Energy in the Environment - Initiatives 2004-08

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

Paul Jehn

Under the Energy and Environment Initiative, the GWPC/GWPRF will expand the oil and gas electronic commerce initiatives used to enhance the Risk Based Data Management System (RBDMS) and the Cost Effective Regulatory Approach (CERA). The GWPC/GWPRF has identified the following priorities for work efforts during the time period that will act as the base from which selections for each work period will be proposed. Work tasks will be presented for each reporting period by the GWPC from areas selected from the general list of priorities.

Time dependency of the prediction skill for the North Atlantic subpolar gyre in initialized decadal hindcasts with MPI-ESM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brune, Sebastian; Düsterhus, Andre; Pohlmann, Holger; Müller, Wolfgang; Baehr, Johanna

2017-04-01

We analyze the time dependency of decadal hindcast skill in the North Atlantic subpolar gyre within the time period 1961-2013. We compare anomaly correlation coefficients and interquartile ranges of total upper ocean heat content and sea surface temperature for three differently initialized sets of hindcast simulations with the global coupled model MPI-ESM. All initializations use weakly coupled assimilation with the same full-field nudging in the atmospheric component and different assimilation techniques for oceanic temperature and salinity: (1) ensemble Kalman filter assimilating EN4 and HadISST observations, (2) nudging of anomalies to ORAS4 reanalysis, (3) nudging of full values to ORAS4 reanalysis. We find that hindcast skill depends strongly on the evaluation time period, with higher hindcast skill during strong multiyear trends and lower hindcast skill in the absence of such trends. While there may only be small differences between the prediction systems in the analysis focusing on the entire hindcast period, these differences between the hindcast systems are much more pronounced when investigating any 20-year subperiod within the entire hindcast period. For the ensemble Kalman filter high skill in the assimilation experiment is generally linked to high skill in the initialized hindcasts. Such direct link does not seem to exist in the hindcasts initialized by either nudged system. In the ensemble Kalman filter initialized hindcasts, we find significant hindcast skill for up to 5 to 8 lead years, except for the 1970s. In the nudged system initialized hindcasts, hindcast skill is consistently diminished in lead years 2 and 3 with lowest skill in the 1970s as well. Overall, we find that a model-consistent assimilation technique can improve hindcast skill. Further, the evaluation of 20 year subperiods within the full hindcast period provides essential insights to judge the success of both the assimilation and the subsequent hindcast skill.

Evolutionary cost analysis of valsartan initiation among patients with hypertension: a time series approach.

PubMed

Sun, Peter; Chang, Joanne; Zhang, Jie; Kahler, Kristijan H

2012-01-01

This study examines the evolutionary impact of valsartan initiation on medical costs. A retrospective time series study design was used with a large, US national commercial claims database for the period of 2004-2008. Hypertensive patients who initiated valsartan between the ages of 18 and 63, and had continuous enrollment for 24-month pre-initiation period and 24-month post-initiation period were selected. Patients' monthly medical costs were calculated based on individual claims. A novel time series model was devised with monthly medical costs as its dependent variables, autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) as its stochastic components, and four indicative variables as its decomposed interventional components. The number of post-initiation months before a cost-offset point was also assessed. Patients (n = 18,269) had mean age of 53 at the initiation date, and 53% of them were female. The most common co-morbid conditions were dyslipidemia (52%), diabetes (24%), and hypertensive complications (17%). The time series model suggests that medical costs were increasing by approximately $10 per month (p < 0.01) before the initiation, and decreasing by approximately $6 per month (p < 0.01) after the initiation. After the 4th post-initiation month, medical costs for patients with the initiation were statistically significantly lower (p < 0.01) than forecasted medical costs for the same patients without the initiation. The study has its limitations in data representativeness, ability to collect unrecorded clinical conditions, treatments, and costs, as well as its generalizability to patients with different characteristics. Commercially insured hypertensive patients experienced monthly medical cost increase before valsartan initiation. Based on our model, the evolutionary impact of the initiation on medical costs included a temporary cost surge, a gradual, consistent, and statistically significant cost decrease, and a cost-offset point around the 4th post-initiation month.

Serious Fall Injuries Before and After Initiation of Hemodialysis Among Older ESRD Patients in the United States: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

PubMed

Plantinga, Laura C; Patzer, Rachel E; Franch, Harold A; Bowling, C Barrett

2017-07-01

Because initiation of dialysis therapy often occurs in the setting of acute illness and may signal worsening health and functional decline, we examined whether rates of serious fall injuries among older hemodialysis patients differ before and after dialysis therapy initiation. Retrospective cohort study of claims data from the 2 years spanning dialysis therapy initiation among patients initiating dialysis therapy in 2010 to 2012. Claims from 81,653 Medicare end-stage renal disease beneficiaries aged 67 to 100 years. Post- versus pre-dialysis therapy initiation periods, defined as on or after versus before dialysis therapy initiation. Serious fall injuries were defined using diagnostic codes for falls in combination with fractures, brain injuries, or joint dislocation. Incidence rate ratios (overall and stratified) for post- versus pre-dialysis therapy initiation periods were estimated using generalized estimating equation models with a negative binomial link. Overall, 12,757 serious fall injuries occurred in the pre- and post-dialysis therapy initiation periods. Annual rates of serious fall injuries were 64.4 (95% CI, 62.7-66.2) and 107.8 (95% CI, 105.4-110.3) per 1,000 patient-years, respectively, in the pre- and post-dialysis therapy initiation periods (incidence rate ratio, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.56-1.67). Relative rates of serious fall injuries in the post- vs pre-dialysis initiation periods were of greater magnitude among patients who were younger (<75 years), had pre-end-stage renal disease nephrology care, had albumin levels > 3g/dL, were able to walk and transfer, did not need assistance with activities of daily living, and were not institutionalized compared with relative rates among their counterparts. Potential misclassification due to the use of claims data and survival bias among those initiating hemodialysis therapy. Among older Medicare beneficiaries receiving hemodialysis, serious fall injuries are common, the post-dialysis initiation period is a high-risk time for falls, and dialysis therapy initiation may be an important time to screen for fall risk factors and implement multifactorial fall prevention strategies. Copyright © 2017 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In-Patient Code Stroke: A Quality Improvement Strategy to Overcome Knowledge-to-Action Gaps in Response Time.

PubMed

Kassardjian, Charles D; Willems, Jacqueline D; Skrabka, Krystyna; Nisenbaum, Rosane; Barnaby, Judith; Kostyrko, Pawel; Selchen, Daniel; Saposnik, Gustavo

2017-08-01

Stroke is a relatively common and challenging condition in hospitalized patients. Previous studies have shown delays in recognition and assessment of inpatient strokes leading to poor outcomes. The goal of this quality improvement initiative was to evaluate an in-hospital code stroke algorithm and educational program aimed at reducing the response times for inpatient stroke. An inpatient code stroke algorithm was developed, and an educational intervention was implemented over 5 months. Data were recorded and compared between the 36-month period before and the 15-month period after the intervention was implemented. Outcome measures included time from last seen normal to initial assessment and from last seen normal to brain imaging. During the study period, there were 218 inpatient strokes (131 before the intervention and 87 after the intervention). Inpatient strokes were more common on cardiovascular wards (45% of cases) and occurred mainly during the perioperative period (60% of cases). After implementation of an inpatient code stroke intervention and educational initiative, there were consistent reductions in all timed outcome measures (median time to initial assessment fell from 600 [109-1460] to 160 [35-630] minutes and time to computed tomographic scan fell from 925 [213-1965] to 348.5 [128-1587] minutes). Our study reveals the efficacy of an inpatient code stroke algorithm and educational intervention directed at nurses and allied health personnel to optimize the prompt management of inpatient strokes. Prompt assessment may lead to faster stroke interventions, which are associated with better outcomes. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Search for and Study of Nearly Periodic Orbits in the Plane Problem of Three Equal-Mass Bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martynova, A. I.; Orlov, V. V.

2005-09-01

We analyze nearly periodic solutions in the plane problem of three equal-mass bodies by numerically simulating the dynamics of triple systems. We identify families of orbits in which all three points are on one straight line (syzygy) at the initial time. In this case, at fixed total energy of a triple system, the set of initial conditions is a bounded region in four-dimensional parameter space. We scan this region and identify sets of trajectories in which the coordinates and velocities of all bodies are close to their initial values at certain times (which are approximately multiples of the period). We classify the nearly periodic orbits by the structure of trajectory loops over one period. We have found the families of orbits generated by von Schubart’s stable periodic orbit revealed in the rectilinear three-body problem. We have also found families of hierarchical, nearly periodic trajectories with prograde and retrograde motions. In the orbits with prograde motions, the trajectory loops of two close bodies form looplike structures. The trajectories with retrograde motions are characterized by leafed structures. Orbits with central and axial symmetries are identified among the families found.

12 CFR Supplement I to Part 213 - Official Staff Commentary to Regulation M

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... primary use. 2. Period of time. To be a consumer lease, the initial term of the lease must be more than... lease (unless terminable without penalty at any time by the consumer) under which the consumer: i... time of consummation. The threshold amount in effect during a particular time period is the amount...

12 CFR Supplement I to Part 213 - Official Staff Commentary to Regulation M

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... primary use. 2. Period of time. To be a consumer lease, the initial term of the lease must be more than... lease (unless terminable without penalty at any time by the consumer) under which the consumer: i... time of consummation. The threshold amount in effect during a particular time period is the amount...

12 CFR Supplement I to Part 213 - Official Staff Commentary to Regulation M

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... primary use. 2. Period of time. To be a consumer lease, the initial term of the lease must be more than... lease (unless terminable without penalty at any time by the consumer) under which the consumer: i... time of consummation. The threshold amount in effect during a particular time period is the amount...

Preventing Delays in First-Case Starts on the Neurosurgery Service: A Resident-Led Initiative at an Academic Institution.

PubMed

Han, Seunggu J; Rolston, John D; Zygourakis, Corinna C; Sun, Matthew Z; McDermott, Michael W; Lau, Catherine Y; Aghi, Manish K

2016-01-01

On-time starts for the first case of the day are critical to maintaining efficiency in operating rooms (ORs). We studied whether a resident-led initiative to ensure on-time site marking and documentation of surgical consent could lead to improved first-case start time. In a resident-led initiative at a large 600-bed academic hospital with 25 ORs, we aimed to complete site marking and surgical consents half an hour before the scheduled start time for all first-case neurosurgical patients. We monitored the occurrence of delayed first starts and the length of delay during our initiative, and compared these cases to neurosurgical cases 3 months before the implementation of the initiative and to first-start nonneurosurgical cases. In the year of the initiative, both site marking and surgical consents were completed 30 minutes before the case start in 97% of neurosurgical cases. The average delay across all first-case starts was reduced to 7.17 minutes (N = 1271), compared with 9.67 minutes before the intervention (N = 345). During the study period, non-neurosurgical cases were delayed on average 10.3 minutes (N = 3592). There was a significant difference in latencies between the study period and the period before the initiative (p < 0.001), and also between neurosurgical cases and nonneurosurgical cases (p < 0.001). There was no reduction in delay times seen on the non-neurosurgical services in the study period when compared to the case 3 months before. Considering its effect across 1271 cases, this initiative over 1 year resulted in a total reduction of 52 hours and 57 minutes in delays. Through a resident-led quality improvement program, neurosurgical trainees successfully reduced delays in first-case starts on a surgical service. Engaging physician trainees in quality improvement and enhancing OR efficiency can be successfully achieved and can have a significant clinical and financial effect. Copyright © 2015 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

STS pricing policy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, C. M.; Stone, B.

1982-01-01

In 1977 NASA published Shuttle Reimbursement Policies for Civil U.S. Government, DOD and Commercial and Foreign Users. These policies were based on the principle of total cost recovery over a period of time with a fixed flat price for initial period to time to enhance transition. This fixed period was to be followed with annual adjustments thereafter, NASA is establishing a new price for 1986 and beyond. In order to recover costs, that price must be higher than the initial fixed price through FY 1985. NASA intends to remain competitive. Competitive posture includes not only price, but other factors such as assured launch, reliability, and unique services. NASA's pricing policy considers all these factors.

Time dependency of the prediction skill for the North Atlantic subpolar gyre in initialized decadal hindcasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brune, Sebastian; Düsterhus, André; Pohlmann, Holger; Müller, Wolfgang A.; Baehr, Johanna

2017-11-01

We analyze the time dependency of decadal hindcast skill in the North Atlantic subpolar gyre within the time period 1961-2013. We compare anomaly correlation coefficients and temporal interquartile ranges of total upper ocean heat content and sea surface temperature for three differently initialized sets of hindcast simulations with the global coupled model MPI-ESM. All initializations use weakly coupled assimilation with the same full value nudging in the atmospheric component and different assimilation techniques for oceanic temperature and salinity: (1) ensemble Kalman filter assimilating EN4 observations and HadISST data, (2) nudging of anomalies to ORAS4 reanalysis, (3) nudging of full values to ORAS4 reanalysis. We find that hindcast skill depends strongly on the evaluation time period, with higher hindcast skill during strong multiyear trends, especially during the warming in the 1990s and lower hindcast skill in the absence of such trends. Differences between the prediction systems are more pronounced when investigating any 20-year subperiod within the entire hindcast period. In the ensemble Kalman filter initialized hindcasts, we find significant correlation skill for up to 5-8 lead years, albeit along with an overestimation of the temporal interquartile range. In the hindcasts initialized by anomaly nudging, significant correlation skill for lead years greater than two is only found in the 1980s and 1990s. In the hindcasts initialized by full value nudging, correlation skill is consistently lower than in the hindcasts initialized by anomaly nudging in the first lead years with re-emerging skill thereafter. The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation reacts on the density changes introduced by oceanic nudging, this limits the predictability in the subpolar gyre in the first lead years. Overall, we find that a model-consistent assimilation technique can improve hindcast skill. Further, the evaluation of 20 year subperiods within the full hindcast period provides essential insights to judge the success of both the assimilation and the subsequent hindcast quality.

Postmenopausal hormone therapy and risk of stroke: A pooled analysis of data from population-based cohort studies

PubMed Central

Carrasquilla, Germán D.; Frumento, Paolo; Berglund, Anita; Borgfeldt, Christer; Bottai, Matteo; Chiavenna, Chiara; Eliasson, Mats; Engström, Gunnar; Hallmans, Göran; Jansson, Jan-Håkan; Nilsson, Peter M.; Pedersen, Nancy L.

2017-01-01

Background Recent research indicates a favourable influence of postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) if initiated early, but not late, on subclinical atherosclerosis. However, the clinical relevance of timing of HT initiation for hard end points such as stroke remains to be determined. Further, no previous research has considered the timing of initiation of HT in relation to haemorrhagic stroke risk. The importance of the route of administration, type, active ingredient, and duration of HT for stroke risk is also unclear. We aimed to assess the association between HT and risk of stroke, considering the timing of initiation, route of administration, type, active ingredient, and duration of HT. Methods and findings Data on HT use reported by the participants in 5 population-based Swedish cohort studies, with baseline investigations performed during the period 1987–2002, were combined in this observational study. In total, 88,914 postmenopausal women who reported data on HT use and had no previous cardiovascular disease diagnosis were included. Incident events of stroke (ischaemic, haemorrhagic, or unspecified) and haemorrhagic stroke were identified from national population registers. Laplace regression was employed to assess crude and multivariable-adjusted associations between HT and stroke risk by estimating percentile differences (PDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The fifth and first PDs were calculated for stroke and haemorrhagic stroke, respectively. Crude models were adjusted for age at baseline only. The final adjusted models included age at baseline, level of education, smoking status, body mass index, level of physical activity, and age at menopause onset. Additional variables evaluated for potential confounding were type of menopause, parity, use of oral contraceptives, alcohol consumption, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, diabetes, family history of cardiovascular disease, and cohort. During a median follow-up of 14.3 years, 6,371 first-time stroke events were recorded; of these, 1,080 were haemorrhagic. Following multivariable adjustment, early initiation (<5 years since menopause onset) of HT was associated with a longer stroke-free period than never use (fifth PD, 1.00 years; 95% CI 0.42 to 1.57), but there was no significant extension to the time period free of haemorrhagic stroke (first PD, 1.52 years; 95% CI −0.32 to 3.37). When considering timing as a continuous variable, the stroke-free and the haemorrhagic stroke-free periods were maximal if HT was initiated approximately 0–5 years from the onset of menopause. If single conjugated equine oestrogen HT was used, late initiation of HT was associated with a shorter stroke-free (fifth PD, −4.41 years; 95% CI −7.14 to −1.68) and haemorrhagic stroke-free (first PD, −9.51 years; 95% CI −12.77 to −6.24) period than never use. Combined HT when initiated late was significantly associated with a shorter haemorrhagic stroke-free period (first PD, −1.97 years; 95% CI −3.81 to −0.13), but not with a shorter stroke-free period (fifth PD, −1.21 years; 95% CI −3.11 to 0.68) than never use. Given the observational nature of this study, the possibility of uncontrolled confounding cannot be excluded. Further, immortal time bias, also related to the observational design, cannot be ruled out. Conclusions When initiated early in relation to menopause onset, HT was not associated with increased risk of incident stroke, regardless of the route of administration, type of HT, active ingredient, and duration. Generally, these findings held also for haemorrhagic stroke. Our results suggest that the initiation of HT 0–5 years after menopause onset, as compared to never use, is associated with a decreased risk of stroke and haemorrhagic stroke. Late initiation was associated with elevated risks of stroke and haemorrhagic stroke when conjugated equine oestrogen was used as single therapy. Late initiation of combined HT was associated with haemorrhagic stroke risk. PMID:29149179

Reliability analysis of structures under periodic proof tests in service

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, J.-N.

1976-01-01

A reliability analysis of structures subjected to random service loads and periodic proof tests treats gust loads and maneuver loads as random processes. Crack initiation, crack propagation, and strength degradation are treated as the fatigue process. The time to fatigue crack initiation and ultimate strength are random variables. Residual strength decreases during crack propagation, so that failure rate increases with time. When a structure fails under periodic proof testing, a new structure is built and proof-tested. The probability of structural failure in service is derived from treatment of all the random variables, strength degradations, service loads, proof tests, and the renewal of failed structures. Some numerical examples are worked out.

Quantum revival for elastic waves in thin plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubois, Marc; Lefebvre, Gautier; Sebbah, Patrick

2017-05-01

Quantum revival is described as the time-periodic reconstruction of a wave packet initially localized in space and time. This effect is expected in finite-size systems which exhibit commensurable discrete spectrum such as the infinite quantum well. Here, we report on the experimental observation of full and fractional quantum revival for classical waves in a two dimensional cavity. We consider flexural waves propagating in thin plates, as their quadratic dispersion at low frequencies mimics the dispersion relation of quantum systems governed by Schrödinger equation. Time-dependent excitation and measurement are performed at ultrasonic frequencies and reveal a periodic reconstruction of the initial elastic wave packet.

Improving timeliness for acute asthma care for paediatric ED patients using a nurse driven intervention: an interrupted time series analysis.

PubMed

Brown, Kathleen; Iqbal, Sabah; Sun, Su-Lin; Fritzeen, Jennifer; Chamberlain, James; Mullan, Paul C

2016-01-01

Asthma is the most common chronic paediatric disease treated in the emergency department (ED). Rapid corticosteroid administration is associated with improved outcomes, but our busy ED setting has made it challenging to achieve this goal. Our primary aim was to decrease the time to corticosteroid administration in a large, academic paediatric ED. We conducted an interrupted time series analysis for moderate to severe asthma exacerbations of one to 18 year old patients. A multidisciplinary team designed the intervention of a bedside nurse initiated administration of oral dexamethasone, to replace the prior system of a physician initiated order for oral prednisone. Our baseline and intervention periods were 12 month intervals. Our primary process measure was the time to corticosteroid administration. Other process measures included ED length of stay, admission rate, and rate of emesis. The balance measures included rate of return visits to the ED or clinic within five days, as well as the proportion of discharged patients who were admitted within five days. No special cause variation occurred in the baseline period. The mean time to corticosteroid administration decreased significantly, from 98 minutes in the baseline period to 59 minutes in the intervention period (p < 0.01), and showed special cause variation improvement within two months after the intervention using statistical process control methodology. We sustained the improvement and demonstrated a stable process. The intervention period had a significantly lower admission rate (p<0.01) and emesis rate (p<0.01), with no unforeseen harm to patients found with any of our balance measures. In summary, the introduction of a nurse initiated, standardized protocol for corticosteroid therapy for asthma exacerbations in a paediatric ED was associated with decreased time to corticosteroid administration, admission rates, and post-corticosteroid emesis.

The time course of corticospinal excitability during a simple reaction time task.

PubMed

Kennefick, Michael; Maslovat, Dana; Carlsen, Anthony N

2014-01-01

The production of movement in a simple reaction time task can be separated into two time periods: the foreperiod, which is thought to include preparatory processes, and the reaction time interval, which includes initiation processes. To better understand these processes, transcranial magnetic stimulation has been used to probe corticospinal excitability at various time points during response preparation and initiation. Previous research has shown that excitability decreases prior to the "go" stimulus and increases following the "go"; however these two time frames have been examined independently. The purpose of this study was to measure changes in CE during both the foreperiod and reaction time interval in a single experiment, relative to a resting baseline level. Participants performed a button press movement in a simple reaction time task and excitability was measured during rest, the foreperiod, and the reaction time interval. Results indicated that during the foreperiod, excitability levels quickly increased from baseline with the presentation of the warning signal, followed by a period of stable excitability leading up to the "go" signal, and finally a rapid increase in excitability during the reaction time interval. This excitability time course is consistent with neural activation models that describe movement preparation and response initiation.

Persistence of initial conditions in continental scale air quality simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogrefe, Christian; Roselle, Shawn J.; Bash, Jesse O.

2017-07-01

This study investigates the effect of initial conditions (IC) for pollutant concentrations in the atmosphere and soil on simulated air quality for two continental-scale Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model applications. One of these applications was performed for springtime and the second for summertime. Results show that a spin-up period of ten days commonly used in regional-scale applications may not be sufficient to reduce the effects of initial conditions to less than 1% of seasonally-averaged surface ozone concentrations everywhere while 20 days were found to be sufficient for the entire domain for the spring case and almost the entire domain for the summer case. For the summer case, differences were found to persist longer aloft due to circulation of air masses and even a spin-up period of 30 days was not sufficient to reduce the effects of ICs to less than 1% of seasonally-averaged layer 34 ozone concentrations over the southwestern portion of the modeling domain. Analysis of the effect of soil initial conditions for the CMAQ bidirectional NH3 exchange model shows that during springtime they can have an important effect on simulated inorganic aerosols concentrations for time periods of one month or longer. The effects are less pronounced during other seasons. The results, while specific to the modeling domain and time periods simulated here, suggest that modeling protocols need to be scrutinized for a given application and that it cannot be assumed that commonly-used spin-up periods are necessarily sufficient to reduce the effects of initial conditions on model results to an acceptable level. What constitutes an acceptable level of difference cannot be generalized and will depend on the particular application, time period and species of interest. Moreover, as the application of air quality models is being expanded to cover larger geographical domains and as these models are increasingly being coupled with other modeling systems to better represent air-surface-water exchanges, the effects of model initialization in such applications needs to be studied in future work.

Stabilizing the long-time behavior of the forced Navier-Stokes and damped Euler systems by large mean flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cyranka, Jacek; Mucha, Piotr B.; Titi, Edriss S.; Zgliczyński, Piotr

2018-04-01

The paper studies the issue of stability of solutions to the forced Navier-Stokes and damped Euler systems in periodic boxes. It is shown that for large, but fixed, Grashoff (Reynolds) number the turbulent behavior of all Leray-Hopf weak solutions of the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations, in periodic box, is suppressed, when viewed in the right frame of reference, by large enough average flow of the initial data; a phenomenon that is similar in spirit to the Landau damping. Specifically, we consider an initial data which have large enough spatial average, then by means of the Galilean transformation, and thanks to the periodic boundary conditions, the large time independent forcing term changes into a highly oscillatory force; which then allows us to employ some averaging principles to establish our result. Moreover, we also show that under the action of fast oscillatory-in-time external forces all two-dimensional regular solutions of the Navier-Stokes and the damped Euler equations converge to a unique time-periodic solution.

Impact of generic antiretroviral therapy (ART) and free ART programs on time to initiation of ART at a tertiary HIV care center in Chennai, India.

PubMed

Solomon, Sunil S; Lucas, Gregory M; Kumarasamy, Nagalingeswaran; Yepthomi, Tokugha; Balakrishnan, Pachamuthu; Ganesh, Aylur K; Anand, Santhanam; Moore, Richard D; Solomon, Suniti; Mehta, Shruti H

2013-08-01

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) access in the developing world has improved, but whether increased access has translated to more rapid treatment initiation among those who need it is unknown. We characterize time to ART initiation across three eras of ART availability in Chennai, India (1996-1999: pregeneric; 2000-2003: generic; 2004-2007: free rollout). Between 1996 and 2007, 11,171 patients registered for care at the YR Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research and Education (YRGCARE), a tertiary HIV referral center in southern India. Of these, 5726 patients became eligible for ART during this period as per Indian guidelines for initiation of ART. Generalized gamma survival models were used to estimate relative times (RT) to ART initiation by calendar periods of eligibility. Time to initiation of ART among patients in Chennai, India was also compared to an HIV clinical cohort in Baltimore, USA. Median age of the YRGCARE patients was 34 years; 77% were male. The median CD4 at presentation was 140 cells/µl. After adjustment for demographics, CD4 and WHO stage, persons in the pregeneric era took 3.25 times longer (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.53-4.17) to initiate ART versus the generic era and persons in the free rollout era initiated ART more rapidly than the generic era (RT: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.63-0.83). Adjusting for differences across centers, patients at YRGCARE took longer than patients in the Johns Hopkins Clinical Cohort (JHCC) to initiate ART in the pregeneric era (RT: 4.90; 95% CI: 3.37-7.13) but in the free rollout era, YRGCARE patients took only about a quarter of the time (RT: 0.31; 95% CI: 0.22-0.44). These data demonstrate the benefits of generic ART and government rollouts on time to initiation of ART in one developing country setting and suggests that access to ART may be comparable to developed country settings.

Effect of infusion pump fill-stroke flow interruption on response to sodium nitroprusside in surgical patients.

PubMed

Mann, H J; Fuhs, D W; Cerra, F B

1988-03-01

The influence of the piston-cassette pump fill stroke on the pharmacodynamic response to sodium nitroprusside was evaluated prospectively in 10 adult patients in the surgical intensive-care unit. Simultaneous analog recordings of blood pressure and fill stroke were made over three complete pump fill cycles in each patient. Sodium nitroprusside flow rates and concentrations were recorded throughout the data-collection period. Analysis was based on the maximum pressure obtained during the two-minute baseline period before a fill stroke (Pmax baseline), the pressure at the initiation of the fill stroke (P initial), and the maximum pressure obtained during the two-minute period after the fill stroke (Pmax postfill). The maximum systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean blood pressure (MBP) during the baseline and post-fill-stroke periods were significantly different. The mean (+/- S.D.) variability in pressure between the time periods Pmax baseline and Pmax postfill was 3.9 +/- 5.8 mm Hg for SBP (range, -8 to +16), 3.5 +/- 5.7 mm Hg for DBP (range, -7 to +13), and 3.6 +/- 5.6 mm Hg for MBP (range, -7 to +14). The likelihood of a pharmacodynamic change was inconsistent both between and within patients. Within patients the difference between cycles for the variability between time periods ranged from a minimum of 2 mm Hg to a maximum of 16 mm Hg for SBP, 2 mm Hg to 17 mm Hg for DBP, and 1 mm Hg to 17 mm Hg for MBP. The variability within the baseline period (Pmax baseline - P initial) in SBP was significantly greater than the variability between the time periods, while the differences for DBP and MBP were not significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Pilot-in-the-Loop CFD Method Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-04-20

the methods on the NAVAIR Manned Flight Simulator. Activities this period During this report period, we implemented the CRAFT CFD code on the...Penn State VLRCROE Flight simulator and performed the first Pilot-in-the-Loop PILCFD tests at Penn State using the COCOA5 clusters. The initial tests...integration of the flight simulator and Penn State computing infrastructure. Initial tests showed slower performance than real-time (3x slower than real

The effect of dissolve gas concentration in the initial growth stage of multi cavitation bubbles. Differences between vacuum degassing and ultrasound degassing.

PubMed

Yanagida, Hirotaka

2008-04-01

The sonochemical luminescence intensity from luminol was measured at a sampling rate of several kilohertz. This was noted at three different periods: first, the latent period in which no light emission occurs at all; second, the increased emission period from the start of light emission to the time when a steady state is reached; and third, the steady state period in which light emission occurs at the steady state value. When irradiated with ultrasound of different intensities, the times of the latent period and increased emission period are shorter for higher ultrasound intensities. To know how the dissolved oxygen content is involved in early-stage cavitation growth, an experiment was conducted using solutions with varying dissolved oxygen contents from 100% to 37%. For dissolved air content of 50% or less, it was found that the latent period was 30 times longer in a saturated condition. It was also found that the increased emission period was 10 times longer. However, the emission intensity in the steady state did not change at all even when the initial dissolved gas concentration of the sample was changed. From this, it was found that the reuse of collapsed bubbles takes place efficiently in the steady state. Dissolved oxygen was reduced by the use of a vacuum pump and by the degassing action of ultrasound, and it was discovered that the behavior of transient emission differed for the two ways of degassing.

A New Strategy to Enhance Cavitational Tissue Erosion Using a High-Intensity, Initiating Sequence

PubMed Central

Xu, Zhen; Fowlkes, J. Brian; Cain, Charles A.

2009-01-01

Our previous studies have shown that pulsed ultrasound can physically remove soft tissue through cavitation. A new strategy to enhance the cavitation-induced erosion is proposed wherein tissue erosion is initiated by a short, high-intensity sequence of pulses and sustained by lower intensity pulses. We investigated effects of the initiating sequence on erosion and cavitation sustained by lower intensity pulses. Multiple three-cycle pulses at a pulse repetition frequency of 20 kHz delivered by a 788-kHz focused transducer were used for tissue erosion. Fixing the initiating sequence at ISPPA of 9000 W/cm2, 16 combinations of different numbers of pulses within the initiating sequence and different sustaining pulse intensities were tested. Results showed: the initiating sequence increases the probability of erosion occurrence and the erosion rate with only slight overall increases in propagated energy; the initiating sequence containing more pulses does not increase the sustained cavitation period; and if extinguished and reinitiated, the sustained cavitation period becomes shorter after each initiation, although the waiting time between adjacent cavitation periods is random. The high-intensity, initiating sequence enhances cavitational tissue erosion and enables erosion at intensities significantly lower than what is required to initiate erosion. PMID:16921893

Approximate solution of space and time fractional higher order phase field equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shamseldeen, S.

2018-03-01

This paper is concerned with a class of space and time fractional partial differential equation (STFDE) with Riesz derivative in space and Caputo in time. The proposed STFDE is considered as a generalization of a sixth-order partial phase field equation. We describe the application of the optimal homotopy analysis method (OHAM) to obtain an approximate solution for the suggested fractional initial value problem. An averaged-squared residual error function is defined and used to determine the optimal convergence control parameter. Two numerical examples are studied, considering periodic and non-periodic initial conditions, to justify the efficiency and the accuracy of the adopted iterative approach. The dependence of the solution on the order of the fractional derivative in space and time and model parameters is investigated.

An Abstinence Program's Impact on Cognitive Mediators and Sexual Initiation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weed, Stan E.; Ericksen, Irene H.; Lewis, Allen; Grant, Gale E.; Wibberly, Kathy H.

2008-01-01

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of an abstinence education program on sexual intercourse initiation and on possible cognitive mediators of sexual initiation for virgin seventh graders in suburban Virginia. Methods: Measures of sexual behavior and 6 mediating variables were compared at 3 time periods for program participants and a matched…

Shifting Patterns of Transnational Academic Mobility: A Comparative and Historical Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Terri

2009-01-01

This article is an initial attempt to illustrate how patterns of academic mobility in the history of universities have been framed by the international politics of particular time periods. The article briefly looks at "the medieval period" and then at the emergent colonial and nationalist periods, including the ways that institutions as…

Control quantum evolution speed of a single dephasing qubit for arbitrary initial states via periodic dynamical decoupling pulses.

PubMed

Song, Ya-Ju; Tan, Qing-Shou; Kuang, Le-Man

2017-03-08

We investigate the possibility to control quantum evolution speed of a single dephasing qubit for arbitrary initial states by the use of periodic dynamical decoupling (PDD) pulses. It is indicated that the quantum speed limit time (QSLT) is determined by initial and final quantum coherence of the qubit, as well as the non-Markovianity of the system under consideration during the evolution when the qubit is subjected to a zero-temperature Ohmic-like dephasing reservoir. It is shown that final quantum coherence of the qubit and the non-Markovianity of the system can be modulated by PDD pulses. Our results show that for arbitrary initial states of the dephasing qubit with non-vanishing quantum coherence, PDD pulses can be used to induce potential acceleration of the quantum evolution in the short-time regime, while PDD pulses can lead to potential speedup and slow down in the long-time regime. We demonstrate that the effect of PDD on the QSLT for the Ohmic or sub-Ohmic spectrum (Markovian reservoir) is much different from that for the super-Ohmic spectrum (non-Markovian reservoir).

Are Vulnerability Disclosure Deadlines Justified?

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

Miles McQueen; Jason L. Wright; Lawrence Wellman

2011-09-01

Vulnerability research organizations Rapid7, Google Security team, and Zero Day Initiative recently imposed grace periods for public disclosure of vulnerabilities. The grace periods ranged from 45 to 182 days, after which disclosure might occur with or without an effective mitigation from the affected software vendor. At this time there is indirect evidence that the shorter grace periods of 45 and 60 days may not be practical. However, there is strong evidence that the recently announced Zero Day Initiative grace period of 182 days yields benefit in speeding up the patch creation process, and may be practical for many software products.more » Unfortunately, there is also evidence that the 182 day grace period results in more vulnerability announcements without an available patch.« less

Analysis of vector wind change with respect to time for Cape Kennedy, Florida: Wind aloft profile change vs. time, phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adelfang, S. I.

1977-01-01

Wind vector change with respect to time at Cape Kennedy, Florida, is examined according to the theory of multivariate normality. The joint distribution of the four variables represented by the components of the wind vector at an initial time and after a specified elapsed time is hypothesized to be quadravariate normal; the fourteen statistics of this distribution, calculated from fifteen years of twice daily Rawinsonde data are presented by monthly reference periods for each month from 0 to 27 km. The hypotheses that the wind component changes with respect to time is univariate normal, the joint distribution of wind component changes is bivariate normal, and the modulus of vector wind change is Rayleigh, has been tested by comparison with observed distributions. Statistics of the conditional bivariate normal distributions of vector wind at a future time given the vector wind at an initial time are derived. Wind changes over time periods from one to five hours, calculated from Jimsphere data, are presented.

Osmosis and the Marvelous Membrane.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cocanour, Barbara; Bruce, Alease S.

1985-01-01

Shows how the natural membrane of a decalcified chicken egg can demonstrate the principle of osmosis within a single class period. Various glucose and saline solutions used, periods of time, physiological effects experiments, and correction for differences in initial weights are noted. (DH)

Nonuniform dependence on initial data for compressible gas dynamics: The periodic Cauchy problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keyfitz, B. L.; Tığlay, F.

2017-11-01

We start with the classic result that the Cauchy problem for ideal compressible gas dynamics is locally well posed in time in the sense of Hadamard; there is a unique solution that depends continuously on initial data in Sobolev space Hs for s > d / 2 + 1 where d is the space dimension. We prove that the data to solution map for periodic data in two dimensions although continuous is not uniformly continuous.

Thought suppression across time: Change in frequency and duration of thought recurrence.

PubMed

Lambert, Ann E; Hu, Yueqin; Magee, Joshua C; Beadel, Jessica R; Teachman, Bethany A

2014-01-01

Some studies have found that trying to suppress thoughts increases their long-term recurrence, a phenomenon associated with psychopathology, particularly obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, effect sizes in thought suppression studies have often been small and inconsistent. The present study sought to improve thought suppression conceptualization and measurement by examining two distinct dimensions of thought recurrence - frequency and duration of a thought's return - and how they evolve over time. After a thought focus period, 100 adults were assigned to either suppress or monitor the recurrence of an unpleasant thought for 4 min. Then, during a second four-minute period, all participants were asked to monitor the thought's recurrence. Hierarchical linear modeling indicated that thought frequency declined across time and the rate of decline slowed as time went on. Initially, the extent of thought duration remained short and stable for those asked to suppress, and increased linearly over time for those asked to monitor. Later, this pattern reversed. Duration increased linearly for those initially asked to suppress but was short and stable for those who initially monitored. Accounting for change over time and means of measuring recurrence (frequency vs. duration) may help elucidate past mixed findings, and improve thought suppression research methodology.

Effect of initial conditions and of intra-event rainfall intensity variability on shallow landslide triggering return period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peres, David Johnny; Cancelliere, Antonino

2016-04-01

Assessment of shallow landslide hazard is important for appropriate planning of mitigation measures. Generally, return period of slope instability is assumed as a quantitative metric to map landslide triggering hazard on a catchment. The most commonly applied approach to estimate such return period consists in coupling a physically-based landslide triggering model (hydrological and slope stability) with rainfall intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves. Among the drawbacks of such an approach, the following assumptions may be mentioned: (1) prefixed initial conditions, with no regard to their probability of occurrence, and (2) constant intensity-hyetographs. In our work we propose the use of a Monte Carlo simulation approach in order to investigate the effects of the two above mentioned assumptions. The approach is based on coupling a physically based hydrological and slope stability model with a stochastic rainfall time series generator. By this methodology a long series of synthetic rainfall data can be generated and given as input to a landslide triggering physically based model, in order to compute the return period of landslide triggering as the mean inter-arrival time of a factor of safety less than one. In particular, we couple the Neyman-Scott rectangular pulses model for hourly rainfall generation and the TRIGRS v.2 unsaturated model for the computation of transient response to individual rainfall events. Initial conditions are computed by a water table recession model that links initial conditions at a given event to the final response at the preceding event, thus taking into account variable inter-arrival time between storms. One-thousand years of synthetic hourly rainfall are generated to estimate return periods up to 100 years. Applications are first carried out to map landslide triggering hazard in the Loco catchment, located in highly landslide-prone area of the Peloritani Mountains, Sicily, Italy. Then a set of additional simulations are performed in order to compare the results obtained by the traditional IDF-based method with the Monte Carlo ones. Results indicate that both variability of initial conditions and of intra-event rainfall intensity significantly affect return period estimation. In particular, the common assumption of an initial water table depth at the base of the pervious strata may lead in practice to an overestimation of return period up to one order of magnitude, while the assumption of constant-intensity hyetographs may yield an overestimation by a factor of two or three. Hence, it may be concluded that the analysed simplifications involved in the traditional IDF-based approach generally imply a non-conservative assessment of landslide triggering hazard.

Frequency domain system identification of helicopter rotor dynamics incorporating models with time periodic coefficients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, Sunghwan

1997-08-01

One of the most prominent features of helicopter rotor dynamics in forward flight is the periodic coefficients in the equations of motion introduced by the rotor rotation. The frequency response characteristics of such a linear time periodic system exhibits sideband behavior, which is not the case for linear time invariant systems. Therefore, a frequency domain identification methodology for linear systems with time periodic coefficients was developed, because the linear time invariant theory cannot account for sideband behavior. The modulated complex Fourier series was introduced to eliminate the smearing effect of Fourier series expansions of exponentially modulated periodic signals. A system identification theory was then developed using modulated complex Fourier series expansion. Correlation and spectral density functions were derived using the modulated complex Fourier series expansion for linear time periodic systems. Expressions of the identified harmonic transfer function were then formulated using the spectral density functions both with and without additive noise processes at input and/or output. A procedure was developed to identify parameters of a model to match the frequency response characteristics between measured and estimated harmonic transfer functions by minimizing an objective function defined in terms of the trace of the squared frequency response error matrix. Feasibility was demonstrated by the identification of the harmonic transfer function and parameters for helicopter rigid blade flapping dynamics in forward flight. This technique is envisioned to satisfy the needs of system identification in the rotating frame, especially in the context of individual blade control. The technique was applied to the coupled flap-lag-inflow dynamics of a rigid blade excited by an active pitch link. The linear time periodic technique results were compared with the linear time invariant technique results. Also, the effect of noise processes and initial parameter guess on the identification procedure were investigated. To study the effect of elastic modes, a rigid blade with a trailing edge flap excited by a smart actuator was selected and system parameters were successfully identified, but with some expense of computational storage and time. Conclusively, the linear time periodic technique substantially improved the identified parameter accuracy compared to the linear time invariant technique. Also, the linear time periodic technique was robust to noises and initial guess of parameters. However, an elastic mode of higher frequency relative to the system pumping frequency tends to increase the computer storage requirement and computing time.

Maintenance of Voluntary Self-regulation Learned through Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback

PubMed Central

Robineau, Fabien; Meskaldji, Djalel E.; Koush, Yury; Rieger, Sebastian W.; Mermoud, Christophe; Morgenthaler, Stephan; Van De Ville, Dimitri; Vuilleumier, Patrik; Scharnowski, Frank

2017-01-01

Neurofeedback based on real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an emerging technique that allows for learning voluntary control over brain activity. Such brain training has been shown to cause specific behavioral or cognitive enhancements, and even therapeutic effects in neurological and psychiatric patient populations. However, for clinical applications it is important to know if learned self-regulation can be maintained over longer periods of time and whether it transfers to situations without neurofeedback. Here, we present preliminary results from five healthy participants who successfully learned to control their visual cortex activity and who we re-scanned 6 and 14 months after the initial neurofeedback training to perform learned self-regulation. We found that participants achieved levels of self-regulation that were similar to those achieved at the end of the successful initial training, and this without further neurofeedback information. Our results demonstrate that learned self-regulation can be maintained over longer periods of time and causes lasting transfer effects. They thus support the notion that neurofeedback is a promising therapeutic approach whose effects can last far beyond the actual training period. PMID:28386224

Improved survival in HIV treatment programs in Asia

PubMed Central

De La Mata, Nicole L; Kumarasamy, Nagalingeswaran; Khol, Vohith; Ng, Oon Tek; Van Nguyen, Kinh; Merati, Tuti Parwati; Pham, Thuy Thanh; Lee, Man Po; Durier, Nicolas; Law, Matthew

2016-01-01

Background Antiretroviral treatment (ART) for HIV-positive patients has expanded rapidly in Asia over the last ten years. Our study aimed to describe the time trends and risk factors for overall survival in patients receiving first-line ART in Asia. Methods We included HIV-positive adult patients who initiated ART between 2003–2013 (n=16 546), from seven sites across six Asia-Pacific countries. Patient follow-up was to May 2014. We compared survival for each country and overall by time period of ART initiation using Kaplan-Meier curves. Factors associated with mortality were assessed using Cox regression, stratified by site. We also summarized first-line ART regimens, CD4 count at ART initiation, and CD4 and HIV viral load testing frequencies. Results There were 880 deaths observed over 54 532 person-years of follow-up, a crude rate of 1.61 (1.51, 1.72) per 100 person-years. Survival significantly improved in more recent years of ART initiation. The survival probabilities at 4 years follow-up for those initiating ART in 2003–05 was 92.1%, 2006–09 was 94.3% and 2010–2013 was 94.5% (p<0.001). Factors associated with higher mortality risk included initiating ART in earlier time periods, older age, male sex, injecting drug use as HIV exposure and lower pre-ART CD4 count. Concurrent with improved survival was increased tenofovir use, ART initiation at higher CD4 counts, and greater monitoring of CD4 and HIV viral load. Conclusions Our results suggest that HIV-positive patients from Asia have improved survival in more recent years of ART initiation. This is likely a consequence of improvements in treatment and, patient management and monitoring over time. PMID:26961354

Eating behaviors and weight over time in a prospective study: the Healthy Twin Study.

PubMed

Song, Yun-Mi; Lee, Kayoung; Sung, Joohon

2014-01-01

We examined the relationships of combined initial restrained and external/emotional eating with initial BMI and change in weight and these subscales over time. BMI and the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire were twicemeasured in 1361 Korean twins and families (482 men, 879 women) over a period of 2.7±0.9 years. Subjects were classified by combination of initial sex-specific restrained and external (or emotional) eating tertiles. Linear mixed models were performed after adjusting for confounders at baseline (household, sibling relations, sex, age, education level, smoking, alcohol use, energy intake, physical activity, and medical history). In adjusted models, initial BMI increased with increasing tertiles of initial restrained eating across initial external/emotional eating tertiles. Weight was less likely to increase over time with increasing tertiles of initial restrained eating in the lowest external eating tertile and middle tertile of emotional eating at baseline. Subscale scores decreased over time with increasing tertiles of corresponding subscales at baseline. These findings suggest that high dietary restraint and external/emotional eating may indicate concurrent high BMI and attenuated weight gain and decreases in corresponding subscales over time.

Anxiety symptoms as a moderator of the reciprocal links between forms of aggression and peer victimization in middle childhood.

PubMed

Cooley, John L; Frazer, Andrew L; Fite, Paula J; Brown, Shaquanna; DiPierro, Moneika

2017-09-01

The current short-term longitudinal study evaluated whether anxiety symptoms moderated the bidirectional associations between forms (i.e., physical and relational) of aggression and peer victimization over a 1-year period during middle childhood. Participants were 228 predominantly Caucasian children (50.4% boys; M = 8.32 years, SD = .95 years) in the second through fourth grades and their homeroom teachers. Children completed a self-report measure of anxiety symptoms at Time 1. Peer victimization was assessed using self-reports at Time 1 and approximately 1 year later (Time 2), and teachers provided ratings of children's aggressive behavior at both time points. A series of cross-lagged path analysis models indicated that high (+1 SD) initial levels of anxiety symptoms exacerbated the prospective link from Time 1 relational aggression to Time 2 peer victimization; conversely, when initial levels of anxiety symptoms were low (-1 SD), relational aggression predicted lower levels of subsequent peer victimization. Time 1 peer victimization was also found to predict lower levels of Time 2 physical aggression when initial levels of anxiety symptoms were low, and Time 1 anxiety symptoms were uniquely related to higher levels of relational aggression over a 1-year period. Regions of significance were calculated to further decompose significant interactions, which did not differ according to gender. Study findings are discussed within a social information processing theoretical framework, and directions for future research and implications for practice are reviewed. Specifically, co-occurring anxiety symptoms may need to be addressed in interventions for both aggression and peer victimization during middle childhood. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Adult emergency department patients with sickle cell pain crisis: results from a quality improvement learning collaborative model to improve analgesic management.

PubMed

Tanabe, Paula; Hafner, John W; Martinovich, Zoran; Artz, Nicole

2012-04-01

The aims of this study were to 1) estimate differences in pain management process and patient-reported outcomes, pre- and postimplementation of analgesic protocols for adults with sickle cell disease (SCD), and 2) examine the effects of site and visit frequency on changes in pain scores and time to analgesic. A multicenter, prospective, longitudinal study enrolled patients from three academic medical centers between October 2007 and September 2009. All ED patients 18 years or older with a chief complaint of a sickle cell pain episode were enrolled. Sites formed a SCD quality improvement (QI) team and implemented standard nurse-initiated emergency department (ED) analgesic protocols; outcomes were compared between study periods defined as pre- and postimplementation of protocols. Medical record review was conducted to measure time to administration of initial analgesic, opioids used, route of opioid administration, the change in pain scores from arrival to discharge (negative numbers reflect a decrease in pain scores), and the number of ED visits per individual patient during the study period at each site. On day 7 after the ED visit, a follow-up phone interview was conducted. Patients were queried about their ED pain management using a scale from 1 to 10 (1 = outstanding, 10 = worst). Descriptive statistics are used to report the results. Ordinary least-squares regression models were constructed to measure the effect of time period, site, and number of visits per patient on change in pain score. During the study period, 342 unique patients (57% female, mean ± SD age = 32 ± 11 years) were enrolled and had a total of 2,934 visits. There was no difference in time to administration of the initial analgesic between study periods. Overall, there was a significant decrease in pain scores from arrival to discharge between the pre- and postintervention study periods: the average difference in arrival to discharge pain scores (cm) was greater during the postimplementation period than during the preintervention period (-4.1 vs. -3.6, t = 2.6, p < 0.01). Site 1 had significant improvement between study periods (mean difference = -0.87, t = 2.63, p < 0.01; F = 14.3, p < 0.01). Patients with few ED visits (one to six annual visits, mean difference = -1.55, t = 2.1, p = 0.04) and those with frequent ED visits (7 to 19 annual visits, mean difference = -1.65, t = 3.52, p < 0.01) had a significant decrease in pain scores compared to patients with very frequent ED visits (>19 visits). There was an overall decrease in the use of morphine sulfate (MS) and increase in the use of hydromorphone (χ(2) = 105.67, p < 0.001) between study periods and a significant increase in the use of oral (PO) and subcutaneous (SC) routes, with a corresponding decrease in the intravenous (IV) route (χ(2) = 13.67, p < 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in patient-reported satisfaction with the attempt to manage pain in the ED between study periods (p = 0.54). While the use of a learning collaborative and implementation of nurse-initiated analgesic protocols was not associated with improvement in time to administration of the initial analgesic, improvements in the decrease in the arrival to discharge pain score and increased use of hydromorphone and the SC route were noted in adults with SCD in the ED. © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

24 CFR 26.11 - Time computation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... business day following the day on which the act, event, development, or default initiating the period of... mail. If a document is served by mail, 3 days shall be added to the time permitted for a response. (d...

24 CFR 26.11 - Time computation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... business day following the day on which the act, event, development, or default initiating the period of... mail. If a document is served by mail, 3 days shall be added to the time permitted for a response. (d...

24 CFR 26.11 - Time computation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... business day following the day on which the act, event, development, or default initiating the period of... mail. If a document is served by mail, 3 days shall be added to the time permitted for a response. (d...

Characterizing social behavior, activity, and associations between cognition and behavior upon social grouping of weaned dairy calves.

PubMed

Horvath, K C; Miller-Cushon, E K

2018-05-09

Weaned dairy calves are commonly exposed to changing physical and social environments, and ability to adapt to novel management is likely to have performance and welfare implications. We characterized how behavioral responses of weaned heifer calves develop over time after introduction to a social group. Previously individually reared Holstein heifer calves (n = 15; 60 ± 5 d of age; mean ± standard deviation) were introduced in weekly cohorts (5 ± 3 new calves/wk) to an existing group on pasture (8 ± 2 calves/group). We measured activity and behavior on the day of initial introduction and after 1 wk, when calves were exposed to regrouping (addition of younger calves and removal of older calves from the pen). Upon introduction, calves had 2 to 3 times more visits to each region of the pasture; they also spent more time at the back of the pasture, closest to where they were introduced and furthest from the feeding area (25.13 vs. 9.63% of observation period, standard error = 5.04), compared with behavior after 1 wk. Calves also spent less time feeding (5.0 vs. 9.6% of observation period, standard error = 0.82) and self-grooming (0.52 vs. 1.31% of observation period; standard error = 0.20) and more time within 1 to 3 body lengths of another calf (16.3 vs. 11.9% of observation period, standard error = 2.3) when initially grouped. We also explored whether behavioral responses to initial postweaning grouping might be associated with individual differences in behavioral flexibility. To evaluate this, we assessed cognition of individually housed calves (n = 18) at 5 wk of age using a spatial discrimination task conducted in a T-maze to measure initial learning (ability to learn the location of a milk reward) and reversal learning (ability to relearn location of the milk reward when it was switched to opposite arm of the maze). Calves were categorized by reversal learning success (passed, n = 6, or failed, n = 8). Calves that passed the reversal learning stage of the cognitive task spent less time at the back of the pen (9.3 vs. 27.4% of observation period, standard error = 5.5) and tended to have lower latency to feed (121.8 vs. 306.2 min; standard error = 96.4) on the day of introduction compared with calves that failed reversal learning. Overall, we found that initial introduction to social grouping had a marked influence on behavior of weaned calves that decreased over time. Further, these results suggest that individual variability in cognitive ability may be predictive of behavioral responses and ability to adapt to a novel environment. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evolution of orbits of the Apollo group asteroids over 11550 years.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zausaev, A. F.; Pushkarev, A. N.

The Everhart method is used to study the evolution of the orbits of 20 asteroids of the Apollo group over the time period from 9300 B.C. to 2250 A.D. Minimum distances of the asteroids to the major planets over the evolution process are calculated. The stability of resonances with Venus and Earth over the 9300 B.C.to 2250 A.D. time period is shown. Theoretical coordinates of radiants for the initial and final integration times are presented.

Persistence of initial conditions in continental scale air quality ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This study investigates the effect of initial conditions (IC) for pollutant concentrations in the atmosphere and soil on simulated air quality for two continental-scale Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model applications. One of these applications was performed for springtime and the second for summertime. Results show that a spin-up period of ten days commonly used in regional-scale applications may not be sufficient to reduce the effects of initial conditions to less than 1% of seasonally-averaged surface ozone concentrations everywhere while 20 days were found to be sufficient for the entire domain for the spring case and almost the entire domain for the summer case. For the summer case, differences were found to persist longer aloft due to circulation of air masses and even a spin-up period of 30 days was not sufficient to reduce the effects of ICs to less than 1% of seasonally-averaged layer 34 ozone concentrations over the southwestern portion of the modeling domain. Analysis of the effect of soil initial conditions for the CMAQ bidirectional NH3 exchange model shows that during springtime they can have an important effect on simulated inorganic aerosols concentrations for time periods of one month or longer. The effects are less pronounced during other seasons. The results, while specific to the modeling domain and time periods simulated here, suggest that modeling protocols need to be scrutinized for a given application and that it cannot be assum

Alcohol Behaviors and Deviant Behaviors among Adolescents in a Rural State.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nagy, Stephen; Dunn, Michael S.

1999-01-01

Study provides a descriptive profile of alcohol consumption patterns of adolescents in a southern state from four time periods over the past decade. Also examines the relationship between alcohol initiation and binge drinking behaviors and sexual initiation, pregnancy, multiple sex partners, and violence. Regression analyses showed very modest…

Longitudinal Modeling of Adolescent Normative Beliefs and Substance Initiation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lillehoj, Catherine J.; Trudeau, Linda; Spoth, Richard

2005-01-01

Pstudy investigated the effects of baseline levels of academic achievement and longitudinal trends in normative beliefs on adolescent substance initiation across a 42-month time period. Participants were 272 rural adolescents who were an average of 12.3 years old at the baseline assessment. Academic achievement positively predicted the intercept…

Have we left some behind? Trends in socio-economic inequalities in breastfeeding initiation: a population-based epidemiological surveillance study.

PubMed

Nickel, Nathan C; Martens, Patricia J; Chateau, Dan; Brownell, Marni D; Sarkar, Joykrishna; Goh, Chun Yan; Burland, Elaine; Taylor, Carole; Katz, Alan

2014-07-31

Breastfeeding is associated with improved health. Surveillance data show that breastfeeding initiation rates have increased; however, limited work has examined trends in socio-economic inequalities in initiation. The study's research question was whether socio-economic inequalities in breastfeeding initiation have changed over the past 20 years. This population-based study is a project within PATHS Equity for Children. Analyses used hospital discharge data for Manitoba mother-infant dyads with live births, 1988-2011 (n=316,027). Income quintiles were created, each with ~20% of dyads. Three-year, overall and by-quintile breastfeeding initiation rates were estimated for Manitoba and two hospitals. Age-adjusted rates were estimated for Manitoba. Rates were modelled using generalized linear models. Three measures, rate ratios (RRs), rate differences (RDs) and concentration indices, assessed inequality at each time point. We also compared concentration indices with Gini coefficients to assess breastfeeding inequality vis-à-vis income inequality. Trend analyses tested for changes over time. Manitoba and Hospital A initiation rates increased; Hospital B rates did not change. Significant inequalities existed in nearly every period, across all three measures: RRs, RDs and concentration indices. RRs and concentration indices suggested little to no change in inequality from 1988 to 2011. RDs for Manitoba (comparing initiation in the highest to lowest income quintiles) did not change significantly over time. RDs decreased for Hospital A, suggesting decreasing socio-economic inequalities in breastfeeding; RDs increased for Hospital B. Income inequality increased significantly in Manitoba during the study period. Overall breastfeeding initiation rates can improve while inequality persists or worsens.

48 CFR 48.104-1 - Determining sharing period.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., based on planning and programming or production documentation at the time the VECP is accepted. The.... (c) For engineering-development contracts and contracts containing low-rate-initial-production or early production units, the end of the sharing period is based not on a calendar date, but on acceptance...

48 CFR 48.104-1 - Determining sharing period.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., based on planning and programming or production documentation at the time the VECP is accepted. The.... (c) For engineering-development contracts and contracts containing low-rate-initial-production or early production units, the end of the sharing period is based not on a calendar date, but on acceptance...

48 CFR 48.104-1 - Determining sharing period.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., based on planning and programming or production documentation at the time the VECP is accepted. The.... (c) For engineering-development contracts and contracts containing low-rate-initial-production or early production units, the end of the sharing period is based not on a calendar date, but on acceptance...

48 CFR 48.104-1 - Determining sharing period.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., based on planning and programming or production documentation at the time the VECP is accepted. The.... (c) For engineering-development contracts and contracts containing low-rate-initial-production or early production units, the end of the sharing period is based not on a calendar date, but on acceptance...

12 CFR 205.9 - Receipts at electronic terminals; periodic statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... RESERVE SYSTEM ELECTRONIC FUND TRANSFERS (REGULATION E) § 205.9 Receipts at electronic terminals; periodic..., a financial institution shall make a receipt available to a consumer at the time the consumer initiates an electronic fund transfer at an electronic terminal. The receipt shall set forth the following...

12 CFR 205.9 - Receipts at electronic terminals; periodic statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... RESERVE SYSTEM ELECTRONIC FUND TRANSFERS (REGULATION E) § 205.9 Receipts at electronic terminals; periodic..., a financial institution shall make a receipt available to a consumer at the time the consumer initiates an electronic fund transfer at an electronic terminal. The receipt shall set forth the following...

12 CFR 1005.9 - Receipts at electronic terminals; periodic statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... TRANSFERS (REGULATION E) General § 1005.9 Receipts at electronic terminals; periodic statements. (a... institution shall make a receipt available to a consumer at the time the consumer initiates an electronic fund transfer at an electronic terminal. The receipt shall set forth the following information, as applicable...

12 CFR 205.9 - Receipts at electronic terminals; periodic statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... RESERVE SYSTEM ELECTRONIC FUND TRANSFERS (REGULATION E) § 205.9 Receipts at electronic terminals; periodic..., a financial institution shall make a receipt available to a consumer at the time the consumer initiates an electronic fund transfer at an electronic terminal. The receipt shall set forth the following...

12 CFR 205.9 - Receipts at electronic terminals; periodic statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... RESERVE SYSTEM ELECTRONIC FUND TRANSFERS (REGULATION E) § 205.9 Receipts at electronic terminals; periodic..., a financial institution shall make a receipt available to a consumer at the time the consumer initiates an electronic fund transfer at an electronic terminal. The receipt shall set forth the following...

12 CFR 205.9 - Receipts at electronic terminals; periodic statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... RESERVE SYSTEM ELECTRONIC FUND TRANSFERS (REGULATION E) § 205.9 Receipts at electronic terminals; periodic..., a financial institution shall make a receipt available to a consumer at the time the consumer initiates an electronic fund transfer at an electronic terminal. The receipt shall set forth the following...

12 CFR 1005.9 - Receipts at electronic terminals; periodic statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... TRANSFERS (REGULATION E) General § 1005.9 Receipts at electronic terminals; periodic statements. (a... institution shall make a receipt available to a consumer at the time the consumer initiates an electronic fund transfer at an electronic terminal. The receipt shall set forth the following information, as applicable...

12 CFR 1005.9 - Receipts at electronic terminals; periodic statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... TRANSFERS (REGULATION E) § 1005.9 Receipts at electronic terminals; periodic statements. (a) Receipts at... shall make a receipt available to a consumer at the time the consumer initiates an electronic fund transfer at an electronic terminal. The receipt shall set forth the following information, as applicable...

Temporal trends of time to antiretroviral treatment initiation, interruption and modification: examination of patients diagnosed with advanced HIV in Australia.

PubMed

Wright, Stephen T; Law, Matthew G; Cooper, David A; Keen, Phillip; McDonald, Ann; Middleton, Melanie; Woolley, Ian; Kelly, Mark; Petoumenos, Kathy

2015-01-01

HIV prevention strategies are moving towards reducing plasma HIV RNA viral load in all HIV-positive persons, including those undiagnosed, treatment naïve, on or off antiretroviral therapy. A proxy population for those undiagnosed are patients that present late to care with advanced HIV. The objectives of this analysis are to examine factors associated with patients presenting with advanced HIV, and establish rates of treatment interruption and modification after initiating ART. We deterministically linked records from the Australian HIV Observational Database to the Australian National HIV Registry to obtain information related to HIV diagnosis. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with advanced HIV diagnosis. We used survival methods to evaluate rates of ART initiation by diagnosis CD4 count strata and by calendar year of HIV diagnosis. Cox models were used to determine hazard of first ART treatment interruption (duration >30 days) and time to first major ART modification. Factors associated (p<0.05) with increased odds of advanced HIV diagnosis were sex, older age, heterosexual mode of HIV exposure, born overseas and rural-regional care setting. Earlier initiation of ART occurred at higher rates in later periods (2007-2012) in all diagnosis CD4 count groups. We found an 83% (69, 91%) reduction in the hazard of first treatment interruption comparing 2007-2012 versus 1996-2001 (p<0.001), and no difference in ART modification for patients diagnosed with advanced HIV. Recent HIV diagnoses are initiating therapy earlier in all diagnosis CD4 cell count groups, potentially lowering community viral load compared to earlier time periods. We found a marked reduction in the hazard of first treatment interruption, and found no difference in rates of major modification to ART by HIV presentation status in recent periods.

No Risk of Myocardial Infarction Associated With Initial Antiretroviral Treatment Containing Abacavir: Short and Long-Term Results from ACTG A5001/ALLRT

PubMed Central

Benson, Constance A.; Zheng, Yu; Koletar, Susan L.; Collier, Ann C.; Lok, Judith J.; Smurzynski, Marlene; Bosch, Ronald J.; Bastow, Barbara; Schouten, Jeffrey T.

2011-01-01

Background. Observational and retrospective clinical trial cohorts have reported conflicting results for the association of abacavir use with risk of myocardial infarction (MI), possibly related to issues that may bias estimation of treatment effects, such as time-varying confounders, informative dropout, and cohort loss due to competing events. Methods. We analyzed data from 5056 individuals initiating randomized antiretroviral treatment (ART) in AIDS Clinical Trials Group studies; 1704 started abacavir therapy. An intent-to-treat analysis adjusted for pretreatment covariates and weighting for informative censoring was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of MIs after initiation of a regimen with or without abacavir. Results. Through 6 years after ART initiation, 36 MI events were observed in 17,404 person-years of follow-up. No evidence of an increased hazard of MI in subjects using abacavir versus no abacavir was seen (over a 1-year period: P = .50; HR, 0.7 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.2-2.4]); over a 6-year period: P = .24; HR, 0.6 [95% CI, 0.3-1.4]); these results were robust over as-treated and sensitivity analyses. Although the risk of MI decreased over time, there was no evidence to suggest a time-dependent abacavir effect. Classic cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors were the strongest predictors of MI. Conclusion. We find no evidence to suggest that initial ART containing abacavir increases MI risk over short-term and long-term periods in this population with relatively low MI risk. Traditional CVD risk factors should be the main focus in assessing CVD risk in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus infection. PMID:21427402

No risk of myocardial infarction associated with initial antiretroviral treatment containing abacavir: short and long-term results from ACTG A5001/ALLRT.

PubMed

Ribaudo, Heather J; Benson, Constance A; Zheng, Yu; Koletar, Susan L; Collier, Ann C; Lok, Judith J; Smurzynski, Marlene; Bosch, Ronald J; Bastow, Barbara; Schouten, Jeffrey T

2011-04-01

Observational and retrospective clinical trial cohorts have reported conflicting results for the association of abacavir use with risk of myocardial infarction (MI), possibly related to issues that may bias estimation of treatment effects, such as time-varying confounders, informative dropout, and cohort loss due to competing events. We analyzed data from 5056 individuals initiating randomized antiretroviral treatment (ART) in AIDS Clinical Trials Group studies; 1704 started abacavir therapy. An intent-to-treat analysis adjusted for pretreatment covariates and weighting for informative censoring was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of MIs after initiation of a regimen with or without abacavir. Through 6 years after ART initiation, 36 MI events were observed in 17,404 person-years of follow-up. No evidence of an increased hazard of MI in subjects using abacavir versus no abacavir was seen (over a 1-year period: P=.50; HR, 0.7 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.2-2.4]); over a 6-year period: P=.24; HR, 0.6 [95% CI, 0.3-1.4]); these results were robust over as-treated and sensitivity analyses. Although the risk of MI decreased over time, there was no evidence to suggest a time-dependent abacavir effect. Classic cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors were the strongest predictors of MI. We find no evidence to suggest that initial ART containing abacavir increases MI risk over short-term and long-term periods in this population with relatively low MI risk. Traditional CVD risk factors should be the main focus in assessing CVD risk in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus infection. © The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved.

An assessment of prospects for international cooperation on the Space Exploration Initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cline, Lynn F. H.; Rosendhal, Jeffrey D.

1991-01-01

This paper discusses the unique characteristics of the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) which will have to be taken into account if the Initiative is to become an international one; the technical capabilities offered by prospective international partners; the political and economic prospects for proceeding with the Initiative both in the United States and elsewhere; and the advantages and disadvantages of various possible approaches to international cooperation on SEI. SEI preparatory activities are likely to extend over a several-year period. Such an extended preparatory period should provide the time needed for coordinating studies, for identifing interests and potential contributions, and for resolving the numerous planning, budgeting, organizational and political issues which will have to be dealt with if such a complex undertaking is to be successfully internationalized.

Oxidation behavior of a thermal barrier coating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, R. A.

1984-01-01

Thermal barrier coatings, consisting of a plasma sprayed calcium silicate ceramic layer and a CoCrAlY or NiCrAlY bond coat, were applied on B-1900 coupons and cycled hourly in air in a rapid-response furnace to maximum temperatures of 1030, 1100, or 1160 C. Eight specimens were tested for each of the six conditions of bond-coat composition and temperature. Specimens were removed from test at the onset of failure, which was taken to be the formation of a fine surface crack visible at 10X magnification. Specimens were weighed periodically, and plots of weight gain vs time indicate that weight is gained at a parabolic rate after an initial period where weight was gained at a much greater rate. The high initial oxidation rate is thought to arise from the initially high surface area in the porous bond coat. Specimen life (time to first crack) was found to be a strong function of temperature. However, while test lives varied greatly with time, the weight gain at the time of specimen failure was quite insensitive to temperature. This indicates that there is a critical weight gain at which the coating fails when subjected to this test.

From Here to There: Effectively Managing Organizational Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wick, Casey J.

2008-01-01

Throughout organizational history it has been witnessed and written of time and again just how difficult initiating and leading change, as it relates to human behavior, can be. Initiating and implementing organizational change can be, and very often is, a journey characterized by periods of temporary progress followed by slow regression back to…

Estrogen Plus Progestin Therapy and Breast Cancer in Recently Postmenopausal Women

PubMed Central

Prentice, Ross L.; Chlebowski, Rowan T.; Stefanick, Marcia L.; Manson, JoAnn E.; Pettinger, Mary; Hendrix, Susan L.; Hubbell, F. Allan; Kooperberg, Charles; Kuller, Lewis H.; Lane, Dorothy S.; McTiernan, Anne; O’Sullivan, Mary Jo; Rossouw, Jacques E.; Anderson, Garnet L.

2009-01-01

The Women’s Health Initiative trial found a modestly increased risk of invasive breast cancer with daily 0.625-mg conjugated equine estrogens plus 2.5-mg medroxyprogesterone acetate, with most evidence among women who had previously received postmenopausal hormone therapy. In comparison, observational studies mostly report a larger risk increase. To explain these patterns, the authors examined the effects of this regimen in relation to both prior hormone therapy and time from menopause to first use of postmenopausal hormone therapy (“gap time”) in the Women’s Health Initiative trial and in a corresponding subset of the Women’s Health Initiative observational study. Postmenopausal women with a uterus enrolled at 40 US clinical centers during 1993–1998. The authors found that hazard ratios agreed between the two cohorts at a specified gap time and time from hormone therapy initiation. Combined trial and observational study data support an adverse effect on breast cancer risk. Women who initiate use soon after menopause, and continue for many years, appear to be at particularly high risk. For example, for a woman who starts soon after menopause and adheres to this regimen, estimated hazard ratios are 1.64 (95% confidence interval: 1.00, 2.68) over a 5-year period of use and 2.19 (95% confidence interval: 1.56, 3.08) over a 10-year period of use. PMID:18372396

Trajectories of self-rated health among veterans: a latent growth curve analysis of the impact of posttraumatic symptoms.

PubMed

Benyamini, Yael; Ein-Dor, Tsachi; Ginzburg, Karni; Solomon, Zahava

2009-04-01

To examine the effects of combat stress reaction (CSR) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS) on the level and trajectories of self-rated health (SRH) over 20 years after war exposure. A total of 675 veterans comprising two groups, a CSR group (n = 369) and a matched control group without CSR (n = 306), were assessed in a prospective longitudinal design, 1, 2, 3, and 20 years after their participation in the 1982 Lebanon War. SRH and PTS were assessed repeatedly, at each point of measurement. The CSR participants showed more impaired initial SRH than the controls. Although the CSR group showed an improvement in SRH over time, its SRH level remained lower than that of the control group in all 4 points in time. Initial levels of PTS were associated with more impaired SRH and lower improvement over time. In addition, increased levels of PTS in the first follow-up period were related to poorer SRH, in comparison to the predicted trajectory on the basis of CSR and initial PTS. Stress reaction to war trauma affected the trajectory of SRH over a 20-year period. Although the differences between veterans who had shown acute stress reaction and those who had not persisted over the entire period, there was slow improvement in SRH over time among the more impaired CSR group. PTS in the first years after the war slowed this improvement and thus played a key role in the relationship between war trauma and physical health.

Breeding biology of Mottled Ducks on agricultural lands in southwestern Louisiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Durham, R.S.; Afton, A.D.

2006-01-01

Breeding biology of Anas fulvigula maculosa (Mottled Ducks) has been described in coastal marsh and associated habitats, but little information is available for agricultural habitats in Louisiana. We located nests to determine nest-initiation dates and clutch sizes during the primary breeding season (February-May) in 1999 (n = 29) and 2000 (n = 37) on agricultural lands in southwestern Louisiana. In 1999, 60% of located nests were initiated between 22 March and 10 April, whereas in 2000, only 22% of nests were initiated during the same time period. Average clutch size was 0.9 eggs smaller in 2000 than in 1999. Annual differences in reproductive parameters corresponded with extremely dry conditions caused by low rainfall before the laying period in 2000. Flooded rice fields appear to be important loafing and feeding habitat of Mottled Ducks nesting in agricultural lands, especially during drought periods when other wetland types are not available or where natural wetlands have been eliminated.

The mechanism of Fe(2+)-initiated lipid peroxidation in liposomes: the dual function of ferrous ions, the roles of the pre-existing lipid peroxides and the lipid peroxyl radical.

PubMed Central

Tang, L; Zhang, Y; Qian, Z; Shen, X

2000-01-01

The mechanism of Fe(2+)-initiated lipid peroxidation in a liposomal system was studied. It was found that a second addition of ferrous ions within the latent period lengthened the time lag before lipid peroxidation started. The apparent time lag depended on the total dose of Fe(2+) whenever the second dose of Fe(2+) was added, which indicates that Fe(2+) has a dual function: to initiate lipid peroxidation on one hand and suppress the species responsible for the initiation of the peroxidation on the other. When the pre-existing lipid peroxides (LOOH) were removed by incorporating triphenylphosphine into liposomes, Fe(2+) could no longer initiate lipid peroxidation and the acceleration of Fe(2+) oxidation by the liposomes disappeared. However, when extra LOOH were introduced into liposomes, both enhancement of the lipid peroxidation and shortening of the latent period were observed. When the scavenger of lipid peroxyl radicals (LOO(.)), N,N'-diphenyl-p-phenylene-diamine, was incorporated into liposomes, neither initiation of the lipid peroxidation nor acceleration of the Fe(2+) oxidation could be detected. The results may suggest that both the pre-existing LOOH and LOO(.) are necessary for the initiation of lipid peroxidation. The latter comes initially from the decomposition of the pre-existing LOOH by Fe(2+) and can be scavenged by its reaction with Fe(2+). Only when Fe(2+) is oxidized to such a degree that LOO(.) is no longer effectively suppressed does lipid peroxidation start. It seems that by taking the reactions of Fe(2+) with LOOH and LOO(.) into account, the basic chemistry in lipid peroxidation can explain fairly well the controversial phenomena observed in Fe(2+)-initiated lipid peroxidation, such as the existence of a latent period, the critical ratio of Fe(2+) to lipid and the required oxidation of Fe(2+). PMID:11062055

Long term continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in children: Initiation criteria in real life.

PubMed

Amaddeo, A; Moreau, J; Frapin, A; Khirani, S; Felix, O; Fernandez-Bolanos, M; Ramirez, A; Fauroux, B

2016-09-01

Long term noninvasive continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and noninvasive ventilation (NIV) are increasingly used in children but limited information is available on the criteria and conditions leading to the initiation of these treatments. The aim of the study is to describe the objective overnight respiratory parameters and clinical situations that led to the initiation of CPAP/NIV in a pediatric NIV unit. Retrospective analysis of the data of all the children discharged on home CPAP/NIV over a 1 year period. Seventy-six patients were started on CPAP (n = 64) or NIV (n = 12). CPAP/NIV was initiated because of CPAP/NIV weaning failure (Acute group) in 15 patients. None of these patients had an overnight gas exchange or sleep study before CPAP/NIV initiation. In 18 patients, CPAP/NIV was initiated on abnormal nocturnal gas exchange alone (Subacute group). These patients had a median of three of the following five overnight gas exchange abnormalities: minimal pulse oximetry (SpO2 ) <90%, maximal transcutaneous carbon dioxide (PtcCO2 ) >50 mmHg, time spent with SpO2 <90% or PtcCO2 >50 mmHg ≥2% of recording time, oxygen desaturation index >1.4/hr. In the last 43 patients, CPAP/NIV was initiated after an abnormal sleep study (Chronic group) on a mean of four of the aforementioned criteria and an apnea-hypopnea index >10/hr. In clinical practice, CPAP/NIV was initiated in an acute, subacute and chronic setting with most patients having an association of several abnormal gas exchange or sleep study parameters. Future studies should evaluate the effectiveness and benefits of CPAP/NIV according to the clinical situation and initiation criteria. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2016; 51:968-974. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A cross-sectional study of hormone treatment and hippocampal volume in postmenopausal women: Evidence for a limited window of opportunity

PubMed Central

Erickson, Kirk I.; Voss, Michelle W.; Prakash, Ruchika S.; Chaddock, Laura; Kramer, Arthur F.

2010-01-01

The influence of hormone treatment on brain and cognition in postmenopausal women has been a controversial topic. Contradictory patterns of results have prompted speculation that a critical period, or a limited window of opportunity, exists for hormone treatment to protect against cognitive and neural decline in older women. Consistent with this hypothesis, studies in both humans and rodents indicate that the latency between the time of menopause and the initiation of hormone treatment is an important factor in determining whether hormone treatment will prevent or exacerbate cognitive impairment. In this cross-sectional study of 102 postmenopausal women, we examined whether hippocampal, amygdala, or caudate nucleus volumes and spatial memory performance were related to the interval between menopause and the initiation of hormone treatment. Consistent with a critical period hypothesis, we found that shorter intervals between menopause and the initiation of hormone treatment, as determined by self-report, were associated with larger hippocampal volumes compared with longer intervals between menopause and treatment initiation. Initiation of hormone treatment at the time of menopause was also associated with larger hippocampal volumes when compared to peers who had never used hormone treatment. Furthermore, these effects were independent from potentially confounding factors such as age, years of education, the duration of hormone treatment, current or past use of hormone therapy, the type of therapy, and the age at menopause. Larger hippocampal volumes in women who initiated hormone treatment at the time of menopause failed to translate to improved spatial memory performance. There was no relationship between the timing of hormone initiation, spatial memory performance, and amygdala or caudate nucleus volume. Our results provide support for the idea that there is a limited window of opportunity at the time of menopause for hormone treatment to influence hippocampal volume, yet the degree to which these effects translate to improved memory performance is uncertain. PMID:20063947

Hydrodynamic interaction of two particles in confined linear shear flow at finite Reynolds number

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Yiguang; Morris, Jeffrey F.; Koplik, Joel

2007-11-01

We discuss the hydrodynamic interactions of two solid bodies placed in linear shear flow between parallel plane walls in a periodic geometry at finite Reynolds number. The computations are based on the lattice Boltzmann method for particulate flow, validated here by comparison to previous results for a single particle. Most of our results pertain to cylinders in two dimensions but some examples are given for spheres in three dimensions. Either one mobile and one fixed particle or else two mobile particles are studied. The motion of a mobile particle is qualitatively similar in both cases at early times, exhibiting either trajectory reversal or bypass, depending upon the initial vector separation of the pair. At longer times, if a mobile particle does not approach a periodic image of the second, its trajectory tends to a stable limit point on the symmetry axis. The effect of interactions with periodic images is to produce nonconstant asymptotic long-time trajectories. For one free particle interacting with a fixed second particle within the unit cell, the free particle may either move to a fixed point or take up a limit cycle. Pairs of mobile particles starting from symmetric initial conditions are shown to asymptotically reach either fixed points, or mirror image limit cycles within the unit cell, or to bypass one another (and periodic images) indefinitely on a streamwise periodic trajectory. The limit cycle possibility requires finite Reynolds number and arises as a consequence of streamwise periodicity when the system length is sufficiently short.

Time-periodic solutions of the Benjamin-Ono equation

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

Ambrose , D.M.; Wilkening, Jon

2008-04-01

We present a spectrally accurate numerical method for finding non-trivial time-periodic solutions of non-linear partial differential equations. The method is based on minimizing a functional (of the initial condition and the period) that is positive unless the solution is periodic, in which case it is zero. We solve an adjoint PDE to compute the gradient of this functional with respect to the initial condition. We include additional terms in the functional to specify the free parameters, which, in the case of the Benjamin-Ono equation, are the mean, a spatial phase, a temporal phase and the real part of one ofmore » the Fourier modes at t = 0. We use our method to study global paths of non-trivial time-periodic solutions connecting stationary and traveling waves of the Benjamin-Ono equation. As a starting guess for each path, we compute periodic solutions of the linearized problem by solving an infinite dimensional eigenvalue problem in closed form. We then use our numerical method to continue these solutions beyond the realm of linear theory until another traveling wave is reached (or until the solution blows up). By experimentation with data fitting, we identify the analytical form of the solutions on the path connecting the one-hump stationary solution to the two-hump traveling wave. We then derive exact formulas for these solutions by explicitly solving the system of ODE's governing the evolution of solitons using the ansatz suggested by the numerical simulations.« less

A statistical study of decaying kink oscillations detected using SDO/AIA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goddard, C. R.; Nisticò, G.; Nakariakov, V. M.; Zimovets, I. V.

2016-01-01

Context. Despite intensive studies of kink oscillations of coronal loops in the last decade, a large-scale statistically significant investigation of the oscillation parameters has not been made using data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Aims: We carry out a statistical study of kink oscillations using extreme ultraviolet imaging data from a previously compiled catalogue. Methods: We analysed 58 kink oscillation events observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board SDO during its first four years of operation (2010-2014). Parameters of the oscillations, including the initial apparent amplitude, period, length of the oscillating loop, and damping are studied for 120 individual loop oscillations. Results: Analysis of the initial loop displacement and oscillation amplitude leads to the conclusion that the initial loop displacement prescribes the initial amplitude of oscillation in general. The period is found to scale with the loop length, and a linear fit of the data cloud gives a kink speed of Ck = (1330 ± 50) km s-1. The main body of the data corresponds to kink speeds in the range Ck = (800-3300) km s-1. Measurements of 52 exponential damping times were made, and it was noted that at least 21 of the damping profiles may be better approximated by a combination of non-exponential and exponential profiles rather than a purely exponential damping envelope. There are nine additional cases where the profile appears to be purely non-exponential and no damping time was measured. A scaling of the exponential damping time with the period is found, following the previously established linear scaling between these two parameters.

Nonuniform Effects of Reinstatement within the Time Window

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galluccio, Llissa; Rovee-Collier, Carolyn

2006-01-01

A time window is a limited period after an event initially occurs in which additional information can be integrated with the memory of that event. It shuts when the memory is forgotten. The time window hypothesis holds that the impact of a manipulation at different points within the time window is nonuniform. In two operant conditioning…

Stroke Severity Affects Timing: Time From Stroke Code Activation to Initial Imaging is Longer in Patients With Milder Strokes.

PubMed

Kwei, Kimberly T; Liang, John; Wilson, Natalie; Tuhrim, Stanley; Dhamoon, Mandip

2018-05-01

Optimizing the time it takes to get a potential stroke patient to imaging is essential in a rapid stroke response. At our hospital, door-to-imaging time is comprised of 2 time periods: the time before a stroke is recognized, followed by the period after the stroke code is called during which the stroke team assesses and brings the patient to the computed tomography scanner. To control for delays due to triage, we isolated the time period after a potential stroke has been recognized, as few studies have examined the biases of stroke code responders. This "code-to-imaging time" (CIT) encompassed the time from stroke code activation to initial imaging, and we hypothesized that perception of stroke severity would affect how quickly stroke code responders act. In consecutively admitted ischemic stroke patients at The Mount Sinai Hospital emergency department, we tested associations between National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores (NIHSS), continuously and at different cutoffs, and CIT using spline regression, t tests for univariate analysis, and multivariable linear regression adjusting for age, sex, and race/ethnicity. In our study population, mean CIT was 26 minutes, and mean presentation NIHSS was 8. In univariate and multivariate analyses comparing CIT between mild and severe strokes, stroke scale scores <4 were associated with longer response times. Milder strokes are associated with a longer CIT with a threshold effect at a NIHSS of 4.

Prospective Association Between Negative Life Events and Initiation of Sexual Intercourse: The Influence of Family Structure and Family Income

PubMed Central

Oman, Roy F.; Vesely, Sara K.; Aspy, Cheryl B.; Tolma, Eleni L.; John, Robert

2015-01-01

Objectives. We examined the prospective association between negative life events and time to initiation of sexual intercourse and the influence of family structure and family income on this association. Methods. We followed up a randomly selected sample (n = 649) of ethnically diverse parents and their children aged 12 to 17 years over a 5-year period. We conducted Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to examine the relation between negative life events and time to initiation of sexual intercourse. Family structure and family income were assessed as confounders. Results. Negative life events were significant predictors of time to initiation of sexual intercourse in adolescents. After controlling for demographic variables, youths reporting 1 negative life event had a hazard of initiation of sexual intercourse 1.40 times greater and youths reporting 2 or more negative life events had a hazard of initiation of sexual intercourse 1.61 times greater compared with youths reporting no negative life events. Family structure and family income were not significant confounders of the relation between initiation of sexual intercourse and negative life events. Conclusions. Interventions to prevent initiation of sexual intercourse should focus on youths with recent negative life events, regardless of family income and structure. PMID:25602885

Impact of Xpert MTB/RIF rollout on management of tuberculosis in a South African community.

PubMed

Schmidt, B-M; Geldenhuys, H; Tameris, M; Luabeya, A; Mulenga, H; Bunyasi, E; Scriba, T; Hatherill, M

2017-11-27

The Xpert MTB/RIF test shortens the time to microbiological confirmation of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) under research conditions. To evaluate the field impact of Xpert MTB/RIF rollout on TB diagnostic yield and time to treatment in a South African (SA) community. We compared TB investigation outcomes for 6-month calendar periods before and after Xpert MTB/RIF rollout in a semi-rural area of SA. The proportion of adult patients who tested positive by sputum smear microscopy, liquid culture or Xpert MTB/RIF and the proportion of positive sputum smear, liquid culture or Xpert MTB/RIF tests were compared. Secondary outcomes included time to laboratory diagnosis and treatment initiation. Data were collected from the National Health Laboratory Service database and from the Western Cape Provincial Department of Health TB register. Regional rollout of Xpert MTB/RIF testing occurred in 2013. Of the 15 629 patients investigated in the post-rollout period, 7.9% tested positive on GeneXpert, compared with 6.4% of the 10 741 investigated in the pre-rollout period who tested positive by sputum smear microscopy (p<0.001). Median laboratory processing time was <1 day for Xpert MTB/RIF (interquartile range (IQR) 0 - 1) compared with 1 day (IQR 0 - 16) for sputum smear microscopy (p=0.001). The median time to TB treatment initiation was 4 days (IQR 2 - 8) after rollout compared with 5 days (IQR 2 - 14) before (p=0.001). Patients investigated for suspected pulmonary TB were more likely to be diagnosed after rollout of Xpert MTB/RIF testing, although the benefit to diagnostic yield was modest, and Xpert MTB/RIF testing was associated with a marginal improvement in time to treatment initiation.

Examination of wireless technology to improve nurse communication, response time to bed alarms, and patient safety.

PubMed

Guarascio-Howard, Linda

2011-01-01

A medical-surgical unit in a southwestern United States hospital examined the results of adding wireless communication technology to assist nurses in identifying patient bed status changes and enhancing team communication. Following the addition of wireless communication, response time to patient calls and the number of nurse-initiated communications were compared to pre-wireless calls and response time sampling period. In the baseline study, nurse-initiated communications and response time to patient calls were investigated for a team nursing model (Guarascio-Howard & Malloch, 2007). At this time, technology consisted of a nurse call system and telephones located at each decentralized nurse station and health unit coordinator (HUC) station. For this follow-up study, a wireless device was given to nurses and their team members following training on device use and privacy issues. Four registered nurses (RNs) were shadowed for 8 hours (32 hours total) before and after the introduction of the wireless devices. Data were collected regarding patient room visits, number of patient calls, bed status calls, response time to calls, and the initiator of the communication episodes. Follow-up study response time to calls significantly decreased (t-test p = .03). RNs and licensed practical nurses responded to bed status calls in less than 1 minute-62% of the 37 calls. Communication results indicated a significant shift (One Proportion Z Test) in RN-initiated communications, suggesting an enhanced ability to communicate with team members and to assist in monitoring patient status. Patient falls trended downward, although not significantly (p > .05), for a 6-month period of wireless technology use compared to the same period the previous year. The addition of a wireless device has advantages in team nursing, namely increasing communication with staff members and decreasing response time to patient and bed status calls. Limitations of the study included a change in caregiver team members and issues regarding wireless device and locator badge compliance. Administrative issues that arose during this field study included bed and cable maintenance, device battery charging, and the training of new and floating team members.

Influence of indoor and outdoor activities on progression of myopia during puberty.

PubMed

Öner, Veysi; Bulut, Asker; Oruç, Yavuz; Özgür, Gökhan

2016-02-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether time spent on indoor and outdoor activities or the other possible risk factors including age, gender, parental history, and initial refraction was associated with progression of myopia, during puberty. Fifty eyes of 50 myopic children aged 9-14 years were enrolled in the study. The parents were interviewed to determine the amounts of time in hours per day spent on reading and writing, using computer, watching TV, and outdoor activities (i.e., sports, games, or being outdoor with no activities) on an average day. The annual myopia progression rate (diopters per year) was calculated for each subject and was used in the statistical analyses. The mean initial age of the subjects was 10.9 ± 1.5 (ranging from 9 to 14) years. The mean follow-up period was 33.3 ± 10.3 (ranging from 17 to 55) months. There was a significant increase in the mean myopia value of the subjects after follow-up period (p < 0.001). The mean daily time spent on reading and writing and initial refraction value were independently associated with annual myopic progression rate. On the other hand, age, gender, parental myopia, and the mean daily times spent on computer use, watching TV, and outdoor activities had no correlations with annual myopia progression rate. The present study showed that myopia progression was associated with time spent on reading and writing and initial refraction value, during puberty. However, myopia progression was not associated with parental myopia, age, gender, and daily times spent on using computer, watching TV, and outdoor activities.

Biochemical basis of synergism between pathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae and insecticide chlorantraniliprole in Locusta migratoria (Meyen)

PubMed Central

Jia, Miao; Cao, Guangchun; Li, Yibo; Tu, Xiongbing; Wang, Guangjun; Nong, Xiangqun; Whitman, Douglas W.; Zhang, Zehua

2016-01-01

We challenged Locusta migratoria (Meyen) grasshoppers with simultaneous doses of both the insecticide chlorantraniliprole and the fungal pathogen, Metarhizium anisopliae. Our results showed synergistic and antagonistic effects on host mortality and enzyme activities. To elucidate the biochemical mechanisms that underlie detoxification and pathogen-immune responses in insects, we monitored the activities of 10 enzymes. After administration of insecticide and fungus, activities of glutathione-S-transferase (GST), general esterases (ESTs) and phenol oxidase (PO) decreased in the insect during the initial time period, whereas those of aryl acylamidase (AA) and chitinase (CHI) increased during the initial period and that of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) increased during a later time period. Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) decreased at a later time period post treatment. Interestingly, treatment with chlorantraniliprole and M. anisopliae relieved the convulsions that normally accompany M. anisopliae infection. We speculate that locust mortality increased as a result of synergism via a mechanism related to Ca2+ disruption in the host. Our study illuminates the biochemical mechanisms involved in insect immunity to xenobiotics and pathogens as well as the mechanisms by which these factors disrupt host homeostasis and induce death. We expect this knowledge to lead to more effective pest control. PMID:27328936

48 CFR 9.505-2 - Preparing specifications or work statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... ACQUISITION REGULATION ACQUISITION PLANNING CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS Organizational and Consultant Conflicts... subcontractor, for a reasonable period of time including, at least, the duration of the initial production... eliminated for a reasonable time from competition for production based on the specifications. This should be...

48 CFR 9.505-2 - Preparing specifications or work statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... ACQUISITION REGULATION ACQUISITION PLANNING CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS Organizational and Consultant Conflicts... subcontractor, for a reasonable period of time including, at least, the duration of the initial production... eliminated for a reasonable time from competition for production based on the specifications. This should be...

Analysis of vector wind change with respect to time for Cape Kennedy, Florida

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adelfang, S. I.

1978-01-01

Multivariate analysis was used to determine the joint distribution of the four variables represented by the components of the wind vector at an initial time and after a specified elapsed time is hypothesized to be quadravariate normal; the fourteen statistics of this distribution, calculated from 15 years of twice-daily rawinsonde data are presented by monthly reference periods for each month from 0 to 27 km. The hypotheses that the wind component changes with respect to time is univariate normal, that the joint distribution of wind component change with respect to time is univariate normal, that the joint distribution of wind component changes is bivariate normal, and that the modulus of vector wind change is Rayleigh are tested by comparison with observed distributions. Statistics of the conditional bivariate normal distributions of vector wind at a future time given the vector wind at an initial time are derived. Wind changes over time periods from 1 to 5 hours, calculated from Jimsphere data, are presented. Extension of the theoretical prediction (based on rawinsonde data) of wind component change standard deviation to time periods of 1 to 5 hours falls (with a few exceptions) within the 95 percentile confidence band of the population estimate obtained from the Jimsphere sample data. The joint distributions of wind change components, conditional wind components, and 1 km vector wind shear change components are illustrated by probability ellipses at the 95 percentile level.

A Paired Comparison of Initial and Recurrent Concussions Sustained by US High School Athletes Within a Single Athletic Season.

PubMed

Currie, Dustin W; Comstock, R Dawn; Fields, Sarah K; Cantu, Robert C

To compare initial and recurrent concussions regarding average number of days between concussions, acute concussion symptoms and symptom resolution time, and return to play time. High school athletes sustaining multiple concussions linked within sport seasons drawn from a large sports injury surveillance study. Retrospective analysis of longitudinal surveillance data. Number of days between concussions, number of symptoms endorsed, specific symptoms endorsed, symptom resolution time, return to play time. Median time between initial and recurrent concussions was 21 days (interquartile range = 10-43 days). Loss of consciousness, the only significant symptom difference, occurred more frequently in recurrent (6.8%) than initial (1.7%) concussions (P = .04). No significant difference was found in the number of symptoms (P = .84) or symptom resolution time (P = .74). Recurrent concussions kept athletes from play longer than initial concussions (P < .0001); 26.6% of recurrent concussions were season ending. We found that athletes' initial and recurrent concussions had similar symptom presentations and resolution time. Despite these similarities, athletes were restricted from returning to play for longer periods following a recurrent concussion, indicating clinicians are managing recurrent concussions more conservatively. It is probable that concussion recognition and management are superior now compared with when previous studies were published, possibly improving recurrent concussion outcomes.

Association of complementary and alternative medicine use with highly active antiretroviral therapy initiation.

PubMed

Merenstein, Daniel; Yang, Yang; Schneider, Michael F; Goparaju, Lakshmi; Weber, Kathleen; Sharma, Anjali; Levine, Alexandra M; Sharp, Gerald B; Gandhi, Monica; Liu, Chenglong

2008-01-01

To assess whether complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is associated with the timing of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) initiation among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected participants of the Women's Interagency HIV Study. Prospective cohort study between January 1996 and March 2002. Differences in the cumulative incidence of HAART initiation were compared between CAM users and non-CAM users using a logrank test. Cox regression model was used to assess associations of CAM exposures with time to HAART initiation. MAIN OUTCOME AND EXPOSURES: Study outcome was time from January 1996 to initiation of HAART. Primary exposure was use of any CAM modality before January 1996, and secondary exposures included the number and type of CAM modalities used (ingestible CAM medication, body practice, or spiritual healing) during the same period. One thousand thirty-four HIV-infected women contributed a total of 4987 person-visits during follow-up. At any time point, the cumulative incidence of HAART initiation among CAM users was higher than that among non-CAM users. After adjustment for potential confounders, those reporting CAM use were 1.34 times (95% confidence interval: 1.09, 1.64) more likely to initiate HAART than non-CAM users. Female CAM users initiated HAART regimens earlier than non-CAM users. Initiation of HAART is an important clinical marker, but more research is needed to elucidate the role specific CAM modalities play in HIV disease progression.

Is it possible to predict long-term success with k-NN? Case study of four market indices (FTSE100, DAX, HANGSENG, NASDAQ)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Y.; Gorban, A. N.; Y Yang, T.

2014-03-01

This case study tests the possibility of prediction for 'success' (or 'winner') components of four stock & shares market indices in a time period of three years from 02-Jul-2009 to 29-Jun-2012.We compare their performance ain two time frames: initial frame three months at the beginning (02/06/2009-30/09/2009) and the final three month frame (02/04/2012-29/06/2012).To label the components, average price ratio between two time frames in descending order is computed. The average price ratio is defined as the ratio between the mean prices of the beginning and final time period. The 'winner' components are referred to the top one third of total components in the same order as average price ratio it means the mean price of final time period is relatively higher than the beginning time period. The 'loser' components are referred to the last one third of total components in the same order as they have higher mean prices of beginning time period. We analyse, is there any information about the winner-looser separation in the initial fragments of the daily closing prices log-returns time series.The Leave-One-Out Cross-Validation with k-NN algorithm is applied on the daily log-return of components using a distance and proximity in the experiment. By looking at the error analysis, it shows that for HANGSENG and DAX index, there are clear signs of possibility to evaluate the probability of long-term success. The correlation distance matrix histograms and 2-D/3-D elastic maps generated from ViDaExpert show that the 'winner' components are closer to each other and 'winner'/'loser' components are separable on elastic maps for HANGSENG and DAX index while for the negative possibility indices, there is no sign of separation.

Survival period after tube feeding in bedridden older patients.

PubMed

Kosaka, Yoichi; Nakagawa-Satoh, Takuma; Ohrui, Takashi; Fujii, Masahiko; Arai, Hiroyuki; Sasaki, Hidetada

2012-04-01

We prospectively studied survival periods after tube feeding. Participants were 163 bedridden older patients suffering from dysphagia. A wide range of survival periods after tube feeding were observed within half a year without tube feeding after being bedridden. After this initial period, survival periods after tube feeding were limited to approximately half a year. Survival periods after tube feeding were positively proportional to the length of time patients were free from pneumonia after tube feeding. After tube feeding, patients died from pneumonia within half a year, and the frequency of pneumonia was 3.1 ± 2.7 times (mean ± SD) before death. Survival periods after tube feeding for less than 1 year were primarily determined by being bedridden for more than half a year without tube feeding and once pneumonia occurred; patients who were tube fed did not survive for more than half a year. © 2012 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Characterization of Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonist Therapy Initiation in High-Risk Patients With Heart Failure.

PubMed

Cooper, Lauren B; Hammill, Bradley G; Peterson, Eric D; Pitt, Bertram; Maciejewski, Matthew L; Curtis, Lesley H; Hernandez, Adrian F

2017-01-01

Heart failure guidelines recommend routine monitoring of serum potassium, and renal function in patients treated with a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA). How these recommendations are implemented in high-risk patients or according to setting of drug initiation is poorly characterized. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries linked to laboratory data in 10 states with prevalent heart failure as of July 1, 2011, and incident MRA use between May 1 and September 30, 2011. Outcomes included laboratory testing before MRA initiation and in the early (days 1-10) and extended (days 11-90) post-initiation periods, based on setting of drug initiation and the presence of renal insufficiency. Additional outcomes included abnormal laboratory results and adverse events proximate to MRA initiation. Of 10 443 Medicare beneficiaries with heart failure started on an MRA, 19.7% were initiated during a hospitalization. Appropriate follow-up laboratory testing across all time periods occurred in 25.2% of patients with inpatient initiation compared with 2.8% of patients begun as an outpatient. Patients with chronic kidney disease had higher rates of both hyperkalemia and acute kidney failure in the early (1.3% and 2.7%, respectively) and extended (5.6% and 9.8%, respectively) post-initiation periods compared with those without chronic kidney disease. Patients initiated on MRA therapy as an outpatient had extremely poor rates of guideline indicated follow-up laboratory monitoring after drug initiation. In particular, patients with chronic kidney disease are at high risk for adverse events after MRA initiation. Quality improvement initiatives focused on systems to improve appropriate laboratory monitoring are needed. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Trends in ART Initiation among Men and Non-Pregnant/Non-Breastfeeding Women before and after Option B+ in Southern Malawi

PubMed Central

Yeatman, Sara; van Oosterhout, Joep J.; Chan, Adrienne; Mantengeni, Alfred; Landes, Megan; Bedell, Richard; Kawalazira, Gift; Sodhi, Sumeet

2016-01-01

Background Option B+ is promoted as a key component to eliminating vertical transmission of HIV; however, little is known about the policy’s impact on non-targeted populations, such as men and non-pregnant/non-breastfeeding women. We compare ART uptake among non-targeted populations during pre/post Option B+ periods in Zomba District, Malawi. Methods Individual-level ART registry data from 27 health facilities were digitized and new ART initiates were disaggregated by sex and type of initiate (Option B+ or not). Data were analyzed over the pre- (January 2009-June 2011) and post- (July 2011- December 2013) Option B+ periods. Results After the implementation of Option B+, the total number of new female initiates increased significantly (quarterly median: 547 vs. 816; P = 0.001) and their median age decreased from 34 to 31 years (P = <0.001). Both changes were the result of the rapid and sustained uptake of ART among Option B+ clients. Post-policy, Option B+ clients represented 48% of all new female initiates while the number of females who initiated through CD4 or WHO staging criteria significantly decreased (quarterly median: 547 vs. 419; P = 0.005). The number and age of male initiates remained stable; however, the proportion of men among new initiates decreased (36% vs. 31%; P = <0.001). Conclusions Option B+ shifted the profile of first-time initiates towards younger and fertile women. Declines among non-Option B+ women most likely reflect earlier initiation during pregnancies before deteriorations in health. The decreased proportion of men among first-time initiates represents a growing gender disparity in HIV services that deserves immediate attention. PMID:28002413

Trends in ART Initiation among Men and Non-Pregnant/Non-Breastfeeding Women before and after Option B+ in Southern Malawi.

PubMed

Dovel, Kathryn; Yeatman, Sara; van Oosterhout, Joep J; Chan, Adrienne; Mantengeni, Alfred; Landes, Megan; Bedell, Richard; Kawalazira, Gift; Sodhi, Sumeet

2016-01-01

Option B+ is promoted as a key component to eliminating vertical transmission of HIV; however, little is known about the policy's impact on non-targeted populations, such as men and non-pregnant/non-breastfeeding women. We compare ART uptake among non-targeted populations during pre/post Option B+ periods in Zomba District, Malawi. Individual-level ART registry data from 27 health facilities were digitized and new ART initiates were disaggregated by sex and type of initiate (Option B+ or not). Data were analyzed over the pre- (January 2009-June 2011) and post- (July 2011- December 2013) Option B+ periods. After the implementation of Option B+, the total number of new female initiates increased significantly (quarterly median: 547 vs. 816; P = 0.001) and their median age decreased from 34 to 31 years (P = <0.001). Both changes were the result of the rapid and sustained uptake of ART among Option B+ clients. Post-policy, Option B+ clients represented 48% of all new female initiates while the number of females who initiated through CD4 or WHO staging criteria significantly decreased (quarterly median: 547 vs. 419; P = 0.005). The number and age of male initiates remained stable; however, the proportion of men among new initiates decreased (36% vs. 31%; P = <0.001). Option B+ shifted the profile of first-time initiates towards younger and fertile women. Declines among non-Option B+ women most likely reflect earlier initiation during pregnancies before deteriorations in health. The decreased proportion of men among first-time initiates represents a growing gender disparity in HIV services that deserves immediate attention.

In-situ, time resolved monitoring of uranium in BFS:OPC grout. Part 1: Corrosion in water vapour.

PubMed

Stitt, C A; Paraskevoulakos, C; Banos, A; Harker, N J; Hallam, K R; Davenport, A; Street, S; Scott, T B

2017-08-11

Uranium encapsulated in grout was exposed to water vapour for extended periods of time. Through synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction and tomography measurements, uranium dioxide was determined the dominant corrosion product over a 50-week time period. The oxide growth rate initiated rapidly, with rates comparable to the U + H 2 O reaction. Over time, the reaction rate decreased and eventually plateaued to a rate similar to the U + H 2 O + O 2 reaction. This behaviour was not attributed to oxygen ingress, but instead the decreasing permeability of the grout, limiting oxidising species access to the metal surface.

12 CFR Supplement I to Part 213 - Official Staff Commentary to Regulation M

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... primary use. 2. Period of time. To be a consumer lease, the initial term of the lease must be more than... lease (unless terminable without penalty at any time by the consumer) under which the consumer: i... the lease contract, so long as all disclosures are given at the same time. Alternatively, all...

12 CFR Supplement I to Part 213 - Official Staff Commentary to Regulation M

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... primary use. 2. Period of time. To be a consumer lease, the initial term of the lease must be more than... lease (unless terminable without penalty at any time by the consumer) under which the consumer: i... the lease contract, so long as all disclosures are given at the same time. Alternatively, all...

Conditioning- and Time-Dependent Increases in Context Fear and Generalization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poulos, Andrew M.; Mehta, Nehali; Lu, Bryan; Amir, Dorsa; Livingston, Briana; Santarelli, Anthony; Zhuravka, Irina; Fanselow, Michael S.

2016-01-01

A prominent feature of fear memories and anxiety disorders is that they endure across extended periods of time. Here, we examine how the severity of the initial fear experience influences incubation, generalization, and sensitization of contextual fear memories across time. Adult rats were presented with either five, two, one, or zero shocks (1.2…

Making a distinction between the effect of initial stock and investment in health determinants.

PubMed

Robledo, Esther Lafuente; Rodriguez-Alvarez, Ana; Shmarev, Andrey Shmarev

2017-04-01

The objective of this paper was to propose a health production model that distinguishes between the initial stock of health determinants and the subsequent investment in them, with a view to providing information to policy-makers regarding the effects of determinant-aimed policies. In this sense, the main contributions of the paper stem from the development of a theoretical and empirical model that distinguishes between the effect of the initial stock and that of investment in health determinants. To do this, we estimated the health production function using a stochastic frontier model. We present an empirical example using data for the years 2002 and 2008. The results support our decision to analyse the effects of the initial values attributable to health determinants separately from those arising following investment in the period. Concretely, we find significant differences for the determinants EMPLOY, SOCIALCLASS and NON-DRINKER. The results seem to indicate that, for variables labelled with the behavioural aspects of health such as NON-DRINKER, the effect over time of a change in investment in health is significantly greater than that resulting from a variation in initial values. In contrast, for socioeconomic variables such as SOCIAL CLASS or EMPLOY, for which effects on health tend to be more long-term in nature, the opposite occurs, with the effect of the investment during the time period proving significantly lower than the effect of the initial provision.

Forecasting production in Liquid Rich Shale plays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikfarman, Hanieh

Production from Liquid Rich Shale (LRS) reservoirs is taking center stage in the exploration and production of unconventional reservoirs. Production from the low and ultra-low permeability LRS plays is possible only through multi-fractured horizontal wells (MFHW's). There is no existing workflow that is applicable to forecasting multi-phase production from MFHW's in LRS plays. This project presents a practical and rigorous workflow for forecasting multiphase production from MFHW's in LRS reservoirs. There has been much effort in developing workflows and methodology for forecasting in tight/shale plays in recent years. The existing workflows, however, are applicable only to single phase flow, and are primarily used in shale gas plays. These methodologies do not apply to the multi-phase flow that is inevitable in LRS plays. To account for complexities of multiphase flow in MFHW's the only available technique is dynamic modeling in compositional numerical simulators. These are time consuming and not practical when it comes to forecasting production and estimating reserves for a large number of producers. A workflow was developed, and validated by compositional numerical simulation. The workflow honors physics of flow, and is sufficiently accurate while practical so that an analyst can readily apply it to forecast production and estimate reserves in a large number of producers in a short period of time. To simplify the complex multiphase flow in MFHW, the workflow divides production periods into an initial period where large production and pressure declines are expected, and the subsequent period where production decline may converge into a common trend for a number of producers across an area of interest in the field. Initial period assumes the production is dominated by single-phase flow of oil and uses the tri-linear flow model of Erdal Ozkan to estimate the production history. Commercial software readily available can simulate flow and forecast production in this period. In the subsequent Period, dimensionless rate and dimensionless time functions are introduced that help identify transition from initial period into subsequent period. The production trends in terms of the dimensionless parameters converge for a range of rock permeability and stimulation intensity. This helps forecast production beyond transition to the end of life of well. This workflow is applicable to single fluid system.

Linking long-term planetary N-body simulations with periodic orbits: application to white dwarf pollution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antoniadou, Kyriaki I.; Veras, Dimitri

2016-12-01

Mounting discoveries of debris discs orbiting newly formed stars and white dwarfs (WDs) showcase the importance of modelling the long-term evolution of small bodies in exosystems. WD debris discs are, in particular, thought to form from very long-term (0.1-5.0 Gyr) instability between planets and asteroids. However, the time-consuming nature of N-body integrators which accurately simulate motion over Gyrs necessitates a judicious choice of initial conditions. The analytical tools known as periodic orbits can circumvent the guesswork. Here, we begin a comprehensive analysis directly linking periodic orbits with N-body integration outcomes with an extensive exploration of the planar circular restricted three-body problem (CRTBP) with an outer planet and inner asteroid near or inside of the 2:1 mean motion resonance. We run nearly 1000 focused simulations for the entire age of the Universe (14 Gyr) with initial conditions mapped to the phase space locations surrounding the unstable and stable periodic orbits for that commensurability. In none of our simulations did the planar CRTBP architecture yield a long-time-scale (≳0.25 per cent of the age of the Universe) asteroid-star collision. The pericentre distance of asteroids which survived beyond this time-scale (≈35 Myr) varied by at most about 60 per cent. These results help affirm that collisions occur too quickly to explain WD pollution in the planar CRTBP 2:1 regime, and highlight the need for further periodic orbit studies with the eccentric and inclined TBP architectures and other significant orbital period commensurabilities.

Analysis of compaction initiation in human embryos by using time-lapse cinematography.

PubMed

Iwata, Kyoko; Yumoto, Keitaro; Sugishima, Minako; Mizoguchi, Chizuru; Kai, Yoshiteru; Iba, Yumiko; Mio, Yasuyuki

2014-04-01

To analyze the initiation of compaction in human embryos in vitro by using time-lapse cinematography (TLC), with the goal of determining the precise timing of compaction and clarifying the morphological changes underlying the compaction process. One hundred and fifteen embryos donated by couples with no further need for embryo-transfer were used in this study. Donated embryos were thawed and processed, and then their morphological behavior during the initiation of compaction was dynamically observed via time-lapse cinematography (TLC) for 5 days. Although the initiation of compaction occurred throughout the period from the 4-cell to 16-cell stage, 99 (86.1 %) embryos initiated compaction at the 8-cell stage or later, with initiation at the 8-cell stage being most frequent (22.6 %). Of these 99 embryos, 49.5 % developed into good-quality blastocysts. In contrast, of the 16 (13.9 %) embryos that initiated compaction prior to the 8-cell stage, only 18.8 % developed into good-quality blastocysts. Embryos that initiated compaction before the 8-cell stage showed significantly higher numbers of multinucleated blastomeres, due to asynchronism in nuclear division at the third mitotic division resulting from cytokinetic failure. The initiation of compaction primarily occurs at the third mitotic division or later in human embryos. Embryos that initiate compaction before the 8-cell stage are usually associated with aberrant embryonic development (i.e., cytokinetic failure accompanied by karyokinesis).

76 FR 26241 - Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags From Thailand: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-06

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-549-821] Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags From Thailand: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative... Thailand for the period August 1, 2009, through July 31, 2010. See Initiation of Antidumping and...

19 CFR 351.203 - Determination of sufficiency of petition.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... petition (including the determination that a petition is supported by the domestic industry), the deadline... Secretary may, in exceptional circumstances, extend the 20-day period by the amount of time necessary to... (Countervailing Duty) Investigation.” The Secretary will notify the Commission at the time of initiation of the...

19 CFR 351.203 - Determination of sufficiency of petition.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... petition (including the determination that a petition is supported by the domestic industry), the deadline... Secretary may, in exceptional circumstances, extend the 20-day period by the amount of time necessary to... (Countervailing Duty) Investigation.” The Secretary will notify the Commission at the time of initiation of the...

Regulatory Focus as a Mediator of the Influence of Initiating Structure and Servant Leadership on Employee Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neubert, Mitchell J.; Kacmar, K. Michele; Carlson, Dawn S.; Chonko, Lawrence B.; Roberts, James A.

2008-01-01

In this research, the authors test a model in which the regulatory focus of employees at work mediates the influence of leadership on employee behavior. In a nationally representative sample of 250 workers who responded over 2 time periods, prevention focus mediated the relationship of initiating structure to in-role performance and deviant…

Enrichment in Pre-Kindergarten Life Predicts Initiation of Cigarette Smoking in Asian American and Hispanic/Latino Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Xinguang; Weiss, Jie Wu

2007-01-01

The risk of tobacco use during adolescence may be traced back to early childhood, the time when a child is most vulnerable to environmental influence. We examined daily-life enrichment during pre-kindergarten period as a predictor of initiation of cigarette smoking among Asian American and Hispanic/Latino children during adolescence. Survey data…

Signs of Time - Metamorphoses of Historical Former Barrack Units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gawryluk, Dorota

2017-10-01

The article analyzes the aesthetic changes which were introduced as regards the historic barracks in Polish cities from 1918 to the present day. The purpose of the analysis was to determine certain periods in history and to assign characteristic forms of initiatives in reference to the post-military objects to the aforementioned periods. The results of the research served as foundation for establishing three periods: 1) 1918-1939, 2) 1945-1989, 3) after 1989, which were determined in reference to typical types of approach towards the modernization of barrack buildings, conditioned by Poland’s political and economic situation. Consequently, the aesthetics of the modernization period characteristic for particular time frames were indicated-the “signs of time” readable in the architecture, referring to periods as follows: 1) symbols of Polishness, associated with regained independence - sculptures, statues, new buildings in contrast with the barracks remaining after the partition, 2) socialistic economy - using barrack as construction resource, utilitarian approach - adaptation to serve new civil functions, often for the needs of production technology, combination of historical and industrial forms, such initiatives on many occasions led to the moral degradation of former militarian districts 3) market economy - constructing new, positive identity and function of barracks buildings confirmed by the tactical changes in their architectural form.

Effects of rinsing with arginine bicarbonate and urea solutions on initial enamel lesions in situ.

PubMed

Yu, Y; Wang, X; Ge, C; Wang, B; Cheng, C; Gan, Y-H

2017-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of rinsing with arginine or urea solution on initial enamel lesions in situ. Fourteen subjects who wore mandibular removable partial dentures embedded with bovine enamel blocks with artificial enamel lesions were included. The experiment included four 4-week rinsing periods with a 10-day washout period between each rinsing period. In each rinsing period, the subjects rinsed after meal or snack using water, or 2% arginine bicarbonate, or 1% urea, or 0.05% NaF solution, five times daily. The mineralization changes of the enamel lesions were assessed using quantitative light-induced fluorescence. All groups except the water group showed a statistically significant decrease in the fluorescence loss after treatment, compared with their respective baseline. Although both the arginine group and urea group showed more decrease in fluorescence loss than that of the water group, the decrease was not statistically significantly different from that of the water group. The decrease in fluorescence loss of the NaF group was statistically significant than that of the water group, arginine group, and urea group. Rinsing with arginine or urea solution offers limited remineralizing benefit to enamel lesions over a period of 4-week time. © 2016 The Authors. Oral Diseases Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Optimal transfers between unstable periodic orbits using invariant manifolds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Kathryn E.; Anderson, Rodney L.; Scheeres, Daniel J.; Born, George H.

2011-03-01

This paper presents a method to construct optimal transfers between unstable periodic orbits of differing energies using invariant manifolds. The transfers constructed in this method asymptotically depart the initial orbit on a trajectory contained within the unstable manifold of the initial orbit and later, asymptotically arrive at the final orbit on a trajectory contained within the stable manifold of the final orbit. Primer vector theory is applied to a transfer to determine the optimal maneuvers required to create the bridging trajectory that connects the unstable and stable manifold trajectories. Transfers are constructed between unstable periodic orbits in the Sun-Earth, Earth-Moon, and Jupiter-Europa three-body systems. Multiple solutions are found between the same initial and final orbits, where certain solutions retrace interior portions of the trajectory. All transfers created satisfy the conditions for optimality. The costs of transfers constructed using manifolds are compared to the costs of transfers constructed without the use of manifolds. In all cases, the total cost of the transfer is significantly lower when invariant manifolds are used in the transfer construction. In many cases, the transfers that employ invariant manifolds are three times more efficient, in terms of fuel expenditure, than the transfer that do not. The decrease in transfer cost is accompanied by an increase in transfer time of flight.

An approach for finding long period elliptical orbits for precursor SEI missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fraietta, Michael F.; Bond, Victor R.

1993-01-01

Precursors for Solar System Exploration Initiative (SEI) missions may require long period elliptical orbits about a planet. These orbits will typically have periods on the order of tens to hundreds of days. Some potential uses for these orbits may include the following: studying the effects of galactic cosmic radiation, parking orbits for engineering and operational test of systems, and ferrying orbits between libration points and low altitude orbits. This report presents an approach that can be used to find these orbits. The approach consists of three major steps. First, it uses a restricted three-body targeting algorithm to determine the initial conditions which satisfy certain desired final conditions in a system of two massive primaries. Then the initial conditions are transformed to an inertial coordinate system for use by a special perturbation method. Finally, using the special perturbation method, other perturbations (e.g., sun third body and solar radiation pressure) can be easily incorporated to determine their effects on the nominal trajectory. An algorithm potentially suitable for on-board guidance will also be discussed. This algorithm uses an analytic method relying on Chebyshev polynomials to compute the desired position and velocity of the satellite as a function of time. Together with navigation updates, this algorithm can be implemented to predict the size and timing for AV corrections.

Mesoscale Eddies Control the Timing of Spring Phytoplankton Blooms: A Case Study in the Japan Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maúre, E. R.; Ishizaka, J.; Sukigara, C.; Mino, Y.; Aiki, H.; Matsuno, T.; Tomita, H.; Goes, J. I.; Gomes, H. R.

2017-11-01

Satellite Chlorophyll a (CHL) data were used to investigate the influence of mesoscale anticyclonic eddies (AEs) and cyclonic eddies (CEs) on the timing of spring phytoplankton bloom initiation around the Yamato Basin (133-139°E and 35-39.5°N) in the Japan Sea, for the period 2002-2011. The results showed significant differences between AEs and CEs in the timing and initiation mechanism of the spring phytoplankton bloom. Blooms were initiated earlier in CEs which were characterized by shallow mixed-layer depths (< 100 m). The early blooming preceded the end of winter cooling (i.e., while net heat flux (Q0) is still negative) and is initiated by the increased average light within the shallow mixed-layer depth. Conversely, blooms appeared in the AEs despite deeper mixed-layer depth (> 100 m) but close to the commencement of positive Q0. This suggests that the relaxation of turbulent mixing is crucial for the bloom initiation in AEs.

Reactive simulation of the chemistry behind the condensed-phase ignition of RDX from hot spots.

PubMed

Joshi, Kaushik L; Chaudhuri, Santanu

2015-07-28

Chemical events that lead to thermal initiation and spontaneous ignition of the high-pressure phase of RDX are presented using reactive molecular dynamics simulations. In order to initiate the chemistry behind thermal ignition, approximately 5% of RDX crystal is subjected to a constant temperature thermal pulse for various time durations to create a hot spot. After application of the thermal pulse, the ensuing chemical evolution of the system is monitored using reactive molecular dynamics under adiabatic conditions. Thermal pulses lasting longer than certain time durations lead to the spontaneous ignition of RDX after an incubation period. For cases where the ignition is observed, the incubation period is dominated by intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen transfer reactions. Contrary to the widely accepted unimolecular models of initiation chemistry, N-N bond dissociations that produce NO2 species are suppressed in the condensed phase. The gradual temperature and pressure increase in the incubation period is accompanied by the accumulation of short-lived, heavier polyradicals. The polyradicals contain intact triazine rings from the RDX molecules. At certain temperatures and pressures, the polyradicals undergo ring-opening reactions, which fuel a series of rapid exothermic chemical reactions leading to a thermal runaway regime with stable gas-products such as N2, H2O and CO2. The evolution of the RDX crystal throughout the thermal initiation, incubation and thermal runaway phases observed in the reactive simulations contains a rich diversity of condensed-phase chemistry of nitramines under high-temperature/pressure conditions.

Productivity Measures Associated With a Patient Access Initiative

PubMed Central

Gable, William H.; Pappas, Theodore N.; Jacobs, Danny O.; Cutler, Desmond A.; Kuo, Paul C.

2006-01-01

Objective: To assess financial performance associated with a patient 7-day access initiative. Background Data: Patient access to clinical services is frequently an obstacle at academic medical centers. Conflicting surgeon priorities among academic, clinical, educational, and leadership duties often create difficulties for patient entry into the “system.” Methods: The scope and objectives were identified to be: design of a standard, simple new patient appointment process, design of a standard process in cases where an appointment is not available in 7 days, use subspecialty team search capabilities, minimize/eliminate prescheduling requirements, centralize appointment scheduling, and creation and reporting of 7-day access metrics. Following maturation of the process, the 7-day access metrics from the period July 2004 to December 2004 and January 2005 to June 2005 were compared with corresponding time periods from calendar years 2001, 2002, and 2003. Results: Payor mix was unaltered. The median waiting time for a new patient appointment decreased from 21 days to 10 days. When compared with calendar years 2001, 2002, and 2003, respectively, the 2 periods of the 7-day access initiative in calendar years 2004 and 2005 were associated with significantly increased visits, new patients, operative procedures, hospital charges, and physician charges. Conclusions: Implementation of a 7-day access initiative can significantly increase financial productivity of general surgery groups in academic medical centers. We conclude that simplifying access to services can benefit academic surgical practices. Sustaining this level of productivity will continue to prove challenging. PMID:16632994

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

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

K. Payette; D. Tillman

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

ASSOCIATION OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE USE WITH HIGHLY ACTIVE ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY INITIATION

PubMed Central

Merenstein, Daniel; Yang, Yang; Schneider, Michael F.; Goparaju, Lakshmi; Weber, Kathleen; Sharma, Anjali; Levine, Alexandra M.; Sharp, Gerald B.; Gandhi, Monica; Liu, Chenglong

2009-01-01

Objective To assess whether complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is associated with the timing of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) initiation among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected participants of the Women’s Interagency HIV Study. Study Methods Prospective cohort study between January 1996 and March 2002. Differences in the cumulative incidence of HAART initiation were compared between CAM users and non–CAM users using a logrank test. Cox regression model was used to assess associations of CAM exposures with time to HAART initiation. Main Outcome and Exposures Study outcome was time from January 1996 to initiation of HAART. Primary exposure was use of any CAM modality before January 1996, and secondary exposures included the number and type of CAM modalities used (ingestible CAM medication, body practice, or spiritual healing) during the same period. Results One thousand thirty-four HIV-infected women contributed a total of 4987 person-visits during follow-up. At any time point, the cumulative incidence of HAART initiation among CAM users was higher than that among non–CAM users. After adjustment for potential confounders, those reporting CAM use were 1.34 times (95% confidence interval: 1.09, 1.64) more likely to initiate HAART than non–CAM users. Conclusion Female CAM users initiated HAART regimens earlier than non–CAM users. Initiation of HAART is an important clinical marker, but more research is needed to elucidate the role specific CAM modalities play in HIV disease progression. PMID:18780580

Smoking Initiation Associated With Specific Periods in the Life Course From Birth to Young Adulthood: Data From the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997

PubMed Central

Chen, Xinguang

2014-01-01

Objectives. Guided by the life-course perspective, we examined whether there were subgroups with different likelihood curves of smoking onset associated with specific developmental periods. Methods. Using 12 waves of panel data from 4088 participants in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, we detected subgroups with distinctive risk patterns by employing developmental trajectory modeling analysis. Results. From birth to age 29 years, 72% of female and 74% of US males initiated smoking. We detected 4 exclusive groups with distinctive risk patterns for both genders: the Pre-Teen Risk Group initiated smoking by age 12 years, the Teenage Risk Group initiated smoking by age 18 years, the Young Adult Risk Group initiated smoking by age 25 years, and the Low Risk Group experienced little or no risk over time. Groups differed on several etiological and outcome variables. Conclusions. The process of smoking initiation from birth to young adulthood is nonhomogeneous, with distinct subgroups whose risk of smoking onset is linked to specific stages in the life course. PMID:24328611

A Method for Oscillation Errors Restriction of SINS Based on Forecasted Time Series.

PubMed

Zhao, Lin; Li, Jiushun; Cheng, Jianhua; Jia, Chun; Wang, Qiufan

2015-07-17

Continuity, real-time, and accuracy are the key technical indexes of evaluating comprehensive performance of a strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS). However, Schuler, Foucault, and Earth periodic oscillation errors significantly cut down the real-time accuracy of SINS. A method for oscillation error restriction of SINS based on forecasted time series is proposed by analyzing the characteristics of periodic oscillation errors. The innovative method gains multiple sets of navigation solutions with different phase delays in virtue of the forecasted time series acquired through the measurement data of the inertial measurement unit (IMU). With the help of curve-fitting based on least square method, the forecasted time series is obtained while distinguishing and removing small angular motion interference in the process of initial alignment. Finally, the periodic oscillation errors are restricted on account of the principle of eliminating the periodic oscillation signal with a half-wave delay by mean value. Simulation and test results show that the method has good performance in restricting the Schuler, Foucault, and Earth oscillation errors of SINS.

A Method for Oscillation Errors Restriction of SINS Based on Forecasted Time Series

PubMed Central

Zhao, Lin; Li, Jiushun; Cheng, Jianhua; Jia, Chun; Wang, Qiufan

2015-01-01

Continuity, real-time, and accuracy are the key technical indexes of evaluating comprehensive performance of a strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS). However, Schuler, Foucault, and Earth periodic oscillation errors significantly cut down the real-time accuracy of SINS. A method for oscillation error restriction of SINS based on forecasted time series is proposed by analyzing the characteristics of periodic oscillation errors. The innovative method gains multiple sets of navigation solutions with different phase delays in virtue of the forecasted time series acquired through the measurement data of the inertial measurement unit (IMU). With the help of curve-fitting based on least square method, the forecasted time series is obtained while distinguishing and removing small angular motion interference in the process of initial alignment. Finally, the periodic oscillation errors are restricted on account of the principle of eliminating the periodic oscillation signal with a half-wave delay by mean value. Simulation and test results show that the method has good performance in restricting the Schuler, Foucault, and Earth oscillation errors of SINS. PMID:26193283

Methods for automatic trigger threshold adjustment

DOEpatents

Welch, Benjamin J; Partridge, Michael E

2014-03-18

Methods are presented for adjusting trigger threshold values to compensate for drift in the quiescent level of a signal monitored for initiating a data recording event, thereby avoiding false triggering conditions. Initial threshold values are periodically adjusted by re-measuring the quiescent signal level, and adjusting the threshold values by an offset computation based upon the measured quiescent signal level drift. Re-computation of the trigger threshold values can be implemented on time based or counter based criteria. Additionally, a qualification width counter can be utilized to implement a requirement that a trigger threshold criterion be met a given number of times prior to initiating a data recording event, further reducing the possibility of a false triggering situation.

Effect of reaction time on the formation of disinfection byproducts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rathbun, R.E.

1997-01-01

The effect of reaction time on the trihalomethane and nonpurgeable total organic-halide formation potentials was determined by chlorinating water samples from the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio Rivers. Samples were collected for three seasons at 12 locations on the Mississippi from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to New Orleans, Louisiana, and on the Missouri and Ohio 1.6 kilometers above their confluences with the Mississippi. Both types of compounds formed rapidly during the initial stages of the reaction-time period, with formation rates decreasing with time. The ratio of the nonpurgeable total organic-halide and trihalomethane concentrations decreased with time, with the nonpurgeable total organic-halide compounds forming faster during the first stages of the time period and the trihalomethane compounds forming faster during the latter stages of the time period. Variation with distance along the Mississippi River of the formation rates approximately paralleled the variation of the dissolved organic carbon concentration, indicating that the rates of formation, as well as the concentrations of the compounds formed, depended on the dissolved organic carbon concentration.

Evaluation of the New York City Dropout Prevention Initiative 1985-86 through 1987-88. Final Longitudinal Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grannis, Joseph; And Others

This document, a two-volume report, provides in volume 1 the final longitudinal evaluation of the New York City Dropout Prevention Initiative (DPI), 1985-86 through 1987-88. (The second volume comprises appendices containing summaries of each previous evaluation for this time period.) The DPI was implemented in 13 high schools and 29 feeder middle…

Functional Outcome of Neurologic-Controlled HAL-Exoskeletal Neurorehabilitation in Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot With One Year Treatment and Variable Treatment Frequency.

PubMed

Jansen, Oliver; Schildhauer, Thomas A; Meindl, Renate C; Tegenthoff, Martin; Schwenkreis, Peter; Sczesny-Kaiser, Matthias; Grasmücke, Dennis; Fisahn, Christian; Aach, Mirko

2017-12-01

Longitudinal prospective study. Whether 1-year HAL-BWSTT of chronic spinal cord injured patients can improve independent ambulated mobility further as a function of training frequency, after an initial 3-month training period. Eight patients with chronic SCI were enrolled. They initially received full standard physical therapy and neurorehabilitation in the acute/subacute posttrauma phase. During this trial, all patients first underwent a daily (5 per week) HAL-BWSTT for 12 weeks. Subsequently, these patients performed a 40-week HAL-BWSTT with a training session frequency of either 1 or 3 to 5 sessions per week. The patients' functional status including HAL-associated treadmill-walking time, -distance, and -speed with additional analysis of gait pattern, and their independent (without wearing the robot suit) functional mobility improvements, were assessed using the 10-Meter-Walk Test (10MWT), Timed-Up-and-Go Test (TUG) and 6-Minute-Walk Test (6MinWT) on admission, at 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 year after enrollment. The data were analyzed separately for the 2 training frequency subgroups after the initial 12-week training period, which was identical in both groups. During the 1-year follow-up, HAL-associated walking parameters and independent functional improvements were maintained in all the patients. This result held irrespective of the training frequency. Long-term 1-year maintenance of HAL-associated treadmill walking parameters and of improved independent walking abilities after initial 12 weeks of daily HAL-BWSTT is possible and depends mainly on the patients' ambulatory status accomplished after initial training period. Subsequent regular weekly training, but not higher frequency training, seems to be sufficient to preserve the improvements accomplished.

Functional Outcome of Neurologic-Controlled HAL-Exoskeletal Neurorehabilitation in Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot With One Year Treatment and Variable Treatment Frequency

PubMed Central

Schildhauer, Thomas A.; Meindl, Renate C.; Tegenthoff, Martin; Schwenkreis, Peter; Sczesny-Kaiser, Matthias; Grasmücke, Dennis; Fisahn, Christian; Aach, Mirko

2017-01-01

Study Design: Longitudinal prospective study. Objectives: Whether 1-year HAL-BWSTT of chronic spinal cord injured patients can improve independent ambulated mobility further as a function of training frequency, after an initial 3-month training period. Methods: Eight patients with chronic SCI were enrolled. They initially received full standard physical therapy and neurorehabilitation in the acute/subacute posttrauma phase. During this trial, all patients first underwent a daily (5 per week) HAL-BWSTT for 12 weeks. Subsequently, these patients performed a 40-week HAL-BWSTT with a training session frequency of either 1 or 3 to 5 sessions per week. The patients’ functional status including HAL-associated treadmill-walking time, -distance, and -speed with additional analysis of gait pattern, and their independent (without wearing the robot suit) functional mobility improvements, were assessed using the 10-Meter-Walk Test (10MWT), Timed-Up-and-Go Test (TUG) and 6-Minute-Walk Test (6MinWT) on admission, at 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 year after enrollment. The data were analyzed separately for the 2 training frequency subgroups after the initial 12-week training period, which was identical in both groups. Results: During the 1-year follow-up, HAL-associated walking parameters and independent functional improvements were maintained in all the patients. This result held irrespective of the training frequency. Conclusions: Long-term 1-year maintenance of HAL-associated treadmill walking parameters and of improved independent walking abilities after initial 12 weeks of daily HAL-BWSTT is possible and depends mainly on the patients’ ambulatory status accomplished after initial training period. Subsequent regular weekly training, but not higher frequency training, seems to be sufficient to preserve the improvements accomplished. PMID:29238636

The WS transform for the Kuramoto model with distributed amplitudes, phase lag and time delay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lohe, M. A.

2017-12-01

We apply the Watanabe-Strogatz (WS) transform to a generalized Kuramoto model with distributed parameters describing the amplitude of oscillation, phase lag, and time delay at each node of the system. The model has global coupling and identical frequencies, but allows for repulsive interactions at arbitrary nodes leading to conformist-contrarian phenomena together with variable amplitude and time-delay effects. We show how to determine the initial values of the WS system for any initial conditions for the Kuramoto system, and investigate the asymptotic behaviour of the WS variables. For the case of zero time delay the possible asymptotic configurations are determined by the sign of a single parameter μ which measures whether or not the attractive nodes dominate the repulsive nodes. If μ>0 the system completely synchronizes from general initial conditions, whereas if μ<0 one of two types of phase-locked synchronization occurs, depending on the initial values, while for μ=0 periodic solutions can occur. For the case of arbitrary non-uniform time delays we derive a stability condition for completely synchronized solutions.

76 FR 71938 - Circular Welded Carbon Steel Pipes and Tubes From Thailand: Extension of Time Limit for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-21

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-549-502] Circular Welded Carbon Steel Pipes and Tubes From Thailand: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty... and tubes from Thailand for the period March 1, 2010, through February 28, 2011. See Initiation of...

75 FR 65450 - Polyethylene Terephthalate Film, Sheet and Strip From India: Extension of Time Limit for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-25

... Film, Sheet and Strip From India: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty... polyethylene terephthalate film, sheet and strip from India for the period July 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009. See Polyethylene Terephthalate Film, Sheet and Strip from India: Initiation of Antidumping Duty...

Use of a Quality Improvement Initiative to Achieve Consistent Reporting of Level of Suspicion for Tumor on Multiparametric Prostate MRI.

PubMed

Rosenkrantz, Andrew B; Pujara, Akshat C; Taneja, Samir S

2016-05-01

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the utility of a quality improvement (QI) initiative in achieving long-term adherence to an evolving structured format for reporting the level of suspicion for tumor on prostate MRI examinations. The original QI initiative occurred over a 4-month period in 2010, before which prostate MRI was reported using free text. The initiative consisted of development of a section-wide macro, an initial group training session, ordering physician input regarding the structured report's value, subsequent weekly sessions for ongoing review, and timely individualized feedback in instances of nonuse. The initial structured report included pick lists for describing the level of suspicion for tumor as negative, low, medium, or high. Pick lists were modified in 2011 to incorporate a 5-point Likert scale and again in 2015 to incorporate Prostate Imaging Data and Reporting System (PI-RADS) version 2. These refinements were implemented after accelerated training periods. The frequency of reports providing an MRI-based suspicion level during these periods was assessed. Fifty-five percent of reports provided an MRI-based level of suspicion for tumor before the initiative. For various cohorts evaluated after the initiative (using structured reports based on the low, medium, or high scheme; a numeric Likert scale; or PI-RADS), this frequency improved to 95-100% (p < 0.001). Among reports without a suspicion level, potential confounding factors included marked artifact from hip prosthesis and overt diffuse tumor. The QI initiative achieved excellent adherence in reporting a suspicion level for tumor on prostate MRI examinations. The described components of the initiative were useful for maintaining long-term adherence that persisted after serial modifications to the report lexicon.

Directed current in the Holstein system.

PubMed

Hennig, D; Burbanks, A D; Osbaldestin, A H

2011-03-01

We propose a mechanism to rectify charge transport in the semiclassical Holstein model. It is shown that localized initial conditions associated with a polaron solution, in conjunction with static electron on-site potential not having inversion symmetry, constitute minimal prerequisites for the emergence of a directed current in the underlying periodic lattice system. In particular, we demonstrate that for unbiased spatially localized initial conditions (constituted by kicked static polaron states), violation of parity prevents the existence of pairs of counterpropagating trajectories, thus allowing for a directed current despite the time reversibility of the equations of motion. Nevertheless, propagating polaron solutions associated with sets of unbiased localized initial conditions which eventually leave the region of localized initial conditions do not exhibit time reversibility. Since the initial conditions belonging to the corresponding counterpropagating, current-compensating polaron solutions are not contained in the set, this gives rise to the emergence of a current. Occurrence of long-range coherent charge transport is demonstrated.

Diminishing availability of publicly funded slots for antiretroviral initiation among HIV-infected ART-eligible patients in Uganda.

PubMed

Geng, Elvin H; Bwana, Mwebesa B; Kabakyenga, Jerome; Muyindike, Winnie; Emenyonu, Nneka I; Musinguzi, Nicholas; Mugyenyi, Peter; Martin, Jeffrey N; Bangsberg, David R

2010-11-24

The impact of flat-line funding in the global scale up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV-infected patients in Africa has not yet been well described. We evaluated ART-eligible patients and patients starting ART at a prototypical scale up ART clinic in Mbarara, Uganda between April 1, 2009 and May 14, 2010 where four stakeholders sponsor treatment - two PEPFAR implementing organizations, the Ugandan Ministry of Health - Global Fund (MOH-GF) and a private foundation named the Family Treatment Fund (FTF). We assessed temporal trends in the number of eligible patients, the number starting ART and tabulated the distribution of the stakeholders supporting ART initiation by month and quartile of time during this interval. We used survival analyses to assess changes in the rate of ART initiation over calendar time. A total of 1309 patients who were eligible for ART made visits over the 14 month period of the study and of these 819 started ART. The median number of ART eligible patients each month was 88 (IQR: 74 to 115). By quartile of calendar time, PEPFAR and MOH sponsored 290, 192, 180, and 49 ART initiations whereas the FTF started 1, 2, 1 and 104 patients respectively. By May of 2010 (the last calendar month of observation) FTF sponsored 88% of all ART initiations. Becoming eligible for ART in the 3(rd) (HR = 0.58, 95% 0.45-0.74) and 4(th) quartiles (HR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.36-0.65) was associated with delay in ART initiation compared to the first quartile in multivariable analyses. During a period of flat line funding from multinational donors for ART programs, reductions in the number of ART initiations by public programs (i.e., PEPFAR and MOH-GF) and delays in ART initiation became apparent at the a large prototypical scale-up ART clinic in Uganda.

Entrainment to periodic initiation and transition rates in a computational model for gene translation.

PubMed

Margaliot, Michael; Sontag, Eduardo D; Tuller, Tamir

2014-01-01

Periodic oscillations play an important role in many biomedical systems. Proper functioning of biological systems that respond to periodic signals requires the ability to synchronize with the periodic excitation. For example, the sleep/wake cycle is a manifestation of an internal timing system that synchronizes to the solar day. In the terminology of systems theory, the biological system must entrain or phase-lock to the periodic excitation. Entrainment is also important in synthetic biology. For example, connecting several artificial biological systems that entrain to a common clock may lead to a well-functioning modular system. The cell-cycle is a periodic program that regulates DNA synthesis and cell division. Recent biological studies suggest that cell-cycle related genes entrain to this periodic program at the gene translation level, leading to periodically-varying protein levels of these genes. The ribosome flow model (RFM) is a deterministic model obtained via a mean-field approximation of a stochastic model from statistical physics that has been used to model numerous processes including ribosome flow along the mRNA. Here we analyze the RFM under the assumption that the initiation and/or transition rates vary periodically with a common period T. We show that the ribosome distribution profile in the RFM entrains to this periodic excitation. In particular, the protein synthesis pattern converges to a unique periodic solution with period T. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first proof of entrainment in a mathematical model for translation that encapsulates aspects such as initiation and termination rates, ribosomal movement and interactions, and non-homogeneous elongation speeds along the mRNA. Our results support the conjecture that periodic oscillations in tRNA levels and other factors related to the translation process can induce periodic oscillations in protein levels, and may suggest a new approach for re-engineering genetic systems to obtain a desired, periodic, protein synthesis rate.

A short 2 week dose titration regimen reduces the severity of flu-like symptoms with initial interferon gamma-1b treatment.

PubMed

Devane, John G; Martin, Mary L; Matson, Mark A

2014-06-01

Flu-like symptoms (FLS) are commonly experienced by patients receiving interferon gamma-1b which may cause discontinuation or disruption of dosing during initial therapy or on re-initiation following a break in therapy. In contrast to Type I interferons, the impact of dose-titration on FLS has not been reported and is not a practice described or included in the approved prescribing information for interferon gamma-1b.The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a 2 week titration regimen on the severity of FLS during the initial 3 weeks of therapy with three times weekly subcutaneous injections of interferon gamma-1b. Healthy men and women were randomized into a double-blind, two-period, crossover study. Each study period was 3 weeks in duration and there was a minimum 15 day washout between treatment periods. Two treatment regimens were compared: No Titration dosing (full 50 mcg/m(2) subcutaneously [s.c.] three times weekly for 3 weeks) and Titration (15 mcg/m(2) s.c. three times weekly during week 1, 30 mcg/m(2) s.c. three times weekly during week 2 followed by the full dose of 50 mcg/m(2) s.c. three times weekly during week 3). Subjects remained in the clinic for at least 12 hours following each injection. FLS was based on a composite score for fever, chills, tiredness and muscle aches assessed at baseline and 4, 8 and 12 hours following each injection. Acetaminophen was allowed at the discretion of the PI. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline in FLS severity at 8 hours averaged over the 3 weeks of treatment. Additional endpoints included FLS at 4 and 12 hours, individual flu-like symptoms, rates of discontinuation, incidence of FLS and acetaminophen use. NCT 01929382. Of the 40 subjects randomized, there were 15 (37.5%) discontinuations. Titration resulted in a significant reduction in FLS severity at 8 hours (p = 0.023) averaged over the 3 week treatment period. The difference in 3 week FLS severity reflects differences during week 1 treatment, indicating an early peak in FLS severity during the No Titration treatment and subsequent development of tolerance. In contrast, titration results in near baseline severity scores throughout the treatment period. Similar trends were seen for 4 and 12 hour FLS severity scores. Of the individual FLS, difference in fever severity was most marked. Safety profiles for both regimens were consistent with the approved prescribing information for interferon gamma-1b. Study limitations included the use of healthy subjects rather than disease subjects, the lack of a validated assessment tool for evaluating FLS and the relatively high discontinuation rate. A short 2 week, dose-titration regimen reduces FLS severity following interferon gamma-1b treatment initiation in normal subjects.

Impact of nurse-delivered community-based CD4 services on facilitating pre-ART care in rural South Africa.

PubMed

Kompala, T; Moll, A P; Mtungwa, N; Brooks, R P; Friedland, G H; Shenoi, S V

2016-08-11

HIV testing, diagnosis and treatment programs have expanded globally, particularly in resource-limited settings. Diagnosis must be followed by determination of treatment eligibility and referral to care prior to initiation of antiretroviral treatment (ART). However, barriers and delays along these early steps in the treatment cascade may impede successful ART initiation. New strategies are needed to facilitate the treatment cascade. We evaluated the role of on site CD4+ T cell count phlebotomy services by nurses in facilitating pre-ART care in a community-based voluntary counseling and testing program (CBVCT) in rural South Africa. We retrospectively evaluated CBVCT services during five continuous time periods over three years: three periods when a nurse was present on site, and two periods when the nurse was absent. When a nurse was present, CD4 count phlebotomy was performed immediately after HIV testing to determine ART eligibility. When a nurse was absent, patients were referred to their local primary care clinic for CD4 testing. For each period, we determined the proportion of HIV-positive community members who completed CD4 testing, received notification of CD4 count results, as well as the time to test completion and result notification. Between 2010 and 2013, 7213 individuals accessed CBVCT services; of these, 620 (8.6 %) individuals were HIV-positive, 205 (33.1 %) were eligible for ART according to South African national CD4 count criteria, and 78 (38.0 % of those eligible) initiated ART. During the periods when a professional nurse was available to provide CD4 phlebotomy services, HIV-positive clients were significantly more likely to complete CD4 testing than during periods when these services were not available (85.5 % vs. 37.3 %, p < 0.001). Additionally, when nurses were present, individuals were significantly more likely to be notified of CD4 results (60.6 % vs. 26.7 %, p <0.001). The time from HIV screening to CD4 test completion was also significantly shorter during nurse presence than nurse absence (median 8 days (IQR 4-19) vs. 35 days (IQR 15-131), p < 0.001). These findings indicate that in addition to CBVCT, availability of on site CD4 phlebotomy may reduce loss along the pre-ART care cascade and facilitate timely entry into HIV care.

Influence of climate change on productivity of American White Pelicans, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sovada, Marsha A.; Igl, Lawrence D.; Pietz, Pamela J.; Bartos, Alisa J.

2014-01-01

In the past decade, severe weather and West Nile virus were major causes of chick mortality at American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) colonies in the northern plains of North America. At one of these colonies, Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge in North Dakota, spring arrival by pelicans has advanced approximately 16 days over a period of 44 years (1965–2008). We examined phenology patterns of pelicans and timing of inclement weather through the 44-year period, and evaluated the consequence of earlier breeding relative to weather-related chick mortality. We found severe weather patterns to be random through time, rather than concurrently shifting with the advanced arrival of pelicans. In recent years, if nest initiations had followed the phenology patterns of 1965 (i.e., nesting initiated 16 days later), fewer chicks likely would have died from weather-related causes. That is, there would be fewer chicks exposed to severe weather during a vulnerable transition period that occurs between the stage when chicks are being brooded by adults and the stage when chicks from multiple nests become part of a thermally protective crèche.

Time required to initiate outbreak and pandemic observational research.

PubMed

Rishu, Asgar H; Marinoff, Nicole; Julien, Lisa; Dumitrascu, Mariana; Marten, Nicole; Eggertson, Shauna; Willems, Su; Ruddell, Stacy; Lane, Dan; Light, Bruce; Stelfox, Henry T; Jouvet, Philippe; Hall, Richard; Reynolds, Steven; Daneman, Nick; Fowler, Robert A

2017-08-01

Observational research focused upon emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola virus, Middle East respiratory syndrome, and Zika virus has been challenging to quickly initiate. We aimed to determine the duration of start-up procedures and barriers encountered for an observational study focused upon such infectious outbreaks. At 1 pediatric and 5 adult intensive care units, we measured durations from protocol receipt to a variety of outbreak research milestones, including research ethics board (REB) approval, data sharing agreement (DSA) execution, and patient study screening initiation. The median (interquartile range) time from site receipt of the protocol to REB submission was 73 (30-126) days; to REB approval, 158 (42-188) days; to DSA completion, 276 (186-312) days; and to study screening initiation, 293 (269-391) days. The median time from REB submission to REB approval was 43 (13-85) days. The median time for all start-up procedures was 335 (188-335) days. There is a lengthy start-up period required for outbreak-focused research. Completing DSAs was the most time-consuming step. A reactive approach to newly emerging threats such as Ebola virus, Middle East respiratory syndrome, and Zika virus will likely not allow sufficient time to initiate research before most outbreaks are advanced. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Byzantine-fault tolerant self-stabilizing protocol for distributed clock synchronization systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malekpour, Mahyar R. (Inventor)

2010-01-01

A rapid Byzantine self-stabilizing clock synchronization protocol that self-stabilizes from any state, tolerates bursts of transient failures, and deterministically converges within a linear convergence time with respect to the self-stabilization period. Upon self-stabilization, all good clocks proceed synchronously. The Byzantine self-stabilizing clock synchronization protocol does not rely on any assumptions about the initial state of the clocks. Furthermore, there is neither a central clock nor an externally generated pulse system. The protocol converges deterministically, is scalable, and self-stabilizes in a short amount of time. The convergence time is linear with respect to the self-stabilization period.

Pattern generating and reflex-like processes controlling aiming movements in the presence of inertia, damping and gravity. A theoretical note.

PubMed

Kalveram, K T

1991-01-01

A model is proposed, in which goal-directed movements of the forearm are controlled by a central pattern generator (CPG) initiated for exactly one period, and by reflex-analogous processes. Movement width is proportional to the amplitude factor of the CPG's output, and to the square of the CPG's period length. The period duration can be freely selected, thus enabling the CPG to accommodate its time scale to the period of others CPG's. Parameters which influence movement accuracy can be adjusted by means of closed control loop, which are discrete with respect to time: The time unit corresponds to the period of the CPG. For instance, momentum adjustment balances the CPG in such a manner that the velocity of the arm becomes zero on termination of the period, while gain adjustment serves to attain a correct movement length in the presence of an inertial load. Friction, stiffness and gravitational force are neutralized by additional reflex-type processes, interpretable as positive feedback loops with adjustable gain factors, using position and velocity signals.

Stability of Early EEG Background Patterns After Pediatric Cardiac Arrest.

PubMed

Abend, Nicholas S; Xiao, Rui; Kessler, Sudha Kilaru; Topjian, Alexis A

2018-05-01

We aimed to determine whether EEG background characteristics remain stable across discrete time periods during the acute period after resuscitation from pediatric cardiac arrest. Children resuscitated from cardiac arrest underwent continuous conventional EEG monitoring. The EEG was scored in 12-hour epochs for up to 72 hours after return of circulation by an electroencephalographer using a Background Category with 4 levels (normal, slow-disorganized, discontinuous/burst-suppression, or attenuated-featureless) or 2 levels (normal/slow-disorganized or discontinuous/burst-suppression/attenuated-featureless). Survival analyses and mixed-effects ordinal logistic regression models evaluated whether the EEG remained stable across epochs. EEG monitoring was performed in 89 consecutive children. When EEG was assessed as the 4-level Background Category, 30% of subjects changed category over time. Based on initial Background Category, one quarter of the subjects changed EEG category by 24 hours if the initial EEG was attenuated-featureless, by 36 hours if the initial EEG was discontinuous or burst-suppression, by 48 hours if the initial EEG was slow-disorganized, and never if the initial EEG was normal. However, regression modeling for the 4-level Background Category indicated that the EEG did not change over time (odds ratio = 1.06, 95% confidence interval = 0.96-1.17, P = 0.26). Similarly, when EEG was assessed as the 2-level Background Category, 8% of subjects changed EEG category over time. However, regression modeling for the 2-level category indicated that the EEG did not change over time (odds ratio = 1.02, 95% confidence interval = 0.91-1.13, P = 0.75). The EEG Background Category changes over time whether analyzed as 4 levels (30% of subjects) or 2 levels (8% of subjects), although regression analyses indicated that no significant changes occurred over time for the full cohort. These data indicate that the Background Category is often stable during the acute 72 hours after pediatric cardiac arrest and thus may be a useful EEG assessment metric in future studies, but that some subjects do have EEG changes over time and therefore serial EEG assessments may be informative.

Depression during pregnancy and the postpartum among HIV-infected women on antiretroviral therapy in Uganda.

PubMed

Kaida, Angela; Matthews, Lynn T; Ashaba, Scholastic; Tsai, Alexander C; Kanters, Steve; Robak, Magdalena; Psaros, Christina; Kabakyenga, Jerome; Boum, Yap; Haberer, Jessica E; Martin, Jeffrey N; Hunt, Peter W; Bangsberg, David R

2014-12-01

Among HIV-infected women, perinatal depression compromises clinical, maternal, and child health outcomes. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is associated with lower depression symptom severity but the uniformity of effect through pregnancy and postpartum periods is unknown. We analyzed prospective data from 447 HIV-infected women (18-49 years) initiating ART in rural Uganda (2005-2012). Participants completed blood work and comprehensive questionnaires quarterly. Pregnancy status was assessed by self-report. Analysis time periods were defined as currently pregnant, postpartum (0-12 months post-pregnancy outcome), or non-pregnancy-related. Depression symptom severity was measured using a modified Hopkins Symptom Checklist 15, with scores ranging from 1 to 4. Probable depression was defined as >1.75. Linear regression with generalized estimating equations was used to compare mean depression scores over the 3 periods. At enrollment, median age was 32 years (interquartile range: 27-37), median CD4 count was 160 cells per cubic millimeter (interquartile range: 95-245), and mean depression score was 1.75 (s = 0.58) (39% with probable depression). Over 4.1 median years of follow-up, 104 women experienced 151 pregnancies. Mean depression scores did not differ across the time periods (P = 0.75). Multivariable models yielded similar findings. Increasing time on ART, viral suppression, better physical health, and "never married" were independently associated with lower mean depression scores. Findings were consistent when assessing probable depression. Although the lack of association between depression and perinatal periods is reassuring, high depression prevalence at treatment initiation and continued incidence across pregnancy and non-pregnancy-related periods of follow-up highlight the critical need for mental health services for HIV-infected women to optimize both maternal and perinatal health.

40 CFR 60.4171 - Initial certification and recertification procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... and Compliance Times for Coal-Fired Electric Steam Generating Units Monitoring and Reporting § 60.4171... disapproval under paragraph (c)(3)(iv)(C) of this section. The 120-day review period shall not begin before...

40 CFR 60.4171 - Initial certification and recertification procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... and Compliance Times for Coal-Fired Electric Steam Generating Units Monitoring and Reporting § 60.4171... disapproval under paragraph (c)(3)(iv)(C) of this section. The 120-day review period shall not begin before...

40 CFR 63.4981 - What definitions apply to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... recordkeeping when data are based on a business accounting period. Organic HAP content means the mass of organic... CFR 70.2. Startup, initial means the first time equipment is brought online in a facility. Surface...

Assessment of the Gaussian Covariance Approximation over an Earth-Asteroid Encounter Period

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mattern, Daniel

2017-01-01

In assessing the risk an asteroid may pose to the Earth, the asteroids state is often predicted for many years, often decades. Only by accounting for the asteroids initial state uncertainty can a measure of the risk be calculated. With the asteroids state uncertainty growing as a function of the initial velocity uncertainty, orbit velocity at the last state update, and the time from the last update to the epoch of interest, the asteroids position uncertainties can grow to many times the size of the Earth when propagated to the encounter risk corridor. This paper examines the merits of propagating the asteroids state covariance as an analytical matrix. The results of this study help to bound the efficacy of applying different metrics for assessing the risk an asteroid poses to the Earth. Additionally, this work identifies a criterion for when different covariance propagation methods are needed to continue predictions after an Earth-encounter period.

Cervical dilatation thresholds for initiation of group B streptococcus antibiotic prophylaxis for women with spontaneous preterm labor.

PubMed

Fischer, Richard L; Parikh, Laura; Hansen, Clare; Hunter, Krystal M

2015-11-01

To determine the optimal time for initiating group B streptococcus (GBS) antibiotic prophylaxis for women in spontaneous preterm labor. In total, 227 women delivering singleton infants after presenting with spontaneous preterm labor and intact membranes at 24 0/7-36 6/7 weeks were evaluated, as well as 150 undelivered women with threatened preterm labor during the same time period. The date and time of each cervical examination throughout labor were recorded. We calculated the percentages who would have correctly received at least 4 h of GBS prophylaxis if antibiotics were routinely initiated for various cervical dilatation thresholds during labor, as well as the percentage of undelivered women who would have received unnecessary antibiotic exposure at each cervical dilatation cutoff. Delaying antibiotics until cervical dilatation reached 2 cm or greater would have resulted in 62.1% receiving four or more hours of antibiotics, compared to 66.5% if antibiotics were started on all women at admission (p = 0.33), while significantly reducing unnecessary antibiotic exposure in undelivered women from 100% to 62.0% (p < 0.001). The 2-cm threshold was applicable regardless of gestational age period or prior vaginal delivery ≥ 20 weeks. GBS antibiotic prophylaxis may reasonably be withheld for women with suspected preterm labor until the cervix reaches 2 cm or greater at any time during labor.

Stationarity and periodicities of linear speed of coronal mass ejection: a statistical signal processing approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chattopadhyay, Anirban; Khondekar, Mofazzal Hossain; Bhattacharjee, Anup Kumar

2017-09-01

In this paper initiative has been taken to search the periodicities of linear speed of Coronal Mass Ejection in solar cycle 23. Double exponential smoothing and Discrete Wavelet Transform are being used for detrending and filtering of the CME linear speed time series. To choose the appropriate statistical methodology for the said purpose, Smoothed Pseudo Wigner-Ville distribution (SPWVD) has been used beforehand to confirm the non-stationarity of the time series. The Time-Frequency representation tool like Hilbert Huang Transform and Empirical Mode decomposition has been implemented to unearth the underneath periodicities in the non-stationary time series of the linear speed of CME. Of all the periodicities having more than 95% Confidence Level, the relevant periodicities have been segregated out using Integral peak detection algorithm. The periodicities observed are of low scale ranging from 2-159 days with some relevant periods like 4 days, 10 days, 11 days, 12 days, 13.7 days, 14.5 and 21.6 days. These short range periodicities indicate the probable origin of the CME is the active longitude and the magnetic flux network of the sun. The results also insinuate about the probable mutual influence and causality with other solar activities (like solar radio emission, Ap index, solar wind speed, etc.) owing to the similitude between their periods and CME linear speed periods. The periodicities of 4 days and 10 days indicate the possible existence of the Rossby-type waves or planetary waves in Sun.

The use of a prospective audit proforma to improve door-to-mask times for acute exacerbations chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) requiring non-invasive ventilation (NIV).

PubMed

Mandal, S; Howes, T Q; Parker, M; Roberts, C M

2014-12-01

Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is an evidence based management of acidotic, hypercapnic exacerbations of COPD. Previous national and international audits of clinical practice have shown variation against guideline standards with significant delays in initiating NIV. We aimed to map the clinical pathway to better understand delays and reduce the door-to-NIV time to less than 3 hours for all patients with acidotic, hypercapnic exacerbations of COPD requiring this intervention, by mandating the use of a guideline based educational management proforma.The proforma was introduced at 7 acute hospitals in North London and Essex and initiated at admission of the patient. It was used to record the clinical pathway and patient outcomes until the point of discharge or death. Data for 138 patients were collected. 48% of patients commenced NIV within 3 hours with no reduction in door-to-mask time during the study period. Delays in starting NIV were due to: time taken for review by the medical team (101 minutes) and time taken for NIV to be started once a decision had been made (49 minutes). There were significant differences in door-to-NIV decision and mask times between differing respiratory on-call systems, p < 0.05). The introduction of the proforma had no effect on door-to-mask times over the study period. Main reasons for delay were related to timely access to medical staff and to NIV equipment; however, a marked variation in practice within these hospitals was been noted, with a 9-5 respiratory on-call system associated with shorter NIV initiation times.

Medical and non-medical predictors of initiating long-term use of proton pump inhibitors: a nationwide cohort study of first-time users during a 10-year period.

PubMed

Haastrup, P F; Paulsen, M S; Christensen, R D; Søndergaard, J; Hansen, J M; Jarbøl, D E

2016-07-01

Studies of the increasing use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have mainly focused on prevalent long-term use and associations with gastrointestinal morbidity and comedication. Little is known about non-medical characteristics of first-time users of PPI, and predictors of initiating long-term use of PPIs. To describe medical and non-medical characteristics of first-time PPI users during a 10-year period and to analyse predictors of initiation of long-term use (>60 defined daily doses (DDDs) within 6 months) of PPIs. A nationwide cohort study of first-time users of PPI. Data were collected from Danish national registers. Individuals redeeming their first prescription for a PPI (omeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, rabeprazole, esomeprazole) in 2001 and 2011 were identified. Redemption of more than 60 DDDs of PPI within 6 months defined long-term use. Logistic regression models were used to determine the associations between previous diagnoses, comedication and socio-economic characteristics and initiation of long-term use of PPIs in 2011. From 2001 to 2011 incidence of first-time users increased with an incidence rate ratio of 1.53 and mean quantity of PPI redeemed at first prescription increased by 44.6%. In 2011 a total of 37.6% redeemed >60 DDDs within 6 months, and 96% of the long-term users did not have a diagnosis registered which indicated treatment. New onset long-term use was significantly associated with low income and low educational level when adjusting for other predisposing variables. Proton pump inhibitor treatment is increasingly initiated with larger quantities prescribed for indications that are unidentifiable from the registers. Morbidity and comedication seem to be the strongest predictors of new onset long-term use of PPIs. However, there is also an independent social gradient. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Impact of thermal time shift on wheat phenology and yield under warming climate in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Dengpan; Qi, Yongqing; Li, Zhiqiang; Wang, Rende; Moiwo, Juana P.; Liu, Fengshan

2017-03-01

Given climate change can potentially influence crop phenology and subsequent yield, an investigation of relevant adaptation measures could increase the understanding and mitigation of these responses in the future. In this study, field observations at 10 stations in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China (HHHP) are used in combination with the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM)-Wheat model to determine the effect of thermal time shift on the phenology and potential yield of wheat from 1981-2009. Warming climate speeds up winter wheat development and thereby decreases the duration of the wheat growth period. However, APSIM-Wheat model simulation suggests prolongation of the period from flowering to maturity (Gr) of winter wheat by 0.2-0.8 d•10yr-1 as the number of days by which maturity advances, which is less than that by which flowering advances. Based on computed thermal time of the two critical growth phases of wheat, total thermal time from floral initiation to flowering (TT_floral_initiation) increasesd in seven out of the 10 investigated stations. Alternatively, total thermal time from the start of grainfilling to maturity (TT_start_ grain_fill) increased in all investigated stations, except Laiyang. It is thus concluded that thermal time shift during the past three decades (1981-2009) prolongs Gr by 0.2-3.0 d•10yr-1 in the study area. This suggests that an increase in thermal time (TT) of the wheat growth period is critical for mitigating the effect of growth period reduction due to warming climatic condition. Furthermore, climate change reduces potential yield of winter wheat in 80% of the stations by 2.3-58.8 kg•yr-1. However, thermal time shift (TTS) increases potential yield of winter wheat in most of the stations by 3.0-51.0 kg•yr-1. It is concluded that wheat cultivars with longer growth periods and higher thermal requirements could mitigate the negative effects of warming climate on crop production in the study area.

Global existence of strong solutions to the three- dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with special boundary conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riley, Douglas A.

We study the three-dimensional incompressible Navier- Stokes equations in a domain of the form W'×(0,e) . First, we assume W' is a C3 bounded domain and impose no-slip boundary conditions on 6W'×(0,e ) , and periodic conditions on W'×0,e . Physically, this models fluid flow through a pipe with cross-section W' where the inlet and outlet conditions are assumed periodic. Secondly, we assume W'=(0,l4) ×(0,l5) and impose periodic boundary conditions. This problem is of interest mathematically, and has been more widely considered than the pipe flow problem. For both sets of boundary conditions, we show that a strong solution exists for all time with conditions on the initial data and forcing. We start by recalling that if the forcing function and initial condition do not depend on x3, then a global strong solution exists which also does not depend on x3. Here (x1,x2,x3) ∈W≡W'×( 0,e) . With this observation as motivation, and using an additive decomposition introduced by Raugel and Sell, we split the initial data and forcing into a portion independent of x3 and a remainder. In our first result, we impose a smallness condition on the remainder and assume the forcing function is square- integrable in time as a function into L2(W) . With these assumptions, we prove a global existence theorem that does not require a smallness condition on e or on the portion of the initial condition and forcing independent of x3. However, these quantities do affect the allowable size of the remainder. For our second result, we assume the forcing is only bounded in time as a function into L2(W) . In this case, we need a smallness condition on the initial data, the forcing, and e to obtain global existence. The interesting observation is that the allowable sizes for the initial data and forcing grow as e-->0 . Thus, we obtain a `thin-domain' result as originally obtained by Raugel and Sell. In fact, our results allow the portion of the initial data and forcing independent of x3 to grow at a faster rate as e-->0 than previously obtained.

Hospital participation in Meaningful Use and racial disparities in readmissions.

PubMed

Unruh, Mark Aaron; Jung, Hye Young; Kaushal, Rainu; Vest, Joshua R

2018-01-01

To measure the impact of hospital participation in Meaningful Use (MU) on disparities in 30-day readmissions associated with race. A retrospective cohort study that compared the likelihood of 30-day readmission for Medicare beneficiaries discharged from hospitals participating in Stage 1 of MU with the likelihood of readmission for beneficiaries concurrently discharged from hospitals that were not participating in the initiative. Inpatient claims for 2,414,205 Medicare beneficiaries from Florida, New York, and Washington State were used as the primary data source. The study period (2009-2013) included at least 2 years of baseline data prior to each hospital initiating participation in MU. Estimates were derived with linear regression models that included hospital and time fixed effects. By including both hospital and time fixed effects, estimates were based on discharges from the same hospital in the same time period. MU participation among hospitals was not associated with a statistically significant change in readmissions for the broader Medicare population (percentage points [PP], 0.6; 95% CI, -0.2 to 1.4), but hospitals' participation in the initiative was associated with a lower likelihood of readmission for African American beneficiaries (PP, -0.9; 95% CI, -1.5 to -0.4). Hospital participation in MU reduced disparities in 30-day readmissions for African American Medicare beneficiaries.

Exploring the initial steps of the testing process: frequency and nature of pre-preanalytic errors.

PubMed

Carraro, Paolo; Zago, Tatiana; Plebani, Mario

2012-03-01

Few data are available on the nature of errors in the so-called pre-preanalytic phase, the initial steps of the testing process. We therefore sought to evaluate pre-preanalytic errors using a study design that enabled us to observe the initial procedures performed in the ward, from the physician's test request to the delivery of specimens in the clinical laboratory. After a 1-week direct observational phase designed to identify the operating procedures followed in 3 clinical wards, we recorded all nonconformities and errors occurring over a 6-month period. Overall, the study considered 8547 test requests, for which 15 917 blood sample tubes were collected and 52 982 tests undertaken. No significant differences in error rates were found between the observational phase and the overall study period, but underfilling of coagulation tubes was found to occur more frequently in the direct observational phase (P = 0.043). In the overall study period, the frequency of errors was found to be particularly high regarding order transmission [29 916 parts per million (ppm)] and hemolysed samples (2537 ppm). The frequency of patient misidentification was 352 ppm, and the most frequent nonconformities were test requests recorded in the diary without the patient's name and failure to check the patient's identity at the time of blood draw. The data collected in our study confirm the relative frequency of pre-preanalytic errors and underline the need to consensually prepare and adopt effective standard operating procedures in the initial steps of laboratory testing and to monitor compliance with these procedures over time.

Rainy Periods and Bottom Water Stagnation Initiating Brine Accumulation and Metal Concentrations: 1. The Late Quaternary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rossignol-Strick, Martine

1987-06-01

A working hypothesis is proposed to account for the present accumulation of brines in isolated pockets of the ocean floor and for the formation of the underlying organic and metal-rich sediments. These are the Tyro and Bannock basins in the East Mediterranean, the Red Sea Deeps, and the Orca Basin in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Initiation of brine-derived deposition in the Red Sea Deeps and Orca Basin occurred between 12,000 and 8000 years B.P. This time bracket also encompasses the formation of the latest East Mediterranean sapropel and the wettest global climate since the last glacial maximum. This wet period first appeared in the tropics around 12,000 years B.P, then in the subtropical and middle latitudes. During the same period, the 23,000 year precession cycle brought the summer insolation of the northern hemisphere to its peak at 11,000 years B.P. with retreating northern hemisphere ice sheets. The Red Sea Deeps and the Orca Basin became anoxic during this humid period, and metal-rich sapropel deposition then began. In contrast, the Tyro and Bannock basins began accumulating a brine long before and persisted beyond this climatic stage. The hypothesis involves two propositions: (1) As in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, marine anoxia was mainly the consequence of the large influx of continental runoff and local precipitation. Longer residence time of bottom waters, so-called "stagnation," in silled rimmed basins would have resulted from lower salinity at the sea surface in areas of deep water formation in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico and (2) Miocene or older evaporites underlie these basins or outcrop on their flanks. Leaching from these evaporites was an ongoing process before the quasi-stagnation phase, but the initial leachate, much less saline than the present brines, was continuously flushed by bottom circulation. The climate-induced quiescence of bottom waters in these basins enabled the leachate to accumulate. The feedback of stagnation by increased density progressively raised the salinity of entrapped bottom waters to the present brine concentration. The high density has resisted brine removal by bottom circulation until present time, long after cessation of the initiating wet period. The brines therefore are stagnant, fossil waters.

Pubertal development and regulation

PubMed Central

Abreu, Ana Paula; Kaiser, Ursula B

2016-01-01

Puberty marks the end of childhood and is a period when individuals undergo physiological and psychological changes to achieve sexual maturation and fertility. The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis controls puberty and reproduction and is tightly regulated by a complex network of excitatory and inhibitory factors. This axis is active in the embryonic and early postnatal stages of life and is subsequently restrained during childhood, and its reactivation culminates in puberty initiation. The mechanisms underlying this reactivation are not completely known. The age of puberty onset varies between individuals and the timing of puberty initiation is associated with several health outcomes in adult life. In this Series paper, we discuss pubertal markers, epidemiological trends of puberty initiation over time, and the mechanisms whereby genetic, metabolic, and other factors control secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone to determine initiation of puberty. PMID:26852256

78 FR 59915 - Certain Frozen Fish Fillets From the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Initiation of Antidumping...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-30

...The Department of Commerce (``the Department'') has received a timely request for a new shipper review (``NSR'') of the antidumping duty (``AD'') order on certain frozen fish fillets (``fish fillets'') from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (``Vietnam'') that meets the statutory and regulatory requirements for initiation. The period of review (``POR'') for this NSR is August 1, 2012, through July 31, 2013.

Sexual behavior of Pecari tajacu (Cetartiodactyla: Tayassuidae) during periovulatory and early gestation periods.

PubMed

da Silva, Suleima do Socorro Bastos; Le Pendu, Yvonnick; Ohashi, Otavio Mitio; Oba, Eunice; de Albuquerque, Natália Inagaki; Garcia, Alexandre Rossetto; Mayor, Pedro; de Araujo Guimarães, Diva Anelie

2016-10-01

The goal of this study was to describe the sexual behavior in female and male collared peccary. Twenty females and twelve males were monitored in familiar and non-familiar units for two 60 days periods. During both phases, we recorded 2747 sexual interactions initiated by 20 different females toward males and 4461 sexual interactions initiated by 12 males toward females. The frequency of sexual interactions initiated per female significantly increased from proestrus to estrus, and they were significantly more frequently courted. Females initiated olfactory inspections 15.42 times more and were mounted 22.6 times more during estrus than during proestrus. Nulliparous and primiparous females copulated only when exposed to non-parental males. After estrus, the frequency of sexual interactions received by females sharply decreased. One mating event was recorded during the first gestation week and 31 mountings were observed after the second week. In conclusion, the behavioral monitoring is a useful procedure for the recognition of estrus. Our results suggest that ovulation may be associated with the end of the estrus, which will support future work in assisted reproduction in this species. To promote good handling practices, females of reproductive age should be removed from their family unit of origin. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Meteorological factors and timing of the initiating event of human parturition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirsch, Emmet; Lim, Courtney; Dobrez, Deborah; Adams, Marci G.; Noble, William

2011-03-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether meteorological factors are associated with the timing of either onset of labor with intact membranes or rupture of membranes prior to labor—together referred to as `the initiating event' of parturition. All patients delivering at Evanston Hospital after spontaneous labor or rupture of membranes at ≥20 weeks of gestation over a 6-month period were studied. Logistic regression models of the initiating event of parturition using clinical variables (maternal age, gestational age, parity, multiple gestation and intrauterine infection) with and without the addition of meteorological variables (barometric pressure, temperature and humidity) were compared. A total of 1,088 patients met the inclusion criteria. Gestational age, multiple gestation and chorioamnionitis were associated with timing of initiation of parturition ( P < 0.01). The addition of meteorological to clinical variables generated a statistically significant improvement in prediction of the initiating event; however, the magnitude of this improvement was small (less than 2% difference in receiver-operating characteristic score). These observations held regardless of parity, fetal number and gestational age. Meteorological factors are associated with the timing of parturition, but the magnitude of this association is small.

Prisoners of Time: Implementing a Block Schedule in the High School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mistretta, Gerald M.; Polansky, Harvey B.

1997-01-01

A committee comprised of six veteran teachers, the principal, and one parent initiated East Lyme (Connecticut) High School's search for a workable school schedule. The alternative-day block schedule featured semester and full-year course formats, 85-minute time blocks, a 45-minute lunch/club/activity period, and a closed campus. A survey found…

75 FR 62099 - Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp From India and Thailand: Notice of Extension of Time Limits for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-07

... Warmwater Shrimp From India and Thailand: Notice of Extension of Time Limits for the Preliminary Results of... Thailand covering the period February 1, 2009, through January 31, 2010. See Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Brazil, India, and Thailand: Notice of Initiation of Administrative Reviews, 75 FR 17693 (Apr...

75 FR 41439 - Lightweight Thermal Paper from Germany: Extension of Time Limits for the Preliminary Results of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-16

... from Germany: Extension of Time Limits for the Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative... paper from Germany (LTWP), covering the period November 20, 2008, to October 31, 2009. See Initiation of...'s sales were at prices less than the cost of production. See Lightweight Thermal Paper from Germany...

77 FR 22236 - Administrative Claims Under the Federal Tort Claims Act and Related Statutes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-13

... Investment Act (WIA) since the last time the regulations were updated. These regulations are being amended to... at this time because we will not initiate an additional comment period. If no significant adverse...) They are engaged in any authorized Job Corps activity; (3) They are in authorized travel status; or (4...

Migration of Undergraduate First-Time Transfers: Snapshot Analysis 2006-2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, 2010

2010-01-01

The Commission on Higher Education had a student intern from USC-Columbia initiate an analysis of data on the migration of undergraduate first-time transfers to compare trends, growth, and proportions of transfers to and from various sectors and institution types over a three-year period, from 2006-2008. Staff have refined the analysis and…

Seasonal Predictions with the GEOS GCM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schubert, Siegfried; Chang, Yehui; Suarez, Max

1999-01-01

A number of ensembles of seasonal forecasts have recently been completed as part of NASA's Seasonal to Interannual Prediction Project (NSIPP). The focus is on the extratropical response of the atmosphere to observed Surface Sea Temperature (SST) anomalies during boreal winter. The prediction experiments consist of nine forecasts starting from slightly different initial conditions for each year of the 15 year period 1981-95, employing version 2 of the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) atmospheric Global Circulation Models (GCM). The initial conditions are obtained from the NASA GEOS-1 reanalysis data. Comparisons with a companion set of six long-term simulations with observed SST (starting in 1978, so they have no memory of the initial conditions for the periods of interest) are used to assess the relative contributions of the initial conditions and SST anomalies to forecast skill ranging from daily to seasonal time scales. The ensembles are used to isolate the signal, and to assess the nature of the inherent variability (noise) of the forecasts.

An elastoplastic analysis of a uniaxially loaded sheet with an interference-fit bolt. [using the finite element method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crews, J. H., Jr.

1974-01-01

The stresses and strains in a uniaxially loaded sheet with an unloaded interference-fit bolt were calculated by an elastoplastic finite-element analysis. The material properties represented a 7075-T6 aluminum alloy sheet and a steel bolt. The analysis considered the two ideal cases of no slip and no friction at the bolt-sheet interface for a single combination of bolt diameter, interference level, and cyclic loading. When the bolt was inserted, the sheet deformed plastically near the hole; the first tensile load cycle produced additional yielding, but subsequent cycles to the same level caused only elastic cyclic stresses. These stresses together with fatigue data for unnotched specimens were used to estimate crack initiation periods and initiation sites. The cases analyzed with interference-fit bolts were predicted to have crack initiation periods which were about 50 times that for a clearance-fit bolt. Crack initiation was predicted to occur on the transverse axis at a distance of about one radius from the hole.

Factors associated with the initiation of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis: a retrospective claims database study.

PubMed

Bonafede, Machaon M K; Fox, Kathleen M; Johnson, Barbara H; Watson, Crystal; Gandra, Shravanthi R

2012-02-01

The objectives of this study were to quantify the proportion of US patients with newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in whom disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy was initiated within 12 months following diagnosis, to determine mean time to initiation, to compare the characteristics of initiators versus noninitiators, and to identify factors associated with noninitiation. A retrospective study was conducted using claims from the databases of commercial managed care and Medicare supplemental managed care to identify patients with claims containing codes for RA dated January 1, 2004, through September 30, 2008. The percentage of patients with RA and a prescription for a DMARD within 12 months after the index date (initiators) was evaluated. The characteristics of DMARD initiators and noninitiators during the preindex period were compared, including demographic and clinical characteristics, health care resource utilization, and cost variables. The probability of DMARD initiation was determined using survival analysis. Multivariate analysis was performed to estimate mean time from diagnosis to DMARD initiation based on demographic and clinical variables. Of 26,911 patients with newly diagnosed RA identified in the database searches, 63% had been prescribed a DMARD within 12 months after diagnosis. DMARD initiators were significantly more likely to have had a rheumatologist visit and rheumatoid factor testing and were more likely to have received a corticosteroid and/or an NSAID (all, P < 0.001). DMARD initiators had significantly lower total costs ($10,534 vs $12,725, respectively) and pharmacy drug costs ($2438 vs $2822) over the preindex period compared with noninitiators (both, P < 0.001). Independent factors associated with a greater likelihood of DMARD initiation included a rheumatologist visit, rheumatoid factor testing, NSAID use, and corticosteroid use. Age ≥85 years and the presence of comorbidities were associated with a significantly lower likelihood of DMARD initiation. Among managed care enrollees in the present analysis, 37% of patients newly diagnosed with RA were not being treated with DMARDs in the first 12 months after diagnosis. Time to DMARD initiation plateaued after 90 days, suggesting that if a patient was not prescribed a DMARD soon after RA diagnosis, he or she was not likely to receive one. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

Adolescent sexual victimization: a prospective study on risk factors for first time sexual assault.

PubMed

Bramsen, Rikke Holm; Lasgaard, Mathias; Koss, Mary P; Elklit, Ask; Banner, Jytte

2012-09-01

The present study set out to investigate predictors of first time adolescent peer-on-peer sexual victimization (APSV) among 238 female Grade 9 students from 30 schools in Denmark. A prospective research design was utilized to examine the relationship among five potential predictors as measured at baseline and first time APSV during a 6-month period. Data analysis was a binary logistic regression analysis. Number of sexual partners and displaying sexual risk behaviors significantly predicted subsequent first time peer-on-peer sexual victimization, whereas a history of child sexual abuse, early sexual onset and failing to signal sexual boundaries did not. The present study identifies specific risk factors for first time sexual victimization that are potentially changeable. Thus, the results may inform prevention initiatives targeting initial experiences of APSV.

The oral bioavailability and toxicokinetics of methylmercury in common loon (Gavia immer) chicks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fournier, F.; Karasov, W.H.; Kenow, K.P.; Meyer, M.W.; Hines, R.K.

2002-01-01

We compared the toxicokinetics of methylmercury in captive common loon chicks during two time intervals to assess the impact of feather growth on the kinetics of mercury. We also determined the oral bioavailability of methylmercury during these trials to test for age-related changes. The blood concentration-time curves for individuals dosed during feather development (initiated 35 days post hatch) were best described by a one-compartment toxicokinetic model with an elimination half-life of 3 days. The data for birds dosed following completion of feather growth (84 days post hatch) were best fitted by a two-compartment elimination model that includes an initial rapid distribution phase with a half-life of 0.9 days, followed by a slow elimination phase with a half-life of 116 days. We determined the oral bioavailability of methylmercury during the first dosing interval by comparing the ratios of the area under the blood concentration-time curves (AUC0→∞) for orally and intravenously dosed chicks. The oral bioavailability of methylmercury during the first dosing period was 0.83. We also determined bioavailability during both dosing periods using a second measure because of irregularities with intravenous results in the second period. This second bioavailability measure estimated the percentage of the dose that was deposited in the blood volume (f), and the results show that there was no difference in bioavailability among dosing periods. The results of this study highlight the importance of feather growth on the toxicokinetics of methylmercury.

Effect of transportation during periods of high ambient temperature on physiologic and behavioral indices of beef heifers.

PubMed

Theurer, Miles E; White, Brad J; Anderson, David E; Miesner, Matt D; Mosier, Derek A; Coetzee, Johann F; Amrine, David E

2013-03-01

To determine the effect of transportation during periods of high ambient temperature on physiologic and behavioral indices of beef heifers. 20 heifers (mean body weight, 217.8 kg). Ten heifers were transported 518 km when the maximum ambient temperature was ≥ 32.2°C while the other 10 heifers served as untransported controls. Blood samples were collected from transported heifers at predetermined intervals during the transportation period. For all heifers, body weights, nasal and rectal temperatures, and behavioral indices were measured at predetermined intervals for 3 days after transportation. A week later, the entire process was repeated such that each group was transported twice and served as the control twice. Transported heifers spent more time near the hay feeder on the day of transportation, had lower nasal and rectal temperatures for 24 hours after transportation, and spent more time lying down for 2 days after transportation, compared with those indices for control heifers. Eight hours after transportation, the weight of transported heifers decreased 6%, whereas that of control heifers increased 0.6%. At 48 hours after initiation of transportation, weight, rectal temperature, and time spent at various pen locations did not differ between transported and control heifers. Cortisol concentrations were higher 4 hours after initiation of transportation, compared with those determined just prior to transportation. Results indicated transportation during periods of high ambient temperatures caused transient changes in physiologic and behavioral indices of beef heifers.

Numerical model of the evolution of asteroid orbits at the 2:5 resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ipatov, S. I.

1992-12-01

The interrelations of the variations in the orbital elements of asteroids at the 2:5 resonance and in its vicinity are investigated.. These investigations are based on the numerical integration of the complete equations of motion of the three-body problem (sun-Jupiter-asteroid) for 500 model asteroids. The time interval under consideration for most versions of the calculations equaled 10(4) orbital periods of Jupiter. The limits of the variations in the orbital elements and the regions of initial data corresponding to different types of interrelations of the variations in the eccentricity and longitude of perihelion are examined. It is shown that thr 2:5 gap may play a larger role than other gaps in the replenishment of the Apollo and Amor groups. The time over which the argument of perihelion changed by 360 degrees was usually equal to two periods of variation in the orbital inclination. When this interrelation was not found, the time over which the longitude of the ascending node changed by 360 degrees was equal, as a rule, to one period of variation in this inclination. For some asteroids moving along orbits of small eccentricity and inclination, interrelations were found between the periods of variation in four orbital elements: eccentricity, inclination, argument of perihelion, and longitude of the ascending node. For initial inclinations i° = 40° of asteroid orbits, the maximum values of inclinations of some model asteroids reached 160 degrees. Such asteroids could reach the sun or nearly parabolic orbits.

A risk assessment of water salinization during the initial impounding period of a proposed reservoir in Tianjin, China.

PubMed

Zhu, Liqin; Jiang, Cuiling; Wang, Youheng; Peng, Yanmei; Zhang, Peng

2013-09-01

Water salinization of coastal reservoirs seriously threatens the safety of their water supply. To elucidate the mechanism of salinization and to quantitatively analyze the risk in the initial period of the impoundment of a proposed reservoir in Tianjin Binhai New Area, laboratory and field simulation experiments were implemented and integrated with the actual operation of Beitang Reservoir, which is located in the same region and has been operational for many years. The results suggested that water salinization of the proposed reservoir was mainly governed by soil saline release, evaporation and leakage. Saline release was the prevailing factor in the earlier stage of the impoundment, then the evaporation and leakage effects gradually became notable over time. By referring to the actual case of Beitang Reservoir, it was predicted that the chloride ion (Cl(-)) concentration of the water during the initial impounding period of the proposed reservoir would exceed the standard for quality of drinking water from surface water sources (250 mg L(-1)), and that the proposed reservoir had a high risk of water salinization.

The initial antibody response to HIV-1: induction of ineffective early B cell responses against GP41 by the transmitted/founder virus

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

Chavez, Leslie L; Perelson, Alan

2008-01-01

A window of opportunity for immune responses to extinguish HIV -1 exists from the moment of transmission through establishment of the latent pool of HIV -I-infected cells. A critical time to study the initial immune responses to the transmitted/founder virus is the eclipse phase of HIV-1 infection (time from transmission to the first appearance of plasma virus) but, to date, this period has been logistically difficult to analyze. Studies in non-human primates challenged with chimeric simianhuman immunodeficiency virus have shown that neutralizing antibodies, when present at the time of infection, can prevent virus infection.

Does the circadian pattern for acute cardiac events presentation vary with fasting?

PubMed

Al Suwaidi, J; Bener, A; Gehani, A A; Behair, S; Al Mohanadi, D; Salam, A; Al Binali, H A

2006-01-01

Over one billion Muslims fast worldwide during the month of Ramadan. The impact of fasting on circadian presentation with acute cardiac events is unknown. To determine if fasting has any effect on the circadian presentation of acute cardiac events. A prospective study in a general hospital. Patients with acute coronary events were divided into two groups based on the history of fasting. Information about age, gender, cardiovascular risk factor profiles and outcome was collected. The relationship of time of presentation of initial symptoms with fasting was evaluated using Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test and chi2 analysis. Of the 1019 patients hospitalized during the study period, 162 were fasting. Although, fasting patients were more likely to present to the emergency department in the time periods 5-6 AM (10.5% vs 6.3%) and 11 PM (11.1% vs 7.1%) and were less likely to present in the time periods 1-2 PM (3.7% vs 7.2%) and 5-6 PM (3.7% vs 7.0%); these differences were not statistically significant. Fasting patients were less likely to have their symptoms start between 5 and 8 AM (11.1% vs 19.4%) and more likely to have symptoms between 5 and 6 PM (11.1% vs 6.0%) and 3 and 4 AM (11.1% vs 6.9%). These differences for time of initial symptoms were statistically significant (P=0.002). Exogenous factors associated with fasting, namely, the changes in food intake and/or sleep timings, affect the circadian rhythm and influence the timing of presentation of acute coronary events.

Use of interrupted time series analysis in evaluating health care quality improvements.

PubMed

Penfold, Robert B; Zhang, Fang

2013-01-01

Interrupted time series (ITS) analysis is arguably the strongest quasi-experimental research design. ITS is particularly useful when a randomized trial is infeasible or unethical. The approach usually involves constructing a time series of population-level rates for a particular quality improvement focus (eg, rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD] medication initiation) and testing statistically for a change in the outcome rate in the time periods before and time periods after implementation of a policy/program designed to change the outcome. In parallel, investigators often analyze rates of negative outcomes that might be (unintentionally) affected by the policy/program. We discuss why ITS is a useful tool for quality improvement. Strengths of ITS include the ability to control for secular trends in the data (unlike a 2-period before-and-after t test), ability to evaluate outcomes using population-level data, clear graphical presentation of results, ease of conducting stratified analyses, and ability to evaluate both intended and unintended consequences of interventions. Limitations of ITS include the need for a minimum of 8 time periods before and 8 after an intervention to evaluate changes statistically, difficulty in analyzing the independent impact of separate components of a program that are implemented close together in time, and existence of a suitable control population. Investigators must also be careful not to make individual-level inferences when population-level rates are used to evaluate interventions (though ITS can be used with individual-level data). A brief description of ITS is provided, including a fully implemented (but hypothetical) study of the impact of a program to reduce ADHD medication initiation in children younger than 5 years old and insured by Medicaid in Washington State. An example of the database needed to conduct an ITS is provided, as well as SAS code to implement a difference-in-differences model using preschool-age children in California as a comparison group. Copyright © 2013 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Metal hydride reasearch and development program at Brookhaven National Laboratory

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

Johnson, J.R.; Reilly, J.J.

1978-01-01

A progress report is presented covering work performed in the hydrogen materials development program at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) for FY78 which encompasses the time period from October 1, 1977 through September 30, 1978. The subjects to be discussed here concern properties of importance in the utilization of metal hydrides as energy storage media. Most of the areas of research were initiated prior to FY78, however all of the results contained in this manuscript were obtained during the aforementioned period of time. The following subjects will be discussed: the properties of ferro-titanium and chrome-titanium alloy hydrides.

Determinants of timely initiation of breastfeeding among mothers in Goba Woreda, South East Ethiopia: a cross sectional study.

PubMed

Setegn, Tesfaye; Gerbaba, Mulusew; Belachew, Tefera

2011-04-08

Although breastfeeding is universal in Ethiopia, ranges of regional differences in timely initiation of breastfeeding have been documented. Initiation of breastfeeding is highly bound to cultural factors that may either enhance or inhibit the optimal practices. The government of Ethiopia developed National Infant and Young Child Feeding Guideline in 2004 and behavior change communications on breast feeding have been going on since then. However, there is a little information on the practice of timely initiation of breast feeding and factors that predict these practices after the implementation of the national guideline. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence and determinant factors of timely initiation of breastfeeding among mothers in Bale Goba District, South East Ethiopia. A community based cross sectional study was carried out from February to March 2010 using both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. A total of 608 mother infant pairs were selected using simple random sampling method and key informants for the in-depth interview were selected conveniently. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to identify factors associated with timely initiation of breast feeding. The prevalence of timely initiation of breastfeeding was 52.4%. Bivariate analysis showed that attendance of formal education, being urban resident, institutional delivery and postnatal counseling on breast feeding were significantly associated with timely initiation of breastfeeding (P < 0.05). After adjust sting for other factors on the multivariable logistic model, being in the urban area [AOR: 4.1 (95%C.I: 2.31-7.30)] and getting postnatal counseling [AOR: 2.7(1.86-3.94)] were independent predictors of timely initiation of breastfeeding. The practice of timely initiation of breast feeding is low as nearly half the mothers did not start breastfeeding with one hour after delivery. The results suggest that breast feeding behavior change communication especially during the post natal period is critical in promoting optimal practice in the initiation of breast feeding. Rural mothers need special attention as they are distant from various information sources. © 2011 Gerbaba et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Determinants of timely initiation of breastfeeding among mothers in Goba Woreda, South East Ethiopia: A cross sectional study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Although breastfeeding is universal in Ethiopia, ranges of regional differences in timely initiation of breastfeeding have been documented. Initiation of breastfeeding is highly bound to cultural factors that may either enhance or inhibit the optimal practices. The government of Ethiopia developed National Infant and Young Child Feeding Guideline in 2004 and behavior change communications on breast feeding have been going on since then. However, there is a little information on the practice of timely initiation of breast feeding and factors that predict these practices after the implementation of the national guideline. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence and determinant factors of timely initiation of breastfeeding among mothers in Bale Goba District, South East Ethiopia. Methods A community based cross sectional study was carried out from February to March 2010 using both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. A total of 608 mother infant pairs were selected using simple random sampling method and key informants for the in-depth interview were selected conveniently. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to identify factors associated with timely initiation of breast feeding. Results The prevalence of timely initiation of breastfeeding was 52.4%. Bivariate analysis showed that attendance of formal education, being urban resident, institutional delivery and postnatal counseling on breast feeding were significantly associated with timely initiation of breastfeeding (P < 0.05). After adjust sting for other factors on the multivariable logistic model, being in the urban area [AOR: 4.1 (95%C.I: 2.31-7.30)] and getting postnatal counseling [AOR: 2.7(1.86-3.94)] were independent predictors of timely initiation of breastfeeding. Conclusions The practice of timely initiation of breast feeding is low as nearly half the mothers did not start breastfeeding with one hour after delivery. The results suggest that breast feeding behavior change communication especially during the post natal period is critical in promoting optimal practice in the initiation of breast feeding. Rural mothers need special attention as they are distant from various information sources. PMID:21473791

Public Health and Law Collaboration: The Philadelphia Lead Court Study

PubMed Central

Gracely, Ed; Pan, Sarah; Cummings, Curtis; Palermo, Peter; Gould, George

2013-01-01

Objectives. We determined whether Philadelphia Lead Court is effective in enforcing lead hazard remediation in the homes of children with elevated blood lead levels. Methods. We created a deidentified data set for properties with an initial failed home inspection (IFHI) for lead hazards from January 1, 1998, through December 31, 2008, and compared compliance rates within the first year and time to compliance for lead hazard remediation between 1998 and 2002 (precourt period) and between 2003 and 2008 (court period). We evaluated predictors of time to compliance. Results. Within 1 year of the IFHI, 6.6% of the precourt and 76.8% of the court cases achieved compliance (P < .001) for the 3764 homes with data. Four years after the IFHI, 18% had attained compliance in the precourt period compared with 83.1% for the court period (P < .001). A proportional hazard analysis found that compliance was 8 times more likely in the court than the precourt period (P < .001). Conclusions. Lead court was more effective than precourt enforcement strategies. Most properties were remediated within 1 year of the IFHI, and time to compliance was significantly reduced. This model court could be replicated in other cities with similar enforcement problems. PMID:23678927

Effects of novelty on behavior in the adolescent and adult rat.

PubMed

Stansfield, Kirstie H; Kirstein, Cheryl L

2006-01-01

Adolescence is a time of high-risk behavior and increased exploration. This developmental period is marked by a greater probability of initiating drug use and is associated with an increased risk to develop addiction and dependency in adulthood. Human adolescents are predisposed towards an increased likelihood of risk taking behaviors (Zuckerman, 1986), including drug use or initiation. The purpose of the study was to examine differences in developmental risk taking behaviors. Adolescent and adult animals were exposed to a novel stimulus in a familiar environment to assess impulsive behaviors, novelty preference, and exploratory behaviors. Adolescent animals had greater novelty-induced locomotor activity, greater novelty preference, and showed higher approach and exploratory behaviors compared to adult animals. These data support the notion that adolescents may be predisposed toward sensation seeking and consequently, are more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors, such as drug use initiation. Copyright 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Theory of Metastable State Relaxation for Non-Critical Binary Systems with Non-Conserved Order Parameter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Izmailov, Alexander; Myerson, Allan S.

1993-01-01

A new mathematical ansatz for a solution of the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau non-linear partial differential equation is developed for non-critical systems such as non-critical binary solutions (solute + solvent) described by the non-conserved scalar order parameter. It is demonstrated that in such systems metastability initiates heterogeneous solute redistribution which results in formation of the non-equilibrium singly-periodic spatial solute structure. It is found how the time-dependent period of this structure evolves in time. In addition, the critical radius r(sub c) for solute embryo of the new solute rich phase together with the metastable state lifetime t(sub c) are determined analytically and analyzed.

Chaotic behaviour of the Rossler model and its analysis by using bifurcations of limit cycles and chaotic attractors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, K. M.; Jamal, R. K.; Ali, F. H.

2018-05-01

The behaviour of certain dynamical nonlinear systems are described in term as chaos, i.e., systems’ variables change with the time, displaying very sensitivity to initial conditions of chaotic dynamics. In this paper, we study archetype systems of ordinary differential equations in two-dimensional phase spaces of the Rössler model. A system displays continuous time chaos and is explained by three coupled nonlinear differential equations. We study its characteristics and determine the control parameters that lead to different behavior of the system output, periodic, quasi-periodic and chaos. The time series, attractor, Fast Fourier Transformation and bifurcation diagram for different values have been described.

Dosing of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in children and adults before and after the FDA black-box warning

PubMed Central

Bushnell, Greta A; Stürmer, Til; Swanson, Sonja A; White, Alice; Azrael, Deborah; Pate, Virginia; Miller, Matthew

2016-01-01

Objective Prior research evaluated various effects of the antidepressant black-box warning on the risk of suicidality in children, but the dosing of antidepressants has not been considered. This study estimated, relative to the FDA warnings, whether the initial antidepressant dose prescribed decreased and the proportion augmenting dose on the second fill increased. Method The study utilized the LifeLink Health Plan Claims Database. The study cohort consisted of commercially insured children (5–17 years), young adults (18–24 years), and adults (25–64 years) initiating an SSRI (citalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, or sertraline) from 1/1/2000 to 12/31/2009. Dose-per-day was determined by days supply, strength, and quantity dispensed. Initiation on low dose, defined based on guidelines, and dose augmentations (dose increase >1mg/day) on the second prescription were considered across time periods related to the antidepressant warnings. Results Of 51,948 children who initiated an SSRI, 15% initiated on low dose in the period before the 2004 black-box warning and 31% in the period after the warning (a 16 percentage-point change); there was a smaller percentage-point change in young adults (6%) and adults (3%). The overall increase in dose augmentations in children and young adults was driven by the increase in patients initiating on a low dose. Conclusions As guidelines recommend children initiate antidepressant treatment on low dose, findings that an increased proportion of commercially insured children initiated an SSRI on low dose after the 2004 black-box warning suggest prescribing practices surrounding SSRI dosing improved in children following the warning but dosing practices still fall short of guidelines. PMID:26567938

Contribution to harmonic balance calculations of self-sustained periodic oscillations with focus on single-reed instruments.

PubMed

Farner, Snorre; Vergez, Christophe; Kergomard, Jean; Lizée, Aude

2006-03-01

The harmonic balance method (HBM) was originally developed for finding periodic solutions of electronical and mechanical systems under a periodic force, but has been adapted to self-sustained musical instruments. Unlike time-domain methods, this frequency-domain method does not capture transients and so is not adapted for sound synthesis. However, its independence of time makes it very useful for studying any periodic solution, whether stable or unstable, without care of particular initial conditions in time. A computer program for solving general problems involving nonlinearly coupled exciter and resonator, HARMBAL, has been developed based on the HBM. The method as well as convergence improvements and continuation facilities are thoroughly presented and discussed in the present paper. Applications of the method are demonstrated, especially on problems with severe difficulties of convergence: the Helmholtz motion (square signals) of single-reed instruments when no losses are taken into account, the reed being modeled as a simple spring.

Microscopic and macroscopic instabilities in finitely strained porous elastomers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michel, J. C.; Lopez-Pamies, O.; Ponte Castañeda, P.; Triantafyllidis, N.

2007-05-01

The present work is an in-depth study of the connections between microstructural instabilities and their macroscopic manifestations—as captured through the effective properties—in finitely strained porous elastomers. The powerful second-order homogenization (SOH) technique initially developed for random media, is used for the first time here to study the onset of failure in periodic porous elastomers and the results are compared to more accurate finite element method (FEM) calculations. The influence of different microgeometries (random and periodic), initial porosity, matrix constitutive law and macroscopic load orientation on the microscopic buckling (for periodic microgeometries) and macroscopic loss of ellipticity (for all microgeometries) is investigated in detail. In addition to the above-described stability-based onset-of-failure mechanisms, constraints on the principal solution are also addressed, thus giving a complete picture of the different possible failure mechanisms present in finitely strained porous elastomers.

Trends in initiation of direct oral anticoagulant therapies for atrial fibrillation in a national population-based cross-sectional study in the French health insurance databases

PubMed Central

Huiart, Laetitia; Ferdynus, Cyril; Renoux, Christel; Beaugrand, Amélie; Lafarge, Sophie; Bruneau, Léa; Suissa, Samy; Maillard, Olivier; Ranouil, Xavier

2018-01-01

Objective Unlike several other national health agencies, French health authorities recommended that the newer direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) agents only be prescribed as second choice for the treatment of newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), with vitamin K antagonists (VKA) remaining the first choice. We investigated the patterns of use of DOACs versus VKA in the treatment of NVAF in France over the first 5 years of DOAC availability. We also identified the changes in patient characteristics of those who initiated DOAC treatment over this time period. Methods Based on the French National Health Administrative Database, we constituted a population-based cohort of all patients who were newly treated for NVAF between January 2011 and December 2015. Trends in drug use were described as the percentage of patients initiating each drug at the time of treatment initiation. A multivariate analysis using logistic regression model was performed to identify independent sociodemographic and clinical predictors of initial anticoagulant choice. Results The cohort comprised 814 446 patients who had received a new anticoagulant treatment for NVAF. The proportion of patients using DOACs as initial anticoagulant therapy reached 54% 3 months after the Health Ministry approved the reimbursement of dabigatran for NVAF, and 61% by the end of 2015, versus VKA use. In the multivariate analysis, we found that DOAC initiators were younger and healthier overall than VKA initiators, and this tendency was reinforced over the 2011–2014 period. DOACs were more frequently prescribed by cardiologists in 2012 and after (adjusted OR in 2012: 2.47; 95% CI 2.40 to 2.54). Conclusion Despite recommendations from health authorities, DOACs have been rapidly and massively adopted as initial therapy for NVAF in France. Observational studies should account for the fact that patients selected to initiate DOAC treatment are healthier overall, as failure to do so may bias the risk–benefit assessment of DOACs. PMID:29602837

Complex trajectories in a classical periodic potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Alexander G.; Bender, Carl M.

2012-11-01

This paper examines the complex trajectories of a classical particle in the potential V(x) = -cos (x). Almost all the trajectories describe a particle that hops from one well to another in an erratic fashion. However, it is shown analytically that there are two special classes of trajectories x(t) determined only by the energy of the particle and not by the initial position of the particle. The first class consists of periodic trajectories; that is, trajectories that return to their initial position x(0) after some real time T. The second class consists of trajectories for which there exists a real time T such that x(t + T) = x(t) ± 2π. These two classes of classical trajectories are analogous to valence and conduction bands in quantum mechanics, where the quantum particle either remains localized or else tunnels resonantly (conducts) through a crystal lattice. These two special types of trajectories are associated with sets of energies of measure 0. For other energies, it is shown that for long times the average velocity of the particle becomes a fractal-like function of energy.

The Impacts of State Health Reform Initiatives on Adults in New York and Massachusetts

PubMed Central

Long, Sharon K; Stockley, Karen

2011-01-01

Objective To analyze the effects of health reform efforts in two large states—New York and Massachusetts. Data Sources/Study Setting National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data from 1999 to 2008. Study Design We take advantage of the “natural experiments” that occurred in New York and Massachusetts to compare health insurance coverage and health care access and use for adults before and after the implementation of the health policy changes. To control for underlying trends not related to the reform initiatives, we subtract changes in the outcomes over the same time period for comparison groups of adults who were not affected by the policy changes using a differences-in-differences framework. The analyses are conducted using multiple comparison groups and different time periods as a check on the robustness of the findings. Data Collection/Extraction Methods Nonelderly adults ages 19–64 in the NHIS. Principal Findings We find evidence of the success of the initiatives in New York and Massachusetts at expanding insurance coverage, with the greatest gains reported by the initiative that was broadest in scope—the Massachusetts push toward universal coverage. There is no evidence of improvements in access to care in New York, reflecting the small gains in coverage under that state's reform effort and the narrow focus of the initiative. In contrast, there were significant gains in access to care in Massachusetts, where the impact on insurance coverage was greater and a more comprehensive set of reforms were implemented to improve access to a full array of health care services. The estimated gains in coverage and access to care reported here for Massachusetts were achieved in the early period under health reform, before the state's reform initiative was fully implemented. Conclusions Comprehensive reform initiatives are more successful at addressing gaps in coverage and access to care than are narrower efforts, highlighting the potential gains under national health reform. Tracking the implications of national health reform will be challenging, as sample sizes and content in existing national surveys are not currently sufficient for in-depth evaluations of the impacts of reform within many states. PMID:21091471

5 CFR 890.1105 - Initial election of temporary continuation of coverage; application time limitations and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...; or (2) The date the former employee received the notice from the employing office. (c) Children. A child's election under this subpart must be submitted to the employing office within 60 days after the... within the 60-day time period specified under § 890.1104(b)(1) of this part, the date the child received...

5 CFR 890.1105 - Initial election of temporary continuation of coverage; application time limitations and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...; or (2) The date the former employee received the notice from the employing office. (c) Children. A child's election under this subpart must be submitted to the employing office within 60 days after the... within the 60-day time period specified under § 890.1104(b)(1) of this part, the date the child received...

5 CFR 890.1105 - Initial election of temporary continuation of coverage; application time limitations and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...; or (2) The date the former employee received the notice from the employing office. (c) Children. A child's election under this subpart must be submitted to the employing office within 60 days after the... within the 60-day time period specified under § 890.1104(b)(1) of this part, the date the child received...

5 CFR 890.1105 - Initial election of temporary continuation of coverage; application time limitations and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...; or (2) The date the former employee received the notice from the employing office. (c) Children. A child's election under this subpart must be submitted to the employing office within 60 days after the... within the 60-day time period specified under § 890.1104(b)(1) of this part, the date the child received...

Temporal aspects of tumorigenic response to individual and mixed carcinogens. [Response of mouse skin to benzo(a)pyrene

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

Albert, R.E.; Burns, F.J.

1976-02-01

Results are reported from experiments that involved either single or multiple doses of benzo(a)pyrene in mouse skin followed by prolonged observation. Preliminary results indicate linearity in dose and time and no evidence of recovery or enhancement for multiple doses of initiator given for extended periods of time. (auth)

Firefly

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-29

Hunter College has completed work on baseline measurements of relaxation times for pentacene at various temperatures in order to determine optimal...temperatures for measuring relaxation rate as a function of doping. We have also repeated these measurements on pentacene samples at 2 different...P3HT using a time-lag method. 2 Technical Accomplishments This Period Relaxation Measurements on Pentacene . As described initially in the 1Q

Temporal Trends in the Use of Parenteral Nutrition in Critically Ill Patients

PubMed Central

Kahn, Jeremy M.; Wunsch, Hannah

2014-01-01

Background: Clinical practice guidelines recommend enteral over parenteral nutrition in critical illness and do not recommend early initiation. Few data are available on parenteral nutrition use or timing of initiation in the ICU or how this use may have changed over time. Methods: We used the Project IMPACT database to evaluate temporal trends in parenteral nutrition use (total and partial parenteral nutrition and lipid supplementation) and timing of initiation in adult ICU admissions from 2001 to 2008. We used χ2 tests and analysis of variance to examine characteristics of patients receiving parenteral nutrition and multilevel multivariate logistic regression models to assess parenteral nutrition use over time, in all patients and in specific subgroups. Results: Of 337,442 patients, 20,913 (6.2%) received parenteral nutrition. Adjusting for patient characteristics, the use of parenteral nutrition decreased modestly over time (adjusted probability, 7.2% in 2001-2002 vs 5.5% in 2007-2008, P < .001). Enteral nutrition use increased simultaneously (adjusted probability, 11.5% in 2001-2002 vs 15.3% in 2007-2008, P < .001). Use of parenteral nutrition declined most rapidly in emergent surgical patients, patients with moderate illness severity, patients in the surgical ICU, and patients admitted to an academic facility (P ≤ .01 for all interactions with year). When used, parenteral nutrition was initiated a median of 2 days (interquartile range, 1-3), after ICU admission and > 90% of patients had parenteral nutrition initiated within 7 days; timing of initiation of parenteral nutrition did not change from 2001 to 2008. Conclusions: Use of parenteral nutrition in US ICUs declined from 2001 through 2008 in all patients and in all examined subgroups, with the majority of parenteral nutrition initiated within the first 7 days in ICU; enteral nutrition use coincidently increased over the same time period. PMID:24233390

[Japanese who affected modern medicine in Taiwan: obstetrics and gynecology].

PubMed

Wang, Ming-Tung

2009-12-01

This text describes the leaders who established the modem obstetrics and gynecology for Taiwan. during the Japan-colonizing period (1895-1945). These leaders are Mr. Kawasoye, M., Mr. Mukae K., and Mr. Magara M. The lives of these leaders were different, but they all strongly contributed to the development of modem obstetrics and gynecology in Taiwan. With regard to the passage of time, Mr. Kawasoye contributed the initial efforts, Mr. Mukae worked during the flourishing period of the clinic; and Mr. Magara worked during the mature period, emphasizing research. These three periods are closely correlated with the course of the development of modem obstetrics and gynecology in Taiwan.

Quantum speed limit for arbitrary initial states

PubMed Central

Zhang, Ying-Jie; Han, Wei; Xia, Yun-Jie; Cao, Jun-Peng; Fan, Heng

2014-01-01

The minimal time a system needs to evolve from an initial state to its one orthogonal state is defined as the quantum speed limit time, which can be used to characterize the maximal speed of evolution of a quantum system. This is a fundamental question of quantum physics. We investigate the generic bound on the minimal evolution time of the open dynamical quantum system. This quantum speed limit time is applicable to both mixed and pure initial states. We then apply this result to the damped Jaynes-Cummings model and the Ohimc-like dephasing model starting from a general time-evolution state. The bound of this time-dependent state at any point in time can be found. For the damped Jaynes-Cummings model, when the system starts from the excited state, the corresponding bound first decreases and then increases in the Markovian dynamics. While in the non-Markovian regime, the speed limit time shows an interesting periodic oscillatory behavior. For the case of Ohimc-like dephasing model, this bound would be gradually trapped to a fixed value. In addition, the roles of the relativistic effects on the speed limit time for the observer in non-inertial frames are discussed. PMID:24809395

Effects of Rosiglitazone, Glyburide, and Metformin on β-Cell Function and Insulin Sensitivity in ADOPT

PubMed Central

Kahn, Steven E.; Lachin, John M.; Zinman, Bernard; Haffner, Steven M.; Aftring, R. Paul; Paul, Gitanjali; Kravitz, Barbara G.; Herman, William H.; Viberti, Giancarlo; Holman, Rury R.

2011-01-01

OBJECTIVE ADOPT (A Diabetes Outcome Progression Trial) demonstrated that initial monotherapy with rosiglitazone provided superior durability of glycemic control compared with metformin and glyburide in patients with recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Herein, we examine measures of β-cell function and insulin sensitivity from an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) over a 4-year period among the three treatments. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Recently diagnosed, drug-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes (4,360 total) were treated for a median of 4.0 years with rosiglitazone, metformin, or glyburide and were examined with periodic metabolic testing using an OGTT. RESULTS Measures of β-cell function and insulin sensitivity from an OGTT showed more favorable changes over time with rosiglitazone versus metformin or glyburide. Persistent improvements were seen in those who completed 4 years of monotherapy and marked deterioration of β-cell function in those who failed to maintain adequate glucose control with initial monotherapy. CONCLUSIONS The favorable combined changes in β-cell function and insulin sensitivity over time with rosiglitazone appear to be responsible for its superior glycemic durability over metformin and glyburide as initial monotherapy in type 2 diabetes. PMID:21415383

Effects of rosiglitazone, glyburide, and metformin on β-cell function and insulin sensitivity in ADOPT.

PubMed

Kahn, Steven E; Lachin, John M; Zinman, Bernard; Haffner, Steven M; Aftring, R Paul; Paul, Gitanjali; Kravitz, Barbara G; Herman, William H; Viberti, Giancarlo; Holman, Rury R

2011-05-01

ADOPT (A Diabetes Outcome Progression Trial) demonstrated that initial monotherapy with rosiglitazone provided superior durability of glycemic control compared with metformin and glyburide in patients with recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Herein, we examine measures of β-cell function and insulin sensitivity from an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) over a 4-year period among the three treatments. Recently diagnosed, drug-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes (4,360 total) were treated for a median of 4.0 years with rosiglitazone, metformin, or glyburide and were examined with periodic metabolic testing using an OGTT. Measures of β-cell function and insulin sensitivity from an OGTT showed more favorable changes over time with rosiglitazone versus metformin or glyburide. Persistent improvements were seen in those who completed 4 years of monotherapy and marked deterioration of β-cell function in those who failed to maintain adequate glucose control with initial monotherapy. The favorable combined changes in β-cell function and insulin sensitivity over time with rosiglitazone appear to be responsible for its superior glycemic durability over metformin and glyburide as initial monotherapy in type 2 diabetes.

A quality improvement project sustainably decreased time to onset of active physical therapy intervention in patients with acute lung injury.

PubMed

Dinglas, Victor D; Parker, Ann M; Reddy, Dereddi Raja S; Colantuoni, Elizabeth; Zanni, Jennifer M; Turnbull, Alison E; Nelliot, Archana; Ciesla, Nancy; Needham, Dale M

2014-10-01

Rehabilitation started early during an intensive care unit (ICU) stay is associated with improved outcomes and is the basis for many quality improvement (QI) projects showing important changes in practice. However, little evidence exists regarding whether such changes are sustainable in real-world practice. To evaluate the sustained effect of a quality improvement project on the timing of initiation of active physical therapy intervention in patients with acute lung injury (ALI). This was a pre-post evaluation using prospectively collected data involving consecutive patients with ALI admitted pre-quality improvement (October 2004-April 2007, n = 120) versus post-quality improvement (July 2009-July 2012, n = 123) from a single medical ICU. The primary outcome was time to first active physical therapy intervention, defined as strengthening, mobility, or cycle ergometry exercises. Among ICU survivors, more patients in the post-quality improvement versus pre-quality improvement group received physical therapy in the ICU (89% vs. 24%, P < 0.001) and were able to stand, transfer, or ambulate during physical therapy in the ICU (64% vs. 7%, P < 0.001). Among all patients in the post-quality improvement versus pre-quality improvement group, there was a shorter median (interquartile range) time to first physical therapy (4 [2, 6] vs. 11 d [6, 29], P < 0.001) and a greater median (interquartile range) proportion of ICU days with physical therapy after initiation (50% [33, 67%] vs. 18% [4, 47%], P = 0.003). In multivariable regression analysis, the post-quality improvement period was associated with shorter time to physical therapy (adjusted hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], 8.38 [4.98, 14.11], P < 0.001), with this association significant for each of the 5 years during the post-quality improvement period. The following variables were independently associated with a longer time to physical therapy: higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (0.93 [0.89, 0.97]), higher FiO2 (0.86 [0.75, 0.99] for each 10% increase), use of an opioid infusion (0.47 [0.25, 0.89]), and deep sedation (0.24 [0.12, 0.46]). In this single-site, pre-post analysis of patients with ALI, an early rehabilitation quality improvement project was independently associated with a substantial decrease in the time to initiation of active physical therapy intervention that was sustained over 5 years. Over the entire pre-post period, severity of illness and sedation were independently associated with a longer time to initiation of active physical therapy intervention in the ICU.

40 CFR 63.2862 - What records must I keep?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) initial startup period or the § 63.2850(e)(2) malfunction period. Complete both plans before the... such as normal operation, nonoperating, initial startup period, malfunction period, or exempt operation... inventory. (ii) The operating status of your source such as normal operation, nonoperating, initial startup...

40 CFR 63.2862 - What records must I keep?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) initial startup period or the § 63.2850(e)(2) malfunction period. Complete both plans before the... such as normal operation, nonoperating, initial startup period, malfunction period, or exempt operation... inventory. (ii) The operating status of your source such as normal operation, nonoperating, initial startup...

40 CFR 63.2862 - What records must I keep?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) initial startup period or the § 63.2850(e)(2) malfunction period. Complete both plans before the... such as normal operation, nonoperating, initial startup period, malfunction period, or exempt operation... inventory. (ii) The operating status of your source such as normal operation, nonoperating, initial startup...

40 CFR 63.2862 - What records must I keep?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) initial startup period or the § 63.2850(e)(2) malfunction period. Complete both plans before the... such as normal operation, nonoperating, initial startup period, malfunction period, or exempt operation... inventory. (ii) The operating status of your source such as normal operation, nonoperating, initial startup...

40 CFR 63.2862 - What records must I keep?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) initial startup period or the § 63.2850(e)(2) malfunction period. Complete both plans before the... such as normal operation, nonoperating, initial startup period, malfunction period, or exempt operation... inventory. (ii) The operating status of your source such as normal operation, nonoperating, initial startup...

Estimation of Ecosystem Parameters of the Community Land Model with DREAM: Evaluation of the Potential for Upscaling Net Ecosystem Exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendricks Franssen, H. J.; Post, H.; Vrugt, J. A.; Fox, A. M.; Baatz, R.; Kumbhar, P.; Vereecken, H.

2015-12-01

Estimation of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) by land surface models is strongly affected by uncertain ecosystem parameters and initial conditions. A possible approach is the estimation of plant functional type (PFT) specific parameters for sites with measurement data like NEE and application of the parameters at other sites with the same PFT and no measurements. This upscaling strategy was evaluated in this work for sites in Germany and France. Ecosystem parameters and initial conditions were estimated with NEE-time series of one year length, or a time series of only one season. The DREAM(zs) algorithm was used for the estimation of parameters and initial conditions. DREAM(zs) is not limited to Gaussian distributions and can condition to large time series of measurement data simultaneously. DREAM(zs) was used in combination with the Community Land Model (CLM) v4.5. Parameter estimates were evaluated by model predictions at the same site for an independent verification period. In addition, the parameter estimates were evaluated at other, independent sites situated >500km away with the same PFT. The main conclusions are: i) simulations with estimated parameters reproduced better the NEE measurement data in the verification periods, including the annual NEE-sum (23% improvement), annual NEE-cycle and average diurnal NEE course (error reduction by factor 1,6); ii) estimated parameters based on seasonal NEE-data outperformed estimated parameters based on yearly data; iii) in addition, those seasonal parameters were often also significantly different from their yearly equivalents; iv) estimated parameters were significantly different if initial conditions were estimated together with the parameters. We conclude that estimated PFT-specific parameters improve land surface model predictions significantly at independent verification sites and for independent verification periods so that their potential for upscaling is demonstrated. However, simulation results also indicate that possibly the estimated parameters mask other model errors. This would imply that their application at climatic time scales would not improve model predictions. A central question is whether the integration of many different data streams (e.g., biomass, remotely sensed LAI) could solve the problems indicated here.

The green bank northern celestial cap pulsar survey. I. Survey description, data analysis, and initial results

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

Stovall, K.; Dartez, L. P.; Ford, A. J.

We describe an ongoing search for pulsars and dispersed pulses of radio emission, such as those from rotating radio transients (RRATs) and fast radio bursts, at 350 MHz using the Green Bank Telescope. With the Green Bank Ultimate Pulsar Processing Instrument, we record 100 MHz of bandwidth divided into 4096 channels every 81.92 μs. This survey will cover the entire sky visible to the Green Bank Telescope (δ > –40°, or 82% of the sky) and outside of the Galactic Plane will be sensitive enough to detect slow pulsars and low dispersion measure (<30 pc cm{sup –3}) millisecond pulsars (MSPs)more » with a 0.08 duty cycle down to 1.1 mJy. For pulsars with a spectral index of –1.6, we will be 2.5 times more sensitive than previous and ongoing surveys over much of our survey region. Here we describe the survey, the data analysis pipeline, initial discovery parameters for 62 pulsars, and timing solutions for 5 new pulsars. PSR J0214+5222 is an MSP in a long-period (512 days) orbit and has an optical counterpart identified in archival data. PSR J0636+5129 is an MSP in a very short-period (96 minutes) orbit with a very low mass companion (8 M{sub J}). PSR J0645+5158 is an isolated MSP with a timing residual RMS of 500 ns and has been added to pulsar timing array experiments. PSR J1434+7257 is an isolated, intermediate-period pulsar that has been partially recycled. PSR J1816+4510 is an eclipsing MSP in a short-period orbit (8.7 hr) and may have recently completed its spin-up phase.« less

Long-term survival in trastuzumab-treated patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer: real-world outcomes and treatment patterns in a whole-of-population Australian cohort (2001-2016).

PubMed

Daniels, Benjamin; Kiely, Belinda E; Lord, Sarah J; Houssami, Nehmat; Lu, Christine Y; Ward, Robyn L; Pearson, Sallie-Anne

2018-05-07

Patients treated with trastuzumab for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (HER2+MBC) are living longer, but there is little information on their outcomes and treatment experience beyond the median survival from clinical trials and real-world observational studies. We aim to describe the real-world treatment patterns and overall survival (OS) for women surviving five or more years from initiation of trastuzumab for HER2+MBC. This is a retrospective, whole-of-population cohort study of women initiating trastuzumab for HER2+MBC between 2001 and 2011, followed to 2016. We defined long-term survivors (LTS) as those patients surviving ≥ 5 years from trastuzumab initiation. We used dispensing claims to describe timing of cancer treatments used by LTS and to estimate time on and off HER2-targeted therapies, and OS from trastuzumab initiation for HER2+MBC. Of 4177 women initiating trastuzumab for HER2+MBC, 1082 (26%) survived ≥ 5 years. Median age for LTS was 54 years (IQR 46-63). At a median follow-up of 9.4 years, 36% of LTS died; their conditional probability of surviving an additional 5 years was 55%. Median time on trastuzumab and all HER2-targeted therapy was 58.9 months (27.6-88.1) and 69.1 months (35.6-124.5), respectively. 85% of LTS had a period off HER2 therapy, lasting a median of 30.4 months (8.2-NR). LTS generally receive HER2-targeted therapies for periods of time longer than in clinical trials, but most LTS also had breaks in treatment. More research is needed to understand the effects of long-term treatment and to identify patients who may be able to safely discontinue HER2-targeted therapy.

Impact of an electronic sepsis initiative on antibiotic use and health care facility-onset Clostridium difficile infection rates.

PubMed

Hiensch, Robert; Poeran, Jashvant; Saunders-Hao, Patricia; Adams, Victoria; Powell, Charles A; Glasser, Allison; Mazumdar, Madhu; Patel, Gopi

2017-10-01

Although integrated, electronic sepsis screening and treatment protocols are thought to improve patient outcomes, less is known about their unintended consequences. We aimed to determine if the introduction of a sepsis initiative coincided with increases in broad-spectrum antibiotic use and health care facility-onset (HCFO) Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) rates. We used interrupted time series data from a large, tertiary, urban academic medical center including all adult inpatients on 4 medicine wards (June 2011-July 2014). The main exposure was implementation of the sepsis screening program; the main outcomes were the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics (including 3 that were part of an order set designed for the sepsis initiative) and HCFO CDI rates. Segmented regression analyses compared outcomes in 3 time segments: before (11 months), during (14 months), and after (12 months) implementation of a sepsis initiative. Antibiotic use and HFCO CDI rates increased during the period of implementation and the period after implementation compared with baseline; these increases were highest in the period after implementation (level change, 50.4 days of therapy per 1,000 patient days for overall antibiotic use and 10.8 HCFO CDIs per 10,000 patient days; P < .05). Remarkably, the main drivers of overall antibiotic use were not those included in the sepsis order set. The implementation of an electronic sepsis screening and treatment protocol coincided with increased broad-spectrum antibiotic use and HCFO CDIs. Because these protocols are increasingly used, further study of their unintended consequences is warranted. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The incidence and impact of recurrent workplace injury and disease: a cohort study of WorkSafe Victoria, Australia compensation claims

PubMed Central

Ruseckaite, Rasa; Collie, Alex

2013-01-01

Objective To determine the incidence and impact of recurrent workplace injury and disease over the period 1995–2008. Design Population-based cohort study using data from the state workers’ compensation system database. Setting State of Victoria, Australia. Participants A total of 448 868 workers with an accepted workers’ compensation claim between 1 January 1995 and 31 December 2008 were included into this study. Of them, 135 349 had at least one subsequent claim accepted for a recurrent injury or disease during this period. Main outcome measures Incidence of initial and recurrent injury and disease claims and time lost from work for initial and recurrent injury and disease. Results Over the study period, 448 868 workers lodged 972 281 claims for discrete occurrences of work-related injury or disease. 53.4% of these claims were for recurrent injury or disease. On average, the rates of initial claims dropped by 5.6%, 95% CI (−5.8% to −5.7%) per annum, while the rates of recurrent injuries decreased by 4.1%, 95% CI (−4.2% to −0.4%). In total, workplace injury and disease resulted in 188 978 years of loss in full-time work, with 104 556 of them being for the recurrent injury. Conclusions Recurrent work-related injury and disease is associated with a substantial social and economic impact. There is an opportunity to reduce the social, health and economic burden of workplace injury by enacting secondary prevention programmes targeted at workers who have incurred an initial occupational injury or disease. PMID:23457329

Developmental arrest during embryonic development of the common chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon) in Spain.

PubMed

Andrews, Robin M; Díaz-Paniagua, Carmen; Marco, Adolfo; Portheault, Alexandre

2008-01-01

Embryonic development of the common chameleon, Chamaeleo chamaeleon, was monitored from oviposition to hatching at a field site in southwestern Spain and in the laboratory under five experimental temperature regimes. Embryos were diapausing gastrulae at the time of oviposition; developmental arrest in the field continued as cold torpor during winter. Postarrest development in the field commenced in April, and hatching occurred in August, for a total incubation period of 10.5 mo. In the laboratory, one group of eggs was incubated at a constant warm (26 degrees C) temperature. The remaining treatments simulated field conditions and consisted of initial periods of warm temperature of 0, 27, 46, and 71 d, a subsequent 4-mo period of cold winter (16 degrees C) temperature, and a final period of warm (26 degrees C) temperature. Embryos in the constant warm temperature treatment were in diapause an average of 3 mo, with clutch means ranging from 2 to 4 mo. Hatching among clutches occurred over 2 mo. In contrast, for field and experimental eggs that experienced cold winter conditions, hatching within treatments occurred over 2-14 d; "winter" conditions synchronized development. The length of time between the end of cold conditions and hatching did not differ among treatments; development thus resumed as soon as temperature was suitable regardless of the initial period of warm temperature. Diapause in nature thus insures that embryos remain gastrulae after oviposition despite nest temperatures that may be warm enough to support development.

Work situation and sickness absence in the initial period after breast cancer surgery.

PubMed

Petersson, Lena-Marie; Wennman-Larsen, Agneta; Nilsson, Marie; Olsson, Mariann; Alexanderson, Kristina

2011-02-01

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis in women, many of whom are of working age, and the five-year survival rate in Sweden is approaching 90%. Accordingly, aspects of working life and sickness absence are of increasing importance for breast cancer survivors and may have a long-term impact on health and quality of life of these women. The aim was to elucidate the work situation and sickness absence during the initial period after breast cancer surgery and to explore factors associated with sickness absence. This is a cross-sectional questionnaire study 4-6 weeks after breast cancer surgery of women aged 20-63 years, and living in Stockholm. A consecutive sample of 933 women were invited and 756 (81%) accepted to participate. Logistic regression analyses were computed to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios for associations between sick leave and other variables. Most women (86%) were employed (including self-employed) at diagnosis, and 91% of those worked ≥75% of full-time. At time of survey, 56% were on sick leave, the majority for full-time. Low self-rated health, poorer health than before diagnosis, having a strenuous work posture, and younger age were associated with sick leave during the initial period after breast cancer surgery in both univariate and multivariate analyses. The results of this study is not fully consistent compared to previous studies in this field, often performed in later phases after breast cancer surgery or after other cancer diagnoses. Therefore our results indicate that knowledge is needed during all phases of the breast cancer trajectory to determine factors of importance regarding sick leave and their impact throughout the disease trajectory.

Occupational correlates of smoking among urban transit operators: a prospective study.

PubMed

Cunradi, Carol B; Lipton, Rob; Banerjee, Aniruddha

2007-12-20

Workers in blue-collar and service occupations smoke at higher rates than workers in white-collar and professional occupations. Occupational stress may explain some of the occupational class differences in smoking and quitting behavior. The purpose of this study is to investigate the contribution of occupational factors to smoking behavior over a ten year period among a multiethnic cohort of urban transit operators, while accounting for demographic factors and alcohol. The sample consists of 654 San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI) transit operators who participated in two occupational health studies and biennial medical examinations during 1983-85 and 1993-95. Workers who had initiated, increased, or maintained their smoking over the ten year period were compared to workers who remained non-smokers. Occupational factors included self-rated frequency of job problems (e.g., difficulties with equipment, passengers, traffic), job burnout (i.e., the emotional exhaustion subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory), time needed to unwind after work, and years employed as a transit operator. A series of logistic regression models were developed to estimate the contribution of occupational factors to smoking behavior over time. Approximately 35% of the workers increased, initiated, or maintained their smoking over the ten-year period. Frequency of job problems was significantly associated with likelihood of smoking increase, initiation, or maintenance (OR = 1.30; 95% CI 1.09, 1.55). Black operators were significantly more likely to have smoked over the ten-year period compared to operators in other racial/ethnic groups. Understanding the role of work-related stress vis-à-vis smoking behavior is of critical importance for crafting workplace smoking prevention and cessation interventions that are applicable to blue-collar work settings, and for developing policies that mitigate occupational stress.

Musculoskeletal injuries in British Army recruits: a prospective study of diagnosis-specific incidence and rehabilitation times.

PubMed

Sharma, Jagannath; Greeves, Julie P; Byers, Mark; Bennett, Alexander N; Spears, Iain R

2015-05-04

Musculoskeletal injuries during initial military training are a significant medical problem facing military organisations globally. In order to develop an injury management programme, this study aims to quantify the incidence and rehabilitation times for injury specific diagnoses. This was a prospective follow-up study of musculoskeletal injuries in 6608 British Army recruits during a 26-week initial military training programme over a 2-year period. Incidence and rehabilitation times for injury specific diagnoses were recorded and analysed. During the study period the overall incidence of musculoskeletal injuries was 48.6%, and the most common diagnosis was iliotibial band syndrome (6.2%). A significant proportion of the injuries occurred during the first 11 weeks of the programme. The longest rehabilitation times were for stress fractures of the femur, calcaneus and tibia (116 ± 17 days, 92 ± 12 days, and 85 ± 11 days, respectively). The combination of high incidence and lengthy rehabilitation indicates that medial tibial stress syndrome had the greatest impact on training, accounting for almost 20% of all days spent in rehabilitation. When setting prevention priorities consideration should be given to both the incidence of specific injury diagnoses and their associated time to recovery.

Wind Speed during Migration Influences the Survival, Timing of Breeding, and Productivity of a Neotropical Migrant, Setophaga petechia

PubMed Central

Drake, Anna; Rock, Christine A.; Quinlan, Sam P.; Martin, Michaela; Green, David J.

2014-01-01

Over the course of the annual cycle, migratory bird populations can be impacted by environmental conditions in regions separated by thousands of kilometers. We examine how climatic conditions during discrete periods of the annual cycle influence the demography of a nearctic-neotropical migrant population of yellow warblers (Setophaga petechia), that breed in western Canada and overwinter in Mexico. We demonstrate that wind conditions during spring migration are the best predictor of apparent annual adult survival, male arrival date, female clutch initiation date and, via these timing effects, annual productivity. We find little evidence that conditions during the wintering period influence breeding phenology and apparent annual survival. Our study emphasizes the importance of climatic conditions experienced by migrants during the migratory period and indicates that geography may play a role in which period most strongly impacts migrant populations. PMID:24828427

Initial cash/asset ratio and asset prices: an experimental study.

PubMed

Caginalp, G; Porter, D; Smith, V

1998-01-20

A series of experiments, in which nine participants trade an asset over 15 periods, test the hypothesis that an initial imbalance of asset/cash will influence the trading price over an extended time. Participants know at the outset that the asset or "stock" pays a single dividend with fixed expectation value at the end of the 15th period. In experiments with a greater total value of cash at the start, the mean prices during the trading periods are higher, compared with those with greater amount of asset, with a high degree of statistical significance. The difference is most significant at the outset and gradually tapers near the end of the experiment. The results are very surprising from a rational expectations and classical game theory perspective, because the possession of a large amount of cash does not lead to a simple motivation for a trader to bid excessively on a financial instrument. The gradual erosion of the difference toward the end of trading, however, suggests that fundamental value is approached belatedly, offering some consolation to the rational expectations theory. It also suggests that there is a time scale on which an evolution toward fundamental value occurs. The experimental results are qualitatively compatible with the price dynamics predicted by a system of differential equations based on asset flow. The results have broad implications for the marketing of securities, particularly initial and secondary public offerings, government bonds, etc., where excess supply has been conjectured to suppress prices.

Initial cash/asset ratio and asset prices: An experimental study

PubMed Central

Caginalp, Gunduz; Porter, David; Smith, Vernon

1998-01-01

A series of experiments, in which nine participants trade an asset over 15 periods, test the hypothesis that an initial imbalance of asset/cash will influence the trading price over an extended time. Participants know at the outset that the asset or “stock” pays a single dividend with fixed expectation value at the end of the 15th period. In experiments with a greater total value of cash at the start, the mean prices during the trading periods are higher, compared with those with greater amount of asset, with a high degree of statistical significance. The difference is most significant at the outset and gradually tapers near the end of the experiment. The results are very surprising from a rational expectations and classical game theory perspective, because the possession of a large amount of cash does not lead to a simple motivation for a trader to bid excessively on a financial instrument. The gradual erosion of the difference toward the end of trading, however, suggests that fundamental value is approached belatedly, offering some consolation to the rational expectations theory. It also suggests that there is a time scale on which an evolution toward fundamental value occurs. The experimental results are qualitatively compatible with the price dynamics predicted by a system of differential equations based on asset flow. The results have broad implications for the marketing of securities, particularly initial and secondary public offerings, government bonds, etc., where excess supply has been conjectured to suppress prices. PMID:11038619

Lipid monitoring in patients with schizophrenia prescribed second-generation antipsychotics.

PubMed

Weissman, Ellen M; Zhu, Carolyn W; Schooler, Nina R; Goetz, Raymond R; Essock, Susan M

2006-09-01

Treatment with second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) medications has been linked with increased rates of the metabolic syndrome (i.e., dyslipidemia, obesity, and hyperglycemia). Several sets of published recommendations now provide clinicians with guidelines for monitoring metabolic parameters in individuals with schizophrenia treated with SGAs. However, few data are available regarding actual metabolic monitoring practices in this patient population. The objectives of the study were to determine baseline lipid monitoring rates for individuals with schizophrenia prescribed SGAs during the period prior to the publication of monitoring guidelines and to determine whether individuals with abnormal lipid levels received follow-up monitoring sooner than individuals with normal levels. Lipid monitoring rates for 408 individuals with schizophrenia who were prescribed SGAs from October 1999 to October 2003 were examined using administrative data from a Veterans Affairs facility. Survival analysis was used to examine time to follow-up lipid measurement and to compare time to follow-up measure for individuals with normal initial lipid levels versus those with elevated initial lipid levels. Eighty-five percent of individuals had at least 1 measurement for total cholesterol or triglycerides in a 4-year period. Abnormal initial measurements predicted significantly earlier follow-up monitoring (p < .005 for total cholesterol, p < .05 for triglycerides, p < .001 for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol). However, median time to follow-up measure was 304 days (approximately 10 months) for individuals with elevated total cholesterol levels, which is too long for optimal clinical follow-up. Program managers and clinicians should assess adequacy of monitoring and support quality improvement initiatives in this area.

Smoking patterns, depression, and sociodemographic variables among Flemish women during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

PubMed

De Wilde, Katrien S; Trommelmans, Leen C; Laevens, Hans H; Maes, Lea R; Temmerman, Marleen; Boudrez, Hedwig L

2013-01-01

Relationships among feelings of depression, smoking behavior, and educational level during pregnancy have been documented. Feelings of depression may contribute to persistent smoking during pregnancy. No longitudinal studies assessing feelings of depression in women with different antepartum and postpartum smoking patterns are available. The aim was to determine relationships between depressive symptoms, sociodemographic characteristics, and smoking pattern during and after pregnancy. An observational, prospective, noninterventional study was conducted. Data were collected during two stages of pregnancy (T0: <;16 weeks and T1: 32-34 weeks) and postpartum (T2: >6 weeks) in 523 Flemish women. Feelings of depression (measured using the Beck Depression Inventory [BDI]), smoking behavior, and sociodemographic variables were analyzed using a general linear mixed model implemented in SAS Proc MIXED. Smokers and initial smokers reported significantly more depressive symptoms at all time points compared with recent ex-smokers, nonsmokers, and initial nonsmokers (p <; .001). The three-way interaction among time point, smoking pattern, and educational level was significant (p = .02). Evolution of mean BDI over time differed by educational level. Among participants with a secondary school certificate or less, differences were observed between smokers and nonsmokers, recent ex-smokers and initial nonsmokers, and nonsmokers and initial nonsmokers. Among participants with a college or university degree, no differences were observed. A wide variety of smoking patterns were observed during pregnancy and early postpartum. Smoking patterns were associated with depression and showed complex interactions with educational level. Assessment and intervention for both smoking and depression are needed throughout the perinatal period to support the health of mothers, their infants, and families.

An Exploration Of Fuel Optimal Two-impulse Transfers To Cyclers in the Earth-Moon System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosseinisianaki, Saghar

2011-12-01

This research explores the optimum two-impulse transfers between a low Earth orbit and cycler orbits in the Earth-Moon circular restricted three-body framework, emphasizing the optimization strategy. Cyclers are those types of periodic orbits that meet both the Earth and the Moon periodically. A spacecraft on such trajectories are under the influence of both the Earth and the Moon gravitational fields. Cyclers have gained recent interest as baseline orbits for several Earth-Moon mission concepts, notably in relation to human exploration. In this thesis it is shown that a direct optimization starting from the classic lambert initial guess may not be adequate for these problems and propose a three-step optimization solver to improve the domain of convergence toward an optimal solution. The first step consists of finding feasible trajectories with a given transfer time. I employ Lambert's problem to provide initial guess to optimize the error in arrival position. This includes the analysis of the liability of Lambert's solution as an initial guess. Once a feasible trajectory is found, the velocity impulse is only a function of transfer time, departure, and arrival points' phases. The second step consists of the optimization of impulse over transfer time which results in the minimum impulse transfer for fixed end points. Finally, the third step is mapping the optimal solutions as the end points are varied.

An Exploration Of Fuel Optimal Two-impulse Transfers To Cyclers in the Earth-Moon System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosseinisianaki, Saghar

This research explores the optimum two-impulse transfers between a low Earth orbit and cycler orbits in the Earth-Moon circular restricted three-body framework, emphasizing the optimization strategy. Cyclers are those types of periodic orbits that meet both the Earth and the Moon periodically. A spacecraft on such trajectories are under the influence of both the Earth and the Moon gravitational fields. Cyclers have gained recent interest as baseline orbits for several Earth-Moon mission concepts, notably in relation to human exploration. In this thesis it is shown that a direct optimization starting from the classic lambert initial guess may not be adequate for these problems and propose a three-step optimization solver to improve the domain of convergence toward an optimal solution. The first step consists of finding feasible trajectories with a given transfer time. I employ Lambert's problem to provide initial guess to optimize the error in arrival position. This includes the analysis of the liability of Lambert's solution as an initial guess. Once a feasible trajectory is found, the velocity impulse is only a function of transfer time, departure, and arrival points' phases. The second step consists of the optimization of impulse over transfer time which results in the minimum impulse transfer for fixed end points. Finally, the third step is mapping the optimal solutions as the end points are varied.

Decadal trends in marine reserves reveal differential rates of change in direct and indirect effects

USGS Publications Warehouse

Babcock, R.C.; Shears, N.T.; Alcala, A.C.; Barrett, N.S.; Edgar, G.J.; Lafferty, K.D.; McClanahan, T.R.; Russ, G.R.

2010-01-01

Decadal-scale observations of marine reserves suggest that indirect effects on taxa that occur through cascading trophic interactions take longer to develop than direct effects on target species. Combining and analyzing a unique set of long-term time series of ecologic data in and out of fisheries closures from disparate regions, we found that the time to initial detection of direct effects on target species (+ or -SE) was 5.13 + or - 1.9 years, whereas initial detection of indirect effects on other taxa, which were often trait mediated, took significantly longer (13.1 + or - 2.0 years). Most target species showed initial direct effects, but their trajectories over time were highly variable. Many target species continued to increase, some leveled off, and others decreased. Decreases were due to natural fluctuations, fishing impacts from outside reserves, or indirect effects from target species at higher trophic levels. The average duration of stable periods for direct effects was 6.2 + or - 1.2 years, even in studies of more than 15 years. For indirect effects, stable periods averaged 9.1 + or - 1.6 years, although this was not significantly different from direct effects. Populations of directly targeted species were more stable in reserves than in fished areas, suggesting increased ecologic resilience. This is an important benefit of marine reserves with respect to their function as a tool for conservation and restoration.

Decadal trends in marine reserves reveal differential rates of change in direct and indirect effects.

PubMed

Babcock, R C; Shears, N T; Alcala, A C; Barrett, N S; Edgar, G J; Lafferty, K D; McClanahan, T R; Russ, G R

2010-10-26

Decadal-scale observations of marine reserves suggest that indirect effects on taxa that occur through cascading trophic interactions take longer to develop than direct effects on target species. Combining and analyzing a unique set of long-term time series of ecologic data in and out of fisheries closures from disparate regions, we found that the time to initial detection of direct effects on target species (±SE) was 5.13 ± 1.9 years, whereas initial detection of indirect effects on other taxa, which were often trait mediated, took significantly longer (13.1 ± 2.0 years). Most target species showed initial direct effects, but their trajectories over time were highly variable. Many target species continued to increase, some leveled off, and others decreased. Decreases were due to natural fluctuations, fishing impacts from outside reserves, or indirect effects from target species at higher trophic levels. The average duration of stable periods for direct effects was 6.2 ± 1.2 years, even in studies of more than 15 years. For indirect effects, stable periods averaged 9.1 ± 1.6 years, although this was not significantly different from direct effects. Populations of directly targeted species were more stable in reserves than in fished areas, suggesting increased ecologic resilience. This is an important benefit of marine reserves with respect to their function as a tool for conservation and restoration.

78 FR 18957 - Certain Frozen Fish Fillets From the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Initiation of Antidumping...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-28

...The Department of Commerce (``the Department'') has received a timely request for a new shipper review (``NSR'') of the antidumping duty (``AD'') order on certain frozen fish fillets (``fish fillets'') from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (``Vietnam''). The Department has determined that the request meets the statutory and regulatory requirements for initiation. The period of review (``POR'') for this NSR is August 1, 2012, through January 31, 2013.

Proceedings of the International Conference on Stiff Computation, April 12-14, 1982, Park City, Utah. Volume II.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-01-01

concepts. Fatunla (1981) proposed symmetric hybrid schemes well suited to periodic initial value problems. A generalization of this idea is proposed...one time step to another was kept below a prescribed value. Obviously this limits the truncation error only in some vague, general sense. The schemes ...STIFFLY STABLE LINEAR MULTISTEP METHODS. S.O. FATUNLA, Trinity College, Dublin: P-STABLE HYBRID SCHEMES FOR INITIAL VALUE PROBLEMS APRIL 13, 1982 G

Characterizing the Recurrence of Hydrologic Droughts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cancelliere, A.; Salas, J. D.

2002-12-01

Characterizing periods of deficit and drought has been an important aspect in planning and management of water resources systems for many decades. An extreme drought is a complex phenomenon that evolves through time and space in a random fashion. It may be characterized by its initiation, duration, severity (magnitude or intensity), spatial extent, and termination. These characteristics may be determined by comparing the water supply time series versus the corresponding water demand series in the area of consideration. Because the water supply quantities such as rainfall and streamflow are stochastic variables the ensuing drought characteristics are random and must be described in probabilistic terms. Let us consider a periodic stochastic water supply and a variable water demand series. A drought event is defined as a succession of consecutive periods (run) in which the water supply remains below the water demand. Thus, the drought length L (negative run length) is the number of consecutive time intervals (seasons) in which the water supply remains below the water demand, preceded and followed by (at least one season where) the water supply is equal or greater than the demand. Likewise, the difference between the water demand and the supply at time t is the magnitude of the deficit at time t so that the accumulated deficit D (drought magnitude) is the sum of the deficits over the drought duration L. In the study reported herein, the probability density functions (pdf) of drought length and drought magnitude and their low order moments are derived assuming that the underlying water supply series after is clipped by a constant or periodic water demand results in a periodic dependent binary series that is represented by a periodic two-state Markov chain. The derived pdfs allow estimating the occurrence probabilities of droughts of a given length where either the drought begins in a given season or regardless of the initial season. In addition, the return periods of droughts (based on length and magnitude) are determined. The applicability of the drought formulations is illustrated using several series of precipitation and streamflow in Sicily, Italy and Colorado, USA. The results obtained show an excellent agreement between the observed and theoretical results. In conclusion, the proposed methods appear to be a useful addition for drought analysis and characterization using stochastic methods.

Quality Improvement Initiatives in Sepsis in an Emerging Country: Does the Institution's Main Source of Income Influence the Results? An Analysis of 21,103 Patients.

PubMed

Machado, Flavia R; Ferreira, Elaine M; Sousa, Juliana Lubarino; Silva, Carla; Schippers, Pierre; Pereira, Adriano; Cardoso, Ilusca M; Salomão, Reinaldo; Japiassu, Andre; Akamine, Nelson; Mazza, Bruno F; Assunção, Murillo S C; Fernandes, Haggeas S; Bossa, Aline; Monteiro, Mariana B; Caixeita, Noemi; Azevedo, Luciano C P; Silva, Eliezer

2017-10-01

We aimed to assess the results of a quality improvement initiative in sepsis in an emerging setting and to analyze it according to the institutions' main source of income (public or private). Retrospective analysis of the Latin American Sepsis Institute database from 2005 to 2014. Brazilian public and private institutions. Patients with sepsis admitted in the participant institutions. The quality improvement initiative was based on a multifaceted intervention. The institutions were instructed to collect data on 6-hour bundle compliance and outcomes in patients with sepsis in all hospital settings. Outcomes and compliance was measured for eight periods of 6 months each, starting at the time of the enrollment in the intervention. The primary outcomes were hospital mortality and compliance with 6-hour bundle. We included 21,103 patients; 9,032 from public institutions and 12,071 from private institutions. Comparing the first period with the eigth period, compliance with the 6-hour bundle increased from 13.5% to 58.2% in the private institutions (p < 0.0001) and from 7.4% to 15.7% in the public institutions (p < 0.0001). Mortality rates significantly decreased throughout the program in private institutions, from 47.6% to 27.2% in the eighth period (adjusted odds ratio, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.32-0.64). However, in the public hospitals, mortality diminished significantly only in the first two periods. This quality improvement initiative in sepsis in an emerging country was associated with a reduction in mortality and with improved compliance with quality indicators. However, this reduction was sustained only in private institutions.

The initial repair response of articular cartilage after mechanically induced damage.

PubMed

van Haaften, Eline E; Ito, Keita; van Donkelaar, Corrinus C

2017-06-01

The regenerative potential of articular cartilage (AC) defects is limited and depends on defect size, biomechanical conditions, and age. Early events after overloading might be predictive for cartilage degeneration in the long term. Therefore, the present aim is to investigate the temporal response of cartilage to overloading at cell, matrix, and tissue level during the first period after mechanical overloading. In the present study, the effect of high loading (∼8 MPa) at a high rate (∼14 MPa/s) at day 0 during a 9 day period on collagen damage, gene expression, cell death, and biochemical composition in AC was investigated. A model system was developed which enabled culturing osteochondral explants after loading. Proteoglycan content was repeatedly monitored over time using μCT, whereas other evaluations required destructive measurements. Changes in matrix related gene expressions indicated a degenerative response during the first 6 h after loading. After 24 h, this was restored and data suggested an initial repair response. Cell death and microscopic damage increased after 24 h following loading. These degradative changes were not restored within the 9 day culture period, and were accompanied by a slight loss of proteoglycans at the articular surface that extended into the middle zones. The combined findings indicate that high magnitude loading of articular cartilage at a high rate induces an initial damage that later initiates a healing response that can probably not be retained due to loss of cell viability. Consequently, the matrix cannot be restored in the short term. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:1265-1273, 2017. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Modelling chaotic vibrations using NASTRAN

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheerer, T. J.

1993-01-01

Due to the unavailability and, later, prohibitive cost of the computational power required, many phenomena in nonlinear dynamic systems have in the past been addressed in terms of linear systems. Linear systems respond to periodic inputs with periodic outputs, and may be characterized in the time domain or in the frequency domain as convenient. Reduction to the frequency domain is frequently desireable to reduce the amount of computation required for solution. Nonlinear systems are only soluble in the time domain, and may exhibit a time history which is extremely sensitive to initial conditions. Such systems are termed chaotic. Dynamic buckling, aeroelasticity, fatigue analysis, control systems and electromechanical actuators are among the areas where chaotic vibrations have been observed. Direct transient analysis over a long time period presents a ready means of simulating the behavior of self-excited or externally excited nonlinear systems for a range of experimental parameters, either to characterize chaotic behavior for development of load spectra, or to define its envelope and preclude its occurrence.

Time trends in the association of ESRD incidence with area-level poverty in the US population.

PubMed

Garrity, Bridget H; Kramer, Holly; Vellanki, Kavitha; Leehey, David; Brown, Julia; Shoham, David A

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine the temporal trends of the association between area-level poverty status and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) incidence. We hypothesized that the association between area-level poverty status and ESRD incidence has increased significantly over time. Patient data from the United States Renal Data System were linked with data from the 2000 and 2010 US census. Area-level poverty was defined as living in a zip code-defined area with ≥20% of households living below the federal poverty line. Negative binomial regression models were created to examine the association between area-level poverty status and ESRD incidence by time period in the US adult population while simultaneously adjusting for the distribution of age, sex, and race/ethnicity within a zip code. Time was categorized as January 1, 1995 through December 31, 2004 (Period 1) and January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2010 (Period 2). The percentage of adults initiating dialysis with area-level poverty increased from 27.4% during Period 1 to 34.0% in Period 2. After accounting for the distribution of age, sex, and race/ethnicity within a zip code, area-level poverty status was associated with a 1.24 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22, 1.25)-fold higher ESRD incidence. However, this association differed by time period with 1.04-fold (95% CI 1.02, 1.05) higher ESRD incidence associated with poverty status for Period 2 compared with the association between ESRD and poverty status in Period 1. Area-level poverty and its association with ESRD incidence is not static over time. © 2015 International Society for Hemodialysis.

Documentation of a spreadsheet for time-series analysis and drawdown estimation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Halford, Keith J.

2006-01-01

Drawdowns during aquifer tests can be obscured by barometric pressure changes, earth tides, regional pumping, and recharge events in the water-level record. These stresses can create water-level fluctuations that should be removed from observed water levels prior to estimating drawdowns. Simple models have been developed for estimating unpumped water levels during aquifer tests that are referred to as synthetic water levels. These models sum multiple time series such as barometric pressure, tidal potential, and background water levels to simulate non-pumping water levels. The amplitude and phase of each time series are adjusted so that synthetic water levels match measured water levels during periods unaffected by an aquifer test. Differences between synthetic and measured water levels are minimized with a sum-of-squares objective function. Root-mean-square errors during fitting and prediction periods were compared multiple times at four geographically diverse sites. Prediction error equaled fitting error when fitting periods were greater than or equal to four times prediction periods. The proposed drawdown estimation approach has been implemented in a spreadsheet application. Measured time series are independent so that collection frequencies can differ and sampling times can be asynchronous. Time series can be viewed selectively and magnified easily. Fitting and prediction periods can be defined graphically or entered directly. Synthetic water levels for each observation well are created with earth tides, measured time series, moving averages of time series, and differences between measured and moving averages of time series. Selected series and fitting parameters for synthetic water levels are stored and drawdowns are estimated for prediction periods. Drawdowns can be viewed independently and adjusted visually if an anomaly skews initial drawdowns away from 0. The number of observations in a drawdown time series can be reduced by averaging across user-defined periods. Raw or reduced drawdown estimates can be copied from the spreadsheet application or written to tab-delimited ASCII files.

Experimental investigation of early-time diffusion in the quantum kicked rotor using a Bose-Einstein condensate.

PubMed

Duffy, G J; Parkins, S; Müller, T; Sadgrove, M; Leonhardt, R; Wilson, A C

2004-11-01

We report measurements of the early-time momentum diffusion for the atom-optical delta-kicked rotor. In this experiment a Bose-Einstein condensate provides a source of ultracold atoms with an ultranarrow initial momentum distribution, which is then subjected to periodic pulses (or "kicks") using an intense far-detuned optical standing wave. We characterize the effect of varying the effective Planck's constant for the system, while keeping all other parameters fixed. The observed behavior includes both quantum resonances (ballistic energy growth) and antiresonances (re-establishment of the initial state). Our experimental results are compared with theoretical predictions.

Dilution cycle control for an absorption refrigeration system

DOEpatents

Reimann, Robert C.

1984-01-01

A dilution cycle control system for an absorption refrigeration system is disclosed. The control system includes a time delay relay for sensing shutdown of the absorption refrigeration system and for generating a control signal only after expiration of a preselected time period measured from the sensed shutdown of the absorption refrigeration system, during which the absorption refrigeration system is not restarted. A dilution cycle for the absorption refrigeration system is initiated in response to generation of a control signal by the time delay relay. This control system is particularly suitable for use with an absorption refrigeration system which is frequently cycled on and off since the time delay provided by the control system prevents needless dilution of the absorption refrigeration system when the system is turned off for only a short period of time and then is turned back on.

Microcomputer Application of Aerospace Asset Surface Search Planning.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-12-14

National SAR School faculty members ran numerous school and real- world problems to test program limits and accuracy. The result -- in each case the search...0212 (Verifies legitimate date/time/group data input.) 6213 8214 procedure VerifyDT6 ( War DateTime real); 6215 3216 var Tamp, {Used as a...0543 I := 1; (initialize) 8544 8545 repeat (until I N1 a%6 I := I + 0547 8 (Find days and times of intervals in each period) 0549 IindsOverTime[l

Bianchi type string cosmological models in f(R,T) gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahoo, P. K.; Mishra, B.; Sahoo, Parbati; Pacif, S. K. J.

2016-09-01

In this work we have studied Bianchi-III and - VI 0 cosmological models with string fluid source in f( R, T) gravity (T. Harko et al., Phys. Rev. D 84, 024020 (2011)), where R is the Ricci scalar and T the trace of the stress energy-momentum tensor in the context of late time accelerating expansion of the universe as suggested by the present observations. The exact solutions of the field equations are obtained by using a time-varying deceleration parameter. The universe is anisotropic and free from initial singularity. Our model initially shows acceleration for a certain period of time and then decelerates consequently. Several dynamical and physical behaviors of the model are also discussed in detail.

Chemical Interruption of Flowering to Improve Harvested Peanut Maturity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is a botanically indeterminate plant where flowering, fruit initiation, and pod maturity occurs over an extended time period during the growing season. As a result, the maturity and size of individual peanut pods varies considerably at harvest. Immature kernels that meet...

21 CFR 113.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... steam into the closed retort and the time when the retort reaches the required processing temperature..., school, penal, or other organization) processing of food, including pet food. Persons engaged in the... flames to achieve sterilization temperatures. A holding period in a heated section may follow the initial...

41 CFR 109-27.102-52 - Implementation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... initial feasibility study for the implementation of systems contracting shall perform such a study for selected commodity groups. The study may be accomplished over a period of time, until all commodity groups have been considered. The study should address functional requirements, activity levels of commodity...

Culturing Conceptions: From First Principles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Wolff-Michael; Lee, Yew Jin; Hwang, SungWon

2008-01-01

Over the past three decades, science educators have accumulated a vast amount of information on conceptions--variously defined as beliefs, ontologies, cognitive structures, mental models, or frameworks--that generally (at least initially) have been derived from interviews about certain topics. During the same time period, cultural studies has…

Effect of continuous quality improvement analysis on the delivery of primary percutaneous revascularization for acute myocardial infarction: a community hospital experience.

PubMed

Caputo, Ronald P; Kosinski, Robert; Walford, Gary; Giambartolomei, Alex; Grant, William; Reger, Mark J; Simons, Alan; Esente, Paolo

2005-04-01

As time to reperfusion correlates with outcomes, a door-to-balloon time of 90 +/- 30 min for primary percutaneous coronary revascularization (PCI) for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction has been recently established as a guideline by the ACC/AHA. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of a continuous quality assurance program designed to expedite primary angioplasty at a community hospital. A database of all primary PCI procedures was created in 1998. Two groups of consecutive patients treated with primary PCI were studied. Group 1 represented patients in the time period between 1 June 1998 to 1 November 1998 and group 2 represented patients in the period between 1 January 2000 and 16 June 2000. Continuous quality assurance analysis was performed. Modifications to the primary angioplasty program were initiated in the latter group. Time intervals to certain treatment landmarks were compared between the groups. Significant decreases in the time intervals from emergency room registration to initial electrocardiogram (8.4 +/- 8.2 vs. 3.7 +/- 19.5 min; P < 0.001), presentation to the catheterization laboratory to arterial access (13.5 +/- 12.9 vs. 11.6 +/- 5.8 min; P < 0.001), and emergency room registration to initial angioplasty balloon inflation (132.0 +/- 69.2 vs. 112 +/- 72.0 min; P < 0.001) were achieved. For the subgroup of patients presenting with diagnostic ST elevation myocardial infarction, a large decrease in the door-to-balloon time interval between group 1 and group 2 was demonstrated (114.15 +/- 9.67 vs. 87.92 +/- 10.93 min; P = NS), resulting in compliance with ACC/AHA guidelines. Continuous quality improvement analysis can expedite care for patients treated by primary PCI in the community hospital setting. Copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

New Directions: Ozone-initiated reaction products indoors may be more harmful than ozone itself

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weschler, Charles J.

2004-10-01

Epidemiological studies have found associations between ozone concentrations measured at outdoor monitoring stations and certain adverse health outcomes. As a recent example, Gent et al. (2003, Journal of the American Medical Association 290, 1859-1867) have observed an association between ozone levels and respiratory symptoms as well as the use of maintenance medication by 271 asthmatic children living in Connecticut and the Springfield area of Massachusetts. In another example, Gilliland et al. (2001, Epidemiology 12, 43-54) detected an association between short-term increases in ozone levels and increased absences among 4th grade students from 12 southern California communities during the period from January to June 1996. Although children may spend a significant amount of time outdoors, especially during periods when ozone levels are elevated, they spend a much larger fraction of their time indoors. I hypothesize that exposure to the products of ozone-initiated indoor chemistry is more directly responsible for the health effects observed in the cited epidemiological studies than is exposure to outdoor ozone itself.

Wave dynamics in an extended macroscopic traffic flow model with periodic boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yu-Qing; Chu, Xing-Jian; Zhou, Chao-Fan; Yan, Bo-Wen; Jia, Bin; Fang, Chen-Hao

2018-06-01

Motivated by the previous traffic flow model considering the real-time traffic state, a modified macroscopic traffic flow model is established. The periodic boundary condition is applied to the car-following model. Besides, the traffic state factor R is defined in order to correct the real traffic conditions in a more reasonable way. It is a key step that we introduce the relaxation time as a density-dependent function and provide corresponding evolvement of traffic flow. Three different typical initial densities, namely the high density, the medium one and the low one, are intensively investigated. It can be found that the hysteresis loop exists in the proposed periodic-boundary system. Furthermore, the linear and nonlinear stability analyses are performed in order to test the robustness of the system.

Health care resource utilization before and after perampanel initiation among patients with epilepsy in the United States.

PubMed

Faught, Edward; Laliberté, François; Wang, Zhixiao; Barghout, Victoria; Haider, Batool; Lejeune, Dominique; Germain, Guillaume; Choi, Jiyoon; Wagh, Aneesha; Duh, Mei Sheng

2017-10-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in health care resource utilization following the initiation of perampanel for the treatment of epilepsy in the United States. Health care claims from Symphony Health's Integrated Dataverse database between December 2012 and November 2015 were analyzed. Patients newly initiated on perampanel, having ≥1 epilepsy (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification [ICD-9-CM] code 345.xx, ICD-10-CM code G40.xxx) or nonfebrile convulsion (ICD-9-CM code 780.39, ICD-10-CM code R56.9) diagnosis, and having ≥6 months of baseline and observation periods were included. Patients <12 years old at perampanel initiation were excluded. Of the 2,508 perampanel patients included in the study, the mean [median] (±standard deviation [SD]) age was 35.8 [34] (±16.0) years and 56.2% were female. The mean [median] (±SD) observation duration was 459.8 [462] (±146.3) days in the postperampanel period. The postperampanel period was associated with significantly lower rates of all health care resource utilization outcomes than the pre-period. For the post- versus pre-period, perampanel users had 42.3 versus 53.8 overall hospitalizations per 100 person-years (rate ratio [RR] = 0.80, p < 0.001) and 1,240.2 versus 1,343.8 outpatient visits per 100 person-years (RR = 0.91, p < 0.001). Epilepsy-related hospitalizations and outpatient visits were 25.2 versus 33.6 per 100 person-years (RR = 0.76, p < 0.001) and 327.0 versus 389.0 per 100 person-years (RR = 0.84, p < 0.001), respectively. Additionally, a significantly lower rate of status epilepticus in the post-period (1.8 events per 100 person-years) was observed compared to the pre-period (4.4 events per 100 person-years; RR = 0.43, p < 0.001). The monthly time trend of hospitalizations showed an increasing trend leading up to the initiation of perampanel, after which the hospitalizations decreased steadily. Use of perampanel for the treatment of epilepsy was associated with significant reduction in all-cause and epilepsy-related health care resource utilization, including hospitalizations, especially for status epilepticus, and outpatient visits. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 International League Against Epilepsy.

Complex rupture of the 13 November 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikoura, New Zealand earthquake: Comparison of high-frequency and low-frequency observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dun; Chen, Yunguo; Wang, Qi; Mori, Jim

2018-05-01

We apply a back-projection analysis to determine the locations and timing of the sources of short-period (0.5 to 2 s) energy generated by the 13 November 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikoura, New Zealand earthquake using data from Australian and Southeast Asia. The sources of strong short-period energy are distributed northeast of the epicenter at distances of 70 to 80 km during the time period of 70 to 80 s after the initiation. The locations of sources of long-period energy derived from global seismic and local GPS data are close to the northeastern edge of the source area, and complementary to the areas of short-period energy which occur in the converging region of the Upper Kowhal, Papatea, and Jordan Thrust faults. The obvious frequency dependence might be attributed to complexities in fault geometry, possible rupture in the subduction interface, or varying focal mechanisms during the earthquake.

What it takes to get proactive: An integrative multilevel model of the antecedents of personal initiative.

PubMed

Hong, Ying; Liao, Hui; Raub, Steffen; Han, Joo Hun

2016-05-01

Building upon and extending Parker, Bindl, and Strauss's (2010) theory of proactive motivation, we develop an integrated, multilevel model to examine how contextual factors shape employees' proactive motivational states and, through these proactive motivational states, influence their personal initiative behavior. Using data from a sample of hotels collected from 3 sources and over 2 time periods, we show that establishment-level initiative-enhancing human resource management (HRM) systems were positively related to departmental initiative climate, which was positively related to employee personal initiative through employee role-breadth self-efficacy. Further, department-level empowering leadership was positively related to initiative climate only when initiative-enhancing HRM systems were low. These findings offer interesting implications for research on personal initiative and for the management of employee proactivity in organizations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Experiments with metallic and ceramic porous media

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frederking, T. H. K.; Abbassi, P.; Khandhar, P. K.; Luna, Jack

1988-01-01

Work in the area of mechano-caloric phenomena was initiated during 1988 with startup in the Summer 1988 period. The ideal system utilizing He-II super-phenomena is modeled readily, within the frame of thermodynamics energetics, using the concept of an ideal superleak. The real system however uses porous media of non-ideal pore-grain ingredients. The early phase of experimental and related modeling studies is outlined for the time period from Summer 1988 to the end of 1988.

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

PubMed

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

2013-08-01

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

Put Your Imperfections behind You: Temporal Landmarks Spur Goal Initiation When They Signal New Beginnings

PubMed Central

Dai, Hengchen; Milkman, Katherine L.; Riis, Jason

2016-01-01

People often fail to muster the motivation needed to initiate goal pursuit. Across five laboratory experiments, we explore when people naturally experience enhanced motivation to take actions that facilitate goal pursuit and why certain days are more likely to spur goal initiation than others. We provide causal evidence that emphasizing a temporal landmark marking the beginning of a new time period increases people’s intentions to initiate goal pursuit. In addition, we propose and show that people’s strengthened motivation to begin pursuing their aspirations following such temporal landmarks originates in part from the psychological disassociation these landmarks induce from a person’s past, imperfect self. PMID:26546079

Attrition after Intake at a University Counseling Center: Relationship among Client Race, Problem Type, and Time on a Waiting List

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levy, Jacob J.; Thompson-Leonardelli, Kenya; Smith, Nathan Grant; Coleman, M. Nicole

2005-01-01

The present study examined the relationship between attrition after intake and the length of time that clients spent on a waiting list by client race and problem type. Participants were 1,461 clients who completed an initial intake evaluation at a large, Mid-Atlantic counseling center over a 6-year period. Fullfactorial hierarchical logistic…

Initial light curve of Q2237 + 0305

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corrigan, R. T.; Irwin, M. J.; Arnaud, J.; Fahlman, G. G.; Fletcher, J. M.

1991-01-01

This paper presents CCD photometry for the gravitationally lensed quasar system 2237 + 0305, in optical passbands from B through R, taken over a time period of more than 3 yr. These data provide new information about the probable microlensing event reported by Irwin et al. (1989); the rise time of this feature is approximately 26 days. Four additional independent brightness changes in the quasar images are detected.

GMS-based"Future Time" Rainfall Data Assimilation for Mesoscale Weather Prediction over Korean Peninsula and Future Prospects with GPM Satellite Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Eric A.; Ou, Mi-Lim

2004-01-01

This study examines the use of satellite-derived nowcasted (short-term forecasted) rainfall over 3-hour time periods to gain an equivalent time increment in initializing a nonhydrostatic mesoscale model used for predicting convective rainfall events over the Korean peninsula. Infrared (IR) window measurements from the Japanese Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS) are used to specify latent heating for a spinup period of the model - but in future time -- thus initializing in advance of actual time in the framework of a prediction scenario. The main scientific objective of the study is to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of this approach insofar as data assimilation, in which the nowcasted assimilation data are derived independently of the prognostic model itself. Although there have been various recent improvements in formulating the dynamics, thermodynamics, and microphysics of mesoscale models, as well as computer advances which allow the use of high resolution cloud-resolving grids and explicit latent heating over regional domains, spinup remains at the forefront of unresolved mesoscale modeling problems. In general, non-realistic spinup limits the skill in predicting the spatial-temporal distribution of convection and precipitation, primarily in the early hours of a. forecast, stemming from standard prognostic variables not representing the initial diabatic heating field produced by the ambient convection and cloud fields. The long-term goal of this research is to improve short-range (12-hour) quantitative precipitation forecasting (QPF) over the Korean peninsula through the use of innovative data assimilation methods based on geosynchronous satellite measurements. As a step in ths direction, a non-standard data assimilation experiment in conjunction with GMS-retrieved nowcasted rainfall information introduced to the mesoscale model is conducted. The 3-hourly precipitation forecast information is assimilated through nudging the associated diabatic heating during the early stages of a forecast period. This procedure is expected to enhance details in the moisture field during model integration, and thus improve spinup performance, assuming the errors in the future time latent heating data ate less than intrinsic model background errors.

Work Hours Assessment and Monitoring Initiative (WHAMI) under resident direction: a strategy for working within limitations.

PubMed

Goldstein, Michael J; Samstein, Benjamin; Ude, Akuo; Widmann, Warren D; Hardy, Mark A

2005-01-01

A review of surgical residents' duty-hours prompted a Work Hours Assessment and Monitoring Initiative (WHAMI) that preemptively limits residents from violating "duty-hours rules." Work hours data for the Department of Surgery were reviewed over 8-months at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia Campus. This ongoing review is performed by a work-hours monitoring team, which supervises residents' hours for the initial 5-days of each week. As residents approach work-hours limits for the week, they are dismissed from duty for appropriate time periods in the remaining 2 days of the week. The work-hours data entry compliance for 52 residents was increased from 93% to 99% after creation of the WHAMI. Before the new system, a mean of 9.5 residents per month (19%) worked an average of 7.3 +/- 6.4 hours over the 80-hour limit. Averaged monthly compliance with the 80-hour work limit was increased to 98% with introduction of the WHAMI. A review of on-call duty hours revealed a mean of 7 (14%) residents per month who worked an average of 2.4 hours beyond 24-hour call limitations including "sign-out" time imposed by the ACGME. New monitoring procedures have improved compliance to 100% with 24-hour call limitations imposed by the ACGME. Compliance with the more stringent New York State (NYS) guidelines has approached 94% with noncompliant residents extending on-call hours by an average of 1.5 hours over the 24-hour limitations, most on "off General Surgery" rotations or out-of-state rotations. Review of mandatory rest periods contributed to an increase in mean "time off" between work periods, thereby increasing compliance with ACGME guidelines and NYS regulations from 75% to 88%, and 90% to 98%, respectively. Residents reporting less than 10 hours rest reported increased "time off" from 6.2 +/- 2.0 to 7.9 +/- 1.3 hours (p < 0.001). Internal review of surgical resident's duty-hours at a large university hospital revealed that despite strict scheduling and the requirement of mandatory duty-hours entry, achieving the goals of meeting the duty-hours requirements and of ongoing data entry required the creation of a resident enforced, real-time Work Hours Assessment and Monitoring Initiative.

High current density electropolishing in the preparation of highly smooth substrate tapes for coated conductors

DOEpatents

Kreiskott, Sascha [Los Alamos, NM; Matias, Vladimir [Santa Fe, NM; Arendt, Paul N [Los Alamos, NM; Foltyn, Stephen R [Los Alamos, NM; Bronisz, Lawrence E [Los Alamos, NM

2009-03-31

A continuous process of forming a highly smooth surface on a metallic tape by passing a metallic tape having an initial roughness through an acid bath contained within a polishing section of an electropolishing unit over a pre-selected period of time, and, passing a mean surface current density of at least 0.18 amperes per square centimeter through the metallic tape during the period of time the metallic tape is in the acid bath whereby the roughness of the metallic tape is reduced. Such a highly smooth metallic tape can serve as a base substrate in subsequent formation of a superconductive coated conductor.

Stabilization effects of naringenin and caffeic acid on γ-irradiatedEPDM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaharescu, T.; Jipa, S.; Mantsch, A.; Henderson, D.

2013-03-01

The stabilization of ethylene-propylene diene rubber (EPDM) with naringenin and caffeic acid is studied. The selected concentrations were 0.25, 0.50 and 1 phr. The degradation was performed by γ-irradiation. The protective effect of these antioxidants was investigated by isothermal chemiluminescence at 170 °C and FTIR spectroscopy. The synergetic action of these compounds and metallic selenium was also revealed. The exceptional contribution provided by these phenolic stabilizers is characterized by three kinetic parameters: initial CL intensity, oxidation induction time and maximum period of degradation. The radiation stability of stabilized EPDM is efficiently depicted by induction periods which are the minimum 6times longer for unirradiated samples and 2-50 times longer for 50 kGy-irradiated specimens than pristineEPDM.

Effect of Microgravity on Mammalian Lymphocytes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banerjee, H.; Blackshear, M.; Mahaffey, K.; Knight, C.; Khan, A. A.; Delucas, L.

2004-01-01

The effect of microgravity on mammalian system is an important and interesting topic for scientific investigation, since NASA s objective is to send manned flights to planets like Mars and eventual human colonization.The Astronauts will be exposed to microgravity environment for a long duration of time during these flights.Our objective of research is to conduct in vitro studies for the effect of microgravity on mammalian immune system.We did our preliminary investigations by exposing mammalian lymphocytes to a microgravity simulator cell bioreactor designed by NASA and manufactured at Synthecon Inc (USA).Our initial results showed no significant change in cytokine expression in these cells for a time period of forty eight hours exposure.Our future experiments will involve exposure for a longer period of time.

Dynamics of quantum correlation and coherence for two atoms coupled with a bath of fluctuating massless scalar field

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

Huang, Zhiming, E-mail: 465609785@qq.com; Situ, Haozhen, E-mail: situhaozhen@gmail.com

In this article, the dynamics of quantum correlation and coherence for two atoms interacting with a bath of fluctuating massless scalar field in the Minkowski vacuum is investigated. We firstly derive the master equation that describes the system evolution with initial Bell-diagonal state. Then we discuss the system evolution for three cases of different initial states: non-zero correlation separable state, maximally entangled state and zero correlation state. For non-zero correlation initial separable state, quantum correlation and coherence can be protected from vacuum fluctuations during long time evolution when the separation between the two atoms is relatively small. For maximally entangledmore » initial state, quantum correlation and coherence overall decrease with evolution time. However, for the zero correlation initial state, quantum correlation and coherence are firstly generated and then drop with evolution time; when separation is sufficiently small, they can survive from vacuum fluctuations. For three cases, quantum correlation and coherence first undergo decline and then fluctuate to relatively stable values with the increasing distance between the two atoms. Specially, for the case of zero correlation initial state, quantum correlation and coherence occur periodically revival at fixed zero points and revival amplitude declines gradually with increasing separation of two atoms.« less

Effect of closed-loop order processing on the time to initial antimicrobial therapy.

PubMed

Panosh, Nicole; Rew, Richardd; Sharpe, Michelle

2012-08-15

The results of a study comparing the average time to initiation of i.v. antimicrobial therapy with closed-versus open-loop order entry and processing are reported. A retrospective cohort study was performed to compare order-to-administration times for initial doses of i.v. antimicrobials before and after a closed-loop order-processing system including computerized prescriber order entry (CPOE) was implemented at a large medical center. A total of 741 i.v. antimicrobial administrations to adult patients during designated five-month preimplementation and postimplementation study periods were assessed. Drug-use reports generated by the pharmacy database were used to identify order-entry times, and medication administration records were reviewed to determine times of i.v. antimicrobial administration. The mean ± S.D. order-to-administration times before and after the implementation of the CPOE system and closed-loop order processing were 3.18 ± 2.60 and 2.00 ± 1.89 hours, respectively, a reduction of 1.18 hours (p < 0.0001). Closed-loop order processing was associated with significant reductions in the average time to initiation of i.v. therapy in all patient care areas evaluated (cardiology, general medicine, and oncology). The study results suggest that CPOE-based closed-loop order processing can play an important role in achieving compliance with current practice guidelines calling for increased efforts to ensure the prompt initiation of i.v. antimicrobials for severe infections (e.g., sepsis, meningitis). Implementation of a closed-loop order-processing system resulted in a significant decrease in order-to-administration times for i.v. antimicrobial therapy.

Time/Frequency Analysis of Terrestrial Impack Crater Records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Heon-Young

2006-09-01

The terrestrial impact cratering record recently has been examined in the time domain by Chang & Moon (2005). It was found that the ˜ 26 Myr periodicity in the impact cratering rate exists over the last ˜ 250 Myrs. Such a periodicity can be found regardless of the lower limit of the diameter up to D ˜ 35 km. It immediately called pros and cons. The aim of this paper is two-fold: (1) to test if reported periodicities can be obtained with an independent method, (2) to see, as attempted earlier, if the phase is modulated. To achieve these goals we employ the time/frequency analysis and for the first time apply this method to the terrestrial impact cratering records. We have confirmed that without exceptions noticeable peaks appear around ˜ 25 Myr, corresponding to a frequency of ˜ 0.04 (Myr)^{-1}. We also find periodicities in the data base including small impact craters, which are longer. Though the time/frequency analysis allows us to observe directly phase variations, we cannot find any indications of such changes. Instead, modes display slow variations of power in time. The time/frequency analysis shows a nonstationary behavior of the modes. The power can grow from just above the noise level and then decrease back to its initial level in a time of order of 10 Myrs.

Fractional conductance oscillations in quantum rings: wave packet picture of transport in a few-electron system.

PubMed

Chwiej, T; Szafran, B

2013-04-17

We study electron transfer across a two-terminal quantum ring using a time-dependent description of the scattering process. For the considered scattering event the quantum ring is initially charged with one or two electrons, with another electron incident to the ring from the input channel. We study the electron transfer probability (T) as a function of the external magnetic field. We determine the periodicity of T for a varied number of electrons confined within the ring. For that purpose we develop a method to describe the wave packet dynamics for a few electrons participating in the scattering process, taking into full account the electron-electron correlations. We find that electron transfer across the quantum ring initially charged by a single electron acquires a distinct periodicity of half of the magnetic flux quantum (Φ0/2), corresponding to the formation of a transient two-electron state inside the ring. In the case of a three-electron scattering problem with two electrons initially occupying the ring, a period of Φ0/3 for T is formed in the limit of thin channels. The effect of disorder present in the confinement potential of the ring is also discussed.

Memory consolidation in aging and MCI after 1 week

PubMed Central

Walsh, Christine M; Wilkins, Sarah; Bettcher, Brianne Magouirk; Butler, Christopher R; Miller, Bruce L; Kramer, Joel H

2014-01-01

Objective To assess consolidation in amnestic mild cognitive (aMCI) impairment, controlling for differences in initial learning and using a protracted delay period for recall. Methods Fifteen individuals with MCI were compared to fifteen healthy older adult controls on a story learning task. Subjects were trained to criteria to equalize initial learning across subjects. Recall was tested at both the 30-minute typically used delay and a 1-week delay used to target consolidation. Results Using repeated measures ANOVAs adjusted for age, we found group × time point interactions across the entire task between the final trial and 30-minute delay, and again between the 30-minute and 1-week delay periods, with MCI having greater declines in recall as compared to controls. Significant group main effects were also found, with MCI recalling less than controls. Conclusion Consolidation was impaired in aMCI as compared to controls. Our findings indicate that MCI-related performance typically measured at 30 minutes underestimates MCI-associated memory deficits. This is the first study to isolate consolidation by controlling for initial learning differences and using a protracted delay period to target consolidation in an MCI sample. PMID:24219610

The Leader Ship Is Sinking: A Temporal Investigation of Narcissistic Leadership.

PubMed

Ong, Chin Wei; Roberts, Ross; Arthur, Calum A; Woodman, Tim; Akehurst, Sally

2016-04-01

Individuals higher in narcissism have leader emergent tendencies. The characteristics of their personality suggest, however, that their leadership qualities will decrease over time as a function of group acquaintance. We present data from two studies that provide the first empirical support for this theoretical position within a transformational leadership framework. In Study 1 (N = 112), we tested narcissistic leadership qualities in groups of unacquainted individuals over a 12-week period. In Study 2 (N = 152), we adopted the same protocol with groups of acquainted individuals. In Study 1, narcissism was positively associated with peer-rated leadership during initial group formation but not later. In Study 2, narcissism was not significantly associated with peer-rated leadership during initial group formation and was negatively associated with peer-rated leadership later. In Study 1, transformational leadership mediated the relationship between narcissism and leadership initially but not later on. In Study 2, transformational leadership failed to mediate the relationship between narcissism and leadership throughout the study. Despite enjoying a honeymoon period of leadership, the appeal and attractiveness of the narcissistic leader rapidly wane. This decline is explained in part by their changing transformational leadership qualities. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Corrosion initiation and propagation behavior of corrosion resistant concrete reinforcing materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurley, Michael F.

The life of a concrete structure exposed to deicing compounds or seawater is often limited by chloride induced corrosion of the steel reinforcement. In this study, the key material attributes that affect the corrosion initiation and propagation periods were studied. These included material composition, surface condition, ageing time, propagation behavior during active corrosion, morphology of attack, and type of corrosion products generated by each rebar material. The threshold chloride concentrations for solid 316LN stainless steel, 316L stainless steel clad over carbon steel, 2101 LDX, MMFX-2, and carbon steel rebar were investigated using electrochemical techniques in saturated calcium hydroxide solutions. Surface preparation, test method, duration of period exposed to a passivating condition prior to introduction of chloride, and presence of cladding defects all affected the threshold chloride concentration obtained. A model was implemented to predict the extension of time until corrosion initiation would be expected. 8 years was the predicted time to corrosion initiation for carbon steel. However, model results confirmed that use of 316LN may increase the time until onset of corrosion to 100 years or more. To assess the potential benefits afforded by new corrosion resistant rebar alloys from a corrosion resistance standpoint the corrosion propagation behavior and other factors that might affect the risk of corrosion-induced concrete cracking must also be considered. Radial pit growth was found to be ohmically controlled but repassivation occurred more readily at high potentials in the case of 316LN and 2101 stainless steels. The discovery of ohmically controlled propagation enabled transformation of propagation rates from simulated concrete pore solution to less conductive concrete by accounting for resistance changes in the surrounding medium. The corrosion propagation behavior as well as the morphology of attack directly affects the propensity for concrete cracking. Experimental results were used in conjunction with an existing model to predict the time until concrete cracking occurs for new rebar materials. The results suggest that corrosion resistant materials offer a significant extension to the corrosion propagation stage over carbon steel, even in very aggressive conditions because small, localized anodes develop when initiated.

Treatment of a long-acting anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning cohort with vitamin K1 during the maintenance period

PubMed Central

Long, Jianhai; Peng, Xiaobo; Luo, Yuan; Sun, Yawei; Lin, Guodong; Wang, Yongan; Qiu, Zewu

2016-01-01

Abstract Currently, there are few guidelines for the use of vitamin K1 in the maintenance treatment of long-acting anticoagulant rodenticide (LAAR) poisonings. We explored factors in the treatment of LAAR poisoning during the maintenance period in order to suggest feasible treatment models. Data from 24 cases of anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning in our hospital were collected from January 2013 to May 2016. The patients’ sex, age, coagulation function, total time from poisoning to treatment with vitamin K1 (prehospital time), vitamin K1 sustained treatment time (VKSTT), anticoagulant rodenticide category, and specific poison dosage were collected. Multivariate analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between vitamin K1 dosage and other factors during the maintenance period. Only VKSTT (partial regression coefficient −1.133, 0.59, P = 0.035) had an obvious influence on the therapeutic dose of vitamin K1 required during the maintenance period. After an initial pulse therapy, the bleeding and coagulation functions were stabilized, and the patients were subsequently treated with vitamin K1 during the maintenance period. Over time, the maintenance dose of vitamin K1 (10–120 mg/d, intravenous drip) was gradually decreased and was not related to toxicant concentration. PMID:28002326

42 CFR 410.130 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... transplantation (glomerular filtration rate [GFR] 13-50 ml/min/1.73m2). Diabetes means diabetes mellitus, a... person with symptoms of uncontrolled diabetes. Episode of care means services covered in a 12-month time period when coordinated with initial diabetes self-management training (DSMT) and one calendar year for...

Combustion of a Polymer (PMMA) Sphere in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, Jiann C.; Hamins, Anthony; Donnelly, Michelle K.

1999-01-01

A series of low gravity, aircraft-based, experiments was conducted to investigate the combustion of supported thermoplastic polymer spheres under varying ambient conditions. The three types of thermoplastic investigated were polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polypropylene (PP). and polystyrene (PS). Spheres with diameters ranging from 2 mm to 6.35 mm were tested. The total initial pressure varied from 0.05 MPa to 0. 15 MPa whereas the ambient oxygen concentration varied from 19 % to 30 % (by volume). The ignition system consisted of a pair of retractable energized coils. Two CCD cameras recorded the burning histories of the spheres. The video sequences revealed a number of dynamic events including bubbling and sputtering, as well as soot shell formation and break-up during combustion of the spheres at reduced gravity. The ejection of combusting material from the burning spheres represents a fire hazard that must be considered at reduced gravity. The ejection process was found to be sensitive to polymer type. All average burning rates were measured to increase with initial sphere diameter and oxygen concentration, whereas the initial pressure had little effect. The three thermoplastic types exhibited different burning characteristics. For the same initial conditions, the burning rate of PP was slower than PMMA, whereas the burning rate of PS was comparable to PMMA. The transient diameter of the burning thermoplastic exhibited two distinct periods: an initial period (enduring approximately half of the total burn duration) when the diameter remained approximately constant, and a final period when the square of the diameter linearly decreased with time. A simple homogeneous two-phase model was developed to understand the changing diameter of the burning sphere. Its value is based on a competition between diameter reduction due to mass loss from burning and sputtering, and diameter expansion due to the processes of swelling (density decrease with heating) and bubble growth. The model relies on empirical parameters for input, such as the burning rate and the duration of the initial and final burning periods.

A Study of Time Constraints Related to Facilities Acquisition in Support of New Weapons Systems Initial Beddowns.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-09-01

under SPO direction in one of three ways: 1) design definition paper studies, 2) hard- ware prototyping, or 3) some combination of both (17:2...initial tooling and production is accom- plished to bring the system production to the planned peak rate . The second period is concerned with follow-on...pro- duction after the peak rate is achieved (3:5-1). Sometime during this phase, program management 20 responsibility transfer (PMRT) is also

How do drug market changes affect characteristics of injecting initiation and subsequent patterns of drug use? Findings from a cohort of regular heroin and methamphetamine injectors in Melbourne, Australia.

PubMed

Horyniak, Danielle; Stoové, Mark; Degenhardt, Louisa; Aitken, Campbell; Kerr, Thomas; Dietze, Paul

2015-01-01

Changes in drug market characteristics have been shown to affect drug use patterns but few studies have examined their impacts on injecting initiation experiences and subsequent patterns of injecting drug use (IDU). We collected data on self-reported injecting initiation experiences and past-month patterns of IDU from 688 regular heroin and methamphetamine injectors in Melbourne, Australia, who initiated injecting across three different drug market periods (prior to the Australian heroin shortage ('high heroin')/immediately following the shortage ('low heroin')/'contemporary' markets (fluctuating heroin and methamphetamine availability)). We used univariable and multivariable logistic regression to examine the relationship between period of injecting initiation and first drug injected, and multinomial logistic regression for the relationship between period of injecting initiation and current injecting patterns. 425 participants (62%) reported initiating injecting in the high heroin period, 146 (21%) in the low heroin period, and 117 (17%) in the contemporary period. Participants who initiated injecting during the low heroin period were twice as likely to initiate injecting using a drug other than heroin (AOR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.27-2.95). The most common patterns of drug use among study participants in the month preceding interview were polydrug use (44%) and primary heroin use (41%). Injecting initiation period was either non-significantly or weakly associated with current drug use pattern, which was more strongly associated with other socio-demographic and drug use characteristics, particularly self-reported drug of choice. The drug market period in which injecting initiation occurred influenced the first drug injected and influenced some aspects of subsequent drug use. In the context of highly dynamic drug markets in which polydrug use is common there is a need for broad harm reduction and drug treatment services which are flexible and responsive to changing patterns of drug use. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Plain radiologic findings and chronological changes of incipient phase osteosarcoma overlooked by primary physicians.

PubMed

Song, Won Seok; Jeon, Dae-Geun; Cho, Wan Hyeong; Kong, Chang-Bae; Cho, Sang Hyun; Lee, Jung Wook; Lee, Soo-Yong

2014-06-01

We assessed the plain radiographic characteristics of 10 cases of osteosarcomas during the initial painful period that had been overlooked by a primary physician. In addition, we evaluated chronologic changes in radiographic findings from initial symptomatic period to the time of accurate diagnosis. The clinical records were reviewed for clinical parameters including age, sex, location, presenting symptoms, initial diagnosis, duration from initial symptoms to definite diagnosis, and initial and follow-up plain radiographic findings of the lesion. Initial clinical diagnoses included a sprain in 6, growing pain in 2, stress fracture in 1, and infection in 1 patient. Initial plain radiographic findings were trabecular destruction (100%), cortical disruption (60%), periosteal reaction (60%), and soft tissue mass (10%). Intramedullary matrix changes were osteosclerosis in 6 and osteolysis in 4 patients. On progression, 4 cases with minimal sclerosis changed to osteoblastic lesion in 3 patients and osteolytic lesion in 1. Four cases with faint osteolytic foci transformed into osteolytic lesion in 3 and mixed pattern in 1. Notable plain radiologic findings of incipient-stage osteosarcoma include trabecular disruption along with faint osteosclerosis or osteolysis. In symptomatic patients with trabecular destruction, additional imaging study including magnetic resonance imaging should be performed to exclude osteosarcoma in the incipient phase, even without radiologic findings suggesting malignant tumor, such as cortical destruction or periosteal reaction.

NeuroRhythmics: software for analyzing time-series measurements of saltatory movements in neuronal processes.

PubMed

Kerlin, Aaron M; Lindsley, Tara A

2008-08-15

Time-lapse imaging of living neurons both in vivo and in vitro has revealed that the growth of axons and dendrites is highly dynamic and characterized by alternating periods of extension and retraction. These growth dynamics are associated with important features of neuronal development and are differentially affected by experimental treatments, but the underlying cellular mechanisms are poorly understood. NeuroRhythmics was developed to semi-automate specific quantitative tasks involved in analysis of two-dimensional time-series images of processes that exhibit saltatory elongation. This software provides detailed information on periods of growth and nongrowth that it identifies by transitions in elongation (i.e. initiation time, average rate, duration) and information regarding the overall pattern of saltatory growth (i.e. time of pattern onset, frequency of transitions, relative time spent in a state of growth vs. nongrowth). Plots and numeric output are readily imported into other applications. The user has the option to specify criteria for identifying transitions in growth behavior, which extends the potential application of the software to neurons of different types or developmental stage and to other time-series phenomena that exhibit saltatory dynamics. NeuroRhythmics will facilitate mechanistic studies of periodic axonal and dendritic growth in neurons.

THE ROLE OF SELF-MONITORING IN THE MAINTENANCE OF WEIGHT LOSS SUCCESS

PubMed Central

Minski, Samantha A.; Perri, Michael G.

2016-01-01

Introduction Self-monitoring has been shown to be a crucial part of initial weight loss success in behavioral interventions. However, little is known about the impact of self-monitoring during the period following initial treatment. Methods The current study examined the role of self-monitoring on weight loss during an initial 6-month intervention period (Phase1) and a 12-month extended care period (Phase 2) in a group of 167 obese women (M±SD: BMI = 37.0±5.1 kg/m2, age = 59.9±6.2 years) enrolled in a behavioral weight loss program. Results Cluster analysis identified three groups of participants with low, moderate, and high rates of weight loss success during Phase 1 and Phase 2. A one-way ANOVA revealed no significant differences in self-monitoring frequency between groups during Phase 1 (p = .645), but significant differences between all three groups during Phase 2 (p = .001). High success participants completed the most self-monitoring records, followed by the moderate group. The low success group completed the least number of records. Furthermore, self-monitoring during Phase 2 significantly mediated the relationship between extended-care session attendance and percent weight change during that time (95% CI [−.004, −.001], p < .001). Conclusion These results highlight the importance of continuing self-monitoring after the initial phase of treatment to maintain lost weight. PMID:26974582

Collecting mortality data to drive real-time improvement in suicide prevention.

PubMed

Ahmedani, Brian K; Coffey, Justin; Coffey, C Edward

2013-11-01

To evaluate the use of government mortality records compared with internally collected data to drive quality improvement in suicide prevention programs using suicide mortality data from the Perfect Depression Care initiative. Perfect Depression Care (PDC) is a quality improvement suicide prevention initiative within the Behavioral Health Services (BHS) division of the Henry Ford Health System. Eligible subjects were all patients who received services from BHS, were members of the health maintenance organization, and had a medical group physician during the 11-year study period. Mortality data were collected internally and from government-collected death records, and were linked to treatment utilization data from the medical record. The mean suicide rate was 96.6 per 100,000 during the 2-year baseline period (1999- 2000) and declined to 19.1 per 100,000 during the initiative (2002-2009) using both sources of data combined. We observed a similar statistically significant (P <.001) reduction in the suicide death rate using both the internal and government data sources. There were no significant differences between the 2 sources of data in the mean suicide rates for the baseline and intervention periods (P >.05). The data sources did differ in the capture of unique suicide deaths. Internally collected data were an effective measure of suicide deaths in the PDC initiative. A combination of internal and government-collected records may be most effective for future suicide prevention programs.

Using optical masks to create and image sub-optical wavelength atomic structures in a MOT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turlapov, Andrey; Tonyushkin, Aleksey; Sleator, Tycho

2002-05-01

We have used an ``optical mask'' for Rubidium atoms in a magneto-optical trap to create and image atomic density gratings with periodicities as small as 1/8th of an optical wavelength ( ˜ 100 nm). The mask consists of a pulse of an optical standing wave (wavelength λ) resonant to an open atomic transition. The interaction pumps all atoms except those near the nodes into another hyperfine ground state, leaving a grating of ``spikes'' in atomic density in the initial ground state. The nodes of the standing wave serve as slits of the mask. By applying two such masks separated by time T, we have created atomic gratings of period λ/(2n) (or smaller) at times (n+1)/n T after the first mask pulse. For T on the order of the Talbot time (or inverse recoil frequency), quantum effects are important for the dynamics of the atomic center of mass. Under appropriate conditions, these quantum effects led to a reduction of the period of the resulting density gratings (Talbot-Lau effect). The resulting density gratings of period λ/2n (for n=1 to 4) were imaged in real time using an additional optical mask.

Background compensation for a radiation level monitor

DOEpatents

Keefe, D.J.

1975-12-01

Background compensation in a device such as a hand and foot monitor is provided by digital means using a scaler. With no radiation level test initiated, a scaler is down-counted from zero according to the background measured. With a radiation level test initiated, the scaler is up-counted from the previous down-count position according to the radiation emitted from the monitored object and an alarm is generated if, with the scaler having crossed zero in the positive going direction, a particular number is exceeded in a specific time period after initiation of the test. If the test is initiated while the scale is down-counting, the background count from the previous down- count stored in a memory is used as the initial starting point for the up-count.

A Study of Overhead Rate Behavior at a US Air Force Base in the Context of A-76 Competitions.

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-07-28

was included separately to portray time as an important independent variable. 12 Defense Reform Initiative Report (DoD 1997a), p. 29 . 13 Defense...a threshold of savings that is at least 10 percent of direct personnel costs or $10 million over the performance period. 29 OMB established this...been performing the activity prior to the competition and, 29 The length of the contract is generally considered to be the performance period. Depending

Volume nanograting formation in laser-silica interaction as a result of the 1D plasma-resonance ionization instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gildenburg, V. B.; Pavlichenko, I. A.

2016-08-01

The initial stage of the small-scale ionization-induced instability developing inside the fused silica volume exposed to the femtosecond laser pulse is studied as a possible initial cause of the self-organized nanograting formation. We have calculated the spatial spectra of the instability with the electron-hole diffusion taken into account for the first time and have found that it results in the formation of some hybrid (diffusion-wave) 1D structure with the spatial period determined as the geometrical mean of the laser wavelength and characteristic diffusion length of the process considered. Near the threshold of the instability, this period occurs to be approximately equal to the laser half-wavelength in the silica, close to the one experimentally observed.

Multicolor Photometry and Time-resolved Spectroscopy of Two sdBV Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, M. D.; O'Toole, S. J.; Telting, J. H.; Østensen, R. H.; Heber, U.; Barlow, B. N.; Reichart, D. E.; Nysewander, M. C.; LaCluyze, A. P.; Ivarsen, K. M.; Haislip, J. B.; Bean, J.

2012-03-01

Observational mode constraints have mostly been lacking for short period pulsating sdB stars, yet such identifications are vital to constrain models. Time-resolved spectroscopy and multicolor photometry have been employed with mixed results for short-period pulsating sdB stars. Time-resolved spectroscopy has successfully measured radial velocity, temperature, and gravity variations in six pulsators, yet interpreting results is far from straightforward. Multicolor photometry requires extremely high precision to discern between low-degree modes, yet has been used effectively to eliminate high-degree modes. Combining radial velocity (RV) and multicolor measurements has also been shown as an effective means of constraining mode identifications. We present preliminary results for Feige 48 and EC 01541-1409 using both time-resolved spectroscopy and multicolor photometry and an initial examination of their pulsation modes using the atmospheric codes BRUCE and KYLIE.

Timing of susceptibility to post-fire debris flows in the western USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeGraff, Jerome V.; Cannon, Susan H.; Gartner, Joseph E.

2015-01-01

Watersheds recently burned by wildfires can have an increased susceptibility to debris flow, although little is known about how long this susceptibility persists, and how it changes over time. We here use a compilation of 75 debris-flow response and fire-ignition dates, vegetation and bedrock class, rainfall regime, and initiation process from throughout the western U.S. to address these issues. The great majority (85 percent) of debris flows occurred within the first 12 months following wildfire, with 71 percent within the first six months. Seven percent of the debris flows occurred between 1 and 1.5 years after a fire, or during the second rainy season to impact an area. Within the first 1.5 years following fires, all but one of the debris flows initiated through runoff-dominated processes, and debris flows occurred in similar proportions in forested and non-forested landscapes. Geologic materials affected how long debris-flow activity persisted, and the timing of debris flows varied within different rainfall regimes. A second, later period of increased debris flow susceptibility between 2.2 and 10 years after fires is indicated by the remaining 8 percent of events, which occurred primarily in forested terrains and initiated largely through landslide processes. The short time period between fire and debris-flow response within the first 1.5 years after ignition, and the longer-term response between 2.2 and 10 years after fire, demonstrate the necessity of both rapid and long-term reactions by land managers and emergency-response agencies to mitigate hazards from debris flows from recently burned areas in the western U.S.

Fundamentals for New Leaders

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-12

in Initial Period) model is the author’s solution and a remedy for a new leader. The result of this research targets a particular audience―new...problem of being a first time leader is constant and present in all cultures. If it is a universal problem, there should be a solution on how to become

40 CFR 96.72 - Out of control periods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... quality assurance requirements of appendix B of part 75 of this chapter, data shall be substituted using...) Audit decertification. Whenever both an audit of a monitoring system and a review of the initial... certification or recertification application submission and at the time of the audit, the permitting authority...

12 CFR 575.11 - Operating restrictions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... stockholders other than its parent mutual holding company may repurchase any share of stock within one year of its date of issuance (which may include the time period the shares issued by the savings association were outstanding if the subsidiary holding company was formed after the initial issuance by the savings...

Persistence of Change: Fume Hood Campaign Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feder, Elah; Robinson, Jennifer; Wakefield, Sarah

2012-01-01

Purpose: Sustainability initiatives typically operate for a limited time period, but it is often unclear whether they have lasting effects. The purpose of this paper is to examine a laboratory fume hood campaign, in order to identify factors that might contribute or detract from long-term change persistence. Design/methodology/approach: The…

31 CFR 370.21 - Are there any requirements related to a prenotification entry?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... specified time period, we may interpret the nonresponsiveness as the financial institution's agreement to.... In our discretion, we may initiate a prenotification entry to a financial institution prior to... there might be problems with sending a subsequent debit entry. (b) Requirements placed upon financial...

Blocking in Success: Plan Ahead for Big Dividends from a New Schedule.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Sylvia L.

1996-01-01

Examines the benefits of flexible scheduling and the initial steps used in exploring this approach. Discusses the problem of loss of instructional time and the use of an independent research period as a solution. Presents results from an external assessment, ACT score data, and CTBS scores. (DDR)

40 CFR 63.11955 - What are my initial and continuous compliance requirements for other emission sources?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... times except during periods of maintenance or repair. The standard operating procedures must be... layer; and/or (iv) Floating mats. (3) Each gasholder must have established operating procedures that... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS...

40 CFR 63.11955 - What are my initial and continuous compliance requirements for other emission sources?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... times except during periods of maintenance or repair. The standard operating procedures must be... layer; and/or (iv) Floating mats. (3) Each gasholder must have established operating procedures that... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS...

40 CFR 63.11955 - What are my initial and continuous compliance requirements for other emission sources?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... times except during periods of maintenance or repair. The standard operating procedures must be... layer; and/or (iv) Floating mats. (3) Each gasholder must have established operating procedures that... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS...

7 CFR 3560.455 - Special servicing actions related to loan accounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... loan restructuring. Nothing herein precludes the Agency from initiating appropriate legal action to... than entering into a special servicing agreement as provided for in this section. Procedures for debt... a restructuring of loan terms and conditions over a period of time that does not exceed the...

7 CFR 3560.455 - Special servicing actions related to loan accounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... loan restructuring. Nothing herein precludes the Agency from initiating appropriate legal action to... than entering into a special servicing agreement as provided for in this section. Procedures for debt... a restructuring of loan terms and conditions over a period of time that does not exceed the...

7 CFR 3560.455 - Special servicing actions related to loan accounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... loan restructuring. Nothing herein precludes the Agency from initiating appropriate legal action to... than entering into a special servicing agreement as provided for in this section. Procedures for debt... a restructuring of loan terms and conditions over a period of time that does not exceed the...

Learning in Early Childhood: Experiences, Relationships and "Learning to Be"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tayler, Collette

2015-01-01

Learning in the earliest stage of life--the infancy, toddlerhood and preschool period--is relational and rapid. Child-initiated and adult-mediated conversations, playful interactions and learning through active involvement are integral to young children making sense of their environments and to their development over time. The child's experience…

40 CFR 63.1192 - What recordkeeping requirements must I meet?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... detection system alarms. Include the date and time of the alarm, when corrective actions were initiated, the... operating temperature and results of incinerator inspections. For all periods when the average temperature... microfilm, on a computer, on computer disks, on magnetic tape disks, or on microfiche. (e) Report the...

40 CFR 63.1192 - What recordkeeping requirements must I meet?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... detection system alarms. Include the date and time of the alarm, when corrective actions were initiated, the... operating temperature and results of incinerator inspections. For all periods when the average temperature... microfilm, on a computer, on computer disks, on magnetic tape disks, or on microfiche. (e) Report the...

40 CFR 63.1192 - What recordkeeping requirements must I meet?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... detection system alarms. Include the date and time of the alarm, when corrective actions were initiated, the... operating temperature and results of incinerator inspections. For all periods when the average temperature... microfilm, on a computer, on computer disks, on magnetic tape disks, or on microfiche. (e) Report the...

40 CFR 63.1192 - What recordkeeping requirements must I meet?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... detection system alarms. Include the date and time of the alarm, when corrective actions were initiated, the... operating temperature and results of incinerator inspections. For all periods when the average temperature... microfilm, on a computer, on computer disks, on magnetic tape disks, or on microfiche. (e) Report the...

40 CFR 63.1192 - What recordkeeping requirements must I meet?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... detection system alarms. Include the date and time of the alarm, when corrective actions were initiated, the... operating temperature and results of incinerator inspections. For all periods when the average temperature... microfilm, on a computer, on computer disks, on magnetic tape disks, or on microfiche. (e) Report the...

76 FR 10875 - Chlorinated Isocyanurates From the People's Republic of China: Extension of Time Limit for the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-28

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-570-898] Chlorinated Isocyanurates... Department) initiated the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on chlorinated isocyanurates (chlorinated isos) from the People's Republic of China (PRC) covering the period June 1, 2009, through May 31...

40 CFR 63.1386 - Notification, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... temperature above the molten glass in an uncontrolled cold top electric furnace, including any period when the... glass surface, the date and time of the exceedance, when corrective actions were initiated, the cause of... was corrected; (iv) Uncontrolled glass-melting furnace (that is not a cold top electric furnace...

40 CFR 63.1386 - Notification, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... temperature above the molten glass in an uncontrolled cold top electric furnace, including any period when the... glass surface, the date and time of the exceedance, when corrective actions were initiated, the cause of... was corrected; (iv) Uncontrolled glass-melting furnace (that is not a cold top electric furnace...

40 CFR 63.1386 - Notification, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... temperature above the molten glass in an uncontrolled cold top electric furnace, including any period when the... glass surface, the date and time of the exceedance, when corrective actions were initiated, the cause of... was corrected; (iv) Uncontrolled glass-melting furnace (that is not a cold top electric furnace...

40 CFR 63.1386 - Notification, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... temperature above the molten glass in an uncontrolled cold top electric furnace, including any period when the... glass surface, the date and time of the exceedance, when corrective actions were initiated, the cause of... was corrected; (iv) Uncontrolled glass-melting furnace (that is not a cold top electric furnace...

Initiating an ophthalmic laser program for VA outpatients.

PubMed

Newcomb, R D

1995-08-01

Administrative and clinical considerations for the establishment of an ophthalmic laser program at a VA Outpatient Clinic are discussed. Outcomes of the first 320 patients treated over a 3-year period of time are presented. The program is evaluated from the perspectives of patient care, safety, maintenance, education, and economics.

High School and Youth Trends. NIDA InfoFacts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), 2011

2011-01-01

Since 1975 the Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey has measured drug, alcohol, and cigarette use and related attitudes among adolescent students nationwide. Survey participants report their drug use behaviors across three time periods: lifetime, past year, and past month; for some drugs, daily use is also reported. Initially, the survey included…

A Board's Guide to Comprehensive Campaigns.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schrum, Jake B., Ed.

2000-01-01

This guide examines the scope and structure of college and university comprehensive fund-raising campaigns. It focuses on the responsibilities of boards and trustees in planning, overseeing, and actively participating in such campaigns, which are defined as institutional fund-raising initiatives which take place over a predetermined time period,…

49 CFR 10.51 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... record in a requested manner, gives a written statement of the reasons for that determination to the... determination that an appeal will be denied, the requester is informed in writing of the reasons for the... within 30 days of the date of the initial denial; exceptions to this time period are permitted for good...

TIGER reliability analysis in the DSN

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gunn, J. M.

1982-01-01

The TIGER algorithm, the inputs to the program and the output are described. TIGER is a computer program designed to simulate a system over a period of time to evaluate system reliability and availability. Results can be used in the Deep Space Network for initial spares provisioning and system evaluation.

Assessing Self-Control Training in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bloh, Christopher

2009-01-01

This study examined the use of a progressive delay procedure with and without a concurrent activity to teach self-control to children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Three participants were initially required to wait progressively longer periods of time for access to preferred edible reinforcers. After demonstrating this…

Chemical interruption of late season flowering to improve harvested peanut maturity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is a botanically indeterminate plant where flowering, fruit initiation, and pod maturity occurs over an extended time period during the growing season. As a result, the maturity and size of individual peanut pods varies considerably at harvest. Immature kernels that meet co...

The development and use of a molecular model for soybean maturity groups

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Achieving appropriate maturity in a target environment is essential to maximizing crop yield potential. In soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], the time to maturity is largely dependent on developmental response to dark periods. Once the critical photoperiod is reached, flowering is initiated and rep...

On Takens’ last problem: tangencies and time averages near heteroclinic networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labouriau, Isabel S.; Rodrigues, Alexandre A. P.

2017-05-01

We obtain a structurally stable family of smooth ordinary differential equations exhibiting heteroclinic tangencies for a dense subset of parameters. We use this to find vector fields C 2-close to an element of the family exhibiting a tangency, for which the set of solutions with historic behaviour contains an open set. This provides an affirmative answer to Takens’ last problem (Takens 2008 Nonlinearity 21 T33-6). A limited solution with historic behaviour is one for which the time averages do not converge as time goes to infinity. Takens’ problem asks for dynamical systems where historic behaviour occurs persistently for initial conditions in a set with positive Lebesgue measure. The family appears in the unfolding of a degenerate differential equation whose flow has an asymptotically stable heteroclinic cycle involving two-dimensional connections of non-trivial periodic solutions. We show that the degenerate problem also has historic behaviour, since for an open set of initial conditions starting near the cycle, the time averages approach the boundary of a polygon whose vertices depend on the centres of gravity of the periodic solutions and their Floquet multipliers. We illustrate our results with an explicit example where historic behaviour arises C 2-close of a \\mathbf{SO}(2) -equivariant vector field.

Computer-assisted dieting: effects of a randomised controlled intervention.

PubMed

Schroder, Kerstin E E

2010-06-01

In this pilot study, the effects of two computer-assisted dieting (CAD) interventions on weight loss and blood chemistry were examined among overweight and obese adults. Participants (91 community members, average age 42.6 years) were randomly assigned to CAD-only (a single-session introduction and provision of a dieting software, n = 30), CAD plus an additional four-session self-management group training (CAD+G, n = 31) and a waitlist control group whose members were randomised into the two interventions at the 3-month follow-up (n = 30). A three (group)-by-two (time) repeated measures ANOVA revealed no significant group by time interaction during the initial 3-month period. However, the two intervention groups combined showed a significant, though moderate weight loss relative to the control group. Further, although a general improvement was found with regard to the lipid panel results during the first 3 months of the trial, the treatment by time interaction was not significant. A comparison of the developments in the two intervention groups during the 3- to 6-month follow-up time period revealed a tendency towards greater weight regain in the CAD-only condition. The evidence suggests that CAD supports initial weight loss; however, additional self-management training might be necessary to support maintenance.

[Current Status and Future Perspectives of SCRUM-Japan].

PubMed

Ohtsu, Atsushi; Goto, Koichi; Yoshino, Takayuki; Okamoto, Wataru; Tsuchihara, Katsuya

2017-08-01

SCRUM-Japan was launched as a nation-wide genome screening consortium for recruiting patients to 35 sponsor-/investigator- initiated registration trials in collaboration with 15 pharmaceutical companies and 240 hospitals. During the first period between February 2015 and March 2017, a total of 4,805 patients have been enrolled. Genomic profiling of each cancer were analyzed and newdrug applications of label expansion are in preparation based on the results of several registration studies including investigator-initiated trial of vandetanib for RET fusion gene positive non-small cell lung cancer. In addition, on-time clinical-genome data sharing with industries and academic institutions and prospective cohort registry for new drug evaluation as a historical control data have already initiated, which will facilitate new agent development in Japan. In the second period started from April 2017, new studies using cutting-edge liquid biopsy and immune-genome panel for precision medi- cine will start soon. These efforts are attempted towards a leading group for innovative clinical/translations researches in the world.

Updating histological data on crown initiation and crown completion ages in southern Africans.

PubMed

Reid, Donald J; Guatelli-Steinberg, Debbie

2017-04-01

To update histological data on crown initiation and completion ages in southern Africans. To evaluate implications of these data for studies that: (a) rely on these data to time linear enamel hypoplasias (LEHs), or, (b) use these data for comparison to fossil hominins. Initiation ages were calculated on 67 histological sections from southern Africans, with sample sizes ranging from one to 11 per tooth type. Crown completion ages for southern Africans were calculated in two ways. First, actual derived initiation ages were added to crown formation times for each histological section to obtain direct information on the crown completion ages of individuals. Second, average initiation ages from this study were added to average crown formation times of southern Africans from the Reid and coworkers previous studies that were based on larger samples. For earlier-initiating tooth types (all anterior teeth and first molars), there is little difference in ages of initiation and crown completion between this and previous studies. Differences increase as a function of initiation age, such that the greatest differences between this and previous studies for both initiation and crown completion ages are for the second and third molars. This study documents variation in initiation ages, particularly for later-initiating tooth types. It upholds the use of previously published histological aging charts for LEHs on anterior teeth. However, this study finds that ages of crown initiation and completion in second and third molars for this southern African sample are earlier than previously estimated. These earlier ages reduce differences between modern humans and fossil hominins for these developmental events in second and third molars. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Changes in Rumen Microbial Community Composition during Adaption to an In Vitro System and the Impact of Different Forages

PubMed Central

Lengowski, Melanie B.; Zuber, Karin H. R.; Witzig, Maren; Möhring, Jens; Boguhn, Jeannette; Rodehutscord, Markus

2016-01-01

This study examined ruminal microbial community composition alterations during initial adaption to and following incubation in a rumen simulation system (Rusitec) using grass or corn silage as substrates. Samples were collected from fermenter liquids at 0, 2, 4, 12, 24, and 48 h and from feed residues at 0, 24, and 48 h after initiation of incubation (period 1) and on day 13 (period 2). Microbial DNA was extracted and real-time qPCR was used to quantify differences in the abundance of protozoa, methanogens, total bacteria, Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus albus, Ruminobacter amylophilus, Prevotella bryantii, Selenomonas ruminantium, and Clostridium aminophilum. We found that forage source and sampling time significantly influenced the ruminal microbial community. The gene copy numbers of most microbial species (except C. aminophilum) decreased in period 1; however, adaption continued through period 2 for several species. The addition of fresh substrate in period 2 led to increasing copy numbers of all microbial species during the first 2–4 h in the fermenter liquid except protozoa, which showed a postprandial decrease. Corn silage enhanced the growth of R. amylophilus and F. succinogenes, and grass silage enhanced R. albus, P. bryantii, and C. aminophilum. No effect of forage source was detected on total bacteria, protozoa, S. ruminantium, or methanogens or on total gas production, although grass silage enhanced methane production. This study showed that the Rusitec provides a stable system after an adaption phase that should last longer than 48 h, and that the forage source influenced several microbial species. PMID:26928330

Modeling of the static recrystallization for 7055 aluminum alloy by cellular automaton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Tao; Lu, Shi-hong; Zhang, Jia-bin; Li, Zheng-fang; Chen, Peng; Gong, Hai; Wu, Yun-xin

2017-09-01

In order to simulate the flow behavior and microstructure evolution during the pass interval period of the multi-pass deformation process, models of static recovery (SR) and static recrystallization (SRX) by the cellular automaton (CA) method for the 7055 aluminum alloy were established. Double-pass hot compression tests were conducted to acquire flow stress and microstructure variation during the pass interval period. With the basis of the material constants obtained from the compression tests, models of the SR, incubation period, nucleation rate and grain growth were fitted by least square method. A model of the grain topology and a statistical computation of the CA results were also introduced. The effects of the pass interval time, temperature, strain, strain rate and initial grain size on the microstructure variation for the SRX of the 7055 aluminum alloy were studied. The results show that a long pass interval time, large strain, high temperature and large strain rate are beneficial for finer grains during the pass interval period. The stable size of the static recrystallized grain is not concerned with the initial grain size, but mainly depends on the strain rate and temperature. The SRX plays a vital role in grain refinement, while the SR has no effect on the variation of microstructure morphology. Using flow stress and microstructure comparisons of the simulated and experimental CA results, the established CA models can accurately predict the flow stress and microstructure evolution during the pass interval period, and provide guidance for the selection of optimized parameters for the multi-pass deformation process.

Comparison of turnaround time and total cost of HIV testing before and after implementation of the 2014 CDC/APHL Laboratory Testing Algorithm for diagnosis of HIV infection.

PubMed

Chen, Derrick J; Yao, Joseph D

2017-06-01

Updated recommendations for HIV diagnostic laboratory testing published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Association of Public Health Laboratories incorporate 4th generation HIV immunoassays, which are capable of identifying HIV infection prior to seroconversion. The purpose of this study was to compare turnaround time and cost between 3rd and 4th generation HIV immunoassay-based testing algorithms for initially reactive results. The clinical microbiology laboratory database at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN was queried for 3rd generation (from November 2012 to May 2014) and 4th generation (from May 2014 to November 2015) HIV immunoassay results. All results from downstream supplemental testing were recorded. Turnaround time (defined as the time of initial sample receipt in the laboratory to the time the final supplemental test in the algorithm was resulted) and cost (based on 2016 Medicare reimbursement rates) were assessed. A total of 76,454 and 78,998 initial tests were performed during the study period using the 3rd generation and 4th generation HIV immunoassays, respectively. There were 516 (0.7%) and 581 (0.7%) total initially reactive results, respectively. Of these, 304 (58.9%) and 457 (78.7%) were positive by supplemental testing. There were 10 (0.01%) cases of acute HIV infection identified with the 4th generation algorithm. The most frequent tests performed to confirm an HIV-positive case using the 3rd generation algorithm, which were reactive initial immunoassay and positive HIV-1 Western blot, took a median time of 1.1 days to complete at a cost of $45.00. In contrast, the most frequent tests performed to confirm an HIV-positive case using the 4th generation algorithm, which included a reactive initial immunoassay and positive HIV-1/-2 antibody differentiation immunoassay for HIV-1, took a median time of 0.4 days and cost $63.25. Overall median turnaround time was 2.2 and 1.5 days, and overall median cost was $63.90 and $72.50 for 3rd and 4th generation algorithms, respectively. Both 3rd and 4th generation HIV immunoassays had similar total numbers of tests performed and positivity rates during the study period. A greater proportion of reactive 4th generation immunoassays were confirmed to be positive, and the 4th generation algorithm identified several cases of acute HIV infection that would have been missed by the 3rd generation algorithm. The 4th generation algorithm had a more rapid turnaround time but higher cost for confirmed positive HIV infections and overall, compared to the 3rd generation algorithm. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

African Easterly Waves in 30-day High-Resolution Global Simulations: A Case Study During the 2006 NAMMA Period

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shen, Bo-Wen; Tao, Wei-Kuo; Wu, Man-Li C.

2010-01-01

In this study, extended -range (30 -day) high-resolution simulations with the NASA global mesoscale model are conducted to simulate the initiation and propagation of six consecutive African easterly waves (AEWs) from late August to September 2006 and their association with hurricane formation. It is shown that the statistical characteristics of individual AEWs are realistically simulated with larger errors in the 5th and 6th AEWs. Remarkable simulations of a mean African easterly jet (AEJ) are also obtained. Nine additional 30 -day experiments suggest that although land surface processes might contribute to the predictability of the AEJ and AEWs, the initiation and detailed evolution of AEWs still depend on the accurate representation of dynamic and land surface initial conditions and their time -varying nonlinear interactions. Of interest is the potential to extend the lead time for predicting hurricane formation (e.g., a lead time of up to 22 days) as the 4th AEW is realistically simulated.

Dynamics of Fermionic Impurity in One Dimension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, Huijie; Andrei, Natan

2014-03-01

We study the dynamics of a fermionic impurity propagating in a one dimensional infinite line. The system is described by the Gaudin-Yang Model and is exactly solvable by the Nested Bethe Ansatz. Starting from a generic initial state, we obtain the time evolution of the wavefunction by the Yudson Approach in which we expand the initial state with the Nested Bethe Ansatz solutions. One situation that we are interested in is where, initially, the impurity is embedded in host fermions with a lattice configuration and one remove the periodic potential at time zero. We calculate the density profile and correlation functions at a later time. Another situation is to shoot an impurity into a cloud of fermions and calculate the probability for it to pass through. While the repulsive case has been studied already[1], we extend it to the attractive case and study the role of bound states in the evolution. We are also interested in boson impurity problem, where not only impurity interacts with host particles, all host particles interact with each other.

Near-optimality of special periodic protocols for fluid models of single server switched networks with switchover times

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matveev, A. S.; Ishchenko, R.

2017-11-01

We consider a generic deterministic time-invariant fluid model of a single server switched network, which consists of finitely many infinite size buffers (queues) and receives constant rate inflows of jobs from the outside. Any flow undergoes a multi-phase service, entering a specific buffer after every phase, and ultimately leaves the network; the route of the flow over the buffers is pre-specified, and flows may merge inside the network. They share a common source of service, which can serve at most one buffer at a time and has to switch among buffers from time to time; any switch consumes a nonzero switchover period. With respect to the long-run maximal scaled wip (work in progress) performance metric, near-optimality of periodic scheduling and service protocols is established: the deepest optimum (that is over all feasible processes in the network, irrespective of the initial state) is furnished by such a protocol up to as small error as desired. Moreover, this can be achieved with a special periodic protocol introduced in the paper. It is also shown that the exhaustive policy is optimal for any buffer whose service at the maximal rate does not cause growth of the scaled wip.

Logarithmic speed-up of relaxation in A -B annihilation with exclusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dandekar, Rahul

2018-04-01

We show that the decay of the density of active particles in the reaction A +B →0 in one dimension, with exclusion interaction, results in logarithmic corrections to the expected power law decay, when the starting initial condition (i.c.) is periodic. It is well known that the late-time density of surviving particles goes as t-1 /4 with random initial conditions, and as t-1 /2 with alternating initial conditions (A B A B A B ⋯ ). We show that the decay for periodic i.c.'s made of longer blocks (AnBnAnBn⋯ ) do not show a pure power-law decay when n is even. By means of first-passage Monte Carlo simulations, and a mapping to a q -state coarsening model which can be solved in the independent interval approximation (IIA), we show that the late-time decay of the density of surviving particles goes as t-1 /2[ln(t ) ] -1 for n even, but as t-1 /2 when n is odd. We relate this kinetic symmetry breaking in the Glauber Ising model. We also see a very slow crossover from a t-1 /2[ln(t ) ] -1 regime to eventual t-1 /2 behavior for i.c.'s made of mixtures of odd- and even-length blocks.

The Isolation of Motivational, Motoric, and Schedule Effects on Operant Performance: A Modeling Approach

PubMed Central

Brackney, Ryan J; Cheung, Timothy H. C; Neisewander, Janet L; Sanabria, Federico

2011-01-01

Dissociating motoric and motivational effects of pharmacological manipulations on operant behavior is a substantial challenge. To address this problem, we applied a response-bout analysis to data from rats trained to lever press for sucrose on variable-interval (VI) schedules of reinforcement. Motoric, motivational, and schedule factors (effort requirement, deprivation level, and schedule requirements, respectively) were manipulated. Bout analysis found that interresponse times (IRTs) were described by a mixture of two exponential distributions, one characterizing IRTs within response bouts, another characterizing intervals between bouts. Increasing effort requirement lengthened the shortest IRT (the refractory period between responses). Adding a ratio requirement increased the length and density of response bouts. Both manipulations also decreased the bout-initiation rate. In contrast, food deprivation only increased the bout-initiation rate. Changes in the distribution of IRTs over time showed that responses during extinction were also emitted in bouts, and that the decrease in response rate was primarily due to progressively longer intervals between bouts. Taken together, these results suggest that changes in the refractory period indicate motoric effects, whereas selective alterations in bout initiation rate indicate incentive-motivational effects. These findings support the use of response-bout analyses to identify the influence of pharmacological manipulations on processes underlying operant performance. PMID:21765544

Dynamical equivalence, the origin of the Galactic field stellar and binary population, and the initial radius-mass relation of embedded clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belloni, Diogo; Kroupa, Pavel; Rocha-Pinto, Helio J.; Giersz, Mirek

2018-03-01

In order to allow a better understanding of the origin of Galactic field populations, dynamical equivalence of stellar-dynamical systems has been postulated by Kroupa and Belloni et al. to allow mapping of solutions of the initial conditions of embedded clusters such that they yield, after a period of dynamical processing, the Galactic field population. Dynamically equivalent systems are defined to initially and finally have the same distribution functions of periods, mass ratios and eccentricities of binary stars. Here, we search for dynamically equivalent clusters using the MOCCA code. The simulations confirm that dynamically equivalent solutions indeed exist. The result is that the solution space is next to identical to the radius-mass relation of Marks & Kroupa, ( r_h/pc )= 0.1^{+0.07}_{-0.04} ( M_ecl/M_{⊙} )^{0.13± 0.04}. This relation is in good agreement with the oIMF. This is achieved by applying a similar procedurebserved density of molecular cloud clumps. According to the solutions, the time-scale to reach dynamical equivalence is about 0.5 Myr which is, interestingly, consistent with the lifetime of ultra-compact H II regions and the time-scale needed for gas expulsion to be active in observed very young clusters as based on their dynamical modelling.

Association between prescription cost sharing and adherence to initial combination antiretroviral therapy in commercially insured antiretroviral-naïve patients with HIV.

PubMed

Johnston, Stephen S; Juday, Timothy; Seekins, Daniel; Espindle, Derek; Chu, Bong-Chul

2012-03-01

In treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), high levels of adherence to combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) are required to prevent failure of virologic suppression, development of drug resistance, and permanent loss of therapeutic options. No published research has assessed the association between cART prescription cost sharing and adherence to cART. To analyze the association between cART prescription cost sharing and adherence to initial cART in commercially insured antiretroviral (ARV)-naïve patients with HIV. This retrospective observational cohort study used 2002-2008 data from a large U.S. claims database of more than 56 million commercially insured individuals. Study subjects were patients aged 18 years or older who initiated cART during the period January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2007, had no ARV claims during the 6-month period prior to the initiation date, and had at least 1 ICD-9-CM diagnosis code for HIV infection (042, 795.71, V08) from 12 months before to 12 months after cART initiation. A minimum 12-month period of continuous enrollment after cART initiation was used to construct a patient-quarter repeated measures panel dataset in which each quarter of data that a patient contributed represented an observation. The evaluation period extended from cART initiation until the occurrence of 1 of the following events: addition of an ARV that was not part of the initial cART regimen, 30-day gap in possession of an ARV within the initiated cART regimen, hospitalization of 30 or more days, loss to follow-up due to study end (December 31, 2008), or disenrollment. The study's outcome was quarterly adherence to cART, defined as the number of days within the quarter that a patient possessed all components of the initial cART regimen. Each patient's cART cost-sharing amount was calculated per 30-day supply of the entire cART regimen. Adherence was dichotomized for analysis at the clinically meaningful thresholds of 95% and 78%. The dichotomized adherence outcomes were separately modeled using population-averaged generalized estimating equations (GEEs) with time-varying and time-constant covariates and an exchangeable working correlation structure. Independent variables included cost-sharing amount; sequential quarter number after cART initiation; interaction between cost-sharing amount and sequential quarter number (to capture any changes in the association of cost sharing with adherence that may occur over time after initiation of cART); and patient demographic, clinical, and insurance characteristics. For each sequential quarter after cART initiation, the GEE models were used to generate average predicted probabilities of adherence reaching each threshold (95% and 78%) at cost-sharing levels of $25, $75, and $144, which represented the 25th, 75th, and 90th percentiles of the cost-sharing distribution, respectively. The study sample included 19,199 patient-quarters and 3,731 patients: mean age 41.1 years; 83.2% male; mean (SD) duration of post-index period 5.1 (4.2) quarters; mean (SD) daily cART pill count 3.2 (2.2); mean (median) cost sharing per 30-day supply of the entire cART regimen $67 ($40). In the unadjusted analyses of patient-quarters, mean adherence ranged from 97.2% for cost-sharing levels within the 0-20th percentiles (from $0 to $20 per 30-day cART supply) to 94.0% for cost-sharing levels exceeding the 80th percentile (from $84 to $3,832 per 30-day cART supply). In the adjusted analyses for the second quarter (25th percentile of follow-up duration, n = 3,117 cases still under observation) at the cost-sharing levels of $25, $75, and $144, the predicted probabilities of at least 95% adherence were 0.782, 0.770, and 0.752, respectively, and the predicted probabilities of at least 78% adherence were 0.936, 0.931, and 0.924, respectively. The differences in the predicted probabilities of adherence grew over time. By the seventh quarter (the 75th percentile of follow-up duration, n = 1,096 cases still under observation), the predicted probabilities were 0.773, 0.746, and 0.707 for 95% adherence and 0.933, 0.922, and 0.904 for 78% adherence at cost-sharing levels of $25, $75, and $144, respectively. Increasing cART prescription cost sharing was associated with modestly decreased probability of maintaining clinically meaningful levels of cART adherence.

Spatiotemporal models of global soil organic carbon stock to support land degradation assessments at regional and global scales: limitations, challenges and opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hengl, Tomislav; Heuvelink, Gerard; Sanderman, Jonathan; MacMillan, Robert

2017-04-01

There is an increasing interest in fitting and applying spatiotemporal models that can be used to assess and monitor soil organic carbon stocks (SOCS), for example, in support of the '4 pourmille' initiative aiming at soil carbon sequestration towards climate change adaptation and mitigation and UN's Land Degradation Neutrality indicators and similar degradation assessment projects at regional and global scales. The land cover mapping community has already produced several spatiotemporal data sets with global coverage and at relatively fine resolution e.g. USGS MODIS land cover annual maps for period 2000-2014; European Space Agency land cover maps at 300 m resolution for the year 2000, 2005 and 2010; Chinese GlobeLand30 dataset available for years 2000 and 2010; Columbia University's WRI GlobalForestWatch with deforestation maps at 30 m resolution for the period 2000-2016 (Hansen et al. 2013). These data sets can be used for land degradation assessment and scenario testing at global and regional scales (Wei et al 2014). Currently, however, no compatible global spatiotemporal data sets exist on status of soil quality and/or soil health (Powlson et al. 2013). This paper describes an initial effort to devise and evaluate a procedure for mapping spatio-temporal changes in SOC stocks using a complete stack of soil forming factors (climate, relief, land cover, land use, lithology and living organisms) represented mainly through remote sensing based time series of Earth images. For model building we used some 75,000 geo-referenced soil profiles and a stacks space-time covariates (land cover, land use, biomass, climate) at two standard resolutions: (1) 10 km resolution with data available for period 1920-2014 and (2) 1000 m resolution with data available for period 2000-2014. The initial results show that, although it is technically feasible to produce space time estimates of SOCS that demonstrate the procedure, the estimates are relatively uncertain (<45% of variation explained) and lead to obvious artifacts, especially in areas that have not be represented in time-dimension (temporal extrapolation). For some regions that possess somewhat adequate amounts of point data in space and time (e.g. USA) relatively credible space time estimates can be produced. By adding more training data (both legacy and newly collected points) these models can be gradually improved until they can become operational for decision making and scenario testing.

Determination of Spin Axis Orientation of Geosynchronous Objects Using Space-Based Sensors: An Initial Feasibility Investigation

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

increased rate of satellite launches over time , and on-orbit incidents such as the Breeze-M explosion in 2007 and the Iridium 33-Cosmos 2251...respect to the observer. The reason that the synodic and sidereal periods differ is that during the time it takes for the satellite to complete one...take ~2 hours to traverse the region, allowing time to collect an uninterrupted sequence of photometry on the objects despite the need for NEOSSat to

Aspects of Clock Resetting in Flowering of Xanthium 1

PubMed Central

Papenfuss, Herbert D.; Salisbury, Frank B.

1967-01-01

Flowering is induced in Xanthium strumarium by a single dark period exceeding about 8.3 hours in length (the critical night). To study the mechanism which measures this dark period, plants were placed in growth chambers for about 2 days under constant light and temperature, given a phasing dark period terminated by an intervening light period (1 min to several hrs in duration), and finally a test dark period long enough normally to induce flowering. In some experiments, light interruptions during the test dark period were given to establish the time of maximum sensitivity. If the phasing dark period was less than 5 hours long, its termination by a light flash only broadened the subsequent time of maximum sensitivity to a light flash, but the critical night was delayed. In causing the delay, the end of the intervening light period was acting like the dusk signal which initiated time measurement at the beginning of the phasing dark period. If the phasing dark period was 6 hours or longer, time of maximum sensitivity during the subsequent test dark period was shifted by as much as 10 to 14 hours. In this case the light terminating the phasing dark period acted as a rephaser or a dawn signal. Following a 7.5-hour phasing dark period, intervening light periods of 1 minute to 5 hours did not shift the subsequent time of maximum sensitivity, but with intervening light periods longer than 5 hours, termination of the light acts clearly like a dusk signal. The clock appears to be suspended during intervening light periods longer than 5 to 15 hours. It is restarted by a dusk signal. There is an anomaly with intervening light periods of 10 to 13 hours, following which time of maximum sensitivity is actually less than the usual 8 hours after dusk. Ability of the clock in Xanthium to be rephased, suspended, restarted, or delayed, depending always upon conditions of the experiment, is characteristic of an oscillating timer and may confer upon this plant its ability to respond to a single inductive cycle. It is suggested that phytochrome may influence only the phase of the clock and not other aspects of flowering such as synthesis of flowering hormone. PMID:16656693

Retrievable inferior vena cava filters can be placed and removed with a high degree of success: Initial experience.

PubMed

Cohoon, Kevin P; McBride, Joseph; Friese, Jeremy L; McPhail, Ian R

2015-10-01

Evaluate the success rate of retrievable inferior vena cava filter (IVC) removal in a tertiary care practice. Retrievable IVC filters became readily available in the United States following Food and Drug Administration approval in 2003, and their use has increased dramatically. They represent an attractive option for patients with contraindications to anticoagulation who may only need short-term protection against pulmonary embolism. All patients who had undergone placement of a retrievable IVC filter at Mayo Clinic between 2003 and 2005 were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate our initial experience with retrievable inferior vena cava filters at a large tertiary care center. During a three-year-period of time, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN placed 892 IVC filters of which 460 were retrievable. Of the 460 retrievable filters placed (249 Günther Tulip®, 207 Recovery®, and 4 OptEase®), retrieval was attempted in 223 (48.5%). Of 223 initial attempts, 196 (87.9%) were initially successful and 27 (12.1%) were unsuccessful. Of the 27 unsuccessful initial retrieval attempts, 23 (85.2%) were because of the presence of significant thrombus within the filter and 4 (14.8%) were because of tilting and strut perforation. Of the 23 filters containing significant thrombus, 9 (39.1%) were later retrieved after a period of anticoagulation and resolution of the thrombus. Retrievable IVC filters can be removed with a high degree of success. Approximately one in ten retrievable IVC filter removal attempts may fail initially, usually because of significant thrombus within the filter. This does not preclude possible removal at a later date. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Real-world effectiveness of osteoporosis therapies for fracture reduction in post-menopausal women.

PubMed

Yusuf, Akeem A; Cummings, Steven R; Watts, Nelson B; Feudjo, Maurille Tepie; Sprafka, J Michael; Zhou, Jincheng; Guo, Haifeng; Balasubramanian, Akhila; Cooper, Cyrus

2018-03-21

Studies examining real-world effectiveness of osteoporosis therapies are beset by limitations due to confounding by indication. By evaluating longitudinal changes in fracture incidence, we demonstrated that osteoporosis therapies are effective in reducing fracture risk in real-world practice settings. Osteoporosis therapies have been shown to reduce incidence of vertebral and non-vertebral fractures in placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials. However, information on the real-world effectiveness of these therapies is limited. We examined fracture risk reduction in older, post-menopausal women treated with osteoporosis therapies. Using Medicare claims, we identified 1,278,296 women age ≥ 65 years treated with zoledronic acid, oral bisphosphonates, denosumab, teriparatide, or raloxifene. Fracture incidence rates before and after treatment initiation were described to understand patients' fracture risk profile, and fracture reduction effectiveness of each therapy was evaluated as a longitudinal change in incidence rates. Fracture incidence rates increased during the period leading up to treatment initiation and were highest in the 3-month period most proximal to treatment initiation. Fracture incidence rates following treatment initiation were significantly lower than before treatment initiation. Compared with the 12-month pre-index period, there were reductions in clinical vertebral fractures for denosumab (45%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 39-51%), zoledronic acid (50%; 95% CI 47-52%), oral bisphosphonates (24%; 95% CI 22-26%), and teriparatide (72%; 95% CI 69-75%) during the subsequent 12 months. Relative to the first 3 months after initiation, clinical vertebral fractures were reduced for denosumab (51%; 95% CI 42-59%), zoledronic acid (25%; 95% CI 17-32%), oral bisphosphonates (23%; 95% CI 20-26%), and teriparatide (64%; 95% CI 58-69%) during the subsequent 12 months. In summary, reductions in fracture incidence over time were observed in cohorts of patients treated with osteoporosis therapies.

Detection of Circulating Mucorales DNA in Critically Ill Burn Patients: Preliminary Report of a Screening Strategy for Early Diagnosis and Treatment.

PubMed

Legrand, Matthieu; Gits-Muselli, Maud; Boutin, Louis; Garcia-Hermoso, Dea; Maurel, Véronique; Soussi, Sabri; Benyamina, Mourad; Ferry, Axelle; Chaussard, Maïté; Hamane, Samia; Denis, Blandine; Touratier, Sophie; Guigue, Nicolas; Fréalle, Emilie; Jeanne, Mathieu; Shaal, Jean-Vivien; Soler, Charles; Mimoun, Maurice; Chaouat, Marc; Lafaurie, Matthieu; Mebazaa, Alexandre; Bretagne, Stéphane; Alanio, Alexandre

2016-11-15

 Invasive wound mucormycosis (IWM) is associated with an extremely poor outcome among critically ill burn patients. We describe the detection of circulating Mucorales DNA (cmDNA) for the early diagnosis of IWM in those patients and report the potential value of detecting cmDNA for treatment guidance.  Severely ill burn patients admitted to our tertiary referral center between October 2013 and February 2016 were included. Retrospective plasma samples were tested for the presence of cmDNA by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Patients were then prospectively screened twice a week, and liposomal amphotericin-B therapy initiated based on a positive qPCR. The primary endpoint was the time between cmDNA detection and standard diagnosis. Secondary endpoints were the time from cmDNA detection and treatment initiation and mortality.  Seventy-seven patients (418 samples) were included. The average age was 46 (28-60) years, abbreviated burn severity index was 8 (7-10), and simplified acute physiology score was 33 (23-46). The total body surface area was 33% (22%-52%). cmDNA was detected 11 (4.5-15) days before standard diagnosis. The in-hospital mortality was 62% for patients with IWM and 24% for those without (P = .03). The mortality due to IWM was 80% during period A and 33% during period B (P = .46).  This study suggests that the detection of cmDNA allows earlier diagnosis of IWM in severely ill burn patients and earlier initiation of treatment. Further studies are needed to confirm the impact of earlier treatment initiation on patient outcome. © 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.

The effect of voice onset time differences on lexical access in Dutch.

PubMed

van Alphen, Petra M; McQueen, James M

2006-02-01

Effects on spoken-word recognition of prevoicing differences in Dutch initial voiced plosives were examined. In 2 cross-modal identity-priming experiments, participants heard prime words and nonwords beginning with voiced plosives with 12, 6, or 0 periods of prevoicing or matched items beginning with voiceless plosives and made lexical decisions to visual tokens of those items. Six-period primes had the same effect as 12-period primes. Zero-period primes had a different effect, but only when their voiceless counterparts were real words. Listeners could nevertheless discriminate the 6-period primes from the 12- and 0-period primes. Phonetic detail appears to influence lexical access only to the extent that it is useful: In Dutch, presence versus absence of prevoicing is more informative than amount of prevoicing. ((c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).

Observation and numerical simulation of a convective initiation during COHMEX

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Song, J. Aaron; Kaplan, Michael L.

1991-01-01

Under a synoptically undisturbed condition, a dual-peak convective lifecycle was observed with the COoperative Huntsville Meteorological EXperiment (COHMEX) observational network over a 24-hour period. The lifecycle included a multicell storm, which lasted about 6 hours, produced a peak rainrate exceeding 100 mm/hr, and initiated a downstream mesoscale convective system. The 24-hour accumulated rainfall of this event was the largest during the entire COHMEX. The downstream mesoscale convective system, unfortunately, was difficult to investigate quantitatively due to the lack of mesoscale observations. The dataset collected near the time of the multicell storm evolution, including its initiation, was one of the best datasets of COHMEX. In this study, the initiation of this multicell storm is chosen as the target of the numerical simulations.

A Regional Model Study of Synoptic Features Over West Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Druyan, Leonard M.; Fulakeza, Matthew; Lonergan, Patrick; Saloum, Mahaman; Hansen, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Synoptic weather features over West Africa were studied in simulations by the regional simulation model (RM) at the NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies. These pioneering simulations represent the beginning of an effort to adapt regional models for weather and climate prediction over West Africa. The RM uses a cartesian grid with 50 km horizontal resolution and fifteen vertical levels. An ensemble of four simulations was forced with lateral boundary conditions from ECMWF global analyses for the period 8-22 August 1988. The simulated mid-tropospheric circulation includes the skillful development and movement of several African wave disturbances. Wavelet analysis of mid-tropospheric winds detected a dominant periodicity of about 4 days and a secondary periodicity of 5-8 days. Spatial distributions of RM precipitation and precipitation time series were validated against daily rain gauge measurements and ISCCP satellite infrared cloud imagery. The time-space distribution of simulated precipitation was made more realistic by combining the ECMWR initial conditions with a 24-hr spin-up of the moisture field and also by damping high frequency gravity waves by dynamic initialization. Model precipitation "forecasts" over the Central Sahel were correlated with observations for about three days, but reinitializing with observed data on day 5 resulted in a dramatic improvement in the precipitation validation over the remaining 9 days. Results imply that information via the lateral boundary conditions is not always sufficient to minimize departures between simulated and actual precipitation patterns for more than several days. In addition, there was some evidence that the new initialization may increase the simulations' sensitivity to the quality of lateral boundary conditions.

A Quality Improvement Project Sustainably Decreased Time to Onset of Active Physical Therapy Intervention in Patients with Acute Lung Injury

PubMed Central

Dinglas, Victor D.; Reddy, Dereddi Raja S.; Colantuoni, Elizabeth; Zanni, Jennifer M.; Turnbull, Alison E.; Nelliot, Archana; Ciesla, Nancy; Needham, Dale M.

2014-01-01

Rationale: Rehabilitation started early during an intensive care unit (ICU) stay is associated with improved outcomes and is the basis for many quality improvement (QI) projects showing important changes in practice. However, little evidence exists regarding whether such changes are sustainable in real-world practice. Objectives: To evaluate the sustained effect of a quality improvement project on the timing of initiation of active physical therapy intervention in patients with acute lung injury (ALI). Methods: This was a pre–post evaluation using prospectively collected data involving consecutive patients with ALI admitted pre–quality improvement (October 2004–April 2007, n = 120) versus post–quality improvement (July 2009–July 2012, n = 123) from a single medical ICU. Measurements and Main Results: The primary outcome was time to first active physical therapy intervention, defined as strengthening, mobility, or cycle ergometry exercises. Among ICU survivors, more patients in the post–quality improvement versus pre–quality improvement group received physical therapy in the ICU (89% vs. 24%, P < 0.001) and were able to stand, transfer, or ambulate during physical therapy in the ICU (64% vs. 7%, P < 0.001). Among all patients in the post–quality improvement versus pre–quality improvement group, there was a shorter median (interquartile range) time to first physical therapy (4 [2, 6] vs. 11 d [6, 29], P < 0.001) and a greater median (interquartile range) proportion of ICU days with physical therapy after initiation (50% [33, 67%] vs. 18% [4, 47%], P = 0.003). In multivariable regression analysis, the post–quality improvement period was associated with shorter time to physical therapy (adjusted hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], 8.38 [4.98, 14.11], P < 0.001), with this association significant for each of the 5 years during the post–quality improvement period. The following variables were independently associated with a longer time to physical therapy: higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (0.93 [0.89, 0.97]), higher FiO2 (0.86 [0.75, 0.99] for each 10% increase), use of an opioid infusion (0.47 [0.25, 0.89]), and deep sedation (0.24 [0.12, 0.46]). Conclusions: In this single-site, pre–post analysis of patients with ALI, an early rehabilitation quality improvement project was independently associated with a substantial decrease in the time to initiation of active physical therapy intervention that was sustained over 5 years. Over the entire pre–post period, severity of illness and sedation were independently associated with a longer time to initiation of active physical therapy intervention in the ICU. PMID:25167767

78 FR 65621 - Implementation of Title I/II Program Initiatives; Extension of Public Comment Period; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-01

... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Implementation of Title I/II Program Initiatives; Extension of Public Comment Period; Correction AGENCY: Department of Education. ACTION: Correction notice. SUMMARY: On October... Title I/II Program Initiatives,'' Docket ID ED- 2013-ICCD-0090. The comment period for this information...

Recurrent spontaneous motor seizures after repeated low-dose systemic treatment with kainate: assessment of a rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy.

PubMed

Hellier, J L; Patrylo, P R; Buckmaster, P S; Dudek, F E

1998-06-01

Human temporal lobe epilepsy is associated with complex partial seizures that can produce secondarily generalized seizures and motor convulsions. In some patients with temporal lobe epilepsy, the seizures and convulsions occur following a latent period after an initial injury and may progressively increase in frequency for much of the patient's life. Available animal models of temporal lobe epilepsy are produced by acute treatments that often have high mortality rates and/or are associated with a low proportion of animals developing spontaneous chronic motor seizures. In this study, rats were given multiple low-dose intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of kainate in order to minimize the mortality rate usually associated with single high-dose injections. We tested the hypothesis that these kainate-treated rats consistently develop a chronic epileptic state (i.e. long-term occurrence of spontaneous, generalized seizures and motor convulsions) following a latent period after the initial treatment. Kainate (5 mg/kg per h, i.p.) was administered to rats every hour for several hours so that class III-V seizures were elicited for > or = 3 h, while control rats were treated similarly with saline. This treatment protocol had a relatively low mortality rate (15%). After acute treatment, rats were observed for the occurrence of motor seizures for 6-8 h/week. Nearly all of the kainate-treated rats (97%) had two or more spontaneous motor seizures months after treatment. With this observation protocol, the average latency for the first spontaneous motor seizure was 77+/-38 (+/-S.D.) days after treatment. Although variability was observed between rats, seizure frequency initially increased with time after treatment, and nearly all of the kainate-treated rats (91%) had spontaneous motor seizures until the time of euthanasia (i.e. 5-22 months after treatment). Therefore, multiple low-dose injections of kainate, which cause recurrent motor seizures for > or = 3 h, lead to the development of a chronic epileptic state that is characterized by (i) a latent period before the onset of chronic motor seizures, and (ii) a high but variable seizure frequency that initially increases with time after the first chronic seizure. This modification of the kainate-treatment protocol is efficient and relatively simple, and the properties of the chronic epileptic state appear similar to severe human temporal lobe epilepsy. Furthermore, the observation that seizure frequency initially increased as a function of time after kainate treatment supports the hypothesis that temporal lobe epilepsy can be a progressive syndrome.

Effect of Microgravity on Mammalian Lymphocytes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banerjee, H.; Blackshear, M.; Mahaffey, K.; Khan, A. A.; Delucas, L.

2004-01-01

The effect of microgravity on mammalian system is an important and interesting topic for scientific investigation, since NASA s objective is to send manned flights to planets like Mars and eventual human colonization. The Astronauts will be exposed to microgravity environment for a long duration of time during these flights. Our objective of research is to conduct in vitro studies for the effect of microgravity on mammalian immune system and nervous system. We did our preliminary investigations by exposing mammalian lymphocytes and astrocyte cells to a microgravity simulator cell bioreactor designed by NASA and manufactured at Synthecon, Inc. (USA).Our initial results showed no significant change in cytokine expression in these cells up to a time period of 120 hours exposure. Our future experiments will involve exposure for a longer period of time.

Stability of alemtuzumab solutions at room temperature.

PubMed

Goldspiel, Justin T; Goldspiel, Barry R; Grimes, George J; Yuan, Peng; Potti, Gopal

2013-03-01

The 24-hour stability of alemtuzumab solutions prepared at concentrations not included in the product label and stored in glass or polyolefin containers at room temperature was evaluated. Triplicate solutions of alemtuzumab (6.67, 40, and 120 μg/mL) in 0.9% sodium chloride were prepared in either glass bottles or polyolefin containers and stored at room temperature under normal fluorescent lighting conditions. The solutions were analyzed by a validated stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay at time zero and 8, 14, and 24 hours after preparation; solution pH values were measured and the containers visually inspected at all time points. Stability was defined as the retention of ≥90% of the initial alemtuzumab concentration. HPLC analysis indicated that the percentage of the initial alemtuzumab concentration retained was >90% for all solutions evaluated, with no significant changes over the study period. The most dilute alemtuzumab solution (6.67 μg/mL) showed some degradation (91% of the initial concentration retained at hour 24), whereas the retained concentration was >99% for all other preparations throughout the study period. Solution pH values varied by drug concentration but did not change significantly over 24 hours. No evidence of particle formation was detected in any solution by visual inspection at any time during the study. Solutions of alemtuzumab 6.67 μg/mL stored in glass bottles and solutions of 40 and 120 μg/mL stored in polyolefin containers were stable for at least 24 hours at room temperature.

Determination of rifaximin treatment period according to lactulose breath test values in nonconstipated irritable bowel syndrome subjects.

PubMed

Bae, Suhyun; Lee, Kwang Jae; Kim, Young-Sang; Kim, Kyu-Nam

2015-06-01

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) can partly explain irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and rifaximin has been observed to improve abdominal symptoms in nonconstipated IBS patients. However, there are few reports on the association of the rifaximin treatment periods with the results of a lactulose breath test (LBT). Therefore, we performed a retrospective review of patient charts to investigate the relation between the rifaximin treatment periods with LBT results in nonconstipated IBS patients. We also evaluated the time to achieve a symptomatic improvement in the IBS patients as compared to the changes in the LBT. We reviewed the charts for patients who showed IBS symptoms with documented positive results for LBT during their initial visit and who had a follow-up LBT after treatment with rifaximin. The LBT values were compared to the subjects' symptom scores. A total of 102 subjects had a follow-up LBT to assess LBT normalization. The subjects were divided into groups according to treatment periods of 4 weeks (n = 36), 8 weeks (n = 43), and 12 weeks (n = 23). The groups with a longer treatment exhibited an increase in the hydrogen gas value at 90 min and its sum during 90 min at the initial LBT. There were significant differences in hydrogen gas value at 90 min and in its sum during 90 min at the initial LBT between the groups treated for 4 and 12 weeks. The most significant treatment response was observed during the first 4 weeks for all treatment groups. Symptomatic improvement occurred earlier than LBT normalization in the treatment period over 4 weeks. The results indicate that different rifaximin treatment periods are needed in accordance with LBT levels to effectively eradicate SIBO.

Cognitive function and discontinuation of adjuvant hormonal therapy in older breast cancer survivors: CALGB 369901 (Alliance).

PubMed

Bluethmann, Shirley M; Alfano, Catherine M; Clapp, Jonathan D; Luta, George; Small, Brent J; Hurria, Arti; Cohen, Harvey J; Sugarman, Steven; B Muss, Hyman; Isaacs, Claudine; Mandelblatt, Jeanne S

2017-10-01

To investigate the effects of cognitive function on discontinuation of hormonal therapy in breast cancer survivors ages 65+ ("older"). Older breast cancer survivors with invasive, non-metastatic disease, and no reported cognitive difficulties were recruited from 78 Alliance sites between 2004 and 2011. Eligible survivors (n = 1280) completed baseline interviews; follow-up was conducted annually for up to 7 years. Survivors with estrogen-receptor-positive (ER+) cancers who initiated hormonal therapy (n = 990) were included. Self-reported cognitive function was measured using the EORTC-QLQ30 scale; a difference of eight points on the 0-100 scale was considered clinically significant. Based on varying rates of discontinuation over time, discontinuation was evaluated separately for three time periods: early (<1 year); midpoint (1-3 years); and late discontinuation (>3-5 years). Cox models for each time period were used to evaluate the effects of cognition immediately preceding discontinuation, controlling for age, chemotherapy, and other covariates. Survivors were 65-91 years old (mean 72.6 years), and 79% had stages 1 or 2A disease. Overall, 43% discontinued hormonal therapy before 5 years. Survivors who reported lower cognitive function in the period before discontinuation had greater hazards of discontinuing therapy at the treatment midpoint (HR 1.22 per 8-point difference, CI 1.09-1.40, p < 0.001), considering covariates, but cognition was not related to discontinuation in the other periods. Self-reported cognitive problems were a significant risk factor for discontinuation of hormonal therapy 1-3 years post-initiation. Additional research is needed on the temporality of cognitive effects and hormonal therapy to support survivorship care needs of older survivors.

High-resolution simulation of deep pencil beam surveys - analysis of quasi-periodicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, A. G.; Buchert, T.

1993-07-01

We carry out pencil beam constructions in a high-resolution simulation of the large-scale structure of galaxies. The initial density fluctuations are taken to have a truncated power spectrum. All the models have {OMEGA} = 1. As an example we present the results for the case of "Hot-Dark-Matter" (HDM) initial conditions with scale-free n = 1 power index on large scales as a representative of models with sufficient large-scale power. We use an analytic approximation for particle trajectories of a self-gravitating dust continuum and apply a local dynamical biasing of volume elements to identify luminous matter in the model. Using this method, we are able to resolve formally a simulation box of 1200h^-1^ Mpc (e.g. for HDM initial conditions) down to the scale of galactic halos using 2160^3^ particles. We consider this as the minimal resolution necessary for a sensible simulation of deep pencil beam data. Pencil beam probes are taken for a given epoch using the parameters of observed beams. In particular, our analysis concentrates on the detection of a quasi-periodicity in the beam probes using several different methods. The resulting beam ensembles are analyzed statistically using number distributions, pair-count histograms, unnormalized pair-counts, power spectrum analysis and trial-period folding. Periodicities are classified according to their significance level in the power spectrum of the beams. The simulation is designed for application to parameter studies which prepare future observational projects. We find that a large percentage of the beams show quasi- periodicities with periods which cluster at a certain length scale. The periods found range between one and eight times the cutoff length in the initial fluctuation spectrum. At significance levels similar to those of the data of Broadhurst et al. (1990), we find about 15% of the pencil beams to show periodicities, about 30% of which are around the mean separation of rich clusters, while the distribution of scales reaches values of more than 200h^-1^ Mpc. The detection of periodicities larger than the typical void size must not be due to missing of "walls" (like the so called "Great Wall" seen in the CfA catalogue of galaxies), but can be due to different clustering properties of galaxies along the beams.

ETARA PC version 3.3 user's guide: Reliability, availability, maintainability simulation model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffman, David J.; Viterna, Larry A.

1991-01-01

A user's manual describing an interactive, menu-driven, personal computer based Monte Carlo reliability, availability, and maintainability simulation program called event time availability reliability (ETARA) is discussed. Given a reliability block diagram representation of a system, ETARA simulates the behavior of the system over a specified period of time using Monte Carlo methods to generate block failure and repair intervals as a function of exponential and/or Weibull distributions. Availability parameters such as equivalent availability, state availability (percentage of time as a particular output state capability), continuous state duration and number of state occurrences can be calculated. Initial spares allotment and spares replenishment on a resupply cycle can be simulated. The number of block failures are tabulated both individually and by block type, as well as total downtime, repair time, and time waiting for spares. Also, maintenance man-hours per year and system reliability, with or without repair, at or above a particular output capability can be calculated over a cumulative period of time or at specific points in time.

Quantum resonant activation.

PubMed

Magazzù, Luca; Hänggi, Peter; Spagnolo, Bernardo; Valenti, Davide

2017-04-01

Quantum resonant activation is investigated for the archetype setup of an externally driven two-state (spin-boson) system subjected to strong dissipation by means of both analytical and extensive numerical calculations. The phenomenon of resonant activation emerges in the presence of either randomly fluctuating or deterministic periodically varying driving fields. Addressing the incoherent regime, a characteristic minimum emerges in the mean first passage time to reach an absorbing neighboring state whenever the intrinsic time scale of the modulation matches the characteristic time scale of the system dynamics. For the case of deterministic periodic driving, the first passage time probability density function (pdf) displays a complex, multipeaked behavior, which depends crucially on the details of initial phase, frequency, and strength of the driving. As an interesting feature we find that the mean first passage time enters the resonant activation regime at a critical frequency ν^{*} which depends very weakly on the strength of the driving. Moreover, we provide the relation between the first passage time pdf and the statistics of residence times.

(abstract) Short Time Period Variations in Jupiter's Synchrotron Radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bolton, S. J.; Klein, M. J.; Gulkis, S.; Foster, R.; Heiles, C.; Pater, I. de

1994-01-01

The long term time variability of Jupiter's synchrotron radiation on yearly time scales has been established for some time. For many years, theorists have speculated about the effects variations in the solar wind, solar flux, Io, the Io torus, and Jupiter's magnetic field have on the ultra-relativistic electron population responsible for the emission. Early observational results suggested the additional possibility of a short term time variability, on timescales of days to weeks. In 1989 a program designed to investigate the existence of short term time variability using the 85 foot Hat Creek radio telescope operating at 1400 MHz was initiated. The availability of a dedicated telescope provided the opportunity, for the first time, to obtain numerous observations over the full Jupiter rotation period. These and future observations will enable two important studies, characterization and confirmation of possible short term variations, and the investigation of the stability of Jupiter's synchrotron emission beaming curve. Analysis of Hat Creek observations and early results from the Maryland Point Naval research Laboratory will be presented.

Quantum resonant activation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magazzó, Luca; Hänggi, Peter; Spagnolo, Bernardo; Valenti, Davide

2017-04-01

Quantum resonant activation is investigated for the archetype setup of an externally driven two-state (spin-boson) system subjected to strong dissipation by means of both analytical and extensive numerical calculations. The phenomenon of resonant activation emerges in the presence of either randomly fluctuating or deterministic periodically varying driving fields. Addressing the incoherent regime, a characteristic minimum emerges in the mean first passage time to reach an absorbing neighboring state whenever the intrinsic time scale of the modulation matches the characteristic time scale of the system dynamics. For the case of deterministic periodic driving, the first passage time probability density function (pdf) displays a complex, multipeaked behavior, which depends crucially on the details of initial phase, frequency, and strength of the driving. As an interesting feature we find that the mean first passage time enters the resonant activation regime at a critical frequency ν* which depends very weakly on the strength of the driving. Moreover, we provide the relation between the first passage time pdf and the statistics of residence times.

Evaluating the primary-to-specialist referral system for elective hip and knee arthroplasty.

PubMed

Fyie, Ken; Frank, Cy; Noseworthy, Tom; Christiansen, Tanya; Marshall, Deborah A

2014-02-01

Persistently long waiting times for hip and knee total joint arthroplasty (TJA) specialist consultations have been identified as a problem. This study described referral processes and practices, and their impact on the waiting time from referral to consultation for TJA. A mixed-methods retrospective study incorporating semi-structured interviews, patient chart reviews and observational studies was conducted at three clinic sites in Alberta, Canada. A total of 218 charts were selected for analysis. Standardized definitions were applied to key event dates. Performance measures included waiting times percentage of referrals initially accepted. Voluntary (patient-related) and involuntary (health system-related) waiting times were quantified. All three clinics had defined, but differing, referral processing rules. The mean time from referral to consultation ranged from 51 to 139 business days. Choosing a specific surgeon for consultation rather than a next available surgeon lengthened waits by 10-47 business days. Involuntary waiting times accounted for at least 11% of total waiting time. Approximately 40-80% of the time patients with TJA wait for surgery was in the consultation period. Fifty-four per cent of new referrals were initially rejected, prolonging patient waits by 8-46 business days. Our results suggest that variation in referral processing led to increased waiting times for patients. The large proportion of total wait attributable to waiting for a surgical consultation makes failure to measure and evaluate this period a significant omission. Improving referral processes and decreasing variation between clinics would improve patient access to these specialist referrals in Alberta. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cognitive effects of rhythmic auditory stimulation in Parkinson's disease: A P300 study.

PubMed

Lei, Juan; Conradi, Nadine; Abel, Cornelius; Frisch, Stefan; Brodski-Guerniero, Alla; Hildner, Marcel; Kell, Christian A; Kaiser, Jochen; Schmidt-Kassow, Maren

2018-05-16

Rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) may compensate dysfunctions of the basal ganglia (BG), involved with intrinsic evaluation of temporal intervals and action initiation or continuation. In the cognitive domain, RAS containing periodically presented tones facilitates young healthy participants' attention allocation to anticipated time points, indicated by better performance and larger P300 amplitudes to periodic compared to random stimuli. Additionally, active auditory-motor synchronization (AMS) leads to a more precise temporal encoding of stimuli via embodied timing encoding than stimulus presentation adapted to the participants' actual movements. Here we investigated the effect of RAS and AMS in Parkinson's disease (PD). 23 PD patients and 23 healthy age-matched controls underwent an auditory oddball task. We manipulated the timing (periodic/random/adaptive) and setting (pedaling/sitting still) of stimulation. While patients elicited a general timing effect, i.e., larger P300 amplitudes for periodic versus random tones for both, sitting and pedaling conditions, controls showed a timing effect only for the sitting but not for the pedaling condition. However, a correlation between P300 amplitudes and motor variability in the periodic pedaling condition was obtained in control participants only. We conclude that RAS facilitates attentional processing of temporally predictable external events in PD patients as well as healthy controls, but embodied timing encoding via body movement does not affect stimulus processing due to BG impairment in patients. Moreover, even with intact embodied timing encoding, such as healthy elderly, the effect of AMS depends on the degree of movement synchronization performance, which is very low in the current study. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of starvation on the larval development of Hyas araneus (Decapoda, Majidae)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anger, K.; Dawirs, R. R.

1981-09-01

The influence of starvation on larval development of the spider crab Hyas araneus (L.) was studied in laboratory experiments. No larval stage suffering from continual lack of food had sufficient energy reserves to reach the next instar. Maximal survival times were observed at four different constant temperatures (2°, 6°, 12° and 18 °C). In general, starvation resistance decreased as temperatures increased: from 72 to 12days in the zoea-1, from 48 to 18 days in the zoea-2, and from 48 to 15 days in the megalopa stage. The length of maximal survival is of the same order of magnitude as the duration of each instar at a given temperature. “Sublethal limits” of early starvation periods were investigated at 12 °C: Zoea larvae must feed right from the beginning of their stage (at high food concentration) and for more than one fifth, approximately, of that stage to have at least some chance of surviving to the next instar, independent of further prey availability. The minimum time in which enough reserves are accumulated for successfully completing the instar without food is called “point-of-reserve-saturation” (PRS). If only this minimum period of essential initial feeding precedes starvation, development in both zoeal stages is delayed and mortality is greater, when compared to the fed control. Starvation periods beginning right after hatching of the first zoea cause a prolongation of this instar and, surprisingly, a slight shortening of the second stage. The delay in the zoea-1 increases proportionally to the length of the initial fasting period. If more than approximately 70 % of the maximum possible survival time has elapsed without food supply, the larvae become unable to recover and to moult to the second stage even when re-fed (“point-of-no-return”, PNR). The conclusion, based on own observations and on literature data, is that initial feeding is of paramount importance in the early development of planktotrophic decapod larvae. Taking into account hormonal and other developmental processes during the first moult cycle, a general hypothesis is proposed to explain the key role of first food uptake as well as the response pattern of the zoea-1 stage to differential starvation periods.

Cardiac EASE (Ensuring Access and Speedy Evaluation) – the impact of a single-point-of-entry multidisciplinary outpatient cardiology consultation program on wait times in Canada

PubMed Central

Bungard, Tammy J; Smigorowsky, Marcie J; Lalonde, Lucille D; Hogan, Terry; Doliszny, Katharine M; Gebreyesus, Ghirmay; Garg, Sipi; Archer, Stephen L

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Universal access to health care is valued in Canada but increasing wait times for services (eg, cardiology consultation) raise safety questions. Observations suggest that deficiencies in the process of care contribute to wait times. Consequently, an outpatient clinic was designed for Ensuring Access and Speedy Evaluation (Cardiac EASE) in a university group practice, providing cardiac consultative services for northern Alberta. Cardiac EASE has two components: a single-point-of-entry intake service (prospective testing using physician-approved algorithms and previsit triage) and a multidisciplinary clinic (staffed by cardiologists, nurse practitioners and doctoral-trained pharmacists). OBJECTIVES: It was hypothesized that Cardiac EASE would reduce the time to initial consultation and a definitive diagnosis, and also increase the referral capacity. METHODS: The primary and secondary outcomes were time from referral to initial consultation, and time to achieve a definitive diagnosis and management plan, respectively. A conventionally managed historical control group (three-month pre-EASE period in 2003) was compared with the EASE group (2004 to 2006). The conventional referral mechanism continued concurrently with EASE. RESULTS: A comparison between pre-EASE (n=311) and EASE (n=3096) revealed no difference in the mean (± SD) age (60±16 years), sex (55% and 52% men, respectively) or reason for referral, including chest pain (31% and 40%, respectively) and arrhythmia (27% and 29%, respectively). Cardiac EASE reduced the time to initial cardiac consultation (from 71±45 days to 33±19 days) and time to a definitive diagnosis (from 120±86 days to 51±58 days) (P<0.0001). The annual number of new referrals increased from 1512 in 2002 to 2574 in 2006 due to growth in the Cardiac EASE clinic. The number of patients seen through the conventional referral mechanism and their wait times remained constant during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac EASE reduced wait times, increased capacity and shortened time to achieve a diagnosis. The EASE model could shorten wait times for consultative services in Canada. PMID:19960130

Calcium and vitamin D supplementation maintains parathyroid hormone and improves bone density during initial military training: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial.

PubMed

Gaffney-Stomberg, Erin; Lutz, Laura J; Rood, Jennifer C; Cable, Sonya J; Pasiakos, Stefan M; Young, Andrew J; McClung, James P

2014-11-01

Calcium and vitamin D are essential nutrients for bone health. Periods of activity with repetitive mechanical loading, such as military training, may result in increases in parathyroid hormone (PTH), a key regulator of Ca metabolism, and may be linked to the development of stress fractures. Previous studies indicate that consumption of a Ca and vitamin D supplement may reduce stress fracture risk in female military personnel during initial military training, but circulating markers of Ca and bone metabolism and measures of bone density and strength have not been determined. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial sought to determine the effects of providing supplemental Ca and vitamin D (Ca+Vit D, 2000mg and 1000IU/d, respectively), delivered as 2 snack bars per day throughout 9weeks of Army initial military training (or basic combat training, BCT) on PTH, vitamin D status, and measures of bone density and strength in personnel undergoing BCT, as well as independent effects of BCT on bone parameters. A total of 156 men and 87 women enrolled in Army BCT (Fort Sill, OK; 34.7°N latitude) volunteered for this study. Anthropometric, biochemical, and dietary intake data were collected pre- and post-BCT. In addition, peripheral quantitative computed tomography was utilized to assess tibia bone density and strength in a subset of volunteers (n=46). Consumption of supplemental Ca+Vit D increased circulating ionized Ca (group-by-time, P=0.022), maintained PTH (group-by-time, P=0.032), and increased the osteoprotegerin:RANKL ratio (group-by-time, P=0.006). Consistent with the biochemical markers, Ca+Vit D improved vBMD (group-by-time, P=0.024) at the 4% site and cortical BMC (group-by-time, P=0.028) and thickness (group-by-time, P=0.013) at the 14% site compared to placebo. These data demonstrate the benefit of supplemental Ca and vitamin D for maintaining bone health during periods of elevated bone turnover, such as initial military training. This trial was registered with ClincialTrials.gov, NCT01617109. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Providing Mailing Cost Reimbursements: The Effect on Reporting Timeliness of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Virginia.

PubMed

Vasiliu, Oana E; Stover, Jeffrey A; Mays, Marissa J E; Bissette, Jennifer M; Dolan, Carrie B; Sirbu, Corina M

2009-01-01

We investigated the effect of providing mailing cost reimbursements to local health departments on the timeliness of the reporting of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in Virginia. The Division of Disease Prevention, Virginia Department of Health, provided mailing cost reimbursements to 31 Virginia health districts from October 2002 to December 2004. The difference (in days) between the diagnosis date (or date the STD paperwork was initiated) and the date the case/STD report was entered into the STD surveillance database was used in a negative binomial regression model against time (as divided into three periods-before, during, and after reimbursement) to estimate the effect of providing mailing cost reimbursements on reporting timeliness. We observed significant decreases in the number of days between diagnosis and reporting of a case, which were sustained after the reimbursement period ended, in 25 of the 31 health districts included in the analysis. We observed a significant initial decrease (during the reimbursement period) followed by a significant increase in the after-reimbursement phase in one health district. Two health districts had a significant initial decrease, while one health district had a significant decrease in reporting timeliness in the period after reimbursement. Two health districts showed no significant changes in the number of days to report to the central office. Providing reimbursements for mailing costs was statistically associated with improved STD reporting timeliness in almost all of Virginia's health districts. Sustained improvement after the reimbursement period ended is likely indicative of improved local health department reporting habits.

More flowers or new cladodes? Environmental correlates and biological consequences of sexual reproduction in a Sonoran Desert prickly pear cactus, Opuntia engelmannii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bowers, Janice E.

1996-01-01

Should a platyopuntia expend all aerolar meristems in flower production, now new cladodes could be produced, and further reproductive effort and vegetative growth would cease. To investigate the trade-off between flower and cladode production, the numbers of flowers, fruits, and cladodes were monitored for 4 years on 30 Opuntia engelmannii Salm-Dyek, plants on Tumamoc Hill, Tucson, Arizona. Plant size controlled the number of flowers initiated each spring. The proportion of flowers that developed (i.e., did not abort) was perhaps determined by December-February rainfall in the months before bloom, with more being developed in the wettest years. Models based on different ratios of initiated cladodes to initiated flowers demonstrated that continued high investment in flowers and fruits would eventually terminate reproduction altogether; therefore periods of high sexual reproduction should alternate with periods of high vegetative growth. In the first 3 years of this study, the ratio of new cladodes to initiated flowers was low, showing a high investment in sexual reproduction. As suggested by the model, the population recouped this investment in the fourth year, when the number of new cladodes was nearly 3 times the 1992-1994 mean, and the number of initiated flowers was only 73% of the 3-year mean.

Turbulent Fluid Motion 6: Turbulence, Nonlinear Dynamics, and Deterministic Chaos

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deissler, Robert G.

1996-01-01

Several turbulent and nonturbulent solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations are obtained. The unaveraged equations are used numerically in conjunction with tools and concepts from nonlinear dynamics, including time series, phase portraits, Poincare sections, Liapunov exponents, power spectra, and strange attractors. Initially neighboring solutions for a low-Reynolds-number fully developed turbulence are compared. The turbulence is sustained by a nonrandom time-independent external force. The solutions, on the average, separate exponentially with time, having a positive Liapunov exponent. Thus, the turbulence is characterized as chaotic. In a search for solutions which contrast with the turbulent ones, the Reynolds number (or strength of the forcing) is reduced. Several qualitatively different flows are noted. These are, respectively, fully chaotic, complex periodic, weakly chaotic, simple periodic, and fixed-point. Of these, we classify only the fully chaotic flows as turbulent. Those flows have both a positive Liapunov exponent and Poincare sections without pattern. By contrast, the weakly chaotic flows, although having positive Liapunov exponents, have some pattern in their Poincare sections. The fixed-point and periodic flows are nonturbulent, since turbulence, as generally understood, is both time-dependent and aperiodic.

Transient anomalous diffusion in periodic systems: ergodicity, symmetry breaking and velocity relaxation

PubMed Central

Spiechowicz, Jakub; Łuczka, Jerzy; Hänggi, Peter

2016-01-01

We study far from equilibrium transport of a periodically driven inertial Brownian particle moving in a periodic potential. As detected for a SQUID ratchet dynamics, the mean square deviation of the particle position from its average may involve three distinct intermediate, although extended diffusive regimes: initially as superdiffusion, followed by subdiffusion and finally, normal diffusion in the asymptotic long time limit. Even though these anomalies are transient effects, their lifetime can be many, many orders of magnitude longer than the characteristic time scale of the setup and turns out to be extraordinarily sensitive to the system parameters like temperature or the potential asymmetry. In the paper we reveal mechanisms of diffusion anomalies related to ergodicity of the system, symmetry breaking of the periodic potential and ultraslow relaxation of the particle velocity towards its steady state. Similar sequences of the diffusive behaviours could be detected in various systems including, among others, colloidal particles in random potentials, glass forming liquids and granular gases. PMID:27492219

Micturition patterns of an unrestrained chimpanzee under entrained and free running conditions.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoshizaki, T.; Mcnew, J. J.; Sabbot, I.; Adey, W. R.

1972-01-01

A young male chimpanzee was subjected to 30 days of isolation. Urine volumes and voiding times were recorded every hour beginning 14 days prior to isolation, ending 6 days after isolation, and approximately 2 months later for 10 days as a control. Observed during most periods of the experiment were (1) clear circadian micturition rhythms with the voiding peak occurring immediately after the subject awoke and (2) urine flow rhythms with the maximum volume voided in the morning hours. A 24-hour rhythm was seen when the subject was entrained to 12L:12D treatments and 24.8-hour rhythm when he was exposed to continuous light. A possible underlying 24-hour micturition rhythm was also seen during the continuous light period. Distorted rhythm curves indicating possible stress were obtained for the pre-isolation adaptation period and the initial period of isolation. As time passed, the curves were more like the controls, perhaps indicating a decrease in stress.

42 CFR 457.370 - Alignment with Exchange initial open enrollment period.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Alignment with Exchange initial open enrollment period. 457.370 Section 457.370 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF... Alignment with Exchange initial open enrollment period. The terms of § 435.1205 apply equally to the State...

A Historical Forcing Ice Sheet Model Validation Framework for Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Price, S. F.; Hoffman, M. J.; Howat, I. M.; Bonin, J. A.; Chambers, D. P.; Kalashnikova, I.; Neumann, T.; Nowicki, S.; Perego, M.; Salinger, A.

2014-12-01

We propose an ice sheet model testing and validation framework for Greenland for the years 2000 to the present. Following Perego et al. (2014), we start with a realistic ice sheet initial condition that is in quasi-equilibrium with climate forcing from the late 1990's. This initial condition is integrated forward in time while simultaneously applying (1) surface mass balance forcing (van Angelen et al., 2013) and (2) outlet glacier flux anomalies, defined using a new dataset of Greenland outlet glacier flux for the past decade (Enderlin et al., 2014). Modeled rates of mass and elevation change are compared directly to remote sensing observations obtained from GRACE and ICESat. Here, we present a detailed description of the proposed validation framework including the ice sheet model and model forcing approach, the model-to-observation comparison process, and initial results comparing model output and observations for the time period 2000-2013.

Pioneers and Followers: Migrant Selectivity and the Development of U.S. Migration Streams in Latin America

PubMed Central

Lindstrom, David P.; Ramírez, Adriana López

2013-01-01

We present a method for dividing the historical development of community migration streams into an initial period and a subsequent takeoff stage with the purpose of systemically differentiating pioneer migrants from follower migrants. The analysis is organized around five basic research questions. First, can we empirically identify a juncture in the historical development of community-based migration that marks the transition from an initial stage of low levels of migration and gradual growth into a takeoff stage in which the prevalence of migration grows at a more accelerated rate? Second, does this juncture point exist at roughly similar migration prevalence levels across communities? Third, are first-time migrants in the initial stage (pioneers) different from first-time migrants in the takeoff stage (followers)? Fourth, what is the nature of this migrant selectivity? Finally, does the nature and degree of pioneer selectivity vary across country migration streams? PMID:24489382

Steady states and outbreaks of two-phase nonlinear age-structured model of population dynamics with discrete time delay.

PubMed

Akimenko, Vitalii; Anguelov, Roumen

2017-12-01

In this paper we study the nonlinear age-structured model of a polycyclic two-phase population dynamics including delayed effect of population density growth on the mortality. Both phases are modelled as a system of initial boundary values problem for semi-linear transport equation with delay and initial problem for nonlinear delay ODE. The obtained system is studied both theoretically and numerically. Three different regimes of population dynamics for asymptotically stable states of autonomous systems are obtained in numerical experiments for the different initial values of population density. The quasi-periodical travelling wave solutions are studied numerically for the autonomous system with the different values of time delays and for the system with oscillating death rate and birth modulus. In both cases it is observed three types of travelling wave solutions: harmonic oscillations, pulse sequence and single pulse.

Measurement Techniques for Flow Diagnostic in ITAM Impulse Wind Tunnels

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

time of wind - tunnel operation, so that oscillations caused by initial shock loads could decay and a comparatively long time period with constant flow...Flow Diagnostic in ITAM Impulse Wind Tunnels 7 - 4 RTO-EN-AVT-186 A strain-gauge pressure probe is an elastic element (membrane) in a sealed...Diagnostic in ITAM Impulse Wind Tunnels RTO-EN-AVT-186 7 - 5 probes are individually calibrated. Piezoelectric pressure gauges are based

Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation and Reconsolidation

PubMed Central

Stickgold, Robert; Walker, Matthew P.

2009-01-01

Molecular, cellular, and systems-level processes convert initial, labile memory representations into more permanent ones, available for continued reactivation and recall over extended periods of time. These processes of memory consolidation and reconsolidation are not all-or-none phenomena, but rather a continuing series of biological adjustments that enhance both the efficiency and utility of stored memories over time. In this chapter, we review the role of sleep in supporting these disparate but related processes. PMID:17470412

How Hydroclimate Influences the Effectiveness of Particle Filter Data Assimilation of Streamflow in Initializing Short- to Medium-range Streamflow Forecasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, E.; Wood, A.; Nijssen, B.; Clark, M. P.

2017-12-01

Short- to medium-range (1- to 7-day) streamflow forecasts are important for flood control operations and in issuing potentially life-save flood warnings. In the U.S., the National Weather Service River Forecast Centers (RFCs) issue such forecasts in real time, depending heavily on a manual data assimilation (DA) approach. Forecasters adjust model inputs, states, parameters and outputs based on experience and consideration of a range of supporting real-time information. Achieving high-quality forecasts from new automated, centralized forecast systems will depend critically on the adequacy of automated DA approaches to make analogous corrections to the forecasting system. Such approaches would further enable systematic evaluation of real-time flood forecasting methods and strategies. Toward this goal, we have implemented a real-time Sequential Importance Resampling particle filter (SIR-PF) approach to assimilate observed streamflow into simulated initial hydrologic conditions (states) for initializing ensemble flood forecasts. Assimilating streamflow alone in SIR-PF improves simulated streamflow and soil moisture during the model spin up period prior to a forecast, with consequent benefits for forecasts. Nevertheless, it only consistently limits error in simulated snow water equivalent during the snowmelt season and in basins where precipitation falls primarily as snow. We examine how the simulated initial conditions with and without SIR-PF propagate into 1- to 7-day ensemble streamflow forecasts. Forecasts are evaluated in terms of reliability and skill over a 10-year period from 2005-2015. The focus of this analysis is on how interactions between hydroclimate and SIR-PF performance impact forecast skill. To this end, we examine forecasts for 5 hydroclimatically diverse basins in the western U.S. Some of these basins receive most of their precipitation as snow, others as rain. Some freeze throughout the mid-winter while others experience significant mid-winter melt events. We describe the methodology and present seasonal and inter-basin variations in DA-enhanced forecast skill.

Advanced space system concepts and their orbital support needs (1980 - 2000). Volume 3: Detailed data. Part 1: Catalog of initiatives, functional options, and future environments and goals. [for the U.S. space program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bekey, I.; Mayer, H. L.; Wolfe, M. G.

1976-01-01

The following areas were discussed in relation to a study of the commonality of space vehicle applications to future national needs: (1) index of initiatives (civilian observation, communication, support), brief illustrated description of each initiative, time periods (from 1980 to 2000+) for implementation of these initiatives; (2) data bank of functional system options, presented in the form of data sheets, one for each of the major functions, with the system option for near-term, midterm, and far-term space projects applicable to each subcategory of functions to be fulfilled; (3) table relating initiatives and desired goals (public service and humanistic, materialistic, scientific and intellectual); and (4) data on size, weight and cost estimations.

Smoking Initiation and the Iron Law of Demand *

PubMed Central

Lillard, Dean R.; Molloy, Eamon; Sfekas, Andrew

2012-01-01

We show, with three longitudinal datasets, that cigarette taxes and prices affect smoking initiation decisions. Previous longitudinal studies have found somewhat mixed results, but generally have not found initiation to be sensitive to increases in price or tax. We show that the lack of statistical significance in previous studies may be at least partially attributed to a lack of policy variation in the time periods studied, truncated behavioral windows, or mis-assignment of price and tax rates in retrospective data (which occurs when one has no information about respondents’ prior state or region of residence in retrospective data). We show how each factor may affect the estimation of initiation models. Our findings suggest several problems that are applicable to initiation behavior generally, particularly those for which individuals’ responses to policy changes may be noisy or small in magnitude. PMID:23220458

Examining Initial Sleep Onset in Primary Insomnia: A Case-Control Study Using 4-Second Epochs

PubMed Central

Moul, Douglas E.; Germain, Anne; Cashmere, J. David; Quigley, Michael; Miewald, Jean M.; Buysse, Daniel J.

2007-01-01

Study Objectives: To explore the sleep onset process in primary insomnia patients, new rules for scoring 4-second epochs were implemented to score sleep and artifacts during initial sleep onset. Conventional scorings in 20-second and 60-second epochs were also obtained. Methods: The start of the initial 60-second epoch of stage 1 was used to define “time zero” (t0). Sleep onset periods from 11 patients and 11 individually age- and sex-matched controls spanned from 5 minutes before t0 through 29 minutes after t0. Using the new rules, the periods were scored blind to group assignment. This t0 time-referenced the data analysis to one plausible midpoint in the sleep onset process. In parallel, latencies were time-referenced from good night time. Results: Reliability in scoring sleep and artifacts was adequate (kappa = 0.68 & 0.63, respectively, p <0.001). Group differences in sleep latencies were marginal in 60-second and 20-second scoring but significant with a definition of 4-second sleep latency. Patients had more 4-second epochs scored as awake (Mantel-Haenszel χ2 = 271, d.f. = 1, p <0.001) and containing artifact (M-H χ2 = 143, p <0.001). Patients took longer to achieve 30 continuous 4-second epochs of NREM sleep (Breslow χ2 = 4.03, d.f. = 1, p = 0.045) after t0. Patients accumulated sleep more slowly with all 3 scoring rules after t0. A slower rate of accumulating sleep after t0 was detected only with the 4-second scoring (p = 0.047). Conclusions: Evidence was present for momentary state-switching instabilities in the patients during the initial sleep onset process. Using rules for scoring small epochs may reveal such instabilities more readily than traditional scoring methods. Citation: Moul DE; Germain A; Cashmere D; Quigley M; Miewald JM; Buysse DJ. Examining initial sleep onset in primary insomnia: a case-control study using 4-second epochs. J Clin Sleep Med 2007;3(5):479-488. PMID:17803011

Incidence and rates of visual field progression after longitudinally measured optic disc change in glaucoma.

PubMed

Chauhan, Balwantray C; Nicolela, Marcelo T; Artes, Paul H

2009-11-01

To determine whether glaucoma patients with progressive optic disc change have subsequent visual field progression earlier and at a faster rate compared with those without disc change. Prospective, longitudinal, cohort study. Eighty-one patients with open-angle glaucoma. Patients underwent confocal scanning laser tomography and standard automated perimetry every 6 months. The complete follow-up was divided into initial and subsequent periods. Two initial periods-first 3 years (Protocol A) and first half of the total follow-up (Protocol B)-were used, with the respective remainder being the subsequent follow-up. Disc change during the initial follow-up was determined with liberal, moderate, or conservative criteria of the Topographic Change Analysis. Subsequent field progression was determined with significant pattern deviation change in >or=3 locations (criterion used in the Early Manifest Glaucoma Trial). As a control analysis, field change during the initial follow-up was determined with significant pattern deviation change in >or=1, >or=2, or >or=3 locations. Survival time to subsequent field progression, rates of mean deviation (MD) change, and positive and negative likelihood ratios. The median (interquartile range) total follow-up was 11.0 (8.0-12.0) years with 22 (18-24) examinations. More patients had disc changes during the initial follow-up compared with field changes. The mean time to field progression was consistently shorter (protocol A, 0.8-1.7 years; protocol B, 0.3-0.7 years) in patients with prior disc change. In the control analysis, patients with prior field change had statistically earlier subsequent field progression (protocol A, 2.9-3.0 years; protocol B, 0.7-0.9). Similarly, patients with either prior disc or field change always had worse mean rates of subsequent MD change, although the distributions overlapped widely. Patients with subsequent field progression were up to 3 times more likely to have prior disc change compared with those without, and up to 5 times more likely to have prior field change compared with those without. Longitudinally measured optic disc change is predictive of subsequent visual field progression and may be an efficacious end point for functional outcomes in clinical studies and trials in glaucoma.

Open chest cardiac massage offers no benefit over closed chest compressions in patients with traumatic cardiac arrest.

PubMed

Bradley, Matthew J; Bonds, Brandon W; Chang, Luke; Yang, Shiming; Hu, Peter; Li, Hsiao-Chi; Brenner, Megan L; Scalea, Thomas M; Stein, Deborah M

2016-11-01

Open chest cardiac massage (OCCM) is a commonly performed procedure after traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA). OCCM has been reported to be superior to closed chest compressions (CCC) in animal models and in non-TCA. The purpose of this study is to prospectively compare OCCM versus CCC in TCA using end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2), the criterion standard for determining the effectiveness of chest compressions and detection of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), as the surrogate for cardiac output and marker for adequacy of resuscitation. This prospective observational study enrolled patients over a 9-month period directly presenting to a level 1 trauma center after TCA. Continuous high-resolution ETCO2 measurements were collected every 6 seconds for periods of CCC and OCCM, respectively. Patients receiving CCC only were compared with patients receiving CCC followed by OCCM. Student's t tests were used to compare ETCO2 within and between groups. Thirty-three patients were enrolled (16 OCCM, 17 CCC-only). Mean time of CCC before OCCM was 66 seconds. Within the OCCM group, final, peak, mean, and median ETCO2 levels significantly increased when comparing the initial CCC period to the OCCM interval. Using a time-matched comparison, significant increases were observed in the final and peak but not mean and median values when comparing the first minute of CCC to the remaining time in the CCC-only group. However, when periods of OCCM were compared with equivalent periods of CCC-only, there were no differences in the initial, final, peak, mean, or median ETCO2 values. Correspondingly, no difference in rates of ROSC was observed between groups (OCCM 23.5% vs. CCC 38.9%; p = 0.53). Although we could not control for confounders, we found no significant improvement in ETCO2 or ROSC with OCCM. With newer endovascular techniques for aortic occlusion, thoracotomy solely for performing OCCM provides no benefit over CCC. Therapeutic study, level III.

20 CFR 638.532 - Annual leave.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... only once per year of enrollment. (e) Students shall not be charged annual leave for travel time to and... Director shall issue procedures to administer the accrual and use of student leave. Such procedures shall provide that: (a) Except for the initial pay period, students shall accrue annual leave at the rate of one...

77 FR 21733 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From Taiwan: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-11

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-583-833] Certain Polyester Staple... Department) initiated an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from Taiwan for the period May 1, 2010, through April 30, 2011.\\1\\ In Certain Polyester Staple...

75 FR 38858 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-06

... 60-day initial trial period for parties wishing to evaluate the Correlix RaceTeam offering for the..., and experience with, the Correlix RaceTeam product while simultaneously providing ample time for the... just and equitable principles of trade, to foster cooperation and coordination with persons engaged in...

ACHP | News | Native Hawaiian Federal Interagency Working Group Created

Science.gov Websites

period of time, such as a quarter or a semester during the school year. Specific assignments will be Affairs; and the Office of Preservation Initiatives. Relevant skills include strong writing and research public, and writing for specific audiences. I translate the knowledge I gained about the National

Periodicals Price Survey 2008: Embracing Openness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Orsdel, Lee C.; Born, Kathleen

2008-01-01

Evidence for open access as an emergent, global state of mind is everywhere. The "New York Times" went "open" last September, and the "Wall Street Journal" is slated to follow. Increasingly, scholarly communities are breaking with tradition and calling for the open sharing of research, software, and data. Amongst these global initiatives is the…

Whiffing the Airport Interview

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamson, David

2008-01-01

An airport interview is an initial interview for a senior administrative position conducted at an airport hotel not too far from the campus in question. Meeting at an airport enables a search committee to interview a large number of candidates in a short period of time with a degree of confidentiality. At the conclusion of the airport interviews,…

75 FR 38980 - Honey From the People's Republic of China: Extension of Time Limit for the Preliminary Results...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-07

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-570-863] Honey From the People's... honey from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''), covering the period December 1, 2008, through November 30, 2009. See Honey from the People's Republic of China: Initiation of New Shipper Antidumping...

Density-dependent liquid nitromethane decomposition: molecular dynamics simulations based on ReaxFF.

PubMed

Rom, Naomi; Zybin, Sergey V; van Duin, Adri C T; Goddard, William A; Zeiri, Yehuda; Katz, Gil; Kosloff, Ronnie

2011-09-15

The decomposition mechanism of hot liquid nitromethane at various compressions was studied using reactive force field (ReaxFF) molecular dynamics simulations. A competition between two different initial thermal decomposition schemes is observed, depending on compression. At low densities, unimolecular C-N bond cleavage is the dominant route, producing CH(3) and NO(2) fragments. As density and pressure rise approaching the Chapman-Jouget detonation conditions (∼30% compression, >2500 K) the dominant mechanism switches to the formation of the CH(3)NO fragment via H-transfer and/or N-O bond rupture. The change in the decomposition mechanism of hot liquid NM leads to a different kinetic and energetic behavior, as well as products distribution. The calculated density dependence of the enthalpy change correlates with the change in initial decomposition reaction mechanism. It can be used as a convenient and useful global parameter for the detection of reaction dynamics. Atomic averaged local diffusion coefficients are shown to be sensitive to the reactions dynamics, and can be used to distinguish between time periods where chemical reactions occur and diffusion-dominated, nonreactive time periods. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Preharvest Interval Periods and their relation to fruit growth stages and pesticide formulations.

PubMed

Alister, Claudio; Araya, Manuel; Becerra, Kevin; Saavedra, Jorge; Kogan, Marcelo

2017-04-15

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of pesticide formulations and fruit growth stages on the Pre-harvest Interval Period (PHI). Results showed that pesticide formulations did not affect the initial deposit and dissipation rate. However, the fruit growth stage at the application time showed a significant effect on the above-mentioned parameters. Fruit diameter increases in one millimeter pesticide dissipation rates were reduced in -0.033mgkg -1 day -1 (R 2 =0.87; p<0.001) for grapes and -0.014mgkg -1 day -1 (R 2 =0.85; p<0.001) for apples. The relation between solar radiation, air humidity and temperature, and pesticide dissipation rates were dependent on fruit type. PHI could change according to the application time, because of the initial amount of pesticide deposit in the fruits and change in the dissipation rates. Because Maximum Residue Level are becoming more restrictive, it is more important to consider the fruit growth stage effects on pesticide when performing dissipation studies to define PHI. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A numerical investigation of surface-induced mesocyclogenesis near the Gulf Stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cione, Joseph J.; Raman, Sethu

1995-10-01

A series of numerical experiments designed to simulate the initial development stages of low-level coastal mesocyclogenesis near the Gulf Stream was recently conducted. Under initially quiescent conditions, surface cyclogenesis in the control simulation occurs along a Gulf Stream meander in a region where the gradients in sea surface temperature (SST) are maximized. A low-level mesovortex on the order of 140km forms approximately 12 h into the simulation and continues to intensify through 42h. During the 24 48 h time period, a mesoscale frontal feature develops in direct response to strong diabatic forcing associated with sustained surface latent and sensible heating near the Gulf Stream frontal zone south of the main circulation center. Due to the non-linear advection of the frontal feature during this time period, the previously quasi-stationary circulation center drifts eastward (and away) from the thermal forcing associated with the large SST gradients found to the west. This eastward frontal propagation acts to decrease the magnitude of the low level horizontal air temperature gradient near the center of circulation throughout the 24 42 h development period. During the 42 48-h period, the relatively quick moving frontal feature acts to severely shear the nearly stationary center of circulation in the east west direction. As a result, the mesoscale system begins to fill during the final 6 h of integration. In addition to the control simulation, additional sensitivity experiments were conducted. These experiments were specifically designed to: (1) investigate how the magnitude of the Gulf Stream SST gradients affect the timing and degree of cyclonic development; (2) address the impact surface moisture fluxes and moist convection each have on the simulated low level mesocyclogenesis; (3) isolate the role surface sensible heating plays in the overall development of the simulated mesocyclone. Results from the SST gradient experiment indicate that a moderate enhancement of the SST distribution significantly affects the timing of the initial cyclogenesis and the maximum intensity of the simulated frontal circulation. For the "no turbulent heat flux" experiment, it appears that the elimination of surface sensible heating does not radically alter the overall structure of the simulated mesocyclone. However, the rate of development during the early stage of cyclogenesis, the absolute peak intensity of the system as well as the vertical depth of the simulated mesoscale frontal feature were all noticeably reduced when compared with the control simulation. The initial development of a closed low level circulation was delayed by nearly 18 h in the absence surface latent heat fluxes. Once formed, the system intensified throughout the 48-h period of integration, but unlike the control experiment, a mesoscale frontal feature south of the main circulation center was not simulated. Results from the "no surface moisture flux/no moist convection" simulation illustrate that moist convective processes play a dominant role in the overall development of the mesoscale cyclone. For this particular case, a weak and extremely shallow circulation was simulated after 24h. This circulation quickly eroded however, and was virtually non-existent for integration times greater than 39h.

Surface composition XPS analysis of a plasma treated polystyrene: Evolution over long storage periods.

PubMed

Ba, Ousmane M; Marmey, Pascal; Anselme, Karine; Duncan, Anthony C; Ponche, Arnaud

2016-09-01

A polystyrene surface (PS) was initially treated by cold nitrogen and oxygen plasma in order to incorporate in particular amine and hydroxyl functions, respectively. The evolution of the chemical nature of the surface was further monitored over a long time period (580 days) by chemical assay, XPS and contact angle measurements. Surface density quantification of primary amine groups was performed using three chemical amine assays: 4-nitrobenzaldehyde (4-NBZ), Sulfo succinimidyl 6-[3'(2 pyridyldithio)-pionamido] hexanoate (Sulfo-LC-SPDP) and iminothiolane (ITL). The results showed amine densities were in the range of 2 per square nanometer (comparable to the results described in the literature) after 5min of nitrogen plasma treatment. Over the time period investigated, chemical assays, XPS and contact angles suggest a drastic significant evolution of the chemical nature of the surface within the first two weeks. Beyond that time period and up to almost two years, nitrogen plasma modified substrates exhibits a slow and continuous oxidation whereas oxygen plasma modifed polystyrene surface is chemically stable after two weeks of storage. The latter appeared to "ease of" showing relatively mild changes within the one year period. Our results suggest that it may be preferable to wait for a chemical "stabilization" period of two weeks before subsequent covalent immobilization of proteins onto the surface. The originality of this work resides in the study of the plasma treated surface chemistry evolution over long periods of storage time (580 days) considerably exceeding those described in the literature. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of incubation time for dermatophytes cultures.

PubMed

Rezusta, Antonio; de la Fuente, Sonia; Gilaberte, Yolanda; Vidal-García, Matxalen; Alcalá, Leticia; López-Calleja, Ana; Ruiz, Maria Angeles; Revillo, Maria José

2016-07-01

In general, it is recommended to incubate dermatophytes cultures for a minimum of 4 weeks. Several aspects of routine fungal cultures should be evaluated in order to implement appropriate and necessary changes. The aim of this study was to determine the optimum incubation time for routine dermatophytes cultures, analysing the time to find first fungal growth by visual observation. We recorded the time when the initial growth was detected for all dermatophyte isolates during a 4-year period. A total of 5459 dermatophyte cultures were submitted to our laboratory. From the total cultures, only 16 (1.42%) isolates were recovered over/after 17 days of incubation and only three dermatophyte species were recovered over 17 days. Fourteen isolates belong to Trichophyton rubrum, one isolate to Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex and one isolate to Epidermophyton floccosum. We concluded that an incubation period of 17 days is enough to establish a microbiological diagnosis of dermatophytosis. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Computer simulations of structural transitions in large ferrofluid aggregates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Mina; Tomanek, David

2003-03-01

We have developed a quaternion molecular dynamics formalism to study structural transitions in systems of ferrofluid particles in colloidal suspensions. Our approach takes advantage of the viscous damping provided by the surrounding liquid and enables us to study the time evolution of these systems over milli-second time periods as a function of the number of particles, initial geometry, and an externally applied magnetic field. Our computer simulations for aggregates containing tens to hundreds of ferrofluid particles suggest that these systems relax to the global optimum structure in a step-wise manner. During the relaxation process, the potential energy decreases by two mechanisms, which occur on different time scales. Short time periods associated with structural relaxations within a given morphology are followed by much slower processes that generally lead to a simpler morphology. We discuss possible applications of these externally driven structural transitions for targeted medication delivery.

Risk for incident diabetes mellitus following initiation of second-generation antipsychotics among Medicaid-enrolled youths.

PubMed

Rubin, David M; Kreider, Amanda R; Matone, Meredith; Huang, Yuan-Shung; Feudtner, Chris; Ross, Michelle E; Localio, A Russell

2015-04-01

Second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) have increasingly been prescribed to Medicaid-enrolled children, either singly or in a medication combination. Although metabolic adverse effects have been linked to SGA use in youths, estimating the risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus, a rarer outcome, has been challenging. To determine whether SGA initiation was associated with an increased risk for incident type 2 diabetes mellitus. Secondary analyses examined the risk associated with multiple-drug regimens, including stimulants and antidepressants, as well as individual SGAs. Retrospective national cohort study of Medicaid-enrolled youths between January 2003 and December 2007. In this observational study using national Medicaid Analytic eXtract data files, initiators and noninitiators of SGAs were identified in each month. Included in this study were US youths aged 10 to 18 years with a mental health diagnosis and enrolled in a Medicaid fee-for-service arrangement during the study. Those with chronic steroid exposure, a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, or SGA use during a 1-year look-back period were ineligible. The mean follow-up time for all participants was 17.2 months. Youths were followed up until diagnosis of diabetes mellitus or end of follow-up owing to censoring caused by the transition into a Medicaid managed care arrangement or Medicaid ineligibility (the end of available data). Propensity weights were developed to balance observed demographic and clinical characteristics between exposure groups. Discrete failure time models were fitted using weighted logistic regression to estimate the risk for incident diabetes mellitus between initiators and noninitiators. A filled SGA prescription. Incident type 2 diabetes mellitus identified through visit and pharmacy claims during the observation period. Among 107,551 SGA initiators and 1,221,434 noninitiators, the risk for incident diabetes mellitus was increased among initiators (odds ratio [OR], 1.51; 95% CI, 1.35-1.69; P < .001). Compared with youths initiating only SGAs, the risk was higher among SGA initiators who used antidepressants concomitantly at the time of SGA initiation (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.17-2.03; P = .002) but was not significantly different for SGA initiators who were concomitantly using stimulants. As compared with a reference group of risperidone initiators, the risk was higher among those initiating ziprasidone (OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 0.99-2.64; P = .06) and aripiprazole (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.21-2.07; P = .001) but not quetiapine fumarate or olanzapine. The risk for incident type 2 diabetes mellitus was increased among youths initiating SGAs and was highest in those concomitantly using antidepressants. Compared with risperidone, newer antipsychotics were not associated with decreased risk.

Volume nanograting formation in laser-silica interaction as a result of the 1D plasma-resonance ionization instability

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

Gildenburg, V. B., E-mail: gil@appl.sci-nnov.ru; Pavlichenko, I. A.; Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhny Novgorod 603950

2016-08-15

The initial stage of the small-scale ionization-induced instability developing inside the fused silica volume exposed to the femtosecond laser pulse is studied as a possible initial cause of the self-organized nanograting formation. We have calculated the spatial spectra of the instability with the electron-hole diffusion taken into account for the first time and have found that it results in the formation of some hybrid (diffusion-wave) 1D structure with the spatial period determined as the geometrical mean of the laser wavelength and characteristic diffusion length of the process considered. Near the threshold of the instability, this period occurs to be approximatelymore » equal to the laser half-wavelength in the silica, close to the one experimentally observed.« less

Reef fish communities are spooked by scuba surveys and may take hours to recover

PubMed Central

Cheal, Alistair J.; Miller, Ian R.

2018-01-01

Ecological monitoring programs typically aim to detect changes in the abundance of species of conservation concern or which reflect system status. Coral reef fish assemblages are functionally important for reef health and these are most commonly monitored using underwater visual surveys (UVS) by divers. In addition to estimating numbers, most programs also collect estimates of fish lengths to allow calculation of biomass, an important determinant of a fish’s functional impact. However, diver surveys may be biased because fishes may either avoid or are attracted to divers and the process of estimating fish length could result in fish counts that differ from those made without length estimations. Here we investigated whether (1) general diver disturbance and (2) the additional task of estimating fish lengths affected estimates of reef fish abundance and species richness during UVS, and for how long. Initial estimates of abundance and species richness were significantly higher than those made on the same section of reef after diver disturbance. However, there was no evidence that estimating fish lengths at the same time as abundance resulted in counts different from those made when estimating abundance alone. Similarly, there was little consistent bias among observers. Estimates of the time for fish taxa that avoided divers after initial contact to return to initial levels of abundance varied from three to 17 h, with one group of exploited fishes showing initial attraction to divers that declined over the study period. Our finding that many reef fishes may disperse for such long periods after initial contact with divers suggests that monitoring programs should take great care to minimise diver disturbance prior to surveys. PMID:29844998

Prospective 15-year study of neuromuscular function in a cohort of patients with prior poliomyelitis.

PubMed

Daube, Jasper R; Sorenson, Eric J; Windebank, Anthony J

2009-01-01

Poliomyelitis is a monophasic illness affecting lower motor neurons and individuals may describe new problems years after the initial weakness. We have studied 38 people with the post-polio syndrome over a 15-year period assessing a number of neuromuscular measures, including motor unit number estimation (MUNE). Twenty-five individuals reported progressive weakness but there was no objective change in MUNE and other measures. There was an association with reported weakness and initial deficits. There was a slow decline in MUNE values over time in both groups.

Compliance with nutrition support guidelines in acutely burned patients.

PubMed

Holt, Brennen; Graves, Caran; Faraklas, Iris; Cochran, Amalia

2012-08-01

Adequate and timely provision of nutritional support is a crucial component of care of the critically ill burn patient. The goal of this study was to assess a single center's consistency with Society of Critical Care Medicine/American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (SCCM/ASPEN) guidelines for nutritional support in critically ill patients. Acutely burned patients >45kg in weight admitted to a regional burn center during a two-year period and who required 5 or more days of full enteral nutritional support were eligible for inclusion in this retrospective review. Specific outcomes evaluated include time from admission to feeding tube placement and enteral feeding initiation and percent of nutritional goal received within the first week of hospital stay. Descriptive statistics were used for all analyses. IRB approval was obtained. Thirty-seven patients were included in this retrospective review. Median age of patients was 44.9 years (IQR: 24.2-55.1), and median burn injury size was 30% (IQR: 19-47). Median time to feeding tube placement was 31.1h post admission (IQR: 23.6-50.2h), while median time to initiation of EN was 47.9h post admission (IQR: 32.4-59.9h). The median time required for patients to reach 60% of caloric goal was 3 days post-admission (IQR: 3-4.5). The median time for initiation of enteral nutrition was within the SCCM/ASPEN guidelines for initial nutrition in the critically ill patient. This project identified a 16h time lag between placement of enteral access and initiation of enteral nutrition. Development of a protocol for feeding tube placement and enteral nutrition management may optimize early nutritional support in the acutely injured burn patient. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the Operational Multi-scale Environment model with Grid Adaptivity (OMEGA) for use in Wind Energy Applications in the Great Basin of Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Kristien C.

In order to further assess the wind energy potential for Nevada, the accuracy of a computational meteorological model, the Operational Multi-scale Environment model with Grid Adaptivity (OMEGA), was evaluated by comparing simulation results with data collected from a wind monitoring tower near Tonopah, NV. The state of Nevada is characterized by high mountains and low-lying valleys, therefore, in order to determine the wind potential for the state, meteorological models that predict the wind must be able to accurately represent and account for terrain features and simulate topographic forcing with accuracy. Topographic forcing has a dominant role in the development and modification of mesoscale flows in regions of complex terrain, like Tonopah, especially at the level of wind turbine blade heights (~80 m). Additionally, model factors such as horizontal resolution, terrain database resolution, model physics, time of model initialization, stability regime, and source of initial conditions may each affect the ability of a mesoscale model to forecast winds correctly. The observational tower used for comparison was located at Stone Cabin, Nevada. The tower had both sonic anemometers and cup anemometers installed at heights of 40 m, 60 m, and 80 m above the surface. During a previous experiment, tower data were collected for the period February 9 through March 10, 2007 and compared to model simulations using the MM5 and WRF models at a number of varying horizontal resolutions. In this previous research, neither the MM5 nor the WRF showed a significant improvement in ability to forecast wind speed with increasing horizontal grid resolution. The present research evaluated the ability of OMEGA to reproduce point winds as compared to the observational data from the Stone Cabin Tower at heights of 40 m, 60 m, and 80 m. Unlike other mesoscale atmospheric models, OMEGA incorporates an unstructured triangular adaptive grid which allows for increased flexibility and accuracy in characterizing areas of complex terrain. Model sensitivity to horizontal grid resolution, initial conditions, and time of initialization were tested. OMEGA was run over three different horizontal grid resolutions with minimum horizontal edge lengths of: 18 km, 6 km, and 2 km. For each resolution, the model was initialized using both the Global Forecasting System (GFS) and North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) to determine model sensitivity to initial conditions. For both the NARR and GFS initializations, the model was started at both 0000 UTC and 1200 UTC to determine the effect of start time and stability regime on the performance of the model. An additional intensive study into the model's performance was also conducted by a detailed evaluation of model results during two separate 24-hour periods, the first a period where the model performed well and the second a period where the model performed poorly, to determine which atmospheric factors most affect the predictive ability of the OMEGA model. The statistical results were then compared with the results from the MM5 and WRF simulations to determine the most appropriate model for wind energy potential studies in complex terrain.

Photometric studies of δ Scuti stars. I. IP Virginis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Joner, Michael D.; Hintz, Eric G.; Collier, Matthew W.

1998-01-01

We report 15 new times of maximum light for the δ Scuti star IP Virginis (formerly known as SA 106‐1024). An analysis of all times of maximum light indicates that IP Vir has been decreasing in period at a constant rate of − days day−1. Evidence is also presented that IP Vir is a double‐mode variable with a period ratio of . This period ratio predicts a [Fe/H] value of −0.3. From photometric (uvbyβ) observations, we find a foreground reddening of .008 mag and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = +0.05. It is shown that [Fe/H] = −0.3 is most likely the correct value. Intrinsic ‐ and c1‐values, plotted in a model atmosphere grid, indicate a mean effective temperature, K, and a mean surface gravity, . All of these physical parameters support Landolt's initial conclusion that IP Vir is an ordinary δ Sct star.

How Should Dry Lightning be Defined to Best to Correlate to Wildfire Initiation?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vant-Hull, B.; Koshak, W. J.

2017-12-01

Dry lightning can be defined by a maximum precipitation threshold, a dry period preceding a flash, and the spatial resolution used to relate a lightning flash to precipitation. Using data from most of CONUS from 2003-2015, the annual total of wildfires was compared to the annual number of dry flashes, with dry flash parameters adjusted to maximize the correlation between annual totals throughout the time period. A maximum correlation of 0.93 was found for a dry period of 36 hours, with no precipitation rates above 0.2 mm/hr during this time, on a 0.1 degree grid. Such a high correlation to wildfires on a climatic scale indicates a need to understand how changing weather patterns can influence the occurrence of properly defined dry lightning. Under this understanding dry lightning counts could qualify as a NCA indicator.

Aging and death-associated changes in serum albumin variability over the course of chronic hemodialysis treatment.

PubMed

Nakazato, Yuichi; Kurane, Riichi; Hirose, Satoru; Watanabe, Akihisa; Shimoyama, Hiromi

2017-01-01

Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated associations between variability in a number of biological parameters and adverse outcomes. As the variability may reflect impaired homeostatic regulation, we assessed albumin variability over time in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients. Data from 1346 subjects who received chronic HD treatment from May 2001 to February 2015 were analyzed according to three phases of HD treatment: post-HD initiation, during maintenance HD treatment, and before death. The serum albumin values were grouped according to the time interval from HD initiation or death, and the yearly trends for both the albumin levels and the intra-individual albumin variability (quantified by the residual coefficient of variation: Alb-rCV) were examined. The HD initiation and death-associated changes were also analyzed using generalized additive mixed models. Furthermore, the long-term trend throughout the maintenance treatment period was evaluated separately using linear regression models. Albumin levels and variability showed distinctive changes during each of the 3 periods. After HD initiation, albumin variability decreased and reached a nadir within a year. During the subsequent maintenance treatment period (interquartile range = 5.2-11.0 years), the log Alb-rCV showed a significant upward trend (mean slope: 0.011 ± 0.035 /year), and its overall mean was -1.49 ± 0.08 (equivalent to an Alb-rCV of 3.22%). During the 1-2 years before death, this upward trend clearly accelerated, and the mean log Alb-rCV in the last year of life was -1.36 ± 0.17. The albumin levels and variability were negatively correlated with each other and exhibited exactly opposite movements throughout the course of chronic HD treatment. Different from the albumin levels, albumin variability was not dependent on chronological age but was independently associated with an individual's aging and death process. The observed upward trend in albumin variability seems to be consistent with a presumed aging-related decline in homeostatic capacity.

HYPOPHOSPHATEMIC RICKETS: CASE REPORT.

PubMed

Maia, Marta Liliane de Almeida; Abreu, Ana Lucia Santos; Nogueira, Paulo Cesar Koch; Val, Maria Luiza Dautro Moreira do; Carvalhaes, João Tomas de Abreu; Andrade, Maria Cristina de

2018-03-29

Early diagnosis and immediate treatment of hypophosphatemic rickets is of utmost importance as it may prevent subsequent sequelae. This report aims at warning pediatricians to consider the presence of the disease. Description of the metabolic profile, creatinine clearance, nutritional status, weight and body structure of a patient who presented the clinical-laboratorial characteristics of hypophosphatemic rickets and was followed in an outpatient clinic for tubulopathies over the period of 12 months. The patient had been bedridden for some time, was dependent on mechanical ventilation and presented an altered metabolic bone condition. Treatment was phosphate (initial: 65 mg/kg/day and final: 24,2 mg/kg/day), calcium (initial: 127 mg/kg/day, final: 48,4 mg/kg/day) and calcitriol (initial: 0.06 mcg/kg/day, final: 0.03 mcg/kg/day). The patient improved, evolving into spontaneous breathing and walking unaided. Laboratory results: calcium (mg/dL) initial 7.1, final 10.1; phosphate (mg/dL) initial 1.7 final 3.2; magnesium (mg/dL) initial 1.5 final 2.1, parathyroid hormone (pg/l) initial 85.8, final 52.7, alkaline phosphatase (UI/l) initial 12660, final 938; there was also improvement in weight/structural development (Z score: H/A initial: -6.05, final -3.64; W/A: initial -2.92, final -1.57) with presence of transitory gallstones. Creatinine clearance (mL/min/1.73m2bsa) was constant. The medication improved his laboratory results and nutritional status, but the patient did not return for two years for follow-up and, during this period, his condition has noticeably deteriorated. Early diagnosis and follow-up are essential in dealing with this pathology.

Trends in infective endocarditis hospitalisations at United States children's hospitals from 2003 to 2014: impact of the 2007 American Heart Association antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines.

PubMed

Bates, Katherine E; Hall, Matthew; Shah, Samir S; Hill, Kevin D; Pasquali, Sara K

2017-05-01

National organisations in several countries have recently released more restrictive guidelines for infective endocarditis prophylaxis, including the American Heart Association 2007 guidelines. Initial studies demonstrated no change in infective endocarditis rates over time; however, a recent United Kingdom study suggested an increase; current paediatric trends are unknown. Children (5 years of age. Interrupted time series analysis was used to evaluate rates over time indexed to total hospitalisations. A total of 841 cases were identified. The median age was 13 years (interquartile range 9-15 years). In the pre-guideline period, there was a slight increase in the rate of infective endocarditis by 0.13 cases/10,000 hospitalisations per semi-annual period. In the post-guideline period, the rate of infective endocarditis increased by 0.12 cases/10,000 hospitalisations per semi-annual period. There was no significant difference in the rate of change in the pre- versus post-guidelines period (p=0.895). Secondary analyses in children >5 years of age with CHD and in children hospitalised with any type of infective endocarditis at any age revealed similar results. We found no significant change in infective endocarditis hospitalisation rates associated with revised prophylaxis guidelines over 11 years across 29 United States children's hospitals.

Reference values for maternal total and differential leukocyte counts in different trimesters of pregnancy and the initial postpartum period in western Turkey.

PubMed

Sanci, Muzaffer; Töz, Emrah; Ince, Onur; Özcan, Aykut; Polater, Kevser; Inan, Abdurrahman Hamdi; Beyan, Emrah; Akkaya, Emrah

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to investigate alterations in the leukocyte and differential leukocyte counts in different trimesters of pregnancy and the initial postpartum period. The study population consisted of 40,325 pregnant women. A full blood count and automated differential leukocyte count were performed and all the haemogram results in the different trimesters of pregnancy were recorded. Percentiles were calculated using statistical software. A total of 82,786 complete blood count evaluations were performed in 40,325 subjects from the 6th to 41st week of pregnancy and in the initial postpartum period. The leukocyte counts increased from the 1st to the 3rd trimester and peaked in the initial postpartum period. Our reference values for the total and differential leukocyte counts may assist clinicians in distinguishing between leukocytosis and pathological elevation of the white blood cell count during pregnancy and the initial postpartum period. Impact statement Pregnancy requires profound adaptation by multiple systems to accommodate the demands of the developing foetus. Similar to all other systems, many haematological changes occur during pregnancy. Studies of normal variation in leukocyte counts were insufficient to distinguish normal from abnormal leukocyte counts during pregnancy and in the initial postpartum period, due to small numbers of patients and a lack of differential leukocyte counts. Without reference leukocyte levels, infections may be more difficult to assess during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. In this study, we report the 3rd, 5th, 10th, 50th, 95th and 99th percentile values for the total and differential leukocyte counts according to trimester in normal pregnancy and the initial postpartum period. Our reference values for the total and differential leukocyte counts in each trimester and the initial postpartum period may assist clinicians in distinguishing between normal leukocytosis and pathological elevation of the white blood cell count during pregnancy and the initial postpartum period. Our results may prevent misdiagnosis of physiological elevated leukocytes as bacterial infection that leads to unnecessary medication use that may compromise the foetus.

A clinical investigation of force delivery systems for orthodontic space closure.

PubMed

Nightingale, C; Jones, S P

2003-09-01

To investigate the force retention, and rates of space closure achieved by elastomeric chain and nickel titanium coil springs. Randomized clinical trial. Eastman Dental Hospital, London and Queen Mary's University Hospital, Roehampton, 1998-2000. Twenty-two orthodontic patients, wearing the pre-adjusted edgewise appliance undergoing space closure in opposing quadrants, using sliding mechanics on 0.019 x 0.025-inch posted stainless steel archwires. Medium-spaced elastomeric chain [Durachain, OrthoCare (UK) Ltd., Bradford, UK] and 9-mm nickel titanium coil springs [OrthoCare (UK) Ltd.] were placed in opposing quadrants for 15 patients. Elastomeric chain only was used in a further seven patients. The initial forces on placement and residual forces at the subsequent visit were measured with a dial push-pull gauge [Orthocare (UK) Ltd]. Study models of eight patients were taken before and after space closure, from which measurements were made to establish mean space closure. The forces were measured in grammes and space closure in millimetres. Fifty-nine per cent (31/53) of the elastomeric sample maintained at least 50 per cent of the initial force over a time period of 1-15 weeks. No sample lost all its force, and the mean loss was 47 per cent (range: 0-76 per cent). Nickel titanium coil springs lost force rapidly over 6 weeks, following that force levels plateaued. Forty-six per cent (12/26) maintained at least 50 per cent of their initial force over a time period of 1-22 weeks, and mean force loss was 48 per cent (range: 12-68 per cent). The rate of mean weekly space closure for elastomeric chain was 0.21 mm and for nickel titanium coil springs 0.26 mm. There was no relationship between the initial force applied and rate of space closure. None of the sample failed during the study period giving a 100 per cent response rate. In clinical use, the force retention of elastomeric chain was better than previously concluded. High initial forces resulted in high force decay. Nickel titanium coil springs and elastomeric chain closed spaces at a similar rate.

[The impact of glucose absorbed from dialysis solution on body weight gain in peritoneal dialysis treated patients].

PubMed

Jakić, Marko; Stipanić, Sanja; Mihaljević, Dubravka; Zibar, Lada; Lovcić, Vesna; Klarić, Dragan; Jakić, Marijana

2005-01-01

A proportion of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients experience substantial body weight (BW) gain with time. It is caused by fat tissue accumulation or fluid retention. It is believed that fat tissue accumulates due to caloric contribution of glucose absorbed from dialysis solution or to the mitochondrial fat regulatory uncoupling protein (UCP) gene polymorphism. This study examined BW fluctuations in 40 patients (24 females, 16 males), treated by PD at least 36 months (initial mean age 54.50+/-9.00 years, mean BW 68.00+/-8.50 kg and mean height 164.00+/-8.50 cm), relation of the BW fluctuation and caloric contribution of glucose absorbed from dialysis solution and characteristics of the patients with BW gain. Initial BW increased after 6, 12, 24 and 36 months by 5.90+/-3.50 kg, 7.90+/-4.90 kg, 9.50+/-5.00 and 11.00+/-5.00 kg, or for 8.68, 11.62, 13.97 and 16.18% of the initial value, respectively. After the first 6 and 12 months 38 patients gained weight, 39 after 24 and all 40 patients after 36 months. There was not significant correlation between BW gain and caloric contribution of glucose absorbed from dialysis solution. Female patients had initially lower BW, but for the first 12 months period significantly increased BW more than males, and not for the other observed periods. High transporters (patients with higher transport, higher transmission of glucose from peritoneal solution into the blood, and urea and creatinine in the opposite direction, with rapid decrement of osmolality gradient between dialysate and blood that is necessary for excessive fluid elimination), had lower initial BW and, although without statistical significance, only within the first period increased BW more than low transporters. In conclusion, with time BW gain was found in all the PD dialysis patients, it was not related to caloric contribution of glucose absorbed from dialysis solution, and women and high transporters increased BW weight more than men and low transporters in the first year of treatment. The BW gain is at least in part caused by fluid retention.

Catalytic Reduction of 4-Nitrophenol: A Quantitative Assessment of the Role of Dissolved Oxygen in Determining the Induction Time.

PubMed

Menumerov, Eredzhep; Hughes, Robert A; Neretina, Svetlana

2016-12-14

The reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol by borohydride is one of the foremost model catalytic reactions because it allows for a straightforward assessment of catalysts using the kinetic parameters extracted from the real-time spectroscopic monitoring of an aqueous solution. Crucial to its standing as a model reaction is a comprehensive mechanistic framework able to explain the entire time evolution of the reaction. While much of this framework is in place, there is still much debate over the cause of the induction period, an initial time interval where no reaction seemingly occurs. Here, we report on the simultaneous monitoring of the spectroscopic signal and the dissolved oxygen content within the aqueous solution. It reveals that the induction period is the time interval required for the level of dissolved oxygen to fall below a critical value that is dependent upon whether Au, Ag, or Pd nanoparticles are used as the catalyst. With this understanding, we are able to exert complete control over the induction period, being able to eliminate it, extend it indefinitely, or even induce multiple induction periods over the course of a single reaction. Moreover, we have determined that the reaction product, 4-aminophenol, in the presence of the same catalyst reacts with dissolved oxygen to form 4-nitrophenolate. The implication of these results is that the induction period relates, not to some activation of the catalyst, but to a time interval where the reaction product is being rapidly transformed back into a reactant by a side reaction.

HST spectrum and timing of the ultracompact X-ray binary candidate 47 Tuc X9

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tudor, V.; Miller-Jones, J. C. A.; Knigge, C.; Maccarone, T. J.; Tauris, T. M.; Bahramian, A.; Chomiuk, L.; Heinke, C. O.; Sivakoff, G. R.; Strader, J.; Plotkin, R. M.; Soria, R.; Albrow, M. D.; Anderson, G. E.; van den Berg, M.; Bernardini, F.; Bogdanov, S.; Britt, C. T.; Russell, D. M.; Zurek, D. R.

2018-05-01

To confirm the nature of the donor star in the ultracompact X-ray binary candidate 47 Tuc X9, we obtained optical spectra (3000-10 000 Å) with the Hubble Space Telescope / Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph. We find no strong emission or absorption features in the spectrum of X9. In particular, we place 3σ upper limits on the H α and He II λ4686 emission line equivalent widths - EWH α ≲ 14 Å and -EW_{He {II}} ≲ 9 Å, respectively. This is much lower than seen for typical X-ray binaries at a similar X-ray luminosity (which, for L_2-10 keV ≈ 10^{33}-10^{34} erg s-1 is typically - EWH α ˜ 50 Å). This supports our previous suggestion, by Bahramian et al., of an H-poor donor in X9. We perform timing analysis on archival far-ultraviolet, V- and I-band data to search for periodicities. In the optical bands, we recover the 7-d superorbital period initially discovered in X-rays, but we do not recover the orbital period. In the far-ultraviolet, we find evidence for a 27.2 min period (shorter than the 28.2 min period seen in X-rays). We find that either a neutron star or black hole could explain the observed properties of X9. We also perform binary evolution calculations, showing that the formation of an initial black hole/ He-star binary early in the life of a globular cluster could evolve into a present-day system such as X9 (should the compact object in this system indeed be a black hole) via mass-transfer driven by gravitational wave radiation.

Spontaneous motor activity during the development and maintenance of diet-induced obesity in the rat.

PubMed

Levin, B E

1991-09-01

More than 80% of most daily spontaneous activities (assessed in an Omnitech activity monitor) occurred during the last hour of light and 12 h of the dark phase in 8 chow-fed male Sprague-Dawley rats. Thirty additional rats were, therefore, monitored over this 13-h period to assess the relationship of activity to the development and maintenance of diet-induced obesity (DIO) on a diet high in energy, fat and sucrose (CM diet). Nine of 20 rats became obese after 3 months on the CM diet, with 71% greater weight gain than 10 chow-fed controls. Eleven of 20 rats were diet resistant (DR), gaining the same amount of weight as chow-fed rats. Neither initial activity levels nor initial body weights on chow (Period I) differed significantly across retrospectively identified groups. After 3 months on CM diet or chow (Period II), as well as after an additional 3 months after CM diet-fed rats returned to chow (Period III), there were significant inverse correlations (r = -.606 to -.370) between body weight at the time of testing and various measures of movement in the horizontal plane. There was no relationship to dietary content nor consistent correlations of body weight or diet group to vertical movements, an indirect measure of ingestive behavior. Patterns of time spent in the vertical position were significantly different for DIO vs. DR rats in Period III, however. Thus, differences in food intake and metabolic efficiency, rather than differences in nocturnal activity, are probably responsible for the greater weight gain in DIO-prone rats placed on CM diet.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Least Squares Shadowing sensitivity analysis of chaotic limit cycle oscillations

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

Wang, Qiqi, E-mail: qiqi@mit.edu; Hu, Rui, E-mail: hurui@mit.edu; Blonigan, Patrick, E-mail: blonigan@mit.edu

2014-06-15

The adjoint method, among other sensitivity analysis methods, can fail in chaotic dynamical systems. The result from these methods can be too large, often by orders of magnitude, when the result is the derivative of a long time averaged quantity. This failure is known to be caused by ill-conditioned initial value problems. This paper overcomes this failure by replacing the initial value problem with the well-conditioned “least squares shadowing (LSS) problem”. The LSS problem is then linearized in our sensitivity analysis algorithm, which computes a derivative that converges to the derivative of the infinitely long time average. We demonstrate ourmore » algorithm in several dynamical systems exhibiting both periodic and chaotic oscillations.« less

Drying kinetic of industrial cassava flour: Experimental data in view.

PubMed

Odetunmibi, Oluwole A; Adejumo, Oluyemisi A; Oguntunde, Pelumi E; Okagbue, Hilary I; Adejumo, Adebowale O; Suleiman, Esivue A

2017-12-01

In this data article, laboratory experimental investigation results on drying kinetic properties: the drying temperature ( T ), drying air velocity ( V ) and dewatering time (Te), each of the factors has five levels, and the experiment was replicated three times and the output: drying rate and drying time obtained, were observed. The experiment was conducted at National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM) for a period of eight months, in 2014. Analysis of variance was carried out using randomized complete block design with factorial experiment on each of the outputs: drying rate and drying times of the industrial cassava flour. A clear picture on each of these outputs was provided separately using tables and figures. It was observed that all the main factors as well as two and three ways interactions are significant at 5% level for both drying time and rate. This also implies that the rate of drying grated unfermented cassava mash, to produce industrial cassava flour, depend on the dewatering time (the initial moisture content), temperature of drying, velocity of drying air as well as the combinations of these factors altogether. It was also discovered that all the levels of each of these factors are significantly difference from one another. In summary, the time of drying is a function of the dewatering time which was responsible for the initial moisture content. The higher the initial moisture content the longer the time of drying, and the lower the initial moisture content, the lower the time of drying. Also, the higher the temperature of drying the shorter the time of drying and vice versa. Also, the air velocity effect on the drying process was significant. As velocity increases, rate of drying also increases and vice versa. Finally, it can be deduced that the drying kinetics are influenced by these processing factors.

What time-lag for a retraction search on PubMed?

PubMed

Decullier, Evelyne; Huot, Laure; Maisonneuve, Hervé

2014-06-25

To investigate fraud and errors, scientists have studied cohorts of retraction notices. These researches have been performed using a PubMed search on publication type "retraction of publication" which retrieves the notices of the retractions. We assessed the stability of the indexation of retraction notices over a 15-month period and what was the time-lag to get stability. A search on notices of retraction issued in 2008 was repeated every 3 months during 15 months from February 2011. The first search resulted in 237 notices of retraction. Throughout the study period, 14 discrepancies with the initial search were observed (6%). We found that the number of retraction notices became stable 35 months after the retraction. The time-lag observed in this study has to be taken into account when performing a PubMed search.

A two-year follow-up study of the PCV2 status of a Danish pig herd that was initially assumed to be PCV2-free.

PubMed

Kristensen, Charlotte S; Hjulsager, Charlotte K; Larsen, Lars E

2015-01-01

A longitudinal study was carried out to investigate whether a herd that had previously tested negative for porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was free of PCV2 or whether the negative profiles indicate that the level of PCV2 varies over time. In eight Danish herds that had initially tested negative for PCV2 by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), additional sampling was performed. Only one of the herds was still PCV2-negative in the additional sampling and was included in the study. The herd was a finishing herd, subclinically infected with PCV2, but vaccinated against PCV2 to improve performance. The herd was monitored by taking blood samples every seventh week over a period of two years and was not found to be continuously negative for PCV2 by PCR. The first time PCV2 was detected by PCR, in May 2010, PCV2 vaccination had been withdrawn from the herd, and at the same time the herd was infected with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRS). The PCV2-negative status, measured by PCR, was obtained in the first sampling after the PCV2 vaccination had been reintroduced. When PCV2 vaccination was withdrawn again in September 2011, the herd tested positive for PCV2 by PCR, and this time it continued to be PCV2-positive, even though PCV2 vaccination had been reintroduced. A Danish finishing herd that appeared to be PCV2-free from the start of a period of two years was not free of PCV2 during the entire period.

The temporal patterns of disease severity and prevalence in schistosomiasis

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

Ciddio, Manuela; Gatto, Marino, E-mail: marino.gatto@polimi.it; Casagrandi, Renato, E-mail: renato.casagrandi@polimi.it

2015-03-15

Schistosomiasis is one of the most widespread public health problems in the world. In this work, we introduce an eco-epidemiological model for its transmission and dynamics with the purpose of explaining both intra- and inter-annual fluctuations of disease severity and prevalence. The model takes the form of a system of nonlinear differential equations that incorporate biological complexity associated with schistosome's life cycle, including a prepatent period in snails (i.e., the time between initial infection and onset of infectiousness). Nonlinear analysis is used to explore the parametric conditions that produce different temporal patterns (stationary, endemic, periodic, and chaotic). For the time-invariantmore » model, we identify a transcritical and a Hopf bifurcation in the space of the human and snail infection parameters. The first corresponds to the occurrence of an endemic equilibrium, while the latter marks the transition to interannual periodic oscillations. We then investigate a more realistic time-varying model in which fertility of the intermediate host population is assumed to seasonally vary. We show that seasonality can give rise to a cascade of period-doubling bifurcations leading to chaos for larger, though realistic, values of the amplitude of the seasonal variation of fertility.« less

Buying time-the immune system determinants of the incubation period to respiratory viruses.

PubMed

Hermesh, Tamar; Moltedo, Bruno; López, Carolina B; Moran, Thomas M

2010-11-01

Respiratory viruses cause disease in humans characterized by an abrupt onset of symptoms. Studies in humans and animal models have shown that symptoms are not immediate and appear days or even weeks after infection. Since the initial symptoms are a manifestation of virus recognition by elements of the innate immune response, early virus replication must go largely undetected. The interval between infection and the emergence of symptoms is called the incubation period and is widely used as a clinical score. While incubation periods have been described for many virus infections the underlying mechanism for this asymptomatic phase has not been comprehensively documented. Here we review studies of the interaction between human pathogenic respiratory RNA viruses and the host with a particular emphasis on the mechanisms used by viruses to inhibit immunity. We discuss the concept of the "stealth phase", defined as the time between infection and the earliest detectable inflammatory response. We propose that the "stealth phase" phenomenon is primarily responsible for the suppression of symptoms during the incubation period and results from viral antagonism that inhibits major pathways of the innate immune system allowing an extended time of unhindered virus replication.

[Spontaneous course of LAV/HTLV-III infection. Follow-up of persons from AIDS-risk groups].

PubMed

Brodt, H R; Helm, E B; Werner, A; Joetten, A; Bergmann, L; Klüver, A; Stille, W

1986-08-01

543 persons in AIDS risk groups were examined for LAV/HTLV-III infection. Antibodies against LAV/HTLV-III were demonstrated in 377, during an observation period of 3 months to 3 years. Patients were divided into 5 groups, according to clinical, serological and immunological criteria. Severity of symptoms and incidence of recurrences of the lymphadenopathy syndrome correlated positively with an increase in cellular immune deficiency. At the end of the observation period only 30 of 307 antibody-positive patients were well. The AIDS incidence of all antibody-positive patients increased with time from 3% (6-11 months) to 19.4% (24-36 months). If one takes into account only those patients who had marked immune deficiency (stage 2b) at the initial examination, the AIDS incidence during the same periods was 10 and 57%, respectively. At the same time, the condition worsened by at least one stage in half of all patients in stages 1b-2a observed for 1-2 years. A change of stage was observed in up to 80% of patients followed for longer periods. Long-time prognosis of LAV/HTLV-III infection is remarkably bad.

The temporal patterns of disease severity and prevalence in schistosomiasis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciddio, Manuela; Mari, Lorenzo; Gatto, Marino; Rinaldo, Andrea; Casagrandi, Renato

2015-03-01

Schistosomiasis is one of the most widespread public health problems in the world. In this work, we introduce an eco-epidemiological model for its transmission and dynamics with the purpose of explaining both intra- and inter-annual fluctuations of disease severity and prevalence. The model takes the form of a system of nonlinear differential equations that incorporate biological complexity associated with schistosome's life cycle, including a prepatent period in snails (i.e., the time between initial infection and onset of infectiousness). Nonlinear analysis is used to explore the parametric conditions that produce different temporal patterns (stationary, endemic, periodic, and chaotic). For the time-invariant model, we identify a transcritical and a Hopf bifurcation in the space of the human and snail infection parameters. The first corresponds to the occurrence of an endemic equilibrium, while the latter marks the transition to interannual periodic oscillations. We then investigate a more realistic time-varying model in which fertility of the intermediate host population is assumed to seasonally vary. We show that seasonality can give rise to a cascade of period-doubling bifurcations leading to chaos for larger, though realistic, values of the amplitude of the seasonal variation of fertility.

Deaths from occlusive arterial disease in renal allograft recipients.

PubMed

Ibels, L S; Stewart, J H; Mahony, J F; Sheil, A G

1974-08-31

In a series of 325 recipients of cadaveric renal transplants sudden occlusive arterial disease was found to be responsible for 12% of deaths. Acute myocardial infarction (9%) occurred 25 times more than expected in the normal population and cerebral thrombosis (3%) 300 times more. The greatest loss was in the initial three-month period after transplantation. Patients with renal failure due to essential hypertension were especially at risk, accounting for six of the 12 deaths.

Early time evolution of negative ion clouds and electron density depletions produced during electron attachment chemical release experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scales, W. A.; Bernhardt, P. A.; Ganguli, G.

1994-01-01

Two-dimensional electrostatic particle-in-cell simulations are used to study the early time evolution of electron depletions and negative ion clouds produced during electron attachment chemical releases in the ionosphere. The simulation model considers the evolution in the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field and a three-species plasma that contains electrons, positive ions, and also heavy negative ions that result as a by-product of the electron attachment reaction. The early time evolution (less than the negative ion cyclotron period) of the system shows that a negative charge surplus initially develops outside of the depletion boundary as the heavy negative ions move across the boundary. The electrons are initially restricted from moving into the depletion due to the magnetic field. An inhomogenous electric field develops across the boundary layer due to this charge separation. A highly sheared electron flow velocity develops in the depletion boundary due to E x B and Delta-N x B drifts that result from electron density gradients and this inhomogenous electric field. Structure eventually develops in the depletion boundary layer due to low-frequency electrostatic waves that have growth times shorter than the negative ion cyclotron period. It is proposed that these waves are most likely produced by the electron-ion hybrid instability that results from sufficiently large shears in the electron flow velocity.

Relating anomaly correlation to lead time: Clustering analysis of CFSv2 forecasts of summer precipitation in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Tongtiegang; Liu, Pan; Zhang, Yongyong; Ruan, Chengqing

2017-09-01

Global climate model (GCM) forecasts are an integral part of long-range hydroclimatic forecasting. We propose to use clustering to explore anomaly correlation, which indicates the performance of raw GCM forecasts, in the three-dimensional space of latitude, longitude, and initialization time. Focusing on a certain period of the year, correlations for forecasts initialized at different preceding periods form a vector. The vectors of anomaly correlation across different GCM grid cells are clustered to reveal how GCM forecasts perform as time progresses. Through the case study of Climate Forecast System Version 2 (CFSv2) forecasts of summer precipitation in China, we observe that the correlation at a certain cell oscillates with lead time and can become negative. The use of clustering reveals two meaningful patterns that characterize the relationship between anomaly correlation and lead time. For some grid cells in Central and Southwest China, CFSv2 forecasts exhibit positive correlations with observations and they tend to improve as time progresses. This result suggests that CFSv2 forecasts tend to capture the summer precipitation induced by the East Asian monsoon and the South Asian monsoon. It also indicates that CFSv2 forecasts can potentially be applied to improving hydrological forecasts in these regions. For some other cells, the correlations are generally close to zero at different lead times. This outcome implies that CFSv2 forecasts still have plenty of room for further improvement. The robustness of the patterns has been tested using both hierarchical clustering and k-means clustering and examined with the Silhouette score.

Barriers and Facilitators to Initiating and Completing Time-Limited Trials in Critical Care.

PubMed

Bruce, Courtenay R; Liang, Cecilia; Blumenthal-Barby, Jennifer S; Zimmerman, Janice; Downey, Andrea; Pham, Linda; Theriot, Lisette; Delgado, Estevan D; White, Douglas

2015-12-01

A time-limited trial is an agreement between clinicians and patients or surrogate decision makers to use medical therapies over a defined period of time to see if the patient improves or deteriorates according to agreed-upon clinical milestones. Although time-limited trials are broadly advocated, there is little empirical evidence of the benefits and risks of time-limited trials, when they are initiated, when and why they succeed or fail, and what facilitates completion of them. Our study objectives were to 1) identify the purposes for which clinicians use time-limited trials and 2) identify barriers and facilitators to initiating and completing time-limited trials. Semistructured interviews: We analyzed interviews using qualitative description with constant comparative techniques. Nine hundred-bed, academic, tertiary hospital in Houston, Texas. Interviewees were from open medical, surgical, neurosurgical, and cardiovascular ICUs. Thirty healthcare professionals were interviewed (nine surgeons, 16 intensivists, three nurse practitioners, and two "other" clinicians). None. Interviewees reported initiating time-limited trials for three different purposes: to prepare surrogates and clinicians for discussion and possible shifts toward comfort-care only therapies, build consensus, and refine prognostic information. The main barriers to initiating time-limited trials involve clinicians' or surrogate decision makers' disagreement on setting a time limit. Barriers to completing time-limited trials include 1) requesting more time; 2) communication breakdowns because of rotating call schedules; and 3) changes in clinical course. Finally, facilitators to completing time-limited trials include 1) having defined goals about what could be achieved during an ICU stay, either framed in narrow, numeric terms or broad goals focusing on achievable activities of daily living; 2) applying time-limited trials in certain types of cases; and 3) taking ownership to ensure completion of the trial. An understanding of barriers and facilitators to initiating and completing time-limited trials is an essential first step toward appropriate utilization of time-limited trials in the ICUs, as well as developing educational or communication interventions with clinicians to facilitate time-limited trial use. We provide practical suggestions on patient populations in whom time-limited trials may be successful, the setting, and clinicians likely to benefit from educational interventions, allowing clinicians to have a fuller sense of when and how to use time-limited trials.

On retrodictions of global mantle flow with assimilated surface velocities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colli, Lorenzo; Bunge, Hans-Peter; Schuberth, Bernhard S. A.

2016-04-01

Modeling past states of Earth's mantle and relating them to geologic observations such as continental-scale uplift and subsidence is an effective method for testing mantle convection models. However, mantle convection is chaotic and two identical mantle models initialized with slightly different temperature fields diverge exponentially in time until they become uncorrelated, thus limiting retrodictions (i.e., reconstructions of past states of Earth's mantle obtained using present information) to the recent past. We show with 3-D spherical mantle convection models that retrodictions of mantle flow can be extended significantly if knowledge of the surface velocity field is available. Assimilating surface velocities produces in some cases negative Lyapunov times (i.e., e-folding times), implying that even a severely perturbed initial condition may evolve toward the reference state. A history of the surface velocity field for Earth can be obtained from past plate motion reconstructions for time periods of a mantle overturn, suggesting that mantle flow can be reconstructed over comparable times.

On retrodictions of global mantle flow with assimilated surface velocities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colli, Lorenzo; Bunge, Hans-Peter; Schuberth, Bernhard S. A.

2015-10-01

Modeling past states of Earth's mantle and relating them to geologic observations such as continental-scale uplift and subsidence is an effective method for testing mantle convection models. However, mantle convection is chaotic and two identical mantle models initialized with slightly different temperature fields diverge exponentially in time until they become uncorrelated, thus limiting retrodictions (i.e., reconstructions of past states of Earth's mantle obtained using present information) to the recent past. We show with 3-D spherical mantle convection models that retrodictions of mantle flow can be extended significantly if knowledge of the surface velocity field is available. Assimilating surface velocities produces in some cases negative Lyapunov times (i.e., e-folding times), implying that even a severely perturbed initial condition may evolve toward the reference state. A history of the surface velocity field for Earth can be obtained from past plate motion reconstructions for time periods of a mantle overturn, suggesting that mantle flow can be reconstructed over comparable times.

Great Basin Archaeology During the Middle Holocene: a Reflection of Environmental Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wriston, T.

2008-12-01

Varying types of proxy data in the Great Basin of the western United States suggest that the environment changed dramatically during the mid-Holocene. Lake, marsh, and spring systems dried; and dune fields, first established at the end of the Pleistocene, where again activated as sediments were swept from drying basin lowlands. Plant communities reorganized and migrated along elevation gradients to adapt to these changing conditions, and animal populations followed. However, recent data suggests that conditions during the middle Holocene were variable. Minimally, three distinct periods can be recognized, herein named: the Initial Middle Holocene (ca. 8000 to 5800 cal yr BP), the Middle Holocene Gap (ca. 5800 to 5200 cal yr BP), and the Terminal Middle Holocene (ca. 5200 to 4000 cal yr BP). Depending on location and the type of proxy data studied, these periods can vary in their character and timing, but their sequence is increasingly recognized in records of both regional and global-scale. The Initial Middle Holocene is the driest and most volatile of the three periods, with a shift from winter-to summer-dominated precipitation, often delivered by torrential storms. Conversely, the Middle Holocene Gap is a relatively mesic interval with increased winter precipitation and cooler temperatures. A shift towards drier conditions is again evidenced during the Terminal Middle Holocene; however, conditions are never again as dry or as volatile as during the Initial Middle Holocene. The archaeological signature of the Great Basin during the middle Holocene reflects adaptation to this changing environment. During the Initial Middle Holocene, archaeological sites are relatively scarce, and when present, are near water sources substantial enough to persist through the intense drought. The uplands became a focus of sustained seasonal use for the first time as increasingly diverse resources and environments are routinely exploited. It follows that milling gear is a regular and increasingly important element of the prehistoric toolkit. At the onset of the Middle Holocene Gap, rising populations across the Great Basin (and worldwide) are reflected by a surge in archaeological visibility as environmental conditions improved. These populations persist through the less volatile Terminal Middle Holocene. Cultural adaptations to lean times refined during the middle Holocene lead to a punctuated increase in prehistoric populations at the middle-to-late Holocene transition around 4000 cal yr BP, when conditions reach near modern norms. This review offers a synopsis of our current understanding of mid-Holocene environmental change in the Great Basin and how the archaeological record reflects prehistoric adaptations to this dynamic period.

Body temperature rhythm and control of the time of the best physical condition by performing physical labor.

PubMed

Imafuku, Michio

2016-01-01

The initial examination of a male subject's body temperature revealed that it was highest during the evening. Based on this observation, I measured grasping power, calculation speed, performance time on a light sensory task and body temperature, all of which were highest or best during the evening. The time of this subject's best physical condition shifted from the evening to morning hours when the subject executed hard physical labor in the morning, and the shifted phase was maintained after the termination of the labor period.

Initial Dosing and Taper Complexity of Methadone and Morphine for Treatment of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

PubMed Central

Ibach, Bethany W.; Johnson, Peter N.; Ernst, Kimberly D.; Harrison, Donald; Miller, Jamie L.

2016-01-01

Background: Methadone and morphine are commonly used to treat neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Limited data exist to describe the most appropriate initial doses and taper regimens of these agents. Objectives: Describe the median initial dose and frequency of methadone and morphine for NAS. Compare dose adjustments, time to symptom relief, and taper complexity between groups. Methods: Retrospective study of neonates receiving enteral methadone or morphine for NAS over a 4-year period. Data collection included medication regimen, abstinence scores based on the Modified Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Scoring Tool, and adverse events. Planned home taper complexity was assessed using the Medication Taper Complexity Score–Revised (MTCS-R). The primary outcome was initial opioid dose. Secondary outcomes included number of dose adjustments, time to symptom relief, and MTCS-R score. Results: Fifty neonates were initially treated for NAS with methadone (n = 36) or morphine (n = 14). The median initial dose was 0.09 mg/kg (range = 0.03-0.2) for methadone and 0.04 mg/kg (range = 0.03-0.4) for morphine. The most common initial dosing interval was q8h for methadone versus q3h for morphine. Number of dose adjustments and time to symptom relief were similar between groups. Median MTCS-R scores were similar between groups. There was no difference in adverse events between groups. Limitations included small sample size, preference toward methadone use, and variability of initial opioid dosing and titration. Conclusions: There was significant variability in initial doses of both agents. Neonates receiving methadone required less frequent dosing than morphine, which may result in easier administration and may allow for safer outpatient administration.

Effect of a Synbiotic Yogurt on Levels of Fecal Bifidobacteria, Clostridia, and Enterobacteria

PubMed Central

Palaria, Amrita; Johnson-Kanda, Ivy

2012-01-01

While ingestion of synbiotic yogurts containing Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis and inulin is increasing, their effect on certain microbial groups in the human intestine is unclear. To further investigate this, a large-scale, crossover-design, placebo-controlled study was utilized to evaluate the effect of a synbiotic yogurt containing B. animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12 and inulin on the human intestinal bifidobacteria, clostridia, and enterobacteria. Fecal samples were collected at 14 time points from 46 volunteers who completed the study, and changes in the intestinal bacterial levels were monitored using real-time PCR. Strain Bb-12 could not be detected in feces after 2 weeks of washout. A live/dead PCR procedure indicated that the Bb-12 strain detected in the fecal samples was alive. A significant increase (P < 0.001) in the total bifidobacterial numbers was seen in both groups of subjects during the final washout period compared to the prefeeding period. This increase in total bifidobacteria corresponded with a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in numbers of clostridia but not enterobacteria. No significant differences in numbers of bifidobacteria, clostridia, or enterobacteria were observed between the probiotic and placebo groups during any of the feeding periods. However, subgrouping subjects based on lower initial bifidobacterial numbers or higher initial clostridial numbers did show corresponding significant differences between the synbiotic yogurt and placebo groups. This was not observed for a subgroup with higher initial enterobacterial numbers. While this synbiotic yogurt can increase bifidobacterial numbers and decrease clostridial numbers (but not enterobacterial numbers) in some individuals, it cannot modulate these microbial groups in the majority of individuals. PMID:22101054

The impact of a national clinician-led audit initiative on care and mortality after hip fracture in England: an external evaluation using time trends in non-audit data.

PubMed

Neuburger, Jenny; Currie, Colin; Wakeman, Robert; Tsang, Carmen; Plant, Fay; De Stavola, Bianca; Cromwell, David A; van der Meulen, Jan

2015-08-01

Hip fracture is the most common serious injury of older people. The UK National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) was launched in 2007 as a national collaborative, clinician-led audit initiative to improve the quality of hip fracture care, but has not yet been externally evaluated. We used routinely collected data on 471,590 older people (aged 60 years and older) admitted with a hip fracture to National Health Service (NHS) hospitals in England between 2003 and 2011. The main variables of interest were the use of early surgery (on day of admission, or day after) and mortality at 30 days from admission. We compared time trends in the periods 2003-2007 and 2007-2011 (before and after the launch of the NHFD), using Poisson regression models to adjust for demographic changes. The number of hospitals participating in the NHFD increased from 11 in 2007 to 175 in 2011. From 2007 to 2011, the rate of early surgery increased from 54.5% to 71.3%, whereas the rate had remained stable over the period 2003-2007. Thirty-day mortality fell from 10.9% to 8.5%, compared with a small reduction from 11.5% to 10.9% previously. The annual relative reduction in adjusted 30-day mortality was 1.8% per year in the period 2003-2007, compared with 7.6% per year over 2007-2011 (P<0.001 for the difference). The launch of a national clinician-led audit initiative was associated with substantial improvements in care and survival of older people with hip fracture in England.

A Workflow for Subsurface Pressure Control in Geological CO2 Storage: Optimization of Brine Extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birkholzer, J. T.; Gonzalez-Nicolas, A.; Cihan, A.

2017-12-01

Industrial-scale injection of CO2 into the subsurface increases the fluid pressure in the reservoir, sometimes to the point that the resulting stress increases must be properly controlled to prevent potential damaging impacts such as fault activation, leakage through abandoned wells, or caprock fracturing. Brine extraction is one approach for managing formation pressure, effective stress, and plume movement in response to CO2 injection. However, the management of the extracted brine adds cost to the carbon capture and sequestration operations; therefore optimizing (minimizing) the extraction volume of brine is of great importance. In this study, we apply an adaptive management approach that optimizes extraction rates of brine for pressure control in an integrated optimization framework involving site monitoring, model calibration, and optimization. We investigate the optimization performance as affected by initial site characterization data and introduction of newly acquired data during the injection phase. More accurate initial reservoir characterization data reduce the risk of pressure buildup damage with better estimations of initial extraction rates, which results in better control of pressure during the overall injection time periods. Results also show that low frequencies of model calibration and optimization with the new data, especially at early injection periods, may lead to optimization problems, either that pressure buildup constraints are violated or excessively high extraction rates are proposed. These optimization problems can be eliminated if more frequent data collection and model calibration are conducted, especially at early injection time periods. Approaches such as adaptive pressure management may constitute an effective tool to manage pressure buildup under uncertain and unknown reservoir conditions by minimizing the brine extraction volumes while not exceeding critical pressure buildups of the reservoir.

Open-field temporal pattern of ambulation in Japanese quail genetically selected for contrasting adrenocortical responsiveness to brief manual restraint.

PubMed

Kembro, J M; Satterlee, D G; Schmidt, J B; Perillo, M A; Marin, R H

2008-11-01

Japanese quail selected for a low-stress (LS), rather than a high-stress (HS), plasma corticosterone response to brief restraint have been shown to possess lower fearfulness and a nonspecific reduction in stress responsiveness. Detrended fluctuation analysis provides information on the organization and complexity of temporal patterns of behavior. The present study evaluated the temporal pattern of ambulation of LS and HS quail in an open field that represented a novel environment. Time series of 4,200 data points were collected for each bird by registering the distance ambulated every 0.5 s during a 35-min test period. Consistent with their known reduced fearfulness, the LS quail initiated ambulation significantly sooner (P < 0.02) and tended to ambulate more (P < 0.09) than did their HS counterparts. Detrended fluctuation analyses showed a monofractal series (i.e., a series with similar complexity at different temporal scales) in 72% of the birds. These birds initiated their ambulatory activity in less than 600 s. Among these birds, a lower (P < 0.03) autosimilarity coefficient (alpha) was found in the LS quail than in their HS counterparts (alpha = 0.76 +/- 0.03 and 0.87 +/- 0.03, respectively), suggesting a more complex (less regular) ambulatory pattern in the LS quail. However, when the patterns of ambulation were reexamined by considering only the active period of the time series (i.e., after the birds had initiated their ambulatory activity), monofractal patterns were observed in 97% of the birds, and no differences were found between the lines. Collectively, the results suggest that during the active period of open-field testing, during which fear responses are likely less strong and other motivations are the driving forces of ambulation, the LS and HS lines have similar ambulatory organization.

Breast cancer screening in Italy: evaluating key performance indicators for time trends and activity volumes.

PubMed

Giordano, Livia; Castagno, Roberta; Giorgi, Daniela; Piccinelli, Cristiano; Ventura, Leonardo; Segnan, Nereo; Zappa, Marco

2015-01-01

Together with the National centre for screening monitoring (ONS), GISMa supports annual collection of data on national breast screening activities. Aggregated data on implementation and performance are gathered through a standardized form to calculate process and impact indicators. Analyzed data belong to 153 local programmes in the period 2006-2011 (2006-2012 for participation rate only). During the whole period, Italian crude participation rate exceeded GISMa's acceptable standard (50%), even though a higher participation in northern and central Italy compared to southern Italy and Islands was observed. Time trend analysis of diagnostic indicators confirmed in 2011 an adequate quality of breast screening performance, especially at subsequent screening. Recall rate at initial screening did not reach the acceptable standard (<7%) and rose slightly over the period. On the contrary, a good performance was achieved at subsequent screening. The same trend was followed by the overall detection rate and positive predictive value. They both showed a progressive reduction (from 6.2‰ in 2006 to 4.5‰ in 2011 for DR and from 8.0% in 2006 to 5.2% in 2011 for PPV, respectively) at initial screening and a good, stable trend at subsequent screening. Activity volume analysis shows that in programmes with greater activity (test/year ≥10,000) RR at both initial and subsequent screening has a better performance. This is also true for DR and PPV where programmes with high volumes of activity do better, especially when compared with those that interpret fewer than 5,000 mammograms per year. In spite of a few limits, these results are reassuring, and they reward the efforts made by screening professionals. It is therefore important to continue to monitor screening indicators and suggest, test, and evaluate new strategies for continuous improvement.

An initial report on the intraoperative use of indocyanine green fluorescence imaging in the surgical management of liver tumorss.

PubMed

Takahashi, Hideo; Zaidi, Nisar; Berber, Eren

2016-10-01

There has been a recent interest in the use of Indocyanine green (ICG) imaging. The aim of this study is to review our initial experience in liver surgery. ICG fluorescent imaging was used in 15 patients undergoing surgical treatment of their liver tumors between 2015 and 2016. ICG imaging was initially performed, followed by intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS). Findings on fluorescence were compared with preoperative cross-sectional imaging and IOUS. Sixty-two lesions were identified, with 34 located superficially and 28 deeply in the liver. While 13 patients underwent surgery for malignant liver metastases, two patients had operations for benign liver diseases. Seven patients underwent open or robotic liver resections, five laparoscopic microwave liver ablation, and three diagnostic laparoscopy. ICG identified all of the superficial lesions. IOUS identified 98% of all lesions. The most benefit of ICG was in showing the margins of the superficial lesions in real-time and guiding surgical treatment, which was limited by IOUS. This is the first North American study to evaluate the potential utility of ICG during liver surgery. Its major benefit seems to be in providing real-time feedback to the surgeon about the margins of superficial tumors for resection or ablation. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:625-629. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Local and global dynamics of Ramsey model: From continuous to discrete time.

PubMed

Guzowska, Malgorzata; Michetti, Elisabetta

2018-05-01

The choice of time as a discrete or continuous variable may radically affect equilibrium stability in an endogenous growth model with durable consumption. In the continuous-time Ramsey model [F. P. Ramsey, Econ. J. 38(152), 543-559 (1928)], the steady state is locally saddle-path stable with monotonic convergence. However, in the discrete-time version, the steady state may be unstable or saddle-path stable with monotonic or oscillatory convergence or periodic solutions [see R.-A. Dana et al., Handbook on Optimal Growth 1 (Springer, 2006) and G. Sorger, Working Paper No. 1505 (2015)]. When this occurs, the discrete-time counterpart of the continuous-time model is not consistent with the initial framework. In order to obtain a discrete-time Ramsey model preserving the main properties of the continuous-time counterpart, we use a general backward and forward discretisation as initially proposed by Bosi and Ragot [Theor. Econ. Lett. 2(1), 10-15 (2012)]. The main result of the study here presented is that, with this hybrid discretisation method, fixed points and local dynamics do not change. For what it concerns global dynamics, i.e., long-run behavior for initial conditions taken on the state space, we mainly perform numerical analysis with the main scope of comparing both qualitative and quantitative evolution of the two systems, also varying some parameters of interest.

Local and global dynamics of Ramsey model: From continuous to discrete time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzowska, Malgorzata; Michetti, Elisabetta

2018-05-01

The choice of time as a discrete or continuous variable may radically affect equilibrium stability in an endogenous growth model with durable consumption. In the continuous-time Ramsey model [F. P. Ramsey, Econ. J. 38(152), 543-559 (1928)], the steady state is locally saddle-path stable with monotonic convergence. However, in the discrete-time version, the steady state may be unstable or saddle-path stable with monotonic or oscillatory convergence or periodic solutions [see R.-A. Dana et al., Handbook on Optimal Growth 1 (Springer, 2006) and G. Sorger, Working Paper No. 1505 (2015)]. When this occurs, the discrete-time counterpart of the continuous-time model is not consistent with the initial framework. In order to obtain a discrete-time Ramsey model preserving the main properties of the continuous-time counterpart, we use a general backward and forward discretisation as initially proposed by Bosi and Ragot [Theor. Econ. Lett. 2(1), 10-15 (2012)]. The main result of the study here presented is that, with this hybrid discretisation method, fixed points and local dynamics do not change. For what it concerns global dynamics, i.e., long-run behavior for initial conditions taken on the state space, we mainly perform numerical analysis with the main scope of comparing both qualitative and quantitative evolution of the two systems, also varying some parameters of interest.

Incubation Period and Early Natural History Events of the Acute Form of Paracoccidioidomycosis: Lessons from Patients with a Single Paracoccidioides spp. Exposure.

PubMed

Buccheri, Renata; Khoury, Zarifa; Barata, Luis Carlos Barradas; Benard, Gil

2016-06-01

Several aspects of the natural history of paracoccidioidomycosis are still poorly understood. Different from the most prevalent, chronic form of the disease, the acute form represents a continuum from the initial respiratory infection to the full-blown disease, thus providing an opportunity to elucidate the pathogenesis of the early phase of this mycosis. We describe, for the first time, two patients with a single time point exposure to Paracoccidioides spp., for whom we were able to determine the time lapsed between exposure to the fungus Paracoccidioides spp. and the onset of signs and symptoms. In case 1, the pulmonary infection was unapparent, and the first manifestations of the acute/subacute form of the disease presented 4 months after Paracoccidioides spp. In case 2, self-limited, non-specific respiratory and systemic symptoms presented 45 days after infection. Thus, our patients confirm that, within a few weeks of infection, Paracoccidioides spp. affects the pulmonary lymphatic system and initially causes no or mild-to-moderate self-limited symptoms, eventually causing abnormalities on a chest X-ray, all of which spontaneously subside. These cases provide some insight into the natural history of this mycosis, the extent of the host exposure to the fungus, and the determination of its incubation period.

Real-time observation of multi-mode vibronic coherence in pentafluoropyridine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kus, J. A.; Hüter, O.; Temps, F.

2017-07-01

The ultrafast dynamics of pentafluoropyridine in the 1 1B2 (ππ*) electronic state excited at λpump = 255 nm is investigated by femtosecond time-resolved time-of-flight mass spectrometry and photoelectron imaging spectroscopy. A pronounced, long-lived, and complex periodic modulation of the transient ion yield signal with contributions by four distinct frequency components, 72 cm-1, 144 cm-1, 251 cm-1, and 281 cm-1, is observed for up to 9 ps. The recorded photoelectron images display a spectral band from the excited 1 1B2 (ππ*) state only in the oscillation maxima; the signal is strongly reduced in the oscillation minima. Supported by electronic structure calculations at the RI-SCS-CC2 and XMCQDPT2 levels of theory, the oscillating components of the signal are identified as frequencies of b1 symmetry coupling modes in a vibronic coherence of the 1 1B2 (ππ*) and 1 1A2 (πσ*) electronic states. The optical excitation initiates regular and periodic wavepacket motion along those out-of-plane modes. In the distorted molecular structure, the initially excited state acquires substantial πσ* character that modulates the transition dipole moment for ionization and results in the observed oscillations.

Evaluation of the stability of fluoxetine in pluronic lecithin organogel and the determination of an appropriate beyond-use date.

PubMed

Peacock, Gina F; Sauvageot, Jurgita

2014-01-01

Fluoxetine is a commonly prescribed psychotropic medication for a variety of behavioral diagnoses in veterinary practice, and fluoxetine in Pluronic lecithin organogel has been used successfully in treating inappropriate urine spraying in felines. Historically, pharmacists have assigned a variety of beyond-use dates to extemporaneously compound drugs in Pluronic lecithin organogel. The objective of this study was to evaluate the stability of fluoxetine in Pluronic lecithin organogel over a period of six months and to determine an appropriate beyond-use date. A stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography method for fluoxetine in Pluronic lecithin organogel was validated in our laboratory. Fluoxetine-Pluronic lecithin organogel 50 mg/mL was prepared by a local compounding pharmacy and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatograph at 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 45, 60, 90, and 180 days. Physical stability was also assessed by visual observation. At each time point percent of initial concentration was calculated. The beyond-use date was determined as the time period that the samples maintained at least 90 percent of the initial concentration. At 180 days, the mean percent of initial concentration was 99 +/- 1.5 and, visually, the fluoxetine-Pluronic lecithin organogel retained the original color and consistency, without detectable separation of the different phases of Pluronic lecithin organogel. Since fluoxetine was physically stable and retained greater than 90 percent of initial concentration in Pluronic lecithin organogel for 180 days when stored at room temperature and protected from light, a beyond-use date of 180 days is appropriate.

Hazard-Rate Analysis and Patterns of Recurrence in Early Stage Melanoma: Moving towards a Rationally Designed Surveillance Strategy

PubMed Central

Scheri, Randall P.; Pruitt, Scott K.; Herndon, James E.; Marcello, Jennifer; Tyler, Douglas S.; Abernethy, Amy P.

2013-01-01

Background While curable at early stages, few treatment options exist for advanced melanoma. Currently, no consensus exists regarding the optimal surveillance strategy for patients after resection. The objectives of this study were to identify patterns of metastatic recurrence, to determine the influence of metastatic site on survival, and to identify high-risk periods for recurrence. Methods A retrospective review of the Duke Melanoma Database from 1970 to 2004 was conducted that focused on patients who were initially diagnosed without metastatic disease. The time to first recurrence was computed from the date of diagnosis, and the associated hazard function was examined to determine the peak risk period of recurrence. Metastatic sites were coded by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) system including local skin, distant skin and nodes (M1a), lung (M1b), and other distant (M1c). Results Of 11,615 patients initially diagnosed without metastatic disease, 4616 (40%) had at least one recurrence. Overall the risk of initial recurrence peaked at 12 months. The risk of initial recurrence at the local skin, distant skin, and nodes peaked at 8 months, and the risk at lung and other distant sites peaked at 24 months. Patients with a cutaneous or nodal recurrence had improved survival compared to other recurrence types. Conclusions The risk of developing recurrent melanoma peaked at one year, and the site of first recurrence had a significant impact on survival. Defining the timing and expected patterns of recurrence will be important in creating an optimized surveillance strategy for this patient population. PMID:23516415

Reducing Overutilization of Testing for Clostridium difficile Infection in a Pediatric Hospital System: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

PubMed

Klatte, J Michael; Selvarangan, Rangaraj; Jackson, Mary Anne; Myers, Angela L

2016-01-01

Study objectives included addressing overuse of Clostridium difficile laboratory testing by decreasing submission rates of nondiarrheal stool specimens and specimens from children ≤12 months of age and determining resultant patient and laboratory cost savings associated with decreased testing. A multifaceted initiative was developed, and components included multiple provider education methods, computerized order entry modifications, and automatic declination from laboratory on testing stool specimens of nondiarrheal consistency and from children ≤12 months old. A run chart, demonstrating numbers of nondiarrheal plus infant stool specimens submitted over time, was developed to analyze the initiative's impact on clinicians' test-ordering practices. A p-chart was generated to evaluate the percentage of these submitted specimens tested biweekly over a 12-month period. Cost savings for patients and the laboratory were assessed at the study period's conclusion. Run chart analysis revealed an initial shift after the interventions, suggesting a temporary decrease in testing submission; however, no sustained differences in numbers of specimens submitted biweekly were observed over time. On the p-chart, the mean percentage of specimens tested before the intervention was 100%. After the intervention, the average percentage of specimens tested dropped to 53.8%. Resultant laboratory cost savings totaled nearly $3600, and patient savings on testing charges were ∼$32 000. Automatic laboratory declination of nondiarrheal stools submitted for CDI testing resulted in a sustained decrease in the number of specimens tested, resulting in significant laboratory and patient cost savings. Despite multiple educational efforts, no sustained changes in physician ordering practices were observed. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Effect of gender and calendar year on time to and duration of virologic suppression among antiretroviral-naïve HIV-infected individuals initiating combination antiretroviral therapy.

PubMed

Raboud, Janet; Blitz, Sandra; Walmsley, Sharon; Thompson, Courtney; Rourke, Sean B; Loutfy, Mona R

2010-01-01

To determine the effects of gender and calendar year on time to and duration of virologic suppression among HIV-infected antiretroviral-naïve individuals initiating combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Ontario Cohort Study antiretroviral-naïve participants who initiated cART after December 31, 1998, and who had ≥2 follow-up viral loads were included. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the effects of gender and calendar year on times to virologic suppression and rebound. Of the 840 patients, 81% were male (median age 40 years; interquartile range [IQR], 34-46). Time to virologic suppression was shorter among women (hazard ratio [HR]=1.27, P=.01) and in more recent calendar time periods (2002-2004: HR, 1.04, P=.67; 2005-2006: HR, 1.22, P=.06; 2007-2008: HR, 1.36, P=.004) compared to 1999-2001 after adjusting for age and type of cART regimens. Women had shorter times to virologic rebound (HR, 1.57; P<.01) after adjusting for age, injection drug use, and type of cART regimen. However, 14/18 (78%) women suspected to be taking cART only for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV experienced virologic rebound compared to 28% of women who required cART for their own health, suggesting that the increased rate of virologic rebound was due to women stopping ART at the termination of a pregnancy if they did not need it for their own health. Rates of rebound did not differ by calendar year period. Time to virologic suppression has steadily decreased over time while duration of suppression remained stable. Time to virologic suppression was shorter for women than for men, whereas durability of virologic suppression was slightly longer for men than women. However, gender differences in virologic rebound were likely due to women discontinuing cART at the end of the pregnancy if it was not needed for their own health.

Reducing the financial impact of pathogen inactivation technology for platelet components: our experience.

PubMed

Girona-Llobera, Enrique; Jimenez-Marco, Teresa; Galmes-Trueba, Ana; Muncunill, Josep; Serret, Carmen; Serra, Neus; Sedeño, Matilde

2014-01-01

Pathogen inactivation (PI) technology for blood components enhances blood safety by inactivating viruses, bacteria, parasites, and white blood cells. Additionally, PI for platelet (PLT) components has the potential to extend PLT storage time from 5 to 7 days. A retrospective analysis was conducted into the percentage of outdated PLT components during the 3 years before and after the adoption of PLT PI technology in our institution. The PLT transfusion dose for both pre-PI and post-PI periods was similar. A retrospective analysis to study clinical safety and component utilization was also performed in the Balearic Islands University Hospital. As a result of PI implementation in our institution, the PLT production cost increased by 85.5%. However, due to the extension of PLT storage time, the percentage of outdated PLT units substantially decreased (-83.9%) and, consequently, the cost associated with outdated units (-69.8%). This decrease represented a 13.7% reduction of the initial cost increase which, together with the saving in blood transportation (0.1%), led to a saving of 13.8% over the initial cost. Therefore, the initial 85.5% increase in the cost of PLT production was markedly reduced to 71.7%. The mean number of PLT concentrates per patient was similar during both periods. The extension of PLT storage time can substantially contribute to reducing the financial impact of PI by decreasing the percentage of outdated PLTs while improving blood safety. Since the adoption of PI, there have been no documented cases of PLT transfusion-related sepsis in our region. © 2013 American Association of Blood Banks.

The route to chaos for the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Papageorgiou, Demetrios T.; Smyrlis, Yiorgos

1990-01-01

The results of extensive numerical experiments of the spatially periodic initial value problem for the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation. This paper is concerned with the asymptotic nonlinear dynamics at the dissipation parameter decreases and spatio-temporal chaos sets in. To this end the initial condition is taken to be the same for all numerical experiments (a single sine wave is used) and the large time evolution of the system is followed numerically. Numerous computations were performed to establish the existence of windows, in parameter space, in which the solution has the following characteristics as the viscosity is decreased: a steady fully modal attractor to a steady bimodal attractor to another steady fully modal attractor to a steady trimodal attractor to a periodic attractor, to another steady fully modal attractor, to another periodic attractor, to a steady tetramodal attractor, to another periodic attractor having a full sequence of period-doublings (in parameter space) to chaos. Numerous solutions are presented which provide conclusive evidence of the period-doubling cascades which precede chaos for this infinite-dimensional dynamical system. These results permit a computation of the length of subwindows which in turn provide an estimate for their successive ratios as the cascade develops. A calculation based on the numerical results is also presented to show that the period doubling sequences found here for the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation, are in complete agreement with Feigenbaum's universal constant of 4,669201609... . Some preliminary work shows several other windows following the first chaotic one including periodic, chaotic, and a steady octamodal window; however, the windows shrink significantly in size to enable concrete quantitative conclusions to be made.

Motion of discrete solitons assisted by nonlinearity management.

PubMed

Cuevas, Jesús; Malomed, Boris A; Kevrekidis, P G

2005-06-01

We demonstrate that time-periodic modulation of the nonlinearity coefficient in the discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equation strongly facilitates creation of traveling solitons in the lattice. We predict this possibility in a semi-qualitative form analytically, and test it in direct numerical simulations. Systematic computations reveal several generic dynamical regimes, depending on the amplitude and frequency of the time modulation, and on the initial thrust which sets the soliton in motion. These regimes include irregular motion of the soliton, regular motion of a decaying one, and regular motion of a stable soliton. The motion may occur in both the straight and reverse directions, relative to the initial thrust. In the case of stable motion, extremely long simulations in a lattice with periodic boundary conditions demonstrate that the soliton keeps moving indefinitely long without any visible loss. Velocities of moving stable solitons are in good agreement with the analytical prediction, which is based on requiring a resonance between the ac drive and motion of the soliton through the periodic lattice. The generic dynamical regimes are mapped in the model's parameter space. Collisions between moving stable solitons are briefly investigated too, with a conclusion that two different outcomes are possible: elastic bounce, or bounce with mass transfer from one soliton to the other. The model can be realized experimentally in a Bose-Einstein condensate trapped in a deep optical lattice.

The annual carnival in Guadeloupe (French West Indies) is associated with an increase in the number of conceptions and subsequent births nine months later: 2000 – 2011

PubMed Central

Costet, Nathalie; Toto, Teddy; Janky, Eustase; Multigner, Luc

2017-01-01

The seasonal patterns of conceptions and births differ between geographic areas. Several potential determinants of this variation have been identified, including biological, environmental and behavioral elements, but festive events are rarely mentioned. We investigated the possible association between the carnival and seasonal fertility variations in the French West Indies. We ran a retrospective registry-based study. The data were extracted from the registry of all births on Guadeloupe between 2000 and 2011 (n = 74,412), and from the Maternity Birth Register of the University Hospital, for all pregnancies of at least 14 completed weeks of gestation (observable conceptions) with an outcome recorded between 2007 and 2010 (n = 8,425). We compared data during and outside the carnival period for each year, including 2009, when there was no carnival due to a 44-day general strike. In all years other than 2009, the weekly number of births was higher for pregnancies initiated during the carnival period than for pregnancies initiated at other times, and the weekly number of observable conceptions was higher during the carnival period than at other times. Our findings support the hypothesis that carnivals in the French West Indies are associated with an increase in the number of conceptions and subsequent births. PMID:28253323

42 CFR 1005.21 - Appeal to DAB.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... initial 30 day period and shows good cause. (b) If a party files a timely notice of appeal with the DAB... and material and that there were reasonable grounds for the failure to adduce such evidence at such... days from the date of mailing. (k) (1) Any petition for judicial review must be filed within 60 days...

34 CFR 33.39 - Appeal to Department head.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... extension within the initial 30-day period and shows good cause. (c) If the defendant files a timely notice... the Department head that additional evidence not presented at such hearing is material and that there.... (Authority: 31 U.S.C. 3803(i)(2)) (l) Unless a petition for review is filed as provided in 31 U.S.C. 3805...

45 CFR 160.548 - Appeal of the ALJ's decision.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... extension within the initial 30 day period and shows good cause. (b) If a party files a timely notice of... such hearing is relevant and material and that there were reasonable grounds for the failure to adduce... the Board for good cause shown. Reply briefs are not permitted. (4) The Board must rule on the motion...

Envisioning Workforce Training Differently: The Obama "Free" Community College Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holland, Brian

2015-01-01

Education, particularly at the post-secondary level, does not come cheaply in the USA, with the increase in annual tuition costs far outpacing the inflation rate during the same time period. A core tenet of US President Obama's domestic policy agenda is the belief that increased educational attainment can potentially lead to better economic…

Robust Decision Making for Improved Mission Assurance

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

Technology Team (STT) proposed and was approved to receive funding for a set of four research projects advancing foundational decision science and... technology over a three year period of performance. At the time it was approved, the initiative involved 27 collaborating scientists and engineers from five...Appendix E. Sensors Directorate Technologies for Robust Decision Making for Improved Mission Assurance

Using Multilevel Modeling for Change to Assess Early Children's Reading Growth over Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Xing; O'Connell, Ann A.

2008-01-01

Childhood is the crucial period for early children's reading ability building. Former research (Hanson & Farrell, 1995) found that early reading experience had a positive and long-term effect on reading competence for high school seniors in the future. Therefore, it is of great importance for researchers to understand children's initial reading…

A Conceptual Change Model for Teaching Heat Energy, Heat Transfer and Insulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, C. K.

2014-01-01

This study examines the existing knowledge that pre-service elementary teachers (PSETs) have regarding heat energy, heat transfer and insulation. The PSETs' knowledge of heat energy was initially assessed by using an activity: determining which container would be best to keep hot water warm for the longest period of time. Results showed that PSETs…

78 FR 26841 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-08

... Application and Initiation Fees, for a defined period of time, in order that certain market making firms may... Exchange at the request of such traders, unless specifically exempted from such quoting (market-making... on market making firms. The Exchange operates in a highly competitive market, comprised of eleven...

76 FR 80333 - Seamless Refined Copper Pipe and Tube From Mexico: Extension of Time Limits for the Preliminary...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-23

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-428-840] Seamless Refined Copper Pipe... antidumping duty order on seamless refined copper pipe and tube from Mexico, covering the period November 22, 2010, to April 30, 2011. See Seamless Refined Copper Pipe and Tube From Mexico: Notice of Initiation of...

Tests Enhance the Transfer of Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rohrer, Doug; Taylor, Kelli; Sholar, Brandon

2010-01-01

Numerous learning studies have shown that if the period of time devoted to studying information (e.g., casa-house) includes at least 1 test (casa-?), performance on a final test is improved--a finding known as the "testing effect". In most of these studies, however, the final test is identical to the initial test. If the final test…

Nantucket pine tip moth, Rhyacionia Frustrana, lures and traps: What is the optimum combination?

Treesearch

Gary L. DeBarr; J. wayne Brewer; R. Scott Cameron; C. Wayne Berisford

1999-01-01

Pheromone traps are used to monitor flight activity of male Nantucket pine tip moths, Rhyacionia frustrana (Comstock), to initialize spray timing models, determine activity periods, or detect population trends. However, a standardized trapping procedure has not been developed. The relative efficacies of six types of lures and eight commercial pheromone traps were...

Does a Spouse Slow You down?: Marriage and Graduate Student Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Price, Joseph

2006-01-01

Using data on 11,000 graduate students from 100 departments over a 20 year period, I test whether graduate student outcomes (graduation rates, time to degree, publication success, and initial job placement) differ based on a student's gender and marital status. I find that married men have better outcomes across every measure than single men.…

Improving Assessment: Creating a Culture of Assessment with a Change Management Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lane, Michael R.; Lane, Peggy L.; Rich, John; Wheeling, Barbara

2015-01-01

For more than twenty years accrediting agencies have required assessment as part of their initial accreditation or reaffirmation processes. During that period of time thousands of institutions have successfully prepared plans to achieve or maintain their accreditation. Why then does a culture of assessment not exist? And why is assessment still an…

Power-Efficient Beacon Recognition Method Based on Periodic Wake-Up for Industrial Wireless Devices.

PubMed

Song, Soonyong; Lee, Donghun; Jang, Ingook; Choi, Jinchul; Son, Youngsung

2018-04-17

Energy harvester-integrated wireless devices are attractive for generating semi-permanent power from wasted energy in industrial environments. The energy-harvesting wireless devices may have difficulty in their communication with access points due to insufficient power supply for beacon recognition during network initialization. In this manuscript, we propose a novel method of beacon recognition based on wake-up control to reduce instantaneous power consumption in the initialization procedure. The proposed method applies a moving window for the periodic wake-up of the wireless devices. For unsynchronized wireless devices, beacons are always located in the same positions within each beacon interval even though the starting offsets are unknown. Using these characteristics, the moving window checks the existence of the beacon associated withspecified resources in a beacon interval, checks again for neighboring resources at the next beacon interval, and so on. This method can reduce instantaneous power and generates a surplus of charging time. Thus, the proposed method alleviates the problems of power insufficiency in the network initialization. The feasibility of the proposed method is evaluated using computer simulations of power shortage in various energy-harvesting conditions.

Time course of degradation of cardiac troponin I in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction: the ASSENT-2 troponin substudy.

PubMed

Madsen, Lene H; Christensen, Geir; Lund, Terje; Serebruany, Victor L; Granger, Chris B; Hoen, Ingvild; Grieg, Zanina; Alexander, John H; Jaffe, Allan S; Van Eyk, Jennifer E; Atar, Dan

2006-11-10

Although measurement of troponin is widely used for diagnosing acute myocardial infarction (AMI), its diagnostic potential may be increased by a more complete characterization of its molecular appearance and degradation in the blood. The aim of this study was to define the time course of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) degradation in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In the ASSENT-2 substudy, 26 males hospitalized with STEMI were randomized to 2 different thrombolytic drugs within 6 hours after onset of symptoms. Blood samples were obtained just before initiation of thrombolysis and at 30 minutes intervals (7 samples per patient). Western blot analysis was performed using anti-cTnI antibodies and compared with serum concentrations of cTnI. All patients exceeded the cTnI cutoff for AMI during the sampling period; at initiation of therapy, 23 had elevated cTnI values. All patients demonstrated 2 bands on immunoblot: intact cTnI and a single degradation product as early as 90 minutes after onset of symptoms. On subsequent samples, 15 of 26 patients showed multiple degradation products with up to 7 degradation bands. The appearance of fragments was correlated with higher levels of cTnI (P<0.001) and time to initiation of treatment (P=0.058). This study defines for the first time the initial time course of cTnI degradation in STEMI. Intact cTnI and a single degradation product were detectable on immunoblot as early as 90 minutes after onset of symptoms with further degradation after 165 minutes. Infarct size and time to initiation of treatment was the major determinant for degradation.

Initializing decadal climate predictions over the North Atlantic region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matei, Daniela Mihaela; Pohlmann, Holger; Jungclaus, Johann; Müller, Wolfgang; Haak, Helmuth; Marotzke, Jochem

2010-05-01

Decadal climate prediction aims to predict the internally-generated decadal climate variability in addition to externally-forced climate change signal. In order to achieve this it is necessary to start the predictions from the current climate state. In this study we investigate the forecast skill of the North Atlantic decadal climate predictions using two different ocean initialization strategies. First we apply an assimilation of ocean synthesis data provided by the GECCO project (Köhl and Stammer, 2008) as initial conditions for the coupled model ECHAM5/MPI-OM. Hindcast experiments are then performed over the period 1952-2001. An alternative approach is one in which the subsurface ocean temperature and salinity are diagnosed from an ensemble of ocean model runs forced by the NCEP-NCAR atmospheric reanalyzes for the period 1948-2007, then nudge into the coupled model to produce initial conditions for the hindcast experiments. An anomaly coupling scheme is used in both approaches to avoid the hindcast drift and the associated initial shock. Differences between the two assimilation approaches are discussed by comparing them with the observational data in key regions and processes. We asses the skill of the initialized decadal hindcast experiments against the prediction skill of the non-initialized hindcasts simulation. We obtain an overview of the regions with the highest predictability from the regional distribution of the anomaly correlation coefficients and RMSE for the SAT. For the first year the hindcast skill is increased over almost all ocean regions in the NCEP-forced approach. This increase in the hindcast skill for the 1 year lead time is somewhat reduced in the GECCO approach. At lead time 5yr and 10yr, the skill enhancement is still found over the North Atlantic and North Pacific regions. We also consider the potential predictability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and Nordic Seas Overflow by comparing the predicted values to the respective assimilation experiments. Hindcasts of Atlantic MOC and Denmark Strait Overflow show higher predictability than the comparison experiments without initialization and damped persistence predictions up to about 5-6 years.

Movement initiation-locked activity of the anterior putamen predicts future movement instability in periodic bimanual movement.

PubMed

Aramaki, Yu; Haruno, Masahiko; Osu, Rieko; Sadato, Norihiro

2011-07-06

In periodic bimanual movements, anti-phase-coordinated patterns often change into in-phase patterns suddenly and involuntarily. Because behavior in the initial period of a sequence of cycles often does not show any obvious errors, it is difficult to predict subsequent movement errors in the later period of the cyclical sequence. Here, we evaluated performance in the later period of the cyclical sequence of bimanual periodic movements using human brain activity measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging as well as using initial movement features. Eighteen subjects performed a 30 s bimanual finger-tapping task. We calculated differences in initiation-locked transient brain activity between antiphase and in-phase tapping conditions. Correlation analysis revealed that the difference in the anterior putamen activity during antiphase compared within-phase tapping conditions was strongly correlated with future instability as measured by the mean absolute deviation of the left-hand intertap interval during antiphase movements relative to in-phase movements (r = 0.81). Among the initial movement features we measured, only the number of taps to establish the antiphase movement pattern exhibited a significant correlation. However, the correlation efficient of 0.60 was not high enough to predict the characteristics of subsequent movement. There was no significant correlation between putamen activity and initial movement features. It is likely that initiating unskilled difficult movements requires increased anterior putamen activity, and this activity increase may facilitate the initiation of movement via the basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuit. Our results suggest that initiation-locked transient activity of the anterior putamen can be used to predict future motor performance.

The Effect of Age in the Alteration in Fluid Balance of Rats in Response to Centrifugation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuller, Charles A.

2000-01-01

With an increase in gravity load induced by centrifugation or upon return to Earth following spaceflight, there is a period of adjustment in fluid balance in rats. With centrifugation there is a reduced fluid intake with maintenance of the rate of urine excretion. Following spaceflight there is an increase in urine output and maintenance of fluid intake. The initial period of acclimation to hypergravity is associated with a net loss of fluids. In the present study in response to centrifugation at 2.0 G this period of acclimation is present in mature rats for a longer period of time, about 24 hours. Following this initial response a period of over compensation has previously been reported. In the present study this was not observed. The net effect of these alterations in water intake and output in response to centrifugation for 14 days was slight increase in the percent total body water, with effective compensation seen in both young and mature rats. Older rats have been shown to have a reduced relative thirst and compensatory renal function in response to hypohydration, hyperosmolality and pharmacological stimuli. Responsiveness to these stimuli are delayed and/or attenuated in older animals. Similar findings were noted in the present study in the initial response to centrifugation. The older animal had a delayed return of fluid intake to control levels. The delay of one day did not appear to effect long-term fluid homeostasis, as there was difference in the response of percent total body water at the end of 14 days of centrifugation with both age groups having a slight but significant increase. This increase has been attributed to the increase in lean body mass induced by centrifugation.

On the long-period evolution of the sun-synchronous orbits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuznetsov, E. D.; Jasim, A. T.

2016-05-01

The dynamic evolution of sun-synchronous orbits at a time interval of 20 years is considered. The numerical motion simulation has been carried out using the Celestial Mechanics software package developed at the Institute of Astronomy of the University of Bern. The dependence of the dynamic evolution on the initial value of the ascending node longitude is examined for two families of sun-synchronous orbits with altitudes of 751 and 1191 km. Variations of the semimajor axis and orbit inclination are obtained depending on the initial value of the ascending node longitude. Recommendations on the selection of orbits, in which spent sun-synchronous satellites can be moved, are formulated. Minimal changes of elements over a time interval of 20 years have been observed for orbits in which at the initial time the angle between the orbit ascending node and the direction of the Sun measured along the equator have been close to 90° or 270°. In this case, the semimajor axis of the orbit is not experiencing secular perturbations arising from the satellite's passage through the Earth's shadow.

A standardized stepwise drug treatment algorithm for depression reduces direct treatment costs in depressed inpatients - Results from the German Algorithm Project (GAP3).

PubMed

Ricken, Roland; Wiethoff, Katja; Reinhold, Thomas; Stamm, Thomas J; Baghai, Thomas C; Fisher, Robert; Seemüller, Florian; Brieger, Peter; Cordes, Joachim; Laux, Gerd; Hauth, Iris; Möller, Hans-Jürgen; Heinz, Andreas; Bauer, Michael; Adli, Mazda

2018-03-01

In a previous single center study we found that a standardized drug treatment algorithm (ALGO) was more cost effective than treatment as usual (TAU) for inpatients with major depression. This report aimed to determine whether this promising initial finding could be replicated in a multicenter study. Treatment costs were calculated for two time periods: the study period (from enrolment to exit from study) and time in hospital (from enrolment to hospital discharge) based on daily hospital charges. Cost per remitted patient during the study period was considered as primary outcome. 266 patients received ALGO and 84 received TAU. For the study period, ALGO costs were significantly lower than TAU (ALGO: 7 848 ± 6 065 €; TAU: 10 033 ± 7 696 €; p = 0.04). For time in hospital, costs were not different (ALGO: 14 734 ± 8 329 €; TAU: 14 244 ± 8 419 €; p = 0.617). Remission rates did not differ for the study period (ALGO: 57.9%, TAU: 50.0%; p=0.201). Remission rates were greater in ALGO (83.3%) than TAU (66.2%) for time in hospital (p = 0.002). Cost per remission was lower in ALGO (13 554 ± 10 476 €) than TAU (20 066 ± 15 391 €) for the study period (p < 0.001) and for time in hospital (ALGO: 17 582 ± 9 939 €; TAU: 21 516 ± 12 718 €; p = 0.036). Indirect costs were not assessed. Different dropout rates in TAU and ALGO complicated interpretation. Treatment algorithms enhance the cost effectiveness of the care of depressed inpatients, which replicates our prior results in an independent sample. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Derivation of GNSS derived station velocities for a surface deformation model in the Austrian region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umnig, Elke; Weber, Robert; Maras, Jadre; Brückl, Ewald

2016-04-01

This contribution deals with the first comprehensive analysis of GNSS derived surface velocities computed within an observation network of about 100 stations covering the whole Austrian territory and parts of the neighbouring countries. Coordinate time series are available now, spanning a period of 5 years (2010.0-2015.0) for one focus area in East Austria and one and a half year (2013.5-2015.0) for the remaining part of the tracking network. In principle the data series are stemming from two different GNSS campaigns. The former was set up to investigate intra plate tectonic movements within the framework of the project ALPAACT (seismological and geodetic monitoring of ALpine-PAnnonian ACtive Tectonics), the latter was designed to support a number of various requests, e.g. derivation of GNSS derived water vapour fields, but also to expand the foresaid tectonic studies. In addition the activities within the ALPAACT project supplement the educational initiative SHOOLS & QUAKES, where scholars contribute to seismological research. For the whole period of the processed coordinate time series daily solutions have been computed by means of the Bernese software. The processed coordinate time series are tied to the global reference frame ITRF2000 as well as to the frame ITRF2008. Due to the transition of the reference from ITRF2000 to ITRF2008 within the processing period, but also due to updates of the Bernese software from version 5.0 to 5.2 the time series were initially not fully consistent and have to be re-aligned to a common frame. So the goal of this investigation is to derive a nationwide consistent horizontal motion field on base of GNSS reference station data within the ITRF2008 frame, but also with respect to the Eurasian plate. In this presentation we focus on the set-up of the coordinate time series and on the problem of frame alignment. Special attention is also paid to the separation into linear and periodic motion signals, originating from tectonic or non-tectonic sources.

Robust modular product family design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Lan; Allada, Venkat

2001-10-01

This paper presents a modified Taguchi methodology to improve the robustness of modular product families against changes in customer requirements. The general research questions posed in this paper are: (1) How to effectively design a product family (PF) that is robust enough to accommodate future customer requirements. (2) How far into the future should designers look to design a robust product family? An example of a simplified vacuum product family is used to illustrate our methodology. In the example, customer requirements are selected as signal factors; future changes of customer requirements are selected as noise factors; an index called quality characteristic (QC) is set to evaluate the product vacuum family; and the module instance matrix (M) is selected as control factor. Initially a relation between the objective function (QC) and the control factor (M) is established, and then the feasible M space is systemically explored using a simplex method to determine the optimum M and the corresponding QC values. Next, various noise levels at different time points are introduced into the system. For each noise level, the optimal values of M and QC are computed and plotted on a QC-chart. The tunable time period of the control factor (the module matrix, M) is computed using the QC-chart. The tunable time period represents the maximum time for which a given control factor can be used to satisfy current and future customer needs. Finally, a robustness index is used to break up the tunable time period into suitable time periods that designers should consider while designing product families.

Polarization Resistance Measurement in Tap Water: The Influence of Rust Electrochemical Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasyliev, Georgii

2017-08-01

Corrosion rate of mild steel in tap water during 4300 h was estimated by LPR and weight-loss methods coupled with OCP measurements. The LPR results were found to be overestimated compared to the weight-loss data within initial 2000 h of exposure. The electrochemical activity of the rust separated from the metal surface was studied by cycling voltammetry using a home-built powder graphite electrode. High redox currents corresponding to the initial 2000 h of exposure were detected. Rust composition was characterized with IR and XRD, and the highest amounts of electrochemically active β- and γ-FeOOH were again detected for the initial 2000 h. Current consumption in rust transformation processes during LPR measurement in the galvanostatic mode accounts for overestimation of the corrosion rate. The time dependence of rust electrochemical activity correlates with OCP variation with time. During initial 2000 h, OCP values are shifted by 50 mV to cathodic side. For the period of a higher rust electrochemical activity, the use of a reduced B is suggested to increase accuracy of LPR technique in tap water.

Motor Effort Alters Changes of Mind in Sensorimotor Decision Making

PubMed Central

Burk, Diana; Ingram, James N.; Franklin, David W.; Shadlen, Michael N.; Wolpert, Daniel M.

2014-01-01

After committing to an action, a decision-maker can change their mind to revise the action. Such changes of mind can even occur when the stream of information that led to the action is curtailed at movement onset. This is explained by the time delays in sensory processing and motor planning which lead to a component at the end of the sensory stream that can only be processed after initiation. Such post-initiation processing can explain the pattern of changes of mind by asserting an accumulation of additional evidence to a criterion level, termed change-of-mind bound. Here we test the hypothesis that physical effort associated with the movement required to change one's mind affects the level of the change-of-mind bound and the time for post-initiation deliberation. We varied the effort required to change from one choice target to another in a reaching movement by varying the geometry of the choice targets or by applying a force field between the targets. We show that there is a reduction in the frequency of change of mind when the separation of the choice targets would require a larger excursion of the hand from the initial to the opposite choice. The reduction is best explained by an increase in the evidence required for changes of mind and a reduced time period of integration after the initial decision. Thus the criteria to revise an initial choice is sensitive to energetic costs. PMID:24651615

Exploratory Analysis of Time from HIV Diagnosis to ART Start, Factors and effect on survival: A longitudinal follow up study at seven teaching hospitals in Ethiopia.

PubMed

Teklu, Alula M; Delele, Kesetebirhan; Abraha, Mulu; Belayhun, Bekele; Gudina, Esayas Kebede; Nega, Abiy

2017-02-01

The HIV care in Ethiopia has reached 79% coverage. The timeliness of the care provided at the different levels in the course of the disease starting from knowing HIV positive status to ART initiation is not well known. This study intends to explore the timing of the care seeking, the care provision and associated factors. This is a longitudinal follow-up study at seven university hospitals. Patients enrolled in HIV care from September 2005 to December 2013 and aged ≥14 years were studied. Different times in the cascade of HIV care were examined including the duration from date HIV diagnosed to enrollment in HIV care, duration from enrollment to eligibility for ART and time from eligibility to initiation of ART. Ordinal logistic regression was used to investigate their determinants while the effect of these periods on survival of patients was determined using cox-proportional hazards regression. 4159 clients were studied. Time to enrollment after HIV test decreased from 39 days in 2005 to 1 day after 2008. It took longer if baseline CD4 was higher, and eligibility for ART was assessed late. Young adults, lower baseline CD4, HIV diagnosis<2008, late enrollment, and early eligibility assessment were associated with early ART initiation. Male gender, advanced disease stage and lower baseline CD4 were consistent risk factors for mortality. Time to enrollment and duration of ART eligibility assessment as well as ART initiation time after eligibility is improving. Further study is required to identify why mortality is slightly increasing after 2010.

On Discontinuous Piecewise Linear Models for Memristor Oscillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amador, Andrés; Freire, Emilio; Ponce, Enrique; Ros, Javier

2017-06-01

In this paper, we provide for the first time rigorous mathematical results regarding the rich dynamics of piecewise linear memristor oscillators. In particular, for each nonlinear oscillator given in [Itoh & Chua, 2008], we show the existence of an infinite family of invariant manifolds and that the dynamics on such manifolds can be modeled without resorting to discontinuous models. Our approach provides topologically equivalent continuous models with one dimension less but with one extra parameter associated to the initial conditions. It is possible to justify the periodic behavior exhibited by three-dimensional memristor oscillators, by taking advantage of known results for planar continuous piecewise linear systems. The analysis developed not only confirms the numerical results contained in previous works [Messias et al., 2010; Scarabello & Messias, 2014] but also goes much further by showing the existence of closed surfaces in the state space which are foliated by periodic orbits. The important role of initial conditions that justify the infinite number of periodic orbits exhibited by these models, is stressed. The possibility of unsuspected bistable regimes under specific configurations of parameters is also emphasized.

Re-induction of obese body weight occurs more rapidly and at lower caloric intake in beagles.

PubMed

Nagaoka, D; Mitsuhashi, Y; Angell, R; Bigley, K E; Bauer, J E

2010-06-01

For the purpose of investigating the mechanism of obesity-induction/re-induction including weight-cycling in beagles, a study was conducted using commercially available dog food combined with human food to mimic at home-snacking and diet-supplementation behaviours. Adult female beagles, which had free access to water and exercise, were used (n = 9). All dogs were initially offered two times their daily calculated number of calories using a dry extruded diet plus blend of canola and soybean oils and allowed to eat ad libitum. After 3 weeks, Pecan shortbread cookies were added to the diet mixture. Obesity was induced during a 19-week period with 1875-2250 kcal/day consumed, on average, during this period. The dogs were then subjected to a weight-loss regimen while consuming 490-730 kcal/day. After weight loss, a similar degree of obesity was re-induced for 17 weeks even though dogs consumed only 1125-1250 kcal/day. Body weight, body condition scores, kcal consumption and food efficiency were recorded. Results indicated that less time and fewer kcal were required to re-induce the same degree of obesity compared with the initial obesity induction. Human snack foods appeared to stimulate appetite and thus contribute to the obese state. Food efficiency was also increased during the obesity-reinduction period compared with the induction period. This information may help pet owners better understand the need to limit table scraps and human-type food snacks in dogs prone to obesity as well as weight maintenance after weight loss.

Effect of different planting time on different varieties of strawberries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Yue; Luo, Ya; Ge, Cong; Mo, Qin; Lin, Yajie; Luo, Shu; Tang, Haoru

2018-04-01

The experiment chose two strawberry varieties which planted in two periods of September 10 and September 20, in order to identify the optimum planting time of strawberries by exploring the effects of different planting time on strawberry quality and flowering initially. The results showed that different planting time will affect the growth and quality of strawberry, and the quality of September 10 planting strawberries is better than September 20 planting strawberries while there do exist some differences between strawberry varieties. In summary, the preliminary determination is that in Hanyuan area, the Hong Yan and Zhang Ji's optimum planting time is 10 September.

A discrete-time survival analysis of the relationship between truancy and the onset of marijuana use.

PubMed

Henry, Kimberly L; Thornberry, Terence P; Huizinga, David H

2009-01-01

Despite truancy being a common behavior among teenagers, little research has assessed its deleterious effects. In this study, the effect of truancy on the initiation of marijuana use was examined. Using data from the Rochester Youth Development Study (a longitudinal sample of predominantly minority youth), discrete time survival analyses were estimated to assess the effect of truancy on the subsequent initiation of marijuana use. The current analyses used 5 years of panel data collected from youth and their primary caregiver every 6 months throughout adolescence. Truancy was a significant predictor of the initiation of marijuana use during each subsequent 6-month period. The effect was more robust in earlier compared with later adolescence. These effects persisted after controlling for potential risk factors that are shared by both truancy and drug use, including commitment to school, grade-point average, delinquent values, prior involvement in delinquency, peer reactions to delinquency, parental monitoring, affective ties to the child, and positive parenting. We argue that the effect is, in part, the result of reduced social control (i.e., disengagement from pro-social entities such as school) and, in part, the result of the unsupervised, unmonitored time afforded by truancy. Prevention initiatives aimed at reducing truancy also may have a beneficial impact on preventing the initiation of drug use among adolescents.

Ordering kinetics in the long-period superlattice alloy Cu0.79 Pd0.21

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, X.; Mainville, J.; Ludwig, K.; Flament, X.; Finel, A.; Caudron, R.

2005-07-01

The kinetics of long-period superlattice (LPS) formation from the disordered state has been examined in a Cu0.79Pd0.21 alloy that exhibits a one-dimensional LPS ordered state. Time-resolved x-ray scattering shows that, following a rapid temperature quench from the disordered state into the LPS region of the phase diagram, the satellite peaks initially grow more quickly than do the central integer-order superlattice peaks. During this process, the satellite peak position, which is inversely related to the average modulation wavelength 2M , initially decreases rapidly, then reaches a minimum and relaxes slowly back toward its new equilibrium position. In the later stages of the LPS formation process, the satellite and central integer-order superlattice peaks narrow in a manner consistent with t1/2 domain coarsening. A simple stochastic model of the partially ordered structure was developed to better understand the relationships between peak widths.

DEVELOPMENT OF AN INSPECTION PLATFORM AND A SUITE OF SENSORS FOR ASSESSING CORROSION AND MECHANICAL DAMAGE ON UNPIGGABLE TRANSMISSION MAINS

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

George C. Vradis

2003-05-01

The present report summarizes the accomplishments of the project during its second three-month period (from January 2003 through March 2003). The project was initiated with delay in February 2003 due to contractual issues that emerged between the NGA and Foster-Miller, Inc. The two organizations are working diligently to maintain the program's pace so that it is completed in time. The efforts of the project focused during this period in the assessment of the tether technology that is intended to be used as the means of communication between robot and operator. Preliminary results indicate that tether is a viable option undermore » certain pipeline operating conditions but not all. The exact range of operating conditions that are viable for tether use are being determined as the study progresses. Work was also initiated regarding the design of the robotic platform.« less

Alcohol Use Initiation is Associated with Changes in Personality Trait Trajectories from Early Adolescence to Young Adulthood

PubMed Central

Blonigen, Daniel M.; Durbin, C. Emily; Hicks, Brian M.; Johnson, Wendy; McGue, Matt; Iacono, William G.

2015-01-01

Background Recent work has demonstrated the codevelopment of personality traits and alcohol use characteristics from early adolescence to young adulthood. Few studies, however, have tested whether alcohol use initiation impacts trajectories of personality over this time period. We examined the effect of alcohol use initiation on personality development from early adolescence to young adulthood. Methods Participants were male (nmen = 2,350) and female (nwomen = 2,618) twins and adoptees from 3 community-based longitudinal studies conducted at the Minnesota Center for Twin and Family Research. Data on personality traits of Positive Emotionality (PEM; Well-being), Negative Emotionality (NEM; Stress Reaction, Alienation, and Aggression), and Constraint (CON; Control and Harm Avoidance)—assessed via the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ)—and age of first drink were collected for up to 4 waves spanning ages 10 to 32. Results Alcohol use initiation was associated with significant decreases in levels of Well-being and CON traits, most notably Control; and significant increases in levels of all NEM traits, particularly Aggression. In general, the effects of alcohol use initiation on personality traits were moderated by gender and enhanced among those with earlier age of first drink. Conclusions From early adolescence to young adulthood, alcohol use initiation predicts deviations from normative patterns of personality maturation. Such findings offer a potential mechanism underlying the codevelopment of personality traits and alcohol use characteristics during this formative period of development. PMID:26419887

Alcohol use initiation is associated with changes in personality trait trajectories from early adolescence to young adulthood.

PubMed

Blonigen, Daniel M; Durbin, C Emily; Hicks, Brian M; Johnson, Wendy; McGue, Matt; Iacono, William G

2015-11-01

Recent work has demonstrated the codevelopment of personality traits and alcohol use characteristics from early adolescence to young adulthood. Few studies, however, have tested whether alcohol use initiation impacts trajectories of personality over this time period. We examined the effect of alcohol use initiation on personality development from early adolescence to young adulthood. Participants were male (nmen = 2,350) and female (nwomen = 2,618) twins and adoptees from 3 community-based longitudinal studies conducted at the Minnesota Center for Twin and Family Research. Data on personality traits of Positive Emotionality (PEM; Well-being), Negative Emotionality (NEM; Stress Reaction, Alienation, and Aggression), and Constraint (CON; Control and Harm Avoidance)-assessed via the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ)-and age of first drink were collected for up to 4 waves spanning ages 10 to 32. Alcohol use initiation was associated with significant decreases in levels of Well-being and CON traits, most notably Control; and significant increases in levels of all NEM traits, particularly Aggression. In general, the effects of alcohol use initiation on personality traits were moderated by gender and enhanced among those with earlier age of first drink. From early adolescence to young adulthood, alcohol use initiation predicts deviations from normative patterns of personality maturation. Such findings offer a potential mechanism underlying the codevelopment of personality traits and alcohol use characteristics during this formative period of development. Copyright © 2015 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Limited period of graviresponsiveness in germinating spores of Ceratopteris richardii

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, E. S.; Roux, S. J.

1994-01-01

Rhizoids of the fern Ceratopteris richardii Brogn. usually emerge 40 h after germination is initiated by light, and more than 90% of them emerge growing in a downward direction. However, when the spores are germinated on a clinostat, the emerging rhizoids show no preferential orientation. This indicates that under normal 1 g conditions the initial growth direction of rhizoids can be oriented by gravity. If the orientation of the spores is changed 3 h or less after the start of germination, the growth direction of most emerging rhizoids becomes downward relative to the new orientation. However, if the orientation of the spores is changed by 180 degrees 8 h or more after germination is initiated by light, most rhizoids emerge growing upward; i.e., the same direction as if there had been no orientation change. Emerged rhizoids also do not change their direction of growth if their orientation is changed. These results indicate that the growth direction of emerging rhizoids is set by gravity prior to actual emergence, and that the time of full orientation responsiveness is limited to a period ranging from the initiation of germination to about 3-4 h after the start of germination. There is a gravity-oriented nuclear movement beginning at about 13 h after germination, and this movement appears to predict the initial growth direction of rhizoids.

Limited period of graviresponsiveness in germinating spores of Ceratopteris richardii.

PubMed

Edwards, E S; Roux, S J

1994-01-01

Rhizoids of the fern Ceratopteris richardii Brogn. usually emerge 40 h after germination is initiated by light, and more than 90% of them emerge growing in a downward direction. However, when the spores are germinated on a clinostat, the emerging rhizoids show no preferential orientation. This indicates that under normal 1 g conditions the initial growth direction of rhizoids can be oriented by gravity. If the orientation of the spores is changed 3 h or less after the start of germination, the growth direction of most emerging rhizoids becomes downward relative to the new orientation. However, if the orientation of the spores is changed by 180 degrees 8 h or more after germination is initiated by light, most rhizoids emerge growing upward; i.e., the same direction as if there had been no orientation change. Emerged rhizoids also do not change their direction of growth if their orientation is changed. These results indicate that the growth direction of emerging rhizoids is set by gravity prior to actual emergence, and that the time of full orientation responsiveness is limited to a period ranging from the initiation of germination to about 3-4 h after the start of germination. There is a gravity-oriented nuclear movement beginning at about 13 h after germination, and this movement appears to predict the initial growth direction of rhizoids.

Redberry juniper as a roughage source in lamb feedlot rations: performance and serum nonesterified fatty acids, urea nitrogen, and insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations.

PubMed

Whitney, T R; Muir, J P

2010-04-01

Effects of replacing cottonseed hulls with dry redberry juniper leaves on performance and serum NEFA, urea N, and IGF-1 were investigated in Rambouillet lambs (n = 24, initial BW = 28.6 +/- 4.94 kg). In a study with 2 feeding periods (period 1 = 65% concentrate ration, 28 d; period 2 = 85% concentrate ration, 49 d), lambs were individually fed ad libitum treatment diets containing cottonseed hulls (control; CSH), one-half of the cottonseed hulls replaced by dry juniper leaves (CSHJ), or all the cottonseed hulls replaced by dry juniper leaves (JUN). Lamb BW was similar on d 0 and 14, but increasing juniper in the diet linearly reduced (P = 0.04) BW on d 28. Differences in BW during period 1 are attributed to ADG and average daily DMI linearly decreasing (P < 0.001) with increasing concentrations of juniper, with lambs fed CSH, CSHJ, or JUN diets having ADG of 0.34, 0.30, and 0.14 kg, respectively. Differences in average daily DMI are attributed to secondary compounds in the cottonseed hulls and juniper and nutrient-toxin interactions. Lambs fed CSHJ diets had the greatest (P = 0.04) G:F compared with lambs fed CSH and JUN during period 1. Lambs fed JUN diets tended to have the greatest (P = 0.09) NEFA concentrations during period 1, and increasing juniper in the diet linearly reduced (P = 0.006) serum urea N and IGF-1 on d 14 and 28, respectively. During period 2, intake and growth of lambs fed JUN diet rapidly increased, resulting in all lambs having similar ADG, DMI, G:F, and BW. When period 2 began (d 33), serum NEFA and urea N were similar (P > 0.12) among lambs, but serum IGF-1 tended to be linearly reduced (P = 0.09) by increasing juniper in the diet. At times during period 2, lambs fed CSHJ had the greatest (P < 0.02) serum urea N (d 40 and 82) and IGF-1 (d 54) concentrations. Results were interpreted to indicate that air-dried redberry juniper leaves can replace all of the cottonseed hulls in lamb feedlot rations. Feeding 30% juniper in the diet for a longer period of time during the initial feeding period probably would have further reduced growth performance.

Detecting and describing preventive intervention effects in a universal school-based randomized trial targeting delinquent and violent behavior.

PubMed

Stoolmiller, M; Eddy, J M; Reid, J B

2000-04-01

This study examined theoretical, methodological, and statistical problems involved in evaluating the outcome of aggression on the playground for a universal preventive intervention for conduct disorder. Moderately aggressive children were hypothesized most likely to benefit. Aggression was measured on the playground using observers blind to the group status of the children. Behavior was micro-coded in real time to minimize potential expectancy biases. The effectiveness of the intervention was strongly related to initial levels of aggressiveness. The most aggressive children improved the most. Models that incorporated corrections for low reliability (the ratio of variance due to true time-stable individual differences to total variance) and censoring (a floor effect in the rate data due to short periods of observation) obtained effect sizes 5 times larger than models without such corrections with respect to children who were initially 2 SDs above the mean on aggressiveness.

Is Early Prescribing of Opioid and Psychotropic Medications Associated With Delayed Return to Work and Increased Final Workers' Compensation Cost?

PubMed

Tao, Xuguang Grant; Lavin, Robert A; Yuspeh, Larry; Weaver, Virginia M; Bernacki, Edward J

2015-12-01

To explore the association between the initial 60 days of prescriptions for psychotropic medications and final workers' compensation claim outcomes. A cohort of 11,394 claimants involved in lost time injuries between 1999 and 2002 were followed through December 31, 2009. Logistic regressions and Cox Proportional Hazard Models were used in the analysis. The initial 60 days of prescriptions for psychotropic medications were significantly associated with a final claim cost at least $100,000. Odds ratios were 1.88 for short-acting opioids, 2.14 for hypnotics, antianxiety agents, or antidepressants, and 3.91 for long-acting opioids, respectively. Significant associations were also found between decreased time lost from work and decreased claim closures during the study period. Early prescription of opioids and other psychotropic drugs may be useful predictors of high claim costs and time lost from work.

Prospective Trial of House Staff Time to Response and Intervention in a Surgical Intensive Care Unit: Pager vs. Smartphone.

PubMed

Tatum, James M; White, Terris; Kang, Christopher; Ley, Eric J; Melo, Nicolas; Bloom, Matthew; Alban, Rodrigo F

The objective of the study was to characterize house staff time to response and intervention when notified of a patient care issue by pager vs. smartphone. We hypothesized that smartphones would reduce house staff time to response and intervention. Prospective study of all electronic communications was conducted between nurses and house staff between September 2015 and October 2015. The 4-week study period was randomly divided into two 2-week study periods where all electronic communications between intensive care unit nurses and intensive care unit house staff were exclusively by smartphone or by pager, respectively. Time of communication initiation, time of house staff response, and time from response to clinical intervention for each communication were recorded. Outcomes are time from nurse contact to house staff response and intervention. Single-center surgical intensive care unit of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, an academic tertiary care and level I trauma center. All electronic communications occurring between nurses and house staff in the study unit during the study period were considered. During the study period, 205 nurse-house staff electronic communications occurred, 100 in the phone group and 105 in the pager group. House staff response to communication time was significantly shorter in the phone group (0.5 [interquartile range = 1.7] vs. 2 [3]min, p < 0.001). Time to house staff intervention after response was also significantly more rapid in the phone group (0.8 [1.7] vs. 1 [2]min, p = 0.003). Dedicated clinical smartphones significantly decrease time to house staff response after electronic nursing communications compared with pagers. Copyright © 2017 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prey selection and foraging period of the predaceous rocky intertidal snail, Acanthina punctulata.

PubMed

Menge, Jane Lubchenco

1974-12-01

The diet and foraging period of the neogastropod Acanthina punctulata were investigated in order to test various aspects of recent optimal foraging strategy models. This intertidal snail is an actively searching predator which preys on snails and barnacles by boring a hole in the shell and rasping out the flesh. Unlike many gastropod predators, Acanthina drill its gastropod prey at a very specific location on the columella, the thickest portion of the shell. Acanthina's foraging period can be interpreted as a compromise between maximizing the energy obtained by feeding and minimizing risk of mortality from exposure to wave action. That foraging period minimizing risk of being dislodged by waves appears to be during low tide when the predators can be in shallow pools. However, prey cannot be captured and consumed during one low tide. Thus Acanthina must be exposed during some high tides, and its strategy appears to be to restrict movement while exposed. Thus search is not initiated during high tide, but drilling and prey consumption are continued during that time. A snail not drilling or consuming prey seeks the protection of crevices or large anemones during high tide. A model is presented to indicate the relative amounts of risk and net energy for Acanthina at successive low and high tides. Predictions from the model, e.g., minimizing search time to avoid being exposed for an additional high tide and no movement during high tide are supported by field data. Acanthina commences foraging at the beginning of low tide, searches initially for preferred prey, but if unsuccessful, settles for a less preferred prey and begins drilling this prey before the end of low tide. Drilling and ingestion of prey occur during the following high and sometimes low tides. These "handling times" take 95% of the total foraging time in the field, while search time takes only 5% (pursuit time is negligible). Drilling alone accounts for 48-70% of the total drilling and eating time. In the laboratory, drilling and eating time for littorine food ranged from 15-60 hrs per item. The time to drill and eat a littorine increases exponentially with prey length. Since handling and processing prey items represents such a large investment of time, Acanthina would be expected to be very selective with respect to choice of prey items. Electivity coefficients from field data suggest that littorines are preferred over barnacles. Acanthina in the laboratory optimizes the amount of biomass ingested per time by choosing larger littorines over smaller ones and by preferring the more readily drilled species.It is suggested that Acanthina obtains information about the range of prey available initially by encountering and evaluating quite a few prey before making a selection, but usually by comparing an item of prey encountered to the prey it recently ingested. This latter method should provide a basis for evaluating prey encountered and has the advantage of reducing search time, the total amount of time spent feeding and thus the high-tide time exposed to wave action.In a similar manner, the decrease in the level of acceptability of prey as search time increases represents a compromise between maximizing energy obtained and minimizing risk from mortality.

Efficacy of preventive spinal manipulation for chronic low-back pain and related disabilities: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Descarreaux, Martin; Blouin, Jean-Sébastien; Drolet, Marc; Papadimitriou, Stanislas; Teasdale, Normand

2004-10-01

To document the potential role of maintenance chiropractic spinal manipulation to reduce overall pain and disability levels associated with chronic low-back conditions after an initial phase of intensive chiropractic treatments. Thirty patients with chronic nonspecific low-back pain were separated into 2 groups. The first group received 12 treatments in an intensive 1-month period but received no treatment in a subsequent 9-month period. For this group, a 4-week period preceding the initial phase of treatment was used as a control period to examine the sole effect of time on pain and disability levels. The second group received 12 treatments in an intensive 1-month period and also received maintenance spinal manipulation every 3 weeks for a 9-month follow-up period. Pain and disability levels were evaluated with a visual analog scale and a modified Oswestry questionnaire, respectively. The 1-month control period did not modify the pain and disability levels. For both groups, the pain and disability levels decreased after the intensive phase of treatments. Both groups maintained their pain scores at levels similar to the postintensive treatments throughout the follow-up period. For the disability scores, however, only the group that was given spinal manipulations during the follow-up period maintained their postintensive treatment scores. The disability scores of the other group went back to their pretreatment levels. Intensive spinal manipulation is effective for the treatment of chronic low back pain. This experiment suggests that maintenance spinal manipulations after intensive manipulative care may be beneficial to patients to maintain subjective postintensive treatment disability levels. Future studies, however, are needed to confirm the finding in a larger group of patients with chronic low-back pain.

The Choice of Discount Rate Applicable to Government Resource Use: Theory and Limitations

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-01

print money , which necessarily makes government securities less risky to the individuals purchasing them than private securities are. This leads to a...the case of allocating a fixed initial sum of money over a T-period horizon. Let M denote the amount of money available for investment at time t - 0...amount of money available for government investment at 36 time t - 0 under a one-shot investment plan, and let r" denote the opportunity cost rate of

Cognitive rehabilitation therapy after acquired brain injury in Argentina: psychosocial outcomes in connection with the time elapsed before treatment initiation.

PubMed

Saux, Gastón; Demey, Ignacio; Rojas, Galeno; Feldberg, Carolina

2014-01-01

To examine the effect of cognitive rehabilitation therapy (CRT) on psychosocial outcomes in Argentinean patients with acquired brain injury (ABI), in connection with the time elapsed between injury and treatment initiation. Self-reported data from patients in a naturalistic setting was collected before and after CRT. An outpatient sample of 75 Spanish-speaking patients with cognitive disturbances secondary to ABI (49 male/26 female, age: 50.2 ± 20.1 years; education 14.3 ± 3.2 years) completed a set of scales on their daily living activities, memory self-perception, quality-of-life and mood. Single and multi-group analyses were conducted, considering pre- and post- responses and the time elapsed between injury and treatment initiation. The influence of socio-demographic moderators was controlled during comparisons. Results suggest an improvement in several psychosocial indicators after treatment. Additionally, correlations and group comparisons showed greater improvement in subjective memory and quality-of-life self-reports in patients who began treatment earlier than those who began treatment after a longer time period. Overall, results suggest that CRT is associated with positive results in different areas of the psychosocial domain and that post-injury time can mediate this effect.

Transport on intermediate time scales in flows with cat's eye patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pöschke, Patrick; Sokolov, Igor M.; Zaks, Michael A.; Nepomnyashchy, Alexander A.

2017-12-01

We consider the advection-diffusion transport of tracers in a one-parameter family of plane periodic flows where the patterns of streamlines feature regions of confined circulation in the shape of "cat's eyes," separated by meandering jets with ballistic motion inside them. By varying the parameter, we proceed from the regular two-dimensional lattice of eddies without jets to the sinusoidally modulated shear flow without eddies. When a weak thermal noise is added, i.e., at large Péclet numbers, several intermediate time scales arise, with qualitatively and quantitatively different transport properties: depending on the parameter of the flow, the initial position of a tracer, and the aging time, motion of the tracers ranges from subdiffusive to superballistic. We report on results of extensive numerical simulations of the mean-squared displacement for different initial conditions in ordinary and aged situations. These results are compared with a theory based on a Lévy walk that describes the intermediate-time ballistic regime and gives a reasonable description of the behavior for a certain class of initial conditions. The interplay of the walk process with internal circulation dynamics in the trapped state results at intermediate time scales in nonmonotonic characteristics of aging not captured by the Lévy walk model.

Changes in sexual activity and risk behaviors among PLWHA initiating ART in rural district hospitals in Cameroon -- data from the STRATALL ANRS 12110/ESTHER trial.

PubMed

Ndziessi, Gilbert; Cohen, Julien; Kouanfack, Charles; Boyer, Sylvie; Moatti, Jean-Paul; Marcellin, Fabienne; Laurent, Christian; Spire, Bruno; Delaporte, Eric; Carrieri, Maria Patrizia

2013-01-01

The continued scaling-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Sub-Saharan Africa provides an opportunity to further study its impact on sexual behaviors among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). We explored time trend and correlates of sexual activity among PLWHA initiating ART in Cameroon and compared sexual risk behaviors between patients sexually active before and after initiating ART and those resuming sexual activity after ART initiation. Analyses were based on longitudinal data collected within the randomized trial (n=459) conducted in nine rural district hospitals in Cameroon. Sexual activity was defined as reporting at least one sexual partner during the previous 3 months. Inconsistent condom use (ICU) was defined as reporting to have "never," "sometimes," or "nearly always" used condoms at least once with a partner(s) either HIV-negative or of unknown HIV status during the same period. Mc Nemar tests were used to assess time trend, while mixed-effect logistic regressions were conducted to analyze the effect of time since ART initiation on sexual activity. The proportion of sexually active patients significantly increased over time: from 31.8% at baseline to 40.2 and 47.1% after 6 and 12 months of ART, respectively (p=0.001), to 55.9% after 24 months (p=0.02). After adjustment for behavioral and psychosocial factors, time since ART initiation was independently associated with reporting sexual activity (AOR [95% CI]=1.30 [1.17-1.46] per 6-month increase, p=0.001). ICU was more frequent among patients sexually active both before and after ART initiation than among those who resumed sexual activity after ART initiation (82 vs. 59%, p

Tracheid production phenology of Picea mariana and its relationship with climatic fluctuations and bud development using multivariate analysis.

PubMed

Dufour, Boris; Morin, Hubert

2010-07-01

Research on cambium phenology in trees and its limiting factors in natural conditions is still at an early stage of development, restricting our capacity to precisely evaluate the effect of growing season length and climate fluctuations on tracheid production. The first objective of this paper was to describe cambial tracheid production phenology of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mills.) BSP). Repeated tree ring sampling was performed from 2002 to 2006 on four sites (48 degrees 13.78' N, 71 degrees 15.18' W; 48 degrees 51.92' N, 70 degrees 20.57' W; 49 degrees 43.92' N, 71 degrees 56.88' W; and 50 degrees 41.78' N, 72 degrees 11.03' W) representative of closed black spruce forest in Quebec, Canada. The timing of cambial initiation and cambial cessation in black spruce differs from year to year, the first occurring on 4 June on average, whereas the second occurs on 15 August. During a single year, these events do not vary significantly in space within the study area. The duration of cambial tracheid production does not vary significantly in either time or space. The second objective of this study was to identify the climatic factors that explain variations in initiation and cessation. Air temperature and humidity, soil temperature and water content, rain precipitations, snow cover as well as photosynthetically active radiation were monitored at each studied site. These were then used to create sets of candidate regressors to explain timing of phenological events. Timing of cambial initiation is primarily dependent on mean temperature between mid-March and initiation itself. Vapor pressure during this period is also important but in a negative way. A significant effect of the previous year's August soil and air temperature conditions suggests a link with spring bud activity resumption, an interpretation that is supported by an analysis significantly linking measured timing of bud break to cambial initiation. Cessation of cambial tracheid production is influenced by factors linked to photosynthesis during the period from mid-July to cessation. Those related to water status, namely saturation vapor pressure, soil water content and vapor pressure are particularly influential, but light intensity and soil temperature also have an effect. Also, because mid-July corresponds to the timing of bud set and because the previous late summer's soil temperature has a significant effect, a clear link is established with apical cessation.

Regulatory focus as a mediator of the influence of initiating structure and servant leadership on employee behavior.

PubMed

Neubert, Mitchell J; Kacmar, K Michele; Carlson, Dawn S; Chonko, Lawrence B; Roberts, James A

2008-11-01

In this research, the authors test a model in which the regulatory focus of employees at work mediates the influence of leadership on employee behavior. In a nationally representative sample of 250 workers who responded over 2 time periods, prevention focus mediated the relationship of initiating structure to in-role performance and deviant behavior, whereas promotion focus mediated the relationship of servant leadership to helping and creative behavior. The results indicate that even though initiating structure and servant leadership share some variance in explaining other variables, each leadership style incrementally predicts disparate outcomes after controlling for the other style and dispositional tendencies. A new regulatory focus scale, the Work Regulatory Focus (WRF) Scale, also was developed and initially validated for this study. Implications for the results and the WRF Scale are discussed.

Pain management trend of vaso-occulsive crisis (VOC) at a community hospital emergency department (ED) for patients with sickle cell disease.

PubMed

Inoue, Susumu; Khan, Isra'a; Mushtaq, Rao; Sanikommu, Srinivasa Reddy; Mbeumo, Carline; LaChance, Jenny; Roebuck, Michael

2016-01-01

Pain management at the emergency department (ED) for vaso-occulsive crisis (VOC) for patients with sickle cell disease has not been optimum, with a long delay in giving the initial analgesic. We conducted a retrospective survey over a 7-year period to determine our ED's timing in giving pain medication to patients with VOC as a quality improvement project. We compared different periods, children vs adults, and the influence of gender in the analgesic administration timing. This is a retrospective chart review of three different periods: (1) years 2007-2008, (2) years 2011-2012, and (3) year 2013. We extracted relevant information from ED records. Data were analyzed using Student t test, chi-square analysis, and the Kruskal-Wallis test. There was a progressive improvement in the time interval to the 1st analgesic over these three periods. Children received analgesics more quickly than adults in all periods. Male adult patients received pain medication faster than female adult patients, although initial pain scores were higher in female than in male patients. Progressively fewer pediatric patients utilized ED over these three periods, but no difference for adult patients was observed. The proportion of pediatric patients admitted to the hospital increased with each period. The progressive decrease in both the number of patients and the number of visits to the ED by children suggested that the collective number of VOC in children has decreased, possibly secondary to the dissemination of hydroxyurea use. We failed to observe the same trend in adult patients. The need for IV access, and ordering laboratory tests or imaging studies tends to delay analgesic administration. Delay in administration of the first analgesic was more pronounced for female adult patients than male adult patients in spite of their higher pain score. Health care providers working in ED should make conscious efforts to respect pain in women as well as pain in men. Though not proven from this study, we believe that a significantly wider use of hydroxyurea by adult patients most likely would reduce their utilization of ED for the purpose of relief of pain, and further pediatric hematologists may be better positioned to increase hydroxyurea adherence by young adult patients, since they have had established rapport with them before transitioning to adult care.

Smoking initiation among youth: The role of cigarette excise taxes and prices by race/ethnicity and gender

PubMed Central

Nonnemaker, James M.; Farrelly, Matthew

2011-01-01

Existing evidence for the role of cigarette excise taxes and prices as significant determinants of youth smoking initiation is mixed. A few studies have considered the possibility that the impact of cigarette taxes and prices might differ by gender or race/ethnicity. In this paper, we address the role of cigarette taxes and prices on youth smoking initiation using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 cohort and discrete-time survival methods. We present results overall and by gender, race/ethnicity, and gender by race/ethnicity. We examine initiation over the age range during which youth are most at risk of initiation and over a period in which substantial changes have occurred in tax and price. The result for cigarette excise taxes is small and mixed across alternative specifications, with the effect strongest for black youth. Cigarette prices are more consistently a significant determinant of youth smoking initiation, especially for black youth. PMID:21477875

Smoking initiation among youth: the role of cigarette excise taxes and prices by race/ethnicity and gender.

PubMed

Nonnemaker, James M; Farrelly, Matthew C

2011-05-01

Existing evidence for the role of cigarette excise taxes and prices as significant determinants of youth smoking initiation is mixed. A few studies have considered the possibility that the impact of cigarette taxes and prices might differ by gender or race/ethnicity. In this paper, we address the role of cigarette taxes and prices on youth smoking initiation using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 cohort and discrete-time survival methods. We present results overall and by gender, race/ethnicity, and gender by race/ethnicity. We examine initiation over the age range during which youth are most at risk of initiation and over a period in which substantial changes have occurred in tax and price. The result for cigarette excise taxes is small and mixed across alternative specifications, with the effect strongest for black youth. Cigarette prices are more consistently a significant determinant of youth smoking initiation, especially for black youth. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Terminal navigation analysis for the 1980 comet Encke slow flyby mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobson, R. A.; Mcdanell, J. P.; Rinker, G. C.

1973-01-01

The initial results of a terminal navigation analysis for the proposed 1980 solar electric slow flyby mission to the comet Encke are presented. The navigation technique employs onboard optical measurements with the scientific television camera, groundbased observations of the spacecraft and comet, and groundbased orbit determination and thrust vector update computation. The knowledge and delivery accuracies of the spacecraft are evaluated as a function of the important parameters affecting the terminal navigation. These include optical measurement accuracy, thruster noise level, duration of the planned terminal coast period, comet ephemeris uncertainty, guidance initiation time, guidance update frequency, and optical data rate.

Initial Results of Interdisciplinary Science Enabled by Eclipse 2017: NASA Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guhathakurta, M.

2017-12-01

The exceptionally long path over land of the August 21st total and partial solar eclipse provided an unprecedented opportunity for cross disciplinary studies of the sun, moon, Earth, and their interactions. NASA supported research using ground-based measurements, balloons and planes that "chased" the eclipse as well as data taken from a vast array of orbiting spacecraft, all of which helped scientists take continuous measurements of the sun and the effects of the eclipse on the ionosphere and Earth for relatively long periods of time. This talk will summarize some of the initial findings from these research.

The relationship between climate change and wars waged between nomadic and farming groups from the Western Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Y.; Liu, L.; Fang, X. Q.; Ma, Y. N.

2016-01-01

In ancient China, shifts in regional productivity of agriculture and animal husbandry, caused by climate change, either led to wars or peaceful relations between nomadic and farming groups. During the period spanning the Western Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, 367 wars were waged between these groups. While 69 % of the wars were initiated by nomads, 62.4 % were won by the farming groups. On a centennial timescale, the battlegrounds were mostly in northern areas (at an average latitude of 38.92° N) during warm periods, moving southward (at an average latitude of 34.66° N) during cold periods. On a decadal timescale, warm climates corresponded to a high incidence of wars (a correlation coefficient of 0.293). While farming groups were inclined to initiate wars during dry and cold periods, their chances of achieving victory were reduced at such times. The main reasons for this are, first, that a warm climate provided a solid material foundation for nomadic and farming groups, contributing especially to enhanced productivity among the former. However, the overriding desire of nomadic groups to expand essential subsistence means led to wars. Second, during cold periods, farming groups moved to and settled in the south, while nomadic groups occupied the Central Plain. Thus, the locations of the battlefields also changed. While other factors also influenced these wars, climate change served as a backdrop, playing an indirect role in wars between these groups.

Search for and detection of pulsars inmonitoring observations at 111 MHz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tyul'bashev, S. A.; Tyul'bashev, V. S.; Kitaeva, M. A.; Chernyshova, A. I.; Malofeev, V. M.; Chashei, I. V.; Shishov, V. I.; Dagkesamanskii, R. D.; Klimenko, S. V.; Nikitin, I. N.; Nikitina, L. D.

2017-10-01

In the course of monitoring interplanetary scintillations of a large number of sources using the Big Scanning Antenna of the Lebedev Physical Institute, a search for pulsars with periods ≥0.4 s at declinations -9◦ < δ < 42◦ and right ascensions 0h < α < 24h was simultaneously carried out. The search was conducted using four years of observations carried out at 110.25MHz in six frequency channels making up a 2.5 MHz band and having a time resolution of 100 ms. The initial identification of pulsar candidates was done using Fourier power spectra averaged over the entire observational period; the pulsar candidates were then verified using observations with higher frequency and time resolution: 32 frequency channels and a time resolution of 12.5 ms. Eighteen new pulsars were discovered in the studied area, whose main characteristics are presented.