new era of telecommunication. Electronic mail is becoming very popular in different spheres of professional activity and everyday life of people all over the world as it provides people an excellent opportunity for real, natural communication. The use of e-mail and the Internet involves a whole range of skills including knowing how to use a personal computer, knowing how to navigate the immense resources of cyberspace, and becoming familiar with the special register of e-mail communication (which lies somewhere between the formality of traditional writing and the spontaneity of speech). Conferencing via e-mail, or communicating with partners through networked computers, offers many opportunities in the Scientific Community. E-mail allows us to collaborate easily with thousands of colleagues, sharing new ideas, resources, and materials. It can provide the information, contacts, and stimulation that can make our research work more effective and enjoyable. The English language is world-wide accepted as lingua-franca of the Internet and intercultural communication. This brings us to a necessity to introduce some ideas on e-mail writing.

  14. Finite-element solution to multidimensional multisource electromagnetic problems in the frequency domain using non-conforming meshes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soloveichik, Yury G.; Persova, Marina G.; Domnikov, Petr A.; Koshkina, Yulia I.; Vagin, Denis V.

    2018-03-01

    We propose an approach to solving multisource induction logging problems in multidimensional media. According to the type of induction logging tools, the measurements are performed in the frequency range of 10 kHz to 14 MHz, transmitter-receiver offsets vary in the range of 0.5-8 m or more, and the trajectory length is up to 1 km. For calculating the total field, the primary-secondary field approach is used. The secondary field is calculated with the use of the finite-element method (FEM), irregular non-conforming meshes with local refinements and a direct solver. The approach to constructing basis functions with the continuous tangential components (from Hcurl(Ω)) on the non-conforming meshes from the standard shape vector functions is developed. On the basis of this method, the algorithm of generating global matrices and a vector of the finite-element equation system is proposed. We also propose the method of grouping the logging tool positions, which makes it possible to significantly increase the computational effectiveness. This is achieved due to the compromise between the possibility of using the 1-D background medium, which is very similar to the investigated multidimensional medium for a small group, and the decrease in the number of the finite-element matrix factorizations with the increasing number of tool positions in one group. For calculating the primary field, we propose the method based on the use of FEM. This method is highly effective when the 1-D field is required to be calculated at a great number of points. The use of this method significantly increases the effectiveness of the primary-secondary field approach. The proposed approach makes it possible to perform modelling both in the 2.5-D case (i.e. without taking into account a borehole and/or invasion zone effect) and the 3-D case (i.e. for models with a borehole and invasion zone). The accuracy of numerical results obtained with the use of the proposed approach is compared with the one obtained by other codes for 1-D and 3-D anisotropic models. The results of this comparison lend support to the validity of our code. We also present the numerical results proving greater effectiveness of the finite-element approach proposed for calculating the 1-D field in comparison with the known codes implementing the semi-analytical methods for the case in which the field is calculated at a large number of points. Additionally, we present the numerical results which confirm the accuracy advantages of the automatic choice of a background medium for calculating the 1-D field as well as the results of 2.5-D modelling for a geoelectrical model with anisotropic layers, a fault and long tool-movement trajectory with the varying dip angle.

  15. Subcritical crack growth in porcelains, glass-ceramics, and glass-infiltrated alumina composite for dental restorations.

    PubMed

    Gonzaga, Carla Castiglia; Yoshimura, Humberto Naoyuki; Cesar, Paulo Francisco; Miranda, Walter Gomes

    2009-05-01

    The objective was to compare fracture toughness (K(Ic)), stress corrosion susceptibility coefficient (n), and stress intensity factor threshold for crack propagation (K(I0)) of two porcelains [VM7/Vita (V) and d.Sign/Ivoclar (D)], two glass-ceramics [Empress/Ivolcar (E1) and Empress2/Ivlocar (E2)] and a glass-infiltrated alumina composite [In-Ceram Alumina/Vita (IC)]. Disks were constructed according to each manufacturer's processing method, and polished before induction of cracks by a Vickers indenter. Crack lengths were measured under optical microscopy at times between 0.1 and 100 h. Specimens were stored in artificial saliva at 37 degrees C during the whole experiment. K(Ic) and n were determined using indentation fracture method. K(I0) was determined by plotting log crack velocity versus log K(I). Microstructure characterization was carried out under SEM, EDS, X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence. IC and E2 presented higher K(Ic) and K(I0) compared to E1, V, and D. IC presented the highest n value, followed by E2, D, E1, and V in a decreasing order. V and D presented similar K(Ic), but porcelain V showed higher K(I0) and lower n compared to D. Microstructure features (volume fraction, size, aspect ratio of crystalline phases and chemical composition of glassy matrix) determined K(Ic). The increase of K(Ic) value favored the increases of n and K(I0).

  16. Thymic function, anti-thymocytes globulins, and cancer after renal transplantation.

    PubMed

    Ducloux, Didier; Bamoulid, Jamal; Courivaud, Cécile; Gaugler, Béatrice; Rebibou, Jean-Michel; Ferrand, Christophe; Chalopin, Jean-Marc; Borg, Christophe; Tiberghien, Pierre; Saas, Philippe

    2011-07-01

    Prolonged CD4 T cell lymphopenia after polyclonal antithymocyte globulins (ATG) is associated with an increased rate of cancers. Here, we examined whether pre-transplant thymic function estimated by TREC levels is predictive of cancer occurrence following ATG treatment. The impact of TREC on cancer occurrence was analyzed in 115 consecutive incident renal transplant recipients having received ATG. Mean follow-up was 7.5±2.6years. After ATG induction, patients with the lowest pre-transplant TREC values had lower post-transplant CD4(+) and CD4(+) CD45RA(+) CD45RO(-) T cell counts, and a higher frequency of T cells with a regulatory phenotype (CD127(+)CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+)). Log-transformed pre-transplant TREC values were significantly lower in patients who developed cancer after transplantation (p<0.0001). The cumulative incidence of cancer was higher in patients having the lowest pre-transplant TREC values (T1 [low]: 47.4%, T2 [medium]: 12.5%, and T3 [high]: 2.7%; p<0.0001). In multivariate analysis, pre-transplant TREC value was the only predictive factor of cancer (HR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.16 to 0.97, for one log (TREC/10(6) PBMC); p=0.046). Pre-transplant thymic function is associated with an increased rate of post-transplant cancer in patients having received ATG. Omitting ATG in recipients with low pre-transplant TREC values should be considered. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. New insights into the ecological interaction between grape berry microorganisms and Drosophila flies during the development of sour rot.

    PubMed

    Barata, André; Santos, Sara Correia; Malfeito-Ferreira, Manuel; Loureiro, Virgílio

    2012-08-01

    In this work, we studied the ecological interactions between grape berry microorganisms and Drosophila sp. flies involved in sour rot disease during grape ripening. After veráison the total microbial counts of grape berries affected by sour rot increased from about 2 log CFU/g of berries to more than 7 log CFU/g. Berry damage provoked a clear shift in yeast diversity from basidiomycetes to ascomycetous fermentative species. The latter were mostly Pichia terricola, Hanseniaspora uvarum, Candida zemplinina, and Zygoascus hellenicus. However, these species were not able to produce the metabolites characteristic of sour rot (gluconic and acetic acids) in inoculated berries. On the contrary, the acetic acid bacteria Gluconacetobacter saccharivorans produced high levels of these acids, mainly when berries were incubated in the presence of the insect Drosophila sp. Sour rot was not observed when grape bunches were physically separated from insects, even when berries were artificially injured. The wounds made in berry skin healed in the absence of insects, thus preventing the development of sour rot. Therefore, in the vineyard, the induction of sour rot depends on the contamination of wounded berries by a microbial consortium--yeasts and acetic acid bacteria--transported by drosophilid insects which disseminate sour rot among damaged berries. In the absence of these insects, plant defense mechanisms are effective and lead to skin healing, preventing disease spread. Thus, we showed that Drosophila sp. act as a vector for microorganisms associated with grape sour rot disease.

  18. The role of nailfold capillary dropout on mortality in systemic sclerosis.

    PubMed

    Tieu, Joanna; Hakendorf, Paul; Woodman, Richard J; Patterson, Karen; Walker, Jenny; Roberts-Thomson, Peter

    2018-05-01

    Semi-quantitative wide-field nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC) is a simple technique with proven utility in the early diagnosis of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Its role in prognosis, however, remains uncertain. To investigate the possible utility of NFC in predicting survival. Patients with SSc listed on the South Australian Scleroderma Register (SASR) with prior NFC performed at Flinders Medical Centre from 1991 to 2015 were included in this study. Baseline demographic data, diagnosis, scleroderma antibody status and mortality status were also collected for each patient. The cohort consisted of 99 patients with limited cutaneous SSc, 30 patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc and 23 with an overlap scleroderma syndrome. Fifty-six patients died during the period of study (censured end June 2015). Patients with diffuse scleroderma had significantly greater capillary dropout compared with limited and overlap scleroderma (P < 0.001). In univariate analysis, both capillary dropout scores (log-rank χ 2 = 8.75, P = 0.003) and antibody status (log-rank χ 2 = 13.94, P = 0.003) were associated with mortality. ANOVA showed a significant association between antibody status and capillary dropout (P < 0.001). In Cox regression, adjustment for capillary dropout attenuated the impact of autoantibody group on survival. Nailfold capillary dropout was significantly associated with mortality and the severity of dropout attenuates survival dictated by antibody status. Together these observations support the hypothesis that capillary dropout is on the causal pathway between induction of scleroderma associated autoantibodies and mortality. © 2018 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

  19. 75 FR 30300 - Restricting the Mailing of Replica or Inert Explosive Devices

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-01

    ... not dangerous but bear a realistic appearance to explosive devices, to Registered Mail\\TM\\ service... explosive devices such as simulated grenades, but that are not dangerous, are permitted in the mail when all...

  20. 75 FR 45571 - Determination of Attainment for PM10

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-03

    ...-mail: tax[email protected] . 3. Mail or deliver: Wienke Tax, Air Planning Office, EPA Region IX, 75... INFORMATION CONTACT: Wienke Tax at telephone number: (415) 947-4192, e-mail address: tax[email protected] , or...

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