Data on performance of air stripping tower- PAC integrated system for removing of odor, taste, dye and organic materials from drinking water-A case study in Saqqez, Iran.

PubMed

Pirsaheb, Meghdad; Mohammadi, Jalil; Khosravi, Touba; Sharafi, Hooshmnd; Moradi, Masoud

2018-06-01

Unpleasant taste or smell are more importantly constituents of drinking-water, lead to complaints from consumers. Dye and organic matter as well change in disinfection practice may generate taste and an odorous compound in treated water. According to low efficiency of conventional methods to remove taste and odor compounds, present study was aimed to evaluate the performance of air stripping tower- Poly Aluminum Chloride (PAC) integrated system to remove odor and taste, dye and organic materials from drinking water. Different air to water ratio and PAC doses were used to remove considered parameters in certain condition. The results of this study indicated that the maximum removal efficiency of 86.2, 76.47, 58.46 and 41.27% of taste and odor, dye, COD and TOC were achieved by the air stripping tower- PAC integrated system, respectively. However, the physico-chemical characteristics of water and adsorbent effect on the of substances removal efficiency considerably. It can be stated that the air striping tower - PAC integrated system is able to reduce the odor and taste-causing substances and organic matter to a level which is recommended by the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran.

Current status of the UCSF second-generation PACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, H. K.; Arenson, Ronald L.; Wong, Albert W. K.; Bazzill, Todd M.; Lou, Shyhliang A.; Andriole, Katherine P.; Wang, Jun; Zhang, Jianguo; Wong, Stephen T. C.

1996-05-01

This paper describes the current status of the second generation PACS at UCSF commenced in October 1992. The UCSF PACS is designed in-house as a hospital-integrated PACS based on an open architecture concept using industrial standards including UNIX operating system, C programming language, X-Window user interface, TCP/IP communication protocol, DICOM 3.0 image standard and HL7 health data format. Other manufacturer's PACS components which conform with these standards can be easily integrated into the system. Relevant data from HIS and RIS is automatically incorporated into the PACS using HL7 data format and TCP/IP communication protocol. The UCSF system also takes advantage of state-of-the-art communication, storage, and software technologies in ATM, multiple storage media, automatic programming, multilevel processes for a better cost-performance system. The primary PACS network is the 155 Mbits/sec OC3 ATM with the Ethernet as the back-up. The UCSF PACS also connects Mt. Zion Hospital and San Francisco VA Medical Center in the San Francisco Bay area via an ATM wide area network with a T1 line as the back-up. Currently, five MR and five CT scanners from multiple sites, two computed radiography systems, two film digitizers, one US PACS module, the hospital HIS and the department RIS have been connected to the PACS network. The image data is managed by a mirrored database (Sybase). The PACS controller, with its 1.3 terabyte optical disk library, acquires 2.5 gigabytes digital data daily. Four 2K, five, 1,600-line multiple monitor display workstations are on line in neuroradiology, pediatric radiology and intensive care units for clinical use. In addition, the PACS supports over 100 Macintosh users in the department and selected hospital sites for both images and textual retrieval through a client/server mechanism. We are also developing a computation and visualization node in the PACS network for advancing radiology research.

Integration Of An MR Image Network Into A Clinical PACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ratib, Osman M.; Mankovich, Nicholas J.; Taira, Ricky K.; Cho, Paul S.; Huang, H. K.

1988-06-01

A direct link between a clinical pediatric PACS module and a FONAR MRI image network was implemented. The original MR network combines together the MR scanner, a remote viewing station and a central archiving station. The pediatric PACS directly connects to the archiving unit through an Ethernet TCP-IP network adhering to FONAR's protocol. The PACS communication software developed supports the transfer of patient studies and the patient information directly from the MR archive database to the pediatric PACS. In the first phase of our project we developed a package to transfer data between a VAX-111750 and the IBM PC I AT-based MR archive database through the Ethernet network. This system served as a model for PACS-to-modality network communication. Once testing was complete on this research network, the software and network hardware was moved to the clinical pediatric VAX for full PACS integration. In parallel to the direct transmission of digital images to the Pediatric PACS, a broadband communication system in video format was developed for real-time broadcasting of images originating from the MR console to 8 remote viewing stations distributed in the radiology department. These analog viewing stations allow the radiologists to directly monitor patient positioning and to select the scan levels during a patient examination from remote locations in the radiology department. This paper reports (1) the technical details of this implementation, (2) the merits of this network development scheme, and (3) the performance statistics of the network-to-PACS interface.

Java-based cryptosystem for PACS and tele-imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tjandra, Donny; Wong, Stephen T. C.; Yu, Yuan-Pin

1998-07-01

Traditional PACS systems are based on two-tier client server architectures, and require the use of costly, high-end client workstations for image viewing. Consequently, PACS systems using the two-tier architecture do not scale well as data increases in size and complexity. Furthermore, use of dedicated viewing workstations incurs costs in deployment and maintenance. To address these issues, the use of digital library technologies, such as the World Wide Web, Java, and CORBA, is being explored to distribute PACS data to serve a broader range of healthcare providers in an economic and efficient manner. Integration of PACS systems with digital library technologies allows access to medical information through open networks such as the Internet. However, use of open networks to transmit medical data introduces problems with maintaining privacy and integrity of patient information. Cryptography and digital timestamping is used to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access or tampering. A major concern when using cryptography and digital timestamping is the performance degradation associated with the mathematical calculations needed to encrypt/decrypt an image dataset, or to calculate the hash value of an image. The performance issue is compounded by the extra layer associated with the CORBA middleware, and the use of programming languages interpreted at the client side, such as Java. This paper study the extent to which Java-based cryptography and digital timestamping affects performance in a PACS system integrated with digital library technologies.

Neurocognitive mechanisms of perception-action coordination: a review and theoretical integration.

PubMed

Ridderinkhof, K Richard

2014-10-01

The present analysis aims at a theoretical integration of, and a systems-neuroscience perspective on, a variety of historical and contemporary views on perception-action coordination (PAC). We set out to determine the common principles or lawful linkages between sensory and motor systems that explain how perception is action-oriented and how action is perceptually guided. To this end, we analyze the key ingredients to such an integrated framework, examine the architecture of dual-system conjectures of PAC, and endeavor in an historical analysis of the key characteristics, mechanisms, and phenomena of PACs. This analysis will reveal that dual-systems views are in need of fundamental re-thinking, and its elements will be amalgamated with current views on action-oriented predictive processing into a novel integrative theoretical framework (IMPPACT: Impetus, Motivation, and Prediction in Perception-Action Coordination theory). From this framework and its neurocognitive architecture we derive a number of non-trivial predictions regarding conative, motive-driven PAC. We end by presenting a brief outlook on how IMPPACT might present novel insights into certain pathologies and into action expertise. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design and implementation of disaster recovery and business continuity solution for radiology PACS.

PubMed

Mansoori, Bahar; Rosipko, Beverly; Erhard, Karen K; Sunshine, Jeffrey L

2014-02-01

In the digital era of radiology, picture archiving and communication system (PACS) has a pivotal role in retrieving and storing the images. Integration of PACS with all the health care information systems e.g., health information system, radiology information system, and electronic medical record has greatly improved access to patient data at anytime and anywhere throughout the entire enterprise. In such an integrated setting, seamless operation depends critically on maintaining data integrity and continuous access for all. Any failure in hardware or software could interrupt the workflow or data and consequently, would risk serious impact to patient care. Thus, any large-scale PACS now have an indispensable requirement to include deployment of a disaster recovery plan to ensure secure sources of data. This paper presents our experience with designing and implementing a disaster recovery and business continuity plan. The selected architecture with two servers in each site (local and disaster recovery (DR) site) provides four different scenarios to continue running and maintain end user service. The implemented DR at University Hospitals Health System now permits continuous access to the PACS application and its contained images for radiologists, other clinicians, and patients alike.

The effect of integration of hospitals and post-acute care providers on Medicare payment and patient outcomes.

PubMed

Konetzka, R Tamara; Stuart, Elizabeth A; Werner, Rachel M

2018-02-07

In this paper we examine empirically the effect of integration on Medicare payment and rehospitalization. We use 2005-2013 data on Medicare beneficiaries receiving post-acute care (PAC) in the U.S. to examine integration between hospitals and the two most common post-acute care settings: skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and home health agencies (HHA), using two measures of integration-formal vertical integration and informal integration representing preferential relationships between providers without formal relationships. Our identification strategy is twofold. First, we use longitudinal models with a fixed effect for each hospital-PAC pair in a market to test how changes in integration impact patient outcomes. Second, we use an instrumental variable approach to account for patient selection into integrated providers. We find that vertical integration between hospitals and SNFs increases Medicare payments and reduces rehospitalization rates. However, vertical integration between hospitals and HHAs has little effect, nor does informal integration between hospitals and either PAC setting. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Clinical experiences with an ASP model backup archive for PACS images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Brent J.; Cao, Fei; Documet, Luis; Huang, H. K.; Muldoon, Jean

2003-05-01

Last year we presented a Fault-Tolerant Backup Archive using an Application Service Provider (ASP) model for disaster recovery. The purpose of this paper is to update and provide clinical experiences related towards implementing the ASP model archive solution for short-term backup of clinical PACS image data as well as possible applications other than disaster recovery. The ASP backup archive provides instantaneous, automatic backup of acquired PACS image data and instantaneous recovery of stored PACS image data all at a low operational cost and with little human intervention. This solution can be used for a variety of scheduled and unscheduled downtimes that occur on the main PACS archive. A backup archive server with hierarchical storage was implemented offsite from the main PACS archive location. Clinical data from a hospital PACS is sent to this ASP storage server in parallel to the exams being archived in the main server. Initially, connectivity between the main archive and the ASP storage server is established via a T-1 connection. In the future, other more cost-effective means of connectivity will be researched such as the Internet 2. We have integrated the ASP model backup archive with a clinical PACS at Saint John's Health Center and has been operational for over 6 months. Pitfalls encountered during integration with a live clinical PACS and the impact to clinical workflow will be discussed. In addition, estimations of the cost of establishing such a solution as well as the cost charged to the users will be included. Clinical downtime scenarios, such as a scheduled mandatory downtime and an unscheduled downtime due to a disaster event to the main archive, were simulated and the PACS exams were sent successfully from the offsite ASP storage server back to the hospital PACS in less than 1 day. The ASP backup archive was able to recover PACS image data for comparison studies with no complex operational procedures. Furthermore, no image data loss was encountered during the recovery. During any clinical downtime scenario, the ASP backup archive server can repopulate a clinical PACS quickly with the majority of studies available for comparison during the interim until the main PACS archive is fully recovered.

XDS-I Gateway Development for HIE Connectivity with Legacy PACS at Gil Hospital.

PubMed

Simalango, Mikael Fernandus; Kim, Youngchul; Seo, Young Tae; Choi, Young Hwan; Cho, Yong Kyun

2013-12-01

The ability to support healthcare document sharing is imperative in a health information exchange (HIE). Sharing imaging documents or images, however, can be challenging, especially when they are stored in a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) archive that does not support document sharing via standard HIE protocols. This research proposes a standard-compliant imaging gateway that enables connectivity between a legacy PACS and the entire HIE. Investigation of the PACS solutions used at Gil Hospital was conducted. An imaging gateway application was then developed using a Java technology stack. Imaging document sharing capability enabled by the gateway was tested by integrating it into Gil Hospital's order communication system and its HIE infrastructure. The gateway can acquire radiology images from a PACS storage system, provide and register the images to Gil Hospital's HIE for document sharing purposes, and make the images retrievable by a cross-enterprise document sharing document viewer. Development of an imaging gateway that mediates communication between a PACS and an HIE can be considered a viable option when the PACS does not support the standard protocol for cross-enterprise document sharing for imaging. Furthermore, the availability of common HIE standards expedites the development and integration of the imaging gateway with an HIE.

XDS-I Gateway Development for HIE Connectivity with Legacy PACS at Gil Hospital

PubMed Central

Simalango, Mikael Fernandus; Kim, Youngchul; Seo, Young Tae; Cho, Yong Kyun

2013-01-01

Objectives The ability to support healthcare document sharing is imperative in a health information exchange (HIE). Sharing imaging documents or images, however, can be challenging, especially when they are stored in a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) archive that does not support document sharing via standard HIE protocols. This research proposes a standard-compliant imaging gateway that enables connectivity between a legacy PACS and the entire HIE. Methods Investigation of the PACS solutions used at Gil Hospital was conducted. An imaging gateway application was then developed using a Java technology stack. Imaging document sharing capability enabled by the gateway was tested by integrating it into Gil Hospital's order communication system and its HIE infrastructure. Results The gateway can acquire radiology images from a PACS storage system, provide and register the images to Gil Hospital's HIE for document sharing purposes, and make the images retrievable by a cross-enterprise document sharing document viewer. Conclusions Development of an imaging gateway that mediates communication between a PACS and an HIE can be considered a viable option when the PACS does not support the standard protocol for cross-enterprise document sharing for imaging. Furthermore, the availability of common HIE standards expedites the development and integration of the imaging gateway with an HIE. PMID:24523994

Short history of PACS. Part I: USA.

PubMed

Huang, H K

2011-05-01

This historical review covers the PACS development in the USA during the past 28 years from 1982 to 2010. General historical remarks of PACS and international scene in three stages from infancy, puberty to adolescence are presented. Early PACS development was mostly financed by the federal government including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. PACS evolution went through several stages. The earliest stages included the definition of large-scale PACS, establishment of the DICOM and other standards, the development of some early key PACS related technologies, and PACS implementation strategies. The later stages were in the concept of enterprise PACS, IHE (Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise) workflow profiles, and ePR with image distribution. The current most excited accomplishment is in the development of the new field in medical imaging informatics. This review goes through these stages and events in the USA during these 28 years, whenever an event involved participants from other countries, the contributors are cited. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integration of LDSE and LTVS logs with HIPAA compliant auditing system (HCAS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zheng; Liu, Brent J.; Huang, H. K.; Guo, Bing; Documet, Jorge; King, Nelson

2006-03-01

The deadline of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) Security Rules has passed on February 2005; therefore being HIPAA compliant becomes extremely critical to healthcare providers. HIPAA mandates healthcare providers to protect the privacy and integrity of the health data and have the ability to demonstrate examples of mechanisms that can be used to accomplish this task. It is also required that a healthcare institution must be able to provide audit trails on image data access on demand for a specific patient. For these reasons, we have developed a HIPAA compliant auditing system (HCAS) for image data security in a PACS by auditing every image data access. The HCAS was presented in 2005 SPIE. This year, two new components, LDSE (Lossless Digital Signature Embedding) and LTVS (Patient Location Tracking and Verification System) logs, have been added to the HCAS. The LDSE can assure medical image integrity in a PACS, while the LTVS can provide access control for a PACS by creating a security zone in the clinical environment. By integrating the LDSE and LTVS logs with the HCAS, the privacy and integrity of image data can be audited as well. Thus, a PACS with the HCAS installed can become HIPAA compliant in image data privacy and integrity, access control, and audit control.

PACS administrators' and radiologists' perspective on the importance of features for PACS selection.

PubMed

Joshi, Vivek; Narra, Vamsi R; Joshi, Kailash; Lee, Kyootai; Melson, David

2014-08-01

Picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) play a critical role in radiology. This paper presents the criteria important to PACS administrators for selecting a PACS. A set of criteria are identified and organized into an integrative hierarchical framework. Survey responses from 48 administrators are used to identify the relative weights of these criteria through an analytical hierarchy process. The five main dimensions for PACS selection in order of importance are system continuity and functionality, system performance and architecture, user interface for workflow management, user interface for image manipulation, and display quality. Among the subdimensions, the highest weights were assessed for security, backup, and continuity; tools for continuous performance monitoring; support for multispecialty images; and voice recognition/transcription. PACS administrators' preferences were generally in line with that of previously reported results for radiologists. Both groups assigned the highest priority to ensuring business continuity and preventing loss of data through features such as security, backup, downtime prevention, and tools for continuous PACS performance monitoring. PACS administrators' next high priorities were support for multispecialty images, image retrieval speeds from short-term and long-term storage, real-time monitoring, and architectural issues of compatibility and integration with other products. Thus, next to ensuring business continuity, administrators' focus was on issues that impact their ability to deliver services and support. On the other hand, radiologists gave high priorities to voice recognition, transcription, and reporting; structured reporting; and convenience and responsiveness in manipulation of images. Thus, radiologists' focus appears to be on issues that may impact their productivity, effort, and accuracy.

Content-based image retrieval in medical applications for picture archiving and communication systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmann, Thomas M.; Guld, Mark O.; Thies, Christian; Fischer, Benedikt; Keysers, Daniel; Kohnen, Michael; Schubert, Henning; Wein, Berthold B.

2003-05-01

Picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) aim to efficiently provide the radiologists with all images in a suitable quality for diagnosis. Modern standards for digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) comprise alphanumerical descriptions of study, patient, and technical parameters. Currently, this is the only information used to select relevant images within PACS. Since textual descriptions insufficiently describe the great variety of details in medical images, content-based image retrieval (CBIR) is expected to have a strong impact when integrated into PACS. However, existing CBIR approaches usually are limited to a distinct modality, organ, or diagnostic study. In this state-of-the-art report, we present first results implementing a general approach to content-based image retrieval in medical applications (IRMA) and discuss its integration into PACS environments. Usually, a PACS consists of a DICOM image server and several DICOM-compliant workstations, which are used by radiologists for reading the images and reporting the findings. Basic IRMA components are the relational database, the scheduler, and the web server, which all may be installed on the DICOM image server, and the IRMA daemons running on distributed machines, e.g., the radiologists" workstations. These workstations can also host the web-based front-ends of IRMA applications. Integrating CBIR and PACS, a special focus is put on (a) location and access transparency for data, methods, and experiments, (b) replication transparency for methods in development, (c) concurrency transparency for job processing and feature extraction, (d) system transparency at method implementation time, and (e) job distribution transparency when issuing a query. Transparent integration will have a certain impact on diagnostic quality supporting both evidence-based medicine and case-based reasoning.

Implementation and Validation of PACS Integrated Peer Review for Discrepancy Recording of Radiology Reporting.

PubMed

Olthof, A W; van Ooijen, P M A

2016-09-01

The purpose of this work is to demonstrate the possibility of implementation of a PACS-integrated peer review system based on RADPEER™ classification providing a step-wise implementation plan utilizing features already present in the standard PACS implementation and without the requirement of additional software development. Furthermore, we show the usage and effects of the system during the first 30 months of usage. To allow fast and easy implementation into the daily workflow the key-word feature of the PACS was used. This feature allows to add a key-word to an imaging examination for easy searching in the PACS database (e.g. by entering keywords for different kinds of pathology). For peer review we implemented a keyword structure including a code for each of the existing RADPEER™ scoring language terms and a keyword with the phrase "second reading" followed by the name of the individual radiologist. The use of the short-keys to enter the codes in relation to the peer review was a simple to use solution. During the study 599 reports were peer reviewed. The active participation in this study of the radiologists varies and ranges from 3 to 327 reviews per radiologist. The number of peer review is highest in CT and CR. There are no significant technical obstacles to implement a PACS-integrated RADPEER™ -system based on key-words allowing easy integration of peer review into the daily routine without the requirement of additional software. Peer review implemented in a non-random setting based on relevant priors could already help in increasing the quality of radiological reporting and serve as continuing education among peers. Decisiveness, tact and trust are needed to promote use of the system and collaborative discussion of the results by radiologist.

Integrating medical imaging analyses through a high-throughput bundled resource imaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Covington, Kelsie; Welch, E. Brian; Jeong, Ha-Kyu; Landman, Bennett A.

2011-03-01

Exploitation of advanced, PACS-centric image analysis and interpretation pipelines provides well-developed storage, retrieval, and archival capabilities along with state-of-the-art data providence, visualization, and clinical collaboration technologies. However, pursuit of integrated medical imaging analysis through a PACS environment can be limiting in terms of the overhead required to validate, evaluate and integrate emerging research technologies. Herein, we address this challenge through presentation of a high-throughput bundled resource imaging system (HUBRIS) as an extension to the Philips Research Imaging Development Environment (PRIDE). HUBRIS enables PACS-connected medical imaging equipment to invoke tools provided by the Java Imaging Science Toolkit (JIST) so that a medical imaging platform (e.g., a magnetic resonance imaging scanner) can pass images and parameters to a server, which communicates with a grid computing facility to invoke the selected algorithms. Generated images are passed back to the server and subsequently to the imaging platform from which the images can be sent to a PACS. JIST makes use of an open application program interface layer so that research technologies can be implemented in any language capable of communicating through a system shell environment (e.g., Matlab, Java, C/C++, Perl, LISP, etc.). As demonstrated in this proof-of-concept approach, HUBRIS enables evaluation and analysis of emerging technologies within well-developed PACS systems with minimal adaptation of research software, which simplifies evaluation of new technologies in clinical research and provides a more convenient use of PACS technology by imaging scientists.

Diagnostic report acquisition unit for the Mayo/IBM PACS project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brooks, Everett G.; Rothman, Melvyn L.

1991-07-01

The Mayo Clinic and IBM Rochester have jointly developed a picture archive and control system (PACS) for use with Mayo's MRI and Neuro-CT imaging modalities. One of the challenges of developing a useful PACS involves integrating the diagnostic reports with the electronic images so they can be displayed simultaneously. By the time a diagnostic report is generated for a particular case, its images have already been captured and archived by the PACS. To integrate the report with the images, the authors have developed an IBM Personal System/2 computer (PS/2) based diagnostic report acquisition unit (RAU). A typed copy of the report is transmitted via facsimile to the RAU where it is stacked electronically with other reports that have been sent previously but not yet processed. By processing these reports at the RAU, the information they contain is integrated with the image database and a copy of the report is archived electronically on an IBM Application System/400 computer (AS/400). When a user requests a set of images for viewing, the report is automatically integrated with the image data. By using a hot key, the user can toggle on/off the report on the display screen. This report describes process, hardware, and software employed to integrate the diagnostic report information into the PACS, including how the report images are captured, transmitted, and entered into the AS/400 database. Also described is how the archived reports and their associated medical images are located and merged for retrieval and display. The methods used to detect and process error conditions are also discussed.

The cost of integrating a physical activity counselor in the primary health care team.

PubMed

Hogg, William E; Zhao, Xue; Angus, Douglas; Fortier, Michelle; Zhong, Jianwei; O'Sullivan, Tracey; Sigal, Ronald J; Blanchard, Chris

2012-01-01

This article assesses direct costs of integrating a physical activity counselor (PAC) into primary health care teams to improve physical activity levels of inactive patients. A monthly cost analysis was conducted using data from 120 inactive patients, aged 18 to 69 years, who were recruited from a community-based family medicine practice. Relevant cost items for the intensive counseling group included (1) office expenses; (2) equipment purchases; (3) operating costs; (4) costs of training the PAC; and (5) labor costs. Physical and human capital were amortized over a 5-year horizon at a discount rate of 5%. Integrating a PAC into the primary health care team incurred an estimated one-time cost of CA$91.43 per participant per month. Results were very sensitive to the number of patients counseled. The costs associated with the intervention are lower than many other intervention studies attempting to improve population physical activity levels. Demonstrating this competitive cost base should encourage additional research to assess the effectiveness of integrating a PAC into primary health care teams to promote active living among patients who do not meet recommended physical activity levels.

Integration of healthcare information: from enterprise PACS to patient centered multimedia health record.

PubMed

Soriano, Enrique; Plazzotta, Fernando; Campos, Fernando; Kaminker, Diego; Cancio, Alfredo; Aguilera Díaz, Jerónimo; Luna, Daniel; Seehaus, Alberto; Carcía Mónaco, Ricardo; de Quirós, Fernán González Bernaldo

2010-01-01

Every single piece of healthcare information should be fully integrated and transparent within the electronic health record. The Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires initiated the project Multimedia Health Record with the goal to achieve this integration while maintaining a holistic view of current structure of the systems of the Hospital, where the axis remains are the patient and longitudinal history, commencing with section Computed Tomography. Was implemented DICOM standard for communication and image storage and bought a PACS. It was necessary adapt our generic reporting system for live up to the commercial RIS. The Computerized Tomography (CT) Scanners of our hospital were easily integrated into the DICOM network and all the CT Scans generated by our radiology service were stored in the PACS, reported using the Structured Reporting System (we installed diagnostic terminals equipped with 3 monitors) and displayed in the EHR at any point of HIBA's healthcare network.

Towards a theory of PACS deployment: an integrative PACS maturity framework.

PubMed

van de Wetering, Rogier; Batenburg, Ronald

2014-06-01

Owing to large financial investments that go along with the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) deployments and inconsistent PACS performance evaluations, there is a pressing need for a better understanding of the implications of PACS deployment in hospitals. We claim that there is a gap in the research field, both theoretically and empirically, to explain the success of the PACS deployment and maturity in hospitals. Theoretical principles are relevant to the PACS performance; maturity and alignment are reviewed from a system and complexity perspective. A conceptual model to explain the PACS performance and a set of testable hypotheses are then developed. Then, structural equation modeling (SEM), i.e. causal modeling, is applied to validate the model and hypotheses based on a research sample of 64 hospitals that use PACS, i.e. 70 % of all hospitals in the Netherlands. Outcomes of the SEM analyses substantiate that the measurements of all constructs are reliable and valid. The PACS alignment-modeled as a higher-order construct of five complementary organizational dimensions and maturity levels-has a significant positive impact on the PACS performance. This result is robust and stable for various sub-samples and segments. This paper presents a conceptual model that explains how alignment in deploying PACS in hospitals is positively related to the perceived performance of PACS. The conceptual model is extended with tools as checklists to systematically identify the improvement areas for hospitals in the PACS domain. The holistic approach towards PACS alignment and maturity provides a framework for clinical practice.

Dual action of highbush blueberry proanthocyanidins on Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and the host inflammatory response.

PubMed

Ben Lagha, Amel; LeBel, Geneviève; Grenier, Daniel

2018-01-10

The highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) has a beneficial effect on several aspects of human health. The present study investigated the effects of highbush blueberry proanthocyanidins (PACs) on the virulence properties of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and macrophage-associated inflammatory responses. PACs were isolated from frozen highbush blueberries using solid-phase chromatography. A microplate dilution assay was performed to determine the effect of highbush blueberry PACs on A. actinomycetemcomitans growth as well as biofilm formation stained with crystal violet. Tight junction integrity of oral keratinocytes was assessed by measuring the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER), while macrophage viability was determined with a colorimetric MTT assay. Pro-inflammatory cytokine and MMP secretion by A. actinomycetemcomitans-stimulated macrophages was quantified by ELISA. The U937-3xκB-LUC monocyte cell line transfected with a luciferase reporter gene was used to monitor NF-κB activation. Highbush blueberry PACs reduced the growth of A. actinomycetemcomitans and prevented biofilm formation at sub-inhibitory concentrations. The treatment of pre-formed biofilms with the PACs resulted in a loss of bacterial viability. The antibacterial activity of the PACs appeared to involve damage to the bacterial cell membrane. The PACs protected the oral keratinocytes barrier integrity from damage caused by A. actinomycetemcomitans. The PACs also protected macrophages from the deleterious effect of leukotoxin Ltx-A and dose-dependently inhibited the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, CXCL8, TNF-α), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-3, MMP-9), and sTREM-1 by A. actinomycetemcomitans-treated macrophages. The PACs also inhibited the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of highbush blueberry PACs as well as their ability to protect the oral keratinocyte barrier and neutralize leukotoxin activity suggest that they may be promising candidates as novel therapeutic agents.

Making the PACS workstation a browser of image processing software: a feasibility study using inter-process communication techniques.

PubMed

Wang, Chunliang; Ritter, Felix; Smedby, Orjan

2010-07-01

To enhance the functional expandability of a picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) workstation and to facilitate the integration of third-part image-processing modules, we propose a browser-server style method. In the proposed solution, the PACS workstation shows the front-end user interface defined in an XML file while the image processing software is running in the background as a server. Inter-process communication (IPC) techniques allow an efficient exchange of image data, parameters, and user input between the PACS workstation and stand-alone image-processing software. Using a predefined communication protocol, the PACS workstation developer or image processing software developer does not need detailed information about the other system, but will still be able to achieve seamless integration between the two systems and the IPC procedure is totally transparent to the final user. A browser-server style solution was built between OsiriX (PACS workstation software) and MeVisLab (Image-Processing Software). Ten example image-processing modules were easily added to OsiriX by converting existing MeVisLab image processing networks. Image data transfer using shared memory added <10ms of processing time while the other IPC methods cost 1-5 s in our experiments. The browser-server style communication based on IPC techniques is an appealing method that allows PACS workstation developers and image processing software developers to cooperate while focusing on different interests.

Medical information, communication, and archiving system (MICAS): Phase II integration and acceptance testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Edward M.; Wandtke, John; Robinson, Arvin E.

1999-07-01

The Medical Information, Communication and Archive System (MICAS) is a multi-modality integrated image management system that is seamlessly integrated with the Radiology Information System (RIS). This project was initiated in the summer of 1995 with the first phase being installed during the first half of 1997 and the second phase installed during the summer of 1998. Phase II enhancements include a permanent archive, automated workflow including modality worklist, study caches, NT diagnostic workstations with all components adhering to Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standards. This multi-vendor phased approach to PACS implementation is designed as an enterprise-wide PACS to provide images and reports throughout our healthcare network. MICAS demonstrates that aa multi-vendor open system phased approach to PACS is feasible, cost-effective, and has significant advantages over a single vendor implementation.

Enterprise-scale image distribution with a Web PACS.

PubMed

Gropper, A; Doyle, S; Dreyer, K

1998-08-01

The integration of images with existing and new health care information systems poses a number of challenges in a multi-facility network: image distribution to clinicians; making DICOM image headers consistent across information systems; and integration of teleradiology into PACS. A novel, Web-based enterprise PACS architecture introduced at Massachusetts General Hospital provides a solution. Four AMICAS Web/Intranet Image Servers were installed as the default DICOM destination of 10 digital modalities. A fifth AMICAS receives teleradiology studies via the Internet. Each AMICAS includes: a Java-based interface to the IDXrad radiology information system (RIS), a DICOM autorouter to tape-library archives and to the Agfa PACS, a wavelet image compressor/decompressor that preserves compatibility with DICOM workstations, a Web server to distribute images throughout the enterprise, and an extensible interface which permits links between other HIS and AMICAS. Using wavelet compression and Internet standards as its native formats, AMICAS creates a bridge to the DICOM networks of remote imaging centers via the Internet. This teleradiology capability is integrated into the DICOM network and the PACS thereby eliminating the need for special teleradiology workstations. AMICAS has been installed at MGH since March of 1997. During that time, it has been a reliable component of the evolving digital image distribution system. As a result, the recently renovated neurosurgical ICU will be filmless and use only AMICAS workstations for mission-critical patient care.

PACS--and beyond. A journey to the digital promised land.

PubMed

Viau, Mark A

2004-01-01

A successful picture archiving and communication system (PACS) integration depends on much more than the technology; marketing also plays a large role. This fact was evident from the inception of the PACS project at Boca Raton Community Hospital (BRCH). Strategic and effective marketing efforts should target technologists, nurses, physicians (including radiologists), administration, and colleagues in other departments. The buy-in of these users is critical to the project's success. BRCH's first marketing effort took place during the initial PACS presentation made to the hospital's board of directors. Once approval was given and a 6-month implementation target was set, a strategic and effective marketing/education plan commenced. Posters, brochures, t-shirts, and promotional items were distributed in a coordinated effort to target hospital staff and referring physician offices. Through its "Got PACS?" branding and other identity materials, BRCH implemented a marketing plan that informed, educated, and engaged PACS users.

Large-scale PACS implementation.

PubMed

Carrino, J A; Unkel, P J; Miller, I D; Bowser, C L; Freckleton, M W; Johnson, T G

1998-08-01

The transition to filmless radiology is a much more formidable task than making the request for proposal to purchase a (Picture Archiving and Communications System) PACS. The Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration have been pioneers in the transformation of medical diagnostic imaging to the electronic environment. Many civilian sites are expected to implement large-scale PACS in the next five to ten years. This presentation will related the empirical insights gleaned at our institution from a large-scale PACS implementation. Our PACS integration was introduced into a fully operational department (not a new hospital) in which work flow had to continue with minimal impact. Impediments to user acceptance will be addressed. The critical components of this enormous task will be discussed. The topics covered during this session will include issues such as phased implementation, DICOM (digital imaging and communications in medicine) standard-based interaction of devices, hospital information system (HIS)/radiology information system (RIS) interface, user approval, networking, workstation deployment and backup procedures. The presentation will make specific suggestions regarding the implementation team, operating instructions, quality control (QC), training and education. The concept of identifying key functional areas is relevant to transitioning the facility to be entirely on line. Special attention must be paid to specific functional areas such as the operating rooms and trauma rooms where the clinical requirements may not match the PACS capabilities. The printing of films may be necessary for certain circumstances. The integration of teleradiology and remote clinics into a PACS is a salient topic with respect to the overall role of the radiologists providing rapid consultation. A Web-based server allows a clinician to review images and reports on a desk-top (personal) computer and thus reduce the number of dedicated PACS review workstations. This session will focus on effective strategies for a seamless transition. Critical issues involve maintaining a good working relationship with the vendor, cultivating personnel readiness and instituting well-defined support systems. Success depends on the ability to integrate the institutional directives, user expectations and available technologies. A team approach is mandatory for success.

[Economic effects of integrated RIS-PACS solution in the university environment].

PubMed

Kröger, M; Nissen-Meyer, S; Wetekam, V; Reiser, M

1999-04-01

The goal of the current article is to demonstrate how qualitative and monetary effects resulting from an integrated RIS/PACS installation can be evaluated. First of all, the system concept of a RIS/PACS solution for a university hospital is defined and described. Based on this example, a generic method for the evaluation of qualitative and monetary effects as well as associated risks is depicted and demonstrated. To this end, qualitative analyses, investment calculations and risk analysis are employed. The sample analysis of a RIS/PACS solution specially designed for a university hospital demonstrates positive qualitative and monetary effects of the system. Under ideal conditions the payoff time of the investments is reached after 4 years of an assumed 8 years effective life of the system. Furthermore, under conservative assumptions, the risk analysis shows a probability of 0% for realising a negative net present value at the end of the payoff time period. It should be pointed out that the positive result of this sample analysis will not necessarily apply to other clinics or hospitals. However, the same methods may be used for the individual evaluation of the qualitative and monetary effects of a RIS/PACS installation in any clinic.

Medical image security in a HIPAA mandated PACS environment.

PubMed

Cao, F; Huang, H K; Zhou, X Q

2003-01-01

Medical image security is an important issue when digital images and their pertinent patient information are transmitted across public networks. Mandates for ensuring health data security have been issued by the federal government such as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), where healthcare institutions are obliged to take appropriate measures to ensure that patient information is only provided to people who have a professional need. Guidelines, such as digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) standards that deal with security issues, continue to be published by organizing bodies in healthcare. However, there are many differences in implementation especially for an integrated system like picture archiving and communication system (PACS), and the infrastructure to deploy these security standards is often lacking. Over the past 6 years, members in the Image Processing and Informatics Laboratory, Childrens Hospital, Los Angeles/University of Southern California, have actively researched image security issues related to PACS and teleradiology. The paper summarizes our previous work and presents an approach to further research on the digital envelope (DE) concept that provides image integrity and security assurance in addition to conventional network security protection. The DE, including the digital signature (DS) of the image as well as encrypted patient information from the DICOM image header, can be embedded in the background area of the image as an invisible permanent watermark. The paper outlines the systematic development, evaluation and deployment of the DE method in a PACS environment. We have also proposed a dedicated PACS security server that will act as an image authority to check and certify the image origin and integrity upon request by a user, and meanwhile act also as a secure DICOM gateway to the outside connections and a PACS operation monitor for HIPAA supporting information. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Phase-amplitude coupling within the anterior thalamic nuclei during seizures.

PubMed

Ibrahim, George M; Wong, Simeon; Morgan, Benjamin R; Lipsman, Nir; Fallah, Aria; Weil, Alexander G; Krishna, Vibhor; Wennberg, Richard A; Lozano, Andres A

2018-04-01

Cross-frequency phase-amplitude coupling (cfPAC) subserves an integral role in the hierarchical organization of interregional neuronal communication and is also expressed by epileptogenic cortex during seizures. Here, we sought to characterize patterns of cfPAC expression in the anterior thalamic nuclei during seizures by studying extra-operative recordings in patients implanted with deep brain stimulation electrodes for intractable epilepsy. Nine seizures from two patients were analyzed in the peri-ictal period. CfPAC was calculated using the modulation index and interregional functional connectivity was indexed using the phase-locking value. Statistical analysis was performed within subjects on the basis of nonparametric permutation and corrected with Gaussian field theory. Five of the nine analyzed seizures demonstrated significant cfPAC. Significant cfPAC occurred during the pre-ictal and ictal periods in three seizures, as well as the postictal windows in four seizures. The preferred phase at which cfPAC occurred differed 1) in space, between the thalami of the epileptogenic and nonepileptogenic hemispheres; and 2) in time, at seizure termination. The anterior thalamic nucleus of the epileptogenic hemisphere also exhibited altered interregional phase-locking synchrony concurrent with the expression of cfPAC. By analyzing extraoperative recordings from the anterior thalamic nuclei, we show that cfPAC associated with altered interregional phase synchrony is lateralized to the thalamus of the epileptogenic hemisphere during seizures. Electrophysiological differences in cfPAC, including preferred phase of oscillatory interactions may be further investigated as putative targets for individualized neuromodulation paradigms in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The association between fast brain activity and slower oscillations is an integral mechanism for hierarchical neuronal communication, which is also manifested in epileptogenic cortex. Our data suggest that the same phenomenon occurs in the anterior thalamic nuclei during seizures. Further, the preferred phase of modulation shows differences in space, between the epileptogenic and nonepileptogenic hemispheres and time, as seizures terminate. Our data encourage the study of cross-frequency coupling for targeted, individualized closed-loop stimulation paradigms.

Prototype development and implementation of picture archiving and communications systems based on ISO-OSI standard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, Ralph; Nam, Jiseung

1992-07-01

Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) is an integration of digital image formation in a hospital, which encompasses various imaging equipment, image viewing workstations, image databases, and a high speed network. The integration requires a standardization of communication protocols to connect devices from different vendors. The American College of Radiology and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (ACR- NEMA) standard Version 2.0 provides a point-to-point hardware interface, a set of software commands, and a consistent set of data formats for PACS. But, it is inadequate for PACS networking environments, because of its point-to-point nature and its inflexibility to allow other services and protocols in the future. Based on previous experience of PACS developments in The University of Arizona, a new communication protocol for PACS networks and an approach were proposed to ACR-NEMA Working Group VI. The defined PACS protocol is intended to facilitate the development of PACS''s capable of interfacing with other hospital information systems. Also, it is intended to allow the creation of diagnostic information data bases which can be interrogated by a variety of distributed devices. A particularly important goal is to support communications in a multivendor environment. The new protocol specifications are defined primarily as a combination of the International Organization for Standardization/Open Systems Interconnection (ISO/OSI), TCP/IP protocols, and the data format portion of ACR-NEMA standard. This paper addresses the specification and implementation of the ISO-based protocol into a PACS prototype. The protocol specification, which covers Presentation, Session, Transport, and Network layers, is summarized briefly. The protocol implementation is discussed based on our implementation efforts in the UNIX Operating System Environment. At the same time, results of performance comparison between the ISO and TCP/IP implementations are presented to demonstrate the implementation of defined protocol. The testing of performance analysis is done by prototyping PACS on available platforms, which are Micro VAX II, DECstation and SUN Workstation.

Design and Implementation of PACS at Georgetown University Hospital

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mun, S. K.; Benson, H.. R.; Choyke, P.; Fahey, F. H.; Wang, P. C.; Zeman, R. K...; Elliott, L. P.

1985-09-01

During the preparation and planning phase of the PACS project at Georgetown University Hospital it was realized that PACS requires truly the state of the art technology in data communication, image processing and man machine interfacing. It was also realized that un-like many other technology intensive devices used in radiology, PACS cannot be seen as an independent system that will provide well defined services. PACS will be the backbone of the department operation in clinical, educational and managerial functions. It will indeed be the nerve center of the radiologic services affecting every aspect of the department. PACS will have to be designed to perform in a cost-effective manner to widely varying needs within the radiology departments. The integration of ever changing complex technology that will impact every aspect of a radiology service is not a trivial matter. This transition period going from current manual film based PACS to Digital PACS can be long, expansive and disruptive unless careful planning preceeds the implementation. PACS is still an emerging technology at its infancy. Performance monitoring and evaluation of diversified functions have to be also established so that improvement to the system can be efficiently implemented. Thus the evaluation criteria should be also established as early as possible.

PACS: implementation in the U.S. Department of Defense

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chacko, Anna K.; Wider, Ronald; Romlein, John R.; Cawthon, Michael A.; Richardson, Ronald R., Jr.; Lollar, H. William; Cook, Jay F.; Timboe, Harold L.; Johnson, Thomas G.; Fellows, Douglas W.

2000-05-01

The Department of Defense has been a leader in Radiology re- engineering for the past decade. Efforts have included the development of two landmark PACS specifications (MDIS and DIN- PACS), respective vendor selection and implementation programs. A Tri-Service (Army, Navy and Air Force) Radiology re-engineering program was initiated which identified transitioning to digital imaging, PACS and teleradiology as key enabling technologies in a changing business scenario. Subsequently, the systematic adjustment of procurement process for radiological imaging equipment included a focus on specifying PACS-capable-digital imaging modalities and mini- PACS as stepping stones to make the hospitals and health clinics PACS-ready. The success of the PACS and teleradiology program in the DOD is evidenced by the near filmless operation of most Army and Air Force Medical Centers, several community hospitals and several operational teleradiology constellations. Additionally, the MDIS PACSystem has become the commercial PACS product for General Electric Medical Systems. The DOD continues to forge ahead in the PACS arena by implementing advanced configurations and operational concepts such as the VRE (Virtual Radiology Environment), the negotiation of Regional Archiving and Regional PACS Maintenance Programs. Newer regulations (HIPAA, the FDA approval of digital mammography) have been promulgated impacting the culture and conduct of our business. Incorporating their requirements at the very outset will enable us to streamline the delivery of radiology. The DOD community has embraced the information age at multiple levels. The Healthcare portion of this community with these initiatives is integrating itself into DOD's future. The future holds great possibilities, promises and challenges for the DOD PACS programs.

Reengineering the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) process for digital imaging networks PACS.

PubMed

Horton, M C; Lewis, T E; Kinsey, T V

1999-05-01

Prior to June 1997, military picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) were planned, procured, and installed with key decisions on the system, equipment, and even funding sources made through a research and development office called Medical Diagnostic Imaging Systems (MDIS). Beginning in June 1997, the Joint Imaging Technology Project Office (JITPO) initiated a collaborative and consultative process for planning and implementing PACS into military treatment facilities through a new Department of Defense (DoD) contract vehicle called digital imaging networks (DIN)-PACS. The JITPO reengineered this process incorporating multiple organizations and politics. The reengineered PACS process administered through the JITPO transformed the decision process and accountability from a single office to a consultative method that increased end-user knowledge, responsibility, and ownership in PACS. The JITPO continues to provide information and services that assist multiple groups and users in rendering PACS planning and implementation decisions. Local site project managers are involved from the outset and this end-user collaboration has made the sometimes difficult transition to PACS an easier and more acceptable process for all involved. Corporately, this process saved DoD sites millions by having PACS plans developed within the government and proposed to vendors second, and then having vendors respond specifically to those plans. The integrity and efficiency of the process have reduced the opportunity for implementing nonstandard systems while sharing resources and reducing wasted government dollars. This presentation will describe the chronology of changes, encountered obstacles, and lessons learned within the reengineering of the PACS process for DIN-PACS.

Integration, acceptance testing, and clinical operation of the Medical Information, Communication and Archive System, phase II.

PubMed

Smith, E M; Wandtke, J; Robinson, A

1999-05-01

The Medical Information, Communication and Archive System (MICAS) is a multivendor incremental approach to picture archiving and communications system (PACS). It is a multimodality integrated image management system that is seamlessly integrated with the radiology information system (RIS). Phase II enhancements of MICAS include a permanent archive, automated workflow, study caches, Microsoft (Redmond, WA) Windows NT diagnostic workstations with all components adhering to Digital Information Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standards. MICAS is designed as an enterprise-wide PACS to provide images and reports throughout the Strong Health healthcare network. Phase II includes the addition of a Cemax-Icon (Fremont, CA) archive, PACS broker (Mitra, Waterloo, Canada), an interface (IDX PACSlink, Burlington, VT) to the RIS (IDXrad) plus the conversion of the UNIX-based redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) 5 temporary archives in phase I to NT-based RAID 0 DICOM modality-specific study caches (ImageLabs, Bedford, MA). The phase I acquisition engines and workflow management software was uninstalled and the Cemax archive manager (AM) assumed these functions. The existing ImageLabs UNIX-based viewing software was enhanced and converted to an NT-based DICOM viewer. Installation of phase II hardware and software and integration with existing components began in July 1998. Phase II of MICAS demonstrates that a multivendor open-system incremental approach to PACS is feasible, cost-effective, and has significant advantages over a single-vendor implementation.

An Implemented Strategy for Campus Connectivity and Cooperative Computing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halaris, Antony S.; Sloan, Lynda W.

1989-01-01

ConnectPac, a software package developed at Iona College to allow a computer user to access all services from a single personal computer, is described. ConnectPac uses mainframe computing to support a campus computing network, integrating personal and centralized computing into a menu-driven user environment. (Author/MLW)

Current developments in departmental PACS for ultrasound.

PubMed

Grenier, L E; Eng, P

1995-01-01

1. INTRODUCTION TO DEPARTMENTAL PACS. Full or partial Departmental PACS is generally taken to mean an image management system focused on serving the needs of a specific modality or modality application. It will provide a modality specific means of image acquisition, specialized redisplay of images, distribution, and local long term storage of images. A Departmental PACS can be considered in isolation or as a component in a distributed Radiology PACS which consists of one or more departmental work groups on a back bone, potentially with shared resources. 2. DEPARTMENTAL PACS Issues Implementation of a Departmental PACS requires an in-depth knowledge of departmental clinical practice and work flow in all affected areas in the department, including patient intake, image collection, data routing, retrieval of previous image data, reporting, and long term data management and storage. Optimization of modality specific image display systems requires significant involvement from representative physician users. System architectures and user interfaces must be flexible enough to support the span of variation in clinical practice encountered in the site. A departmental PACS should offer a variety of "open" communications interfaces, both local and wide area, recognizing that outreach efforts are often driven by specific imaging departments. Interfaces to other departmental PAC systems and other information systems must be considered in order to facilitate institutions developing "Best of Breed" PACS systems. As hospitals move toward the integrated electronic medical record, means need to exist for a client process launched from a physician desktop to acquire images and/or reports from a departmental system. At minimum, HIS/RIS interfaces need to be considered to minimize re-keying of data and reduce data entry errors. 3. DESIGN OBJECTIVES FOR ALI ULTRAPACS. The key objectives were to design a product which could function either as a free standing PACS or as a departmental subnet on a larger PACS backbone, one which could function in a local or mixed local and wide area environment and one which could provide a cost effective implementation based on currently available technologies. 4. IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES. In order to attain the product design objectives, ALI made the following critical implementation decisions: 1) to build the UltraPACS application as a suite of separable UNIX processes based on a message passing client server model; 2) to host the application and operating system on a Digital Equipment Corporation PC using an Intel microprocessor because of the competition and broad variety of suppliers in the PC arena; and 3) to use NEXTSTEP as the UNIX variant of choice because of NEXTSTEPUs strong object orientation, superb development tools, and the excellent integration between the Graphical User Interface level and the underlying operating system layers. 5. CONCLUSION. ALI is convinced that a departmental approach to PACS offers significant advantages over monolithic PACS in several key areas including: optimization for modality specific clinical practice and workflow, cost effectiveness, the potential for an institution to implement PACS in a stepwise fashion, starting with the department with the potential for the greatest savings, and the capability for an institution to build a "best of breed" solution for large scale PACS.

Urological diagnosis using clinical PACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mills, Stephen F.; Spetz, Kevin S.; Dwyer, Samuel J., III

1995-05-01

Urological diagnosis using fluoroscopy images has traditionally been performed using radiographic films. Images are generally acquired in conjunction with the application of a contrast agent, processed to create analog films, and inspected to ensure satisfactory image quality prior to being provided to a radiologist for reading. In the case of errors the entire process must be repeated. In addition, the radiologist must then often go to a particular reading room, possibly in a remote part of the healthcare facility, to read the images. The integration of digital fluoroscopy modalities with clinical PACS has the potential to significantly improve the urological diagnosis process by providing high-speed access to images at a variety of locations within a healthcare facility without costly film processing. The PACS additionally provides a cost-effective and reliable means of long-term storage and allows several medical users to simultaneously view the same images at different locations. The installation of a digital data interface between the existing clinically operational PACS at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center and a digital urology fluoroscope is described. Preliminary user interviews that have been conducted to determine the clinical effectiveness of PACS workstations for urological diagnosis are discussed. The specific suitability of the workstation medium is discussed, as are overall advantages and disadvantages of the hardcopy and softcopy media in terms of efficiency, timeliness and cost. Throughput metrics and some specific parameters of gray-scale viewing stations and the expected system impacts resulting from the integration of a urology fluoroscope with PACS are also discussed.

Design and implementation of GRID-based PACS in a hospital with multiple imaging departments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yuanyuan; Jin, Jin; Sun, Jianyong; Zhang, Jianguo

2008-03-01

Usually, there were multiple clinical departments providing imaging-enabled healthcare services in enterprise healthcare environment, such as radiology, oncology, pathology, and cardiology, the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) is now required to support not only radiology-based image display, workflow and data flow management, but also to have more specific expertise imaging processing and management tools for other departments providing imaging-guided diagnosis and therapy, and there were urgent demand to integrate the multiple PACSs together to provide patient-oriented imaging services for enterprise collaborative healthcare. In this paper, we give the design method and implementation strategy of developing grid-based PACS (Grid-PACS) for a hospital with multiple imaging departments or centers. The Grid-PACS functions as a middleware between the traditional PACS archiving servers and workstations or image viewing clients and provide DICOM image communication and WADO services to the end users. The images can be stored in distributed multiple archiving servers, but can be managed with central mode. The grid-based PACS has auto image backup and disaster recovery services and can provide best image retrieval path to the image requesters based on the optimal algorithms. The designed grid-based PACS has been implemented in Shanghai Huadong Hospital and been running for two years smoothly.

[Change in process management by implementing RIS, PACS and flat-panel detectors].

PubMed

Imhof, H; Dirisamer, A; Fischer, H; Grampp, S; Heiner, L; Kaderk, M; Krestan, C; Kainberger, F

2002-05-01

Implementation of radiological information systems (RIS) and picture archiving and communicating systems (PACS) results in significant changes of workflow in a radiological department. Additional connection with flat-panel detectors leads to a shortening of the work process. RIS and PACS implementation alone reduces the complete workflow by 21-80%. With flatpanel technology the image production process is further shortened by 25-30%. The workflow-steps are changed from original 17-12 with the implementation of RIS and PACS and to 5 with the integrated use of flatpanels. This clearly recognizable advantages in the workflow need an according financial investment. Several studies could show that the capitalisation-factor calculated over eight years is positive, with a gain range between 5-25%. Whether the additional implementation of flatpanel detectors results also in a positive capitalisation over the years, cannot be estimated exactly, at the moment, because the experiences are too short. Particularly critical are the interfaces, which needs a constant quality control. Our flatpanel detector-system is fixed, special images--as we have them in about 3-5% of all cases--need still conventional filmscreen or phosphorplate-systems. Full-spine and long-leg examinations cannot be performed with sufficient exactness. Without any questions implementation of integrated RIS, PACS and flatpanel detector-system needs excellent training of the employees, because of the changes in workflow etc. The main profits of such an integrated implementation are an increase in quality in image and report datas, easier handling--there are almost no more cassettes necessary--and excessive shortening of workflow.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: DUNES survey observational results (Eiroa+, 2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eiroa, C.; Marshall, J. P.; Mora, A.; Montesinos, B.; Absil, O.; Augereau, J.-C.; Bayo, A.; Bryden, G.; Danchi, W.; Del Burgo, C.; Ertel, S.; Fridlund, M.; Heras, A. M.; Krivov, A. V.; Launhardt, R.; Liseau, R.; Loehne, T.; Maldonado, J.; Pilbratt, G. L.; Roberge, A.; Rodmann, J.; Sanz-Forcada, J.; Solano, E.; Stapelfeldt, K.; Thebault, P.; Wolf, S.; Ardila, D.; Arevalo, M.; Beichmann, C.; Faramaz, V.; Gonzalez-Garcia, B. M.; Gutierrez, R.; Lebreton, J.; Martinez-Arnaiz, R.; Meeus, G.; Montes, D.; Olofsson, G.; Su, K. Y. L.; White, G. J.; Barrado, D.; Fukagawa, M.; Gruen, E.; Kamp, I.; Lorente, R.; Morbidelli, A.; Mueller, S.; Mutschke, H.; Nakagawa, T.; Ribas, I.; Walker, H.

2013-05-01

The on-line tabular material contains a complete description of the DUNES objects, providing absolute parameters of the stars, the photometry used to build their spectral energy distributions, the Herschel/PACS fluxes, the photospheric predictions at the PACS wavelengths, the significance of the potential excesses and additional information concerning the stars with extended emission, the offsets of the stellar positions as measured in the optical and in the PACS100 images, the AORs (Astronomical Observation Request number) of the observations and the on-source integration times. (11 data files).

Multivendor nuclear medicine PACS provide fully digital clinical operation at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgiou, Mike F.; Sfakianakis, George N.; Johnson, Gary; Douligeris, Christos; Scandar, Silvia; Eisler, E.; Binkley, B.

1994-05-01

In an effort to improve patient care while considering cost-effectiveness, we developed a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), which combines imaging cameras, computers and other peripheral equipment from multiple nuclear medicine vectors. The PACS provides fully-digital clinical operation which includes acquisition and automatic organization of patient data, distribution of the data to all networked units inside the department and other remote locations, digital analysis and quantitation of images, digital diagnostic reading of image studies and permanent data archival with the ability for fast retrieval. The PACS enabled us to significantly reduce the amount of film used, and we are currently proceeding with implementing a film-less laboratory. Hard copies are produced on paper or transparent sheets for non-digitally connected parts of the hospital. The PACS provides full-digital operation which is faster, more reliable, better organized and managed, and overall more efficient than a conventional film-based operation. In this paper, the integration of the various PACS components from multiple vendors is reviewed, and the impact of PACS, with its advantages and limitations on our clinical operation is analyzed.

Impact of PACS in hospital management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hur, Gham; Cha, Soon-Joo; Kim, Yong H.; Hwang, Yoon J.; Kim, Soo Y.

2002-05-01

Since the low-cost, NT-based, full PACS was successfully implemented in a large-scale hospital at the end of 1999, many hospital administrators have rushed to purchase the system competitively. It is now a worldwide trend to implement the technology, but Korea has several unique environments for the fast spread of the full PACS. Since hospitals in Korea operate inpatient and outpatient clinics in the same building and use identical OCS, full integration of PACS with the OCS was relatively easy and highly efficient. The simple governing structures of the hospitals also made the decision-making process short and effective. In addition, the national health insurance reimbursement policy that started pay in the beginning of 2000 has also played a catalytic role for the swift propagation of PACS. The recent appearance of the affordable PACS gave hospital administrators the opportunity to learn and understand the role of digital imaging in the areas that are directly related to the efficiency and quality of medical services, as well as cost containment. Furthermore, PACS provided them with windows to the 'all-digital hospital,' which will lead them to realign policies in the management of the hospitals in order to compete successfully in the fast-changing world of health care.

Medical image informatics infrastructure design and applications.

PubMed

Huang, H K; Wong, S T; Pietka, E

1997-01-01

Picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) is a system integration of multimodality images and health information systems designed for improving the operation of a radiology department. As it evolves, PACS becomes a hospital image document management system with a voluminous image and related data file repository. A medical image informatics infrastructure can be designed to take advantage of existing data, providing PACS with add-on value for health care service, research, and education. A medical image informatics infrastructure (MIII) consists of the following components: medical images and associated data (including PACS database), image processing, data/knowledge base management, visualization, graphic user interface, communication networking, and application oriented software. This paper describes these components and their logical connection, and illustrates some applications based on the concept of the MIII.

Integrating CAD modules in a PACS environment using a wide computing infrastructure.

PubMed

Suárez-Cuenca, Jorge J; Tilve, Amara; López, Ricardo; Ferro, Gonzalo; Quiles, Javier; Souto, Miguel

2017-04-01

The aim of this paper is to describe a project designed to achieve a total integration of different CAD algorithms into the PACS environment by using a wide computing infrastructure. The aim is to build a system for the entire region of Galicia, Spain, to make CAD accessible to multiple hospitals by employing different PACSs and clinical workstations. The new CAD model seeks to connect different devices (CAD systems, acquisition modalities, workstations and PACS) by means of networking based on a platform that will offer different CAD services. This paper describes some aspects related to the health services of the region where the project was developed, CAD algorithms that were either employed or selected for inclusion in the project, and several technical aspects and results. We have built a standard-based platform with which users can request a CAD service and receive the results in their local PACS. The process runs through a web interface that allows sending data to the different CAD services. A DICOM SR object is received with the results of the algorithms stored inside the original study in the proper folder with the original images. As a result, a homogeneous service to the different hospitals of the region will be offered. End users will benefit from a homogeneous workflow and a standardised integration model to request and obtain results from CAD systems in any modality, not dependant on commercial integration models. This new solution will foster the deployment of these technologies in the entire region of Galicia.

How to satisfy both clinical and information technology goals in designing a successful picture archiving and communication system.

PubMed

Beird, L C

2000-05-01

Designing and operating a PACS system requires an integrated focus to maintain peak performance of the system from an information technology (IT) perspective and to ensure that all clinical and financial requirements are met. An IT-based picture archiving and communication system (PACS) manager is in the best position to satisfy these sometime conflicting audiences. This report will describe how an institution moving towards PACS can unite radiologists, hospital administrators, and information systems (IS)/IT specialists into one cohesive team to ensure the highest levels of success with their future PACS. There are several keys to success: (1) Designing and selecting PACS requires a dedicated team, with representatives from radiology, as well as IS/IT and administration. (2) Each group needs to thoroughly outline their specific needs, so that the final PACS solution is relevant from all perspectives. This needs assessment needs to be made before issuing a request for proposal (RFP) and interviewing vendors. (3) The team needs to be small to be effective. Each group should have one or at most two representatives that collect input from, and report to, a group of his or her peers. (4) Plans need to be made to determine how to integrate current and future hospital information systems (HIS), in order to ensure a smooth pathway to the electronic medical record. (5) All team members should agree on the overall objectives for PACS and participate in its design and installation. (6) Each team member is charged with motivating, and helping to educate, his or her peers. (7) Training should be tailored to the needs of each audience. Explain how each staff member benefits from the PACS. Training should be ongoing to accommodate the addition of new system features and new users. This report will describe the importance of recognizing PACS as being an IT system with a clinical focus. The importance of designing goals of the PACS system from various perspectives, including clinical, technical, and financial, will be addressed. More importantly, this presentation will highlight the benefits a medical institution will receive if the various groups can work together, while at the same time outlining some pitfalls they can expect to encounter if the groups take an adversarial approach.

Accuracy Test of the OPLS-AA Force Field for Calculating Free Energies of Mixing and Comparison with PAC-MAC

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

We have calculated the excess free energy of mixing of 1053 binary mixtures with the OPLS-AA force field using two different methods: thermodynamic integration (TI) of molecular dynamics simulations and the Pair Configuration to Molecular Activity Coefficient (PAC-MAC) method. PAC-MAC is a force field based quasi-chemical method for predicting miscibility properties of various binary mixtures. The TI calculations yield a root mean squared error (RMSE) compared to experimental data of 0.132 kBT (0.37 kJ/mol). PAC-MAC shows a RMSE of 0.151 kBT with a calculation speed being potentially 1.0 × 104 times greater than TI. OPLS-AA force field parameters are optimized using PAC-MAC based on vapor–liquid equilibrium data, instead of enthalpies of vaporization or densities. The RMSE of PAC-MAC is reduced to 0.099 kBT by optimizing 50 force field parameters. The resulting OPLS-PM force field has a comparable accuracy as the OPLS-AA force field in the calculation of mixing free energies using TI. PMID:28418655

Enterprise PACS and image distribution.

PubMed

Huang, H K

2003-01-01

Around the world now, because of the need to improve operation efficiency and better cost effective healthcare, many large-scale healthcare enterprises have been formed. Each of these enterprises groups hospitals, medical centers, and clinics together as one enterprise healthcare network. The management of these enterprises recognizes the importance of using PACS and image distribution as a key technology in cost-effective healthcare delivery in the enterprise level. As a result, many large-scale enterprise level PACS/image distribution pilot studies, full design and implementation, are underway. The purpose of this paper is to provide readers an overall view of the current status of enterprise PACS and image distribution. reviews three large-scale enterprise PACS/image distribution systems in USA, Germany, and South Korean. The concept of enterprise level PACS/image distribution, its characteristics and ingredients are then discussed. Business models for enterprise level implementation available by the private medical imaging and system integration industry are highlighted. One current system under development in designing a healthcare enterprise level chest tuberculosis (TB) screening in Hong Kong is described in detail. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Enterprise-class Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) image infrastructure.

PubMed

York, G; Wortmann, J; Atanasiu, R

2001-06-01

Most current picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) are designed for a single department or a single modality. Few PACS installations have been deployed that support the needs of the hospital or the entire Integrated Delivery Network (IDN). The authors propose a new image management architecture that can support a large, distributed enterprise.

Clinical experiences utilizing wireless remote control and an ASP model backup archive for a disaster recovery event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Brent J.; Documet, Luis; Documet, Jorge; Huang, H. K.; Muldoon, Jean

2004-04-01

An Application Service Provider (ASP) archive model for disaster recovery for Saint John"s Health Center (SJHC) clinical PACS data has been implemented using a Fault-Tolerant Archive Server at the Image Processing and Informatics Laboratory, Marina del Rey, CA (IPIL) since mid-2002. The purpose of this paper is to provide clinical experiences with the implementation of an ASP model backup archive in conjunction with handheld wireless technologies for a particular disaster recovery scenario, an earthquake, in which the local PACS archive and the hospital are destroyed and the patients are moved from one hospital to another. The three sites involved are: (1) SJHC, the simulated disaster site; (2) IPIL, the ASP backup archive site; and (3) University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center (UCLA), the relocated patient site. An ASP backup archive has been established at IPIL to receive clinical PACS images daily using a T1 line from SJHC for backup and disaster recovery storage. Procedures were established to test the network connectivity and data integrity on a regular basis. In a given disaster scenario where the local PACS archive has been destroyed and the patients need to be moved to a second hospital, a wireless handheld device such as a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) can be utilized to route images to the second hospital site with a PACS and reviewed by radiologists. To simulate this disaster scenario, a wireless network was implemented within the clinical environment in all three sites: SJHC, IPIL, and UCLA. Upon executing the disaster scenario, the SJHC PACS archive server simulates a downtime disaster event. Using the PDA, the radiologist at UCLA can query the ASP backup archive server at IPIL for PACS images and route them directly to UCLA. Implementation experiences integrating this solution within the three clinical environments as well as the wireless performance are discussed. A clinical downtime disaster scenario was implemented and successfully tested. Radiologists were able to successfully query PACS images utilizing a wireless handheld device from the ASP backup archive at IPIL and route the PACS images directly to a second clinical site at UCLA where they and the patients are located at that time. In a disaster scenario, using a wireless device, radiologists at the disaster health care center can route PACS data from an ASP backup archive server to be reviewed in a live clinical PACS environment at a secondary site. This solution allows Radiologists to use a wireless handheld device to control the image workflow and to review PACS images during a major disaster event where patients must be moved to a secondary site.

Propofol disrupts functional interactions between sensory and high-order processing of auditory verbal memory.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaolin; Lauer, Kathryn K; Ward, Barney D; Rao, Stephen M; Li, Shi-Jiang; Hudetz, Anthony G

2012-10-01

Current theories suggest that disrupting cortical information integration may account for the mechanism of general anesthesia in suppressing consciousness. Human cognitive operations take place in hierarchically structured neural organizations in the brain. The process of low-order neural representation of sensory stimuli becoming integrated in high-order cortices is also known as cognitive binding. Combining neuroimaging, cognitive neuroscience, and anesthetic manipulation, we examined how cognitive networks involved in auditory verbal memory are maintained in wakefulness, disrupted in propofol-induced deep sedation, and re-established in recovery. Inspired by the notion of cognitive binding, an functional magnetic resonance imaging-guided connectivity analysis was utilized to assess the integrity of functional interactions within and between different levels of the task-defined brain regions. Task-related responses persisted in the primary auditory cortex (PAC), but vanished in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and premotor areas in deep sedation. For connectivity analysis, seed regions representing sensory and high-order processing of the memory task were identified in the PAC and IFG. Propofol disrupted connections from the PAC seed to the frontal regions and thalamus, but not the connections from the IFG seed to a set of widely distributed brain regions in the temporal, frontal, and parietal lobes (with exception of the PAC). These later regions have been implicated in mediating verbal comprehension and memory. These results suggest that propofol disrupts cognition by blocking the projection of sensory information to high-order processing networks and thus preventing information integration. Such findings contribute to our understanding of anesthetic mechanisms as related to information and integration in the brain. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Enterprise-wide PACS: beyond radiology, an architecture to manage all medical images.

PubMed

Bandon, David; Lovis, Christian; Geissbühler, Antoine; Vallée, Jean-Paul

2005-08-01

Picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) have the vocation to manage all medical images acquired within the hospital. To address the various situations encountered in the imaging specialties, the traditional architecture used for the radiology department has to evolve. We present our preliminarily results toward an enterprise-wide PACS intended to support all kind of image production in medicine, from biomolecular images to whole-body pictures. Our solution is based on an existing radiologic PACS system from which images are distributed through an electronic patient record to all care facilities. This platform is enriched with a flexible integration framework supporting digital image communication in medicine (DICOM) and DICOM-XML formats. In addition, a generic workflow engine highly customizable is used to drive work processes. Echocardiology; hematology; ear, nose, and throat; and dermatology, including wounds, follow-up is the first implemented extensions outside of radiology. We also propose a global strategy for further developments based on three possible architectures for an enterprise-wide PACS.

PACS strategy for imaging centers.

PubMed

Bedel, Victoria; Zdanowicz, Mark

2004-01-01

Picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) have been available in imaging centers for many years, but they often were less functional, were not well integrated into patient information systems, and lacked the network backbone to implement a system. As modalities are replaced and technology improves, the ability and time for an imaging center to acquire, integrate, and utilize PACS has arrived. However, each imaging center must determine why it should invest in PACS. A business plan is the fundamental need. Each imaging center must understand its target market, growth rate, and staffing plans. Additional considerations lie in current and future modality availability, the need for offsite delivery of images and reports, and the potential need for remote transmission of images. These issues must be identified and prioritized. A multidisciplinary team is essential. The most successful PACS implementation begins with complete involvement from all levels. The team should be comprised of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, set of performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. The team must jointly decide on the project's objectives. These objectives fall under 4 categories: clinical, service, financial, and performance. PACS must be considered a tool to help accomplish each objective. The imaging center must determine its top priorities, then translate them into a technology "wish list." The center can then list those pieces of technology that are most important and prioritize them. There are even more considerations for connecting multiple imaging centers. The team must create a comprehensive request for proposal (RFP) and determine the vendors that will receive the document. Once the RFP responses have been received and the vendor has been selected, an effective training plan must be executed. Training plans should be competency-based, ensuring comfort and competency among all staff. Upon the project's completion, it is essential for the imaging center to evaluate PACS' effect upon its services and relationships with patients, staff, and referring physicians. Marketing and demonstrating the latest technology can positively impact all these areas.

Data protection and security issues of PACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakker, Albert R.

1992-07-01

It is observed that the dataprotection aspects of PACS have hardly been explored, while for Hospital Information Systems (HIS) considerable attention has been paid to these aspects. In the dataprotection domain around HIS we distinguish the aspects data integrity (safety), usage integrity (confidentiality, privacy) and availability. A wide range of measures (dealing with hardware, software or organization/procedures) has been suggested to achieve adequate protection. For each system a selection of the suggested measures has to be made, where risk is balanced against costs. It seems that it is taken for granted that the usual measures as implemented for HIS will also be adequate for PACS. In this paper dataprotection aspects for PACS are discussed. Apart from similarities with the HIS situation also differences will be identified. In particular safeguarding the image databank requires special measured. Dataprotection should not be an add-on of the system, it should be taken into account in the design phase. As an illustration two alternatives for the organization of the image databank will be considered from the point of view of dataprotection. The one being consecutive historical storage of images, the other the clustering of images of the same patient on the same volume in the storage system.

Clinical results of HIS, RIS, PACS integration using data integration CASE tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taira, Ricky K.; Chan, Hing-Ming; Breant, Claudine M.; Huang, Lu J.; Valentino, Daniel J.

1995-05-01

Current infrastructure research in PACS is dominated by the development of communication networks (local area networks, teleradiology, ATM networks, etc.), multimedia display workstations, and hierarchical image storage architectures. However, limited work has been performed on developing flexible, expansible, and intelligent information processing architectures for the vast decentralized image and text data repositories prevalent in healthcare environments. Patient information is often distributed among multiple data management systems. Current large-scale efforts to integrate medical information and knowledge sources have been costly with limited retrieval functionality. Software integration strategies to unify distributed data and knowledge sources is still lacking commercially. Systems heterogeneity (i.e., differences in hardware platforms, communication protocols, database management software, nomenclature, etc.) is at the heart of the problem and is unlikely to be standardized in the near future. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of newly available CASE (computer- aided software engineering) tools to rapidly integrate HIS, RIS, and PACS information systems. The advantages of these tools include fast development time (low-level code is generated from graphical specifications), and easy system maintenance (excellent documentation, easy to perform changes, and centralized code repository in an object-oriented database). The CASE tools are used to develop and manage the `middle-ware' in our client- mediator-serve architecture for systems integration. Our architecture is scalable and can accommodate heterogeneous database and communication protocols.

PACS-Graz, 1985-2000: from a scientific pilot to a state-wide multimedia radiological information system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gell, Guenther

2000-05-01

1971/72 began the implementation of a computerized radiological documentation system as the Department of Radiology of the University of Graz, which developed over the years into a full RIS. 1985 started a scientific cooperation with SIEMENS to develop a PACS. The two systems were linked and evolved into a highly integrated RIS-PACS for the state wide hospital system in Styria. During its lifetime the RIS, originally implemented in FORTRAN on a UNIVAC 494 mainframe migrated to a PDP15, on to a PDP11, then VAX and Alphas. The flexible original record structure with variable length fields and the powerful retrieval language were retained. The data acquisition part with the user interface was rewritten several times and many service programs have been added. During our PACS cooperation many ideas like the folder concept or functionalities of the GUI have been designed and tested and were then implemented in the SIENET product. The actual RIS/PACS supports the whole workflow in the Radiology Department. It is installed in a 2.300 bed university hospital and the smaller hospitals of the State of Styria. Modalities from different vendors are connected via DICOM to the RIS (modality worklist) and to the PACS. PACSubsystems from other vendors have been integrated. Images are distributed to referring clinics and for teleconsultation and image processing and reports are available on line to all connected hospitals. We spent great efforts to guarantee optimal support of the workflow and to ensure an enhanced cost/benefit ratio for each user (class). Another special feature is selective image distribution. Using the high level retrieval language individual filters can be constructed easily to implement any image distribution policy agreed upon by radiologists and referring clinicians.

A case for automated tape in clinical imaging.

PubMed

Bookman, G; Baune, D

1998-08-01

Electronic archiving of radiology images over many years will require many terabytes of storage with a need for rapid retrieval of these images. As more large PACS installations are installed and implemented, a data crisis occurs. The ability to store this large amount of data using the traditional method of optical jukeboxes or online disk alone becomes an unworkable solution. The amount of floor space number of optical jukeboxes, and off-line shelf storage required to store the images becomes unmanageable. With the recent advances in tape and tape drives, the use of tape for long term storage of PACS data has become the preferred alternative. A PACS system consisting of a centrally managed system of RAID disk, software and at the heart of the system, tape, presents a solution that for the first time solves the problems of multi-modality high end PACS, non-DICOM image, electronic medical record and ADT data storage. This paper will examine the installation of the University of Utah, Department of Radiology PACS system and the integration of automated tape archive. The tape archive is also capable of storing data other than traditional PACS data. The implementation of an automated data archive to serve the many other needs of a large hospital will also be discussed. This will include the integration of a filmless cardiology department and the backup/archival needs of a traditional MIS department. The need for high bandwidth to tape with a large RAID cache will be examined and how with an interface to a RIS pre-fetch engine, tape can be a superior solution to optical platters or other archival solutions. The data management software will be discussed in detail. The performance and cost of RAID disk cache and automated tape compared to a solution that includes optical will be examined.

Assessing post-abortion care in health facilities in Afghanistan: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Ansari, Nasratullah; Zainullah, Partamin; Kim, Young Mi; Tappis, Hannah; Kols, Adrienne; Currie, Sheena; Haver, Jaime; van Roosmalen, Jos; Broerse, Jacqueline E W; Stekelenburg, Jelle

2015-02-03

Complications of abortion are one of the leading causes of maternal mortality worldwide, along with hemorrhage, sepsis, and hypertensive diseases of pregnancy. In Afghanistan little data exist on the capacity of the health system to provide post-abortion care (PAC). This paper presents findings from a national emergency obstetric and neonatal care needs assessment related to PAC, with the aim of providing insight into the current situation and recommendations for improvement of PAC services. A national Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care Needs Assessment was conducted from December 2009 through February 2010 at 78 of the 127 facilities designated to provide emergency obstetric and neonatal care services in Afghanistan. Research tools were adapted from the Averting Maternal Death and Disability Program Needs Assessment Toolkit and national midwifery education assessment tools. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize facility characteristics, and linear regression models were used to assess the factors associated with providers' PAC knowledge and skills. The average number of women receiving PAC in the past year in each facility was 244, with no significant difference across facility types. All facilities had at least one staff member who provided PAC services. Overall, 70% of providers reported having been trained in PAC and 68% felt confident in their ability to perform these services. On average, providers were able to identify 66% of the most common complications of unsafe or incomplete abortion and 57% of the steps to take in examining and managing women with these complications. Providers correctly demonstrated an average of 31% of the tasks required for PAC during a simulated procedure. Training was significantly associated with PAC knowledge and skills in multivariate regression models, but other provider and facility characteristics were not. While designated emergency obstetric facilities in Afghanistan generally have most supplies and equipment for PAC, the capacity of healthcare providers to deliver PAC is limited. Therefore, we strongly recommend training all skilled birth attendants in PAC services. In addition, a PAC training package should be integrated into pre-service medical education.

Internationalization of healthcare applications: a generic approach for PACS workstations.

PubMed

Hussein, R; Engelmann, U; Schroeter, A; Meinzer, H P

2004-01-01

Along with the revolution of information technology and the increasing use of computers world-wide, software providers recognize the emerging need for internationalized, or global, software applications. The importance of internationalization comes from its benefits such as addressing a broader audience, making the software applications more accessible, easier to use, more flexible to support and providing users with more consistent information. In addition, some governmental agencies, e.g., in Spain, accept only fully localized software. Although the healthcare communication standards, namely, Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) and Health Level Seven (HL7) support wide areas of internationalization, most of the implementers are still protective about supporting the complex languages. This paper describes a generic internationalization approach for Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) workstations. The Unicode standard is used to internationalize the application user interface. An encoding converter was developed to encode and decode the data between the rendering module (in Unicode encoding) and the DICOM data (in ISO 8859 encoding). An integration gateway was required to integrate the internationalized PACS components with the different PACS installations. To introduce a pragmatic example, the described approach was applied to the CHILI PACS workstation. The approach has enabled the application to handle the different internationalization aspects transparently, such as supporting complex languages, switching between different languages at runtime, and supporting multilingual clinical reports. In the healthcare enterprises, internationalized applications play an essential role in supporting a seamless flow of information between the heterogeneous multivendor information systems.

Human Behavioral Representations with Realistic Personality and Cultural Characteristics

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-06-01

personality factors as customizations to an underlying formally rational symbolic architecture, PAC uses dimensions of personality, emotion , and culture as...foundations for the cognitive process. The structure of PAC allows it to function as a personality/ emotional layer that can be used stand-alone or...integrated with existing constrained- rationality cognitive architectures. In addition, a set of tools was developed to support the authoring

Radiative forcing associated with particulate carbon emissions resulting from the use of mercury control technology.

PubMed

Lin, Guangxing; Penner, Joyce E; Clack, Herek L

2014-09-02

Injection of powdered activated carbon (PAC) adsorbents into the flue gas of coal fired power plants with electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) is the most mature technology to control mercury emissions for coal combustion. However, the PAC itself can penetrate ESPs to emit into the atmosphere. These emitted PACs have similar size and optical properties to submicron black carbon (BC) and thus could increase BC radiative forcing unintentionally. The present paper estimates, for the first time, the potential emission of PAC together with their climate forcing. The global average maximum potential emissions of PAC is 98.4 Gg/yr for the year 2030, arising from the assumed adoption of the maximum potential PAC injection technology, the minimum collection efficiency, and the maximum PAC injection rate. These emissions cause a global warming of 2.10 mW m(-2) at the top of atmosphere and a cooling of -2.96 mW m(-2) at the surface. This warming represents about 2% of the warming that is caused by BC from direct fossil fuel burning and 0.86% of the warming associated with CO2 emissions from coal burning in power plants. Its warming is 8 times more efficient than the emitted CO2 as measured by the 20-year-integrated radiative forcing per unit of carbon input (the 20-year Global Warming Potential).

"Right tool," wrong "job": Manual vacuum aspiration, post-abortion care and transnational population politics in Senegal.

PubMed

Suh, Siri

2015-06-01

The "rightness" of a technology for completing a particular task is negotiated by medical professionals, patients, state institutions, manufacturing companies, and non-governmental organizations. This paper shows how certain technologies may challenge the meaning of the "job" they are designed to accomplish. Manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) is a syringe device for uterine evacuation that can be used to treat complications of incomplete abortion, known as post-abortion care (PAC), or to terminate pregnancy. I explore how negotiations over the rightness of MVA as well as PAC unfold at the intersection of national and global reproductive politics during the daily treatment of abortion complications at three hospitals in Senegal, where PAC is permitted but induced abortion is legally prohibited. Although state health authorities have championed MVA as the "preferred" PAC technology, the primary donor for PAC, the United States Agency for International Development, does not support the purchase of abortifacient technologies. I conducted an ethnography of Senegal's PAC program between 2010 and 2011. Data collection methods included interviews with 49 health professionals, observation of PAC treatment and review of abortion records at three hospitals, and a review of transnational literature on MVA and PAC. While MVA was the most frequently employed form of uterine evacuation in hospitals, concerns about off-label MVA practices contributed to the persistence of less effective methods such as dilation and curettage (D&C) and digital curettage. Anxieties about MVA's capacity to induce abortion have constrained its integration into routine obstetric care. This capacity also raises questions about what the "job," PAC, represents in Senegalese hospitals. The prioritization of MVA's security over women's access to the preferred technology reinforces gendered inequalities in health care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

“Right tool,” wrong “job”: Manual vacuum aspiration, post-abortion care and transnational population politics in Senegal

PubMed Central

Suh, Siri

2015-01-01

The “rightness” of a technology for completing a particular task is negotiated by medical professionals, patients, state institutions, manufacturing companies, and non-governmental organizations. This paper shows how certain technologies may challenge the meaning of the “job” they are designed to accomplish. Manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) is a syringe device for uterine evacuation that can be used to treat complications of incomplete abortion, known as post-abortion care (PAC), or to terminate pregnancy. I explore how negotiations over the rightness of MVA as well as PAC unfold at the intersection of national and global reproductive politics during the daily treatment of abortion complications at three hospitals in Senegal, where PAC is permitted but induced abortion is legally prohibited. Although state health authorities have championed MVA as the “preferred” PAC technology, the primary donor for PAC, the United States Agency for International Development, does not support the purchase of abortifacient technologies. I conducted an ethnography of Senegal's PAC program between 2010 and 2011. Data collection methods included interviews with 49 health professionals, observation of PAC treatment and review of abortion records at three hospitals, and a review of transnational literature on MVA and PAC. While MVA was the most frequently employed form of uterine evacuation in hospitals, concerns about off-label MVA practices contributed to the persistence of less effective methods such as dilation and curettage (D&C) and digital curettage. Anxieties about MVA's capacity to induce abortion have constrained its integration into routine obstetric care. This capacity also raises questions about what the “job,” PAC, represents in Senegalese hospitals. The prioritization of MVA's security over women's access to the preferred technology reinforces gendered inequalities in health care. PMID:25948127

PACS archive upgrade and data migration: clinical experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Brent J.; Documet, Luis; Sarti, Dennis A.; Huang, H. K.; Donnelly, John

2002-05-01

Saint John's Health Center PACS data volumes have increased dramatically since the hospital became filmless in April of 1999. This is due in part of continuous image accumulation, and the integration of a new multi-slice detector CT scanner into PACS. The original PACS archive would not be able to handle the distribution and archiving load and capacity in the near future. Furthermore, there is no secondary copy backup of all the archived PACS image data for disaster recovery purposes. The purpose of this paper is to present a clinical and technical process template to upgrade and expand the PACS archive, migrate existing PACs image data to the new archive, and provide a back-up and disaster recovery function not currently available. Discussion of the technical and clinical pitfalls and challenges involved in this process will be presented as well. The server hardware configuration was upgraded and a secondary backup implemented for disaster recovery. The upgrade includes new software versions, database reconfiguration, and installation of a new tape jukebox to replace the current MOD jukebox. Upon completion, all PACS image data from the original MOD jukebox was migrated to the new tape jukebox and verified. The migration was performed during clinical operation continuously in the background. Once the data migration was completed the MOD jukebox was removed. All newly acquired PACS exams are now archived to the new tape jukebox. All PACs image data residing on the original MOD jukebox have been successfully migrated into the new archive. In addition, a secondary backup of all PACS image data has been implemented for disaster recovery and has been verified using disaster scenario testing. No PACS image data was lost during the entire process and there was very little clinical impact during the entire upgrade and data migration. Some of the pitfalls and challenges during this upgrade process included hardware reconfiguration for the original archive server, clinical downtime involved with the upgrade, and data migration planning to minimize impact on clinical workflow. The impact was minimized with a downtime contingency plan.

PACS in Töölö hospital.

PubMed

Kinnunen, J; Pohjonen, H

2001-07-01

A 3-year PACS project was started in 1997 and completed in 1999 with filmless radiology and surgery. An efficient network for transferring images provides the infrastructure for integration of different distributed imaging systems and enables efficient handling of all patient-related information on one display station. Because of the need for high-speed communications and the massive amount of image data transferred in radiology, ATM (25, 155 Mbit/s) was chosen to be the main technology used. Both hardware and software redundancy of the system have been carefully planned. The size of the Dicom image library utilizing MO discs is currently 1.2 TB with 300 GB RAID capacity. For the increasing amount of teleradiologic consultations, a special Dicom gateway is planned. It allows a centralized and resilient handling and routing of received images around the hospital. Hospital-wide PACS has already improved the speed and quality of patient care by providing instant access to diagnostic information at multiple locations simultaneously. The benefits of PACS are considered from the viewpoint of the entire hospital: PACS offers a method for efficiently transporting patient-related images and reports to the referring physicians.

In-house access to PACS images and related data through World Wide Web

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mascarini, Christian; Ratib, Osman M.; Trayser, Gerhard; Ligier, Yves; Appel, R. D.

1996-05-01

The development of a hospital wide PACS is in progress at the University Hospital of Geneva and several archive modules are operational since 1992. This PACS is intended for wide distribution of images to clinical wards. As the PACS project and the number of archived images grow rapidly in the hospital, it was necessary to provide an easy, more widely accessible and convenient access to the PACS database for the clinicians in the different wards and clinical units of the hospital. An innovative solution has been developed using tools such as Netscape navigator and NCSA World Wide Web server as an alternative to conventional database query and retrieval software. These tools present the advantages of providing an user interface which is the same independently of the platform being used (Mac, Windows, UNIX, ...), and an easy integration of different types of documents (text, images, ...). A strict access control has been added to this interface. It allows user identification and access rights checking, as defined by the in-house hospital information system, before allowing the navigation through patient data records.

[A Delphi Method Survey of the Core Competences of Post-Acute-Care Nurses in Caring for Acute Stroke Patients].

PubMed

Chi, Shu-Ching; Yeh, Lily; Lu, Meei-Shiow; Lin, Pei-Yu

2015-12-01

Post-acute care (PAC) service is becoming increasingly important in Taiwan as a core focus of government policies that are designed to ensure continuity of care. In order to improve PAC nursing education and quality of care, the present study applies a modified Delphi method to identify the core competences of nurses who provide PAC services to acute stroke patients. We surveyed 18 experts in post-acute care and long-term care anonymously using a 29-question questionnaire in order to identify the essential professional skills that are required to perform PAC effectively. The results of this survey indicate that the core competences of PAC may be divided into two categories: Case Management and Care Management. Case Management includes Direct Care, Communication, Health Care Education, Nursing Consulting, and Family Assessment & Health Care. Care Management includes Interdisciplinary Teamwork, Patient Care Management, and Resource Integration. The importance and practicality of each item was evaluated using a 7-point Likert scale. The experts required 2 rounds to reach a consensus about the importance and 3 rounds to determine the practicality of PAC core competences. This process highlighted the differing points of view that are held by professionals in the realms of nursing, medicine, and national health policy. The PAC in-job training program in its current form inadequately cul-tivates core competence in Care Management. The results of the present study may be used to inform the development of PAC nurse orientation training programs and continuing education courses.

Interoperative fundus image and report sharing in compliance with integrating the healthcare enterprise conformance and web access to digital imaging and communication in medicine persistent object protocol.

PubMed

Wu, Hui-Qun; Lv, Zheng-Min; Geng, Xing-Yun; Jiang, Kui; Tang, Le-Min; Zhou, Guo-Min; Dong, Jian-Cheng

2013-01-01

To address issues in interoperability between different fundus image systems, we proposed a web eye-picture archiving and communication system (PACS) framework in conformance with digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) and health level 7 (HL7) protocol to realize fundus images and reports sharing and communication through internet. Firstly, a telemedicine-based eye care work flow was established based on integrating the healthcare enterprise (IHE) Eye Care technical framework. Then, a browser/server architecture eye-PACS system was established in conformance with the web access to DICOM persistent object (WADO) protocol, which contains three tiers. In any client system installed with web browser, clinicians could log in the eye-PACS to observe fundus images and reports. Multipurpose internet mail extensions (MIME) type of a structured report is saved as pdf/html with reference link to relevant fundus image using the WADO syntax could provide enough information for clinicians. Some functions provided by open-source Oviyam could be used to query, zoom, move, measure, view DICOM fundus images. Such web eye-PACS in compliance to WADO protocol could be used to store and communicate fundus images and reports, therefore is of great significance for teleophthalmology.

Principal component analysis to assess the efficiency and mechanism for enhanced coagulation of natural algae-laden water using a novel dual coagulant system.

PubMed

Ou, Hua-Se; Wei, Chao-Hai; Deng, Yang; Gao, Nai-Yun; Ren, Yuan; Hu, Yun

2014-02-01

A novel dual coagulant system of polyaluminum chloride sulfate (PACS) and polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDADMAC) was used to treat natural algae-laden water from Meiliang Gulf, Lake Taihu. PACS (Aln(OH)mCl3n-m-2k(SO4)k) has a mass ratio of 10 %, a SO4 (2-)/Al3 (+) mole ratio of 0.0664, and an OH/Al mole ratio of 2. The PDADMAC ([C8H16NCl]m) has a MW which ranges from 5 × 10(5) to 20 × 10(5) Da. The variations of contaminants in water samples during treatments were estimated in the form of principal component analysis (PCA) factor scores and conventional variables (turbidity, DOC, etc.). Parallel factor analysis determined four chromophoric dissolved organic matters (CDOM) components, and PCA identified four integrated principle factors. PCA factor 1 had significant correlations with chlorophyll-a (r=0.718), protein-like CDOM C1 (0.689), and C2 (0.756). Factor 2 correlated with UV254 (0.672), humic-like CDOM component C3 (0.716), and C4 (0.758). Factors 3 and 4 had correlations with NH3-N (0.748) and T-P (0.769), respectively. The variations of PCA factors scores revealed that PACS contributed less aluminum dissolution than PAC to obtain equivalent removal efficiency of contaminants. This might be due to the high cationic charge and pre-hydrolyzation of PACS. Compared with PACS coagulation (20 mg L(-1)), the removal of PCA factors 1, 2, and 4 increased 45, 33, and 12 %, respectively, in combined PACS-PDADMAC treatment (0.8 mg L(-1) +20 mg L(-1)). Since PAC contained more Al (0.053 g/1 g) than PACS (0.028 g/1 g), the results indicated that PACS contributed less Al dissolution into the water to obtain equivalent removal efficiency.

Computers in imaging and health care: now and in the future.

PubMed

Arenson, R L; Andriole, K P; Avrin, D E; Gould, R G

2000-11-01

Early picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) were characterized by the use of very expensive hardware devices, cumbersome display stations, duplication of database content, lack of interfaces to other clinical information systems, and immaturity in their understanding of the folder manager concepts and workflow reengineering. They were implemented historically at large academic medical centers by biomedical engineers and imaging informaticists. PACS were nonstandard, home-grown projects with mixed clinical acceptance. However, they clearly showed the great potential for PACS and filmless medical imaging. Filmless radiology is a reality today. The advent of efficient softcopy display of images provides a means for dealing with the ever-increasing number of studies and number of images per study. Computer power has increased, and archival storage cost has decreased to the extent that the economics of PACS is justifiable with respect to film. Network bandwidths have increased to allow large studies of many megabytes to arrive at display stations within seconds of examination completion. PACS vendors have recognized the need for efficient workflow and have built systems with intelligence in the management of patient data. Close integration with the hospital information system (HIS)-radiology information system (RIS) is critical for system functionality. Successful implementation of PACS requires integration or interoperation with hospital and radiology information systems. Besides the economic advantages, secure rapid access to all clinical information on patients, including imaging studies, anytime and anywhere, enhances the quality of patient care, although it is difficult to quantify. Medical image management systems are maturing, providing access outside of the radiology department to images and clinical information throughout the hospital or the enterprise via the Internet. Small and medium-sized community hospitals, private practices, and outpatient centers in rural areas will begin realizing the benefits of PACS already realized by the large tertiary care academic medical centers and research institutions. Hand-held devices and the Worldwide Web are going to change the way people communicate and do business. The impact on health care will be huge, including radiology. Computer-aided diagnosis, decision support tools, virtual imaging, and guidance systems will transform our practice as value-added applications utilizing the technologies pushed by PACS development efforts. Outcomes data and the electronic medical record (EMR) will drive our interactions with referring physicians and we expect the radiologist to become the informaticist, a new version of the medical management consultant.

Digital imaging and electronic patient records in pathology using an integrated department information system with PACS.

PubMed

Kalinski, Thomas; Hofmann, Harald; Franke, Dagmar-Sybilla; Roessner, Albert

2002-01-01

Picture archiving and communication systems have been widely used in radiology thus far. Owing to the progress made in digital photo technology, their use in medicine opens up further opportunities. In the field of pathology, digital imaging offers new possiblities for the documentation of macroscopic and microscopic findings. Digital imaging has the advantage that the data is permanently and readily available, independent of conventional archives. In the past, PACS was a separate entity. Meanwhile, however, PACS has been integrated in DIS, the department information system, which was also run separately in former times. The combination of these two systems makes the administration of patient data, findings and images easier. Moreover, thanks to the introduction of special communication standards, a data exchange between different department information systems and hospital information systems (HIS) is possible. This provides the basis for a communication platform in medicine, constituting an electronic patient record (EPR) that permits an interdisciplinary treatment of patients by providing data of findings and images from clinics treating the same patient. As the pathologic diagnosis represents a central and often therapy-determining component, it is of utmost importance to add pathologic diagnoses to the EPR. Furthermore, the pathologist's work is considerably facilitated when he is able to retrieve additional data from the patient file. In this article, we describe our experience gained with the combined PACS and DIS systems recently installed at the Department of Pathology, University of Magdeburg. Moreover, we evaluate the current situation and future prospects for PACS in pathology.

Distributed PACS using distributed file system with hierarchical meta data servers.

PubMed

Hiroyasu, Tomoyuki; Minamitani, Yoshiyuki; Miki, Mitsunori; Yokouchi, Hisatake; Yoshimi, Masato

2012-01-01

In this research, we propose a new distributed PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems) which is available to integrate several PACSs that exist in each medical institution. The conventional PACS controls DICOM file into one data-base. On the other hand, in the proposed system, DICOM file is separated into meta data and image data and those are stored individually. Using this mechanism, since file is not always accessed the entire data, some operations such as finding files, changing titles, and so on can be performed in high-speed. At the same time, as distributed file system is utilized, accessing image files can also achieve high-speed access and high fault tolerant. The introduced system has a more significant point. That is the simplicity to integrate several PACSs. In the proposed system, only the meta data servers are integrated and integrated system can be constructed. This system also has the scalability of file access with along to the number of file numbers and file sizes. On the other hand, because meta-data server is integrated, the meta data server is the weakness of this system. To solve this defect, hieratical meta data servers are introduced. Because of this mechanism, not only fault--tolerant ability is increased but scalability of file access is also increased. To discuss the proposed system, the prototype system using Gfarm was implemented. For evaluating the implemented system, file search operating time of Gfarm and NFS were compared.

Why PACS is no longer a four-letter word.

PubMed

Chopra, R M

2000-01-01

The real value of PACS is not realized until widespread adoption exists among physicians other than interpreting radiologists. Referring physicians at the office level, in the operating room and in other departments must be willing to embrace the reading of images on monitors. That takes time. The payoff for a PACS system is therefore not realized until sometime in the future. Given the huge up-front capital expenditure required of PACS solutions, it is no wonder that the decision has historically been a difficult one to make. Enter the application service provider (ASP). The marriage of the ASP model to PACS seems to be one of the true "killer apps" currently available in the healthcare technology space. An ASP can host and maintain the software inherent in PACS solutions. Images are centrally archived over the short-, medium-, and long-term timeframe, utilizing state-of-art data management facilities. Some ASPs also provide the necessary bandwidth to office sites and the small amount of hardware that is required onsite, such as viewing stations or monitors. Costs for Internet-based image management under the ASP model rely on a pay-as-you-go formula, which may include all software, support, required hardware and bandwidth as part of the service. There may be a minor up-front fee for installation. The ASP pricing model eliminates the huge gamble an organization takes on "big iron" PACS purchases. Those benefits rely on the first rule of finance: a dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow. PACS and ASPs were made for one another. Because the financial benefits of PACS are realized over time, the timing of cash flows is extremely important. Other benefits inherent in the ASP model such as scalability, diminished need for IT personnel, software version integrity and better pricing because of economies of scale are attractive also.

Physical activity assessment and counseling in Quebec family medicine groups.

PubMed

Baillot, Aurélie; Baillargeon, Jean-Patrice; Paré, Alex; Poder, Thomas G; Brown, Christine; Langlois, Marie-France

2018-05-01

To determine how often primary health care providers (PHCPs) in family medicine groups (FMGs) assess physical activity (PA) levels, provide PA counseling (PAC), and refer patients to exercise professionals; to describe patients' PA levels, physical fitness, and satisfaction regarding their PA management in FMGs; to describe available PA materials in FMGs and PHCPs' PAC self-efficacy and PA knowledge; and to identify characteristics of patients and PHCPs that determine the assessment of PA and PAC provided by PHCPs. Cross-sectional study using questionnaires and a medical chart audit. Ten FMGs within the Integrated University Health Network of the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke in Quebec. Forty FPs, 24 nurses, and 439 patients. Assessment of PA level and PAC provided by PHCPs. Overall, 51.9% of the patients had had their PA level assessed during the past 18 months, but only 21.6% received PAC from at least 1 of the PHCPs. Similar percentages were found among the inactive (n = 244) and more active (n = 195) patients. The median PAC self-efficacy score of PHCPs was 70.2% (interquartile range 52.0% to 84.7%) and the median PA knowledge score was 45.8% (interquartile range 41.7% to 54.2%), with no significant differences between nurses and FPs. In multivariate analysis, 34% of the variance in PAC provided was explained by assessment of PA level, overweight or obese status, type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, less FP experience, lower patient annual family income, more nurse encounters, and a higher patient physical component summary of quality of life. The rates of assessment of PA and provision of PAC in Quebec FMGs were low, even though most of the patients were inactive. Initiatives to support PHCPs and more resources to assess PA levels and provide PAC should be implemented. Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

PACS and electronic health records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, Simona; Gilboa, Flora; Shani, Uri

2002-05-01

Electronic Health Record (EHR) is a major component of the health informatics domain. An important part of the EHR is the medical images obtained over a patient's lifetime and stored in diverse PACS. The vision presented in this paper is that future medical information systems will convert data from various medical sources -- including diverse modalities, PACS, HIS, CIS, RIS, and proprietary systems -- to HL7 standard XML documents. Then, the various documents are indexed and compiled to EHRs, upon which complex queries can be posed. We describe the conversion of data retrieved from PACS systems through DICOM to HL7 standard XML documents. This enables the EHR system to answer queries such as 'Get all chest images of patients at the age of 20-30, that have blood type 'A' and are allergic to pine trees', which a single PACS cannot answer. The integration of data from multiple sources makes our approach capable of delivering such answers. It enables the correlation of medical, demographic, clinical, and even genetic information. In addition, by fully indexing all the tagged data in DICOM objects, it becomes possible to offer access to huge amounts of valuable data, which can be better exploited in the specific radiology domain.

Using an image-extended relational database to support content-based image retrieval in a PACS.

PubMed

Traina, Caetano; Traina, Agma J M; Araújo, Myrian R B; Bueno, Josiane M; Chino, Fabio J T; Razente, Humberto; Azevedo-Marques, Paulo M

2005-12-01

This paper presents a new Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), called cbPACS, which has content-based image retrieval capabilities. The cbPACS answers range and k-nearest- neighbor similarity queries, employing a relational database manager extended to support images. The images are compared through their features, which are extracted by an image-processing module and stored in the extended relational database. The database extensions were developed aiming at efficiently answering similarity queries by taking advantage of specialized indexing methods. The main concept supporting the extensions is the definition, inside the relational manager, of distance functions based on features extracted from the images. An extension to the SQL language enables the construction of an interpreter that intercepts the extended commands and translates them to standard SQL, allowing any relational database server to be used. By now, the system implemented works on features based on color distribution of the images through normalized histograms as well as metric histograms. Metric histograms are invariant regarding scale, translation and rotation of images and also to brightness transformations. The cbPACS is prepared to integrate new image features, based on texture and shape of the main objects in the image.

The data storage grid: the next generation of fault-tolerant storage for backup and disaster recovery of clinical images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Nelson E.; Liu, Brent; Zhou, Zheng; Documet, Jorge; Huang, H. K.

2005-04-01

Grid Computing represents the latest and most exciting technology to evolve from the familiar realm of parallel, peer-to-peer and client-server models that can address the problem of fault-tolerant storage for backup and recovery of clinical images. We have researched and developed a novel Data Grid testbed involving several federated PAC systems based on grid architecture. By integrating a grid computing architecture to the DICOM environment, a failed PACS archive can recover its image data from others in the federation in a timely and seamless fashion. The design reflects the five-layer architecture of grid computing: Fabric, Resource, Connectivity, Collective, and Application Layers. The testbed Data Grid architecture representing three federated PAC systems, the Fault-Tolerant PACS archive server at the Image Processing and Informatics Laboratory, Marina del Rey, the clinical PACS at Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, and the clinical PACS at the Healthcare Consultation Center II, USC Health Science Campus, will be presented. The successful demonstration of the Data Grid in the testbed will provide an understanding of the Data Grid concept in clinical image data backup as well as establishment of benchmarks for performance from future grid technology improvements and serve as a road map for expanded research into large enterprise and federation level data grids to guarantee 99.999 % up time.

Integration of digital gross pathology images for enterprise-wide access.

PubMed

Amin, Milon; Sharma, Gaurav; Parwani, Anil V; Anderson, Ralph; Kolowitz, Brian J; Piccoli, Anthony; Shrestha, Rasu B; Lauro, Gonzalo Romero; Pantanowitz, Liron

2012-01-01

Sharing digital pathology images for enterprise- wide use into a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) is not yet widely adopted. We share our solution and 3-year experience of transmitting such images to an enterprise image server (EIS). Gross pathology images acquired by prosectors were integrated with clinical cases into the laboratory information system's image management module, and stored in JPEG2000 format on a networked image server. Automated daily searches for cases with gross images were used to compile an ASCII text file that was forwarded to a separate institutional Enterprise Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) Wrapper (EDW) server. Concurrently, an HL7-based image order for these cases was generated, containing the locations of images and patient data, and forwarded to the EDW, which combined data in these locations to generate images with patient data, as required by DICOM standards. The image and data were then "wrapped" according to DICOM standards, transferred to the PACS servers, and made accessible on an institution-wide basis. In total, 26,966 gross images from 9,733 cases were transmitted over the 3-year period from the laboratory information system to the EIS. The average process time for cases with successful automatic uploads (n=9,688) to the EIS was 98 seconds. Only 45 cases (0.5%) failed requiring manual intervention. Uploaded images were immediately available to institution- wide PACS users. Since inception, user feedback has been positive. Enterprise- wide PACS- based sharing of pathology images is feasible, provides useful services to clinical staff, and utilizes existing information system and telecommunications infrastructure. PACS-shared pathology images, however, require a "DICOM wrapper" for multisystem compatibility.

Integration of digital gross pathology images for enterprise-wide access

PubMed Central

Amin, Milon; Sharma, Gaurav; Parwani, Anil V.; Anderson, Ralph; Kolowitz, Brian J; Piccoli, Anthony; Shrestha, Rasu B.; Lauro, Gonzalo Romero; Pantanowitz, Liron

2012-01-01

Background: Sharing digital pathology images for enterprise- wide use into a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) is not yet widely adopted. We share our solution and 3-year experience of transmitting such images to an enterprise image server (EIS). Methods: Gross pathology images acquired by prosectors were integrated with clinical cases into the laboratory information system's image management module, and stored in JPEG2000 format on a networked image server. Automated daily searches for cases with gross images were used to compile an ASCII text file that was forwarded to a separate institutional Enterprise Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) Wrapper (EDW) server. Concurrently, an HL7-based image order for these cases was generated, containing the locations of images and patient data, and forwarded to the EDW, which combined data in these locations to generate images with patient data, as required by DICOM standards. The image and data were then “wrapped” according to DICOM standards, transferred to the PACS servers, and made accessible on an institution-wide basis. Results: In total, 26,966 gross images from 9,733 cases were transmitted over the 3-year period from the laboratory information system to the EIS. The average process time for cases with successful automatic uploads (n=9,688) to the EIS was 98 seconds. Only 45 cases (0.5%) failed requiring manual intervention. Uploaded images were immediately available to institution- wide PACS users. Since inception, user feedback has been positive. Conclusions: Enterprise- wide PACS- based sharing of pathology images is feasible, provides useful services to clinical staff, and utilizes existing information system and telecommunications infrastructure. PACS-shared pathology images, however, require a “DICOM wrapper” for multisystem compatibility. PMID:22530178

Business Model for the Security of a Large-Scale PACS, Compliance with ISO/27002:2013 Standard.

PubMed

Gutiérrez-Martínez, Josefina; Núñez-Gaona, Marco Antonio; Aguirre-Meneses, Heriberto

2015-08-01

Data security is a critical issue in an organization; a proper information security management (ISM) is an ongoing process that seeks to build and maintain programs, policies, and controls for protecting information. A hospital is one of the most complex organizations, where patient information has not only legal and economic implications but, more importantly, an impact on the patient's health. Imaging studies include medical images, patient identification data, and proprietary information of the study; these data are contained in the storage device of a PACS. This system must preserve the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of patient information. There are techniques such as firewalls, encryption, and data encapsulation that contribute to the protection of information. In addition, the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard and the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations are also used to protect the patient clinical data. However, these techniques are not systematically applied to the picture and archiving and communication system (PACS) in most cases and are not sufficient to ensure the integrity of the images and associated data during transmission. The ISO/IEC 27001:2013 standard has been developed to improve the ISM. Currently, health institutions lack effective ISM processes that enable reliable interorganizational activities. In this paper, we present a business model that accomplishes the controls of ISO/IEC 27002:2013 standard and criteria of security and privacy from DICOM and HIPAA to improve the ISM of a large-scale PACS. The methodology associated with the model can monitor the flow of data in a PACS, facilitating the detection of unauthorized access to images and other abnormal activities.

Quantifying and characterizing proanthocyanidins in cranberries in relation to urinary tract health.

PubMed

Krueger, Christian G; Reed, Jess D; Feliciano, Rodrigo P; Howell, Amy B

2013-05-01

The "A-type" proanthocyanidins in cranberry fruit (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) are bioactive components associated with prevention of urinary tract infections (UTI). Cranberry juice, fruit (fresh and dried), functional foods, and cranberry dietary supplements are promoted for prevention of UTI and for maintenance of urinary tract health (UTH), on the basis of their content of cranberry proanthocyanidins (c-PAC) with "A-type" interflavan bonds. With increasing consumer use of cranberries for maintenance of UTH and an expanding number of commercial cranberry products of different types, the availability of unified methods for measuring levels of c-PAC is important. This review discusses quantitative and qualitative analysis of c-PAC with "A-type" interflavan bonds in relation to their biological activity for UTI prevention. The integrity (including authenticity, standardization, efficacy, and safety) of cranberry fruit, juices, and dietary supplements may now be measured by using recent advances in mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography, production of c-PAC standards, and improved simple quantitative techniques.

Planning and cost analysis of digital radiography services for a network of hospitals (the Veterans Integrated Service Network).

PubMed

Duerinckx, A J; Kenagy, J J; Grant, E G

1998-01-01

This study analysed the design and cost of a picture archiving and communications system (PACS), computerized radiography (CR) and a wide-area network for teleradiology. The Desert Pacific Healthcare Network comprises 10 facilities, including four tertiary medical centres and one small hospital. Data were collected on radiologists' workloads, and patient and image flow within and between these medical centres. These were used to estimate the size and cash flows associated with a system-wide implementation of PACS, CR and teleradiology services. A cost analysis model was used to estimate the potential cost savings in a filmless radiology environment. ATM technology was selected as the communications medium between the medical centres. A strategic plan and business plan were successfully developed. The cost model predicted the cost-effectiveness of the proposed PACS/CR configuration within four to six years, if the base costs were kept low. The experience gained in design and cost analysis of a PACS/teleradiology network will serve as a model for similar projects.

Computer-aided resource planning and scheduling for radiological services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, Hong-Mei C.; Yun, David Y.; Ge, Yiqun; Khan, Javed I.

1996-05-01

There exists tremendous opportunity in hospital-wide resource optimization based on system integration. This paper defines the resource planning and scheduling requirements integral to PACS, RIS and HIS integration. An multi-site case study is conducted to define the requirements. A well-tested planning and scheduling methodology, called Constrained Resource Planning model, has been applied to the chosen problem of radiological service optimization. This investigation focuses on resource optimization issues for minimizing the turnaround time to increase clinical efficiency and customer satisfaction, particularly in cases where the scheduling of multiple exams are required for a patient. How best to combine the information system efficiency and human intelligence in improving radiological services is described. Finally, an architecture for interfacing a computer-aided resource planning and scheduling tool with the existing PACS, HIS and RIS implementation is presented.

Quantitative detection of powdered activated carbon in wastewater treatment plant effluent by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).

PubMed

Krahnstöver, Therese; Plattner, Julia; Wintgens, Thomas

2016-09-15

For the elimination of potentially harmful micropollutants, powdered activated carbon (PAC) adsorption is applied in many wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). This holds the risk of PAC leakage into the WWTP effluent and desorption of contaminants into natural water bodies. In order to assess a potential PAC leakage, PAC concentrations below several mg/L have to be detected in the WWTP effluent. None of the methods that are used for water analysis today are able to differentiate between activated carbon and solid background matrix. Thus, a selective, quantitative and easily applicable method is still needed for the detection of PAC residues in wastewater. In the present study, a method was developed to quantitatively measure the PAC content in wastewater by using filtration and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), which is a well-established technique for the distinction between different solid materials. For the sample filtration, quartz filters with a temperature stability up to 950 °C were used. This allowed for sensitive and well reproducible measurements, as the TGA was not affected by the presence of the filter. The sample's mass fractions were calculated by integrating the mass decrease rate obtained by TGA in specific, clearly identifiable peak areas. A two-step TGA heating method consisting of N2 and O2 atmospheres led to a good differentiation between PAC and biological background matrix, thanks to the reduction of peak overlapping. A linear correlation was found between a sample's PAC content and the corresponding peak areas under N2 and O2, the sample volume and the solid mass separated by filtration. Based on these findings, various wastewater samples from different WWTPs were then analyzed by TGA with regard to their PAC content. It was found that, compared to alternative techniques such as measurement of turbidity or total suspended solids, the newly developed TGA method allows for a quantitative and selective detection of PAC concentrations down to 0.1 mg/L. The method showed a linearity coefficient of 0.98 and relative standard deviations of 10%, using small water sample volumes between 0.3 and 0.6 L. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ergonomic design in the operating room: information technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morita, Mark M.; Ratib, Osman

2005-04-01

The ergonomic design in the Surgical OR of information technology systems has been and continues to be a large problem. Numerous disparate information systems with unique hardware and display configurations create an environment similar to the chaotic environments of air traffic control. Patient information systems tend to show all available statistics making it difficult to isolate the key, relevant vitals for the patient. Interactions in this sterile environment are still being done with the traditional keyboard and mouse designed for cubicle office workflows. This presentation will address the shortcomings of the current design paradigm in the Surgical OR that relate to Information Technology systems. It will offer a perspective that addresses the ergonomic deficiencies and predicts how future technological innovations will integrate into this vision. Part of this vision includes a Surgical OR PACS prototype, developed by GE Healthcare Technologies, that addresses ergonomic challenges of PACS in the OR that include lack of portability, sterile field integrity, and UI targeted for diagnostic radiologists. GWindows (gesture control) developed by Microsoft Research and Voice command will allow for the surgeons to navigate and review diagnostic imagery without using the conventional keyboard and mouse that disrupt the integrity of the sterile field. This prototype also demonstrates how a wireless, battery powered, self contained mobile PACS workstation can be optimally positioned for a surgeon to reference images during an intervention as opposed to the current pre-operative review. Lessons learned from the creation of the Surgical OR PACS Prototype have demonstrated that PACS alone is not the end all solution in the OR. Integration of other disparate information systems and presentation of this information in simple, easy to navigate information packets will enable smoother interactions for the surgeons and other healthcare professionals in the OR. More intuitive IT system interaction is required for all the key players in the OR not just the surgeons. To improve interactions, there are a number of emerging technologies that have the potential to revolutionize the way healthcare professionals interact with computer-based applications in the Surgical OR. A number of these technologies will enable surgeons to interact with vital data without interrupting the sterile field or maneuvering their bodies to view relevant information - information will automatically display for healthcare individuals in a just-in-time manner without navigational challenges.

Fault tolerant high-performance PACS network design and implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chimiak, William J.; Boehme, Johannes M.

1998-07-01

The Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the Wake Forest University/Baptist Medical Center (WFUBMC) are implementing a second generation PACS. The first generation PACS provided helpful information about the functional and temporal requirements of the system. It highlighted the importance of image retrieval speed, system availability, RIS/HIS integration, the ability to rapidly view images on any PACS workstation, network bandwidth, equipment redundancy, and the ability for the system to evolve using standards-based components. This paper deals with the network design and implementation of the PACS. The physical layout of the hospital areas served by the PACS, the choice of network equipment and installation issues encountered are addressed. Efforts to optimize fault tolerance are discussed. The PACS network is a gigabit, mixed-media network based on LAN emulation over ATM (LANE) with a rapid migration from LANE to Multiple Protocols Over ATM (MPOA) planned. Two fault-tolerant backbone ATM switches serve to distribute network accesses with two load-balancing 622 megabit per second (Mbps) OC-12 interconnections. The switch was sized to be upgradable to provide a 2.54 Gbps OC-48 interconnection with an OC-12 interconnection as a load-balancing backup. Modalities connect with legacy network interface cards to a switched-ethernet device. This device has two 155 Mbps OC-3 load-balancing uplinks to each of the backbone ATM switches of the PACS. This provides a fault-tolerant logical connection to the modality servers which pass verified DICOM images to the PACS servers and proper PACS diagnostic workstations. Where fiber pulls were prohibitively expensive, edge ATM switches were installed with an OC-12 uplink to a backbone ATM switches. The PACS and data base servers are fault-tolerant, hot-swappable Sun Enterprise Servers with an OC-12 connection to a backbone ATM switch and a fast-ethernet connection to a back-up network. The workstations come with 10/100 BASET autosense cards. A redundant switched-ethernet network will be installed to provide yet another degree of network fault-tolerance. The switched-ethernet devices are connected to each of the backbone ATM switches with two-load-balancing OC-3 connections to provide fault-tolerant connectivity in the event of a primary network failure.

Design of an image-distribution service from a clinical PACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gehring, Dale G.; Persons, Kenneth R.; Rothman, Melvyn L.; Felmlee, Joel P.; Gerhart, D. J.; Hangiandreou, Nicholas J.; Reardon, Frank J.; Shirk, M.; Forbes, Glenn S.; Williamson, Byrn, Jr.

1994-05-01

A PACS system has been developed through a multi-phase collaboration between the Mayo Clinic and IBM/Rochester. The current system has been fully integrated into the clinical practice of the Radiology Department for the primary purpose of digital image archival, retrieval, and networked workstation review. Work currently in progress includes the design and implementation of a gateway device for providing digital image data to third-party workstations, laser printers, and other devices, for users both within and outside of the Radiology Department.

One-year clinical experience with a fully digitized nuclear medicine department: organizational and economical aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anema, P. C.; de Graaf, C. N.; Wilmink, J. B.; Hall, David R.; Hoekstra, A. G.; van Rijk, P. P.; Van Isselt, J. W.; Viergever, Max A.

1991-07-01

At the department of nuclear medicine of the University Hospital Utrecht a single-modality PACS has been operational since mid-1990. After one year of operation the functionality, the organizational and economical consequences, and the acceptability of the PACS were evaluated. The functional aspects reviewed were: viewing facilities, patient data management, connectivity, reporting facilities, archiving, privacy, and security. It was concluded that the improved quality of diagnostic viewing and the potential integration with diagnosis, reporting, and archiving are highly appreciated. The many problems that have occurred during the transition period, however, greatly influence the appreciation and acceptability of the PACS. Overall, it is felt that in the long term there will be a positive effect on the quality and efficiency of the work.

Adaptation of industry standards to PACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Joseph K.; Yin, Lloyd; Huang, H. K.; Wong, Albert W. K.

1994-05-01

Imagery and textual communications among healthcare information systems, medical imaging equipment, and picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) have always been difficult as each of these components varies with platforms, modalities, and manufacturers. With the emerging of industry standards, it become feasible to integrate all these heterogeneous, disparate medical images and textual data. This paper describes two such major industry standards: Health Level 7 (HL7) and ACR/NEMA. In conforming to the HL7 standard, we are able to share medical information between the hospital information systems, radiology information systems, and PACS. By adapting the ACR/NEMA 2.0 standard, we also can convert medical images generated from a variety of modalities and manufacturers to its standardized data format. The conversion is based on the data dictionary defined in the ACR/NEMA 2.0 document.

Evaluation of PACS in a multihospital environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegel, Eliot L.; Reiner, Bruce I.; Protopapas, Zenon

1998-07-01

Although a number of authors have described the challenges and benefits of filmless operation using a hospital-wide Picture Archival and Communication System (PACS), there have been few descriptions of a multi-hospital wide area PACS. The purpose of this paper is to describe our two and a half year experience with PACS in an integrated multi-facility health care environment, the Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS). On June 17, 1995 the Radiology and Nuclear Medicine services became integrated for four medical centers forming the VA Maryland Health Care System creating a single multi-facility imaging department. The facilities consisted of the Baltimore VA (acute and outpatient care, tertiary referral center), Ft. Howard (primarily long term care), Perry Point (primarily psychiatric care), and the Baltimore Rehabilitation and extended care facility (nursing home). The combined number of studies at all four sites is slightly more than 80,000 examinations per year. In addition to residents and fellows, the number of radiologists at Baltimore was approximately seven, with two at Perry Point, one at Ft. Howard, and no radiologists at the Rehabilitation and Extended Care facility. A single HIS/RIS, which is located physically at the Baltimore VAMC is utilized for all four medical centers. The multi- facility image management and communication system utilizes two separate PAC Systems that are physically located at the Baltimore VA Medical Center (BVAMC). The commercial system (GE Medical Systems) has been in place in Baltimore for more than 41/2 years and is utilized primarily in the acquisition, storage, distribution and display of radiology and nuclear medicine studies. The second PACS is the VISTA Imaging System, which has been developed as a module of the VA's HIS/RIS by and for the Department of Veterans Affairs. All of the radiology images obtained on the commercial PACS are requested by the VISTA Imaging System using DICOM query/retrieve commands and are stored on a separate server and optical jukebox. Additionally, the VISTA system is used to store all images obtained by all specialties in the medical center including pathology, dermatology, GI medicine, surgery, podiatry, ophthalmology, etc. Using this two PAC system approach, the hospital is able to achieve redundancy with regard to image storage, retrieval, and display of radiology images. The transition to a 'virtual' multi-facility imaging department was accomplished over a period of two years. Initially, Perry Point and Ft. Howard replaced their general radiographic film processors with Computed Radiography (CR) units. The CR units and subsequently, the CT and Ultrasound systems at Perry Point were interfaced (DeJarnette Research Systems) with the commercial PACS located in Baltimore. A HIS/RIS to modality interface was developed (DeJarnette and Fuji Medical Systems) between the computed radiography and CT units and VISTA Information System at Baltimore. A digital dictation system was recently implemented across the multi- facility network. The integration of the three radiology departments into a single virtual imaging department serving four medical centers has resulted in a number of benefits. Economically, there has been the elimination via attrition of one and a half radiologist FTE's (full time equivalents) and an administrative position resulting in an annual savings of more than $375,000 per year. Additionally, the expenditures for moonlighter coverage for vacation, meeting, and sick leave have been eliminated. There is now subspecialty coverage for primary or secondary interpretation and for peer review.

Electronic integrated disease surveillance system and pathogen asset control system.

PubMed

Wahl, Tom G; Burdakov, Aleksey V; Oukharov, Andrey O; Zhilokov, Azamat K

2012-06-20

Electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance System (EIDSS) has been used to strengthen and support monitoring and prevention of dangerous diseases within One Health concept by integrating veterinary and human surveillance, passive and active approaches, case-based records including disease-specific clinical data based on standardised case definitions and aggregated data, laboratory data including sample tracking linked to each case and event with test results and epidemiological investigations. Information was collected and shared in secure way by different means: through the distributed nodes which are continuously synchronised amongst each other, through the web service, through the handheld devices. Electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance System provided near real time information flow that has been then disseminated to the appropriate organisations in a timely manner. It has been used for comprehensive analysis and visualisation capabilities including real time mapping of case events as these unfold enhancing decision making. Electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance System facilitated countries to comply with the IHR 2005 requirements through a data transfer module reporting diseases electronically to the World Health Organisation (WHO) data center as well as establish authorised data exchange with other electronic system using Open Architecture approach. Pathogen Asset Control System (PACS) has been used for accounting, management and control of biological agent stocks. Information on samples and strains of any kind throughout their entire lifecycle has been tracked in a comprehensive and flexible solution PACS.Both systems have been used in a combination and individually. Electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance System and PACS are currently deployed in the Republics of Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan as a part of the Cooperative Biological Engagement Program (CBEP) sponsored by the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).

Enabling outsourcing XDS for imaging on the public cloud.

PubMed

Ribeiro, Luís S; Rodrigues, Renato P; Costa, Carlos; Oliveira, José Luís

2013-01-01

Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) has been the main paradigm in supporting medical imaging workflows during the last decades. Despite its consolidation, the appearance of Cross-Enterprise Document Sharing for imaging (XDS-I), within IHE initiative, constitutes a great opportunity to readapt PACS workflow for inter-institutional data exchange. XDS-I provides a centralized discovery of medical imaging and associated reports. However, the centralized XDS-I actors (document registry and repository) must be deployed in a trustworthy node in order to safeguard patient privacy, data confidentiality and integrity. This paper presents XDS for Protected Imaging (XDS-p), a new approach to XDS-I that is capable of being outsourced (e.g. Cloud Computing) while maintaining privacy, confidentiality, integrity and legal concerns about patients' medical information.

Rapid HIS, RIS, PACS Integration Using Graphical CASE Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taira, Ricky K.; Breant, Claudine M.; Stepczyk, Frank M.; Kho, Hwa T.; Valentino, Daniel J.; Tashima, Gregory H.; Materna, Anthony T.

1994-05-01

We describe the clinical requirements of the integrated federation of databases and present our client-mediator-server design. The main body of the paper describes five important aspects of integrating information systems: (1) global schema design, (2) establishing sessions with remote database servers, (3) development of schema translators, (4) integration of global system triggers, and (5) development of job workflow scripts.

A PACS archive architecture supported on cloud services.

PubMed

Silva, Luís A Bastião; Costa, Carlos; Oliveira, José Luis

2012-05-01

Diagnostic imaging procedures have continuously increased over the last decade and this trend may continue in coming years, creating a great impact on storage and retrieval capabilities of current PACS. Moreover, many smaller centers do not have financial resources or requirements that justify the acquisition of a traditional infrastructure. Alternative solutions, such as cloud computing, may help address this emerging need. A tremendous amount of ubiquitous computational power, such as that provided by Google and Amazon, are used every day as a normal commodity. Taking advantage of this new paradigm, an architecture for a Cloud-based PACS archive that provides data privacy, integrity, and availability is proposed. The solution is independent from the cloud provider and the core modules were successfully instantiated in examples of two cloud computing providers. Operational metrics for several medical imaging modalities were tabulated and compared for Google Storage, Amazon S3, and LAN PACS. A PACS-as-a-Service archive that provides storage of medical studies using the Cloud was developed. The results show that the solution is robust and that it is possible to store, query, and retrieve all desired studies in a similar way as in a local PACS approach. Cloud computing is an emerging solution that promises high scalability of infrastructures, software, and applications, according to a "pay-as-you-go" business model. The presented architecture uses the cloud to setup medical data repositories and can have a significant impact on healthcare institutions by reducing IT infrastructures.

Cost-effectiveness prospects of picture archiving and communication systems.

PubMed

Hindel, R; Preger, W

1988-01-01

PAC (picture archiving and communication) systems are widely discussed and promoted as the organizational solution to digital image management in a radiology department. For approximately two decades digital imaging has increasingly been used for such diagnostic modalities as CT, DSA, MRI, DR (Digital Radiography) and others. PACS are seen as a step toward high technology integration and more efficient management. Although the acquisition of such technology is investment intensive, there are well-founded projections that prolonged operation will prove cost justified. Such justification can only partly be derived from cost reduction through PAC with respect to present department management--the major justification is preparation for future economic pressures which could make survival of a department without modern technology difficult. Especially in the United States the political climate favors 'competitive medicine' and reduced government support. Seen in this context PACS promises to speed the transition of Health Care Services into a business with tight resource management, cost accounting and marketing. The following paper analyzes cost and revenue in a typical larger Radiology Department, projects various scenarios of cost reduction by means of digital technology and concludes with cautious optimism that the investment expenses for a PACS will be justified in the near future by prudent utilization of high technology.

Promoting the bio-cathode formation of a constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell by using powder activated carbon modified alum sludge in anode chamber

PubMed Central

Xu, Lei; Zhao, Yaqian; Doherty, Liam; Hu, Yuansheng; Hao, Xiaodi

2016-01-01

MFC centered hybrid technologies have attracted attention during the last few years due to their compatibility and dual advantages of energy recovery and wastewater treatment. In this study, a MFC was integrated into a dewatered alum sludge (DAS)- based vertical upflow constructed wetland (CW). Powder activate carbon (PAC) was used in the anode area in varied percentage with DAS to explore its influences on the performance of the CW-MFC system. The trial has demonstrated that the inclusion of PAC improved the removal efficiencies of COD, TN and RP. More significantly, increasing the proportion of PAC from 2% to 10% can significantly enhance the maximum power densities from 36.58 mW/m2 to 87.79 mW/m2. The induced favorable environment for bio-cathode formation might be the main reason for this improvement since the content of total extracellular polymeric substances (TEPS) of the substrate in the cathode area almost doubled (from 44.59 μg/g wet sludge to 87.70 μg/g wet sludge) as the percentage of PAC increased to 10%. This work provides another potential usage of PAC in CW-MFCs with a higher wastewater treatment efficiency and energy recovery. PMID:27197845

Integration of implant planning workflows into the PACS infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gessat, Michael; Strauß, Gero; Burgert, Oliver

2008-03-01

The integration of imaging devices, diagnostic workstations, and image servers into Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) has had an enormous effect on the efficiency of radiology workflows. The standardization of the information exchange between the devices with the DICOM standard has been an essential precondition for that development. For surgical procedures, no such infrastructure exists. With the increasingly important role computerized planning and assistance systems play in the surgical domain, an infrastructure that unifies the communication between devices becomes necessary. In recent publications, the need for a modularized system design has been established. A reference architecture for a Therapy Imaging and Model Management System (TIMMS) has been proposed. It was accepted by the DICOM Working Group 6 as the reference architecture for DICOM developments for surgery. In this paper we propose the inclusion of implant planning systems into the PACS infrastructure. We propose a generic information model for the patient specific selection and positioning of implants from a repository according to patient image data. The information models are based on clinical workflows from ENT, cardiac, and orthopedic surgery as well as technical requirements derived from different use cases and systems. We show an exemplary implementation of the model for application in ENT surgery: the selection and positioning of an ossicular implant in the middle ear. An implant repository is stored in the PACS. It makes use of an experimental implementation of the Surface Mesh Module that is currently being developed as extension to the DICOM standard.

infoRAD: computers for clinical practice and education in radiology. Teleradiology, information transfer, and PACS: implications for diagnostic imaging in the 1990s.

PubMed

Schilling, R B

1993-05-01

Picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) provide image viewing at diagnostic, reporting, consultation, and remote workstations; archival on magnetic or optical media by means of short- or long-term storage devices; communications by means of local or wide area networks or public communication services; and integrated systems with modality interfaces and gateways to health care facilities and departmental information systems. Research indicates three basic needs for image and report management: (a) improved communication and turnaround time between radiologists and other imaging specialists and referring physicians, (b) fast reliable access to both current and previously obtained images and reports, and (c) space-efficient archival support. Although PACS considerations are much more complex than those associated with single modalities, the same basic purchase criteria apply. These criteria include technical leadership, image quality, throughput, life cost (eg, initial cost, maintenance, upgrades, and depreciation), and total service. Because a PACS takes much longer to implement than a single modality, the customer and manufacturer must develop a closer working relationship than has been necessary in the past.

Casimage project: a digital teaching files authoring environment.

PubMed

Rosset, Antoine; Muller, Henning; Martins, Martina; Dfouni, Natalia; Vallée, Jean-Paul; Ratib, Osman

2004-04-01

The goal of the Casimage project is to offer an authoring and editing environment integrated with the Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) for creating image-based electronic teaching files. This software is based on a client/server architecture allowing remote access of users to a central database. This authoring environment allows radiologists to create reference databases and collection of digital images for teaching and research directly from clinical cases being reviewed on PACS diagnostic workstations. The environment includes all tools to create teaching files, including textual description, annotations, and image manipulation. The software also allows users to generate stand-alone CD-ROMs and web-based teaching files to easily share their collections. The system includes a web server compatible with the Medical Imaging Resource Center standard (MIRC, http://mirc.rsna.org) to easily integrate collections in the RSNA web network dedicated to teaching files. This software could be installed on any PACS workstation to allow users to add new cases at any time and anywhere during clinical operations. Several images collections were created with this tool, including thoracic imaging that was subsequently made available on a CD-Rom and on our web site and through the MIRC network for public access.

A Framework for Integration of Heterogeneous Medical Imaging Networks

PubMed Central

Viana-Ferreira, Carlos; Ribeiro, Luís S; Costa, Carlos

2014-01-01

Medical imaging is increasing its importance in matters of medical diagnosis and in treatment support. Much is due to computers that have revolutionized medical imaging not only in acquisition process but also in the way it is visualized, stored, exchanged and managed. Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) is an example of how medical imaging takes advantage of computers. To solve problems of interoperability of PACS and medical imaging equipment, the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard was defined and widely implemented in current solutions. More recently, the need to exchange medical data between distinct institutions resulted in Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) initiative that contains a content profile especially conceived for medical imaging exchange: Cross Enterprise Document Sharing for imaging (XDS-i). Moreover, due to application requirements, many solutions developed private networks to support their services. For instance, some applications support enhanced query and retrieve over DICOM objects metadata. This paper proposes anintegration framework to medical imaging networks that provides protocols interoperability and data federation services. It is an extensible plugin system that supports standard approaches (DICOM and XDS-I), but is also capable of supporting private protocols. The framework is being used in the Dicoogle Open Source PACS. PMID:25279021

A bidirectional ACR-NEMA interface between the VA's DHCP Integrated Imaging System and the Siemens-Loral PACS.

PubMed Central

Kuzmak, P. M.; Dayhoff, R. E.

1992-01-01

There is a wide range of requirements for digital hospital imaging systems. Radiology needs very high resolution black and white images. Other diagnostic disciplines need high resolution color imaging capabilities. Images need to be displayed in many locations throughout the hospital. Different imaging systems within a hospital need to cooperate in order to show the whole picture. At the Baltimore VA Medical Center, the DHCP Integrated Imaging System and a commercial Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) work in concert to provide a wide-range of departmental and hospital-wide imaging capabilities. An interface between the DHCP and the Siemens-Loral PACS systems enables patient text and image data to be passed between the two systems. The interface uses ACR-NEMA 2.0 Standard messages extended with shadow groups based on draft ACR-NEMA 3.0 prototypes. A Novell file server, accessible to both systems via Ethernet, is used to communicate all the messages. Patient identification information, orders, ADT, procedure status, changes, patient reports, and images are sent between the two systems across the interface. The systems together provide an extensive set of imaging capabilities for both the specialist and the general practitioner. PMID:1482906

A bidirectional ACR-NEMA interface between the VA's DHCP Integrated Imaging System and the Siemens-Loral PACS.

PubMed

Kuzmak, P M; Dayhoff, R E

1992-01-01

There is a wide range of requirements for digital hospital imaging systems. Radiology needs very high resolution black and white images. Other diagnostic disciplines need high resolution color imaging capabilities. Images need to be displayed in many locations throughout the hospital. Different imaging systems within a hospital need to cooperate in order to show the whole picture. At the Baltimore VA Medical Center, the DHCP Integrated Imaging System and a commercial Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) work in concert to provide a wide-range of departmental and hospital-wide imaging capabilities. An interface between the DHCP and the Siemens-Loral PACS systems enables patient text and image data to be passed between the two systems. The interface uses ACR-NEMA 2.0 Standard messages extended with shadow groups based on draft ACR-NEMA 3.0 prototypes. A Novell file server, accessible to both systems via Ethernet, is used to communicate all the messages. Patient identification information, orders, ADT, procedure status, changes, patient reports, and images are sent between the two systems across the interface. The systems together provide an extensive set of imaging capabilities for both the specialist and the general practitioner.

A framework for integration of heterogeneous medical imaging networks.

PubMed

Viana-Ferreira, Carlos; Ribeiro, Luís S; Costa, Carlos

2014-01-01

Medical imaging is increasing its importance in matters of medical diagnosis and in treatment support. Much is due to computers that have revolutionized medical imaging not only in acquisition process but also in the way it is visualized, stored, exchanged and managed. Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) is an example of how medical imaging takes advantage of computers. To solve problems of interoperability of PACS and medical imaging equipment, the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard was defined and widely implemented in current solutions. More recently, the need to exchange medical data between distinct institutions resulted in Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) initiative that contains a content profile especially conceived for medical imaging exchange: Cross Enterprise Document Sharing for imaging (XDS-i). Moreover, due to application requirements, many solutions developed private networks to support their services. For instance, some applications support enhanced query and retrieve over DICOM objects metadata. This paper proposes anintegration framework to medical imaging networks that provides protocols interoperability and data federation services. It is an extensible plugin system that supports standard approaches (DICOM and XDS-I), but is also capable of supporting private protocols. The framework is being used in the Dicoogle Open Source PACS.

RadSearch: a RIS/PACS integrated query tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsao, Sinchai; Documet, Jorge; Moin, Paymann; Wang, Kevin; Liu, Brent J.

2008-03-01

Radiology Information Systems (RIS) contain a wealth of information that can be used for research, education, and practice management. However, the sheer amount of information available makes querying specific data difficult and time consuming. Previous work has shown that a clinical RIS database and its RIS text reports can be extracted, duplicated and indexed for searches while complying with HIPAA and IRB requirements. This project's intent is to provide a software tool, the RadSearch Toolkit, to allow intelligent indexing and parsing of RIS reports for easy yet powerful searches. In addition, the project aims to seamlessly query and retrieve associated images from the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) in situations where an integrated RIS/PACS is in place - even subselecting individual series, such as in an MRI study. RadSearch's application of simple text parsing techniques to index text-based radiology reports will allow the search engine to quickly return relevant results. This powerful combination will be useful in both private practice and academic settings; administrators can easily obtain complex practice management information such as referral patterns; researchers can conduct retrospective studies with specific, multiple criteria; teaching institutions can quickly and effectively create thorough teaching files.

Utilizing multiple scale models to improve predictions of extra-axial hemorrhage in the immature piglet.

PubMed

Scott, Gregory G; Margulies, Susan S; Coats, Brittany

2016-10-01

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability in the USA. To help understand and better predict TBI, researchers have developed complex finite element (FE) models of the head which incorporate many biological structures such as scalp, skull, meninges, brain (with gray/white matter differentiation), and vasculature. However, most models drastically simplify the membranes and substructures between the pia and arachnoid membranes. We hypothesize that substructures in the pia-arachnoid complex (PAC) contribute substantially to brain deformation following head rotation, and that when included in FE models accuracy of extra-axial hemorrhage prediction improves. To test these hypotheses, microscale FE models of the PAC were developed to span the variability of PAC substructure anatomy and regional density. The constitutive response of these models were then integrated into an existing macroscale FE model of the immature piglet brain to identify changes in cortical stress distribution and predictions of extra-axial hemorrhage (EAH). Incorporating regional variability of PAC substructures substantially altered the distribution of principal stress on the cortical surface of the brain compared to a uniform representation of the PAC. Simulations of 24 non-impact rapid head rotations in an immature piglet animal model resulted in improved accuracy of EAH prediction (to 94 % sensitivity, 100 % specificity), as well as a high accuracy in regional hemorrhage prediction (to 82-100 % sensitivity, 100 % specificity). We conclude that including a biofidelic PAC substructure variability in FE models of the head is essential for improved predictions of hemorrhage at the brain/skull interface.

PAC1 receptor antagonism in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) attenuates the endocrine and behavioral consequences of chronic stress

PubMed Central

Roman, Carolyn W.; Lezak, Kim R.; Hartsock, Matthew J.; Falls, William A.; Braas, Karen M.; Howard, Alan B.; Hammack, Sayamwong E.; May, Victor

2015-01-01

Summary Chronic or repeated stressor exposure can induce a number of maladaptive behavioral and physiological consequences and among limbic structures, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) has been implicated in the integration and interpretation of stress responses. Previous work has demonstrated that chronic variate stress (CVS) exposure in rodents increases BNST pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP, Adcyap1) and PAC1 receptor (Adcyap1r1) transcript expression, and that acute BNST PACAP injections can stimulate anxiety-like behavior. Here we show that chronic stress increases PACAP expression selectively in the oval nucleus of the dorsolateral BNST in patterns distinct from those for corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH). Among receptor subtypes, BNST PACAP signaling through PAC1 receptors not only heightened anxiety responses as measured by different behavioral parameters but also induced anorexic-like behavior to mimic the consequences of stress. Conversely, chronic inhibition of BNST PACAP signaling by continuous infusion with the PAC1 receptor antagonist PACAP(6-38) during the week of CVS attenuated these stress-induced behavioral responses and changes in weight gain. BNST PACAP signaling stimulated the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and heightened corticosterone release; further, BNST PACAP(6-38) administration blocked corticosterone release in a sensitized stress model. In aggregate with recent associations of PACAP/PAC1 receptor dysregulation with altered stress responses including post-traumatic stress disorder, these data suggest that BNST PACAP/PAC1 receptor signaling mechanisms may coordinate the behavioral and endocrine consequences of stress. PMID:25001965

Acceptability of picture archiving and communication system (PACS) among hospital healthcare personnel based on a unified theory of acceptance and use of technology.

PubMed

Ahmadi, Maryam; Mehrabi, Nahid; Sheikhtaheri, Abbas; Sadeghi, Mojtaba

2017-09-01

The picture archiving and communication system (PACS) is a healthcare system technology which manages medical images and integrates equipment through a network. There are some theories about the use and acceptance of technology by people to describe the behavior and attitudes of end users towards information technologies. We investigated the influential factors on users' acceptance of PACS in the military hospitals of Tehran. In this applied analytical and cross-sectional study, 151 healthcare employees of military hospitals who had experience in using the PACS system were investigated. Participants were selected by census. The following variables were considered: performance expectancy, efforts expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions and behavioral intention. Data were gathered using a questionnaire. Its validity and reliability were approved by a panel of experts and was piloted with 30 hospital healthcare staff (Cronbach's alpha =0.91). Spearman correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression analysis were used in analyzing the data. Expected performance, efforts expectancy, social impact and facilitating conditions had a significant relationship with behavioral intention. The multiple regression analysis indicated that only performance expectancy can predict the user's behavioral intentions to use PACS technology. Performance and effort expectancies are quite influential in accepting the use of PACS in hospitals. All healthcare personnel should become aware that using such technology is necessary in a hospital. Knowing the influencing factors that affect the acceptance of using new technology can help in improving its use, especially in a healthcare system. This can improve the offered healthcare services' quality.

Success of HIS DICOM interfaces in the integration of the healthcare enterprise at the Department of Veterans Affairs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzmak, Peter M.; Dayhoff, Ruth E.

1999-07-01

The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is integrating imaging into the healthcare enterprise using the Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) standard protocols. Image management is directly integrated into the VistA Hospital Information System (HIS) software and the clinical database. Radiology images are acquired via DICOM, and are stored directly in the HIS database. Images can be displayed on low-cost clinician's workstations throughout the medical center. High-resolution diagnostic quality multi-monitor VistA workstations with specialized viewing software can be used for reading radiology images. Two approaches are used to acquire and handle imags within the radiology department. Some sties have a commercial Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) interfaced to the VistA HIS, while other sites use the direct image acquisition and integrated diagnostic reading capabilities of VistA itself. A small set of DICOM services have been implemented by VistA to allow patient and study text data to be transmitted to image producing modalities and the commercial PACS, and to enable images and study data to be transferred back. The VistA DICOM capabilities are now used to interface seven different commercial PACS products and over twenty different radiology modalities. The communications capabilities of DICOM and the VA wide area network are begin used to support reading of radiology images form remote sites. DICOM has been the cornerstone in the ability to integrate imaging functionality into the Healthcare Enterprise. Because of its openness, it allows the integration of system component from commercial and non- commercial sources to work together to provide functional cost-effective solutions. As DICOM expands to non-radiology devices, integration must occur with the specialty information subsystems that handle orders and reports, their associated DICOM image capture systems, and the computer- based patient record. The mode and concepts of the DICOM standard can be extended to these other areas, but some adjustments may be required.

Cost-effective data storage/archival subsystem for functional PACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y. P.; Kim, Yongmin

1993-09-01

Not the least of the requirements of a workable PACS is the ability to store and archive vast amounts of information. A medium-size hospital will generate between 1 and 2 TBytes of data annually on a fully functional PACS. A high-speed image transmission network coupled with a comparably high-speed central data storage unit can make local memory and magnetic disks in the PACS workstations less critical and, in an extreme case, unnecessary. Under these circumstances, the capacity and performance of the central data storage subsystem and database is critical in determining the response time at the workstations, thus significantly affecting clinical acceptability. The central data storage subsystem not only needs to provide sufficient capacity to store about ten days worth of images (five days worth of new studies, and on the average, about one comparison study for each new study), but also supplies images to the requesting workstation in a timely fashion. The database must provide fast retrieval responses upon users' requests for images. This paper analyzes both advantages and disadvantages of multiple parallel transfer disks versus RAID disks for short-term central data storage subsystem, as well as optical disk jukebox versus digital recorder tape subsystem for long-term archive. Furthermore, an example high-performance cost-effective storage subsystem which integrates both the RAID disks and high-speed digital tape subsystem as a cost-effective PACS data storage/archival unit are presented.

Executive Summary of Ares V: Lunar Capabilities Concept Review Through Phase A-Cycle 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holladay, J. B.; Baggett, K. E.; Feldman, S. M.

2011-01-01

This Technical Memorandum (TM) was generated as an overall Ares V summary from the Lunar Capabilities Concept Review (LCCR) through Phase A-Cycle 3 (PA-C3) with the intent that it may be coupled with separately published appendices for a more detailed, integrated narrative. The Ares V has evolved from the initial point of departure (POD) 51.00.48 LCCR configuration to the current candidate POD, PA-C3D, and the family of vehicles concept that contains vehicles PA-C3A through H. The logical progression from concept to POD vehicles is summarized in this TM and captures the trade space and performance of each. The family-of-vehicles concept was assessed during PA-C3 and offered flexibility in the path forward with the ability to add options deemed appropriate. A description of each trade space is given in addition to a summary of each Ares V element. The Ares V contributions to a Mars campaign are also highlighted with the goal of introducing Ares V capabilities within the trade space. The assessment of the Ares V vehicle as it pertains to Mars missions remained locked to the architecture presented in Mars Design Reference Authorization 5.0 using the PA-C3D vehicle configuration to assess Mars transfer vehicle options, in-space EDS capabilities, docking adaptor and propellant transfer assessments, and lunar and Mars synergistic potential.

Small PACS implementation using publicly available software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Passadore, Diego J.; Isoardi, Roberto A.; Gonzalez Nicolini, Federico J.; Ariza, P. P.; Novas, C. V.; Omati, S. A.

1998-07-01

Building cost effective PACS solutions is a main concern in developing countries. Hardware and software components are generally much more expensive than in developed countries and also more tightened financial constraints are the main reasons contributing to a slow rate of implementation of PACS. The extensive use of Internet for sharing resources and information has brought a broad number of freely available software packages to an ever-increasing number of users. In the field of medical imaging is possible to find image format conversion packages, DICOM compliant servers for all kinds of service classes, databases, web servers, image visualization, manipulation and analysis tools, etc. This paper describes a PACS implementation for review and storage built on freely available software. It currently integrates four diagnostic modalities (PET, CT, MR and NM), a Radiotherapy Treatment Planning workstation and several computers in a local area network, for image storage, database management and image review, processing and analysis. It also includes a web-based application that allows remote users to query the archive for studies from any workstation and to view the corresponding images and reports. We conclude that the advantage of using this approach is twofold. It allows a full understanding of all the issues involved in the implementation of a PACS and also contributes to keep costs down while enabling the development of a functional system for storage, distribution and review that can prove to be helpful for radiologists and referring physicians.

Experience with PACS in an ATM/Ethernet switched network environment.

PubMed

Pelikan, E; Ganser, A; Kotter, E; Schrader, U; Timmermann, U

1998-03-01

Legacy local area network (LAN) technologies based on shared media concepts are not adequate for the growth of a large-scale picture archiving and communication system (PACS) in a client-server architecture. First, an asymmetric network load, due to the requests of a large number of PACS clients for only a few main servers, should be compensated by communication links to the servers with a higher bandwidth compared to the clients. Secondly, as the number of PACS nodes increases, the network throughout should not measurably cut production. These requirements can easily be fulfilled using switching technologies. Here asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) is clearly one of the hottest topics in networking because the ATM architecture provides integrated support for a variety of communication services, and it supports virtual networking. On the other hand, most of the imaging modalities are not yet ready for integration into a native ATM network. For a lot of nodes already joining an Ethernet, a cost-effective and pragmatic way to benefit from the switching concept would be a combined ATM/Ethernet switching environment. This incorporates an incremental migration strategy with the immediate benefits of high-speed, high-capacity ATM (for servers and high-sophisticated display workstations), while preserving elements of the existing network technologies. In addition, Ethernet switching instead of shared media Ethernet improves the performance considerably. The LAN emulation (LANE) specification by the ATM forum defines mechanisms that allow ATM networks to coexist with legacy systems using any data networking protocol. This paper points out the suitability of this network architecture in accordance with an appropriate system design.

Authenticity techniques for PACS images and records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Stephen T. C.; Abundo, Marco; Huang, H. K.

1995-05-01

Along with the digital radiology environment supported by picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) comes a new problem: How to establish trust in multimedia medical data that exist only in the easily altered memory of a computer. Trust is characterized in terms of integrity and privacy of digital data. Two major self-enforcing techniques can be used to assure the authenticity of electronic images and text -- key-based cryptography and digital time stamping. Key-based cryptography associates the content of an image with the originator using one or two distinct keys and prevents alteration of the document by anyone other than the originator. A digital time stamping algorithm generates a characteristic `digital fingerprint' for the original document using a mathematical hash function, and checks that it has not been modified. This paper discusses these cryptographic algorithms and their appropriateness for a PACS environment. It also presents experimental results of cryptographic algorithms on several imaging modalities.

EIR: enterprise imaging repository, an alternative imaging archiving and communication system.

PubMed

Bian, Jiang; Topaloglu, Umit; Lane, Cheryl

2009-01-01

The enormous number of studies performed at the Nuclear Medicine Department of University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) generates a huge amount PET/CT images daily. A DICOM workstation had been used as "mini-PACS" to route all studies, which is historically proven to be slow due to various reasons. However, replacing the workstation with a commercial PACS server is not only cost inefficient; and more often, the PACS vendors are reluctant to take responsibility for the final integration of these components. Therefore, in this paper, we propose an alternative imaging archiving and communication system called Enterprise Imaging Repository (EIR). EIR consists of two distinguished components: an image processing daemon and a user friendly web interface. EIR not only reduces the overall waiting time of transferring a study from the modalities to radiologists' workstations, but also provides a more preferable presentation.

Time analysis for optimization of radiology workflow in conventional radiology during RIS-PACS-integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falkensammer, Peter; Soegner, Peter I.; zur Nedden, Dieter

2002-05-01

The integration of RIS-PACS systems in radiology units are intended to reduce time consumption in radiology workflow and thus to increase radiologist productivity. Along with the RIS-PACS integration at the University Hospital Innsbruck we analyzed workflow from patient admission to release of final reports before implementation. The follow up study after six months of the implementation is currently in work. In this study we compared chest to skeletal x-ray examinations in 969 patients before the implementation. Drawing the admission-to-release-of-final-report period showed a two-peak diagram with the first peak corresponding to a release of final results on the same day and the second peak to a release on the following day. In the chest x-ray group, 57% were released the same day (mean value 4:02 hours) and 43% the next day (mean value 21:47 hours). Looking at the skeletal x-rays 40% were released the same day (mean value 3:58 hours) and 60% were released the next day (mean value 21:05 hours). Summarizing the results we should say, that the average chest x-ray requires less time than an skeletal x-ray, due to the fact that a greater percentage of reports is released the same day. The most important result is, that the most time consuming workstep is the exchange of data media between radiologist and secretary with at least 5 hours.

Automating PACS quality control with the Vanderbilt image processing enterprise resource

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esparza, Michael L.; Welch, E. Brian; Landman, Bennett A.

2012-02-01

Precise image acquisition is an integral part of modern patient care and medical imaging research. Periodic quality control using standardized protocols and phantoms ensures that scanners are operating according to specifications, yet such procedures do not ensure that individual datasets are free from corruption; for example due to patient motion, transient interference, or physiological variability. If unacceptable artifacts are noticed during scanning, a technologist can repeat a procedure. Yet, substantial delays may be incurred if a problematic scan is not noticed until a radiologist reads the scans or an automated algorithm fails. Given scores of slices in typical three-dimensional scans and widevariety of potential use cases, a technologist cannot practically be expected inspect all images. In large-scale research, automated pipeline systems have had great success in achieving high throughput. However, clinical and institutional workflows are largely based on DICOM and PACS technologies; these systems are not readily compatible with research systems due to security and privacy restrictions. Hence, quantitative quality control has been relegated to individual investigators and too often neglected. Herein, we propose a scalable system, the Vanderbilt Image Processing Enterprise Resource (VIPER) to integrate modular quality control and image analysis routines with a standard PACS configuration. This server unifies image processing routines across an institutional level and provides a simple interface so that investigators can collaborate to deploy new analysis technologies. VIPER integrates with high performance computing environments has successfully analyzed all standard scans from our institutional research center over the course of the last 18 months.

Integration in PACS of DICOM with TCP/IP, SQL, and X Windows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reijns, Gerard L.

1994-05-01

The DICOM standard (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) has been developed in order to obtain compatibility at the higher OSI levels. This paper describes the implementation of DICOM into our developed low cost PACS, which uses as much as possible standard software and standard protocols such as SQL, X Windows and TCP/IP. We adopted the requirement that all messages on the communication network have to be DICOM compatible. The translation between DICOM messages and SQL commands, which drive the relational data base, has been accommodated in our PACS supervisor. The translation takes only between 10 and 20 milliseconds. Images, that will be used the current day are stored in a distributed, parallel operating image base for reasons of performance. Extensive use has been made of X Windows to visualize images. A maximum of 12 images can simultaneously be displayed, of which one selected image can be manipulated (e.g., magnified, rotated, etc.), without affecting the other displayed images. The emphasis of the future work will be on performance measurements and modeling of our PACS and bringing the results of both methods in agreement with each other.

DICOM relay over the cloud.

PubMed

Silva, Luís A Bastião; Costa, Carlos; Oliveira, José Luis

2013-05-01

Healthcare institutions worldwide have adopted picture archiving and communication system (PACS) for enterprise access to images, relying on Digital Imaging Communication in Medicine (DICOM) standards for data exchange. However, communication over a wider domain of independent medical institutions is not well standardized. A DICOM-compliant bridge was developed for extending and sharing DICOM services across healthcare institutions without requiring complex network setups or dedicated communication channels. A set of DICOM routers interconnected through a public cloud infrastructure was implemented to support medical image exchange among institutions. Despite the advantages of cloud computing, new challenges were encountered regarding data privacy, particularly when medical data are transmitted over different domains. To address this issue, a solution was introduced by creating a ciphered data channel between the entities sharing DICOM services. Two main DICOM services were implemented in the bridge: Storage and Query/Retrieve. The performance measures demonstrated it is quite simple to exchange information and processes between several institutions. The solution can be integrated with any currently installed PACS-DICOM infrastructure. This method works transparently with well-known cloud service providers. Cloud computing was introduced to augment enterprise PACS by providing standard medical imaging services across different institutions, offering communication privacy and enabling creation of wider PACS scenarios with suitable technical solutions.

IBM Application System/400 as the foundation of the Mayo Clinic/IBM PACS project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rothman, Melvyn L.; Morin, Richard L.; Persons, Kenneth R.; Gibbons, Patricia S.

1990-08-01

An IBM Application System/400 (AS/400) anchors the Mayo Clinic/IBM joint development PACS project. This paper highlights some of the AS/400's features and the resulting benefits which make it a strong foundation for a medical image archival and review system. Among the AS/400's key features are: 1. A high-level machine architecture 2. Object orientation 3. Relational data base and other functions integrated into the system's architecture 4. High-function interfaces to IBM Personal Computers and IBM Personal System/2s' (pS/2TM).

[Impact of a PACS/RIS-integrated speech recognition system on radiology reporting time and report availability].

PubMed

Trumm, C G; Glaser, C; Paasche, V; Crispin, A; Popp, P; Küttner, B; Francke, M; Nissen-Meyer, S; Reiser, M

2006-04-01

Quantification of the impact of a PACS/RIS-integrated speech recognition system (SRS) on the time expenditure for radiology reporting and on hospital-wide report availability (RA) in a university institution. In a prospective pilot study, the following parameters were assessed for 669 radiographic examinations (CR): 1. time requirement per report dictation (TED: dictation time (s)/number of images [examination] x number of words [report]) with either a combination of PACS/tape-based dictation (TD: analog dictation device/mini-cassette/transcription) or PACS/RIS/speech recognition system (RR: remote recognition/transcription and OR: online recognition/self-correction by radiologist), respectively, and 2. the Report Turnaround Time (RTT) as the time interval from the entry of the first image into the PACS to the available RIS/HIS report. Two equal time periods were chosen retrospectively from the RIS database: 11/2002 - 2/2003 (only TD) and 11/2003 - 2/2004 (only RR or OR with speech recognition system [SRS]). The mid-term (> or = 24 h, 24 h intervals) and short-term (< 24 h, 1 h intervals) RA after examination completion were calculated for all modalities and for CR, CT, MR and XA/DS separately. The relative increase in the mid-term RA (RIMRA: related to total number of examinations in each time period) and increase in the short-term RA (ISRA: ratio of available reports during the 1st to 24th hour) were calculated. Prospectively, there was a significant difference between TD/RR/OR (n = 151/257/261) regarding mean TED (0.44/0.54/0.62 s [per word and image]) and mean RTT (10.47/6.65/1.27 h), respectively. Retrospectively, 37 898/39 680 reports were computed from the RIS database for the time periods of 11/2002 - 2/2003 and 11/2003 - 2/2004. For CR/CT there was a shift of the short-term RA to the first 6 hours after examination completion (mean cumulative RA 20 % higher) with a more than three-fold increase in the total number of available reports within 24 hours (all modalities). The RIMRA for CR/CT/MR was 3.1/5.8/4.0 in the first 24 hours, and 2.0 for XA/DS in the second 24-hour interval. In comparison to tape-based dictation, an SRS results in a significantly higher primary time expenditure and a modified report dictation workflow. In a university institution, a PACS/RIS-integrated SRS achieves a marked improvement in both short- and mid-term RA which eventually results in an improvement in patient care.

Acceptability of picture archiving and communication system (PACS) among hospital healthcare personnel based on a unified theory of acceptance and use of technology

PubMed Central

Ahmadi, Maryam; Mehrabi, Nahid; Sheikhtaheri, Abbas; Sadeghi, Mojtaba

2017-01-01

Background and aim The picture archiving and communication system (PACS) is a healthcare system technology which manages medical images and integrates equipment through a network. There are some theories about the use and acceptance of technology by people to describe the behavior and attitudes of end users towards information technologies. We investigated the influential factors on users’ acceptance of PACS in the military hospitals of Tehran. Methods In this applied analytical and cross-sectional study, 151 healthcare employees of military hospitals who had experience in using the PACS system were investigated. Participants were selected by census. The following variables were considered: performance expectancy, efforts expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions and behavioral intention. Data were gathered using a questionnaire. Its validity and reliability were approved by a panel of experts and was piloted with 30 hospital healthcare staff (Cronbach’s alpha =0.91). Spearman correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression analysis were used in analyzing the data. Results Expected performance, efforts expectancy, social impact and facilitating conditions had a significant relationship with behavioral intention. The multiple regression analysis indicated that only performance expectancy can predict the user’s behavioral intentions to use PACS technology. Conclusion Performance and effort expectancies are quite influential in accepting the use of PACS in hospitals. All healthcare personnel should become aware that using such technology is necessary in a hospital. Knowing the influencing factors that affect the acceptance of using new technology can help in improving its use, especially in a healthcare system. This can improve the offered healthcare services’ quality. PMID:29038717

A new approach of building 3D visualization framework for multimodal medical images display and computed assisted diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhenwei; Sun, Jianyong; Zhang, Jianguo

2012-02-01

As more and more CT/MR studies are scanning with larger volume of data sets, more and more radiologists and clinician would like using PACS WS to display and manipulate these larger data sets of images with 3D rendering features. In this paper, we proposed a design method and implantation strategy to develop 3D image display component not only with normal 3D display functions but also with multi-modal medical image fusion as well as compute-assisted diagnosis of coronary heart diseases. The 3D component has been integrated into the PACS display workstation of Shanghai Huadong Hospital, and the clinical practice showed that it is easy for radiologists and physicians to use these 3D functions such as multi-modalities' (e.g. CT, MRI, PET, SPECT) visualization, registration and fusion, and the lesion quantitative measurements. The users were satisfying with the rendering speeds and quality of 3D reconstruction. The advantages of the component include low requirements for computer hardware, easy integration, reliable performance and comfortable application experience. With this system, the radiologists and the clinicians can manipulate with 3D images easily, and use the advanced visualization tools to facilitate their work with a PACS display workstation at any time.

Stable Binding of Alternative Protein-enriched Food Matrices with Concentrated Cranberry Bioflavonoids for Functional Food Applications

PubMed Central

Grace, Mary H.; Guzman, Ivette; Roopchand, Diana E.; Moskal, Kristin; Cheng, Diana M.; Pogrebnyak, Natasha; Raskin, Ilya; Howell, Amy; Lila, Mary Ann

2013-01-01

Defatted soy flour (DSF), soy protein isolate (SPI), hemp protein isolate (HPI), medium roast peanut flour (MPF) and pea protein isolate (PPI) stably bind and concentrate cranberry (CB) polyphenols, creating protein/polyphenol-enriched matrices. Proanthocyanidins (PAC) in the enriched matrices ranged from 20.75 mg/g (CB-HPI) to 10.68 mg/g (CB-SPI). Anthocyanins (ANC) ranged from 3.19 mg/g (CB-DSF) to 1.68 mg/g (CB-SPI), while total phenolics (TP) ranged from 37.61 mg/g (CB-HPI) to 21.29 mg/g (CB-SPI). LC-MS indicated that the enriched matrices contained all identifiable ANC, PAC and flavonols present in CB juice. Complexation with SPI stabilized and preserved the integrity of the CB polyphenolic components for at least 15 weeks at 37 °C. PAC isolated from enriched matrices demonstrated comparable anti-adhesion bioactivity to PAC isolated directly from CB juice (MIC 0.4 to 0.16 mg/mL), indicating their potential utility for maintenance of urinary tract health. Approximately 1.0 g of polyphenol-enriched matrix delivered the same amount of PAC available in one cup (300 mL) of commercial CB juice cocktail; which has been shown clinically to be the prophylactic dose for reducing recurring urinary tract infections. CB-SPI inhibited gram- positive and gram-negative bacterial growth. Nutritional and sensory analyses indicated that the targeted CB-matrix combinations have high potential for incorporation in functional food formulations. PMID:23786629

EST-PAC a web package for EST annotation and protein sequence prediction

PubMed Central

Strahm, Yvan; Powell, David; Lefèvre, Christophe

2006-01-01

With the decreasing cost of DNA sequencing technology and the vast diversity of biological resources, researchers increasingly face the basic challenge of annotating a larger number of expressed sequences tags (EST) from a variety of species. This typically consists of a series of repetitive tasks, which should be automated and easy to use. The results of these annotation tasks need to be stored and organized in a consistent way. All these operations should be self-installing, platform independent, easy to customize and amenable to using distributed bioinformatics resources available on the Internet. In order to address these issues, we present EST-PAC a web oriented multi-platform software package for expressed sequences tag (EST) annotation. EST-PAC provides a solution for the administration of EST and protein sequence annotations accessible through a web interface. Three aspects of EST annotation are automated: 1) searching local or remote biological databases for sequence similarities using Blast services, 2) predicting protein coding sequence from EST data and, 3) annotating predicted protein sequences with functional domain predictions. In practice, EST-PAC integrates the BLASTALL suite, EST-Scan2 and HMMER in a relational database system accessible through a simple web interface. EST-PAC also takes advantage of the relational database to allow consistent storage, powerful queries of results and, management of the annotation process. The system allows users to customize annotation strategies and provides an open-source data-management environment for research and education in bioinformatics. PMID:17147782

Enterprise-wide implementation of digital radiography in oral and maxillofacial imaging: the University of Florida Dentistry System.

PubMed

Nair, Madhu K; Pettigrew, James C; Loomis, Jeffrey S; Bates, Robert E; Kostewicz, Stephen; Robinson, Boyd; Sweitzer, Jean; Dolan, Teresa A

2009-06-01

The implementation of digital radiography in dentistry in a large healthcare enterprise setting is discussed. A distinct need for a dedicated dental picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) exists for seamless integration of different vendor products across the system. Complex issues are contended with as each clinical department migrated to a digital environment with unique needs and workflow patterns. The University of Florida has had a dental PACS installed over 2 years ago. This paper describes the process of conversion from film-based imaging from the planning stages through clinical implementation. Dentistry poses many unique challenges as it strives to achieve better integration with systems primarily designed for imaging; however, the technical requirements for high-resolution image capture in dentistry far exceed those in medicine, as most routine dental diagnostic tasks are challenging. The significance of specification, evaluation, vendor selection, installation, trial runs, training, and phased clinical implementation is emphasized.

Human cDNA mapping using fluorescence in situ hybridization. Final progress report, April 1, 1994--July 31, 1997

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

Korenberg, J.R.

The ultimate goal of this research is to generate and apply novel technologies to speed completion and integration of the human genome map and sequence with biomedical problems. To do this, techniques were developed and genome-wide resources generated. This includes a genome-wide Mapped and Integrated BAC/PAC Resource that has been used for gene finding, map completion and anchoring, breakpoint definition and sequencing. In the last period of the grant, the Human Mapped BAC/PAC Resource was also applied to determine regions of human variation and to develop a novel paradigm of primate evolution through to humans. Further, in order to moremore » rapidly evaluate animal models of human disease, a BAC Map of the mouse was generated in collaboration with the MTI Genome Center, Dr. Bruce Birren.« less

Enhancement of Structured Reporting - an Integration Reporting Module with Radiation Dose Collection Supporting.

PubMed

Lee, Ming-Che; Chuang, Kei-Shih; Hsu, Tien-Cheng; Lee, Chien-Ding

2016-11-01

Collection of radiation dose derived from radiological examination is necessary not only for radiation protection, but also for fulfillment of structured reports. However, the material regarding of radiation dose cannot be directly utilized by the Radiological Information System (RIS) since it is generated and only stored in the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). In this paper, an integration reporting module is proposed to facilitate handling of dose information and structured reporting by providing two functionalities. First, a gateway is established to automatically collect the related information from PACS for further analyzing and monitoring the accumulated radiation. Second, the designated structured reporting patterns with corresponding radiation dose measurements can be acquired by radiologists as necessary. In the design, the radiation dose collection gateway and the well-established pattern are collocated to achieve that there is no need to do manual entry for structured reporting, thus increasing productivity and medical quality.

PACS development in Asia.

PubMed

Inamura, Kiyonari; Kousaka, Susumu; Yamamoto, Yuichiro; Sukenobu, Yoshiharu; Okura, Yasuhiko; Matsumura, Yasushi; Takeda, Hiroshi

2003-01-01

First, history of PACS in Japan from 1982 to 2002 has been investigated. By 2002 total of 1468 PACS units have been installed. Of these, 1174 are small-size PACS with less than four image display terminals, 203 are medium-size with 5-14 terminals, and 91 are large-size with 15 up to 1300 terminals. The main nine large-size PACS of 91 have been retrospectively investigated from 1984 for PACS experiments and from 1989 for PACS operation. Most of these nine hospitals have increased the number of PACS terminals by installing additional PACS units, instead of reinforcing the existing single PACS. The use of DICOM interfaces has increased the number of modalities connected to PACS and influenced the spreading of PACS installations in Japan. The status of HIS and RIS coupling to PACS, and the use of PACS in primary diagnosis or in image referral are discussed. Assessment of PACS is now in an early stage. Baseline studies of HIS/RIS/PACS effectiveness have been carried out to assess quantitatively the PACS merit. Second, history of PACS development in Korea is described. Very acute climbing up of filmless PACS diffusion was observed from 2000 to 2002. The reasons seem to be lack of domestic X-ray film industry, economic crisis in 1997 and PACS Reimbursement Act in health insurance in Korea. Third, the Hong Kong Wide Area Image Distribution/PACS Project is reported. It is now under phase 1 of design and partial implementation employing the latest and the highest ends of advanced technology such as failure resilience. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Transthoracic echocardiography: an accurate and precise method for estimating cardiac output in the critically ill patient.

PubMed

Mercado, Pablo; Maizel, Julien; Beyls, Christophe; Titeca-Beauport, Dimitri; Joris, Magalie; Kontar, Loay; Riviere, Antoine; Bonef, Olivier; Soupison, Thierry; Tribouilloy, Christophe; de Cagny, Bertrand; Slama, Michel

2017-06-09

Cardiac output (CO) monitoring is a valuable tool for the diagnosis and management of critically ill patients. In the critical care setting, few studies have evaluated the level of agreement between CO estimated by transthoracic echocardiography (CO-TTE) and that measured by the reference method, pulmonary artery catheter (CO-PAC). The objective of the present study was to evaluate the precision and accuracy of CO-TTE relative to CO-PAC and the ability of transthoracic echocardiography to track variations in CO, in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients. Thirty-eight mechanically ventilated patients fitted with a PAC were included in a prospective observational study performed in a 16-bed university hospital ICU. CO-PAC was measured via intermittent thermodilution. Simultaneously, a second investigator used standard-view TTE to estimate CO-TTE as the product of stroke volume and the heart rate obtained during the measurement of the subaortic velocity time integral. Sixty-four pairs of CO-PAC and CO-TTE measurements were compared. The two measurements were significantly correlated (r = 0.95; p < 0.0001). The median bias was 0.2 L/min, the limits of agreement (LOAs) were -1.3 and 1.8 L/min, and the percentage error was 25%. The precision was 8% for CO-PAC and 9% for CO-TTE. Twenty-six pairs of ΔCO measurements were compared. There was a significant correlation between ΔCO-PAC and ΔCO-TTE (r = 0.92; p < 0.0001). The median bias was -0.1 L/min and the LOAs were -1.3 and +1.2 L/min. With a 15% exclusion zone, the four-quadrant plot had a concordance rate of 94%. With a 0.5 L/min exclusion zone, the polar plot had a mean polar angle of 1.0° and a percentage error LOAs of -26.8 to 28.8°. The concordance rate was 100% between 30 and -30°. When using CO-TTE to detect an increase in ΔCO-PAC of more than 10%, the area under the receiving operating characteristic curve (95% CI) was 0.82 (0.62-0.94) (p < 0.001). A ΔCO-TTE of more than 8% yielded a sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 66% for detecting a ΔCO-PAC of more than 10%. In critically ill mechanically ventilated patients, CO-TTE is an accurate and precise method for estimating CO. Furthermore, CO-TTE can accurately track variations in CO.

Refining the pH response in A spergillus nidulans: a modulatory triad involving PacX, a novel zinc binuclear cluster protein

PubMed Central

Bussink, Henk‐Jan; Bignell, Elaine M.; Múnera‐Huertas, Tatiana; Lucena‐Agell, Daniel; Scazzocchio, Claudio; Espeso, Eduardo A.; Bertuzzi, Margherita; Rudnicka, Joanna; Negrete‐Urtasun, Susana; Peñas‐Parilla, Maria M.; Rainbow, Lynne; Peñalva, Miguel Á.; Arst, Herbert N.

2015-01-01

Summary The A spergillus nidulans PacC transcription factor mediates gene regulation in response to alkaline ambient pH which, signalled by the Pal pathway, results in the processing of PacC72 to PacC27 via PacC53. Here we investigate two levels at which the pH regulatory system is transcriptionally moderated by pH and identify and characterise a new component of the pH regulatory machinery, PacX. Transcript level analysis and overexpression studies demonstrate that repression of acid‐expressed pal F, specifying the Pal pathway arrestin, probably by PacC27 and/or PacC53, prevents an escalating alkaline pH response. Transcript analyses using a reporter and constitutively expressed pac C  trans‐alleles show that pac C preferential alkaline‐expression results from derepression by depletion of the acid‐prevalent PacC72 form. We additionally show that pac C repression requires PacX. pac X mutations suppress PacC processing recalcitrant mutations, in part, through derepressed PacC levels resulting in traces of PacC27 formed by pH‐independent proteolysis. pac X was cloned by impala transposon mutagenesis. PacX, with homologues within the Leotiomyceta, has an unusual structure with an amino‐terminal coiled‐coil and a carboxy‐terminal zinc binuclear cluster. pacX mutations indicate the importance of these regions. One mutation, an unprecedented finding in A . nidulans genetics, resulted from an insertion of an endogenous Fot1‐like transposon. PMID:26303777

New trends in radiology workstation design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moise, Adrian; Atkins, M. Stella

2002-05-01

In the radiology workstation design, the race for adding more features is now morphing into an iterative user centric design with the focus on ergonomics and usability. The extent of the list of features for the radiology workstation used to be one of the most significant factors for a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) vendor's ability to sell the radiology workstation. Not anymore is now very much the same between the major players in the PACS market. How these features work together distinguishes different radiology workstations. Integration (with the PACS/Radiology Information System (RIS) systems, with the 3D tool, Reporting Tool etc.), usability (user specific preferences, advanced display protocols, smart activation of tools etc.) and efficiency (what is the output a radiologist can generate with the workstation) are now core factors for selecting a workstation. This paper discusses these new trends in radiology workstation design. We demonstrate the importance of the interaction between the PACS vendor (software engineers) and the customer (radiologists) during the radiology workstation design. We focus on iterative aspects of the workstation development, such as the presentation of early prototypes to as many representative users as possible during the software development cycle and present the results of a survey of 8 radiologists on designing a radiology workstation.

Factors causing PAC cake fouling in PAC-MF (powdered activated carbon-microfiltration) water treatment systems.

PubMed

Zhao, P; Takizawa, S; Katayama, H; Ohgaki, S

2005-01-01

Two pilot-scale powdered activated carbon-microfiltration (PAC-MF) reactors were operated using river water pretreated by a biofilter. A high permeate flux (4 m/d) was maintained in two reactors with different particle sizes of PAC. High concentration (20 g/L) in the PAC adsorption zone demonstrated 60-80% of organic removal rates. Analysis on the PAC cake fouling demonstrated that attached metal ions play more important role than organic matter attached on PAC to the increase of PAC cake resistance. Effects of factors which may cause PAC cake fouling in PAC-MF process were investigated and evaluated by batch experiments, further revealing that small particulates and metal ions in raw water impose prominent influence on the PAC cake layer formation. Fe (II) precipitates after being oxidized to Fe (III) during PAC adsorption and thus Fe(ll) colloids display more significant effect than other metal ions. At a high flux, PAC cake layer demonstrated a higher resistance with larger PAC due to association among colloids, metals and PAC particles, and easy migration of small particles in raw water into the void space in the PAC cake layer. Larger PAC possesses much more non-uniform particle size distribution and larger void space, making it easier for small colloids to migrate into the voids and for metal ions to associate with PAC particles by bridge effect, hence speeding up and intensifying the of PAC cake fouling on membrane surface.

Effects of ozonation, powdered activated carbon adsorption, and coagulation on the removal of disinfection by-product precursors in reservoir water.

PubMed

Wang, Feng; Gao, Baoyu; Yue, Qinyan; Bu, Fan; Shen, Xue

2017-07-01

Effects of ozonation and powdered activated carbon on removal of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and disinfection by-product (DBP) in reservoir water were intensively investigated in this study. Both the formation of carbonaceous DBP (C-DBP) and nitrogenous DBP (N-DBP) as well as their speciation were analyzed. Results exhibited that the addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC) greatly improved the removal of aromatic protein. Trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetonitriles (HANs) were the dominant species in C-DBP and N-DBP. The integrated coagulation and PAC processes could remove more than 70% of THMs and 93% of HANs precursors, while only 10.5 and 45% of capture were achieved by the single coagulation. The added ozone lowered the yields of HANs but synchronously increased the more toxic bromine-containing THMs from 78.5 to 128.1 μg/L. Kinetics parameters for THM formation indicated that the precursor creating the THMs fast could be easily removed by both the coagulation and PAC adsorption.

Importance and effects of altered workplace ergonomics in modern radiology suites.

PubMed

Harisinghani, Mukesh G; Blake, Michael A; Saksena, Mansi; Hahn, Peter F; Gervais, Debra; Zalis, Michael; da Silva Dias Fernandes, Leonor; Mueller, Peter R

2004-01-01

The transition from a film-based to a filmless soft-copy picture archiving and communication system (PACS)-based environment has resulted in improved work flow as well as increased productivity, diagnostic accuracy, and job satisfaction. Adapting to this filmless environment in an efficient manner requires seamless integration of various components such as PACS workstations, the Internet and hospital intranet, speech recognition software, paperless electronic hospital medical records, e-mail, office software, and telecommunications. However, the importance of optimizing workplace ergonomics has received little attention. Factors such as the position of the work chair, workstation table, keyboard, mouse, and monitors, along with monitor refresh rates and ambient room lighting, have become secondary considerations. Paying close attention to the basics of workplace ergonomics can go a long way in increasing productivity and reducing fatigue, thus allowing full realization of the potential benefits of a PACS. Optimization of workplace ergonomics should be considered in the basic design of any modern radiology suite. Copyright RSNA, 2004

Develop security architecture for both in-house healthcare information systems and electronic patient record

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jianguo; Chen, Xiaomeng; Zhuang, Jun; Jiang, Jianrong; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Wu, Dongqing; Huang, H. K.

2003-05-01

In this paper, we presented a new security approach to provide security measures and features in both healthcare information systems (PACS, RIS/HIS), and electronic patient record (EPR). We introduced two security components, certificate authoring (CA) system and patient record digital signature management (DSPR) system, as well as electronic envelope technology, into the current hospital healthcare information infrastructure to provide security measures and functions such as confidential or privacy, authenticity, integrity, reliability, non-repudiation, and authentication for in-house healthcare information systems daily operating, and EPR exchanging among the hospitals or healthcare administration levels, and the DSPR component manages the all the digital signatures of patient medical records signed through using an-symmetry key encryption technologies. The electronic envelopes used for EPR exchanging are created based on the information of signers, digital signatures, and identifications of patient records stored in CAS and DSMS, as well as the destinations and the remote users. The CAS and DSMS were developed and integrated into a RIS-integrated PACS, and the integration of these new security components is seamless and painless. The electronic envelopes designed for EPR were used successfully in multimedia data transmission.

PacCYP707A2 negatively regulates cherry fruit ripening while PacCYP707A1 mediates drought tolerance.

PubMed

Li, Qian; Chen, Pei; Dai, Shengjie; Sun, Yufei; Yuan, Bing; Kai, Wenbin; Pei, Yuelin; He, Suihuan; Liang, Bin; Zhang, Yushu; Leng, Ping

2015-07-01

Sweet cherry is a non-climacteric fruit and its ripening is regulated by abscisic acid (ABA) during fruit development. In this study, four cDNAs (PacCYP707A1-4) encoding 8'-hydroxylase, a key enzyme in the oxidative catabolism of ABA, were identified in sweet cherry fruits using tobacco rattle virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and particle bombardment approaches. Quantitative real-time PCR confirmed significant down-regulation of target gene transcripts in VIGS-treated cherry fruits. In PacCYP707A2-RNAi-treated fruits, ripening and fruit colouring were promoted relative to control fruits, and both ABA accumulation and PacNCED1 transcript levels were up-regulated by 140%. Silencing of PacCYP707A2 by VIGS significantly altered the transcripts of both ABA-responsive and ripening-related genes, including the ABA metabolism-associated genes NCED and CYP707A, the anthocyanin synthesis genes PacCHS, PacCHI, PacF3H, PacDFR, PacANS, and PacUFGT, the ethylene biosynthesis gene PacACO1, and the transcription factor PacMYBA. The promoter of PacMYBA responded more strongly to PacCYP707A2-RNAi-treated fruits than to PacCYP707A1-RNAi-treated fruits. By contrast, silencing of PacCYP707A1 stimulated a slight increase in fruit colouring and enhanced resistance to dehydration stress compared with control fruits. These results suggest that PacCYP707A2 is a key regulator of ABA catabolism that functions as a negative regulator of fruit ripening, while PacCYP707A1 regulates ABA content in response to dehydration during fruit development. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

PacCYP707A2 negatively regulates cherry fruit ripening while PacCYP707A1 mediates drought tolerance

PubMed Central

Li, Qian; Chen, Pei; Dai, Shengjie; Sun, Yufei; Yuan, Bing; Kai, Wenbin; Pei, Yuelin; He, Suihuan; Liang, Bin; Zhang, Yushu; Leng, Ping

2015-01-01

Sweet cherry is a non-climacteric fruit and its ripening is regulated by abscisic acid (ABA) during fruit development. In this study, four cDNAs (PacCYP707A1–4) encoding 8′-hydroxylase, a key enzyme in the oxidative catabolism of ABA, were identified in sweet cherry fruits using tobacco rattle virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and particle bombardment approaches. Quantitative real-time PCR confirmed significant down-regulation of target gene transcripts in VIGS-treated cherry fruits. In PacCYP707A2-RNAi-treated fruits, ripening and fruit colouring were promoted relative to control fruits, and both ABA accumulation and PacNCED1 transcript levels were up-regulated by 140%. Silencing of PacCYP707A2 by VIGS significantly altered the transcripts of both ABA-responsive and ripening-related genes, including the ABA metabolism-associated genes NCED and CYP707A, the anthocyanin synthesis genes PacCHS, PacCHI, PacF3H, PacDFR, PacANS, and PacUFGT, the ethylene biosynthesis gene PacACO1, and the transcription factor PacMYBA. The promoter of PacMYBA responded more strongly to PacCYP707A2-RNAi-treated fruits than to PacCYP707A1-RNAi-treated fruits. By contrast, silencing of PacCYP707A1 stimulated a slight increase in fruit colouring and enhanced resistance to dehydration stress compared with control fruits. These results suggest that PacCYP707A2 is a key regulator of ABA catabolism that functions as a negative regulator of fruit ripening, while PacCYP707A1 regulates ABA content in response to dehydration during fruit development. PMID:25956880

Integration of a Zero-footprint Cloud-based Picture Archiving and Communication System with Customizable Forms for Radiology Research and Education.

PubMed

Hostetter, Jason; Khanna, Nishanth; Mandell, Jacob C

2018-06-01

The purpose of this study was to integrate web-based forms with a zero-footprint cloud-based Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) to create a tool of potential benefit to radiology research and education. Web-based forms were created with a front-end and back-end architecture utilizing common programming languages including Vue.js, Node.js and MongoDB, and integrated into an existing zero-footprint cloud-based PACS. The web-based forms application can be accessed in any modern internet browser on desktop or mobile devices and allows the creation of customizable forms consisting of a variety of questions types. Each form can be linked to an individual DICOM examination or a collection of DICOM examinations. Several uses are demonstrated through a series of case studies, including implementation of a research platform for multi-reader multi-case (MRMC) studies and other imaging research, and creation of an online Objective Structure Clinical Examination (OSCE) and an educational case file. Copyright © 2018 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Defining the role of a PACS technologist.

PubMed

Cabrera, Alfred

2002-01-01

As hospitals convert from conventional image processing to picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) technology, new job opportunities arose for PACS analysts, PACS system administrators, PACS operators, and PACS trainers. To support a PACS, these positions require education in computer information systems and work experience in information technology. At Texas Children's Hospital, new roles for radiologic technologists (RT) in supporting the operation of PACS were not recognized until after implementation of the filmless system. A new position entitled PACS technologis was created, but roles and responsibilities largely were undefined. The inadequate job description contributed to problems with appropriate utilization of the PACS technologist. The primary role of the technologist was nebulous, and the priority of tasks was undefined. There was an excessive volume of information and technology to be mastered. The role represented a new paradigm, so no template for the job description was available that encompassed the array of functions to be performed. The result was a "morph" of the RT and PACS analyst job descriptions that was contrived and unworkable. The role of the PACS technologist is vital to the operation of the radiology department that uses PACS. There is a well-established need for cross training of RTs in PACS. PACS technology is not taught in RT training programs. There are recurrent communications problems between RT and Information Technology (IT) personnel. The PACS technologist can participate in a number of activities that improve the overall level of proficiency in the imaging operation, such as specialized PACS training for RTs, collection and analysis of quality control data, and planning for installations of PACS acquisition modalities. RTs have acquired knowledge of medical terminology and human anatomy, imaging modalities, and workflow. These qualifications constitute a common basis for communication with other RTs, physicians, and other health care providers. In addition the appropriate candidate for PACS technologist should have computer software and hardware knowledge, interpersonal skills, oral and written communications skills, and analytical skills to troubleshoot issues. This report will describe the evolution of a more accurate job description for the PACS technologist, the relationship between the PACS technologist and the RT supervisor, and specific tasks are appropriate for the PACS technologist to perform.

The effect of a novel movement strategy in decreasing ACL risk factors in female adolescent soccer players

PubMed Central

Celebrini, Richard G.; Eng, Janice J.; Miller, William C.; Ekegren, Christina L.; Johnston, James D.; MacIntyre, Donna L.

2015-01-01

There is a need to investigate the effect of specific movement strategies in reducing biomechanical risk factors for ACL injury in young female athletes. The purpose of this study was 1) to determine the feasibility of implementing a novel movement strategy (Core-PAC) into a team warm-up prior to soccer training based on subject compliance and integration of the Core-PAC into the warm-up and 2) to determine whether the Core-PAC would improve peak knee flexion angles and peak abduction moments at the knee during a side-cut (SC) and an unanticipated side-cut (USC) prior to kicking a soccer ball, and a side-hop (SH) task after immediate instruction and after a four-week training program. A convenience sample of ten 14–16 year old female soccer players were instructed in the Core-PAC immediately after baseline testing and during a training program consisting of a 20-minute warm-up, two-times per week. The Core-PAC was understood and accepted by the subjects and incorporated into their warm-up activities with good compliance. After the immediate instruction, there were significant increases in peak knee flexion angles of a mean 6.4° during the SC (p = 0.001), 3.5° during the USC (p = 0.007), and 5.8° during the SH (p < 0.001) tasks. Peak knee abduction moments decreased by a mean of 0.25 Nm/kg during the SC (p < 0.03), 0.17 Nm/kg during the USC (p = 0.05), and 0.27 Nm/kg during the SH (p = 0.04) tasks. After the 4-week training program, some individuals showed improvement. The results of this study suggest that the Core-PAC may be one method of modifying high-risk movements for ACL injury such as side-cutting and single-leg landing. PMID:22210470

Cloning and expression profiling of the PacSnRK2 and PacPP2C gene families during fruit development, ABA treatment, and dehydration stress in sweet cherry.

PubMed

Shen, Xinjie; Guo, Xiao; Zhao, Di; Zhang, Qiang; Jiang, Yuzhuang; Wang, Yantao; Peng, Xiang; Wei, Yan; Zhai, Zefeng; Zhao, Wei; Li, Tianhong

2017-10-01

Plant SNF1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2) and protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) family members are core components of the ABA signal transduction pathway. SnRK2 and PP2C proteins have been suggested to play crucial roles in fruit ripening and improving plant tolerance to drought stress, but supporting genetic information has been lacking in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.). Here, we cloned six full-length SnRK2 genes and three full-length PP2C genes from sweet cherry cv. Hong Deng. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed that PacSnRK2.2, PacSnRK2.3, PacSnRK2.6, and PacPP2C1-3 were negatively regulated in fruits in response to exogenous ABA treatment, PacSnRK2.4 and PacSnRK2.5 were upregulated, and PacSnRK2.1 expression was not affected. The ABA treatment also significantly promoted the accumulation of anthocyanins in sweet cherry fruit. The expression of all PacSnRK2 and PacPP2C genes was induced by dehydration stress, which also promoted the accumulation of drought stress signaling molecules in the sweet cherry fruits, including ABA, soluble sugars, and anthocyanin. Furthermore, a yeast two-hybrid analysis demonstrated that PacPP2C1 interacts with all six PacSnRK2s, while PacPP2C3 does not interact with PacSnRK2.5. PacPP2C2 does not interact with PacSnRK2.1 or PacSnRK2.4. These results indicate that PacSnRK2s and PacPP2Cs may play a variety of roles in the sweet cherry ABA signaling pathway and the fruit response to drought stress. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of security algorithms used for security processing on DICOM images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiaomeng; Shuai, Jie; Zhang, Jianguo; Huang, H. K.

2005-04-01

In this paper, we developed security approach to provide security measures and features in PACS image acquisition and Tele-radiology image transmission. The security processing on medical images was based on public key infrastructure (PKI) and including digital signature and data encryption to achieve the security features of confidentiality, privacy, authenticity, integrity, and non-repudiation. There are many algorithms which can be used in PKI for data encryption and digital signature. In this research, we select several algorithms to perform security processing on different DICOM images in PACS environment, evaluate the security processing performance of these algorithms, and find the relationship between performance with image types, sizes and the implementation methods.

Acceptance testing for PACS: from methodology to design to implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Brent J.; Huang, H. K.

2004-04-01

Acceptance Testing (AT) is a crucial step in the implementation process of a PACS within a clinical environment. AT determines whether the PACS is ready for clinical use and marks the official sign off of the PACS product. Most PACS vendors have Acceptance Testing (AT) plans, however, these plans do not provide a complete and robust evaluation of the full system. In addition, different sites will have different special requirements that vendor AT plans do not cover. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a protocol for AT design and present case studies of AT performed on clinical PACS. A methodology is presented that includes identifying testing components within PACS, quality assurance for both functionality and performance, and technical testing focusing on key single points-of-failure within the PACS product. Tools and resources that provide assistance in performing AT are discussed. In addition, implementation of the AT within the clinical environment and the overall implementation timeline of the PACS process are presented. Finally, case studies of actual AT of clinical PACS performed in the healthcare environment will be reviewed. The methodology for designing and implementing a robust AT plan for PACS was documented and has been used in PACS acceptance tests in several sites. This methodology can be applied to any PACS and can be used as a validation for the PACS product being acquired by radiology departments and hospitals. A methodology for AT design and implementation was presented that can be applied to future PACS installations. A robust AT plan for a PACS installation can increase both the utilization and satisfaction of a successful implementation of a PACS product that benefits both vendor and customer.

PACS and teleradiology for on-call support of abdominal imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horii, Steven C.; Garra, Brian S.; Mun, Seong K.; Zeman, Robert K.; Levine, Betty A.; Fielding, Robert

1991-07-01

One aspect of the Georgetown image management and communications system (IMACS or PACS) is a built-in capability to support teleradiology. Unlike many dedicated teleradiology systems, the support of this capability as a part of PACS means that any acquired images are remotely accessible, not just those specifically input for transmission. Over the past one and one-half years, two radiologists (SCH, BSG) in the abdominal imaging division of the department of radiology have been accumulating experience with teleradiology for on-call support of emergency abdominal imaging, chiefly in ultrasound. As of the time of this writing, use of the system during on-call (one of these attending radiologists primarily responsible) or back-up call (the attending responsible for the Fellow on primary call) has resulted in a marked reduction in the number of times one of them has to drive to the hospital at night or over the weekend. Approximately 80% of the time, use of the teleradiology system obviates having to go in to review a case. The remainder of the time, the radiologist has to perform a procedure (e.g., abscess drainage) or a scan (e.g., complex Doppler study) himself. This paper reviews the system used for teleradiology, how it is electronically and operationally integrated with the PACS, the clinical benefits and disadvantages of this use, and radiologist and referring physician acceptance.

Protecting clinical data in PACS, teleradiology systems, and research environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meissner, Marion C.; Collmann, Jeff R.; Tohme, Walid G.; Mun, Seong K.

1997-05-01

As clinical data is more widely stored in electronic patient record management systems and transmitted over the Internet and telephone lines, it becomes more accessible and therefore more useful, but also more vulnerable. Computer systems such as PACS, telemedicine applications, and medical research networks must protect against accidental or deliberate modification, disclosure, and violation of patient confidentiality in order to be viable. Conventional wisdom in the medical field and among lawmakers legislating the use of electronic medical records suggests that, although it may improve access to information, an electronic medical record cannot be as secure as a traditional paper record. This is not the case. Information security is a well-developed field in the computer and communications industry. If medical information systems, such as PACS, telemedicine applications, and research networks, properly apply information security techniques, they can ensure the accuracy and confidentiality of their patient information and even improve the security of their data over a traditional paper record. This paper will elaborate on some of these techniques and discuss how they can be applied to medical information systems. The following systems will be used as examples for the analysis: a research laboratory at Georgetown University Medical Center, the Deployable Radiology system installed to support the US Army's peace- keeping operation in Bosnia, a kidney dialysis telemedicine system in Washington, D.C., and various experiences with implementing and integrating PACS.

Blueprint for multimedia telemedicine networks in the Rocky Mountain Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN-19).

PubMed

Terreros, D A; Martinez, R

1997-01-01

A multimedia telemedicine network is proposed for a VISN-19 test bed and it will include picture archiving and communication systems (PACS). Initial tests have been performed, and the technical feasibility of the basic plan has been demonstrated.

Competitiveness of endophytic Phialocephala fortinii s.l. - Acephala applanata strains in Norway spruce roots.

PubMed

Stroheker, Sophie; Dubach, Vivanne; Sieber, Thomas N

2018-05-01

Dark septate endophytes of the Phialocephala fortinii s.l. - Acephala applanata species complex (PAC) are presumed to be the most abundant root colonizing endophytes of conifers across the Northern hemisphere. To test the competitiveness of different PAC strains, PAC-free Picea abies saplings were inoculated with five different PAC strains by planting them in pre-colonized substrates. Saplings were left to grow for six weeks and then transplanted crosswise into a substrate colonized by one of the other four strains for a further two weeks. PAC were isolated and genotyped using microsatellite markers. The power of colonization, i.e. the ability of colonizing roots already colonized by another PAC strain, and the power of retention, i.e. the ability of a resident strain of not being suppressed by an invading PAC strain, were calculated for each strain in every combination. The experiment was run twice under two different climatic conditions. Our results show that PAC strains differ (1) in their ability to colonize PAC-free, non-sterile roots, (2) in resistance against being suppressed by another PAC strain and (3) in their ability to invade roots already colonized by another PAC strain. In addition, both the PAC-PAC and the PAC-host interactions depend on the climatic conditions. Copyright © 2018 British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Doxycycline exerted neuroprotective activity by enhancing the activation of neuropeptide GPCR PAC1.

PubMed

Yu, Rongjie; Zheng, Lijun; Cui, Yue; Zhang, Huahua; Ye, Heng

2016-04-01

Doxycycline has significant neuroprotective effect with anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activity. We found for the first time that doxycycline specially promoted the proliferation of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells with high expression of neuropeptide pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) preferring G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), PACAP receptor 1(PAC1) and induced the internalization of PAC1 tagged with yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) indicating doxycycline interacted with PAC1. The homology modeling of PAC1 and molecular docking of doxycycline with PAC1 showed the theoretical binding of doxycycline to PAC1 at the site where PACAP(30-37) recognized. The competition binding assay and PAC1 site-specific mutation of Asp116, which formed two hydrogen bonds with Dox, confirmed the binding of doxycycline to PAC1 imitating PACAP(30-37). Doxycycline (100 ng/mL) significantly promoted the proliferative activities of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and oligopeptide HSDGIF responsible for the activation of PAC1 in PAC1-CHO cells, indicating that doxycycline facilitated the binding and the activation of PAC1 imitating PACAP(28-38). In Neuro2a cells with endogenous expression of PAC1 and its ligands, doxycycline not only promoted the proliferation of Neuro2a cells but also protected the cells from scopolamine induced apoptosis, which was inhibited by cAMP-PKA signal pathway inhibitor H-89, PAC1 shRNA or PACAP antagonist PACAP(6-38). The in vivo study showed long-term treatment with doxycycline (100ug/kg) had significant effect against scopolamine induced amnesia, and the synergetic anti-apoptotic, anti-oxidative and neuroprotective effect of doxycycline with VIP was more efficient than doxycycline alone or VIP alone, indicating doxycycline enhanced the activation of PAC1 in vivo effectively. Furthermore, doxycycline analogue minocycline also had similar theoretically binding site on PAC1 to doxycycline and displayed corresponding similar activity on PAC1 to doxycycline. All these results confirmed for the first time that doxycycline specially targeted PAC1 imitating PACAP(30-37) and acted as an enhancer by facilitating the subsequent ligand binding and the activation of PAC1. The confirmation of PAC1 as a novel molecular target of doxycycline and the novel mechanism by which doxycycline enhances the activity of PAC1 will help further clinical development of doxycycline as novel therapy for nervous system diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases targeting PAC1. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using IHE and HL7 conformance to specify consistent PACS interoperability for a large multi-center enterprise.

PubMed

Henderson, Michael L; Dayhoff, Ruth E; Titton, Csaba P; Casertano, Andrew

2006-01-01

As part of its patient care mission, the U.S. Veterans Health Administration performs diagnostic imaging procedures at 141 medical centers and 850 outpatient clinics. VHA's VistA Imaging Package provides a full archival, display, and communications infrastructure and interfaces to radiology and other HIS modules as well as modalities and a worklist provider In addition, various medical center entities within VHA have elected to install commercial picture archiving and communications systems to enable image organization and interpretation. To evaluate interfaces between commercial PACS, the VistA hospital information system, and imaging modalities, VHA has built a fully constrained specification that is based on the Radiology Technical Framework (Rad-TF) Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise. The Health Level Seven normative conformance mechanism was applied to the IHE Rad-TF and agency requirements to arrive at a baseline set of message specifications. VHA provides a thorough implementation and testing process to promote the adoption of standards-based interoperability by all PACS vendors that want to interface with VistA Imaging.

A Case Study into Microbial Genome Assembly Gap Sequences and Finishing Strategies.

PubMed

Utturkar, Sagar M; Klingeman, Dawn M; Hurt, Richard A; Brown, Steven D

2017-01-01

This study characterized regions of DNA which remained unassembled by either PacBio and Illumina sequencing technologies for seven bacterial genomes. Two genomes were manually finished using bioinformatics and PCR/Sanger sequencing approaches and regions not assembled by automated software were analyzed. Gaps present within Illumina assemblies mostly correspond to repetitive DNA regions such as multiple rRNA operon sequences. PacBio gap sequences were evaluated for several properties such as GC content, read coverage, gap length, ability to form strong secondary structures, and corresponding annotations. Our hypothesis that strong secondary DNA structures blocked DNA polymerases and contributed to gap sequences was not accepted. PacBio assemblies had few limitations overall and gaps were explained as cumulative effect of lower than average sequence coverage and repetitive sequences at contig termini. An important aspect of the present study is the compilation of biological features that interfered with assembly and included active transposons, multiple plasmid sequences, phage DNA integration, and large sequence duplication. Our targeted genome finishing approach and systematic evaluation of the unassembled DNA will be useful for others looking to close, finish, and polish microbial genome sequences.

Superfine powdered activated carbon (S-PAC) coatings on microfiltration membranes: Effects of milling time on contaminant removal and flux.

PubMed

Amaral, Pauline; Partlan, Erin; Li, Mengfei; Lapolli, Flavio; Mefford, O Thompson; Karanfil, Tanju; Ladner, David A

2016-09-01

In microfiltration processes for drinking water treatment, one method of removing trace contaminants is to add powdered activated carbon (PAC). Recently, a version of PAC called superfine PAC (S-PAC) has been under development. S-PAC has a smaller particle size and thus faster adsorption kinetics than conventionally sized PAC. Membrane coating performance of various S-PAC samples was evaluated by measuring adsorption of atrazine, a model micropollutant. S-PACs were created in-house from PACs of three different materials: coal, wood, and coconut shell. Milling time was varied to produce S-PACs pulverized with different amounts of energy. These had different particles sizes, but other properties (e.g. oxygen content), also differed. In pure water the coal based S-PACs showed superior atrazine adsorption; all milled carbons had over 90% removal while the PAC had only 45% removal. With addition of calcium and/or NOM, removal rates decreased, but milled carbons still removed more atrazine than PAC. Oxygen content and specific external surface area (both of which increased with longer milling times) were the most significant predictors of atrazine removal. S-PAC coatings resulted in loss of filtration flux compared to an uncoated membrane and smaller particles caused more flux decline than larger particles; however, the data suggest that NOM fouling is still more of a concern than S-PAC fouling. The addition of calcium improved the flux, especially for the longer-milled carbons. Overall the data show that when milling S-PAC with different levels of energy there is a tradeoff: smaller particles adsorb contaminants better, but cause greater flux decline. Fortunately, an acceptable balance may be possible; for example, in these experiments the coal-based S-PAC after 30 min of milling achieved a fairly high atrazine removal (overall 80%) with a fairly low flux reduction (under 30%) even in the presence of NOM. This suggests that relatively short duration (low energy) milling is viable for creating useful S-PAC materials applied in tandem with microfiltration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Information management of a department of diagnostic imaging.

PubMed

Vincenzoni, M; Campioni, P; Vecchioli Scaldazza, A; Capocasa, G; Marano, P

1998-01-01

It is well-known that while RIS allows the management of all input and output data of a Radiology service, PACS plays a major role in the management of all radiologic images. However, the two systems should be closely integrated: scheduling of a radiologic exam requires direct automated integration with the system of image management for retrieval of previous exams and storage of the exam just completed. A modern information system of integration of data and radiologic images should be based on an automated work flow management in al its components, being at the same time flexible and compatible with the ward organization to support and computerize each stage of the working process. Similarly, standard protocols (DICOM 3.0, HL7) defined for interfacing with the Diagnostic Imaging (D.I.) department and the other components of modules of a modern HIS, should be used. They ensure the system to be expandable and accessible to ensure share and integration of information with HIS, emergency service or wards. Correct RIS/PACS integration allows a marked improvement in the efficiency of a modern D.I. department with a positive impact on the daily activity, prompt availability of previous data and images with sophisticated handling of diagnostic images to enhance the reporting quality. The increased diffusion of internet and intranet technology predicts future developments still to be discovered.

Cost justification of filmless PACS and national policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Jae H.

2002-05-01

The expense of installing PACS is high so most Korean hospitals cannot afford to purchase the system easily. We can justify the cost of PACS by considering the visible and invisible benefits. As a visible benefit we can save the cost of films and equipments for film processing. Invisible benefits of PACS is the cost of film handling. Generally, doctors spend some 25 minutes in handling X-ray films everyday and they spend 10 days (84 hours) throughout a year. Radiology technicians, nurses, orderlies and clerks also handle films and the total salary for handling films by doctors and paramedics will be considerable. Considering the visible and invisible benefits, cost of PACS is justified and PACS can be installed in every hospital, whatever their size. The Korean Society of PACS tried to make reimbursement of the cost of PACS and persuaded the government officers and eventually the Ministry of Health and Welfare decided to reimburse the use of PACS in hospitals. Based on the money reimbursed, general hospitals or university hospitals will earn enough money to purchase a PACS in 3 - 5 years. After the Korean government started to reimburse the cost of PACS, many hospitals wanted to install PACS and the number of hospitals installing PACS is soaring.

Perceived athletic competence and physical activity in children with developmental coordination disorder who are clinically referred, and control children.

PubMed

Noordstar, Johannes J; Stuive, Ilse; Herweijer, Hester; Holty, Lian; Oudenampsen, Chantal; Schoemaker, Marina M; Reinders-Messelink, Heleen A

2014-12-01

The relationship between perceived athletic competence (PAC) and physical activity (PA) in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is still unclear. This study investigated differences in PAC and PA between, and within, a group of children with DCD that were clinically referred (n = 31) and a group of control children (n = 38), aged 7-12 years. All children were categorized in four groups: (1) children with DCD/low PAC, (2) children with DCD/normal to high PAC, (3) control children/low PAC, and (4) control children/normal to high PAC. PAC was assessed with the Self-Perception Profile for Children, and PA was assessed with the Modifiable Activity Questionnaire. Children with DCD participated less in unorganized PA, but not in organized PA, compared with control children. Normal to high PAC was found in more than half of the children (64.5%) with DCD. Children with DCD/low PAC and children with DCD/normal to high PAC participated significantly less in unorganized physical activity compared with control children/normal to high PAC, but not compared with control children/low PAC. The results indicate that there are large individual differences in PAC in children with DCD. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region. XII. Thermal light curves of Haumea, 2003 VS2 and 2003 AZ84 with Herschel/PACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos-Sanz, P.; Lellouch, E.; Groussin, O.; Lacerda, P.; Müller, T. G.; Ortiz, J. L.; Kiss, C.; Vilenius, E.; Stansberry, J.; Duffard, R.; Fornasier, S.; Jorda, L.; Thirouin, A.

2017-08-01

Context. Time series observations of the dwarf planet Haumea and the Plutinos 2003 VS2 and 2003 AZ84 with Herschel/PACS are presented in this work. Thermal emission of these trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) were acquired as part of the "TNOs are Cool" Herschel Space Observatory key programme. Aims: We search for the thermal light curves at 100 and 160 μm of Haumea and 2003 AZ84, and at 70 and 160 μm for 2003 VS2 by means of photometric analysis of the PACS data. The goal of this work is to use these thermal light curves to obtain physical and thermophysical properties of these icy Solar System bodies. Methods: When a thermal light curve is detected, it is possible to derive or constrain the object thermal inertia, phase integral and/or surface roughness with thermophysical modeling. Results: Haumea's thermal light curve is clearly detected at 100 and 160 μm. The effect of the reported dark spot is apparent at 100 μm. Different thermophysical models were applied to these light curves, varying the thermophysical properties of the surface within and outside the spot. Although no model gives a perfect fit to the thermal observations, results imply an extremely low thermal inertia (<0.5 J m-2 s-1/2 K-1, hereafter MKS) and a high phase integral (>0.73) for Haumea's surface. We note that the dark spot region appears to be only weakly different from the rest of the object, with modest changes in thermal inertia and/or phase integral. The thermal light curve of 2003 VS2 is not firmly detected at 70 μm and at 160 μm but a thermal inertia of (2 ± 0.5) MKS can be derived from these data. The thermal light curve of 2003 AZ84 is not firmly detected at 100 μm. We apply a thermophysical model to the mean thermal fluxes and to all the Herschel/PACS and Spitzer/MIPS thermal data of 2003 AZ84, obtaining a close to pole-on orientation as the most likely for this TNO. Conclusions: For the three TNOs, the thermal inertias derived from light curve analyses or from the thermophysical analysis of the mean thermal fluxes confirm the generally small or very small surface thermal inertias of the TNO population, which is consistent with a statistical mean value Γmean = 2.5 ± 0.5 MKS. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA. PACS: The Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer is one of Herschel's instruments.

Evolution of filmless PACS in Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Hyung-Sik

2002-05-01

The growth of PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications System) market in Korea over the past 10 years is a brilliant development. In order to reach these brilliant achievements, the efforts of the Korean Society of PACS, the supports of the government on the information technology industry and the efforts of PACS companies in market expansion were all served as vital manures of the sowing time. By the end of 2001, 21% of the total Korean hospitals were under the clinical operation using filmless full PACS and it is believed to be the first incident in the world. The purpose of this paper is to look back upon the growing process of filmless PACS in Korea and analyze the cause of this tremendous growth. I believe that the Korean PACS experience would be helpful to many PACS experts who pray for a proliferation of PACS distribution.

Overview of PACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanden Brink, John A.

1995-08-01

Development of the DICOM standard and incremental developments in workstation, network, compression, archiving, and digital x-ray technology have produced cost effective image communication possibilities for selected medical applications. The emerging markets include modality PACS, mini PACS, and teleradiology. Military and VA programs lead the way in the move to adopt PACS technology. Commercial markets for PACS components and PAC systems are at LR400 million growing to LR500 million in 1996.

Future trends in picture archiving and communication system (PACS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Hajeri, Mona; Clarke, Malcolm

2015-03-01

Objective: This research investigates the needs and opinions of radiologists on the use of enhanced information technologies and approaches to improve the functionality of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS). Method: Six interviews were conducted in the main governmental hospital in Kuwait (AL-Sabah Hospital) with radiologists, including two senior radiologists, two junior radiologists, and two trainee radiologists undertaking the Irish radiology board. Results: The radiologists identified a number of limitations that exist in current PACS and requirements to enhance usability and functionality. However, it was the case that some of the radiologists had little knowledge about the advanced trends in PACS. Four themes emerged from the thematic analysis of the data: (1) limitations of traditional PACS; (2) Features and requirements that can increase PACS functionality; (3) web based solutions of PACS; (4) PACS in mobile phones. Conclusion: It is widely recognized that PACS has limitations. This research has identified themes that, when incorporated, will enhance the functionality of PACS and provide better quality clinical practice. This research has determined the important future trends of PACS. Primarily web based solutions and use in mobile phones. The findings from this research can be used as recommendations to vendors, for product development and medical institutes to consider when undertaking implementation of PACS and training future radiologists.

Factors Affecting Radiologist's PACS Usage.

PubMed

Forsberg, Daniel; Rosipko, Beverly; Sunshine, Jeffrey L

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if any of the factors radiologist, examination category, time of week, and week effect PACS usage, with PACS usage defined as the sequential order of computer commands issued by a radiologist in a PACS during interpretation and dictation. We initially hypothesized that only radiologist and examination category would have significant effects on PACS usage. Command logs covering 8 weeks of PACS usage were analyzed. For each command trace (describing performed activities of an attending radiologist interpreting a single examination), the PACS usage variables number of commands, number of command classes, bigram repetitiveness, and time to read were extracted. Generalized linear models were used to determine the significance of the factors on the PACS usage variables. The statistical results confirmed the initial hypothesis that radiologist and examination category affect PACS usage and that the factors week and time of week to a large extent have no significant effect. As such, this work provides direction for continued efforts to analyze system data to better understand PACS utilization, which in turn can provide input to enable optimal utilization and configuration of corresponding systems. These continued efforts were, in this work, exemplified by a more detailed analysis using PACS usage profiles, which revealed insights directly applicable to improve PACS utilization through modified system configuration.

Impact of PACS on dictation turnaround time and productivity.

PubMed

Lepanto, Luigi; Paré, Guy; Aubry, David; Robillard, Pierre; Lesage, Jacques

2006-03-01

This study was conducted to measure the impact of PACS on dictation turnaround time and productivity. The radiology information system (RIS) database was interrogated to calculate the time interval between image production and dictation for every exam performed during three 90-day periods (the 3 months preceding PACS implementation, the 3 months immediately following PACS deployment, and a 3-month period 1 year after PACS implementation). Data were obtained for three exam types: chest radiographs, abdominal CT, and spine MRI. The mean dictation turnaround times obtained during the different pre- and post-PACS periods were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Productivity was also determined for each period and for each exam type, and was expressed as the number of studies interpreted per full-time equivalent (FTE) radiologist. In the immediate post-PACS period, dictation turnaround time decreased 20% (p < 0.001) for radiography, but increased 13% (ns) for CT and 28% (p < 0.001) for MRI. One year after PACS was implemented, dictation turnaround time decreased 45% (p < 0.001) for radiography and 36% (p < 0.001) for MRI. For CT, 1 year post-PACS, turnaround times returned to pre-PACS levels. Productivity in the immediate post-PACS period increased 3% and 38% for radiography and CT, respectively, whereas a 6% decrease was observed for MRI. One year after implementation, productivity increased 27%, 98%, and 19% in radiography, CT, and MRI, respectively. PACS benefits, namely, shortened dictation turnaround time and increased productivity, are evident 1 year after PACS implementation. In the immediate post-PACS period, results vary with the different imaging modalities.

Cloning and expression analysis of cDNAs for ABA 8'-hydroxylase during sweet cherry fruit maturation and under stress conditions.

PubMed

Ren, Jie; Sun, Liang; Wu, Jiefang; Zhao, Shengli; Wang, Canlei; Wang, Yanping; Ji, Kai; Leng, Ping

2010-11-15

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a key role in various aspects of plant growth and development, including adaptation to environmental stress and fruit maturation in sweet cherry fruit. In higher plants, the level of ABA is determined by synthesis and catabolism. In order to gain insight into ABA synthesis and catabolism in sweet cherry fruit during maturation and under stress conditions, four cDNAs of PacCYP707A1 -PacCYP707A4 for 8'-hydroxylase, a key enzyme in the oxidative catabolism of ABA, and one cDNA of PacNCED1 for 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase, a key enzyme in the ABA biosynthetic pathway, were isolated from sweet cherry fruit (Prunus avium L.). The timing and pattern of PacNCED1 expression was coincident with that of ABA accumulation, which was correlated to maturation of sweet cherry fruit. All four PacCYP707As were expressed at varying intensities throughout fruit development and appeared to play overlapping roles in ABA catabolism throughout sweet cherry fruit development. The application of ABA enhanced the expression of PacCYP707A1 -PacCYP707A3 as well as PacNCED1, but downregulated the PacCYP707A4 transcript level. Expressions of PacCYP707A1, PacCYP707A3 and PacNCED1 were strongly increased by water stress. No significant differences in PacCYP707A2 and PacCYP707A4 expression were observed between dehydrated and control fruits. The results suggest that endogenous ABA content is modulated by a dynamic balance between biosynthesis and catabolism, which are regulated by PacNCED1 and PacCYP707As transcripts, respectively, during fruit maturation and under stress conditions. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Cyclic Voltammetry Probe Approach Curves with Alkali Amalgams at Mercury Sphere-Cap Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy Probes.

PubMed

Barton, Zachary J; Rodríguez-López, Joaquín

2017-03-07

We report a method of precisely positioning a Hg-based ultramicroelectrode (UME) for scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) investigations of any substrate. Hg-based probes are capable of performing amalgamation reactions with metal cations, which avoid unwanted side reactions and positive feedback mechanisms that can prove problematic for traditional probe positioning methods. However, prolonged collection of ions eventually leads to saturation of the amalgam accompanied by irreversible loss of Hg. In order to obtain negative feedback positioning control without risking damage to the SECM probe, we implement cyclic voltammetry probe approach surfaces (CV-PASs), consisting of CVs performed between incremental motor movements. The amalgamation current, peak stripping current, and integrated stripping charge extracted from a shared CV-PAS give three distinct probe approach curves (CV-PACs), which can be used to determine the tip-substrate gap to within 1% of the probe radius. Using finite element simulations, we establish a new protocol for fitting any CV-PAC and demonstrate its validity with experimental results for sodium and potassium ions in propylene carbonate by obtaining over 3 orders of magnitude greater accuracy and more than 20-fold greater precision than existing methods. Considering the timescales of diffusion and amalgam saturation, we also present limiting conditions for obtaining and fitting CV-PAC data. The ion-specific signals isolated in CV-PACs allow precise and accurate positioning of Hg-based SECM probes over any sample and enable the deployment of CV-PAS SECM as an analytical tool for traditionally challenging conditions.

Strict integrity control of biomedical images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coatrieux, Gouenou; Maitre, Henri; Sankur, Bulent

2001-08-01

The control of the integrity and authentication of medical images is becoming ever more important within the Medical Information Systems (MIS). The intra- and interhospital exchange of images, such as in the PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems), and the ease of copying, manipulation and distribution of images have brought forth the security aspects. In this paper we focus on the role of watermarking for MIS security and address the problem of integrity control of medical images. We discuss alternative schemes to extract verification signatures and compare their tamper detection performance.

Effect of PAC dosage in a pilot-scale PAC-MBR treating micro-polluted surface water.

PubMed

Hu, Jingyi; Shang, Ran; Deng, Huiping; Heijman, Sebastiaan G J; Rietveld, Luuk C

2014-02-01

To address the water scarcity issue and advance the traditional drinking water treatment technique, a powdered activated carbon-amended membrane bioreactor (PAC-MBR) is proposed for micro-polluted surface water treatment. A pilot-scale study was carried out by initially dosing different amounts of PAC into the MBR. Comparative results showed that 2g/L performed the best among 0, 1, 2 and 3g/L PAC-MBR regarding organic matter and ammonia removal as well as membrane flux sustainability. 1g/L PAC-MBR exhibited a marginal improvement in pollutant removal compared to the non-PAC system. The accumulation of organic matter in the bulk mixture of 3g/L PAC-MBR led to poorer organic removal and severer membrane fouling. Molecular weight distribution of the bulk liquid in 2g/L PAC-MBR revealed the synergistic effects of PAC adsorption/biodegradation and membrane rejection on organic matter removal. Additionally, a lower amount of soluble extracellular polymer substances in the bulk can be secured in 21 days operation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mild deficits in mice lacking pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide receptor type 1 (PAC1) performing on memory tasks.

PubMed

Sauvage, M; Brabet, P; Holsboer, F; Bockaert, J; Steckler, T

2000-12-08

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) and its receptor subtype 1 (PAC1) have been suggested to play a role in the modulation of learning and memory. However, behavioral evidence for altered mnemonic function due to altered PAC1 activity is missing. Therefore, the role of PAC1 in learning and memory was studied in mouse mutants lacking this receptor (PAC1 knock-out mice), tested in water maze two-choice spatial discrimination, one-trial contextual and cued fear conditioning, and multiple-session contextual discrimination. Water maze spatial discrimination was unaffected in PAC1 mutants, while a mild deficit was observed in multiple session contextual discrimination in PAC1 knock-out mice. Furthermore, PAC1 knock-out mice were able to learn the association between context and shock in one-trial contextual conditioning, but showed faster return to baseline than wild-type mice. Thus, the effects of PAC1 knock-out on modulating performance in these tasks were subtle and suggest that PAC1 only plays a limited role in learning and memory.

Altered Circadian Food Anticipatory Activity Rhythms in PACAP Receptor 1 (PAC1) Deficient Mice

PubMed Central

Hannibal, Jens; Georg, Birgitte; Fahrenkrug, Jan

2016-01-01

Light signals from intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) entrain the circadian clock and regulate negative masking. Two neurotransmitters, glutamate and Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase Activating Polypeptide (PACAP), found in the ipRGCs transmit light signals to the brain via glutamate receptors and the specific PACAP type 1 (PAC1) receptor. Light entrainment occurs during the twilight zones and has little effect on clock phase during daytime. When nocturnal animals have access to food only for a few hours during the resting phase at daytime, they adapt behavior to the restricted feeding (RF) paradigm and show food anticipatory activity (FAA). A recent study in mice and rats demonstrating that light regulates FAA prompted us to investigate the role of PACAP/PAC1 signaling in the light mediated regulation of FAA. PAC1 receptor knock out (PAC1-/-) and wild type (PAC1+/+) mice placed in running wheels were examined in a full photoperiod (FPP) of 12:12 h light/dark (LD) and a skeleton photoperiod (SPP) 1:11:1:11 h L:DD:L:DD at 300 and 10 lux light intensity. Both PAC1-/- mice and PAC1+/+ littermates entrained to FPP and SPP at both light intensities. However, when placed in RF with access to food for 4–5 h during the subjective day, a significant change in behavior was observed in PAC1-/- mice compared to PAC1+/+ mice. While PAC1-/- mice showed similar FAA as PAC1+/+ animals in FPP at 300 lux, PAC1-/- mice demonstrated an advanced onset of FAA with a nearly 3-fold increase in amplitude compared to PAC1+/+ mice when placed in SPP at 300 lux. The same pattern of FAA was observed at 10 lux during both FPP and SPP. The present study indicates a role of PACAP/PAC1 signaling during light regulated FAA. Most likely, PACAP found in ipRGCs mediating non-image forming light information to the brain is involved. PMID:26757053

Altered Circadian Food Anticipatory Activity Rhythms in PACAP Receptor 1 (PAC1) Deficient Mice.

PubMed

Hannibal, Jens; Georg, Birgitte; Fahrenkrug, Jan

2016-01-01

Light signals from intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) entrain the circadian clock and regulate negative masking. Two neurotransmitters, glutamate and Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase Activating Polypeptide (PACAP), found in the ipRGCs transmit light signals to the brain via glutamate receptors and the specific PACAP type 1 (PAC1) receptor. Light entrainment occurs during the twilight zones and has little effect on clock phase during daytime. When nocturnal animals have access to food only for a few hours during the resting phase at daytime, they adapt behavior to the restricted feeding (RF) paradigm and show food anticipatory activity (FAA). A recent study in mice and rats demonstrating that light regulates FAA prompted us to investigate the role of PACAP/PAC1 signaling in the light mediated regulation of FAA. PAC1 receptor knock out (PAC1-/-) and wild type (PAC1+/+) mice placed in running wheels were examined in a full photoperiod (FPP) of 12:12 h light/dark (LD) and a skeleton photoperiod (SPP) 1:11:1:11 h L:DD:L:DD at 300 and 10 lux light intensity. Both PAC1-/- mice and PAC1+/+ littermates entrained to FPP and SPP at both light intensities. However, when placed in RF with access to food for 4-5 h during the subjective day, a significant change in behavior was observed in PAC1-/- mice compared to PAC1+/+ mice. While PAC1-/- mice showed similar FAA as PAC1+/+ animals in FPP at 300 lux, PAC1-/- mice demonstrated an advanced onset of FAA with a nearly 3-fold increase in amplitude compared to PAC1+/+ mice when placed in SPP at 300 lux. The same pattern of FAA was observed at 10 lux during both FPP and SPP. The present study indicates a role of PACAP/PAC1 signaling during light regulated FAA. Most likely, PACAP found in ipRGCs mediating non-image forming light information to the brain is involved.

Variation in proanthocyanidin content and composition among commonly grown North American cranberry cultivars (Vaccinium macrocarpon).

PubMed

Carpenter, Jessica L; Caruso, Frank L; Tata, Anuradha; Vorsa, Nicholi; Neto, Catherine C

2014-10-01

Cranberry fruit (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is rich in polyphenols, particularly oligomeric proanthocyanidins (PACs) possessing antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. PACs may play a role in resistance to fruit rot. Although many cranberry cultivars are grown for use in foods, beverages and nutraceuticals, data on PAC content among cultivars is limited. Eight cultivars were sampled from four growing regions during the 2010 season and analyzed for PAC content and composition. MALDI-TOF MS showed that isolated PACs had similar oligomer profiles among cultivars. The major constituents were A-type (epi)catechin oligomers of two to eight degrees of polymerization. Total PAC content ranged between 18 and 92 g PAC kg⁻¹ dried fruit, quantified as procyanidin A2 by the dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde method. Among the cultivars sampled, Howes had the highest total PACs (76-92 g kg⁻¹), followed by Mullica Queen and Early Black (48-82 g kg⁻¹). Ben Lear, a disease-susceptible variety, was significantly lower in PACs than the other cultivars (P < 0.001). Several traditional and newer cultivars of cranberry from various growing regions in North America are excellent sources of PACs, particularly the Howes, Mullica Queen and Early Black cultivars. PAC content may play a role in keeping quality. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Suspended particulate matter collection methods influence the quantification of polycyclic aromatic compounds in the river system.

PubMed

Abuhelou, Fayez; Mansuy-Huault, Laurence; Lorgeoux, Catherine; Catteloin, Delphine; Collin, Valéry; Bauer, Allan; Kanbar, Hussein Jaafar; Gley, Renaud; Manceau, Luc; Thomas, Fabien; Montargès-Pelletier, Emmanuelle

2017-10-01

In this study, we compared the influence of two different collection methods, filtration (FT) and continuous flow field centrifugation (CFC), on the concentration and the distribution of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in suspended particulate matter (SPM) occurring in river waters. SPM samples were collected simultaneously with FT and CFC from a river during six sampling campaigns over 2 years, covering different hydrological contexts. SPM samples were analyzed to determine the concentration of PACs including 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 11 oxygenated PACs (O-PACs), and 5 nitrogen PACs (N-PACs). Results showed significant differences between the two separation methods. In half of the sampling campaigns, PAC concentrations differed from a factor 2 to 30 comparing FT and CFC-collected SPMs. The PAC distributions were also affected by the separation method. FT-collected SPM were enriched in 2-3 ring PACs whereas CFC-collected SPM had PAC distributions dominated by medium to high molecular weight compounds typical of combustion processes. This could be explained by distinct cut-off threshold of the two separation methods and strongly suggested the retention of colloidal and/or fine matter on glass-fiber filters particularly enriched in low molecular PACs. These differences between FT and CFC were not systematic but rather enhanced by high water flow rates.

Cranberry Proanthocyanidins - Protein complexes for macrophage activation.

PubMed

Carballo, Sergio M; Haas, Linda; Krueger, Christian G; Reed, Jess D

2017-09-20

In this work we characterize the interaction of cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) proanthocyanidins (PAC) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and hen egg-white lysozyme (HEL) and determine the effects of these complexes on macrophage activation and antigen presentation. We isolated PAC from cranberry and complexed the isolated PAC with BSA and HEL. The properties of the PAC-protein complexes were studied by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), gel electrophoresis and zeta-potential. The effects of PAC-BSA complexes on macrophage activation were studied in RAW 264.7 macrophage like cells after treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Fluorescence microscopy was used to study the endocytosis of PAC-BSA complexes. The effects of the PAC complexes on macrophage antigen presentation were studied in an in vitro model of HEL antigen presentation by mouse peritoneal mononuclear cells to a T-cell hybridoma. The mass spectra of the PAC complexes with BSA and HEL differed from the spectra of the proteins alone by the presence of broad shoulders on the singly and doubly charged protein peaks. Complexation with PAC altered the electrophoretic mobility shift assay in native agarose gel and the electrophoretic mobility (ζ-potential) values. These results indicate that the PAC-protein complexes are stable and alter the protein structure without precipitating the protein. Fluorescence microscopy showed that the RAW 264.7 macrophages endocytosed BSA and PAC-BSA complexes in discrete vesicles that surrounded the nucleus. Macrophages treated with increasing amounts of PAC-BSA complexes had significantly reduced COX-2 and iNOS expression in response to treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in comparison to the controls. The PAC-HEL complexes modulated antigen uptake, processing and presentation in murine peritoneal macrophages. After 4 h of pre-incubation, only trace amounts of IL-2 were detected in the co-cultures treated with HEL alone, whereas the PAC-HEL complex had already reached the maximum IL-2 expression. Cranberry PAC may increase the rate of endocytosis of HEL and subsequent expression of IL-2 by the T-cell hybridomas. These results suggest that PAC-protein complexes modulate aspects of innate and acquired immune responses in macrophages.

Predicting clinical image delivery time by monitoring PACS queue behavior.

PubMed

King, Nelson E; Documet, Jorge; Liu, Brent

2006-01-01

The expectation of rapid image retrieval from PACS users contributes to increased information technology (IT) infrastructure investments to increase performance as well as continuing demands upon PACS administrators to respond to "slow" system performance. The ability to provide predicted delivery times to a PACS user may curb user expectations for "fastest" response especially during peak hours. This, in turn, could result in a PACS infrastructure tailored to more realistic performance demands. A PACS with a stand-alone architecture under peak load typically holds study requests in a queue until the DICOM C-Move command can take place. We investigate the contents of a stand-alone architecture PACS RetrieveSend queue and identified parameters and behaviors that enable a more accurate prediction of delivery time. A prediction algorithm for studies delayed in a stand-alone PACS queue can be extendible to other potential bottlenecks such as long-term storage archives. Implications of a queue monitor in other PACS architectures are also discussed.

Role of HIS/RIS DICOM interfaces in the integration of imaging into the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare enterprise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzmak, Peter M.; Dayhoff, Ruth E.

1998-07-01

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is integrating imaging into the healthcare enterprise using the Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) standard protocols. Image management is directly integrated into the VistA Hospital Information System (HIS) software and clinical database. Radiology images are acquired via DICOM, and are stored directly in the HIS database. Images can be displayed on low- cost clinician's workstations throughout the medical center. High-resolution diagnostic quality multi-monitor VistA workstations with specialized viewing software can be used for reading radiology images. DICOM has played critical roles in the ability to integrate imaging functionality into the Healthcare Enterprise. Because of its openness, it allows the integration of system components from commercial and non- commercial sources to work together to provide functional cost-effective solutions (see Figure 1). Two approaches are used to acquire and handle images within the radiology department. At some VA Medical Centers, DICOM is used to interface a commercial Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) to the VistA HIS. At other medical centers, DICOM is used to interface the image producing modalities directly to the image acquisition and display capabilities of VistA itself. Both of these approaches use a small set of DICOM services that has been implemented by VistA to allow patient and study text data to be transmitted to image producing modalities and the commercial PACS, and to enable images and study data to be transferred back.

Electronic data capture and DICOM data management in multi-center clinical trials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haak, Daniel; Page, Charles-E.; Deserno, Thomas M.

2016-03-01

Providing eligibility, efficacy and security evaluation by quantitative and qualitative disease findings, medical imaging has become increasingly important in clinical trials. Here, subject's data is today captured in electronic case reports forms (eCRFs), which are offered by electronic data capture (EDC) systems. However, integration of subject's medical image data into eCRFs is insufficiently supported. Neither integration of subject's digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) data, nor communication with picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), is possible. This aggravates the workflow of the study personnel, in special regarding studies with distributed data capture in multiple sites. Hence, in this work, a system architecture is presented, which connects an EDC system, a PACS and a DICOM viewer via the web access to DICOM objects (WADO) protocol. The architecture is implemented using the open source tools OpenClinica, DCM4CHEE and Weasis. The eCRF forms the primary endpoint for the study personnel, where subject's image data is stored and retrieved. Background communication with the PACS is completely hidden for the users. Data privacy and consistency is ensured by automatic de-identification and re-labelling of DICOM data with context information (e.g. study and subject identifiers), respectively. The system is exemplarily demonstrated in a clinical trial, where computer tomography (CT) data is de-centrally captured from the subjects and centrally read by a chief radiologists to decide on inclusion of the subjects in the trial. Errors, latency and costs in the EDC workflow are reduced, while, a research database is implicitly built up in the background.

Prometheus payment model: application to hip and knee replacement surgery.

PubMed

Rastogi, Amita; Mohr, Beth A; Williams, Jeffery O; Soobader, Mah-Jabeen; de Brantes, Francois

2009-10-01

The Prometheus Payment Model offers a potential solution to the failings of the current fee-for-service system and various forms of capitation. At the core of the Prometheus model are evidence-informed case rates (ECRs), which include a bundle of typical services that are informed by evidence and/or expert opinion as well as empirical data analysis, payment based on the severity of patients, and allowances for potentially avoidable complications (PACs) and other provider-specific variations in payer costs. We outline the methods and findings of the hip and knee arthroplasty ECRs with an emphasis on PACs. Of the 2076 commercially insured patients undergoing hip arthroplasty in our study, PAC costs totaled $7.8 million (14% of total costs; n = 699 index PAC stays). Similarly, PAC costs were $12.7 million (14% of total costs; n = 897 index PAC stays) for 3403 patients undergoing knee arthroplasty. By holding the providers clinically and financially responsible for PACs, and by segmenting and quantifying the type of PACs generated during and after the procedure, the Prometheus model creates an opportunity for providers to focus on the reduction of PACs, including readmissions, making the data actionable and turn the waste related to PAC costs into potential savings.

A role for PacMYBA in ABA-regulated anthocyanin biosynthesis in red-colored sweet cherry cv. Hong Deng (Prunus avium L.).

PubMed

Shen, Xinjie; Zhao, Kai; Liu, Linlin; Zhang, Kaichun; Yuan, Huazhao; Liao, Xiong; Wang, Qi; Guo, Xinwei; Li, Fang; Li, Tianhong

2014-05-01

The MYB transcription factors and plant hormone ABA have been suggested to play a role in fruit anthocyanin biosynthesis, but supporting genetic evidence has been lacking in sweet cherry. The present study describes the first functional characterization of an R2R3-MYB transcription factor, PacMYBA, from red-colored sweet cherry cv. Hong Deng (Prunus avium L.). Transient promoter assays demonstrated that PacMYBA physically interacted with several anthocyanin-related basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors to activate the promoters of PacDFR, PacANS and PacUFGT, which are thought to be involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis. Furthermore, the immature seeds of transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing PacMYBA exhibited ectopic pigmentation. Silencing of PacMYBA, using a Tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-induced gene silencing technique, resulted in sweet cherry fruit that lacked red pigment. ABA treatment significantly induced anthocyanin accumulation, while treatment with the ABA biosynthesis inhibitor nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) blocked anthocyanin production. PacMYBA expression peaked after 2 h of pre-incubation in ABA and was 15.2-fold higher than that of sweet cherries treated with NDGA. The colorless phenotype was also observed in the fruits silenced in PacNCED1, which encodes a key enzyme in the ABA biosynthesis pathway. The endogenous ABA content as well as the transcript levels of six structural genes and PacMYBA in PacNCED1-RNAi (RNA interference) fruit were significantly lower than in the TRV vector control fruit. These results suggest that PacMYBA plays an important role in ABA-regulated anthocyanin biosynthesis and ABA is a signal molecule that promotes red-colored sweet cherry fruit accumulating anthocyanin.

A Case Study into Microbial Genome Assembly Gap Sequences and Finishing Strategies

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

Utturkar, Sagar M.; Klingeman, Dawn M.; Hurt, Jr., Richard A.

This study characterized regions of DNA which remained unassembled by either PacBio and Illumina sequencing technologies for seven bacterial genomes. Two genomes were manually finished using bioinformatics and PCR/Sanger sequencing approaches and regions not assembled by automated software were analyzed. Gaps present within Illumina assemblies mostly correspond to repetitive DNA regions such as multiple rRNA operon sequences. PacBio gap sequences were evaluated for several properties such as GC content, read coverage, gap length, ability to form strong secondary structures, and corresponding annotations. Our hypothesis that strong secondary DNA structures blocked DNA polymerases and contributed to gap sequences was not accepted.more » PacBio assemblies had few limitations overall and gaps were explained as cumulative effect of lower than average sequence coverage and repetitive sequences at contig termini. An important aspect of the present study is the compilation of biological features that interfered with assembly and included active transposons, multiple plasmid sequences, phage DNA integration, and large sequence duplication. Furthermore, our targeted genome finishing approach and systematic evaluation of the unassembled DNA will be useful for others looking to close, finish, and polish microbial genome sequences.« less

A Case Study into Microbial Genome Assembly Gap Sequences and Finishing Strategies

DOE PAGES

Utturkar, Sagar M.; Klingeman, Dawn M.; Hurt, Jr., Richard A.; ...

2017-07-18

This study characterized regions of DNA which remained unassembled by either PacBio and Illumina sequencing technologies for seven bacterial genomes. Two genomes were manually finished using bioinformatics and PCR/Sanger sequencing approaches and regions not assembled by automated software were analyzed. Gaps present within Illumina assemblies mostly correspond to repetitive DNA regions such as multiple rRNA operon sequences. PacBio gap sequences were evaluated for several properties such as GC content, read coverage, gap length, ability to form strong secondary structures, and corresponding annotations. Our hypothesis that strong secondary DNA structures blocked DNA polymerases and contributed to gap sequences was not accepted.more » PacBio assemblies had few limitations overall and gaps were explained as cumulative effect of lower than average sequence coverage and repetitive sequences at contig termini. An important aspect of the present study is the compilation of biological features that interfered with assembly and included active transposons, multiple plasmid sequences, phage DNA integration, and large sequence duplication. Furthermore, our targeted genome finishing approach and systematic evaluation of the unassembled DNA will be useful for others looking to close, finish, and polish microbial genome sequences.« less

A Case Study into Microbial Genome Assembly Gap Sequences and Finishing Strategies

PubMed Central

Utturkar, Sagar M.; Klingeman, Dawn M.; Hurt, Richard A.; Brown, Steven D.

2017-01-01

This study characterized regions of DNA which remained unassembled by either PacBio and Illumina sequencing technologies for seven bacterial genomes. Two genomes were manually finished using bioinformatics and PCR/Sanger sequencing approaches and regions not assembled by automated software were analyzed. Gaps present within Illumina assemblies mostly correspond to repetitive DNA regions such as multiple rRNA operon sequences. PacBio gap sequences were evaluated for several properties such as GC content, read coverage, gap length, ability to form strong secondary structures, and corresponding annotations. Our hypothesis that strong secondary DNA structures blocked DNA polymerases and contributed to gap sequences was not accepted. PacBio assemblies had few limitations overall and gaps were explained as cumulative effect of lower than average sequence coverage and repetitive sequences at contig termini. An important aspect of the present study is the compilation of biological features that interfered with assembly and included active transposons, multiple plasmid sequences, phage DNA integration, and large sequence duplication. Our targeted genome finishing approach and systematic evaluation of the unassembled DNA will be useful for others looking to close, finish, and polish microbial genome sequences. PMID:28769883

Hospital integrated parallel cluster for fast and cost-efficient image analysis: clinical experience and research evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erberich, Stephan G.; Hoppe, Martin; Jansen, Christian; Schmidt, Thomas; Thron, Armin; Oberschelp, Walter

2001-08-01

In the last few years more and more University Hospitals as well as private hospitals changed to digital information systems for patient record, diagnostic files and digital images. Not only that patient management becomes easier, it is also very remarkable how clinical research can profit from Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) and diagnostic databases, especially from image databases. Since images are available on the finger tip, difficulties arise when image data needs to be processed, e.g. segmented, classified or co-registered, which usually demands a lot computational power. Today's clinical environment does support PACS very well, but real image processing is still under-developed. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a parallel cluster of standard distributed systems and its software components and how such a system can be integrated into a hospital environment. To demonstrate the cluster technique we present our clinical experience with the crucial but cost-intensive motion correction of clinical routine and research functional MRI (fMRI) data, as it is processed in our Lab on a daily basis.

Evaluation of a hospital-wide PACS: costs and benefits of the Hammersmith PACS installation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryan, Stirling; Keen, Justin; Buxton, Martin J.; Weatherburn, Gwyneth C.

1992-07-01

The unusual nature of sites chosen for hospital-wide PACS implementations and the very small number of proposed implementations make evaluation a complex task. The UK Department of Health is funding both the evaluation and implementation of a hospital-wide PACS. The Brunel University evaluation of the Hammersmith Hospital PACS has two main components: an economic evaluation of the costs and benefits of hospital-wide PACS installations and an exercise in monitoring the implementation process. This paper concentrates on the economic component.

The CP-PACS Project and Lattice QCD Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwasaki, Y.

The aim of the CP-PACS project was to develop a massively parallel computer for performing numerical research in computational physics with primary emphasis on lattice QCD. The CP-PACS computer with a peak speed of 614 GFLOPS with 2048 processors was completed in September 1996, and has been in full operation since October 1996. We present an overview of the CP-PACS project and describe characteristics of the CP-PACS computer. The CP-PACS has been mainly used for hadron spectroscopy studies in lattice QCD. Main results in lattice QCD simulations are given.

Human Prostatic Acid Phosphatase: Structure, Function and Regulation

PubMed Central

Muniyan, Sakthivel; Chaturvedi, Nagendra K.; Dwyer, Jennifer G.; LaGrange, Chad A.; Chaney, William G.; Lin, Ming-Fong

2013-01-01

Human prostatic acid phosphatase (PAcP) is a 100 kDa glycoprotein composed of two subunits. Recent advances demonstrate that cellular PAcP (cPAcP) functions as a protein tyrosine phosphatase by dephosphorylating ErbB-2/Neu/HER-2 at the phosphotyrosine residues in prostate cancer (PCa) cells, which results in reduced tumorigenicity. Further, the interaction of cPAcP and ErbB-2 regulates androgen sensitivity of PCa cells. Knockdown of cPAcP expression allows androgen-sensitive PCa cells to develop the castration-resistant phenotype, where cells proliferate under an androgen-reduced condition. Thus, cPAcP has a significant influence on PCa cell growth. Interestingly, promoter analysis suggests that PAcP expression can be regulated by NF-κB, via a novel binding sequence in an androgen-independent manner. Further understanding of PAcP function and regulation of expression will have a significant impact on understanding PCa progression and therapy. PMID:23698773

Using technology assessment as the picture archiving and communication system spreads outside radiology to the enterprise.

PubMed

Maliff, R P; Launders, J

2000-05-01

Picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) are being implemented within radiology departments, and many facilities are entering the next stage of PACS use by deploying PACS to departments outside of radiology and to other facilities located at a distance. Many PACS vendors and department administrators have based cost-justification analyses on the anticipated savings from expanding PACS to these areas. However, many of these cost-savings analyses can be highly suspect in their assumptions and findings. Technology assessment (TA) at the hospital/health system level is an organized, systematic approach to examining the efficacy of a technology in relation to the health system's mission and clinical needs. It can be an organized and unifying approach to aid in the distribution of limited capital resources. As extra-radiology PACS deployment is a costly endeavor, TA may be used to plan for PACS implementation throughout the enterprise. In many organizations, PACS is thought of as a radiology domain as its first uses were centered on this image-producing service. Now, as PACS technology spreads to other service areas, such as cardiology, dermatology, pathology, orthopedics, obstetrics, etc, the need to incorporate other viewpoints in a system-based PACS is necessary to avoid having independent PACS that may duplicate archives and may not communicate with each other. How to meet the diverse PACS needs of clinical services can be a challenging task; a TA program has been demonstrated to effectively handle the clinical needs, demands, and timeframes of PACS planning and support throughout hospitals and health systems. A hospital-based TA program can assist health care organizations to present PACS as a system-wide need and program rather than a radiology-based program gobbling up the capital budget. Submitting PACS to the TA review process can identify essential elements in planning and help avoid many of the pitfalls of PACS implementation and operations. Thorough cost and/or return on investment analyses, phasing decisions, workflow re-engineering, and outcomes assessment programs are a few of the issues that a TA program can address to help in the transition to a complete electronic image environment. The TA process includes clinician selection, evaluation criteria and their selection for technologies under review, a policy for review/authorization/denial, and measurement of expected outcomes.

Comparison of isolated cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) proanthocyanidins to catechin and procyanidins A2 and B2 for use as standards in the 4-(dimethylamino)cinnamaldehyde assay.

PubMed

Feliciano, Rodrigo P; Shea, Michael P; Shanmuganayagam, Dhanansayan; Krueger, Christian G; Howell, Amy B; Reed, Jess D

2012-05-09

The 4-(dimethylamino)cinnamaldehyde (DMAC) assay is currently used to quantify proanthocyanidin (PAC) content in cranberry products. However, this method suffers from issues of accuracy and precision in the analysis and comparison of PAC levels across a broad range of cranberry products. Current use of procyanidin A2 as a standard leads to an underestimation of PACs content in certain cranberry products, especially those containing higher molecular weight PACs. To begin to address the issue of accuracy, a method for the production of a cranberry PAC standard, derived from an extraction of cranberry (c-PAC) press cake, was developed and evaluated. Use of the c-PAC standard to quantify PAC content in cranberry samples resulted in values that were 2.2 times higher than those determined by procyanidin A2. Increased accuracy is critical for estimating PAC content in relationship to research on authenticity, efficacy, and bioactivity, especially in designing clinical trials for determination of putative health benefits.

Influence of powdered activated carbon addition on water quality, sludge properties, and microbial characteristics in the biological treatment of commingled industrial wastewater.

PubMed

Hu, Qing-Yuan; Li, Meng; Wang, Can; Ji, Min

2015-09-15

A powdered activated carbon-activated sludge (PAC-AS) system, a traditional activated sludge (AS) system, and a powdered activated carbon (PAC) system were operated to examine the insights into the influence of PAC addition on biological treatment. The average COD removal efficiencies of the PAC-AS system (39%) were nearly double that of the AS system (20%). Compared with the average efficiencies of the PAC system (7%), COD removal by biodegradation in the PAC-AS system was remarkably higher than that in the AS system. The analysis of the influence of PAC on water quality and sludge properties showed that PAC facilitated the removal of hydrophobic matter and metabolic acidic products, and also enhanced the biomass accumulation, sludge settleability, and specific oxygen uptake rate inside the biological system. The microbial community structures in the PAC-AS and AS systems were monitored. The results showed that the average well color development in the PAC-AS system was higher than that in the AS system. The utilization of various substrates by microorganisms in the two systems did not differ. The dissimilarity index was far less than one; thus, showing that the microbial community structures of the two systems were the same. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Removal of micropollutants with coarse-ground activated carbon for enhanced separation with hydrocyclone classifiers.

PubMed

Otto, N; Platz, S; Fink, T; Wutscherk, M; Menzel, U

2016-01-01

One key technology to eliminate organic micropollutants (OMP) from wastewater effluent is adsorption using powdered activated carbon (PAC). To avoid a discharge of highly loaded PAC particles into natural water bodies a separation stage has to be implemented. Commonly large settling tanks and flocculation filters with the application of coagulants and flocculation aids are used. In this study, a multi-hydrocyclone classifier with a downstream cloth filter has been investigated on a pilot plant as a space-saving alternative with no need for a dosing of chemical additives. To improve the separation, a coarser ground PAC type was compared to a standard PAC type with regard to elimination results of OMP as well as separation performance. With a PAC dosing rate of 20 mg/l an average of 64.7 wt% of the standard PAC and 79.5 wt% of the coarse-ground PAC could be separated in the hydrocyclone classifier. A total average separation efficiency of 93-97 wt% could be reached with a combination of both hydrocyclone classifier and cloth filter. Nonetheless, the OMP elimination of the coarse-ground PAC was not sufficient enough to compete with the standard PAC. Further research and development is necessary to find applicable coarse-grained PAC types with adequate OMP elimination capabilities.

Integrated Mission Precision Attack Cockpit Technology (IMPACT). Phase 1: Identifying Technologies for Air-to-Ground Fighter Integration.

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-10-31

No comment S4: No comment 63 3. The HMD would my...released (i.e., not hung) without looking down on the PACS page is very good." S4: No comment 6. The HMD would my SITUATIONAL AWARENESS during the INGRESS...Substantially Degrade 0 (Subject 1: NO RATING) HOW? S 1: No comment S2: "Previous reasons, visibility REF # 2, 4" S3: No comment S4: No comment 65 7. The

Financing a large-scale picture archival and communication system.

PubMed

Goldszal, Alberto F; Bleshman, Michael H; Bryan, R Nick

2004-01-01

An attempt to finance a large-scale multi-hospital picture archival and communication system (PACS) solely based on cost savings from current film operations is reported. A modified Request for Proposal described the technical requirements, PACS architecture, and performance targets. The Request for Proposal was complemented by a set of desired financial goals-the main one being the ability to use film savings to pay for the implementation and operation of the PACS. Financing of the enterprise-wide PACS was completed through an operating lease agreement including all PACS equipment, implementation, service, and support for an 8-year term, much like a complete outsourcing. Equipment refreshes, both hardware and software, are included. Our agreement also linked the management of the digital imaging operation (PACS) and the traditional film printing, shifting the operational risks of continued printing and costs related to implementation delays to the PACS vendor. An additional optimization step provided the elimination of the negative film budget variances in the beginning of the project when PACS costs tend to be higher than film and film-related expenses. An enterprise-wide PACS has been adopted to achieve clinical workflow improvements and cost savings. PACS financing was solely based on film savings, which included the entire digital solution (PACS) and any residual film printing. These goals were achieved with simultaneous elimination of any over-budget scenarios providing a non-negative cash flow in each year of an 8-year term.

Mycorrhiza reduces adverse effects of dark septate endophytes (DSE) on growth of conifers.

PubMed

Reininger, Vanessa; Sieber, Thomas N

2012-01-01

Mycorrhizal roots are frequently colonized by fungi of the Phialocephala fortinii s.l.-Acephala applanata species complex (PAC). These ascomycetes are common and widespread colonizers of tree roots. Some PAC strains reduce growth increments of their hosts but are beneficial in protecting roots against pathogens. Nothing is known about the effects of PAC on mycorrhizal fungi and the PAC-mycorrhiza association on plant growth, even though these two fungal groups occur closely together in natural habitats. We expect reduced colonization rates and reduced negative effects of PAC on host plants if roots are co-colonized by an ectomycorrhizal fungus (ECM). Depending on the temperature regime interactions among the partners in this tripartite ECM-PAC-plant system might also change. To test our hypotheses, effects of four PAC genotypes (two pathogenic and two non-pathogenic on the Norway spruce), mycorrhization by Laccaria bicolor (strain S238N) and two temperature regimes (19°C and 25°C) on the biomass of the Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and Norway spruce (Picea abies) seedlings were studied. Mycorrhization compensated the adverse effects of PAC on the growth of the Norway spruce at both temperatures. The growth of the Douglas-fir was not influenced either by PAC or mycorrhization at 19°C, but at 25°C mycorrhization had a similar protective effect as in the Norway spruce. The compensatory effects probably rely on the reduction of the PAC-colonization density by mycorrhizae. Temperature and the PAC strain only had a differential effect on the biomass of the Norway spruce but not on the Douglas-fir. Higher temperature reduced mycorrhization of both hosts. We conclude that ectomycorrhizae form physical and/or physiological barriers against PAC leading to reduced PAC-colonization of the roots. Additionally, our results indicate that global warming could cause a general decrease of mycorrhization making primary roots more accessible to other symbionts and pathogens.

Fault-tolerant back-up archive using an ASP model for disaster recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Brent J.; Huang, H. K.; Cao, Fei; Documet, Luis; Sarti, Dennis A.

2002-05-01

A single point of failure in PACS during a disaster scenario is the main archive storage and server. When a major disaster occurs, it is possible to lose an entire hospital's PACS data. Few current PACS archives feature disaster recovery, but the design is limited at best. These drawbacks include the frequency with which the back-up is physically removed to an offsite facility, the operational costs associated to maintain the back-up, the ease-of-use to perform the backup consistently and efficiently, and the ease-of-use to perform the PACS image data recovery. This paper describes a novel approach towards a fault-tolerant solution for disaster recovery of short-term PACS image data using an Application Service Provider model for service. The ASP back-up archive provides instantaneous, automatic backup of acquired PACS image data and instantaneous recovery of stored PACS image data all at a low operational cost. A back-up archive server and RAID storage device is implemented offsite from the main PACS archive location. In the example of this particular hospital, it was determined that at least 2 months worth of PACS image exams were needed for back-up. Clinical data from a hospital PACS is sent to this ASP storage server in parallel to the exams being archived in the main server. A disaster scenario was simulated and the PACS exams were sent from the offsite ASP storage server back to the hospital PACS. Initially, connectivity between the main archive and the ASP storage server is established via a T-1 connection. In the future, other more cost-effective means of connectivity will be researched such as the Internet 2. A disaster scenario was initiated and the disaster recovery process using the ASP back-up archive server was success in repopulating the clinical PACS within a short period of time. The ASP back-up archive was able to recover two months of PACS image data for comparison studies with no complex operational procedures. Furthermore, no image data loss was encountered during the recovery.

Advancing the Legislative Priorities of Cardiothoracic Surgeons: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Political Action Committee.

PubMed

Thompson, Jess L; Speir, Alan M; Mathisen, Douglas J; Naunheim, Keith S; Prager, Richard L; Lahey, Stephen J

2018-03-01

In the late 1990s, several federal government health policy decisions threatened the viability of thoracic surgery as a specialty. To respond to such decisions, active participation in political processes was given extremely high priority by the Executive Committee of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). Creation of the STS Political Action Committee (STS-PAC) in 1997 was a part of the platform of participation. The purpose of the STS-PAC is to enhance the Society's voice and stature in health care policymaking. Although the STS-PAC receives voluntary contributions from STS members, on average, only 10% of STS members contribute to the STS-PAC. For the 2015-2016 election cycle, there were 542 contributors to the STS-PAC totaling $273,000. An annual contribution of $100 from every STS member would put the STS-PAC into the top 10 for medical PACs (whereas currently it is ranked 22nd of 28 in the group of physician and dental association PACs). Despite the relatively small dollar amount the STS-PAC directs, its strategic disbursement of these dollars has yielded impressive results. For example, the STS-PAC was able to use its influence to effectively stop the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from implementing a potentially calamitous rule that would effectively end traditional global surgical payments. Other advocacy successes include providing guidance to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in developing the national coverage determination for transcatheter aortic valve replacement and structuring its complex reimbursement schedule, and ensuring that a provision was included in the bill that would give the STS National Database access to claims data. The STS-PAC is a principal component of the STS' advocacy armamentarium. Despite the many successes of the STS-PAC, with even modest contributions by more STS members, the STS-PAC could become a leading medical PAC, and would give the STS an even stronger presence and voice in Washington, DC. Clearly, contributing to the STS-PAC provides STS members the opportunity to have a voice and an impact on health policy and the care of their patients. Copyright © 2018 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measurement of Aerosol and Cloud Particles with PACS and HARP Hyperangular Imaging Polarimeters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martins, J.; Fernandez-Borda, R.; Remer, L. A.; Sparr, L.; Buczkowski, S.; Munchak, L. A.

2013-12-01

PACS is new hyper-angular imaging polarimeter for aeorosol and cloud measurerents designed to meet the requirements of the proposed ACE decadal survey mission. The full PACS system consists of three wide field of view (110deg cross track) telescopes covering the UV, VNIR, and SWIR spectral ranges with angular coverage between +55 deg forward to -55deg backwards. The angular density can be selected to cover up to 100 different viewing angles at selected wavelengths. PACS_VNIR is a prototype airborne instrument designed to demonstrate PACS capability by deploying just one of the three wavelength modules of the full PACS. With wavelengths at 470, 550, 675, 760 and 875nm, PACS_VNIR flew for the first time during the PODEX experiment in January/February 2013 aboard the NASA ER-2 aircraft. PACS SWIR (1.64, 1.88, 2.1, and 2.25um) is currently under construction and should be operational in the lab by Fall/2013. PACS_ UV has been fully designed, but is not yet under construction. During the PODEX flights PACS_VNIR collected data for aerosol and clouds over variable surface types including, water, vegetation, urban areas, and snow. The data is currently being calibrated, geolocated and prepared for the inversion of geophysical parameters including water cloud size distribution and aerosol microphysical parameters. The large density of angles in PACS allows for the characterization of cloudbow features in relatively high spatial resolution in a pixel to pixel basis. This avoids the need for assumptions of cloud homogeneity over any distance. The hyperangle capability also allows detailed observation of cloud ice particles, surface characterization, and optimum selection of the number of angles desired for aerosol retrievals. The aerosol and cloud retrieval algorithms under development for the retrieval of particle microphysical properties from the PACS data will be discussed in this presentation. As an extension of the PACS concept we are currently developing the HARP (Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter) Cubesat satellite funded by the NASA/ESTO/InVEST program. HARP will demonstrate the PACS concept from space and will allow for high resolution angular measurements of polarized radiances over different aerosol and cloud scenarios. The HARP concept and strategy will be presented and discussed as part of the general PACS measurement strategy.

NASA Glenn Coefficients for Calculating Thermodynamic Properties of Individual Species

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McBride, Bonnie J.; Zehe, Michael J.; Gordon, Sanford

2002-01-01

This report documents the library of thermodynamic data used with the NASA Glenn computer program CEA (Chemical Equilibrium with Applications). This library, containing data for over 2000 solid, liquid, and gaseous chemical species for temperatures ranging from 200 to 20,000 K, is available for use with other computer codes as well. The data are expressed as least-squares coefficients to a seven-term functional form for C((sup o)(sub p)) (T) / R with integration constants for H (sup o) (T) / RT and S(sup o) (T) / R. The NASA Glenn computer program PAC (Properties and Coefficients) was used to calculate thermodynamic functions and to generate the least-squares coefficients. PAC input was taken from a variety of sources. A complete listing of the database is given along with a summary of thermodynamic properties at 0 and 298.15 K.

Process-driven selection of information systems for healthcare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mills, Stephen F.; Yeh, Raymond T.; Giroir, Brett P.; Tanik, Murat M.

1995-05-01

Integration of networking and data management technologies such as PACS, RIS and HIS into a healthcare enterprise in a clinically acceptable manner is a difficult problem. Data within such a facility are generally managed via a combination of manual hardcopy systems and proprietary, special-purpose data processing systems. Process modeling techniques have been successfully applied to engineering and manufacturing enterprises, but have not generally been applied to service-based enterprises such as healthcare facilities. The use of process modeling techniques can provide guidance for the placement, configuration and usage of PACS and other informatics technologies within the healthcare enterprise, and thus improve the quality of healthcare. Initial process modeling activities conducted within the Pediatric ICU at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, Texas are described. The ongoing development of a full enterprise- level model for the Pediatric ICU is also described.

The philosophy of benchmark testing a standards-based picture archiving and communications system.

PubMed

Richardson, N E; Thomas, J A; Lyche, D K; Romlein, J; Norton, G S; Dolecek, Q E

1999-05-01

The Department of Defense issued its requirements for a Digital Imaging Network-Picture Archiving and Communications System (DIN-PACS) in a Request for Proposals (RFP) to industry in January 1997, with subsequent contracts being awarded in November 1997 to the Agfa Division of Bayer and IBM Global Government Industry. The Government's technical evaluation process consisted of evaluating a written technical proposal as well as conducting a benchmark test of each proposed system at the vendor's test facility. The purpose of benchmark testing was to evaluate the performance of the fully integrated system in a simulated operational environment. The benchmark test procedures and test equipment were developed through a joint effort between the Government, academic institutions, and private consultants. Herein the authors discuss the resources required and the methods used to benchmark test a standards-based PACS.

Treatment of coal gasification wastewater by membrane bioreactor hybrid powdered activated carbon (MBR–PAC) system.

PubMed

Jia, Shengyong; Han, Hongjun; Hou, Baolin; Zhuang, Haifeng; Fang, Fang; Zhao, Qian

2014-12-01

A laboratory-scale membrane bioreactor hybrid powdered activated carbon (MBR–PAC) system was developed to treat coal gasification wastewater to enhance the COD, total phenols (TPh), NH4+ removals and migrate the membrane fouling. Since the MBR–PAC system operated with PAC dosage of 4 g L−1, the maximum removal efficiencies of COD, TPh and NH4+ reached 93%, 99% and 63%, respectively with the corresponding influent concentrations of 2.27 g L−1, 497 mg L−1 and 164 mg N L−1; the PAC extraction efficiencies of COD, TPh and NH4+ were 6%, 3% and 13%, respectively; the transmembrane pressure decreased 34% with PAC after 50 d operation. The results demonstrate that PAC played a key role in the enhancement of biodegradability and mitigation of membrane fouling.

Evolutionistic or revolutionary paths? A PACS maturity model for strategic situational planning.

PubMed

van de Wetering, Rogier; Batenburg, Ronald; Lederman, Reeva

2010-07-01

While many hospitals are re-evaluating their current Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), few have a mature strategy for PACS deployment. Furthermore, strategies for implementation, strategic and situational planning methods for the evolution of PACS maturity are scarce in the scientific literature. Consequently, in this paper we propose a strategic planning method for PACS deployment. This method builds upon a PACS maturity model (PMM), based on the elaboration of the strategic alignment concept and the maturity growth path concept previously developed in the PACS domain. First, we review the literature on strategic planning for information systems and information technology and PACS maturity. Secondly, the PMM is extended by applying four different strategic perspectives of the Strategic Alignment Framework whereupon two types of growth paths (evolutionistic and revolutionary) are applied that focus on a roadmap for PMM. This roadmap builds a path to get from one level of maturity and evolve to the next. An extended method for PACS strategic planning is developed. This method defines eight distinctive strategies for PACS strategic situational planning that allow decision-makers in hospitals to decide which approach best suits their hospitals' current situation and future ambition and what in principle is needed to evolve through the different maturity levels. The proposed method allows hospitals to strategically plan for PACS maturation. It is situational in that the required investments and activities depend on the alignment between the hospital strategy and the selected growth path. The inclusion of both strategic alignment and maturity growth path concepts make the planning method rigorous, and provide a framework for further empirical research and clinical practice.

75 FR 80082 - State, Local, Tribal, And Private Sector Policy Advisory Committee (SLTPS-PAC)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-21

..., Tribal, And Private Sector Policy Advisory Committee (SLTPS-PAC) AGENCY: Information Security Oversight... State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Policy Advisory Committee (SLTPS-PAC). The SLTPS-PAC will..., Tribal, and Private Sector Entities, as specified in Executive Order 13549 and its implementing directive...

Distinct functional contributions of primary sensory and association areas to audiovisual integration in object categorization.

PubMed

Werner, Sebastian; Noppeney, Uta

2010-02-17

Multisensory interactions have been demonstrated in a distributed neural system encompassing primary sensory and higher-order association areas. However, their distinct functional roles in multisensory integration remain unclear. This functional magnetic resonance imaging study dissociated the functional contributions of three cortical levels to multisensory integration in object categorization. Subjects actively categorized or passively perceived noisy auditory and visual signals emanating from everyday actions with objects. The experiment included two 2 x 2 factorial designs that manipulated either (1) the presence/absence or (2) the informativeness of the sensory inputs. These experimental manipulations revealed three patterns of audiovisual interactions. (1) In primary auditory cortices (PACs), a concurrent visual input increased the stimulus salience by amplifying the auditory response regardless of task-context. Effective connectivity analyses demonstrated that this automatic response amplification is mediated via both direct and indirect [via superior temporal sulcus (STS)] connectivity to visual cortices. (2) In STS and intraparietal sulcus (IPS), audiovisual interactions sustained the integration of higher-order object features and predicted subjects' audiovisual benefits in object categorization. (3) In the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC), explicit semantic categorization resulted in suppressive audiovisual interactions as an index for multisensory facilitation of semantic retrieval and response selection. In conclusion, multisensory integration emerges at multiple processing stages within the cortical hierarchy. The distinct profiles of audiovisual interactions dissociate audiovisual salience effects in PACs, formation of object representations in STS/IPS and audiovisual facilitation of semantic categorization in vlPFC. Furthermore, in STS/IPS, the profiles of audiovisual interactions were behaviorally relevant and predicted subjects' multisensory benefits in performance accuracy.

Drug addiction stigma in relation to methadone maintenance treatment by different service delivery models in Vietnam.

PubMed

Tran, Bach Xuan; Vu, Phuong Bich; Nguyen, Long Hoang; Latkin, Sophia Knowlton; Nguyen, Cuong Tat; Phan, Huong Thu Thi; Latkin, Carl A

2016-03-08

The rapid expansion of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) services has significantly improved health status and quality of life of patients. However, little is known about its impacts on addiction-related stigma and associated factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2013 in Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, and Nam Dinh province among 1016 methadone maintenance patients; 26.6 % at provincial AIDS centers (PAC) and 73.4 % at district health centers (DHC), respectively. Drug addiction history and related stigma, health status, MMT-related covariates, and sociodemographic characteristics were interviewed. More than one-sixth of the sample reported experiencing felt or enacted stigma, including Blame or Judgement (17.2 %), Shame (19.9 %), or Others' fear of HIV transmission (17.1 %). These proportions were higher in PACs than in DHCs, which are integrated with other HIV or general health care services. Very few patients reported being discriminated at the workplace (2.5 %) or at health care services (1.7 %); however, 15.6 % of patients at PACs and 10.6 % of patients at DHCs reported discrimination in their communities. Drug users taking MMT for longer periods were less likely to report felt stigma. Other factors associated with stigma against MMT patients included the lack of comprehensive services, higher education, presence of pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression, self-reported HIV positive, and number of previous drug rehabilitation episodes. The study shows a high level of stigma against MMT patients and emphasizes the necessity to integrate MMT with comprehensive health and support services. Mass communication campaigns to reduce stigma against people with drug addiction and HIV/AIDS, as well as vocational trainings and jobs referrals for MMT patients, are needed to maximize the benefits of MMT programs in Vietnam.

Adeno-Associated Virus Type 2 Wild-Type and Vector-Mediated Genomic Integration Profiles of Human Diploid Fibroblasts Analyzed by Third-Generation PacBio DNA Sequencing

PubMed Central

Hüser, Daniela; Gogol-Döring, Andreas; Chen, Wei

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Genome-wide analysis of adeno-associated virus (AAV) type 2 integration in HeLa cells has shown that wild-type AAV integrates at numerous genomic sites, including AAVS1 on chromosome 19q13.42. Multiple GAGY/C repeats, resembling consensus AAV Rep-binding sites are preferred, whereas rep-deficient AAV vectors (rAAV) regularly show a random integration profile. This study is the first study to analyze wild-type AAV integration in diploid human fibroblasts. Applying high-throughput third-generation PacBio-based DNA sequencing, integration profiles of wild-type AAV and rAAV are compared side by side. Bioinformatic analysis reveals that both wild-type AAV and rAAV prefer open chromatin regions. Although genomic features of AAV integration largely reproduce previous findings, the pattern of integration hot spots differs from that described in HeLa cells before. DNase-Seq data for human fibroblasts and for HeLa cells reveal variant chromatin accessibility at preferred AAV integration hot spots that correlates with variant hot spot preferences. DNase-Seq patterns of these sites in human tissues, including liver, muscle, heart, brain, skin, and embryonic stem cells further underline variant chromatin accessibility. In summary, AAV integration is dependent on cell-type-specific, variant chromatin accessibility leading to random integration profiles for rAAV, whereas wild-type AAV integration sites cluster near GAGY/C repeats. IMPORTANCE Adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV) is assumed to establish latency by chromosomal integration of its DNA. This is the first genome-wide analysis of wild-type AAV2 integration in diploid human cells and the first to compare wild-type to recombinant AAV vector integration side by side under identical experimental conditions. Major determinants of wild-type AAV integration represent open chromatin regions with accessible consensus AAV Rep-binding sites. The variant chromatin accessibility of different human tissues or cell types will have impact on vector targeting to be considered during gene therapy. PMID:25031342

Power Pacs for Teaching Home Economics Related Science and Math.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Dept. of Education, Columbus. Div. of Vocational Education.

This guide contains materials designed to assist teachers and students in home economics related courses with mastery of job-related mathematics, science, and behavioral science. The 40 Power Pacs are divided into mathematics (16 Power Pacs), science (15), and behavioral science (9). Each Power Pac contains teacher materials and student materials.…

Tubulin chaperone E binds microtubules and proteasomes and protects against misfolded protein stress.

PubMed

Voloshin, Olga; Gocheva, Yana; Gutnick, Marina; Movshovich, Natalia; Bakhrat, Anya; Baranes-Bachar, Keren; Bar-Zvi, Dudy; Parvari, Ruti; Gheber, Larisa; Raveh, Dina

2010-06-01

Mutation of tubulin chaperone E (TBCE) underlies hypoparathyroidism, retardation, and dysmorphism (HRD) syndrome with defective microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton. TBCE/yeast Pac2 comprises CAP-Gly, LRR (leucine-rich region), and UbL (ubiquitin-like) domains. TBCE folds alpha-tubulin and promotes alpha/beta dimerization. We show that Pac2 functions in MT dynamics: the CAP-Gly domain binds alpha-tubulin and MTs, and functions in suppression of benomyl sensitivity of pac2Delta mutants. Pac2 binds proteasomes: the LRR binds Rpn1, and the UbL binds Rpn10; the latter interaction mediates Pac2 turnover. The UbL also binds the Skp1-Cdc53-F-box (SCF) ubiquitin ligase complex; these competing interactions for the UbL may impact on MT dynamics. pac2Delta mutants are sensitive to misfolded protein stress. This is suppressed by ectopic PAC2 with both the CAP-Gly and UbL domains being essential. We propose a novel role for Pac2 in the misfolded protein stress response based on its ability to interact with both the MT cytoskeleton and the proteasomes.

An Efficient Method for High-Fidelity BAC/PAC Retrofitting with a Selectable Marker for Mammalian Cell Transfection

PubMed Central

Wang, Zunde; Engler, Peter; Longacre, Angelika; Storb, Ursula

2001-01-01

Large-scale genomic sequencing projects have provided DNA sequence information for many genes, but the biological functions for most of them will only be known through functional studies. Bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) and P1-derived artificial chromosomes (PACs) are large genomic clones stably maintained in bacteria and are very important in functional studies through transfection because of their large size and stability. Because most BAC or PAC vectors do not have a mammalian selection marker, transfecting mammalian cells with genes cloned in BACs or PACs requires the insertion into the BAC/PAC of a mammalian selectable marker. However, currently available procedures are not satisfactory in efficiency and fidelity. We describe a very simple and efficient procedure that allows one to retrofit dozens of BACs in a day with no detectable deletions or unwanted recombination. We use a BAC/PAC retrofitting vector that, on transformation into competent BAC or PAC strains, will catalyze the specific insertion of itself into BAC/PAC vectors through in vivo cre/loxP site-specific recombination. PMID:11156622

Gonioscopy findings and prevalence of occludable angles in a Burmese population: the Meiktila Eye Study.

PubMed

Casson, R J; Newland, H S; Muecke, J; McGovern, S; Abraham, L M; Shein, W K; Selva, D; Aung, T

2007-07-01

To determine the prevalence of preglaucomatous angle-closure disease in central Myanmar. A population-based survey of inhabitants >or=40 years in the Meiktila District was carried out; 2481 subjects were identified, 2076 participated and 2060 underwent gonioscopy of at least one eye. Eyes with angles traditionally described as "occludable" were recorded as primary angle-closure suspects (PACS); eyes with PACS and peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS), or an increased intraocular pressure but without primary angle-closure glaucoma, were recorded as primary angle closure (PAC). The prevalence of PACS in at least one eye was 5.7% (95% CI 4.72 to 6.62); prevalence increased with age and was more common in women (p<0.001). The prevalence of PAC in at least one eye was 1.50% (95% CI 1.47 to 1.53). All participants with PAS had at least 90 degrees of closure (range 90-360 degrees). The prevalence of preglaucomatous angle-closure disease (PACS and PAC) in this population was 5.7% and 1.5%, respectively. PACS was more common in women, and its prevalence increased with age.

[Validation of the Physical Appearance Comparison Scale (PACS) in a German Sample: Psychometric Properties and Association with Eating Behavior, Body Image and Self-Esteem].

PubMed

Claire Mölbert, Simone; Hautzinger, Martin; Karnath, Hans-Otto; Zipfel, Stephan; Giel, Katrin

2017-02-01

The Physical Appearance Comparison Scale (PACS [14]) is the most commonly used validated measure of body-related social comparison habits. Here we investigate reliability and construct validity of the PACS in a German sample. Participants (n=75 men, n=75 women and n=25 women with a confirmed diagnosis of anorexia nervosa) completed the PACS along with measures of eating disorder pathology, body image and self-esteem. Results show an adequate internal consistency of the PACS for the female subgroups and medium to high correlations with eating disorder pathology, body image and self-esteem. PACS total score differed significantly between groups, with men scoring lowest and women with anorexia nervosa scoring highest. We conclude that the PACS is a sufficiently reliable and valid measure of body-related social comparison habits in women. In men, it should only be used with special care. The PACS is generally suitable to promote patient studies testing the role of social comparisons for the patho-mechanisms of eating disorders. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor Saxagliptin improves function of circulating pro-angiogenic cells from type 2 diabetic patients

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with reduction and dysfunction of circulating pro-angiogenic cells (PACs). DPP-4 inhibitors, a class of oral agents for T2D, might possess pleiotropic vasculoprotective activities. Herein, we tested whether DPP-4 inhibition with Saxagliptin affects the function of circulating PACs from T2D and healthy subjects. Methods PACs were isolated from T2D (n = 20) and healthy (n = 20) subjects. Gene expression, clonogenesis, proliferation, adhesion, migration and tubulisation were assessed in vitro by incubating PACs with or without Saxagliptin and SDF-1α. Stimulation of angiogenesis by circulating cells from T2D patients treated with Saxagliptin or other non-incretinergic drugs was assessed in vivo using animal models. Results Soluble DPP-4 activity was predominant over cellular activity and was successfully inhibited by Saxagliptin. At baseline, T2D compared to healthy PACs contained less acLDL+Lectin+ cells, and showed altered expression of genes related to adhesion and cell cycle regulation. This was reflected by impaired adhesion and clonogenesis/proliferative response of T2D PACs. Saxagliptin + SDF-1α improved adhesion and tube sustaining capacity of PACs from T2D patients. CD14+ PACs were more responsive to Saxagliptin than CD14- PACs. While Saxagliptin modestly reduced angiogenesis by mature endothelial cells, circulating PACs-progeny cells from T2D patients on Saxagliptin treatment displayed higher growth factor-inducible in vivo angiogenetic activity, compared to cells from T2D patients on non-incretinergic regimen. Conclusions Saxagliptin reverses PACs dysfunction associated with T2D in vitro and improves inducible angiogenesis by circulating cells in vivo. These data add knowledge to the potential pleiotropic cardiovascular effects of DPP-4 inhibition. PMID:24886621

The dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor saxagliptin improves function of circulating pro-angiogenic cells from type 2 diabetic patients.

PubMed

Poncina, Nicol; Albiero, Mattia; Menegazzo, Lisa; Cappellari, Roberta; Avogaro, Angelo; Fadini, Gian Paolo

2014-05-14

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with reduction and dysfunction of circulating pro-angiogenic cells (PACs). DPP-4 inhibitors, a class of oral agents for T2D, might possess pleiotropic vasculoprotective activities. Herein, we tested whether DPP-4 inhibition with Saxagliptin affects the function of circulating PACs from T2D and healthy subjects. PACs were isolated from T2D (n = 20) and healthy (n = 20) subjects. Gene expression, clonogenesis, proliferation, adhesion, migration and tubulisation were assessed in vitro by incubating PACs with or without Saxagliptin and SDF-1α. Stimulation of angiogenesis by circulating cells from T2D patients treated with Saxagliptin or other non-incretinergic drugs was assessed in vivo using animal models. Soluble DPP-4 activity was predominant over cellular activity and was successfully inhibited by Saxagliptin. At baseline, T2D compared to healthy PACs contained less acLDL(+)Lectin(+) cells, and showed altered expression of genes related to adhesion and cell cycle regulation. This was reflected by impaired adhesion and clonogenesis/proliferative response of T2D PACs. Saxagliptin + SDF-1α improved adhesion and tube sustaining capacity of PACs from T2D patients. CD14+ PACs were more responsive to Saxagliptin than CD14- PACs. While Saxagliptin modestly reduced angiogenesis by mature endothelial cells, circulating PACs-progeny cells from T2D patients on Saxagliptin treatment displayed higher growth factor-inducible in vivo angiogenetic activity, compared to cells from T2D patients on non-incretinergic regimen. Saxagliptin reverses PACs dysfunction associated with T2D in vitro and improves inducible angiogenesis by circulating cells in vivo. These data add knowledge to the potential pleiotropic cardiovascular effects of DPP-4 inhibition.

User Acceptance of Picture Archiving and Communication System in the Emergency Department.

PubMed

Goodarzi, Hassan; Khatami, Seyed-Masoud; Javadzadeh, Hammidreza; Mahmoudi, Sadrollah; Khajehpour, Hojjatollah; Heidari, Soleiman; Khodaparast, Morteza; Ebrahimi, Ali; Rasouli, Hamidreza; Ghane, Mohammadreza; Faraji, Mehrdad; Hassanpour, Kasra

2016-04-01

Picture archiving and communication system (PACS) has allowed the medical images to be transmitted, stored, retrieved, and displayed in different locations of a hospital or health system. Using PACS in the emergency department will eventually result in improved efficiency and patient care. In spite of the abundant benefits of employing PACS, there are some challenges in implementing this technology like users' resistance to accept the technology, which has a critical role in PACS success. In this study, we will assess and compare user acceptance of PACS in the emergency departments of three different hospitals and investigate the effect of socio-demographic factors on this acceptance. A variant of technology acceptance model (TAM) has been used in order to measure the acceptance level of PACS in the emergency department of three educational hospitals in Iran. A previously used questionnaire was validated and utilized to collect the study data. A stepwise multiple regression model was used to predict factors influencing acceptance score as the dependent variable. Mean age of participants was 32.9 years (standard deviation [SD] = 6.08). Participants with the specialty degree got a higher acceptance score than the three other groups (Mean ± SD = 4.17 ± 0.20). Age, gender, degree of PACS usage and participant's occupation (profession) did not influence the acceptance score. In our multiple regression model, all three variables of perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEU) and the effect of PACS (change) had a significant effect in the prediction of acceptance. The most influencing factor was change with the beta of 0.22 (P value < 0.001). PACS is highly accepted in all three emergency departments especially among specialists. PU, PEU and change are factors influencing PACS acceptance. Our study can be used as an evidence of PACS acceptance in emergency wards.

Ammonia removal in the carbon contactor of a hybrid membrane process.

PubMed

Stoquart, Céline; Servais, Pierre; Barbeau, Benoit

2014-12-15

The hybrid membrane process (HMP) coupling powdered activated carbon (PAC) and low-pressure membrane filtration is emerging as a promising new option to remove dissolved contaminants from drinking water. Yet, defining optimal HMP operating conditions has not been confirmed. In this study, ammonia removal occurring in the PAC contactor of an HMP was simulated at lab-scale. Kinetics were monitored using three PAC concentrations (1-5-10 g L(-1)), three PAC ages (0-10-60 days), two temperatures (7-22 °C), in ambient influent condition (100 μg N-NH4 L(-1)) as well as with a simulated peak pollution scenario (1000 μg N-NH4L(-1)). The following conclusions were drawn: i) Using a colonized PAC in the HMP is essential to reach complete ammonia removal, ii) an older PAC offers a higher resilience to temperature decrease as well as lower operating costs; ii) PAC concentration inside the HMP reactor is not a key operating parameter as under the conditions tested, PAC colonization was not limited by the available surface; iii) ammonia flux limited biomass growth and iv) hydraulic retention time was a critical parameter. In the case of a peak pollution, the process was most probably phosphate-limited but a mixed adsorption/nitrification still allowed reaching a 50% ammonia removal. Finally, a kinetic model based on these experiments is proposed to predict ammonia removal occurring in the PAC reactor of the HMP. The model determines the relative importance of the adsorption and biological oxidation of ammonia on colonized PAC, and demonstrates the combined role of nitrification and residual adsorption capacity of colonized PAC. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantitative Analysis of Pac1/LIS1-mediated Dynein Targeting: Implications for Regulation of Dynein Activity in Budding Yeast

PubMed Central

Markus, Steven M.; Plevock, Karen M.; St. Germain, Bryan J.; Punch, Jesse J.; Meaden, Christopher W.; Lee, Wei-Lih

2011-01-01

LIS1 is a critical regulator of dynein function during mitosis and organelle transport. Here, we investigated how Pac1, the budding yeast LIS1 homologue, regulates dynein targeting and activity during nuclear migration. We show that Pac1 and Dyn1 (dynein heavy chain) are dependent upon each other and upon Bik1 (budding yeast CLIP-170 homologue) for plus end localization, whereas Bik1 is independent of either. Dyn1, Pac1 and Bik1 interact in vivo at the plus ends, where an excess amount of Bik1 recruits approximately equal amounts of Pac1 and Dyn1. Overexpression of Pac1 enhanced plus end targeting of Dyn1 and vice versa, while affinity-purification of Dyn1 revealed that it exists in a complex with Pac1 in the absence of Bik1, leading us to conclude that the Pac1-Dyn1 complex preassembles in the cytoplasm prior to loading onto Bik1-decorated plus ends. Strikingly, we found that Pac1-overexpression augments cortical dynein activity through a mechanism distinct from loss of She1, a negative regulator of dynein-dynactin association. While Pac1-overexpression enhances the frequency of cortical targeting for dynein and dynactin, the stoichiometry of these complexes remains relatively unchanged at the plus ends compared to that in wild-type cells (~3 dynein to 1 dynactin). Loss of She1, however, enhances dynein-dynactin association at the plus ends and the cell cortex, resulting in an apparent 1:1 stoichiometry. Our results reveal differential regulation of cortical dynein activity by She1 and Pac1, and provide a potentially new regulatory step in the off-loading model for dynein function. PMID:21294277

An Examination of the First 30 Days After Patients are Discharged to the Community From Hip Fracture Postacute Care.

PubMed

Leland, Natalie E; Gozalo, Pedro; Christian, Thomas J; Bynum, Julie; Mor, Vince; Wetle, Terrie F; Teno, Joan M

2015-10-01

Postacute care (PAC) rehabilitation aims to maximize independence and facilitate a safe community transition. Yet little is known about PAC patients' success in staying home after discharge or differences on this outcome across PAC providers. Examine the percentage of PAC patients who remain in the community at least 30 days after discharge (ie, successful community discharge) after hip fracture rehabilitation and describe differences among PAC facilities based on this outcome. Retrospective observational study. Community-dwelling, Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries 75 years of age and above who experienced their first hip fracture between 1999 and 2007 (n=880,779). PAC facilities admitting hip fracture patients in 2006. Successful community discharge, sites of readmission after PAC discharge. Between 1999 and 2007, 57% of patients achieved successful community discharge. Black were less likely (adjusted odds ratios=0.84; 95% confidence interval, 0.82-0.86) than similar whites to achieve successful community discharge. Among all who reentered the community (n=581,095), 14% remained in the community <30 days. Acute hospitals (67.5%) and institutional PAC (16.8%) were the most common sites of reentry. The median proportion of successful community discharge among facilities was 49% (interquartile range, 33%-66%). Lowest-quartile facilities admitted older (85.9 vs. 84.1 y of age), sicker patients (eg, higher rates of hospital complications 6.0% vs. 4.6%), but admitted fewer annually (7.1 vs. 19.3), compared with the highest quartile. Reentry into the health care system after PAC community discharge is common. Because of the distinct care needs of the PAC population there is a need for a quality measure that complements the current 30-day hospital readmission outcome and captures the objectives of PAC rehabilitation.

Frequent premature atrial contractions impair left atrial contractile function and promote adverse left atrial remodeling.

PubMed

John, Anub G; Hirsch, Glenn A; Stoddard, Marcus F

2018-06-10

This study assessed if frequent premature atrial contractions (PACs) were associated with decreased left atrial (LA) strain and adverse remodeling. Left atrial dysfunction and enlargement increases risk of stroke. If frequent PACs cause LA dysfunction and remodeling, PAC suppressive therapy may be beneficial. Inclusion criteria were age ≥18 years and sinus rhythm. Exclusion criteria were atrial fibrillation or any etiology for LA enlargement. Hundred and thirty-two patients with frequent PACs (≥100/24 hours) by Holter were matched to controls. Speckle tracking strain of the left atrium was performed from the 4-chamber view. Strain measurements were LA peak contractile, reservoir and conduit strain and strain rates. In the frequent PAC vs control group, PACs were more frequent (1959 ± 3796 vs 28 ± 25/24 hours, P < .0001). LA peak contractile strain was reduced in the group with frequent PACs vs controls (-7.85 ± 4.12% vs -9.33 ± 4.45%, P = .006). LA peak late negative contractile strain rate was less negative in the frequent PAC vs control group (-0.63 ± 0.27 s -1 vs -0.69 ± 0.32 s -1 , P = .051). LA reservoir and conduit strain and strain rates did not differ. LA volume index (LAVI) was larger in the frequent PAC vs control group (26.6 ± 7.8 vs 24.6 ± 8.8 mL/m 2 , P < .05). Frequent PACs were an independent predictor of reduced LA peak contractile strain and reduced LA peak late negative contractile strain rate. Patients with frequent PACs have reduced LA peak contractile strain and strain rates and larger LAVI compared to controls. Frequent PACs are an independent predictor of reduced LA peak contractile strain and strain rate. These findings support the hypothesis that frequent PACs impair LA contractile function and promote adverse LA remodeling. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PacC and pH–dependent transcriptome of the mycotrophic fungus Trichoderma virens

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background In fungi, environmental pH is an important signal for development, and successful host colonization depends on homeostasis. Surprisingly, little is known regarding the role of pH in fungal-fungal interactions. Species of Trichoderma grow as soil saprobes but many are primarily mycotrophic, using other fungi as hosts. Therefore, Trichoderma spp. are studied for their potential in biocontrol of plant diseases. Particularly in alkaline soil, pH is a critical limiting factor for these biofungicides, whose optimal growth pH is 4–6. Gaining an understanding of pH adaptability is an important step in broadening the activity spectrum of these economically important fungi. Results We studied the pH-responsive transcription factor PacC by gene knockout and by introduction of a constitutively active allele (pacCc). ΔpacC mutants exhibited reduced growth at alkaline pH, while pacCc strains grew poorly at acidic pH. In plate confrontation assays ΔpacC mutants showed decreased ability to compete with the plant pathogens Rhizoctonia solani and Sclerotium rolfsii. The pacCc strain exhibited an overgrowth of R. solani that was comparable to the wild type, but was unable to overgrow S. rolfsii. To identify genes whose expression is dependent on pH and pacC, we designed oligonucleotide microarrays from the transcript models of the T. virens genome, and compared the transcriptomes of wild type and mutant cultures exposed to high or low pH. Transcript levels from several functional classes were dependent on pacC, on pH, or on both. Furthermore, the expression of a set of pacC-dependent genes was increased in the constitutively-active pacCc strain, and was pH-independent in some, but not all cases. Conclusions PacC is important for biocontrol-related antagonism of other fungi by T. virens. As much as 5% of the transcriptome is pH-dependent, and of these genes, some 25% depend on pacC. Secondary metabolite biosynthesis and ion transport are among the relevant gene classes. We suggest that ΔpacC mutants may have lost their full biocontrol potential due to their inability to adapt to alkaline pH, to perceive ambient pH, or both. The results raise the novel possibility of genetically manipulating Trichoderma in order to improve adaptability and biocontrol at alkaline pH. PMID:23445374

DICOM image quantification secondary capture (DICOM IQSC) integrated with numeric results, regions, and curves: implementation and applications in nuclear medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Xinhua; Xu, Xiaoyin; Voss, Stephan

2017-03-01

In this paper, we describe an enhanced DICOM Secondary Capture (SC) that integrates Image Quantification (IQ) results, Regions of Interest (ROIs), and Time Activity Curves (TACs) with screen shots by embedding extra medical imaging information into a standard DICOM header. A software toolkit of DICOM IQSC has been developed to implement the SC-centered information integration of quantitative analysis for routine practice of nuclear medicine. Primary experiments show that the DICOM IQSC method is simple and easy to implement seamlessly integrating post-processing workstations with PACS for archiving and retrieving IQ information. Additional DICOM IQSC applications in routine nuclear medicine and clinic research are also discussed.

Using Field-Metered Data to Quantify Annual Energy Use of Portable Air Conditioners

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

Burke, Thomas; Willem, Henry; Ni, Chun Chun

2014-12-12

As many regions of the United States experience rising temperatures, consumers have come to rely increasingly on cooling appliances (including portable air conditioners) to provide a comfortable indoor temperature. Home occupants sometimes use a portable air conditioner (PAC) to maintain a desired indoor temperature in a single room or enclosed space. Although PACs in residential use are few compared to centrally installed and room air conditioning (AC) units, the past few years have witnessed an increase of PACs use throughout the United States. There is, however, little information and few research projects focused on the energy consumption and performance ofmore » PACs, particularly studies that collect information from field applications of PACs. The operation and energy consumption of PACs may differ among geographic locations and households, because of variations in cooling load, frequency, duration of use, and other user-selected settings. In addition, the performance of building envelope (thermal mass and air leakage) as well as inter-zonal mixing within the building would substantially influence the ability to control and maintain desirable indoor thermal conditions. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) conducted an initial field-metering study aimed at increasing the knowledge and data related to PAC operation and energy consumption in the United States. LBNL performed its field-metering study from mid-April to late October 2014. The study, which monitored 19 sites in the Northeastern United States (4 in upstate New York and 15 near Philadelphia), collected real-time data on PAC energy consumption along with information regarding housing characteristics, consumer behavior, and environmental conditions that were expected to affect PAC performance. Given the limited number of test sites, this study was not intended to be statistically representative of PAC users in the United States but rather to understand the system response to the cooling demand and to some extent, the operating hours of the studied units. Specifically, the primary objectives of the field-metering study were to (1) expand knowledge of the installation, energy consumption profiles, consumer patterns of use, and environmental parameters related to PAC use; (2) develop distributions of hours of PAC operation for three operating modes: standby, 1 fan-only, and cooling; and (3) describe how individual consumers’ selection of PAC capacity, the area of the space to be cooled, the temperature set point, and environmental conditions affect energy use. Beginning to understand the energy consumption of PACs operating in American homes and commercial settings will help develop a more accurate energy use profile that characterizes relevant variables. This report on LBNL’s field-metering study of PAC energy use describes: a general definition of a PAC and how it operates (section 2); current practices and sources of data for estimating PAC energy use (section 3); the process LBNL used to select field-metering sites, along with characteristics of the sites and the PACs studied (section 4); data collection methods and instrumentation (section 5); analysis methods (section 6); results and discussion (section 7); and conclusions (section 8).« less

Weapon Performance Testing and Analysis: The MODI-PAC Round, the Number 4 Lead-Shot Round, and the Flying Baton

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-01-01

items. The items tested were the MODI-PAC, a proprietary item of Reming)on Arms Company, a standard 12 - gauge round of No. 4 lead shot, and an...to refrain from testing this item. Therefore, the final selection of items for testing were (1) the MODI-PAC, (2) a standard 12 - gauge shotgun round of...The first item evaluated was the MODI-PAC5. The MOQ1-PAC which standsfor “modified impact “ is a 12 - gauge shotgun shell loaded with approximately 320

Technical feasibility study of a low-cost hybrid PAC-UF system for wastewater reclamation and reuse: a focus on feedwater production for low-pressure boilers.

PubMed

Amosa, Mutiu Kolade; Jami, Mohammed Saedi; Alkhatib, Ma'an Fahmi R; Majozi, Thokozani

2016-11-01

This study has applied the concept of the hybrid PAC-UF process in the treatment of the final effluent of the palm oil industry for reuse as feedwater for low-pressure boilers. In a bench-scale set-up, a low-cost empty fruit bunch-based powdered activated carbon (PAC) was employed for upstream adsorption of biotreated palm oil mill effluent (BPOME) with the process conditions: 60 g/L dose of PAC, 68 min of mixing time and 200 rpm of mixing speed, to reduce the feedwater strength, alleviate probable fouling of the membranes and thus improve the process flux (productivity). Three polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes of molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) of 1, 5 and 10 kDa were investigated in a cross-flow filtration mode, and under constant transmembrane pressures of 40, 80, and 120 kPa. The permeate qualities of the hybrid processes were evaluated, and it was found that the integrated process with the 1 kDa MWCO UF membrane yielded the best water quality that falls within the US EPA reuse standard for boiler-feed and cooling water. It was also observed that the permeate quality is fit for extended reuse as process water in the cement, petroleum and coal industries. In addition, the hybrid system's operation consumed 37.13 Wh m -3 of energy at the highest applied pressure of 120 kPa, which is far lesser than the typical energy requirement range (0.8-1.0 kWh m -3 ) for such wastewater reclamation.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Herschel FIR spectra of GOALS galaxies (Diaz-Santos+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diaz-Santos, T.; Armus, L.; Charmandaris, V.; Lu, N.; Stierwalt, S.; Stacey, G.; Malhotra, S.; van der Werf, P. P.; Howell, J. H.; Privon, G. C.; Mazzarella, J. M.; Goldsmith, P. F.; Murphy, E. J.; Barcos-Munoz, L.; Linden, S. T.; Inami, H.; Larson, K. L.; Evans, A. S.; Appleton, P.; Iwasawa, K.; Lord, S.; Sanders, D. B.; Surace, J. A.

2018-04-01

We have obtained FIR spectroscopic observations for 200 luminous infrared galaxies (LIRG) systems from the Great Observatories All-Sky LIRG Survey (GOALS; Armus+ 2009PASP..121..559A) using the Integral Field Spectrometer (IFS) of the PACS instrument on board Herschel. Since some targets contain multiple components, there are 241 individual galaxies with available spectra in at least one emission line. Most of the data were collected as part of our OT1 and OT2 programs (OT1larmus1, OT2larmus1; P.I.: L. Armus), accounting for more than 200hr of observing time in total. Additional observations that are publicly available in the Herschel archive were included from various projects. The main programs from where these complementary data were gathered are KPGTesturm1 (P.I.: E. Sturm), KPOTpvanderw1 (PI: P. van der Werf), and OT1dweedman1 (P.I.: D. Weedman). The IFS on PACS is able to perform simultaneous spectroscopy in the 51-73 or 70-105um and the 102-210um ranges. In addition to the PACS/IFS spectra, we obtained observations of the [NII]205 emission line using the SPIRE FTS for 121 galaxies in the GOALS sample (Lu+ 2017, J/ApJS/230/1 ; OT1nlu1; P.I.: N. Lu). As part of the Spitzer GOALS legacy program, all galaxies observed with Herschel/PACS have available Spitzer/IRS low-resolution, R~60-120 (SL module: 5.2-14.5um; LL module: 14-38um), and medium-resolution, R~600 (SH module: 9.9-19.6um; LH module: 18.7-37.2um), slit spectroscopy. (3 data files).

The DICOM Standard: A Brief Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibaud, Bernard

The DICOM standard has now become the uncontested standard for the exchange and management of biomedical images. Everyone acknowledges its prominent role in the emergence of multi-vendor Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS), and their successful integration with Hospital Information Systems and Radiology Information Systems, thanks to the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) initiative. We introduce here the basic concepts retained for the definition of objects and services in DICOM, with the hope that it will help the reader to find his or her way in the vast DICOM documentation available on the web.

Detecting phase-amplitude coupling with high frequency resolution using adaptive decompositions

PubMed Central

Pittman-Polletta, Benjamin; Hsieh, Wan-Hsin; Kaur, Satvinder; Lo, Men-Tzung; Hu, Kun

2014-01-01

Background Phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) – the dependence of the amplitude of one rhythm on the phase of another, lower-frequency rhythm – has recently been used to illuminate cross-frequency coordination in neurophysiological activity. An essential step in measuring PAC is decomposing data to obtain rhythmic components of interest. Current methods of PAC assessment employ narrowband Fourier-based filters, which assume that biological rhythms are stationary, harmonic oscillations. However, biological signals frequently contain irregular and nonstationary features, which may contaminate rhythms of interest and complicate comodulogram interpretation, especially when frequency resolution is limited by short data segments. New method To better account for nonstationarities while maintaining sharp frequency resolution in PAC measurement, even for short data segments, we introduce a new method of PAC assessment which utilizes adaptive and more generally broadband decomposition techniques – such as the empirical mode decomposition (EMD). To obtain high frequency resolution PAC measurements, our method distributes the PAC associated with pairs of broadband oscillations over frequency space according to the time-local frequencies of these oscillations. Comparison with existing methods We compare our novel adaptive approach to a narrowband comodulogram approach on a variety of simulated signals of short duration, studying systematically how different types of nonstationarities affect these methods, as well as on EEG data. Conclusions Our results show: (1) narrowband filtering can lead to poor PAC frequency resolution, and inaccuracy and false negatives in PAC assessment; (2) our adaptive approach attains better PAC frequency resolution and is more resistant to nonstationarities and artifacts than traditional comodulograms. PMID:24452055

Postacute rehabilitation quality of care: toward a shared conceptual framework.

PubMed

Jesus, Tiago Silva; Hoenig, Helen

2015-05-01

There is substantial interest in mechanisms for measuring, reporting, and improving the quality of health care, including postacute care (PAC) and rehabilitation. Unfortunately, current activities generally are either too narrow or too poorly specified to reflect PAC rehabilitation quality of care. In part, this is caused by a lack of a shared conceptual understanding of what construes quality of care in PAC rehabilitation. This article presents the PAC-rehab quality framework: an evidence-based conceptual framework articulating elements specifically pertaining to PAC rehabilitation quality of care. The widely recognized Donabedian structure, process, and outcomes (SPO) model furnished the underlying structure for the PAC-rehab quality framework, and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framed the functional outcomes. A comprehensive literature review provided the evidence base to specify elements within the SPO model and ICF-derived framework. A set of macrolevel-outcomes (functional performance, quality of life of patient and caregivers, consumers' experience, place of discharge, health care utilization) were defined for PAC rehabilitation and then related to their (1) immediate and intermediate outcomes, (2) underpinning care processes, (3) supportive team functioning and improvement processes, and (4) underlying care structures. The role of environmental factors and centrality of patients in the framework are explicated as well. Finally, we discuss why outcomes may best measure and reflect the quality of PAC rehabilitation. The PAC-rehab quality framework provides a conceptually sound, evidence-based framework appropriate for quality of care activities across the PAC rehabilitation continuum. Copyright © 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cranberry Proanthocyanidins are Cytotoxic to Human Cancer Cells and Sensitize Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer Cells to Paraplatin

PubMed Central

Singh, Ajay P.; Singh, Rakesh K.; Kim, Kyu Kwang; Satyan, K. S.; Nussbaum, Roger; Torres, Monica; Brard, Laurent; Vorsa, Nicholi

2010-01-01

Polyphenolic extracts of the principal flavonoid classes present in cranberry were screened in vitro for cytotoxicity against solid tumor cells lines, identifying two fractions composed principally of proanthocyanidins (PACs) with potential anticancer activity. Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis of the proanthocyanidins (PACs) fractions indicated the presence of A-type PACs with 1–4 linkages containing between 2–8 epicatechin units with a maximum of 1 epigallocatechin unit. PACs exhibited in vitro cytotoxicity against platinum-resistant human ovarian, neuroblastoma and prostate cancer cell lines (IC50 = 79–479 μg/mL) but were non-cytotoxic to lung fibroblast cells (IC50 > 1000 μg/ml). SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells treated with PACs exhibited classic apoptotic changes. PACs acted synergistically with paraplatin in SKOV-3 cells. Pretreatment of SKOV-3 cells with PACs (106 μg/ ml) resulted in a significant reduction of the paraplatin IC50 value. Similarly, in a BrdU incorporation assay, co-treatment of SKOV-3 cells with PACs and paraplatin revealed reduced cell proliferation at lower concentrations than with either individually. In SKOV-3 cell cultures co-treated with PAC-1 and paraplatin, an HPLC analysis indicated differential quantitative presence of various PAC oligomers such as DP-8, -9, -11 and -14 indicating either selective binding or uptake. Cranberry proanthocyanidins exhibit cell-line specific cytotoxicity, induce apoptotic markers and augment cytotoxicity of paraplatin in platinum-resistant SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells. PMID:19172579

Antiadhesive Activity and Metabolomics Analysis of Rat Urine after Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton) Administration.

PubMed

Peron, Gregorio; Pellizzaro, Anna; Brun, Paola; Schievano, Elisabetta; Mammi, Stefano; Sut, Stefania; Castagliuolo, Ignazio; Dall'Acqua, Stefano

2017-07-19

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton) is used to treat noncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs). A-type procyanidins (PAC-A) are considered the active constituents able to inhibit bacterial adhesion to the urinary epithelium. However, the role of PAC-A in UTIs is debated, because of their poor bioavailability, extensive metabolism, limited knowledge about urinary excretion, and contradictory clinical trials. The effects of 35-day cranberry supplementation (11 mg/kg PAC-A, 4 mg/kg PAC-B) were studied in healthy rats using a ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS)-based metabolomics approach. Microbial PAC metabolites, such as valeric acid and valerolactone derivatives, were related to cranberry consumption. An increased urinary excretion of glucuronidated metabolites was also observed. In a further experiment, urine samples were collected at 2, 4, 8, and 24 h after cranberry intake and their antiadhesive properties were tested against uropathogenic Escherichia coli. The 8 h samples showed the highest activity. Changes in urinary composition were studied by ultra performance liquid chromatography-time-of-flight (UPLC-QTOF), observing the presence of PAC metabolites. The PAC-A2 levels were measured in all collected samples, and the highest amounts, on the order of ng/mL, were found in the samples collected after 4 h. Results indicate that the antiadhesive activity against uropathogenic bacteria observed after cranberry consumption is ascribable to PAC-A metabolites rather than to a direct PAC-A effect, as the measured PAC-A levels in urine was lower than those reported as active in the literature.

T2- and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging at 3T for the detection of prostate cancer with and without endorectal coil: An intraindividual comparison of image quality and diagnostic performance.

PubMed

Baur, Alexander D J; Daqqaq, Tareef; Wagner, Moritz; Maxeiner, Andreas; Huppertz, Alexander; Renz, Diane; Hamm, Bernd; Fischer, Thomas; Durmus, Tahir

2016-06-01

To intraindividually compare image quality and diagnostic performance of multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) at 3T for the detection of prostate cancer (PCa) using a pelvic phased-array coil (PAC) and a combined endorectal and pelvic phased-array coil (ERC-PAC). Forty-five patients were prospectively included and received mpMRI of the prostate using a PAC and an ERC-PAC during one imaging session. Two radiologists evaluated image quality and the most suspicious lesion according to the PI-RADS scoring system. Results of MRI-TRUS-fusion biopsy of the prostate served as reference standard. Patient comfort and acceptance were assessed using a standardized questionnaire. Overall image quality for T2WI was rated significantly better with an ERC-PAC compared to a PAC (p=0.0038). The weighted kappa for PI-RADS scores for T2WI and DWI with a PAC and an ERC-PAC was 0.70 and 0.73, respectively. For a PI-RADS sum score including T2WI and DWI the area under the curve with a PAC and an ERC-PAC were 0.95-0.99 and 0.93-0.97, respectively (p=0.1395). For T2WI and DWI performed at 3T index PCa lesion identification and evaluation did not differ significantly with both coil setups. Patients preferred MRI without an ERC. Therefore, the use of an ERC may be omitted in a prostate cancer detection setting. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interpretation of digital breast tomosynthesis: preliminary study on comparison with picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and dedicated workstation.

PubMed

Kim, Young Seon; Chang, Jung Min; Yi, Ann; Shin, Sung Ui; Lee, Myung Eun; Kim, Won Hwa; Cho, Nariya; Moon, Woo Kyung

2017-08-01

To compare the diagnostic accuracy and efficiency in the interpretation of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) images using a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and a dedicated workstation. 97 DBT images obtained for screening or diagnostic purposes were stored in both a workstation and a PACS and evaluated in combination with digital mammography by three independent radiologists retrospectively. Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System final assessments and likelihood of malignancy (%) were assigned and the interpretation time when using the workstation and PACS was recorded. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, sensitivities and specificities were compared with histopathological examination and follow-up data as a reference standard. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values for cancer detection (0.839 vs 0.815, p = 0.6375) and sensitivity (81.8% vs 75.8%, p = 0.2188) showed no statistically significant differences between the workstation and PACS. However, specificity was significantly higher when analysing on the workstation than when using PACS (83.7% vs 76.9%, p = 0.009). When evaluating DBT images using PACS, only one case was deemed necessary to be reanalysed using the workstation. The mean time to interpret DBT images on PACS (1.68 min/case) was significantly longer than that to interpret on the workstation (1.35 min/case) (p < 0.0001). Interpretation of DBT images using PACS showed comparable diagnostic performance to a dedicated workstation, even though it required a longer reading time. Advances in knowledge: Interpretation of DBT images using PACS is an alternative to evaluate the images when a dedicated workstation is not available.

UV254 absorbance as real-time monitoring and control parameter for micropollutant removal in advanced wastewater treatment with powdered activated carbon.

PubMed

Altmann, Johannes; Massa, Lukas; Sperlich, Alexander; Gnirss, Regina; Jekel, Martin

2016-05-01

This study investigates the applicability of UV absorbance measurements at 254 nm (UVA254) to serve as a simple and reliable surrogate parameter to monitor and control the removal of organic micropollutants (OMPs) in advanced wastewater treatment applying powdered activated carbon (PAC). Correlations between OMP removal and corresponding UVA254 reduction were determined in lab-scale adsorption batch tests and successfully applied to a pilot-scale PAC treatment stage to predict OMP removals in aggregate samples with good accuracy. Real-time UVA254 measurements were utilized to evaluate adapted PAC dosing strategies and proved to be effective for online monitoring of OMP removal. Furthermore, active PAC dosing control according to differential UVA254 measurements was implemented and tested. While precise removal predictions based on real-time measurements were not accurate for all OMPs, UVA254-controlled dynamic PAC dosing was capable of achieving stable OMP removals. UVA254 can serve as an effective surrogate parameter for OMP removal in technical PAC applications. Even though the applicability as control parameter to adjust PAC dosing to water quality changes might be limited to applications with fast response between PAC adjustment and adsorptive removal (e.g. direct filtration), UVA254 measurements can also be used to monitor the adsorption efficiency in more complex PAC applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Want to Teach about SuperPACs? What We Can Learn from Stephen Colbert

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoddard, Jeremy

2012-01-01

The emergence of the SuperPACs in American politics is a major issue in the current election. SuperPACs, and the media campaigns they fund, also present a major challenge for media and democratic education. This article explores the issues surrounding SuperPACs and the rise of media in elections and politics in general, and presents some starting…

Picture archiving and communication systems (PACS).

PubMed

Gamsu, Gordon; Perez, Enrico

2003-07-01

Over the past 2 decades, groups of computer scientists, electronic design engineers, and physicians, in universities and industry, have worked to achieve an electronic environment for the practice of medicine and radiology. The radiology component of this revolution is often called PACS (picture archiving and communication systems). More recently it has become evident that the efficiencies and cost savings of PACS are realized when they are part of an enterprise-wide electronic medical record. The installation of PACS requires careful planning by all the various stakeholds over many months prior to installation. All of the users must be aware of the initial disruption that will occur as they become familiar with the systems. Modern fourth generation PACS is linked to radiology and hospital information systems. The PACS consist of electronic acquisition sites-a robust network intelligently managed by a server, multiple viewing sites, and an archive. The details of how these are linked and their workflow analysis determines the success of PACS. PACS evolves over time, components are frequently replaced, and so the users must expect continuous learning about new updates and improved functionality. The digital medical revolution is rapidly being adopted in many medical centers, improving patient care and the success of the institution.

Gonioscopy findings and prevalence of occludable angles in a Burmese population: the Meiktila Eye Study

PubMed Central

Casson, R J; Newland, H S; Muecke, J; McGovern, S; Abraham, L M; Shein, W K; Selva, D; Aung, T

2007-01-01

Aim To determine the prevalence of preglaucomatous angle‐closure disease in central Myanmar. Methods A population‐based survey of inhabitants ⩾40 years in the Meiktila District was carried out; 2481 subjects were identified, 2076 participated and 2060 underwent gonioscopy of at least one eye. Eyes with angles traditionally described as “occludable” were recorded as primary angle‐closure suspects (PACS); eyes with PACS and peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS), or an increased intraocular pressure but without primary angle‐closure glaucoma, were recorded as primary angle closure (PAC). Results The prevalence of PACS in at least one eye was 5.7% (95% CI 4.72 to 6.62); prevalence increased with age and was more common in women (p<0.001). The prevalence of PAC in at least one eye was 1.50% (95% CI 1.47 to 1.53). All participants with PAS had at least 90° of closure (range 90–360°). Conclusion The prevalence of preglaucomatous angle‐closure disease (PACS and PAC) in this population was 5.7% and 1.5%, respectively. PACS was more common in women, and its prevalence increased with age. PMID:17576708

The in vitro protective effect of salicylic acid against paclitaxel and cisplatin-induced neurotoxicity.

PubMed

Cetin, Damla; Hacımuftuoglu, Ahmet; Tatar, Abdulgani; Turkez, Hasan; Togar, Basak

2016-08-01

Paclitaxel (PAC) and cisplatin (CIS) are two established chemotherapeutic drugs used in combination for the treatment of various solid tumors. However, the usage of PAC and CIS are limited because of the incidence of their moderate or severe neurotoxic side effects. In this study, we aimed to assess the protective role of salicylic acid (SA) against neurotoxicity caused by PAC and CIS. For this purpose, newborn Sprague Dawley rats were decapitated in sterile atmosphere and primary cortex neuron cultures were established. On the 10th day SA was added into culture plates. PAC and CIS were added on the 12th day. The cytotoxicity was determined by using the MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay. Oxidative alterations were assessed using total antioxidant capacity and total oxidative stress assays in rat primary neuron cell cultures. It was shown that both concentrations of PAC and CIS treatments caused neurotoxicity. Although SA decreased the neurotoxicity by CIS and PAC, it was more effective against the toxicity caused by CIS rather than the toxicity caused by PAC. In conclusion it was clearly revealed that SA decreased the neurotoxic effect of CIS and PAC in vitro.

Natural Organic Matter Removal and Fouling in a Low Pressure Hybrid Membrane Systems

PubMed Central

Uyak, Vedat; Akdagli, Muge; Cakmakci, Mehmet; Koyuncu, Ismail

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate powdered activated carbon (PAC) contribution to natural organic matter (NOM) removal by a submerged MF and UF hybrid systems. It was found that filtration of surface waters by a bare MF and UF membranes removed negligible TOC; by contrast, significant amounts of TOC were removed when daily added PAC particles were predeposited on the membrane surfaces. These results support the assumption that the membranes surface properties and PAC layer structure might have considerably influential factor on NOM removal. Moreover, it was concluded that the dominant removal mechanism of hybrid membrane system is adsorption of NOM within PAC layer rather than size exclusion of NOM by both of membrane pores. Transmembrane pressure (TMP) increases with PAC membrane systems support the view that PAC adsorption pretreatment will not prevent the development of membrane pressure; on the contrary, PAC particles themselves caused membrane fouling by blocking the entrance of pores of MF and UF membranes. Although all three source waters have similar HPI content, it appears that the PAC interaction with the entrance of membrane pores was responsible for offsetting the NOM fractional effects on membrane fouling for these source waters. PMID:24523651

A Routing Mechanism for Cloud Outsourcing of Medical Imaging Repositories.

PubMed

Godinho, Tiago Marques; Viana-Ferreira, Carlos; Bastião Silva, Luís A; Costa, Carlos

2016-01-01

Web-based technologies have been increasingly used in picture archive and communication systems (PACS), in services related to storage, distribution, and visualization of medical images. Nowadays, many healthcare institutions are outsourcing their repositories to the cloud. However, managing communications between multiple geo-distributed locations is still challenging due to the complexity of dealing with huge volumes of data and bandwidth requirements. Moreover, standard methodologies still do not take full advantage of outsourced archives, namely because their integration with other in-house solutions is troublesome. In order to improve the performance of distributed medical imaging networks, a smart routing mechanism was developed. This includes an innovative cache system based on splitting and dynamic management of digital imaging and communications in medicine objects. The proposed solution was successfully deployed in a regional PACS archive. The results obtained proved that it is better than conventional approaches, as it reduces remote access latency and also the required cache storage space.

Positive Aspects of Caregiving and Caregiver Burden: A Study of Caregivers of Patients With Dementia.

PubMed

Abdollahpour, Ibrahim; Nedjat, Saharnaz; Salimi, Yahya

2018-01-01

Now positive aspect of caregiving (PAC) is well-defined as caregiver gains, satisfaction, meaningful life, and enhanced family relationship. The adjusted association of PAC and caregiver burden is not well acknowledged. This study investigated the association of caregiver burden and PAC adjusting for potential confounders. This was a cross-sectional study that recruited 132 caregivers. A linear regression model with PAC was used to estimate the adjusted associations. The caregiver burden was negatively associated with PAC (mean difference in PAC per a 1-unit increase in caregiver burden = -0.12, 95% confidence interval: -0.18 to -0.056; P < .001). This association remained after adjustment for caregivers' age and marital status as well as patients' dependency level. The negative significant association of caregiver burden with PAC reinforces the need for interventional and/or educational programs aiming at decreasing the overall imposed burden. This can play an important role in improving caregivers' general health and quality of life.

Long-term effect on membrane fouling in a new membrane bioreactor as a pretreatment to seawater desalination.

PubMed

Jeong, Sanghyun; Rice, Scott A; Vigneswaran, Saravanamuthu

2014-08-01

Submerged membrane adsorption bio-reactors (SMABR) were investigated as a new pretreatment for seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination. They were tested with different doses of powder activated carbon (PAC) on-site for a long-term. The biofouling on the membrane was assessed in terms of DNA (cells) and polysaccharide distribution. MBR without PAC addition resulted in severe fouling on membrane. When PAC is added in the MBR, PAC could reduce the organic fouling. Hence the biofilm formation on membrane was reduced without any membrane damage. PAC also helped to remove low molecular weight (LMW) organics responsible for biofouling of RO membrane. A linear correlation between assimilable organic carbon (AOC) and LMW organics was observed. A small amount of PAC (2.4-8.0g of PAC/m(3) of seawater) was sufficient to reduce biofouling. It indicated that SMABR is an environmentally-friendly biological pretreatment to reduce biofouling for SWRO. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhanced performance of a submerged membrane bioreactor with powdered activated carbon addition for municipal secondary effluent treatment.

PubMed

Lin, Hongjun; Wang, Fangyuan; Ding, Linxian; Hong, Huachang; Chen, Jianrong; Lu, Xiaofeng

2011-09-15

The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of PAC-MBR process treating municipal secondary effluent. Two laboratory-scale submerged MBRs (SMBR) with and without PAC addition were continuously operated in parallel for secondary effluent treatment. Approximately 63%TOC, 95% NH(4)(+)-N and 98% turbidity in secondary effluent were removed by the PAC-MBR process. Most organics in the secondary effluent were found to be low molecular weight (MW) substances, which could be retained in the reactor and then removed to some extent by using PAC-MBR process. Parallel experiments showed that the addition of PAC significantly increased organic removal and responsible for the largest fraction of organic removal. Membrane fouling analysis showed the enhanced membrane performance in terms of sustainable operational time and filtration resistances by PAC addition. Based on these results, the PAC-MBR process was considered as an attractive option for the reduction of pollutants in secondary effluent. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Scavenging ratios of polycyclic aromatic compounds in rain and snow in the Athabasca oil sands region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.; Cheng, I.; Muir, D.; Charland, J.-P.

2015-02-01

The Athabasca oil sands industry in northern Alberta, Canada, is a possible source of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs). Monitored PACs, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alkylated PAHs, and dibenzothiophenes (DBTs), in precipitation and in air at three near-source sites in the Fort MacKay and Fort McMurray area during January 2011 to May 2012, were used to generate a database of scavenging ratios (Wt) for PACs scavenged by both snow and rain. Higher concentrations in precipitation and air were observed for alkylated PAHs and DBTs compared to the other PACs. The sums of the median precipitation concentrations over the period of data analyzed were 0.48 μ g L-1 for the 18 PAHs, 3.38 μ g L-1 for the 20 alkylated PAHs, and 0.94 μ g L-1 for the 5 DBTs. The sums of the median air concentrations for parent PAHs, alkylated PAHs, and DBTs were 8.37, 67.26, and 11.83 ng m-3, respectively. Median Wt over the measurement period were 6100 - 1.1 × 106 from snow scavenging and 350 - 2.3 × 105 from rain scavenging depending on the PAC species. Median Wt for parent PAHs were within the range of those observed at other urban and suburban locations, but Wt for acenaphthylene in snow samples were 2-7 times higher compared to other urban and suburban locations. Wt for some individual snow and rain samples exceeded literature values by a factor of 10. Wt for benzo(a)pyrene, dibenz(a,h)anthracene, and benzo(g,h,i)perylene in snow samples had reached 107, which is the maximum for PAH snow scavenging ratios reported in the literature. From the analysis of data subsets, Wt for particulate-phase dominant PACs were 14-20 times greater than gas-phase dominant PACs in snow samples and 7-20 times greater than gas-phase dominant PACs in rain samples. Wt from snow scavenging were ~ 9 times greater than from rain scavenging for particulate-phase dominant PACs and 4-9.6 times greater than from rain scavenging for gas-phase dominant PACs. Gas-particle fractions of each PAC, particle size distributions of particulate-phase dominant PACs, and the Henry's law constant of gas-phase dominant PACs explained, to a large extent, the different Wt values among the different PACs and precipitation types. The trend in Wt with increasing alkyl substitutions may be attributed to their physico-chemical properties, such as octanol-air and particle partition coefficients and subcooled vapor pressure, which increases gas-particle partitioning and, subsequently, the particulate mass fraction. This study verified findings from a previous study of Wang et al. (2014) that suggested that snow scavenging is more efficient than rain scavenging of particles for equivalent precipitation amounts, and also provided new knowledge of the scavenging of gas-phase PACs and alkylated PACs by snow and rain.

Minimally Clinically Important Change in the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC), a Generic Patient-Reported Outcome Tool, in People With Low Back Pain.

PubMed

Lee, Natalie; Thompson, Nicolas R; Passek, Sandra; Stilphen, Mary; Katzan, Irene L

2017-11-01

The Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC) is a generic metric of patient-reported functional status. The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in the AM-PAC score has not been determined. The study objective was to determine the MCID for AM-PAC in people with low back pain. This was a retrospective cohort study. Anchor-based and distribution-based methods were used to estimate the MCID. The Modified Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire was used as the anchor. Adults who had a primary ICD-9 code for low back pain in at least 1 outpatient physical therapist visit during an episode of care and who completed both the AM-PAC and the Modified Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire in at least 2 visits during the care episode were included. The MCID was calculated for the AM-PAC basic mobility version as well its adapted version, which the Cleveland Clinic uses for patients 65 years old or older. A total of 1,271 participants were eligible for study. For the AM-PAC basic mobility version, anchor-based methods yielded MCID estimates of between 3.4 and 5.1, whereas distribution-based methods yielded estimates of 1.7 to 4.2. The minimal detectable change (MDC) for the AM-PAC basic mobility version was 3.3. For the adapted AM-PAC basic mobility version, the MCID was estimated to be between 2.9 and 4.0 via anchor-based methods and between 1.2 to 3.5 via distribution-based methods. The MDC for the adapted AM-PAC basic mobility version was 3.5. The estimated MCID was designed for people with low back pain only. The MCID ranged from 3.3 to 5.1 for the AM-PAC basic mobility version and 3.5 to 4 for the adapted version, with the MDC as the lower limit. Changes in the AM-PAC for people with low back pain may be interpreted using the estimated MCID. Future studies are needed to determine the AM-PAC MCID for populations other than those with low back pain. © 2017 American Physical Therapy Association

A written self-help intervention for depressed adults comparing behavioural activation combined with physical activity promotion with a self-help intervention based upon behavioural activation alone: study protocol for a parallel group pilot randomised controlled trial (BAcPAc).

PubMed

Farrand, Paul; Pentecost, Claire; Greaves, Colin; Taylor, Rod S; Warren, Fiona; Green, Colin; Hillsdon, Melvyn; Evans, Phil; Welsman, Jo; Taylor, Adrian H

2014-05-29

Challenges remain to find ways to support patients with depression who have low levels of physical activity (PA) to overcome perceived barriers and enhance the perceived value of PA for preventing future relapse. There is an evidence-base for behavioural activation (BA) for depression, which focuses on supporting patients to restore activities that have been avoided, but practitioners have no specific training in promoting PA. We aimed to design and evaluate an integrated BA and PA (BAcPAc) practitioner-led, written, self-help intervention to enhance both physical and mental health. This study is informed by the Medical Research Council Complex Intervention Framework and describes a protocol for a pilot phase II randomised controlled trial (RCT) to test the feasibility and acceptability of the trial methods to inform a definitive phase III RCT. Following development of the augmented written self-help intervention (BAcPAc) incorporating behavioural activation with physical activity promotion, depressed adults are randomised to receive up to 12 sessions over a maximum of 4 months of either BAcPAc or behavioural activation alone within a written self-help format, which represents treatment as usual. The study is located within two 'Improving Access to Psychological Therapies' services in South West England, with both written self-help interventions supported by mental health paraprofessionals. Measures assessed at 4, 9, and 12 month follow-up include the following: CIS-R, PHQ-9, accelerometer recorded (4 months only) and self-reported PA, body mass index, blood pressure, Insomnia Severity Index, quality of life, and health and social care service use. Process evaluation will include analysis of recorded support sessions and patient and practitioner interviews. At the time of writing the study has recruited 60 patients. The feasibility outcomes will inform a definitive RCT to assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the augmented BAcPAc written self-help intervention to reduce depression and depressive relapse, and bring about improvements across a range of physical health outcomes. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN74390532, 26.03.2013.

The Accuracy of Temperature Measurements Provided by the Edwards Lifesciences Pulmonary Artery Catheter.

PubMed

Launey, Yoann; Larmet, Raphaëlle; Nesseler, Nicolas; Malledant, Yannick; Palpacuer, Clément; Seguin, Philippe

2016-05-01

Pulmonary artery catheters (PACs) are frequently used for monitoring patient temperatures in the intensive care unit. Nevertheless, data regarding the accuracy of these measurements are lacking, and few data testify to the accuracy of temperatures recorded after the PAC has been in place for several days. The absolute values of such measurements are relevant for critical care because patient temperatures are often used as diagnostic criteria for sepsis and antibiotic therapy. We thus hypothesized that the Edwards Lifesciences PAC would accurately measure blood temperature. To test our hypothesis, we compared temperature measurements obtained from PACs inserted in patients for different lengths of time with measurements of a reference platinum resistance thermometer (PRT). PACs were removed and analyzed in 39 patients in whom PACs were inserted for 0 to 5 days. The PACs were placed in calibration baths, and 10 consecutive measurements at each of 7 different temperatures were obtained (36°C, 36.5°C, 37°C, 38°C, 38.3°C, 39°C, and 40°C). The temperature measurements obtained using PACs were compared with measurements obtained using a PRT. Bland-Altman statistical analyses were performed. Outliers, defined as PAC temperature measurements that varied more than ±0.3°C from PRT measurements, were identified. We considered a catheter unfit for clinical diagnostic or therapeutic use if ≥15% of data pairs were outliers. A total of 2730 data pairs were analyzed. Overall, the bias was -0.15°C; the precision was +0.13°C; and the limits of agreement were -0.45°C to +0.13°C. The bias and limits of agreement did not differ according to the age of the catheter or the temperature tested. One hundred fourteen data pairs (4.2% [95% confidence interval, 2.0%-6.4%]), involving 13 PACs and mostly from 4 PACs, were outliers. We conclude that temperature measurements obtained using the Edwards Lifesciences PACs are thus sufficiently accurate to be used for clinical temperature monitoring in critically ill patients.

Improving the Quality of Postabortion Care Services in Togo Increased Uptake of Contraception

PubMed Central

Mugore, Stembile; Kassouta, Ntapi Tchiguiri K; Sebikali, Boniface; Lundstrom, Laurel; Saad, Abdulmumin

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT High-quality postabortion care (PAC) services that include family planning counseling and a full range of contraceptives at point of treatment for abortion complications have great potential to break the cycle of repeat unintended pregnancies and demand for abortions. We describe the first application of a systematic approach to quality improvement of PAC services in a West African country. This approach—IntraHealth International’s Optimizing Performance and Quality (OPQ) approach—was applied at 5 health care facilities in Togo starting in November 2014. A baseline assessment identified the following needs: reorganizing services to ensure that contraceptives are provided at point of treatment for abortion complications, before PAC clients are discharged; improving provider competencies in family planning services, including in providing long-acting reversible contraceptive implants and intrauterine devices; ensuring that contraceptive methods are available to all PAC clients free of charge; standardizing PAC registers and enhancing data collection and reporting systems; enhancing internal supervision systems at facilities and teamwork among PAC providers; and engaging PAC providers in community talks. Solutions devised and applied at the facilities during OPQ resulted in significant increases in contraceptive counseling and uptake among PAC clients: During the 5-month baseline period, 31% of PAC clients were counseled, while during the 13-month intervention period, 91% were counseled. Of all PAC clients counseled during the baseline period, 37% accepted a contraceptive, compared with 60% of those counseled during the intervention period. Oral contraceptive pills remained the most popular method during both periods, yet uptake of implants increased significantly during the intervention period—from 4% to 27% of those accepting contraceptives. This result demonstrates that the solutions applied maintained method choice while expanding access to underused long-acting reversible contraceptives. OPQ shows great potential for sustainability and scale in Togo and for application in similar contexts where the health system struggles to offer safe, high-quality, accessible PAC services. PMID:27688719

Co-operative suppression of inflammatory responses in human dendritic cells by plant proanthocyanidins and products from the parasitic nematode Trichuris suis.

PubMed

Williams, Andrew R; Klaver, Elsenoor J; Laan, Lisa C; Ramsay, Aina; Fryganas, Christos; Difborg, Rolf; Kringel, Helene; Reed, Jess D; Mueller-Harvey, Irene; Skov, Søren; van Die, Irma; Thamsborg, Stig M

2017-03-01

Interactions between dendritic cells (DCs) and environmental, dietary and pathogen antigens play a key role in immune homeostasis and regulation of inflammation. Dietary polyphenols such as proanthocyanidins (PAC) may reduce inflammation, and we therefore hypothesized that PAC may suppress lipopolysaccharide (LPS) -induced responses in human DCs and subsequent T helper type 1 (Th1) -type responses in naive T cells. Moreover, we proposed that, because DCs are likely to be exposed to multiple stimuli, the activity of PAC may synergise with other bioactive molecules that have anti-inflammatory activity, e.g. soluble products from the helminth parasite Trichuris suis (TsSP). We show that PAC are endocytosed by monocyte-derived DCs and selectively induce CD86 expression. Subsequently, PAC suppress the LPS-induced secretion of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-12p70, while enhancing secretion of IL-10. Incubation of DCs with PAC did not affect lymphocyte proliferation; however, subsequent interferon-γ production was markedly suppressed, while IL-4 production was unaffected. The activity of PAC was confined to oligomers (degree of polymerization ≥ 4). Co-pulsing DCs with TsSP and PAC synergistically reduced secretion of tumour necrosis factor-α, IL-6 and IL-12p70 while increasing IL-10 secretion. Moreover, both TsSP and PAC alone induced Th2-associated OX40L expression in DCs, and together synergized to up-regulate OX40L. These data suggest that PAC induce an anti-inflammatory phenotype in human DCs that selectively down-regulates Th1 response in naive T cells, and that they also act cooperatively with TsSP. Our results indicate a novel interaction between dietary compounds and parasite products to influence immune function, and may suggest that combinations of PAC and TsSP can have therapeutic potential for inflammatory disorders. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

User Acceptance of Picture Archiving and Communication System in the Emergency Department

PubMed Central

Goodarzi, Hassan; Khatami, Seyed-Masoud; Javadzadeh, Hammidreza; Mahmoudi, Sadrollah; Khajehpour, Hojjatollah; Heidari, Soleiman; Khodaparast, Morteza; Ebrahimi, Ali; Rasouli, Hamidreza; Ghane, Mohammadreza; Faraji, Mehrdad; Hassanpour, Kasra

2016-01-01

Background Picture archiving and communication system (PACS) has allowed the medical images to be transmitted, stored, retrieved, and displayed in different locations of a hospital or health system. Using PACS in the emergency department will eventually result in improved efficiency and patient care. In spite of the abundant benefits of employing PACS, there are some challenges in implementing this technology like users’ resistance to accept the technology, which has a critical role in PACS success. Objectives In this study, we will assess and compare user acceptance of PACS in the emergency departments of three different hospitals and investigate the effect of socio-demographic factors on this acceptance. Materials and Methods A variant of technology acceptance model (TAM) has been used in order to measure the acceptance level of PACS in the emergency department of three educational hospitals in Iran. A previously used questionnaire was validated and utilized to collect the study data. A stepwise multiple regression model was used to predict factors influencing acceptance score as the dependent variable. Results Mean age of participants was 32.9 years (standard deviation [SD] = 6.08). Participants with the specialty degree got a higher acceptance score than the three other groups (Mean ± SD = 4.17 ± 0.20). Age, gender, degree of PACS usage and participant’s occupation (profession) did not influence the acceptance score. In our multiple regression model, all three variables of perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEU) and the effect of PACS (change) had a significant effect in the prediction of acceptance. The most influencing factor was change with the beta of 0.22 (P value < 0.001). Conclusion PACS is highly accepted in all three emergency departments especially among specialists. PU, PEU and change are factors influencing PACS acceptance. Our study can be used as an evidence of PACS acceptance in emergency wards. PMID:27679692

An examination of the first 30 days after patients are discharged to the community from hip fracture post-acute care

PubMed Central

Leland, Natalie; Gozalo, Pedro; Christian, TJ; Bynum, Julie; Mor, Vince; Wetle, Terrie Fox; Teno, Joan

2015-01-01

Background Post-acute care (PAC) rehabilitation aims to maximize independence and facilitate a safe community transition. Yet little is known about PAC patients’ success in staying home post-discharge or differences on this outcome across PAC providers. Objectives Examine the percentage of PAC patients who remain in the community at least 30 days after discharge (i.e., successful community discharge) following hip fracture rehabilitation and describe differences among PAC facilities based on this outcome. Research Design Retrospective observational study. Subjects Community-dwelling, Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries 75 years of age and older who experienced their first hip fracture between 1999–2007 (n=880,779). PAC facilities admitting hip fracture patients in 2006. Measures Successful community discharge, sites of readmission after PAC discharge. Results Between 1999 and 2007, 57% of patients achieved successful community discharge. Black were less likely (adjusted odds ratios=0.84, 95% confidence interval 0.82–0.86) than similar whites to achieve successful community discharge. Among all who re-entered the community (n=581,095), 14% remained in the community fewer than 30 days. Acute hospitals (67.5%) and institutional PAC (16.8%) were the most common sites of re-entry. The median proportion of successful community discharge among facilities was 49% (IQR: 33%–66%). Lowest-quartile facilities admitted older (85.9 vs. 84.1 years of age), sicker patients (e.g., higher rates of hospital complications 6.0% vs. 4.6%), but admitted fewer annually (7.1 vs. 19.3), compared to the highest quartile. Conclusions Re-entry into the healthcare system after PAC community discharge is common. Due to the distinct care needs of the PAC population there is a need for a quality measure that complements the current 30-day hospital readmission outcome and captures the objectives of PAC rehabilitation. PMID:26340664

Bradyrhizobium pachyrhizi sp. nov. and Bradyrhizobium jicamae sp. nov., isolated from effective nodules of Pachyrhizus erosus.

PubMed

Ramírez-Bahena, Martha Helena; Peix, Alvaro; Rivas, Raúl; Camacho, María; Rodríguez-Navarro, Dulce N; Mateos, Pedro F; Martínez-Molina, Eustoquio; Willems, Anne; Velázquez, Encarna

2009-08-01

Several strains isolated from the legume Pachyrhizus erosus were characterized on the basis of diverse genetic, phenotypic and symbiotic approaches. These novel strains formed two groups closely related to Bradyrhizobium elkanii according to their 16S rRNA gene sequences. Strains PAC48T and PAC68T, designated as the type strains of these two groups, presented 99.8 and 99.1% similarity, respectively, in their 16S rRNA gene sequences with respect to B. elkanii USDA 76T. In spite of these high similarity values, the analysis of additional phylogenetic markers such as atpD and glnII genes and the 16S-23S intergenic spacer (ITS) showed that strains PAC48T and PAC68T represented two separate novel species of the genus Bradyrhizobium with B. elkanii as their closest relative. Phenotypic differences among the novel strains isolated from Pachyrhizus and B. elkanii were found regarding the assimilation of carbon sources and antibiotic resistance. All these differences were congruent with DNA-DNA hybridization analysis which revealed 21% genetic relatedness between strains PAC48T and PAC68T and 46% and 25%, respectively, between these strains and B. elkanii LMG 6134T. The nodD and nifH genes of strains PAC48T and PAC68T were phylogenetically divergent from those of bradyrhizobia species that nodulate soybean. Soybean was not nodulated by the novel Pachyrhizus isolates. Based on the genotypic and phenotypic data obtained in this study, the new strains represent two novel species for which the names Bradyrhizobium pachyrhizi sp. nov. (type strain PAC48T=LMG 24246T=CECT 7396T) and Bradyrhizobium jicamae sp. nov. (type strain PAC68T=LMG 24556T=CECT 7395T) are proposed.

Enrichment and identification of polycyclic aromatic compound-degrading bacteria enriched from sediment samples.

PubMed

Long, Rachel M; Lappin-Scott, Hilary M; Stevens, Jamie R

2009-07-01

The degradation of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) has been widely studied. Knowledge of the degradation of PACs by microbial populations can be utilized in the remediation of contaminated sites. To isolate and identify PAC-degrading bacteria for potential use in future bioremediation programmes, we established a series of PAC enrichments under the same experimental conditions from a single sediment sample taken from a highly polluted estuarine site. Enrichment cultures were established using the pollutants: anthracene, phenanthrene and dibenzothiophene as a sole carbon source. The shift in microbial community structure on each of these carbon sources was monitored by analysis of a time series of samples from each culture using 16S rRNA polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). Significantly, our findings demonstrate that shifts in the constituent species within each degradative community are directly attributable to enrichment with different PACs. Subsequently, we characterized the microorganisms comprising the degradative communities within each enrichment using 16S rRNA sequence data. Our findings demonstrate that the ability to degrade PACs is present in five divisions of the Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. By determining the precise identity of the PAC-degrading bacterial species isolated from a single sediment sample, and by comparing our findings with previously published research, we demonstrate how bacteria with similar PAC degrading capabilities and 16S rRNA signatures are found in similarly polluted environments in geographically very distant locations, e.g., China, Italy, Japan and Hawaii. Such a finding suggests that geographical barriers do not limit the distribution of key PAC-degrading bacteria; this finding is in accordance with the Baas-Becking hypothesis "everything is everywhere; the environment selects" and may have significant consequences for the global distribution of PAC-degrading bacteria and their use in bioremediation.

The development and validation of the Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-3 (PACS-3).

PubMed

Schaefer, Lauren M; Thompson, J Kevin

2018-05-21

Appearance comparison processes are implicated in the development of body-image disturbance and disordered eating. The Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised (PACS-R) assesses the simple frequency of appearance comparisons; however, research has suggested that other aspects of appearance comparisons (e.g., comparison direction) may moderate the association between comparisons and their negative outcomes. In the current study, the PACS-R was revised to examine aspects of comparisons with relevance to body-image and eating outcomes. Specifically, the measure was modified to examine (a) dimensions of physical appearance relevant to men and women (i.e., weight-shape, muscularity, and overall physical appearance), (b) comparisons with proximal and distal targets, (c) upward versus downward comparisons, and (d) the acute emotional impact of comparisons. The newly revised measure, labeled the PACS-3, along with existing measures of appearance comparison, body satisfaction, eating pathology, and self-esteem, was completed by 1,533 college men and women. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to examine the factor structure of the PACS-3. In addition, the reliability, convergent validity, and incremental validity of the PACS-3 scores were examined. The final PACS-3 comprises 27 items and 9 subscales: Proximal: Frequency, Distal: Frequency, Muscular: Frequency, Proximal: Direction, Distal: Direction, Muscular: Direction, Proximal: Effect, Distal: Effect, and Muscular: Effect. the PACS-3 subscale scores demonstrated good reliability and convergent validity. Moreover, the PACS-3 subscales greatly improved the prediction of body satisfaction and disordered eating relative to existing measures of appearance comparison. Overall, the PACS-3 improves upon existing scales and offers a comprehensive assessment of appearance-comparison processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

The information security needs in radiological information systems-an insight on state hospitals of Iran, 2012.

PubMed

Farhadi, Akram; Ahmadi, Maryam

2013-12-01

Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) was originally developed for radiology services over 20 years ago to capture medical images electronically. Medical diagnosis methods are based on images such as clinical radiographs, ultrasounds, CT scans, MRIs, or other imaging modalities. Information obtained from these images is correlated with patient information. So with regards to the important role of PACS in hospitals, we aimed to evaluate the PACS and survey the information security needed in the Radiological Information system. First, we surveyed the different aspects of PACS that should be in any health organizations based on Department of Health standards and prepared checklists for assessing the PACS in different hospitals. Second, we surveyed the security controls that should be implemented in PACS. Checklists reliability is affirmed by professors of Tehran Science University. Then, the final data are inputted in SPSS software and analyzed. The results indicate that PACS in hospitals can transfer patient demographic information but they do not show route of information. These systems are not open source. They don't use XML-based standard and HL7 standard for exchanging the data. They do not use DS digital signature. They use passwords and the user can correct or change the medical information. PACS can detect alternation rendered. The survey of results demonstrates that PACS in all hospitals has the same features. These systems have the patient demographic data but they do not have suitable flexibility to interface network or taking reports. For the privacy of PACS in all hospitals, there were passwords for users and the system could show the changes that have been made; but there was no water making or digital signature for the users.

Wireless remote control clinical image workflow: utilizing a PDA for offsite distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Brent J.; Documet, Luis; Documet, Jorge; Huang, H. K.; Muldoon, Jean

2004-04-01

Last year we presented in RSNA an application to perform wireless remote control of PACS image distribution utilizing a handheld device such as a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). This paper describes the clinical experiences including workflow scenarios of implementing the PDA application to route exams from the clinical PACS archive server to various locations for offsite distribution of clinical PACS exams. By utilizing this remote control application, radiologists can manage image workflow distribution with a single wireless handheld device without impacting their clinical workflow on diagnostic PACS workstations. A PDA application was designed and developed to perform DICOM Query and C-Move requests by a physician from a clinical PACS Archive to a CD-burning device for automatic burning of PACS data for the distribution to offsite. In addition, it was also used for convenient routing of historical PACS exams to the local web server, local workstations, and teleradiology systems. The application was evaluated by radiologists as well as other clinical staff who need to distribute PACS exams to offsite referring physician"s offices and offsite radiologists. An application for image workflow management utilizing wireless technology was implemented in a clinical environment and evaluated. A PDA application was successfully utilized to perform DICOM Query and C-Move requests from the clinical PACS archive to various offsite exam distribution devices. Clinical staff can utilize the PDA to manage image workflow and PACS exam distribution conveniently for offsite consultations by referring physicians and radiologists. This solution allows the radiologist to expand their effectiveness in health care delivery both within the radiology department as well as offisite by improving their clinical workflow.

Wireless-PDA-controlled image workflow from PACS: the next trend in the health care enterprise?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erberich, Stephan G.; Documet, Jorge; Zhou, Michael Z.; Cao, Fei; Liu, Brent J.; Mogel, Greg T.; Huang, H. K.

2003-05-01

Image workflow in today's Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) is controlled from fixed Display Workstations (DW) using proprietary control interfaces. A remote access to the Hospital Information System (HIS) and Radiology Information System (RIS) for urgent patient information retrieval does not exist or gradually become available. The lack for remote access and workflow control for HIS and RIS is especially true when it comes to medical images of a PACS on Department or Hospital level. As images become more complex and data sizes expand rapidly with new image techniques like functional MRI, Mammography or routine spiral CT to name a few, the access and manageability becomes an important issue. Long image downloads or incomplete work lists cannot be tolerated in a busy health care environment. In addition, the domain of the PACS is no longer limited to the imaging department and PACS is also being used in the ER and emergency care units. Thus a prompt and secure access and manageability not only by the radiologist, but also from the physician becomes crucial to optimally utilize the PACS in the health care enterprise of the new millennium. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a concept and its implementation of a remote access and workflow control of the PACS combining wireless, Internet and Internet2 technologies. A wireless device, the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), is used to communicate to a PACS web server that acts as a gateway controlling the commands for which the user has access to the PACS server. The commands implemented for this test-bed are query/retrieve of the patient list and study list including modality, examination, series and image selection and pushing any list items to a selected DW on the PACS network.

A Recurrent De Novo PACS2 Heterozygous Missense Variant Causes Neonatal-Onset Developmental Epileptic Encephalopathy, Facial Dysmorphism, and Cerebellar Dysgenesis.

PubMed

Olson, Heather E; Jean-Marçais, Nolwenn; Yang, Edward; Heron, Delphine; Tatton-Brown, Katrina; van der Zwaag, Paul A; Bijlsma, Emilia K; Krock, Bryan L; Backer, E; Kamsteeg, Erik-Jan; Sinnema, Margje; Reijnders, Margot R F; Bearden, David; Begtrup, Amber; Telegrafi, Aida; Lunsing, Roelineke J; Burglen, Lydie; Lesca, Gaetan; Cho, Megan T; Smith, Lacey A; Sheidley, Beth R; Moufawad El Achkar, Christelle; Pearl, Phillip L; Poduri, Annapurna; Skraban, Cara M; Tarpinian, Jennifer; Nesbitt, Addie I; Fransen van de Putte, Dietje E; Ruivenkamp, Claudia A L; Rump, Patrick; Chatron, Nicolas; Sabatier, Isabelle; De Bellescize, Julitta; Guibaud, Laurent; Sweetser, David A; Waxler, Jessica L; Wierenga, Klaas J; Donadieu, Jean; Narayanan, Vinodh; Ramsey, Keri M; Nava, Caroline; Rivière, Jean-Baptiste; Vitobello, Antonio; Tran Mau-Them, Frédéric; Philippe, Christophe; Bruel, Ange-Line; Duffourd, Yannis; Thomas, Laurel; Lelieveld, Stefan H; Schuurs-Hoeijmakers, Janneke; Brunner, Han G; Keren, Boris; Thevenon, Julien; Faivre, Laurence; Thomas, Gary; Thauvin-Robinet, Christel

2018-05-03

Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) represent a large clinical and genetic heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental diseases. The identification of pathogenic genetic variants in DEEs remains crucial for deciphering this complex group and for accurately caring for affected individuals (clinical diagnosis, genetic counseling, impacting medical, precision therapy, clinical trials, etc.). Whole-exome sequencing and intensive data sharing identified a recurrent de novo PACS2 heterozygous missense variant in 14 unrelated individuals. Their phenotype was characterized by epilepsy, global developmental delay with or without autism, common cerebellar dysgenesis, and facial dysmorphism. Mixed focal and generalized epilepsy occurred in the neonatal period, controlled with difficulty in the first year, but many improved in early childhood. PACS2 is an important PACS1 paralog and encodes a multifunctional sorting protein involved in nuclear gene expression and pathway traffic regulation. Both proteins harbor cargo(furin)-binding regions (FBRs) that bind cargo proteins, sorting adaptors, and cellular kinase. Compared to the defined PACS1 recurrent variant series, individuals with PACS2 variant have more consistently neonatal/early-infantile-onset epilepsy that can be challenging to control. Cerebellar abnormalities may be similar but PACS2 individuals exhibit a pattern of clear dysgenesis ranging from mild to severe. Functional studies demonstrated that the PACS2 recurrent variant reduces the ability of the predicted autoregulatory domain to modulate the interaction between the PACS2 FBR and client proteins, which may disturb cellular function. These findings support the causality of this recurrent de novo PACS2 heterozygous missense in DEEs with facial dysmorphim and cerebellar dysgenesis. Copyright © 2018 American Society of Human Genetics. All rights reserved.

Detailed description of the Mayo/IBM PACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gehring, Dale G.; Persons, Kenneth R.; Rothman, Melvyn L.; Salutz, James R.; Morin, Richard L.

1991-07-01

The Mayo Clinic and IBM/Rochester have jointly developed a picture archiving system (PACS) for use with Mayo's MRI and Neuro-CT imaging modalities. The system was developed to replace the imaging system's vendor-supplied magnetic tape archiving capability. The system consists of seven MR imagers and nine CT scanners, each interfaced to the PACS via IBM Personal System/2(tm) (PS/2) computers, which act as gateways from the imaging modality to the PACS network. The PAC system operates on the token-ring component of Mayo's city-wide local area network. Also on the PACS network are four optical storage subsystems used for image archival, three optical subsystems used for image retrieval, an IBM Application System/400(tm) (AS/400) computer used for database management and multiple PS/2-based image display systems and their image servers.

Data grid: a distributed solution to PACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Jianguo

2004-04-01

In a hospital, various kinds of medical images acquired from different modalities are generally used and stored in different department and each modality usually attaches several workstations to display or process images. To do better diagnosis, radiologists or physicians often need to retrieve other kinds of images for reference. The traditional image storage solution is to buildup a large-scale PACS archive server. However, the disadvantages of pure centralized management of PACS archive server are obvious. Besides high costs, any failure of PACS archive server would cripple the entire PACS operation. Here we present a new approach to develop the storage grid in PACS, which can provide more reliable image storage and more efficient query/retrieval for the whole hospital applications. In this paper, we also give the performance evaluation by comparing the three popular technologies mirror, cluster and grid.

Determinant Factors in Applying Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) in Healthcare.

PubMed

Abdekhoda, Mohammadhiwa; Salih, Kawa Mirza

2017-01-01

Meaningful use of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) can change the workflow for accessing digital images, lead to faster turnaround time, reduce tests and examinations, and increase patient throughput. This study was carried out to identify determinant factors that affect the adoption of PACS by physicians. This was a cross-sectional study in which 190 physicians working in a teaching hospital affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences were randomly selected. Physicians' perceptions concerning the adoption of PACS were assessed by the conceptual path model of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Collected data were analyzed with regression analysis. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the final model that was developed. The results show that the UTAUT model can explain about 61 percent of the variance on in the adoption of PACS ( R 2 = 0.61). The findings also showed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influences, and behavior intention have a direct and significant effect on the adoption of PACS. However, facility condition showed to have no significant effect on physicians' behavior intentions. Implementation of new technology such as PACS in the healthcare sector is unavoidable. Our study clearly identified significant and nonsignificant factors that may affect the adoption of PACS. Also, this study acknowledged that physicians' perception is a key factor to manage the implementation of PACS optimally, and this fact should be considered by healthcare managers and policy makers.

Determinant Factors in Applying Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) in Healthcare

PubMed Central

Abdekhoda, Mohammadhiwa; Salih, Kawa Mirza

2017-01-01

Objectives Meaningful use of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) can change the workflow for accessing digital images, lead to faster turnaround time, reduce tests and examinations, and increase patient throughput. This study was carried out to identify determinant factors that affect the adoption of PACS by physicians. Methods This was a cross-sectional study in which 190 physicians working in a teaching hospital affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences were randomly selected. Physicians’ perceptions concerning the adoption of PACS were assessed by the conceptual path model of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Collected data were analyzed with regression analysis. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the final model that was developed. Results The results show that the UTAUT model can explain about 61 percent of the variance on in the adoption of PACS (R2 = 0.61). The findings also showed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influences, and behavior intention have a direct and significant effect on the adoption of PACS. However, facility condition showed to have no significant effect on physicians’ behavior intentions. Conclusions Implementation of new technology such as PACS in the healthcare sector is unavoidable. Our study clearly identified significant and nonsignificant factors that may affect the adoption of PACS. Also, this study acknowledged that physicians’ perception is a key factor to manage the implementation of PACS optimally, and this fact should be considered by healthcare managers and policy makers. PMID:28855856

Caregiving burden and psychological distress in Chinese spousal caregivers: gender difference in the moderating role of positive aspects of caregiving.

PubMed

Wong, Daniel Fu Keung; Ng, Ting Kin; Zhuang, Xiao Yu

2018-05-21

This study endeavors to advance the current literature by examining the gender differences in the caregiving experiences and the stress-buffering role of positive aspects of caregiving (PAC) among Chinese spousal caregivers of frail elders in Hong Kong. Forty-nine husband caregivers and 121 wife caregivers of frail elders in Hong Kong (N = 170) responded to the Positive Aspects of Caregiving (PAC) scale, the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21), and demographic questions. These spousal caregivers were diverse in age, and their care receivers were diverse in terms of age and health condition. As predicted, there were significant gender differences in the moderating effects of PAC on the relationships of caregiving burden to depression, anxiety, and overall psychological distress. While PAC significantly buffered the effects of caregiving burden on depression, anxiety, and overall psychological distress for wife caregivers, the moderating effects of PAC were not significant for husband caregivers. Unexpectedly, wife caregivers reported lower PAC, higher caregiving burden, and higher psychological distress. As these findings suggest that PAC is lower but more beneficial for Chinese wife caregivers than Chinese husband caregivers, helping professionals are recommended to use strengths-based interventions that target PAC when working with Chinese wife caregivers.

Development and implementation of a PACS network and resource manager

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Brent K.; Taira, Ricky K.; Dwyer, Samuel J., III; Huang, H. K.

1992-07-01

Clinical acceptance of PACS is predicated upon maximum uptime. Upon component failure, detection, diagnosis, reconfiguration and repair must occur immediately. Our current PACS network is large, heterogeneous, complex and wide-spread geographically. The overwhelming number of network devices, computers and software processes involved in a departmental or inter-institutional PACS makes development of tools for network and resource management critical. The authors have developed and implemented a comprehensive solution (PACS Network-Resource Manager) using the OSI Network Management Framework with network element agents that respond to queries and commands for network management stations. Managed resources include: communication protocol layers for Ethernet, FDDI and UltraNet; network devices; computer and operating system resources; and application, database and network services. The Network-Resource Manager is currently being used for warning, fault, security violation and configuration modification event notification. Analysis, automation and control applications have been added so that PACS resources can be dynamically reconfigured and so that users are notified when active involvement is required. Custom data and error logging have been implemented that allow statistics for each PACS subsystem to be charted for performance data. The Network-Resource Manager allows our departmental PACS system to be monitored continuously and thoroughly, with a minimal amount of personal involvement and time.

Bioremediation of PAH-contamined soils: Consequences on formation and degradation of polar-polycyclic aromatic compounds and microbial community abundance.

PubMed

Biache, Coralie; Ouali, Salma; Cébron, Aurélie; Lorgeoux, Catherine; Colombano, Stéfan; Faure, Pierre

2017-05-05

A bioslurry batch experiment was carried out over five months on three polycyclic aromatic compound (PAC) contaminated soils to study the PAC (PAH and polar-PAC) behavior during soil incubation and to evaluate the impact of PAC contamination on the abundance of microbial communities and functional PAH-degrading populations. Organic matter characteristics and reactivity, assessed through solvent extractable organic matter and PAC contents, and soil organic matter mineralization were monitored during 5 months. Total bacteria and fungi, and PAH-ring hydroxylating dioxygenase genes were quantified. Results showed that PAHs and polar-PACs were degraded with different degradation dynamics. Differences in degradation rates were observed among the three soils depending on PAH distribution and availability. Overall, low molecular weight compounds were preferentially degraded. Degradation selectivity between isomers and structurally similar compounds was observed which could be used to check the efficiency of bioremediation processes. Bacterial communities were dominant over fungi and were most likely responsible for PAC degradation. Abundance of PAH-degrading bacteria increased during incubations, but their proportion in the bacterial communities tended to decrease. The accumulation of some oxygenated-PACs during the bioslurry experiment underlines the necessity to monitor these compounds during application of remediation treatment on PAH contaminated soils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tracking PACS usage with open source tools.

PubMed

French, Todd L; Langer, Steve G

2011-08-01

A typical choice faced by Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) administrators is deciding how many PACS workstations are needed and where they should be sited. Oftentimes, the social consequences of having too few are severe enough to encourage oversupply and underutilization. This is costly, at best in terms of hardware and electricity, and at worst (depending on the PACS licensing and support model) in capital costs and maintenance fees. The PACS administrator needs tools to asses accurately the use to which her fleet is being subjected, and thus make informed choices before buying more workstations. Lacking a vended solution for this challenge, we developed our own.

[Adsorption of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) onto modified activated carbons].

PubMed

Tong, Xi-Zhen; Shi, Bao-You; Xie, Yue; Wang, Dong-Sheng

2012-09-01

Modified coal and coconut shell based powdered activated carbons (PACs) were prepared by FeCl3 and medium power microwave treatment, respectively. Batch experiments were carried out to evaluate the characteristics of adsorption equilibrium and kinetics of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) onto original and modified PACs. Based on pore structure and surface functional groups characterization, the adsorption behaviors of modified and original PACs were compared. The competitive adsorption of humic acid (HA) and PFOS on original and modified coconut shell PACs were also investigated. Results showed that both Fe3+ and medium power microwave treatments changed the pore structure and surface functional groups of coal and coconut shell PACs, but the changing effects were different. The adsorption of PFOS on two modified coconut shell-based PACs was significantly improved. While the adsorption of modified coal-based activated carbons declined. The adsorption kinetics of PFOS onto original and modified coconut shell-based activated carbons were the same, and the time of reaching adsorption equilibrium was about 6 hours. In the presence of HA, the adsorption of PFOS by modified PAC was reduced but still higher than that of the original.

Performance enhancement with powdered activated carbon (PAC) addition in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating distillery effluent.

PubMed

Satyawali, Yamini; Balakrishnan, Malini

2009-10-15

This work investigated the effect of powdered activated carbon (PAC) addition on the operation of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating sugarcane molasses based distillery wastewater (spentwash). The 8L reactor was equipped with a submerged 30 microm nylon mesh filter with 0.05 m(2) filtration area. Detailed characterization of the commercial wood charcoal based PAC was performed before using it in the MBR. The MBR was operated over 200 days at organic loading rates (OLRs) varying from 4.2 to 6.9 kg m(-3)d(-1). PAC addition controlled the reactor foaming during start up and enhanced the critical flux by around 23%; it also prolonged the duration between filter cleaning. Operation at higher loading rates was possible and for a given OLR, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was higher with PAC addition. However, biodegradation in the reactor was limited and the high molecular weight compounds were not affected by PAC supplementation. The functional groups on PAC appear to interact with the polysaccharide portion of the sludge, which may reduce its propensity to interact with the nylon mesh.

Handling qualities of a wide-body transport airplane utilizing Pitch Active Control Systems (PACS) for relaxed static stability application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grantham, William D.; Person, Lee H., Jr.; Brown, Philip W.; Becker, Lawrence E.; Hunt, George E.; Rising, J. J.; Davis, W. J.; Willey, C. S.; Weaver, W. A.; Cokeley, R.

1985-01-01

Piloted simulation studies have been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of two pitch active control systems (PACS) on the flying qualities of a wide-body transport airplane when operating at negative static margins. These two pitch active control systems consisted of a simple 'near-term' PACS and a more complex 'advanced' PACS. Eight different flight conditions, representing the entire flight envelope, were evaluated with emphasis on the cruise flight conditions. These studies were made utilizing the Langley Visual/Motion Simulator (VMS) which has six degrees of freedom. The simulation tests indicated that (1) the flying qualities of the baseline aircraft (PACS off) for the cruise and other high-speed flight conditions were unacceptable at center-of-gravity positions aft of the neutral static stability point; (2) within the linear static stability flight envelope, the near-term PACS provided acceptable flying qualities for static stabilty margins to -3 percent; and (3) with the advanced PACS operative, the flying qualities were demonstrated to be good (satisfactory to very acceptable) for static stabilty margins to -20 percent.

Improving the performance of membrane bioreactors by powdered activated carbon dosing with cost considerations.

PubMed

Yang, W; Paetkau, M; Cicek, N

2010-01-01

Effects of powdered activated carbon (PAC) dosing on the overall performance of membrane bioreactors (MBR) were investigated in two bench-scale submerged MBRs. Positive impacts of PAC dosing on membrane fouling and the removal of 17beta-estradiol (E2) and 17alpha-ethyinylestradiol (EE2) were demonstrated over a six-month stable operational period. PAC dosing in the MBR increased the removal rates of E2 and EE2 by 3.4% and 15.8%, respectively. The average soluble extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and colloidal total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations in the PAC-MBR sludge was 60.1% and 61.8% lower than the control MBR sludge, respectively. Lower soluble EPS and colloidal TOC concentrations in the PAC-MBR sludge resulted in a slower rate of trans-membrane pressure (TMP) increase during MBRs operation, which could prolong the lifespan of membranes. Cost assessment showed that PAC dosing could reduce the operating cost for membrane cleaning and/or membrane replacement by about 25%. The operating cost for PAC dosing could be offset by the benefit from its reducing the cost for membrane maintenance.

Planning for PACS: a comprehensive guide to nontechnical considerations.

PubMed

Cohen, Mervyn D; Rumreich, Lori L; Garriot, Kimberley M; Jennings, S Gregory

2005-04-01

A complete picture archiving and communication system (PACS) installation is one of the largest projects a radiology department will undertake. Although technology issues are important, they often draw focus away from many other significant issues This paper describes in detail all of these other necessary components that need to be addressed if a PACS installation is to be relatively trouble free, provides guidelines for successful PACS implementation, and details pitfalls to be avoided.

Transition from partial to full PACS at a 450,000 exams/year hospital

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ro, Duk-Woo; Byun, Hong Sik; Choo, In W.; Kim, Bo K.; Lim, Jae H.

1997-05-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe the transition of a 1,100 beds tertiary hospital from 50 percent softcopy operation to full PACS operation. For the past 2 years, radiologists and clinicians have been using PACS to provide softcopy services to the outpatient clinics and inpatient wards of orthopedics surgery, neurosurgery and neurology as well as emergency room, surgical intensive care unit, medical intensive unit, pediatrics intensive care unit and neonatal intensive care unit. The examinations requested by these departments account for about 50 percent of hospital's radiological exams. In September 1996, we began the second phase of PACS implementation and installed additional workstations in the remaining wards and clinics, interfaced to PACS additional imaging modalities, and increased the capacity of both the image server and optical juke boxes. As of January 1997, we are in the final phase of moving away from conventional film system to full PACS operation.

Going all digital in a university hospital: a unified large-scale PACS for multiple departments and hospitals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogl, Raimund

2001-08-01

In 1997, a large PACS was first introduced at Innsbruck University Hospital in the context of a new traumatology centre. In the subsequent years, this initial PACS setting covering only one department was expanded to most of the hospital campus, with currently some 250 viewing stations attached. Constantly connecting new modalities and viewing stations created the demand for several redesigns from the original PACS configuration to cope with the increasing data load. We give an account of these changes necessary to develop a multi hospital PACS and the considerations that lead us there. Issues of personnel for running a large scale PACS are discussed and we give an outlook to the new information systems currently under development for archiving and communication of general medical imaging data and for simple telemedicine networking between several large university hospitals.

The Logistics Of Installing Pacs In An Existing Medical Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saarinen, Allan O.; Goodsitt, Mitchell M.; Loop, John W.

1989-05-01

A largely overlooked issue in the Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) area is the tremendous amount of site planning activity required to install such a system in an existing medical center. Present PACS equipment requires significant hospital real estate, specialized electrical power, cabling, and environmental controls to operate properly. Marshaling the hospital resources necessary to install PACS equipment requires many different players. The site preparation costs are nontrivial and usually include a number of hidden expenses. This paper summarizes the experience of the University of Washington Department of Radiology in installing an extensive digital imaging network (DIN) and PACS throughout the Department and several clinics in the hospital. The major logistical problems encountered at the University are discussed, a few recommendations are made, and the installation costs are documented. Overall, the University's site preparation costs equalled about seven percent (7%) of the total PACS equipment expenditure at the site.

Department of Defense picture archiving and communication system acceptance testing: results and identification of problem components.

PubMed

Allison, Scott A; Sweet, Clifford F; Beall, Douglas P; Lewis, Thomas E; Monroe, Thomas

2005-09-01

The PACS implementation process is complicated requiring a tremendous amount of time, resources, and planning. The Department of Defense (DOD) has significant experience in developing and refining PACS acceptance testing (AT) protocols that assure contract compliance, clinical safety, and functionality. The DOD's AT experience under the initial Medical Diagnostic Imaging Support System contract led to the current Digital Imaging Network-Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (DIN-PACS) contract AT protocol. To identify the most common system and component deficiencies under the current DIN-PACS AT protocol, 14 tri-service sites were evaluated during 1998-2000. Sixteen system deficiency citations with 154 separate types of limitations were noted with problems involving the workstation, interfaces, and the Radiology Information System comprising more than 50% of the citations. Larger PACS deployments were associated with a higher number of deficiencies. The most commonly cited systems deficiencies were among the most expensive components of the PACS.

Scavenging ratio of polycyclic aromatic compounds in rain and snow at the Athabasca oil sands region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.; Cheng, I.; Muir, D.; Charland, J.-P.

2014-07-01

Athabasca oil sands industry in northern Alberta, Canada is a possible source of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs). Monitored PACs, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alkylated PAHs, and dibenzothiophenes, in precipitation and in air at three near-source sites in the Fort MacKay and Fort McMurray area during May 2011 to August 2012 were analyzed to generate a database of scavenging (or washout) ratios (Wt) for PACs scavenged by both snow and rain. Median precipitation and air concentrations of parent PAHs over the May 2011 to August 2012 period ranged from 0.3-184.9 (chrysene) ng L-1 and 0.01-3.9 (naphthalene) ng m-3, respectively, which were comparable to literature values. Higher concentrations in precipitation and air were observed for alkylated PAHs and dibenzothiophenes. The median precipitation and air concentrations were 11.3-646.7 (C3-fluoranthene/pyrene) ng L-1 and 0.21-16.9 (C3-naphthalene) ng m-3, respectively, for alkylated PAHs, and 8.5-530.5 (C4-dibenzothiophene) ng L-1 and 0.13-6.6 (C2-dibenzothiophene) ng m-3 for dibenzothiophenes and their alkylated derivatives. Median Wt over the measurement period were 6100-1.1 × 106 from snow scavenging and 350-2.3 × 105 from rain scavenging depending on the PAC species. Median Wt for parent PAHs were within the range of those observed at other urban and suburban locations. But Wt for acenaphthylene in snow samples was 2-7 times higher. Some individual snow and rain samples exceeded literature values by a factor of 10. Wt for benzo(a)pyrene, dibenz(a,h)anthracene, and benzo(g,h,i)perylene in snow samples had reached 107, which is the maximum for PAH snow scavenging ratios reported in literature. From the analysis of data subsets, Wt for particulate-phase dominant PACs were 14-20 times greater than gas-phase dominant PACs in snow samples and 7-20 times greater than gas-phase dominant PACs in rain samples. Wt from snow scavenging was ∼9 times greater than rain scavenging for particulate-phase dominant PACs and 4-9.6 times greater than rain scavenging for gas-phase dominant PACs. Gas-particle fractions of each PAC, particle size distributions of particulate-phase dominant PACs, and Henry's Law constant of gas-phase dominant PACs explained, to a large extent, the different Wt values among the different PACs and precipitation types. This study verified findings from a previous study of Wang et al. (2014) which suggested that snow scavenging is more efficient than rain scavenging of particles for equivalent precipitation amount, and also provided new knowledge on the scavenging of gas-phase PACs by snow and rain.

Construction of armored RNA containing long-size chimeric RNA by increasing the number and affinity of the pac site in exogenous rna and sequence coding coat protein of the MS2 bacteriophage.

PubMed

Wei, Baojun; Wei, Yuxiang; Zhang, Kuo; Yang, Changmei; Wang, Jing; Xu, Ruihuan; Zhan, Sien; Lin, Guigao; Wang, Wei; Liu, Min; Wang, Lunan; Zhang, Rui; Li, Jinming

2008-01-01

To construct a one-plasmid expression system of the armored RNA containing long chimeric RNA by increasing the number and affinity of the pac site. The plasmid pET-MS2-pac was constructed with one C-variant pac site, and then the plasmid pM-CR-2C containing 1,891-bp chimeric sequences and two C-variant pac sites was produced. Meanwhile, three plasmids (pM-CR-C, pM-CR-2W and pM-CR-W) were obtained as parallel controls with a different number and affinity of the pac site. Finally, the armored RNA was expressed and purified. The armored RNA with 1,891 bases target RNA was expressed successfully by the one-plasmid expression system with two C-variant pac sites, while for one pac site, no matter whether the affinity was changed or not, only the 1,200 bases target RNA was packaged. It was also found that the C-variant pac site could increase the expression efficiency of the armored RNA. The armored RNA with 1,891-bp exogenous RNA in our study showed the characterization of ribonuclease resistance and stability at different time points and temperature conditions. The armored RNA with 1,891 bases exogenous RNA was constructed and the expression system can be used as a platform for preparation of the armored RNA containing long RNA sequences. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Cranberry-derived proanthocyanidins prevent formation of Candida albicans biofilms in artificial urine through biofilm- and adherence-specific mechanisms

PubMed Central

Rane, Hallie S.; Bernardo, Stella M.; Howell, Amy B.; Lee, Samuel A.

2014-01-01

Objectives Candida albicans is a common cause of nosocomial urinary tract infections (UTIs) and is responsible for increased morbidity and healthcare costs. Moreover, the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services no longer reimburse for hospital-acquired catheter-associated UTIs. Thus, development of specific approaches for the prevention of Candida urinary infections is needed. Cranberry juice-derived proanthocyanidins (PACs) have efficacy in the prevention of bacterial UTIs, partially due to anti-adherence properties, but there are limited data on their use for the prevention and/or treatment of Candida UTIs. Therefore, we sought to systematically assess the in vitro effect of cranberry-derived PACs on C. albicans biofilm formation in artificial urine. Methods C. albicans biofilms in artificial urine were coincubated with cranberry PACs at serially increasing concentrations and biofilm metabolic activity was assessed using the XTT assay in static microplate and silicone disc models. Results Cranberry PAC concentrations of ≥16 mg/L significantly reduced biofilm formation in all C. albicans strains tested, with a paradoxical effect observed at high concentrations in two clinical isolates. Further, cranberry PACs were additive in combination with traditional antifungals. Cranberry PACs reduced C. albicans adherence to both polystyrene and silicone. Supplementation of the medium with iron reduced the efficacy of cranberry PACs against biofilms. Conclusions These findings indicate that cranberry PACs have excellent in vitro activity against C. albicans biofilm formation in artificial urine. We present preliminary evidence that cranberry PAC activity against C. albicans biofilm formation is due to anti-adherence properties and/or iron chelation. PMID:24114570

Cranberry-derived proanthocyanidins prevent formation of Candida albicans biofilms in artificial urine through biofilm- and adherence-specific mechanisms.

PubMed

Rane, Hallie S; Bernardo, Stella M; Howell, Amy B; Lee, Samuel A

2014-02-01

Candida albicans is a common cause of nosocomial urinary tract infections (UTIs) and is responsible for increased morbidity and healthcare costs. Moreover, the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services no longer reimburse for hospital-acquired catheter-associated UTIs. Thus, development of specific approaches for the prevention of Candida urinary infections is needed. Cranberry juice-derived proanthocyanidins (PACs) have efficacy in the prevention of bacterial UTIs, partially due to anti-adherence properties, but there are limited data on their use for the prevention and/or treatment of Candida UTIs. Therefore, we sought to systematically assess the in vitro effect of cranberry-derived PACs on C. albicans biofilm formation in artificial urine. C. albicans biofilms in artificial urine were coincubated with cranberry PACs at serially increasing concentrations and biofilm metabolic activity was assessed using the XTT assay in static microplate and silicone disc models. Cranberry PAC concentrations of ≥16 mg/L significantly reduced biofilm formation in all C. albicans strains tested, with a paradoxical effect observed at high concentrations in two clinical isolates. Further, cranberry PACs were additive in combination with traditional antifungals. Cranberry PACs reduced C. albicans adherence to both polystyrene and silicone. Supplementation of the medium with iron reduced the efficacy of cranberry PACs against biofilms. These findings indicate that cranberry PACs have excellent in vitro activity against C. albicans biofilm formation in artificial urine. We present preliminary evidence that cranberry PAC activity against C. albicans biofilm formation is due to anti-adherence properties and/or iron chelation.

Assessing the impact of a radiology information management system in the emergency department

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redfern, Regina O.; Langlotz, Curtis P.; Lowe, Robert A.; Horii, Steven C.; Abbuhl, Stephanie B.; Kundel, Harold L.

1998-07-01

To evaluate a conventional radiology image management system, by investigating information accuracy, and information delivery. To discuss the customization of a picture archival and communication system (PACS), integrated radiology information system (RIS) and hospital information system (HIS) to a high volume emergency department (ED). Materials and Methods: Two data collection periods were completed. After the first data collection period, a change in work rules was implemented to improve the quality of data in the image headers. Data from the RIS, the ED information system, and the HIS as well as observed time motion data were collected for patients admitted to the ED. Data accuracy, patient waiting times, and radiology exam information delivery were compared. Results: The percentage of examinations scheduled in the RIS by the technologists increased from 0% (0 of 213) during the first period to 14% (44 of 317) during the second (p less than 0.001). The percentage of images missing identification numbers decreased from 36% (98 of 272) during the first data collection period to 10% (56 of 562) during the second period (p less than 0.001). Conclusions: Radiologic services in a high-volume ED, requiring rapid service, present important challenges to a PACS system. Strategies can be implemented to improve accuracy and completeness of the data in PACS image headers in such an environment.

Siemens experience in PACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, Charles L.; Perry, John H.

1990-08-01

Experience from ten years in Picture Archiving and Communication Systems has led to a clearer understanding of the user, system, and component requirements for PACS, and the evolving market. This paper reports on one manufacturer's considerations and experiences as a PACS supplier.

Biodistribution and Immunogenicity of Allogeneic Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a Rat Model of Intraarticular Chondrocyte Xenotransplantation.

PubMed

Marquina, Maribel; Collado, Javier A; Pérez-Cruz, Magdiel; Fernández-Pernas, Pablo; Fafián-Labora, Juan; Blanco, Francisco J; Máñez, Rafael; Arufe, María C; Costa, Cristina

2017-01-01

Xenogeneic chondrocytes and allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are considered a potential source of cells for articular cartilage repair. We here assessed the immune response triggered by xenogeneic chondrocytes when injected intraarticularly, as well as the immunoregulatory effect of allogeneic bone marrow-derived MSC after systemic administration. To this end, a discordant xenotransplantation model was established by injecting three million porcine articular chondrocytes (PAC) into the femorotibial joint of Lewis rats and monitoring the immune response. First, the fate of MSC injected using various routes was monitored in an in vivo imaging system. The biodistribution revealed a dependency on the injection route with MSC injected intravenously (i.v.) succumbing early after 24 h and MSC injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) lasting locally for at least 5 days. Importantly, no migration of MSC to the joint was detected in rats previously injected with PAC. MSC were then administered either i.v. 1 week before PAC injection or i.p. 3 weeks after to assess their immunomodulatory function on humoral and adaptive immune parameters. Anti-PAC IgM and IgG responses were detected in all PAC-injected rats with a peak at week 2 postinjection and reactivity remaining above baseline levels by week 18. IgG2a and IgG2b were the predominant and long-lasting IgG subtypes. By contrast, no anti-MSC antibody response was detected in the cohort injected with MSC only, but infusion of MSC before PAC injection temporarily augmented the anti-PAC antibody response. Consistent with a cellular immune response to PAC in PAC-injected rats, cytokine/chemokine profiling in serum by antibody array revealed a distinct pattern relative to controls characterized by elevation of multiple markers at week 2, as well as increases in proliferation in draining lymph nodes. Notably, systemic administration of allogeneic MSC under the described conditions did not diminish the immune response. IL-2 measurements in cocultures of rat peripheral blood lymphocytes with PAC indicated that PAC injection induced some T-cell hyporesponsiveness that was not enhanced in the cohorts additionally receiving MSC. Thus, PAC injected intraarticularly in Lewis rats induced a cellular and humoral immune response that was not counteracted by the systemic administration of allogeneic MSC under the described conditions.

Biodistribution and Immunogenicity of Allogeneic Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a Rat Model of Intraarticular Chondrocyte Xenotransplantation

PubMed Central

Marquina, Maribel; Collado, Javier A.; Pérez-Cruz, Magdiel; Fernández-Pernas, Pablo; Fafián-Labora, Juan; Blanco, Francisco J.; Máñez, Rafael; Arufe, María C.; Costa, Cristina

2017-01-01

Xenogeneic chondrocytes and allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are considered a potential source of cells for articular cartilage repair. We here assessed the immune response triggered by xenogeneic chondrocytes when injected intraarticularly, as well as the immunoregulatory effect of allogeneic bone marrow-derived MSC after systemic administration. To this end, a discordant xenotransplantation model was established by injecting three million porcine articular chondrocytes (PAC) into the femorotibial joint of Lewis rats and monitoring the immune response. First, the fate of MSC injected using various routes was monitored in an in vivo imaging system. The biodistribution revealed a dependency on the injection route with MSC injected intravenously (i.v.) succumbing early after 24 h and MSC injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) lasting locally for at least 5 days. Importantly, no migration of MSC to the joint was detected in rats previously injected with PAC. MSC were then administered either i.v. 1 week before PAC injection or i.p. 3 weeks after to assess their immunomodulatory function on humoral and adaptive immune parameters. Anti-PAC IgM and IgG responses were detected in all PAC-injected rats with a peak at week 2 postinjection and reactivity remaining above baseline levels by week 18. IgG2a and IgG2b were the predominant and long-lasting IgG subtypes. By contrast, no anti-MSC antibody response was detected in the cohort injected with MSC only, but infusion of MSC before PAC injection temporarily augmented the anti-PAC antibody response. Consistent with a cellular immune response to PAC in PAC-injected rats, cytokine/chemokine profiling in serum by antibody array revealed a distinct pattern relative to controls characterized by elevation of multiple markers at week 2, as well as increases in proliferation in draining lymph nodes. Notably, systemic administration of allogeneic MSC under the described conditions did not diminish the immune response. IL-2 measurements in cocultures of rat peripheral blood lymphocytes with PAC indicated that PAC injection induced some T-cell hyporesponsiveness that was not enhanced in the cohorts additionally receiving MSC. Thus, PAC injected intraarticularly in Lewis rats induced a cellular and humoral immune response that was not counteracted by the systemic administration of allogeneic MSC under the described conditions. PMID:29163532

How can the impact of PACS on inpatient length of hospital stay be established?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryan, Stirling; Muris, Nicole; Keen, Justin; Weatherburn, Gwyneth C.; Buxton, Martin J.

1994-05-01

Many have argued that the introduction of a large-scale PACS system into a hospital will bring about reductions in the length of inpatient hospital stays. There is currently no convicting empirical evidence to support such claims. As part of the independent evaluation exercise being undertaken alongside the Hammersmith Hospital PACS implementation, an assessment is being made of the impact of PACS on length of stay for selected patient groups. This paper reports the general research methods being employed to undertake this assessment and provides some baseline results from the analysis of total hip replacement patients and total knee replacement patients treated prior to the introduction of PACS.

Product Related Advantages of a Structured PACS Architecture

PubMed Central

Greinacher, C.F.C.; Fuchs, D.; Perry, J.

1986-01-01

Most of the previously described PACS solutions are either developed and evaluated by the users themselves or they are pilot projects evaluated in close cooperation between a user and one or several manufacturers. Many of the prerequisites that will have to be met by future PACS are of minor interest in these pilot projects; e.g. minimization of costs, compatibility between different manufacturers' equipment, feasibility of systems engineering and customizing of a standard product, serviceability of different manufacturers' subsystems, stepwise introduction of the system into the daily routine and failsafety of the system. The paper shows a structured PACS architecture as a prerequisite to make PACS a high quality system from the user's point of view.

The design and integration of retinal CAD-SR to diabetes patient ePR system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Huiqun; Wei, Yufang; Liu, Brent J.; Shang, Yujuan; Shi, Lili; Jiang, Kui; Dong, Jiancheng

2017-03-01

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the serious complications of diabetes that could lead to blindness. Digital fundus camera is often used to detect retinal changes but the diagnosis relies too much on ophthalmologist's experience. Based on our previously developed algorithms for quantifying retinal vessels and lesions, we developed a computer aided detection-structured report (CAD-SR) template and implemented it into picture archiving and communication system (PACS). Furthermore, we mapped our CAD-SR into HL7 CDA to integrate CAD findings into diabetes patient electronic patient record (ePR) system. Such integration could provide more quantitative features from fundus image into ePR system, which is valuable for further data mining researches.

The 3-dimensional structure of isolated and small foci of prostatic adenocarcinoma: the morphologic relationship between prostatic adenocarcinoma and prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia.

PubMed

Mai, Kien T; Burns, Bruce F; Stinson, William A; Morash, Christopher

2007-03-01

Transitional histopathologic changes from high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) into early prostatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) have not been well studied to date. To investigate the histogenesis of PAC, we examined isolated and small foci of PAC (ISPAC) found in prostatectomy specimens and the 3-dimensional structure of these foci. Twelve consecutive radical prostatectomy specimens having ISPAC, performed for peripheral zone PAC (10 cases) and for transitional zone PAC (2 cases), of Gleason score were studied. One to 2 tissue blocks with representative sections were used. Eight ISPAC, with Gleason score 3 + 3 had complete serial sections of the entire lesion. PAC consisted of continuous, tortuous and branching tubules and acini arising from benign ducts displaying: (a) HGPIN in 5 ISPAC and (b) no HGPIN in 3 ISAPC. At the junctions between benign epithelia with or without HGPIN and malignant epithelia, there were transitional lesions with HGPIN involving small ducts and acini. PAC develops as a result of multiple outpouchings of the epithelium with formation of small ducts and acini showing cytologic atypia and gradual or abrupt loss of basal cells. Grade 3 ISPAC consists of a system of continuous duct pushing into the stroma. There is also evidence suggestive of HGPIN as being both a precursor lesion and an accompanying lesion of PAC.

A Socio-technical assessment of the success of picture archiving and communication systems: the radiology technologist’s perspective

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background With the increasing prevalence of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) in healthcare institutions, there is a growing need to measure their success. However, there is a lack of published literature emphasizing the technical and social factors underlying a successful PACS. Methods An updated Information Systems Success Model was utilized by radiology technologists (RTs) to evaluate the success of PACS at a large medical center in Taiwan. A survey, consisting of 109 questionnaires, was analyzed by Structural Equation Modeling. Results Socio-technical factors (including system quality, information quality, service quality, perceived usefulness, user satisfaction, and PACS dependence) were proven to be effective measures of PACS success. Although the relationship between service quality and perceived usefulness was not significant, other proposed relationships amongst the six measurement parameters of success were all confirmed. Conclusions Managers have an obligation to improve the attributes of PACS. At the onset of its deployment, RTs will have formed their own subjective opinions with regards to its quality (system quality, information quality, and service quality). As these personal concepts are either refuted or reinforced based on personal experiences, RTs will become either satisfied or dissatisfied with PACS, based on their perception of its usefulness or lack of usefulness. A satisfied RT may play a pivotal role in the implementation of PACS in the future. PMID:24053458

Accuracy and reliability of tablet computer as an imaging console for detection of radiological signs of acute appendicitis using PACS workstation as reference standard.

PubMed

Awais, Muhammad; Khan, Dawar Burhan; Barakzai, Muhammad Danish; Rehman, Abdul; Baloch, Noor Ul-Ain; Nadeem, Naila

2018-05-01

To ascertain the accuracy and reliability of tablet as an imaging console for detection of radiological signs of acute appendicitis [on focused appendiceal computed tomography (FACT)] using Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) workstation as reference standard. From January, 2014 to June, 2015, 225 patients underwent FACT at our institution. These scans were blindly re-interpreted by an independent consultant radiologist, first on PACS workstation and, two weeks later, on tablet. Scans were interpreted for the presence of radiological signs of acute appendicitis. Accuracy of tablet was calculated using PACS as reference standard. Kappa (κ) statistics were calculated as a measure of reliability. Of 225 patients, 99 had radiological evidence of acute appendicitis on PACS workstation. Tablet was 100% accurate in detecting radiological signs of acute appendicitis. Appendicoliths, free fluid, lymphadenopathy, phlegmon/abscess, and perforation were identified on PACS in 90, 43, 39, 10, and 12 scans, respectively. There was excellent agreement between tablet and PACS for detection of appendicolith (к = 0.924), phlegmon/abscess (к = 0.904), free fluid (к = 0.863), lymphadenopathy (к = 0.879), and perforation (к = 0.904). Tablet computer, as an imaging console, was highly reliable and was as accurate as PACS workstation for the radiological diagnosis of acute appendicitis.

Specificity Determinants of Proteolytic Processing of Aspergillus PacC Transcription Factor Are Remote from the Processing Site, and Processing Occurs in Yeast If pH Signalling Is Bypassed

PubMed Central

Mingot, José-Manuel; Tilburn, Joan; Diez, Eliecer; Bignell, Elaine; Orejas, Margarita; Widdick, David A.; Sarkar, Sovan; Brown, Christopher V.; Caddick, Mark X.; Espeso, Eduardo A.; Arst, Herbert N.; Peñalva, Miguel A.

1999-01-01

The Aspergillus nidulans transcription factor PacC, which mediates pH regulation, is proteolytically processed to a functional form in response to ambient alkaline pH. The full-length PacC form is unstable in the presence of an operational pH signal transduction pathway, due to processing to the relatively stable short functional form. We have characterized and used an extensive collection of pacC mutations, including a novel class of “neutrality-mimicking” pacC mutations having aspects of both acidity- and alkalinity-mimicking phenotypes, to investigate a number of important features of PacC processing. Analysis of mutant proteins lacking the major translation initiation residue or truncated at various distances from the C terminus showed that PacC processing does not remove N-terminal residues, indicated that processing yields slightly heterogeneous products, and delimited the most upstream processing site to residues ∼252 to 254. Faithful processing of three mutant proteins having deletions of a region including the predicted processing site(s) and of a fourth having 55 frameshifted residues following residue 238 indicated that specificity determinants reside at sequences or structural features located upstream of residue 235. Thus, the PacC protease cuts a peptide bond(s) remote from these determinants, possibly thereby resembling type I endonucleases. Downstream of the cleavage site, residues 407 to 678 are not essential for processing, but truncation at or before residue 333 largely prevents it. Ambient pH apparently regulates the accessibility of PacC to proteolytic processing. Alkalinity-mimicking mutations L259R, L266F, and L340S favor the protease-accessible conformation, whereas a protein with residues 465 to 540 deleted retains a protease-inaccessible conformation, leading to acidity mimicry. Finally, not only does processing constitute a crucial form of modulation for PacC, but there is evidence for its conservation during fungal evolution. Transgenic expression of a truncated PacC protein, which was processed in a pH-independent manner, showed that appropriate processing can occur in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. PMID:9891072

The biometric study in different stages of primary angle-closure glaucoma

PubMed Central

Chen, Y-Y; Chen, Y-Y; Sheu, S-J; Chou, P

2013-01-01

Purpose This study compared the general and ocular biometric characteristics of normal, primary angle closure (PAC), and primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) patients to better understand the possible relationship between differences in ocular parameters that might predict risk for PACG in PAC patients. Methods One hundred normal, 90 PAC, and 90 PACG eyes were retrospectively reviewed. General characteristics such as age, gender, body height, body weight, blood pressure, pulse, systemic diseases, and education level were recorded. Ocular findings included visual acuity, intraocular pressure, refraction, cup to disc ratio, and ocular biometry. Ocular biometry was obtained by A-scan ultrasonography (Digital A/B scan 5500; Sonomed Inc., Lake Success, NY, USA). The parameters recorded were anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness (LT), axial length (AXL), lens/axial length factor (LAF), and relative lens position (RLP). Results Although the controls, PAC group, and PACG group were found to be significantly different in age (62.7±9.8; 65.3±7.5; and 66.0±7.4, respectively), there were no gender differences. With regard to ocular parameters, the ACD tended to decrease and the LT and LAF tended to increase from normal to PAC to PACG. The eyes of the PACG group had significantly shallower ACD (P<0.001) and thicker lens (P<0.001) than those of the PAC group. While PAC had similar lens position to the control group, PACG had more anteriorly positioned lens than the PAC group (P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis found a significant association between a decrease in ACD and increased risk of PACG (odds ratio (OR)=3.59 for 0.2 mm decrease in ACD) as well as a significant association between an increase in LT and increased risk of PACG (OR=1.30). Conclusions In addition to LT, a shallower ACD owing to a change in RLP may have a role in the progression from PAC to PACG. Owing to the differences of certain biometric characteristics between PAC and PACG, A-scan ultrasonography might potentially be used for the early detection of PACG in PAC eyes. PMID:23788204

A structure-function study of PACAP using conformationally-restricted analogs: identification of PAC1 receptor-selective PACAP agonists

PubMed Central

Ramos-Álvarez, Irene; Mantey, Samuel A.; Nakamura, Taichi; Nuche-Berenguer, Bernardo; Moreno, Paola; Moody, Terry W.; Maderdrut, Jerome L.; Coy, David H.; Jensen, Robert T.

2015-01-01

Pituitary adenylate-cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) has widespread physiological/pathophysiological actions and there is increased interest for its use therapeutically, especially in the CNS (neuroprotection). Unfortunately, no selective PACAP-analogs exist for PACAP-preferring PAC1-receptors, primarily because of its high sequence identity to VIP and particularly, because of the inability of structure-function studies to separate the pharmacophore of PAC1-R from VPAC1-R, which has high affinity for PACAP and VIP. The present study attempted to develop PAC1-R-selective agonists primarily by making conformationally-restricted PACAP -analogs in positions important for receptor-selectivity/affinity. Forty-six PACAP-related-analogs were synthesized with substitutions in positions 1–4, 14–17, 20–22 ,28,34,38 and receptor-selectivity determined in PAC1-R,VPAC1-R,VPAC2-R-transfected or native cells from binding or cAMP-generation experiments. Fifteen PACAP-analogs had 6–78-fold higher affinities for PAC1-R than VPAC1-R and 13 were agonists. Although binding-affinities correlated significantly with agonist potency, the degree of receptor-spareness varied markedly for the different PACAP-analogs, resulting in selective potencies for activating the PAC1 receptor over the VPAC1 receptor from 0- to-103-fold. In addition, a number of PACAP-analogs were identified that had high selectivity for PAC1-R over VPAC2-R as well as PACAP-analogs that could prove more useful therapeutically because of substitutions known to extend their half-lives (substitutions at potential sites of proteolysis and attachment of long-chain fatty acids). This study provides for the first time a separation of the pharmacophores for PAC1-R and VPAC1-R, resulting in PACAP-related analogs that are PAC1-R-preferring. Some of these analogs, or their modifications, could prove useful as therapeutic agents for various diseases. PMID:25698233

PACS for imaging centers.

PubMed

Farnsworth, T J

2003-01-01

PACS can be a difficult and confusing decision for any radiology provider, but it can be an even more dynamic question for an outpatient imaging center. Every center represents a unique situation and requires a specialized solution. Typically, most of what is said and discussed about PACS concentrates on solutions and requirements for hospital radiology facilities. Administrators of imaging centers have different problems from hospital administrators, and they need different answers. For imaging centers, the financial justification for PACS may be less immediate than for hospitals. The first thing that must be understood is that no PAC system can make a typical imaging center completely filmless, at least not for quite a while. A hospital has the ability to dictate to its internal referring physicians how a radiological study is delivered, whereas in an imaging center environment, the roles are very much reversed. Once the justification are made for the financial viability of PACS in an imaging center, the next question is how to finance the acquisition of PACS. The decision will depend on how you cost justify your PACS, as well as the shape of your business model, and it will come to a decision between capital purchase or contracting with an application service provider, or ASP. Historically, in the hospital-dominated marketplace, PAC systems have been treated as capital acquisitions. However, for most imaging center, owning the system is more of a problem than a benefit. ASPs increasingly represent a successful alternative for imaging centers. One of the biggest things to consider with PACS is how to store all of those images. There are typically two options, on-site and off-site, with a new "hybrid" option surfacing more recently. Each option has benefits for the user, but the benefits of off-site storage are increasing as the technology advances. Some of the benefits are data security and access. Other issues to address are HIPAA compliance, standardized interfaces such as HL-7, Web access and the choice of view stations.

Interrelated aldosterone and parathyroid hormone mutually modify cardiovascular mortality risk.

PubMed

Tomaschitz, Andreas; Pilz, Stefan; Rus-Machan, Jutta; Meinitzer, Andreas; Brandenburg, Vincent M; Scharnagl, Hubert; Kapl, Martin; Grammer, Tanja; Ritz, Eberhard; Horina, Jörg H; Kleber, Marcus E; Pieske, Burkert; Kraigher-Krainer, Elisabeth; Hartaigh, Bríain Ó; Toplak, Hermann; van Ballegooijen, Adriana J; Amrein, Karin; Fahrleitner-Pammer, Astrid; März, Winfried

2015-04-01

Inappropriate aldosterone and parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Accumulating evidence suggests bidirectional interplay between aldosterone and PTH. We evaluated the cross-sectional relationship between plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), aldosterone to renin ratio (ARR) and PTH and subsequently tested whether the interaction between PAC and PTH modified the risk of cardiovascular death. PAC [78.0 (48.0-123.0) pg/mL], ARR [6.4 (2.9-12.9) pg/mL/pg/mL] and PTH concentration [median: 29.0 (22.0-40.0) pg/mL] were measured in 3074 patients (mean age: 62.5 ± 10.6 years; 30.3% women) referred to coronary angiography in a tertiary care center in Southwest Germany. Using multiple linear regression analysis, PAC and ARR emerged as an independent predictor of higher PTH concentrations (β=0.12 and 0.21, P<0.001 for both) irrespective of intake of antihypertensive treatment, 25(OH)D, kidney function, serum calcium, phosphate, magnesium, cortisol, NT-pro-BNP, soluble α-klotho and FGF-23 concentration. After a median follow-up of 9.9 years, 512 (16.7%) participants had died due to fatal cardiovascular events. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed that both PAC and PTH were independently associated with cardiovascular mortality, with a potential synergistic interaction (P=0.028). PAC and PTH are exclusively associated with cardiovascular death in subjects with PTH and PAC concentrations above the median, respectively (PAC: HR per log SD: 1.14; 95% CI 1.02-1.29; P=0.026; PTH: HR per log SD: 1.18; 95% CI 1.02-1.37; P=0.031). Higher PAC and ARR were independently associated with PTH. PAC was independently related to incident cardiovascular mortality exclusively in patients with elevated PTH and vice versa. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reduction of Enteric Viruses by Blueberry Juice and Blueberry Proanthocyanidins.

PubMed

Joshi, Snehal S; Howell, Amy B; D'Souza, Doris H

2016-12-01

Blueberry and blueberry extracts are known for their health benefits and antimicrobial properties. Natural therapeutic or preventive options to decrease the incidences of foodborne viral illnesses are becoming popular and being researched. This study aimed to determine the antiviral effects of blueberry juice (BJ) and blueberry proanthocyanidins (BB-PAC, B-type PAC structurally different from A-type PAC found in cranberries) against the infectivity of hepatitis A virus (HAV) and human norovirus surrogates (feline calicivirus (FCV-F9) and murine norovirus (MNV-1)) at 37 °C over 24 h using standard plaque assays. Viruses at ~5 log PFU/ml were mixed with equal volumes of BJ (pH 2.8), neutralized BJ (pH 7.0), BB-PAC (1, 2, 4, and 10 mg/ml), malic acid (pH 3.0), or phosphate-buffered saline (pH 7.2) and incubated over 24 h at 37 °C. Each experiment was carried out in duplicate and replicated thrice. FCV-F9 titers were found to be reduced to undetectable levels with 1 and 2 mg/ml BB-PAC after 5 min, with 0.5 mg/ml BB-PAC after 1-h, and with BJ after 3-h. MNV-1 titers were reduced to undetectable levels after 3 h with 1, 2, and 5 mg/ml BB-PAC and after 6 h with BJ. HAV titers were reduced to undetectable levels after 30 min with 2 and 5 mg/ml BB-PAC, after 3 h with 1 mg/ml BB-PAC, and by ~2 log PFU/ml with BJ after 24-h. BB-PAC shows preventive potential against infection by the tested enteric viruses in a dose- and time-dependent manner, although further in vitro studies in model food systems and in vivo studies using animal models are warranted.

Blueberry proanthocyanidins against human norovirus surrogates in model foods and under simulated gastric conditions.

PubMed

Joshi, Snehal; Howell, Amy B; D'Souza, Doris H

2017-05-01

Blueberry proanthocyanidins (B-PAC) are known to decrease titers of human norovirus surrogates in vitro. The application of B-PAC as therapeutic or preventive options against foodborne viral illness needs to be determined using model foods and simulated gastric conditions in vitro. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antiviral effect of B-PAC in model foods (apple juice (AJ) and 2% reduced fat milk) and simulated gastrointestinal fluids against cultivable human norovirus surrogates (feline calicivirus; FCV-F9 and murine norovirus; MNV-1) over 24 h at 37 °C. Equal amounts of each virus (5 log PFU/ml) was mixed with B-PAC (1, 2 and 5 mg/ml) prepared either in AJ, or 2% milk, or simulated gastric fluids and incubated over 24 h at 37 °C. Controls included phosphate buffered saline, malic acid (pH 7.2), AJ, 2% milk or simulated gastric and intestinal fluids incubated with virus over 24 h at 37 °C. The tested viruses were reduced to undetectable levels within 15 min with B-PAC (1, 2 and 5 mg/ml) in AJ (pH 3.6). However, antiviral activity of B-PAC was reduced in milk. FCV-F9 was reduced by 0.4 and 1.09 log PFU/ml with 2 and 5 mg/ml B-PAC in milk, respectively and MNV-1 titers were reduced by 0.81 log PFU/ml with 5 mg/ml B-PAC in milk after 24 h. B-PAC at 5 mg/ml in simulated intestinal fluid reduced titers of the tested viruses to undetectable levels within 30 min. Overall, these results show the potential of B-PAC as preventive and therapeutic options for foodborne viral illnesses. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

PACS in the Utrecht University Hospital: final conclusions of the clinical evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilmink, J. B.; ter Haar Romeny, Bart M.; Barneveld Binkhuysen, Frits H.; Achterberg, A. J.; Zuiderveld, Karel J.; Calkoen, P.; Kouwenberg, Jef M.

1990-08-01

In the past three years, a clinical evaluation of a PACS has been performed in the Utrecht University Hospital as part of the Dutch PACS project. The clinical evaluation focussed on the following aspects: technical evaluation of the prototype PACS equipment coupled to the HIS; diagnostic accuracy studies; studies concerning the impact on the organization of the radiology-department and the referring wards; and cost-savings analysis. Some of the results of these subprojects have already been presented at previous SPIE conferences. In this paper the general condusions are presented about the usefulness of the evaluated PAC-System in the daily routine of radiology department and clinic. By making available the images of radiological examinations fast, complete, reliable and continously on the ward, concrete improvements with regard to the current process could be realized. The possibilities of PACS caused an increasing enthousiasm among the clinicians. By the easier access to all images of their patients during 24 hours/day, they saw more images on the day of the examination and images could be more easily used at consultations of other specialists. The overall conclusion is positive, but a lot of work has to be done to transform PACS from an experimental setup into a routine production system on which a flimless hospital can be based. A complete PACS needs an inteffigent Image Management System, which indudes prefetching algorithms based on data from the Hospital Information System and automated procedures for removing obsolete images from the local buffers in the workstations. As yet PACS is very expensive, and the direct savings in the hospital cannot compensate for the high costs of investment. Possibly PACS can contribute to a shorter stay of patients in the hospital. This will lead to savings for government and health insurance companies and they can be expected to contribute to PAS implementation studies.

Continuing quality improvement procedures for a clinical PACS.

PubMed

Andriole, K P; Gould, R G; Avrin, D E; Bazzill, T M; Yin, L; Arenson, R L

1998-08-01

The University of California at San Francisco (USCF) Department of Radiology currently has a clinically operational picture archiving and communication system (PACS) that is thirty-five percent filmless, with the goal of becoming seventy-five percent filmless within the year. The design and implementation of the clinical PACS has been a collaborative effort between an academic research laboratory and a commercial vendor partner. Images are digitally acquired from three computed radiography (CR) scanners, five computed tomography (CT) scanners, five magnetic resonance (MR) imagers, three digital fluoroscopic rooms, an ultrasound mini-PACS and a nuclear medicine mini-PACS. The DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) standard communications protocol and image format is adhered to throughout the PACS. Images are archived in hierarchical staged fashion, on a RAID (redundant array of inexpensive disks) and on magneto-optical disk jukeboxes. The clinical PACS uses an object-oriented Oracle SQL (systems query language) database, and interfaces to the Radiology Information System using the HL7 (Health Languages 7) standard. Components are networked using a combination of switched and fast ethernet, and ATM (asynchronous transfer mode), all over fiber optics. The wide area network links six UCSF sites in San Francisco. A combination of high and medium resolution dual-monitor display stations have been placed throughout the Department of Radiology, the Emergency Department (ED) and Intensive Care Units (ICU). A continuing quality improvement (CQI) committee has been formed to facilitate the PACS installation and training, workflow modifications, quality assurance and clinical acceptance. This committee includes radiologists at all levels (resident, fellow, attending), radiology technologists, film library personnel, ED and ICU clinician end-users, and PACS team members. The CQI committee has proved vital in the creation of new management procedures, providing a means for user feedback and education, and contributing to the overall acceptance of, and user satisfaction with the system. Well developed CQI procedures have been essential to the successful clinical operation of the PACS as UCSF Radiology moves toward a filmless department.

Patient Engagement in Community Health Center Leadership: How Does it Happen?

PubMed

Sharma, Anjana E; Huang, Beatrice; Knox, Margae; Willard-Grace, Rachel; Potter, Michael B

2018-05-18

Patient engagement in primary care leadership is an important means to involve community voices at community health centers. Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are mandated to have patient representation within their governing boards, while practices seeking patient-centered medical home certification receive credit for implementing patient advisory councils (PACs). Our objective was to compare and contrast how community health centers engage patients in clinic management, decision-making and planning within governing boards versus PACs. Qualitative study conducted from August 2016 to June 2017 at community health centers in California, Arizona and Hawaii. We interviewed practice leaders of patient engagement programs at their site. Eligible clinics had patient representatives within their governing board, PAC, or both. We assessed patient demographics, roles and responsibilities of patients participating, and extent of involvement in quality improvement among governing boards versus PACs. We interviewed 19 sites, of which 17 were FQHCs that had governing boards. Of the 17 FQHCs, 11 had also implemented PACs. Two non-FQHC safety-net sites had PACs but did not have governing boards. Governing board members had formal, structured membership responsibilities such as finances and hiring personnel. PAC roles were more flexible, focusing on day-to-day clinic operations. Clinics tended to recruit governing board patient members for their skill set and professional experience; PAC member recruitment focused more on demographic representation of the clinic's patient population. Both groups worked on quality improvement, but governing boards tended to review clinic performance metrics, while PAC members were involved in specific project planning and implementation to improve clinical outcomes and patient experience. Patient involvement in clinic improvement in CHCs includes higher-level decision-making and governance through mechanisms such as governing boards, as well as engagement in day-to-day practice improvement through PACs. These roles offer differing, but valuable insights to clinic programs and policies.

Dentin biomodification potential depends on polyphenol source.

PubMed

Aguiar, T R; Vidal, C M P; Phansalkar, R S; Todorova, I; Napolitano, J G; McAlpine, J B; Chen, S N; Pauli, G F; Bedran-Russo, A K

2014-04-01

Although proanthocyanidins (PACs) modify dentin, the effectiveness of different PAC sources and the correlation with their specific chemical composition are still unknown. This study describes the chemical profiling of natural PAC-rich extracts from 7 plants using ultra high pressure/performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) to determine the overall composition of these extracts and, in parallel, comprehensively evaluate their effect on dentin properties. The total polyphenol content of the extracts was determined (as gallic acid equivalents) using Folin-Ciocalteau assays. Dentin biomodification was assessed by the modulus of elasticity, mass change, and resistance to enzymatic biodegradation. Extracts with a high polyphenol and PAC content from Vitis vinifera, Theobroma cacao, Camellia sinensis, and Pinus massoniana induced a significant increase in modulus of elasticity and mass. The UHPLC analysis showed the presence of multiple types of polyphenols, ranging from simple phenolic acids to oligomeric PACs and highly condensed tannins. Protective effect against enzymatic degradation was observed for all experimental groups; however, statistically significant differences were observed between plant extracts. The findings provide clear evidence that the dentin bioactivities of PACs are source dependent, resulting from a combination of concentration and specific chemical constitution of the complex PAC mixtures.

Effect of point-of-use, activated carbon filters on the bacteriological quality of rural groundwater supplies.

PubMed Central

Synder, J W; Mains, C N; Anderson, R E; Bissonnette, G K

1995-01-01

The water quality of 24 rural, domestic groundwater supplies treated with point-of-use, powdered activated carbon (PAC) filters was monitored to determine how such treatment might impact the bacteriological quality of private, residential drinking water supplies. Heterotrophic-plate-count (HPC) and total coliform analyses were performed on raw, PAC-treated, and overnight or stagnant (first-draw) PAC-treated water samples. Densities of HPC bacteria were elevated by 0.86 and 0.20 orders of magnitude for spring and well water systems, respectively, in PAC-treated effluents following overnight stagnation compared with levels in untreated treated effluents. Densities of HPC bacteria in PAC-treated effluents were significantly reduced (P < 0.01) below influent levels, however, after the point-of-use device was flushed for 2 min. While PAC significantly reduced the number of coliforms in product waters (P < 0.01), these indicator organisms were still detected in some effluents. Seasonal variations were evident in microbial counts from spring but not well water systems. It appears that aside from periods following stagnant-water use, such as overnight, PAC treatment does not compromise the bacteriological quality of drinking water obtained from underground sources. PMID:8534096

Differential expression of glutamate transporters EAAT1 and EAAT2 in mice deficient for PACAP-type I receptor.

PubMed

Zink, M; Schmitt, A; Henn, F A; Gass, P

2004-12-01

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) modulates glutamatergic neurotransmission and induces the expression of glutamate transporters EAAT1 and EAAT2 in newborn mouse astroglial cell cultures. Since nanomolar concentrations of PACAP exert this effect, signal transduction via the high affinity PACAP-type I-receptor PAC1 was assumed. To test this hypothesis and to assess the importance of PAC1-signalling in vivo, we analyzed glutamate transporter expression in mice with a PAC1 knockout. EAAT1 and EAAT2 expression was investigated in the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex of PAC1 mutant mice and wildtype littermates by semiquantitative in-situ-hybridization. PAC1-knockout mice show a subtle but significant reduction of EAAT1 expression in the dentate gyrus. In contrast, reduced expression levels of EAAT1 in the cerebral cortex did not reach statistical significance and EAAT2 expression was unchanged in CA3 and cerebral cortex of PAC1 mutant mice. Our data confirm the previously reported in-vitro-regulation of EAAT1 in the adult nervous system in vivo. EAAT2 expression, however, is unchanged in PAC1 knockout mice, most likely due to counterbalancing factors.

PACS-1 Mediates Phosphorylation-Dependent Ciliary Trafficking of the CNG Channel in Olfactory Sensory Neurons

PubMed Central

Jenkins, Paul M.; Zhang, Lian; Thomas, Gary; Martens, Jeffrey R.

2009-01-01

Impaired ciliary protein transport in olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) leads to anosmia, and is a newly recognized clinical manifestation of a class of human disorders called ciliopathies. Surprisingly little is known regarding the mechanisms controlling trafficking to this unique neuronal compartment. Here, we show a novel role for phosphofurin acidic cluster-sorting protein 1 (PACS-1) in the ciliary trafficking of the olfactory CNG channel. PACS-1 is an intracellular sorting protein that mediates its effects through the binding of acidic clusters on cargo protein. This interaction is dependent on CK2 phosphorylation of both PACS-1 and its cargo. We show that CNGB1b contains two putative PACS-1 binding sites, which are phosphorylated by the serine/threonine protein kinase, CK2. Additionally, we show that PACS-1 is expressed in OSNs and interacts in complex with the CNG channel. CK2 inhibition in native OSNs causes a loss of CNG channel from cilia and subsequent olfactory dysfunction, while adenoviral expression of mutant PACS-1 causes similar mislocalization. These results provide a mechanism for the subunit-dependent ciliary trafficking of the CNG channel and offer insight into the mechanisms of ciliary transport. PMID:19710307

PACS-1 mediates phosphorylation-dependent ciliary trafficking of the cyclic-nucleotide-gated channel in olfactory sensory neurons.

PubMed

Jenkins, Paul M; Zhang, Lian; Thomas, Gary; Martens, Jeffrey R

2009-08-26

Impaired ciliary protein transport in olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) leads to anosmia, and is a newly recognized clinical manifestation of a class of human disorders called ciliopathies. Surprisingly little is known regarding the mechanisms controlling trafficking to this unique neuronal compartment. Here, we show a novel role for phosphofurin acidic cluster-sorting protein 1 (PACS-1) in the ciliary trafficking of the olfactory cyclic-nucleotide-gated (CNG) channel. PACS-1 is an intracellular sorting protein that mediates its effects through the binding of acidic clusters on cargo protein. This interaction is dependent on CK2 phosphorylation of both PACS-1 and its cargo. We show that CNGB1b contains two putative PACS-1 binding sites, which are phosphorylated by the serine/threonine protein kinase, CK2. Additionally, we show that PACS-1 is expressed in OSNs and interacts in complex with the CNG channel. CK2 inhibition in native OSNs causes a loss of CNG channel from cilia and subsequent olfactory dysfunction, while adenoviral expression of mutant PACS-1 causes similar mislocalization. These results provide a mechanism for the subunit-dependent ciliary trafficking of the CNG channel and offer insight into the mechanisms of ciliary transport.

Implementation of an anonymisation tool for clinical trials using a clinical trial processor integrated with an existing trial patient data information system.

PubMed

Aryanto, Kadek Y E; Broekema, André; Oudkerk, Matthijs; van Ooijen, Peter M A

2012-01-01

To present an adapted Clinical Trial Processor (CTP) test set-up for receiving, anonymising and saving Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) data using external input from the original database of an existing clinical study information system to guide the anonymisation process. Two methods are presented for an adapted CTP test set-up. In the first method, images are pushed from the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) using the DICOM protocol through a local network. In the second method, images are transferred through the internet using the HTTPS protocol. In total 25,000 images from 50 patients were moved from the PACS, anonymised and stored within roughly 2 h using the first method. In the second method, an average of 10 images per minute were transferred and processed over a residential connection. In both methods, no duplicated images were stored when previous images were retransferred. The anonymised images are stored in appropriate directories. The CTP can transfer and process DICOM images correctly in a very easy set-up providing a fast, secure and stable environment. The adapted CTP allows easy integration into an environment in which patient data are already included in an existing information system.

Reliability issues in PACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taira, Ricky K.; Chan, Kelby K.; Stewart, Brent K.; Weinberg, Wolfram S.

1991-07-01

Reliability is an increasing concern when moving PACS from the experimental laboratory to the clinical environment. Any system downtime may seriously affect patient care. The authors report on the several classes of errors encountered during the pre-clinical release of the PACS during the past several months and present the solutions implemented to handle them. The reliability issues discussed include: (1) environmental precautions, (2) database backups, (3) monitor routines of critical resources and processes, (4) hardware redundancy (networks, archives), and (5) development of a PACS quality control program.

POWDERED ACTIVATED CARBON FROM NORTH DAKOTA LIGNITE: AN OPTION FOR DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCT CONTROL IN WATER TREATMENT PLANTS

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

Daniel J. Stepan; Thomas A. Moe; Melanie D. Hetland

New federal drinking water regulations have been promulgated to restrict the levels of disinfection by-products (DBPs) in finished public water supplies. DBPs are suspected carcinogens and are formed when organic material is partially oxidized by disinfectants commonly used in the water treatment industry. Additional federal mandates are expected in the near future that will further affect public water suppliers with respect to DBPs. Powdered activated carbon (PAC) has traditionally been used by the water treatment industry for the removal of compounds contributing to taste and odor problems. PAC also has the potential to remove naturally occurring organic matter (NOM) frommore » raw waters prior to disinfection, thus controlling the formation of regulated DBPs. Many small water systems are currently using PAC for taste and odor control and have the potential to use PAC for controlling DBPs. This project, a cooperative effort between the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC), the Grand Forks Water Treatment Plant, and the University of North Dakota Department of Civil Engineering, consists of several interrelated tasks. The objective of the research was to evaluate a cost-effective PAC produced from North Dakota lignite for removing NOM from water and reducing trihalomethane formation potential. The research approach was to develop a statistically valid testing protocol that can be used to compare dose-response relationships between North Dakota lignite-derived PAC and commercially available PAC products. A statistical analysis was performed to determine whether significant correlations exist between operating conditions, water properties, PAC properties, and dose-response behavior. Pertinent physical and chemical properties were also measured for each of the waters and each of the PACs.« less

Cannabidiol inhibits paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain through 5-HT(1A) receptors without diminishing nervous system function or chemotherapy efficacy.

PubMed

Ward, Sara Jane; McAllister, Sean D; Kawamura, Rumi; Murase, Ryuchi; Neelakantan, Harshini; Walker, Ellen A

2014-02-01

Paclitaxel (PAC) is associated with chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain (CIPN) that can lead to the cessation of treatment in cancer patients even in the absence of alternate therapies. We previously reported that chronic administration of the non-psychoactive cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) prevents PAC-induced mechanical and thermal sensitivity in mice. Hence, we sought to determine receptor mechanisms by which CBD inhibits CIPN and whether CBD negatively effects nervous system function or chemotherapy efficacy. The ability of acute CBD pretreatment to prevent PAC-induced mechanical sensitivity was assessed, as was the effect of CBD on place conditioning and on an operant-conditioned learning and memory task. The potential interaction of CBD and PAC on breast cancer cell viability was determined using the MTT assay. PAC-induced mechanical sensitivity was prevented by administration of CBD (2.5 - 10 mg·kg⁻¹) in female C57Bl/6 mice. This effect was reversed by co-administration of the 5-HT(1A) antagonist WAY 100635, but not the CB₁ antagonist SR141716 or the CB₂ antagonist SR144528. CBD produced no conditioned rewarding effects and did not affect conditioned learning and memory. Also, CBD + PAC combinations produce additive to synergistic inhibition of breast cancer cell viability. Our data suggest that CBD is protective against PAC-induced neurotoxicity mediated in part by the 5-HT(1A) receptor system. Furthermore, CBD treatment was devoid of conditioned rewarding effects or cognitive impairment and did not attenuate PAC-induced inhibition of breast cancer cell viability. Hence, adjunct treatment with CBD during PAC chemotherapy may be safe and effective in the prevention or attenuation of CIPN. © 2013 The British Pharmacological Society.

Cannabidiol inhibits paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain through 5-HT1A receptors without diminishing nervous system function or chemotherapy efficacy

PubMed Central

Ward, Sara Jane; McAllister, Sean D; Kawamura, Rumi; Murase, Ryuchi; Neelakantan, Harshini; Walker, Ellen A

2014-01-01

Background and Purpose Paclitaxel (PAC) is associated with chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain (CIPN) that can lead to the cessation of treatment in cancer patients even in the absence of alternate therapies. We previously reported that chronic administration of the non-psychoactive cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) prevents PAC-induced mechanical and thermal sensitivity in mice. Hence, we sought to determine receptor mechanisms by which CBD inhibits CIPN and whether CBD negatively effects nervous system function or chemotherapy efficacy. Experimental Approach The ability of acute CBD pretreatment to prevent PAC-induced mechanical sensitivity was assessed, as was the effect of CBD on place conditioning and on an operant-conditioned learning and memory task. The potential interaction of CBD and PAC on breast cancer cell viability was determined using the MTT assay. Key Results PAC-induced mechanical sensitivity was prevented by administration of CBD (2.5 – 10 mg·kg−1) in female C57Bl/6 mice. This effect was reversed by co-administration of the 5-HT1A antagonist WAY 100635, but not the CB1 antagonist SR141716 or the CB2 antagonist SR144528. CBD produced no conditioned rewarding effects and did not affect conditioned learning and memory. Also, CBD + PAC combinations produce additive to synergistic inhibition of breast cancer cell viability. Conclusions and Implications Our data suggest that CBD is protective against PAC-induced neurotoxicity mediated in part by the 5-HT1A receptor system. Furthermore, CBD treatment was devoid of conditioned rewarding effects or cognitive impairment and did not attenuate PAC-induced inhibition of breast cancer cell viability. Hence, adjunct treatment with CBD during PAC chemotherapy may be safe and effective in the prevention or attenuation of CIPN. PMID:24117398

Proanthocyanidins from the American Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) inhibit matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity in human prostate cancer cells via alterations in multiple cellular signalling pathways.

PubMed

Déziel, Bob A; Patel, Kunal; Neto, Catherine; Gottschall-Pass, Katherine; Hurta, Robert A R

2010-10-15

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in the Western world, and it is believed that an individual's diet affects his risk of developing cancer. There has been an interest in examining phytochemicals, the secondary metabolites of plants, in order to determine their potential anti-cancer activities in vitro and in vivo. In this study we document the effects of proanthocyanidins (PACs) from the American Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity in DU145 human prostate cancer cells. Cranberry PACs decreased cellular viability of DU145 cells at a concentration of 25 µg/ml by 30% after 6 h of treatment. Treatment of DU145 cells with PACs resulted in an inhibition of both MMPs 2 and 9 activity. PACs increased the expression of TIMP-2, a known inhibitor of MMP activity, and decreased the expression of EMMPRIN, an inducer of MMP expression. PACs decreased the expression of PI-3 kinase and AKT proteins, and increased the phosphorylation of both p38 and ERK1/2. Cranberry PACs also decreased the translocation of the NF-κB p65 protein to the nucleus. Cranberry PACs increased c-jun and decreased c-fos protein levels. These results suggest that cranberry PACs decreases MMP activity through the induction and/or inhibition of specific temporal MMP regulators, and by affecting either the phosphorylation status and/or expression of MAP kinase, PI-3 kinase, NF-κB and AP-1 pathway proteins. This study further demonstrates that cranberry PACs are a strong candidate for further research as novel anti-cancer agents. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The cost of post-abortion care in developing countries: a comparative analysis of four studies

PubMed Central

Vlassoff, Michael; Singh, Susheela; Onda, Tsuyoshi

2016-01-01

Over the last five years, comprehensive national surveys of the cost of post-abortion care (PAC) to national health systems have been undertaken in Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda and Colombia using a specially developed costing methodology—the Post-abortion Care Costing Methodology (PACCM). The objective of this study is to expand the research findings of these four studies, making use of their extensive datasets. These studies offer the most complete and consistent estimates of the cost of PAC to date, and comparing their findings not only provides generalizable implications for health policies and programs, but also allows an assessment of the PACCM methodology. We find that the labor cost component varies widely: in Ethiopia and Colombia doctors spend about 30–60% more time with PAC patients than do nurses; in Uganda and Rwanda an opposite pattern is found. Labor costs range from I$42.80 in Uganda to I$301.30 in Colombia. The cost of drugs and supplies does not vary greatly, ranging from I$79 in Colombia to I$115 in Rwanda. Capital and overhead costs are substantial amounting to 52–68% of total PAC costs. Total costs per PAC case vary from I$334 in Rwanda to I$972 in Colombia. The financial burden of PAC is considerable: the expense of treating each PAC case is equivalent to around 35% of annual per capita income in Uganda, 29% in Rwanda and 11% in Colombia. Providing modern methods of contraception to women with an unmet need would cost just a fraction of the average expenditure on PAC: one year of modern contraceptive services and supplies cost only 3–12% of the average cost of treating a PAC patient. PMID:27045001

High-Molecular-Weight Proanthocyanidins in Foods: Overcoming Analytical Challenges in Pursuit of Novel Dietary Bioactive Components.

PubMed

Neilson, Andrew P; O'Keefe, Sean F; Bolling, Bradley W

2016-01-01

Proanthocyanidins (PACs) are an abundant but complex class of polyphenols found in foods and botanicals. PACs are polymeric flavanols with a variety of linkages and subunits. Connectivity and degree of polymerization (DP) determine PAC bioavailability and bioactivity. Current quantitative and qualitative methods may ignore a large percentage of dietary PACs. Subsequent correlations between intake and activity are hindered by a lack of understanding of the true PAC complexity in many foods. Additionally, estimates of dietary intakes are likely inaccurate, as nutrient databank values are largely based on standards from cocoa (monomers to decamers) and blueberries (mean DP of 36). Improved analytical methodologies are needed to increase our understanding of the biological roles of these complex compounds.

Picture Archiving And Communication Systems (PACS): Introductory Systems Analysis Considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, Simon H. C.

1983-05-01

Two fundamental problems face any hospital or radiology department that is thinking about installing a Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS). First, though the need for PACS already exists, much of the relevant technology is just beginning to be developed. Second, the requirements of each hospital are different, so that any attempts to market a single PACS design for use in large numbers of hospitals are likely to meet with the same problems as were experienced with general-purpose Hospital Information Systems. This paper outlines some of the decision processes involved in arriving at specifications for each module of a PACS and indicates design principles which should be followed in order to meet individual hospital requirements, while avoiding the danger of short-term systems obsolescence.

ASR-9 processor augmentation card (9-PAC) phase II scan-scan correlator algorithms

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-04-26

The report documents the scan-scan correlator (tracker) algorithm developed for Phase II of the ASR-9 Processor Augmentation Card (9-PAC) project. The improved correlation and tracking algorithms in 9-PAC Phase II decrease the incidence of false-alar...

Protein-accumulating cells and dilated cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum in three glucosinolate-containing genera: Armoracia, Capparis, Drypetes.

PubMed

Jørgensen, L B; Behnke, H D; Mabry, T J

1977-01-01

Three glucosinolate-containing species, Armoracia rusticana Gaertner, Meyer et Scherbius (Brassicaceae), Capparis cynophallophora L. (Capparaceae) and Drypetes roxburghii (Wall.) Hurusawa (Euphorbiaceae), are shown by both light and electron microscopy to contain protein-accumulating cells (PAC). The PAC of Armoracia and Copparis (former "myrosin cells") occur as idioblasts. The PAC of Drypetes are usual members among axial phloem parenchyma cells rather than idioblasts. In Drypetes the vacuoles of the PAC are shown ultrastructurally to contain finely fibrillar material and to originate from local dilatations of the endoplasmic reticulum. The vacuoles in PAC of Armoracia and Capparis seem to originate in the same way; but ultrastructurally, their content is finely granular. In addition, Armoracia and Capparis are shown by both light and electron microscopy to contain dilated cisternae (DC) of the endoplasmic reticulum in normal parenchyma cells, in accord with previous findings for several species within Brassicaceae. The relationship of PAC and DC to glucosinolates and the enzyme myrosinase is discussed.

Clinical experience with PACS at Northwestern: year two

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Channin, David S.; Hawkins, Rodney C.; Enzmann, Dieter R.

2001-08-01

We have previously described the PACS configuration at Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH). As opposed to an imaging modality, PACS is an evolving system that continuously grows and changes to meet the needs of the institution. The NMH PACS has grown significantly in the past year and has undergone significant architectural enhancements. This growth and evolutionary change will be described and discussed. The system now contains over 339,000 studies consisting of over 13 million images. There are now two short-term RAID storage units that provide for twice as much fast storage. There are also two magneto-optical disk jukeboxes providing long-term archive. We have deployed a redundant database to improve reliability of the system in the event of database failure. The number of modalities connected to the system has increased and will be summarized. Statistics describing utilization of the PACS will be shown. Lastly, we will discuss our plans for exploiting the application service provider model in our PACS environment.

Informatics in radiology (infoRAD): Vendor-neutral case input into a server-based digital teaching file system.

PubMed

Kamauu, Aaron W C; DuVall, Scott L; Robison, Reid J; Liimatta, Andrew P; Wiggins, Richard H; Avrin, David E

2006-01-01

Although digital teaching files are important to radiology education, there are no current satisfactory solutions for export of Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) images from picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) in desktop publishing format. A vendor-neutral digital teaching file, the Radiology Interesting Case Server (RadICS), offers an efficient tool for harvesting interesting cases from PACS without requiring modifications of the PACS configurations. Radiologists push imaging studies from PACS to RadICS via the standard DICOM Send process, and the RadICS server automatically converts the DICOM images into the Joint Photographic Experts Group format, a common desktop publishing format. They can then select key images and create an interesting case series at the PACS workstation. RadICS was tested successfully against multiple unmodified commercial PACS. Using RadICS, radiologists are able to harvest and author interesting cases at the point of clinical interpretation with minimal disruption in clinical work flow. RSNA, 2006

Preparation and characterization of poly(acrylic acid)—corn starch blend for use as chemical sand-fixing materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dang, Xugang; Chen, Hui; Shan, Zhihua

2017-07-01

One chemical sand-fixing materials based on poly(acrylic acid)-corn starch (PACS) blend was studied in this work. The PACS blend was prepared by solution mixing method between PA and CS. In order to prepare sand-fixing materials for environmental applications using the well-established method of spraying evenly PACS blend solution on the surfaces of fine sand. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) revealed the existence of the intermolecular interactions between the blend components. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis showed a continuous phase of blend, and it also showed the good sand-fixing capacity. The test results of hygroscopicity and water retention experiments indicated that the blends had excellent water-absorbing and water-retention capacity. The results of contact angle measurements between the PACS solutions and fine sand showed that the PACS blend has a satisfactory effect on fine sand wetting. And the PACS, as a sand-fixation material, has excellent sand-fixation rate up to 99.5%.

The development and validation of the Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised (PACS-R).

PubMed

Schaefer, Lauren M; Thompson, J Kevin

2014-04-01

The Physical Appearance Comparison Scale (PACS; Thompson, Heinberg, & Tantleff, 1991) was revised to assess appearance comparisons relevant to women and men in a wide variety of contexts. The revised scale (Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised, PACS-R) was administered to 1176 college females. In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis and parallel analysis using one half of the sample suggested a single factor structure for the PACS-R. Study 2 utilized the remaining half of the sample to conduct confirmatory factor analysis, item analysis, and to examine the convergent validity of the scale. These analyses resulted in an 11-item measure that demonstrated excellent internal consistency and convergent validity with measures of body satisfaction, eating pathology, sociocultural influences on appearance, and self-esteem. Regression analyses demonstrated the utility of the PACS-R in predicting body satisfaction and eating pathology. Overall, results indicate that the PACS-R is a reliable and valid tool for assessing appearance comparison tendencies in women. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Submerged membrane adsorption bioreactor as a pretreatment in seawater desalination for biofouling control.

PubMed

Jeong, Sanghyun; Naidu, Gayathri; Vigneswaran, Saravanamuthu

2013-08-01

Submerged membrane adsorption bioreactor (SMABR) was investigated as a pretreatment to reverse osmosis (RO). SMABR removed organic matter by adsorption and biological degradation. At a powder activated carbon (PAC) residence time of 66 d (1.5% of PAC replacement daily), higher organic removal was achieved with removal of a majority of biopolymers (94-97%) and humics (71-76%). A continuous MBR operation with the optimal PAC residence time of 66 d was conducted and compared with MBR with no PAC replenishment in terms of the removal of organic and microbes. High removal of organics of up to 72% was maintained with only a marginal increment of trans-membrane pressure and stable bioactivity (total cell number and adenosine tri-phosphate) during the 50d of operation. The SMABR was found to be a sustainable biological pretreatment to RO with only a small amount of PAC requirement (2.14 g of PAC/m(3) of seawater treated). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of the primary auditory cortex in the neural mechanism of auditory verbal hallucinations

PubMed Central

Kompus, Kristiina; Falkenberg, Liv E.; Bless, Josef J.; Johnsen, Erik; Kroken, Rune A.; Kråkvik, Bodil; Larøi, Frank; Løberg, Else-Marie; Vedul-Kjelsås, Einar; Westerhausen, René; Hugdahl, Kenneth

2013-01-01

Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) are a subjective experience of “hearing voices” in the absence of corresponding physical stimulation in the environment. The most remarkable feature of AVHs is their perceptual quality, that is, the experience is subjectively often as vivid as hearing an actual voice, as opposed to mental imagery or auditory memories. This has lead to propositions that dysregulation of the primary auditory cortex (PAC) is a crucial component of the neural mechanism of AVHs. One possible mechanism by which the PAC could give rise to the experience of hallucinations is aberrant patterns of neuronal activity whereby the PAC is overly sensitive to activation arising from internal processing, while being less responsive to external stimulation. In this paper, we review recent research relevant to the role of the PAC in the generation of AVHs. We present new data from a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, examining the responsivity of the left and right PAC to parametrical modulation of the intensity of auditory verbal stimulation, and corresponding attentional top-down control in non-clinical participants with AVHs, and non-clinical participants with no AVHs. Non-clinical hallucinators showed reduced activation to speech sounds but intact attentional modulation in the right PAC. Additionally, we present data from a group of schizophrenia patients with AVHs, who do not show attentional modulation of left or right PAC. The context-appropriate modulation of the PAC may be a protective factor in non-clinical hallucinations. PMID:23630479

Centrifugal partition chromatography enables selective enrichment of trimeric and tetrameric proanthocyanidins for biomaterial development.

PubMed

Phansalkar, Rasika S; Nam, Joo-Won; Chen, Shao-Nong; McAlpine, James B; Leme, Ariene A; Aydin, Berdan; Bedran-Russo, Ana-Karina; Pauli, Guido F

2018-02-02

Proanthocyanidins (PACs) find wide applications for human use including food, cosmetics, dietary supplements, and pharmaceuticals. The chemical complexity associated with PACs has triggered the development of various chromatographic techniques, with countercurrent separation (CCS) gaining in popularity. This study applied the recently developed DESIGNER (Depletion and Enrichment of Select Ingredients Generating Normalized Extract Resources) approach for the selective enrichment of trimeric and tetrameric PACs using centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC). This CPC method aims at developing PAC based biomaterials, particularly for their application in restoring and repairing dental hard tissue. A general separation scheme beginning with the depletion of polymeric PACs, followed by the removal of monomeric flavan-3-ols and a final enrichment step produced PAC trimer and tetramer enriched fractions. A successful application of this separation scheme is demonstrated for four polyphenol rich plant sources: grape seeds, pine bark, cinnamon bark, and cocoa seeds. Minor modifications to the generic DESIGNER CCS method were sufficient to accommodate the varying chemical complexities of the individual source materials. The step-wise enrichment of PAC trimers and tetramers was monitored using normal phase TLC and Diol-HPLC-UV analyses. CPC proved to be a reliable tool for the selective enrichment of medium size oligomeric PACs (OPACs). This method plays a key role in the development of dental biomaterials considering its reliability and reproducibility, as well as its scale-up capabilities for possible larger-scale manufacturing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Gastrointestinal Tract as a Key Target Organ for the Health-Promoting Effects of Dietary Proanthocyanidins

PubMed Central

Cires, María José; Wong, Ximena; Carrasco-Pozo, Catalina; Gotteland, Martin

2017-01-01

Proanthocyanidins (PACs) are polymers of flavan-3-ols abundant in many vegetable foods and beverages widely consumed in the human diet. There is increasing evidence supporting the beneficial impact of dietary PACs in the prevention and nutritional management of non-communicable chronic diseases. It is considered that PACs with a degree of polymerization >3 remain unabsorbed in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and accumulate in the colonic lumen. Accordingly, the GI tract may be considered as a key organ for the healthy-promoting effects of dietary PACs. PACs form non-specific complexes with salivary proteins in mouth, originating the sensation of astringency, and with dietary proteins, pancreatic enzymes, and nutrient transporters in the intestinal lumen, decreasing the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids. They also exert antimicrobial activities, interfering with cariogenic or ulcerogenic pathogens in the mouth (Streptococcus mutans) and stomach (Helicobacter pylori), respectively. Through their antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties, PACs decrease inflammatory processes in animal model of gastric and colonic inflammation. Interestingly, they exert prebiotic activities, stimulating the growth of Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. as well as some butyrate-producing bacteria in the colon. Finally, PACs are also metabolized by the gut microbiota, producing metabolites, mainly aromatic acids and valerolactones, which accumulate in the colon and/or are absorbed into the bloodstream. Accordingly, these compounds could display biological activities on the colonic epithelium or in extra-intestinal tissues and, therefore, contribute to part of the beneficial effects of dietary PACs. PMID:28097121

Nrf2-peroxiredoxin I axis in polymorphous adenocarcinoma is associated with low matrix metalloproteinase 2 level.

PubMed

Brod, J M; Demasi, Ana Paula Dias; Montalli, V A; Teixeira, L N; Furuse, C; Aguiar, M C; Soares, A B; Sperandio, M; Araujo, V C

2017-12-01

Polymorphous adenocarcinoma (PAC) is a malignant epithelial neoplasm that affects almost exclusively the minor salivary glands, generally described as having a relatively good prognosis. Aberrant nuclear factor erythroid 2 (NF-E2)-related factor (Nrf2) activation in tumor cells has been associated with induction of antioxidant enzymes, such as peroxiredoxin I (Prx I) and increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression. In this context, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression of Nrf2 and correlate it with Prx I and MMP-2 secretion in PAC. Thirty-one cases of PAC from oral biopsies were selected and immunohistochemically analyzed for Nrf2 and Prx I. MMP-2 quantification was performed on primary cell cultures derived from PAC. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell cultures were used as control. A high immunoexpression of Nrf2 was observed in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus of neoplastic cells from PAC. Nuclear staining for Nrf2 suggested its activation in the majority of the PAC cells, which was confirmed by the high expression of its target gene, Prx I. Quantification of MMP-2 secretion showed lower levels in PAC cell cultures when compared to OSCC cell cultures (p < 0.05). In conclusion, although Nrf2 overexpression has been frequently associated with high-grade malignancies, such relationship is not infallible and, in fact, the opposite may occur in low-grade tumors, such as PAC of minor salivary glands.

Premature Atrial Contractions on the Screening Electrocardiogram and Risk of Ischemic Stroke: The Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke Study.

PubMed

O'Neal, Wesley T; Kamel, Hooman; Kleindorfer, Dawn; Judd, Suzanne E; Howard, George; Howard, Virginia J; Soliman, Elsayed Z

2016-01-01

It is currently unknown if premature atrial contractions (PACs) detected on the routine screening electrocardiogram are associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke. We examined the association between PACs and ischemic stroke in 22,975 (mean age 64 ± 9.2; 56% women; 40% black) participants from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study. Participants who were free of stroke at baseline were included. PACs were detected from centrally read electrocardiograms at baseline. Cox regression was used to examine the association between PACs and ischemic stroke events through March 31, 2014. PACs were present in 1,687 (7.3%) participants at baseline. In a Cox regression model adjusted for stroke risk factors and potential confounders, PACs were associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke (hazards ratio (HR) 1.34, 95% CI 1.04-1.74). The relationship was limited to non-lacunar infarcts (HR 1.42, 95% CI 1.08-1.87), and not lacunar strokes (HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.51-2.03). An interaction by sex was detected, with the association between PACs and ischemic stroke being stronger among women (HR 1.82, 95% CI 1.29-2.56) than men (HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.69-1.52; p-interaction = 0.0095). PACs detected on the routine electrocardiogram are associated with an increased risk for non-lacunar ischemic strokes, especially in women. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

[Design of the image browser for PACS image workstation].

PubMed

Li, Feng; Zhou, He-Qin

2006-09-01

The design of PACS image workstation based on DICOM3.0 is introduced in the paper, then the designing method of the PACS image browser based on the control system theory is presented,focusing on two main units:DICOM analyzer and the information mapping transformer.

Development and evaluation of oral reporting system for PACS.

PubMed

Umeda, T; Inamura, K; Inamoto, K; Ikezoe, J; Kozuka, T; Kawase, I; Fujii, Y; Karasawa, H

1994-05-01

Experimental workstations for oral reporting and synchronized image filing have been developed and evaluated by radiologists and referring physicians. The file media is a 5.25-inch rewritable magneto-optical disk of 600-Mb capacity whose file format is in accordance with the IS&C specification. The results of evaluation tell that this system is superior to other existing methods of the same kind such as transcribing, dictating, handwriting, typewriting and key selections. The most significant advantage of the system is that images and their interpretation are never separated. The first practical application to the teaching file and the teaching conference is contemplated in the Osaka University Hospital. This system is a complete digital system in terms of images, voices and demographic data, so that on-line transmission, off-line communication or filing to any database will be easily realized in a PACS environment. We are developing an integrated system of a speech recognizer connected to this digitized oral system.

A Multimodal Search Engine for Medical Imaging Studies.

PubMed

Pinho, Eduardo; Godinho, Tiago; Valente, Frederico; Costa, Carlos

2017-02-01

The use of digital medical imaging systems in healthcare institutions has increased significantly, and the large amounts of data in these systems have led to the conception of powerful support tools: recent studies on content-based image retrieval (CBIR) and multimodal information retrieval in the field hold great potential in decision support, as well as for addressing multiple challenges in healthcare systems, such as computer-aided diagnosis (CAD). However, the subject is still under heavy research, and very few solutions have become part of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) in hospitals and clinics. This paper proposes an extensible platform for multimodal medical image retrieval, integrated in an open-source PACS software with profile-based CBIR capabilities. In this article, we detail a technical approach to the problem by describing its main architecture and each sub-component, as well as the available web interfaces and the multimodal query techniques applied. Finally, we assess our implementation of the engine with computational performance benchmarks.

Picture archiving and communication system--Part one: Filmless radiology and distance radiology.

PubMed

De Backer, A I; Mortelé, K J; De Keulenaer, B L

2004-01-01

Picture archiving and communication system (PACS) is a collection of technologies used to carry out digital medical imaging. PACS is used to digitally acquire medical images from the various modalities, such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, and digital projection radiography. The image data and pertinent information are transmitted to other and possibly remote locations over networks, where they may be displayed on computer workstations for soft copy viewing in multiple locations, thus permitting simultaneous consultations and almost instant reporting from radiologists at a distance. Data are secured and archived on digital media such as optical disks or tape, and may be automatically retrieved as necessary. Close integration with the hospital information system (HIS)--radiology information system (RIS) is critical for system functionality. Medical image management systems are maturing, providing access outside of the radiology department to images throughout the hospital via the Ethernet, at different hospitals, or from a home workstation if teleradiology has been implemented.

Early evaluation of MDIS workstations at Madigan Army Medical Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leckie, Robert G.; Goeringer, Fred; Smith, Donald V.; Bender, Gregory N.; Choi, Hyung-Sik; Haynor, David R.; Kim, Yongmin

1993-06-01

The image viewing workstation is an all-important link in the PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications System) chain since it represents the interface between the system and the user. For PACS to function, the working environment and transfer of information to the user must be the same or better than the traditional film-based system. The important characteristics of a workstation from a clinical standpoint are acceptable image quality, rapid response time, a friendly user interface, and a well-integrated, highly-reliable, fault-tolerant system which provides the user ample functions to complete his tasks successfully. Since early 1992, the MDIS (Medical Diagnostic Imaging Support) system's diagnostic and clinical workstations have been installed at Madigan Army Medical Center. Various functionalities and performance characteristics of the MDIS workstations such as image display, response time, database, and ergonomics will be presented. User comments and early experience with the workstations as well as new functionality recommended for the future will be discussed.

Bridging the gap: linking a legacy hospital information system with a filmless radiology picture archiving and communications system within a nonhomogeneous environment.

PubMed

Rubin, R K; Henri, C J; Cox, R D

1999-05-01

A health level 7 (HL7)-conformant data link to exchange information between the mainframe hospital information system (HIS) of our hospital and our home-grown picture archiving and communications system (PACS) is a result of a collaborative effort between the HIS department and the PACS development team. Based of the ability to link examination requisitions and image studies, applications have been generated to optimise workflow and to improve the reliability and distribution of radiology information. Now, images can be routed to individual radiologists and clinicians; worklists facilitate radiology reporting; applications exist to create, edit, and view reports and images via the internet; and automated quality control now limits the incidence of "lost" cases and errors in image routing. By following the HL7 standard to develop the gateway to the legacy system, the development of a radiology information system for booking, reading, reporting, and billing remains universal and does not preclude the option to integrate off-the-shelf commercial products.

Isoform Sequencing and State-of-Art Applications for Unravelling Complexity of Plant Transcriptomes

PubMed Central

An, Dong; Li, Changsheng; Humbeck, Klaus

2018-01-01

Single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing developed by PacBio, also called third-generation sequencing (TGS), offers longer reads than the second-generation sequencing (SGS). Given its ability to obtain full-length transcripts without assembly, isoform sequencing (Iso-Seq) of transcriptomes by PacBio is advantageous for genome annotation, identification of novel genes and isoforms, as well as the discovery of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA). In addition, Iso-Seq gives access to the direct detection of alternative splicing, alternative polyadenylation (APA), gene fusion, and DNA modifications. Such applications of Iso-Seq facilitate the understanding of gene structure, post-transcriptional regulatory networks, and subsequently proteomic diversity. In this review, we summarize its applications in plant transcriptome study, specifically pointing out challenges associated with each step in the experimental design and highlight the development of bioinformatic pipelines. We aim to provide the community with an integrative overview and a comprehensive guidance to Iso-Seq, and thus to promote its applications in plant research. PMID:29346292

Increasing Youth Physical Activity with Activity Calendars

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eckler, Seth

2016-01-01

Physical educators often struggle with ways to get their students to be active beyond the school day. One strategy to accomplish this is the use of physical activity calendars (PACs). The purpose of this article is to support the use of PACs and give practical advice for creating effective PACs.

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION REPORT, C. LEE COOK DIVISION, DOVER CORPORATION, STATIC PAC (TM) SYSTEM, PHASE II REPORT

EPA Science Inventory

The Environmental Technology Verification report discusses the technology and performance of the Static Pac System, Phase II, natural gas reciprocating compressor rod packing manufactured by the C. Lee Cook Division, Dover Corporation. The Static Pac System is designed to seal th...

Serendipitous observations of asteroids in Herschel PACS and SPIRE maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szakáts, R.; Kiss, Cs.; Marton, G.; Varga-Verebélyi, E.; Müller, T.; Pál, A.

2017-09-01

We present our methods and results in finding serendipitous solar system objects on Herschel PACS and SPIRE maps. We can use this data to supplement the Herschel PACS and SPIRE point source catalogs with flags of possible contamination and to obtain thermal infrared fluxes for these asteroids.

A centralized platform for geo-distributed PACS management.

PubMed

Silva, Luís A Bastião; Pinho, Renato; Ribeiro, Luís S; Costa, Carlos; Oliveira, José Luís

2014-04-01

Picture Archive and Communication System (PACS) is a globally adopted concept and plays a fundamental role in patient care flow within healthcare institutions. However, the deployment of medical imaging repositories over multiple sites still brings several practical challenges namely related to operation and management (O&M). This paper describes a Web-based centralized console that provides remote monitoring, testing, and management over multiple geo-distributed PACS. The system allows the PACS administrator to define any kind of service or operation, reducing the need for local technicians and providing a 24/7 monitoring solution.

The CP-PACS project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwasaki, Y.; CP-PACS Collaboration

1998-01-01

The CP-PACS project is a five year plan, which formally started in April 1992 and has been completed in March 1997, to develop a massively parallel computer for carrying out research in computational physics with primary emphasis on lattice QCD. The initial version of the CP-PACS computer with a theoretical peak speed of 307 GFLOPS with 1024 processors was completed in March 1996. The final version with a peak speed of 614 GFLOPS with 2048 processors was completed in September 1996, and has been in full operation since October 1996. We describe the architecture, the final specification, the hardware implementation, and the software of the CP-PACS computer. The CP-PACS has been used for hadron spectroscopy production runs since July 1996. The performance for lattice QCD applications and the LINPACK benchmark are given.

Percent area coverage through image analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Chung M.; Hong, Sung M.; Liu, De-Ling

2016-09-01

The notion of percent area coverage (PAC) has been used to characterize surface cleanliness levels in the spacecraft contamination control community. Due to the lack of detailed particle data, PAC has been conventionally calculated by multiplying the particle surface density in predetermined particle size bins by a set of coefficients per MIL-STD-1246C. In deriving the set of coefficients, the surface particle size distribution is assumed to follow a log-normal relation between particle density and particle size, while the cross-sectional area function is given as a combination of regular geometric shapes. For particles with irregular shapes, the cross-sectional area function cannot describe the true particle area and, therefore, may introduce error in the PAC calculation. Other errors may also be introduced by using the lognormal surface particle size distribution function that highly depends on the environmental cleanliness and cleaning process. In this paper, we present PAC measurements from silicon witness wafers that collected fallouts from a fabric material after vibration testing. PAC calculations were performed through analysis of microscope images and compare them to values derived through the MIL-STD-1246C method. Our results showed that the MIL-STD-1246C method does provide a reasonable upper bound to the PAC values determined through image analysis, in particular for PAC values below 0.1.

Using Field-Metered Data to Quantify Annual Energy Use of Portable Air Conditioners

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

Burke, Thomas; Willem, Henry; Ni, Chun Chun

2014-12-01

As many regions of the United States experience rising temperatures, consumers have come to rely increasingly on cooling appliances (including portable air conditioners) to provide a comfortable indoor temperature. Home occupants sometimes use a portable air conditioner (PAC) to maintain a desired indoor temperature in a single room or enclosed space. Although PACs in residential use are few compared to centrally installed and room air conditioning (AC) units, the past few years have witnessed an increase of PACs use throughout the United States. There is, however, little information and few research projects focused on the energy consumption and performance ofmore » PACs, particularly studies that collect information from field applications of PACs. The operation and energy consumption of PACs may differ among geographic locations and households, because of variations in cooling load, frequency, duration of use, and other user-selected settings. In addition, the performance of building envelope (thermal mass and air leakage) as well as inter-zonal mixing within the building would substantially influence the ability to control and maintain desirable indoor thermal conditions. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) conducted an initial field-metering study aimed at increasing the knowledge and data related to PAC operation and energy consumption in the United States.« less

Absorption and emission spectroscopic characterization of photo-dynamics of photoactivated adenylyl cyclase mutant bPAC-Y7F of Beggiatoa sp.

PubMed

Penzkofer, Alfons; Stierl, Manuela; Mathes, Tilo; Hegemann, Peter

2014-11-01

The photoactivated cyclase bPAC of the microbial mats bacterium Beggiatoa sp. consists of a BLUF domain and an adenylyl cyclase domain. It has strong activity of photo-induced cyclic adenylyl monophosphate (cAMP) formation and is therefore an important optogenetic tool in neuroscience applications. The SUMO-bPAC-Y7F mutant where Tyr-7 is replaced by Phe-7 in the BLUF domain has lost the typical BLUF domain photo-cycle dynamics. Instead, the investigated SUMO-bPAC-Y7F mutant consisted of three protein conformations with different triplet based photo-dynamics: (i) reversible flavin quinone (Fl) cofactor reduction to flavin semiquinone (FlH), (ii) reversible violet/near ultraviolet absorbing flavin photoproduct (FlA) formation, and (iii) irreversible red absorbing flavin photoproduct (FlC) formation. Absorption and emission spectroscopic measurements on SUMO-bPAC-Y7F were carried out before, during and after light exposure. Flavin photo-dynamics schemes are developed for the SUMO-bPAC-Y7F fractions performing photo-induced FlH, FlA, and FlC formation. Quantitative parameters of the flavin cofactor excitation, relaxation and recovery dynamics in SUMO-bPAC-Y7F are determined. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Removal of Suspended Solids in Anaerobically Digested Slurries of Livestock and Poultry Manure by Coagulation Using Different Dosages of Polyaluminum Chloride

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, P.; Zhang, C. J.; Zhao, T. K.; Zhong, H.

2017-01-01

In this study, anaerobically digested slurries of livestock and poultry manure were pretreated by coagulation-sedimentation using an inorganic polymer coagulant, polyaluminum chloride (PAC). The effect of different PAC dosages on suspended solids (SS) removal and pH in the biogas slurries was assessed to provide reference values for reducing the organic load of biogas slurry in the coagulation-sedimentation process and explore the feasibility of reducing the difficulty in subsequent utilization or processing of biogas slurry. The results showed that for the pig slurry containing approximately 5000 mg/L SS, the removal rate of SS reached up to 81.6% with the coagulant dosage of 0.28 g/L PAC. For the chicken slurry containing approximately 2600 mg/L SS, the removal rate of SS was 30.2% with the coagulant dosage of 0.33 g/L PAC. The removal rate of SS in both slurries of livestock and poultry manure exhibited a downward trend with high PAC dosage. Therefore, there is a need to control the PAC dosage in practical use. The pH changed little in the two types of biogas slurries after treatment with different PAC dosages and both were in line with the standard values specified in the “Standards for Irrigation Water Quality”.

Pilot-scale study of powdered activated carbon recirculation for micropollutant removal.

PubMed

Meinel, F; Sperlich, A; Jekel, M

Adsorption onto powdered activated carbon (PAC) is a promising technique for the removal of organic micropollutants (OMPs) from treated wastewater. To enhance the adsorption efficiency, PAC is recycled back into the adsorption stage. This technique was examined in pilot scale in comparison to a reference without recirculation. Coagulation with Fe(3+) was carried out simultaneously to adsorption. Extensive OMP measurements showed that recirculation significantly increased OMP eliminations. Thus, significant PAC savings were feasible. The PAC concentration in the contact reactor proved to be an important operating parameter that can be surrogated by the easily measurable total suspended solids (TSS) concentration. OMP eliminations increased with increasing TSS concentrations. At 20 mg PAC L(-1) and 2.8 g TSS L(-1) in the contact reactor, well-adsorbable carbamazepine was eliminated by 97%, moderately adsorbable diclofenac was eliminated by 92% and poorly-adsorbable acesulfame was eliminated by 54% in comparison to 49%, 35% and 18%, respectively, without recirculation. The recirculation system represents an efficient technique, as the PAC's adsorption capacity is practically completely used. Small PAC dosages yield high OMP eliminations. Poorly-adsorbable gabapentin was eliminated to an unexpectedly high degree. A laboratory-scale biomass inhibition study showed that aerobic biodegradation removed gabapentin in addition to adsorption.

The dynein cortical anchor Num1 activates dynein motility by relieving Pac1/LIS1-mediated inhibition

PubMed Central

Lammers, Lindsay G.

2015-01-01

Cortically anchored dynein orients the spindle through interactions with astral microtubules. In budding yeast, dynein is offloaded to Num1 receptors from microtubule plus ends. Rather than walking toward minus ends, dynein remains associated with plus ends due in part to its association with Pac1/LIS1, an inhibitor of dynein motility. The mechanism by which dynein is switched from “off” at the plus ends to “on” at the cell cortex remains unknown. Here, we show that overexpression of the coiled-coil domain of Num1 specifically depletes dynein–dynactin–Pac1/LIS1 complexes from microtubule plus ends and reduces dynein-Pac1/LIS1 colocalization. Depletion of dynein from plus ends requires its microtubule-binding domain, suggesting that motility is required. An enhanced Pac1/LIS1 affinity mutant of dynein or overexpression of Pac1/LIS1 rescues dynein plus end depletion. Live-cell imaging reveals minus end–directed dynein–dynactin motility along microtubules upon overexpression of the coiled-coil domain of Num1, an event that is not observed in wild-type cells. Our findings indicate that dynein activity is directly switched “on” by Num1, which induces Pac1/LIS1 removal. PMID:26483554

Making PACS the present, not the future.

PubMed

Hunt, D

1998-01-01

Why haven't you moved forward with PACS? Have you just procrastinated or does your facility have legitimate reasons? Some say the technology is too confusing or too new, while others say the cost of PACS is too high. Many facilities say they haven't found a satisfactory way to deal with the conflicting opinions of their radiologists, IS department, administration, referring physicians and staff. Take time to compare the technology you do understand with something familiar such as your own PC or perhaps the current networks inside your facility. You'll soon begin to see that PACS is not a new technology, but rather a new methodology. To handle the perceived high cost of PACS, remember that every facility has different needs. Look at your work flow and then the many byproducts of PACS, such as marketing. If you are the first in your area to implement this new technology, you'll gain a marketing advantage in competing for referring physicians and managed care referral business. Follow the process you use to purchase other products, such as CT or MRI, as you investigate the vendors. Finally, make a plan! Determine departmental goals and gather information from vendors. Create a timeline, a financial plan and your marketing strategy. Together, these steps will help move PACS into the present for you.

Learn from experience: insights of 200+ PACS customers.

PubMed

Swaton, Norm

2002-01-01

This article is based on a PACS study published in June 2001 by KLAS Enterprises. The study offers unique insight into the performance, underlying technology, product depth and breadth, and "real world" issues facing 10 of the leading PACS vendors and their clients as rated at more than 200 of their client sites by CIOs, department directors and vendor executives. The driving force behind this report reflects the heightened interest in PACS systems in general and PACS' contributions to the benefits associated with an electronic medical record. This research was sponsored by 10 healthcare provider organizations (not vendors), ranging from a 150-bed acute-care hospital to a seven-hospital IDN. Most of the data in the report focuses on the use of PACS in the radiology department, since comparatively few sites are using PACS systems in other departments, such as cardiology or pathology. The participating vendors supplied their customer lists, which contributed to the majority of clients surveyed. Clients surveyed in the study vary widely in size, ranging from 50 to 2,000 beds, with about 46 percent of those surveyed having a hospital size of more than 400 beds. The customers represent a broad cross-section of PACS clients, ranging from 10 percent to 95 percent filmless, with large-scale users making up the majority of respondents. Each of the customers were asked to numerically rate their vendor on 28 aspects of performance, as well as to answer 12 questions relating to customer satisfaction. Based on study results, success with PACS can be distilled into some basic principles. There are other issues that will help with a successful PACS selection and implementation, but the following list should help anyone get started. If you are able to focus on and accomplish these few things, you stand a better chance of building and meeting your business case. Pre-sell your PACS concept to the radiologists, technicians, IS/IT staff supporting it and to the referring physicians. Make your system user-friendly. Select a vendor that has a history of partnering with their clients. Find a vendor and system that you can afford and that provides enterprise-wide distribution and access to images. Move quickly from printed film to digital images. Know yourself. Know your goals, Do your homework. Ask for help.

Native oxy-PAHs, N-PACs, and PAHs in historically contaminated soils from Sweden, Belgium, and France: their soil-porewater partitioning behavior, bioaccumulation in Enchytraeus crypticus, and bioavailability.

PubMed

Arp, Hans Peter H; Lundstedt, Staffan; Josefsson, Sarah; Cornelissen, Gerard; Enell, Anja; Allard, Ann-Sofie; Kleja, Dan Berggren

2014-10-07

Soil quality standards are based on partitioning and toxicity data for laboratory-spiked reference soils, instead of real world, historically contaminated soils, which would be more representative. Here 21 diverse historically contaminated soils from Sweden, Belgium, and France were obtained, and the soil-porewater partitioning along with the bioaccumulation in exposed worms (Enchytraeus crypticus) of native polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) were quantified. The native PACs investigated were polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and, for the first time to be included in such a study, oxygenated-PAHs (oxy-PAHs) and nitrogen containing heterocyclic PACs (N-PACs). The passive sampler polyoxymethylene (POM) was used to measure the equilibrium freely dissolved porewater concentration, Cpw, of all PACs. The obtained organic carbon normalized partitioning coefficients, KTOC, show that sorption of these native PACs is much stronger than observed in laboratory-spiked soils (typically by factors 10 to 100), which has been reported previously for PAHs but here for the first time for oxy-PAHs and N-PACs. A recently developed KTOC model for historically contaminated sediments predicted the 597 unique, native KTOC values in this study within a factor 30 for 100% of the data and a factor 3 for 58% of the data, without calibration. This model assumes that TOC in pyrogenic-impacted areas sorbs similarly to coal tar, rather than octanol as typically assumed. Black carbon (BC) inclusive partitioning models exhibited substantially poorer performance. Regarding bioaccumulation, Cpw combined with liposome-water partition coefficients corresponded better with measured worm lipid concentrations, Clipid (within a factor 10 for 85% of all PACs and soils), than Cpw combined with octanol-water partition coefficients (within a factor 10 for 76% of all PACs and soils). E. crypticus mortality and reproducibility were also quantified. No enhanced mortality was observed in the 21 historically contaminated soils despite expectations from PAH spiked reference soils. Worm reproducibility weakly correlated to Clipid of PACs, though the contributing influence of metal concentrations and soil texture could not be taken into account. The good agreement of POM-derived Cpw with independent soil and lipid partitioning models further supports that soil risk assessments would improve by accounting for bioavailability. Strategies for including bioavailability in soil risk assessment are presented.

PACS for surgery and interventional radiology: features of a Therapy Imaging and Model Management System (TIMMS).

PubMed

Lemke, Heinz U; Berliner, Leonard

2011-05-01

Appropriate use of information and communication technology (ICT) and mechatronic (MT) systems is viewed by many experts as a means to improve workflow and quality of care in the operating room (OR). This will require a suitable information technology (IT) infrastructure, as well as communication and interface standards, such as specialized extensions of DICOM, to allow data interchange between surgical system components in the OR. A design of such an infrastructure, sometimes referred to as surgical PACS, but better defined as a Therapy Imaging and Model Management System (TIMMS), will be introduced in this article. A TIMMS should support the essential functions that enable and advance image guided therapy, and in the future, a more comprehensive form of patient-model guided therapy. Within this concept, the "image-centric world view" of the classical PACS technology is complemented by an IT "model-centric world view". Such a view is founded in the special patient modelling needs of an increasing number of modern surgical interventions as compared to the imaging intensive working mode of diagnostic radiology, for which PACS was originally conceptualised and developed. The modelling aspects refer to both patient information and workflow modelling. Standards for creating and integrating information about patients, equipment, and procedures are vitally needed when planning for an efficient OR. The DICOM Working Group 24 (WG-24) has been established to develop DICOM objects and services related to image and model guided surgery. To determine these standards, it is important to define step-by-step surgical workflow practices and create interventional workflow models per procedures or per variable cases. As the boundaries between radiation therapy, surgery and interventional radiology are becoming less well-defined, precise patient models will become the greatest common denominator for all therapeutic disciplines. In addition to imaging, the focus of WG-24 is to serve the therapeutic disciplines by enabling modelling technology to be based on standards. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Development of solid phase adsorption toxin tracking (SPATT) for monitoring anatoxin-a and homoanatoxin-a in river water.

PubMed

Wood, Susanna A; Holland, Patrick T; MacKenzie, Lincoln

2011-02-01

Sampling and monitoring for cyanotoxins can be problematic as concentrations change with environmental and hydrological conditions. Current sampling practices (e.g. grab samples) provide data on cyanotoxins present only at one point in time and may miss areas or times of highest risk. Recent research has identified the widespread distribution of anatoxin-producing benthic cyanobacteria in rivers highlighting the need for development of effective sampling techniques. In this study we evaluated the potential of an in situ method known as solid phase adsorption toxin tracking (SPATT) for collecting and concentrating anatoxin-a (ATX) and homoanatoxin-a (HTX) in river water. Fifteen different adsorption substrates were screened for efficiency of ATX uptake, nine of which retained high proportions (>70%) of ATX. Four substrates were then selected for a 24-h trial in a SPATT bag format in the laboratory. The greatest decrease in ATX in the water was observed with powdered activated carbon (PAC) and Strata-X (a polymeric resin) SPATT bags. A 3-d field study in a river containing toxic benthic cyanobacterial mats was undertaken using PAC and Strata-X SPATT bags. ATX and HTX were detected in all SPATT bags. Surface grab samples were taken throughout the field study and ATX and HTX were only detected in one of the water samples, highlighting the limitations of this currently used method. Both Strata-X and PAC were found to be effective absorbent substrates. PAC has the advantage that it is cheap and readily available and appears to continue to sorb toxins over longer periods than Strata-X. SPATT has the potential to be integrated into current cyanobacterial monitoring programmes and would be a very useful and economical tool for early warning of ATX and HTX contamination in water. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Cold Dust Content of the Oxygen-rich Supernova Remnant G292.0+1.8

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghavamian, Parviz; Williams, Brian J.

2016-11-01

We present far-infrared images of the Galactic oxygen-rich supernova remnant (SNR) G292.0+1.8, acquired with the PACS and SPIRE instruments of the Herschel Space Observatory. We find that the SNR shell is detected in the PACS blue (100 μm) band, but not in the red (160 μm) band, broadly consistent with results from AKARI observations. There is no discernible emission from G292.0+1.8 in SPIRE imagery at 250, 350 and 500 μm. Comparing the 100 μm emission to that observed with Spitzer at 24 and 70 μm, we find a very similar appearance for G292.0+1.8 at all three wavelengths. The infrared emission is dominated by dust from non-radiative circumstellar shocks. In addition, the radiatively shocked O-rich clump known as the “Spur” on the eastern side of G292.0+1.8 is clearly detected in the PACS blue images, with marginal detection in the red. Fitting the existing 14-40 μm IRS spectra of the Spur together with photometric measurements from 70 μm MIPS and 100 μm PACS photometry, we place an upper limit of ≲ 0.04 M ⊙ of ejecta dust mass in the Spur, under the most conservative assumption that the ejecta dust has a temperature of 15 K. Modeling the dust continuum in the IRS spectra at four positions around the rim, we estimate post-shock densities ranging from {n}p=3.5 cm-3 to 11 cm-3. The integrated spectrum of the entire SNR, dominated by swept-up circumstellar dust, can be fitted with a two-component dust model with a silicate component at 62 K and graphite component at 40 K for a total dust mass of 0.023 M ⊙.

Intraplate shearing and basin deformation in the Pacific Plate as a result of the Yakutat Block collision with North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reece, R.; Gulick, S. P.; Christeson, G. L.; Worthington, L. L.

2009-12-01

The Yakutat Block (YAK), an allochthonous terrane coupled to the Pacific Plate (PAC), collided with the North American plate ~10Ma and began subducting at the Aleutian Trench. Due to its thickness, the YAK is resistant to subduction compared to the PAC. As a result, the YAK is undergoing flat-slab subduction and now has developed its own vector relative to the PAC. High-resolution bathymetry data shows a 30km N-S trending ridge within the Surveyor Fan between the mouths of the Yakutat Sea Valley and Bering Trough. The ridge originates in the north at the base of the continental slope, which is coincident with the Transition Fault, the strike-slip boundary between the YAK and the PAC. The ridge exhibits greatest relief adjacent to the Transition Fault, and becomes less distinct farther from the shelf edge. As the highest relief feature in this part of the basin, the ridge has completely redefined sediment distribution patterns within the Surveyor Fan. Seismic reflection data reveal a sharp basement high beneath the ridge (1.1 sec of relief above “normal” basement in two-way travel time) as well as multiple strike-slip fault systems that are also N-S oriented. The ridge, basement high, and faults are aligned and co-located with an intraplate earthquake swarm on the PAC, which includes four events > 6.5 Mw that occurred from 1987-1992. This earthquake swarm is defined by mostly right-lateral strike-slip events, and is known as the Gulf of Alaska Shear Zone (GASZ). Based on the extent of seismicity, the GASZ extends 230km into the PAC. Tearing of oceanic crust on this scale is rare. A recent wide-angle seismic study shows the YAK to be a 20-25km thick mafic body while the 30 Myr old Pacific crust in the northern Gulf of Alaska is of normal thickness. Intraplate deformation occurring within the PAC could be the result of PAC-YAK coupling whereby YAK resistance to subduction is expressed as deformation in the thinner (weaker) PAC crust. Although a large tear in normal oceanic crust is unusual, preexisting zones of weakness within the PAC crust that are proximal to and under stress from the YAK may have proven to be a kinematically favorable localization for strain. These results support a recently proposed tectonic model wherein the differing YAK and PAC vectors caused the northern PAC to split into two different blocks, separated by the GASZ. In this model, the eastern block of the PAC would exhibit a counter-clockwise rotation that accounts for motion along the Transition Fault and GASZ. We will analyze this intraplate deformation zone using seismic imaging, bathymetry, and magnetic data in order to examine the cause of the strain localization and its southern termination, the influence of this shear zone on the sedimentary history, and relationship with the PAC-YAK interplate deformation along the Transition Fault.

Characterization of ocular biometrics and aqueous humor dynamics in primary angle closure suspects.

PubMed

Guo, Li; Deng, Yuan; Fang, Li; Liu, Chaoqi; Guo, Tao

2017-02-01

Detailed characterizations of ocular biometrics and parameters of aqueous humor dynamics are lacking in primary angle closure suspect (PACS) patients. This study aims to characterize these parameters and compare them with age-matched healthy volunteers.Elderly healthy volunteers (60.6 ± 7.2 years of age, mean ± SD, n = 28) and PACS patients (64.1 ± 11.6 years, n = 30) completed the study. Parameters investigated were axial length (AXL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), anterior chamber volume (ACV), central cornea thickness (CCT), intraocular pressure (IOP), aqueous flow (Fa), outflow facility (C), episcleral venous pressure (EVP), and uveoscleral outflow (Fu). Comparisons and correlations were made between and within groups.In healthy volunteers, ocular biometric parameters, IOP, and EVP correlated very well between the 2 eyes of each individual, but Fa, C, and Fu were not significantly correlated. Biometric parameters of the PACS group significantly (P < 0.001) differed from those of the healthy controls: AXL (23.31 ± 1.03 mm [PACS] vs 22.39 ± 1.04 mm [Control]; mean ± SD), ACD (2.44 ± 0.33 mm [PACS] vs 1.86 ± 0.25 mm [Control]), ACV (136.0 ± 36.1 μL [PACS] vs 81.4 ± 21.8 μL [Control]), CCT (526.9 ± 37.0 μm [PACS] vs 556.1 ± 28.4 μm [Control]). There was no significant change in IOP, Fa, C, EVP, or Fu between Control and PACS. Furthermore, IOP showed no significant correlations with AXL, ACD, ACV, CCT, or C in both groups.The PACS eyes had a shorter AXL, a shallower ACD, and a smaller ACV, but a thicker CCT. Despite these morphological changes, the PACS eyes did not have any significant changes in IOP, and aqueous humor dynamics parameters. This is consistent with the findings that IOP did not show significant correlations with biometrics, or C.

Cost effectiveness in Canada of a multidrug prepackaged regimen (Hp-PAC)+ for Helicobacter pylori eradication.

PubMed

Agro, K; Blackhouse, G; Goeree, R; Willan, A R; Huang, J Q; Hunt, R H; O'Brien, B J

2001-01-01

To assess the cost effectiveness of a multidrug prepackaged regimen for Helicobacter pylori, the Hp-PAC (lansoprazole 30mg, clarithromycin 500 mg, amoxicillin 1 g, all twice daily), relative to alternative pharmacological strategies in the management of confirmed duodenal ulcer over a 1-year period from 2 perspectives: (i) a strict healthcare payer perspective (Ontario Ministry of Health) excluding the patient copayment; and (ii) a healthcare payer perspective including the patient copayment. A decision-analytical model was developed to estimate expected per patient costs [1998 Canadian dollars ($ Can)], weeks without ulcer and symptomatic ulcer recurrences for the Hp-PAC compared with: proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-clarithromycin-amoxicillin (PPI-CA), PPI-clarithromycin-metronidazole (PPI-CM), PPI-amoxicillin-metronidazole (PPI-AM) and ranitidine-bismuthmetronidazole-tetracycline (RAN-BMT). All PPI-based regimens had higher expected costs but better outcomes relative to RAN-BMT. From a strict healthcare payer perspective, PPI-CM ($Can 209) yielded lower expected costs than PPI-CA ($Can 221) and slightly lower costs than Hp-PAC ($Can 211). However, these 3 regimens all shared identical outcomes (51.2 weeks without ulcer). When the current Ontario, Canada, $Can 2 patient copayment was added to the dispensing fee, Hp-PAC yielded lower costs ($Can 214) than PPI-CM ($Can 216). From a strict healthcare payer perspective, Hp-PAC is weakly dominated by PPI-CM with an incremental cost effectiveness (relative to RAN-BMT) of $Can 5.77 per ulcer week averted. When the patient copayment is added to this perspective, Hp-PAC weakly dominates PPI-CM ($Can 5 per ulcer week averted). Regardless of perspective, Hp-PAC and PPI-CM differed by only $Can 2 per patient over 1 year and the expected time without ulcer was 51.2 weeks for both. More data on the clinical and statistical differences in H. pylori eradication with Hp-PAC and PPI-CM would be useful. This analysis does not in clude the possible advantage of Hp-PAC in terms of compliance and antibacterial resistance.

Changes in Anterior Segment Morphology and Predictors of Angle Widening after Laser Iridotomy in South Indian Eyes.

PubMed

Zebardast, Nazlee; Kavitha, Srinivasan; Krishnamurthy, Palaniswamy; Friedman, David S; Nongpiur, Monisha E; Aung, Tin; Quigley, Harry A; Ramulu, Pradeep Y; Venkatesh, Rengaraj

2016-12-01

To compare anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT) angle morphology before and after laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) in a cohort of South Indian subjects with primary angle-closure suspect (PACS) or primary angle-closure/primary angle-closure glaucoma (PAC/PACG) and to examine baseline parameters associated with angle widening. Prospective observational study. A total of 244 subjects aged ≥30 years with PACS or PAC/PACG in at least 1 eye. The ASOCT images and angle gonioscopic grades were analyzed for all subjects at baseline and 2 weeks after LPI. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were used to determine predictors of angle widening (change in mean angle opening distance [AOD750]) and angle opening (all 4 quadrants with trabecular meshwork [TM] visible on gonioscopy after LPI). Change in ASOCT parameters with LPI and baseline predictors of angle widening. Laser peripheral iridotomy resulted in angle widening on ASOCT with significant increases in AOD750, angle recess area, and trabecular iris surface area (P < 0.05 for all). Gonioscopically, 44.7% of all subjects had open angles in all 4 quadrants after LPI, with a greater percentage of angles open in the PACS group compared with the PAC/PACG group (52.4% vs. 36.4%; P = 0.01). In multivariable regression analyses, greater postoperative angle widening as defined by change in AOD750 was associated with shorter baseline AOD750 and axial length, and greater baseline anterior chamber depth, iris curvature, and lens vault (P ≤ 0.002 for all). Gonioscopic angle opening after LPI was more common with wider baseline angle width (modified Shaffer grade) and lower cup-to-disc ratio (P < 0.001 for both). In a South Indian population with PACS or PAC/PACG, LPI results in significant anterior chamber angle widening seen on both ASOCT and gonioscopy, although some degree of persistent iridotrabecular contact was present in approximately half of PACS eyes and approximately two thirds of PAC/PACG eyes on gonioscopy. The greatest widening by ASOCT was observed in eyes with features most consistent with greater baseline pupillary block. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Ophthalmology. All rights reserved.

Upgrade of deep bed filtration with activated carbon dosage for compact micropollutant removal from wastewater in technical scale.

PubMed

Löwenberg, Jonas; Zenker, Armin; Krahnstöver, Thérèse; Boehler, Marc; Baggenstos, Martin; Koch, Gerhard; Wintgens, Thomas

2016-05-01

The removal of micropollutants from drinking and wastewater by powdered activated carbon (PAC) adsorption has received considerable attention in research over the past decade with various separation options having been investigated. With Switzerland as the first country in the world having adopted a new legislation, which forces about 100 wastewater treatment plants to be upgraded for the removal of organic micropollutants from municipal wastewater, the topic has reached practical relevance. In this study, the process combination of powdered activated carbon (PAC) adsorption and deep bed filtration (DBF) for advanced municipal wastewater treatment was investigated over an extended period exceeding one year of operation in technical scale. The study aimed to determine optimum process conditions to achieve sufficient micropollutant removal in agreement with the new Swiss Water Ordinance under most economic process design. It was shown that the addition of PAC and Fe(3+) as combined coagulation and flocculation agent improved effluent water quality with respect to dissolved organic pollutants as well as total suspended solids (TSS), turbidity and PO4-P concentration in comparison to a DBF operated without the addition of PAC and Fe(3+). Sufficient micropollutant (MP) removal of around 80% was achieved at PAC dosages of 10 mg/L revealing that PAC retained in the filter bed maintained considerable adsorption capacity. In the investigated process combination the contact reactor serves for adsorption as well as for flocculation and allowed for small hydraulic retention times of minimum 10 min while maintaining sufficient MP removal. The flocculation of two different PAC types was shown to be fully concluded after 10-15 min, which determined the flocculation reactor size while both PAC types proved suitable for the application in combination with DBF and showed no significant differences in MP removal. Finally, the capping of PAC dosage during rain water periods, which resulted in lower dosage concentrations, was efficient in limiting PAC consumption during these events without suffering from negative effects on process performance or effluent quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pattern mining of user interaction logs for a post-deployment usability evaluation of a radiology PACS client.

PubMed

Jorritsma, Wiard; Cnossen, Fokie; Dierckx, Rudi A; Oudkerk, Matthijs; van Ooijen, Peter M A

2016-01-01

To perform a post-deployment usability evaluation of a radiology Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) client based on pattern mining of user interaction log data, and to assess the usefulness of this approach compared to a field study. All user actions performed on the PACS client were logged for four months. A data mining technique called closed sequential pattern mining was used to automatically extract frequently occurring interaction patterns from the log data. These patterns were used to identify usability issues with the PACS. The results of this evaluation were compared to the results of a field study based usability evaluation of the same PACS client. The interaction patterns revealed four usability issues: (1) the display protocols do not function properly, (2) the line measurement tool stays active until another tool is selected, rather than being deactivated after one use, (3) the PACS's built-in 3D functionality does not allow users to effectively perform certain 3D-related tasks, (4) users underuse the PACS's customization possibilities. All usability issues identified based on the log data were also found in the field study, which identified 48 issues in total. Post-deployment usability evaluation based on pattern mining of user interaction log data provides useful insights into the way users interact with the radiology PACS client. However, it reveals few usability issues compared to a field study and should therefore not be used as the sole method of usability evaluation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of parthenium based activated carbon and its utilization for adsorptive removal of p-cresol from aqueous solution.

PubMed

Singh, Ravi Kant; Kumar, Shashi; Kumar, Surendra; Kumar, Arinjay

2008-07-15

The activated carbon was prepared from carbonaceous agriculture waste Parthenium hysterophorous by chemical activation using concentrated H2SO4 at 130+/-5 degrees C. The prepared activated carbon was characterized and was found as an effective adsorbent material. In order to test the efficacy of parthenium based activated carbon (PAC), batch experiments were performed to carryout the adsorption studies on PAC for the removal of highly toxic pollutant p-cresol from aqueous solution. The p-cresol adsorption studies were also carried out on commercial grade activated carbon (AC) to facilitate comparison between the adsorption capabilities of PAC and AC. For PAC and AC, the predictive capabilities of two types of kinetic models and six types of adsorption equilibrium isotherm models were examined. The effect of pH of solution, adsorbent dose and initial p-cresol concentration on adsorption behaviour was investigated, as well. The adsorption on PAC and on AC was found to follow pseudo-first order kinetics with rate constant 0.0016 min(-1) and 0.0050 min(-1), respectively. The highest adsorptive capacity of PAC and AC for p-cresol solution was attained at pH 6.0. Further, as an adsorbent PAC was found to be as good as AC for removal of p-cresol upto a concentration of 500 mg/l in aqueous solution. Freundlich, Redlich-Peterson, and Fritz-Schlunder models were found to be appropriate isotherm models for PAC while Toth, Radke-Prausnitz and Fritz-Schlunder were suitable models for AC to remove p-cresol from aqueous solution.

11 CFR 100.5 - Political committee (2 U.S.C. 431 (4), (5), (6)).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... delegate at 11 CFR 110.14(b)(1).) (6) Leadership PAC. Leadership PAC means a political committee that is... that leadership PAC does not include a political committee of a political party. (7) Lobbyist... informal practices or procedures; (C) Whether a sponsoring organization or committee has the authority or...

7 CFR 1944.258 - Professional assessment committee.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., staff time is counted as its imputed value, and if the members are volunteers, their time is counted as volunteer time, according to sections 1944.145(c)(2) (ii) and (iv). (b) Duties of the PAC. The PAC is.... (3) The dollar value of PAC members' time spent on regular assessments after initial approval of...

7 CFR 1944.258 - Professional assessment committee.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., staff time is counted as its imputed value, and if the members are volunteers, their time is counted as volunteer time, according to sections 1944.145(c)(2) (ii) and (iv). (b) Duties of the PAC. The PAC is.... (3) The dollar value of PAC members' time spent on regular assessments after initial approval of...

24 CFR 700.135 - Professional assessment committee.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

..., staff time is counted as its imputed value, and if the members are volunteers, their time is counted as volunteer time, according to sections 700.145(c)(2) (ii) and (iv). (b) Duties of the PAC. The PAC is.... (3) The dollar value of PAC members' time spent on regular assessments after initial approval of...

24 CFR 700.135 - Professional assessment committee.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

..., staff time is counted as its imputed value, and if the members are volunteers, their time is counted as volunteer time, according to sections 700.145(c)(2) (ii) and (iv). (b) Duties of the PAC. The PAC is.... (3) The dollar value of PAC members' time spent on regular assessments after initial approval of...

PACS on mobile devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parikh, Ashesh; Mehta, Nihal

2015-03-01

Recent advances in internet browser technologies makes it possible to incorporate advanced functionality of a traditional PACS for viewing DICOM medical images on standard web browsers without the need to pre-install any plug-ins, apps or software. We demonstrate some of the capabilities of standard web browsers setting the stage for a cloud-based PACS.

Very Facile Polarity Umpolung and Noncovalent Functionalization of Inorganic Nanoparticles: A Tool Kit for Supramolecular Materials Chemistry.

PubMed

Zeininger, Lukas; Petzi, Stefanie; Schönamsgruber, Jörg; Portilla, Luis; Halik, Marcus; Hirsch, Andreas

2015-09-28

The facile assembly of shell-by-shell (SbS)-coated nanoparticles [TiO2-PAC16]@shell 1-7 (PAC16 = hexadecylphosphonic acid), which are soluble in water and can be isolated as stable solids, is reported. In these functional architectures, an umpolung of dispersibility (organic apolar versus water) was accomplished by the noncovalent binding of ligands 1-7 to titania nanoparticles [TiO2-PAC16] containing a first covalent coating with PAC16. Ligands 1-7 are amphiphilic and form the outer second shell of [TiO2-PAC16]@shell 1-7. The tailor-designed dendritic building blocks 3-5 contain negative and positive charges in the same molecule, and ligands 6 and 7 contain a perylenetetracarboxylic acid dimide (PDI) core (6/7) as a photoactive reporter component. In the redox and photoactive system [TiO2-PAC16]@shell 7, electronic communication between the inorganic core to the PDI ligands was observed. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Photocatalytic degradation of clofibric acid, carbamazepine and iomeprol using conglomerated TiO2 and activated carbon in aqueous suspension.

PubMed

Ziegmann, Markus; Frimmel, Fritz H

2010-01-01

The combination of powdered activated carbon (PAC) and TiO(2) has been tested for synergistic/antagonistic effects in the photocatalytic degradation of carbamazepine, clofibric acid and iomeprol. Synergistic effects are thought to be caused by rapid adsorption on the PAC surface followed by diffusion to the TiO(2) surface and photocatalytic degradation. The Freundlich constant K(F) was used for comparing the sorption properties of the three substances and it was found that K(F) for clofibric acid was 3 times lower than for carbamazepine and iomeprol, regardless of the kind of PAC used. A PAC with a distinct tendency to form conglomerates was selected so that a high percentage of the PAC surface was in direct proximity to the TiO(2) surface. The photocatalytic degradation of the pharmaceutically active compounds studied followed pseudo-first order kinetics. Synergistic effects only occurred for clofibric acid (factor 1.5) and an inverse relationship between adsorption affinity and synergistic effects was found. High affinity of the target substances to the PAC surface seemed to be counterproductive for the photocatalytic degradation.

Development of an advanced pitch active control system for a wide body jet aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guinn, Wiley A.; Rising, Jerry J.; Davis, Walt J.

1984-01-01

An advanced PACS control law was developed for a commercial wide-body transport (Lockheed L-1011) by using modern control theory. Validity of the control law was demonstrated by piloted flight simulation tests on the NASA Langley visual motion simulator. The PACS design objective was to develop a PACS that would provide good flying qualities to negative 10 percent static stability margins that were equivalent to those of the baseline aircraft at a 15 percent static stability margin which is normal for the L-1011. Also, the PACS was to compensate for high-Mach/high-g instabilities that degrade flying qualities during upset recoveries and maneuvers. The piloted flight simulation tests showed that the PACS met the design objectives. The simulation demonstrated good flying qualities to negative 20 percent static stability margins for hold, cruise and high-speed flight conditions. Analysis and wind tunnel tests performed on other Lockheed programs indicate that the PACS could be used on an advanced transport configuration to provide a 4 percent fuel savings which results from reduced trim drag by flying at negative static stability margins.

Removal of phenol by powdered activated carbon prepared from coal gasification tar residue.

PubMed

Wang, Xiong-Lei; Shen, Jun; Niu, Yan-Xia; Wang, Yu-Gao; Liu, Gang; Sheng, Qing-Tao

2018-03-01

Coal gasification tar residue (CGTR) is a kind of environmentally hazardous byproduct generated in fixed-bed coal gasification process. The CGTR extracted by ethyl acetate was used to prepare powdered activated carbon (PAC), which is applied later for adsorption of phenol. The results showed that the PAC prepared under optimum conditions had enormous mesoporous structure, and the iodine number reached 2030.11 mg/g, with a specific surface area of 1981 m 2 /g and a total pore volume of 0.92 ml/g. Especially, without loading other substances, the PAC, having a strong magnetism, can be easily separated after it adsorbs phenol. The adsorption of phenol by PAC was studied as functions of contact time, temperature, PAC dosage, solution concentration and pH. The results showed a fast adsorption speed and a high adsorption capacity of PAC. The adsorption process was exothermic and conformed to the Freundlich models. The adsorption kinetics fitted better to the pseudo-second-order model. These results show that CGTR can be used as a potential adsorbent of phenols in wastewater.

PACS project management utilizing web-based tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, Sunil; Levin, Brad; Gac, Robert J., Jr.; Harding, Douglas, Jr.; Chacko, Anna K.; Radvany, Martin; Romlein, John R.

2000-05-01

As Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS) implementations become more widespread, the management of deploying large, multi-facility PACS will become a more frequent occurrence. The tools and usability of the World Wide Web to disseminate project management information obviates time, distance, participant availability, and data format constraints, allowing for the effective collection and dissemination of PACS planning, implementation information, for a potentially limitless number of concurrent PACS sites. This paper will speak to tools, such as (1) a topic specific discussion board, (2) a 'restricted' Intranet, within a 'project' Intranet. We will also discuss project specific methods currently in use in a leading edge, regional PACS implementation concerning the sharing of project schedules, physical drawings, images of implementations, site-specific data, point of contacts lists, project milestones, and a general project overview. The individual benefits realized for the end user from each tool will also be covered. These details will be presented, balanced with a spotlight on communication as a critical component of any project management undertaking. Using today's technology, the web arguably provides the most cost and resource effective vehicle to facilitate the broad based, interactive sharing of project information.

Procaspase-activating compound 1 induces a caspase-3-dependent cell death in cerebellar granule neurons

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

Aziz, Gulzeb; Akselsen, Oyvind W.; Hansen, Trond V.

2010-09-15

Procaspase-activating compound 1, PAC-1, has been introduced as a direct activator of procaspase-3 and has been suggested as a therapeutic agent against cancer. Its activation of procaspase-3 is dependent on the chelation of zinc. We have tested PAC-1 and an analogue of PAC-1 as zinc chelators in vitro as well as their ability to activate caspase-3 and induce cell death in chicken cerebellar granule neuron cultures. These neurons are non-dividing, primary cells with normal caspase-3. The results reported herein show that PAC-1 chelates zinc, activates procaspase-3, and leads to caspase-3-dependent cell death in neurons, as the specific caspase-3-inhibitor Ac-DEVD-cmk inhibitedmore » both the caspase-3 activity and cell death. Thus, chicken cerebellar granule neurons is a suitable model to study mechanisms of interference with apoptosis of PAC-1 and similar compounds. Furthermore, the present study also raises concern about potential neurotoxicity of PAC-1 if used in cancer therapy.« less

Engineering and clinical-oriented solution to cost-effective PACS for developing areas in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Dake; Zhang, Hong; Zhou, Shengmin; Shao, Lin

1997-05-01

Although PACS has been studied in industrial countries for more than sixteen years, few effort has been made so far to apply PACS technology to such developing areas as most rural regions in CHina. Engineering and clinical problems raised from installing PACS in undeveloped areas has brought many challenges to our system design. In this study, we try to analyze the clinical need of the Chinese hospitals and find out a solution to meet most hospitals' requirements from engineering and clinical points of view, such as system cost, ease of deployment, user interface, maintenance difficulty, etc., thus provide patients with better medical serve at affordable cost. First of all, we analyzed data collected from Zhejiang Cancer Hospital (ZCH) and take hospitals' financial situation into consideration. then according to the analysis, we made our choices for hardware and software platform, digitizer and storage device. The development of mini PACS is interacted by clinicians and radiologists from ZCH. They showed great interest in the downsizing PACS that does not risk much of the system performance. It is promising that our solution will be accepted in developing areas.

The DICOM-based radiation therapy information system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Law, Maria Y. Y.; Chan, Lawrence W. C.; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Jianguo

2004-04-01

Similar to DICOM for PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System), standards for radiotherapy (RT) information have been ratified with seven DICOM-RT objects and their IODs (Information Object Definitions), which are more than just images. This presentation describes how a DICOM-based RT Information System Server can be built based on the PACS technology and its data model for a web-based distribution. Methods: The RT information System consists of a Modality Simulator, a data format translator, a RT Gateway, the DICOM RT Server, and the Web-based Application Server. The DICOM RT Server was designed based on a PACS data model and was connected to a Web application Server for distribution of the RT information including therapeutic plans, structures, dose distribution, images and records. Various DICOM RT objects of the patient transmitted to the RT Server were routed to the Web Application Server where the contents of the DICOM RT objects were decoded and mapped to the corresponding location of the RT data model for display in the specially-designed Graphic User Interface. The non-DICOM objects were first rendered to DICOM RT Objects in the translator before they were sent to the RT Server. Results: Ten clinical cases have been collected from different hopsitals for evaluation of the DICOM-based RT Information System. They were successfully routed through the data flow and displayed in the client workstation of the RT information System. Conclusion: Using the DICOM-RT standards, integration of RT data from different vendors is possible.

Experience measuring performance improvement in multiphase picture archiving and communications systems implementations.

PubMed

Reed, G; Reed, D H

1999-05-01

When planning a picture archiving and communications system (PACS) implementation and determining which equipment will be implemented in earlier and later phases, collection and analysis of selected data will aid in setting implementation priorities. If baseline data are acquired relative to performance objectives, the same information used for implementation planning can be used to measure performance improvement and outcomes. The main categories of data to choose from are: (1) financial data; (2) productivity data; (3) operational parameters; (4) clinical data; and (5) information about customer satisfaction. In the authors' experience, detailed workflow data have not proved valuable in measuring PACS performance and outcomes. Reviewing only one category of data in planning will not provide adequate basis for targeting operational improvements that will lead to the most significant gains. Quality improvement takes into account all factors in production: human capacity, materials, operating capital and assets. Once we have identified key areas of focus for quality improvement in each phase, we can translate objectives into implementation requirements and finally into detailed functional and performance requirements. Here, Integration Resources reports its experience measuring PACS performance relative to phased implementation strategies for three large medical centers. Each medical center had its own objectives for overcoming image management, physical/geographical, and functional/technical barriers. The report outlines (1) principal financial and nonfinancial measures used as performance indicators; (2) implementation strategies chosen by each of the three medical centers; and (3) the results of those strategies as compared with baseline data.

Migration of medical image data archived using mini-PACS to full-PACS.

PubMed

Jung, Haijo; Kim, Hee-Joung; Kang, Won-Suk; Lee, Sang-Ho; Kim, Sae-Rome; Ji, Chang Lyong; Kim, Jung-Han; Yoo, Sun Kook; Kim, Ki-Hwang

2004-06-01

This study evaluated the migration to full-PACS of medical image data archived using mini-PACS at two hospitals of the Yonsei University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. A major concern in the migration of medical data is to match the image data from the mini-PACS with the hospital OCS (Ordered Communication System). Prior to carrying out the actual migration process, the principles, methods, and anticipated results for the migration with respect to both cost and effectiveness were evaluated. Migration gateway workstations were established and a migration software tool was developed. The actual migration process was performed based on the results of several migration simulations. Our conclusions were that a migration plan should be carefully prepared and tailored to the individual hospital environment because the server system, archive media, network, OCS, and policy for data management may be unique.

A large-scale field trial of thin-layer capping of PCDD/F-contaminated sediments: Sediment-to-water fluxes up to 5 years post-amendment.

PubMed

Cornelissen, Gerard; Schaanning, Morten; Gunnarsson, Jonas S; Eek, Espen

2016-04-01

The longer-term effect (3-5 y) of thin-layer capping on in situ sediment-to-surface water fluxes was monitored in a large-scale field experiment in the polychlorinated dibenzodioxin and dibenzofuran (PCDD/F) contaminated Grenlandfjords, Norway (4 trial plots of 10,000 to 40,000 m(2) at 30 to 100 m water depth). Active caps (designed thickness 2.5 cm) were established in 2 fjords, consisting of dredged clean clay amended with powdered activated carbon (PAC) from anthracite. These active caps were compared to 2 nonactive caps in one of the fjords (designed thickness 5 cm) consisting of either clay only (i.e., without PAC) or crushed limestone. Sediment-to-water PCDD/F fluxes were measured in situ using diffusion chambers. An earlier study showed that during the first 2 years after thin-layer capping, flux reductions relative to noncapped reference fields were more extensive at the fields capped with nonactive caps (70%-90%) than at the ones with PAC-containing caps (50%-60%). However, the present work shows that between 3 and 5 years after thin-layer capping, this trend was reversed and cap effectiveness in reducing fluxes was increasing to 80% to 90% for the PAC caps, whereas cap effectiveness of the nonactive caps decreased to 20% to 60%. The increasing effectiveness over time of PAC-containing "active" caps is explained by a combination of slow sediment-to-PAC mass transfer of PCDD/Fs and bioturbation by benthic organisms. The decreasing effectiveness of "nonactive" limestone and clay caps is explained by deposition of contaminated particles on top of the caps. The present field data indicate that the capping efficiency of thin active caps (i.e., enriched with PAC) can improve over time as a result of slow diffusive PCDD/F transfer from sediment to PAC particles and better mixing of the PAC by bioturbation. © 2015 SETAC.

Characterizing differences in the phosphorus activation coefficient of three typical cropland soils and the influencing factors under long-term fertilization.

PubMed

Wu, Qihua; Zhang, Shuxiang; Zhu, Ping; Huang, Shaomin; Wang, Boren; Zhao, LinPing; Xu, Minggang

2017-01-01

The phosphorus activation coefficient (PAC, the ratio of available P to total P) is an important indicator of soil P availability and the transformation of P fractions. Understanding the details of the PAC is useful to estimate soil available P status and to provide P management guidance. In this research, soils from five long-term (23 years) fertilization treatments in three croplands were selected to examine the relationships between the PAC and P fractions and to analyse the influencing factors. PAC was affected by both soil types and fertilization treatments. Compared to the unfertilized control (CK) treatment, long-term P application significantly increased the PAC, all of the inorganic P (Pi) fractions and most of the organic P (Po) fractions in all the three soils, particularly in chemical fertilizer combined with manure treatment (NPKM). The PAC was significantly correlated to all of the Pi fractions proportions (P<0.05) except for Dil. HCl-Pi and Conc. HCl-Pi. Compared with CK, the chemical P and chemical P combined with manure treatments increased the ratio of total Pi fractions to total Po fractions (Pit/Pot); furthermore, NPKM significantly increased the organic C (Co) content and decreased the Co/Pot ratio. Stepwise multiple regressions showed that PAC = 0.93 Co+0.69 Pit/Pot-0.07 Co/Pot-0.27CaCO3-3.79 (R2 = 0.924, P<0.001). In addition, the variance partitioning analysis showed that more variance of PAC is explained by soil factors (29.53%) than by P input (0.19%) and climate (0.25%) factors. Our findings demonstrate that P application increased the PAC by changing the Co content and the proportion of P fractions. Moreover, soil factors were the most important drivers of P transformations, and NPKM was optimal for improving soil fertility in Chinese croplands.

Optimization of culture conditions for penicilazaphilone C production by a marine-derived fungus Penicillium sclerotiorum M-22.

PubMed

Zhao, H-G; Wang, M; Lin, Y-Y; Zhou, S-L

2018-03-01

The aim of this study was to optimize the culture conditions of a marine-derived fungus Penicillium sclerotiorum M-22 for the production of penicilazaphilone C (PAC), a novel azaphilonidal derivative exhibiting broad cytotoxic and antibacterial effects. By single factor experiments, the effects to the production of PAC of aged seawater concentration, initial pH values, fermentation time, carbon sources, nitrogen sources and inorganic salt sources were investigated individually. Response surface methodology (RSM) analysis was adopted to investigate the interactions between variables and determine the optimal values for maximum PAC production. Evaluation of the experimental results signified that the optimum conditions for maximum production of PAC (19·85 mg l -1 ) in 250 ml Erlenmeyer flask were fermentation time 24·83 days, pH of 7·00, corn meal concentration of 10·72 g l -1 , yeast extract concentration of 4·58 g l -1 , crude sea salt concentration of 20·59 g l -1 . Production under optimized conditions increased to 1·344-fold comparing to its production prior to optimization. The higher PAC production and the penicilazaphilone C -producing marine fungus would be provide a promising alterative approach for industrial and commercial applications. Penicilazaphilone C (PAC) was a novel azaphilonidal derivative which had exhibited selective cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity. To further enhance production of PAC by optimizing fermentation conditions of Penicillium sclerotiorum M-22 would provide a promising alterative approach for industrial and commercial applications. We used the single factor test to determine the key factors which influence the PAC production. Then through the Response surface methodology and Box-Behnken design to determine the best fermentation condition for maximum production of PAC. Through these experimental designs and analysis will help us improve experimental efficiency and save time and materials. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

The cost of post-abortion care in developing countries: a comparative analysis of four studies.

PubMed

Vlassoff, Michael; Singh, Susheela; Onda, Tsuyoshi

2016-10-01

Over the last five years, comprehensive national surveys of the cost of post-abortion care (PAC) to national health systems have been undertaken in Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda and Colombia using a specially developed costing methodology-the Post-abortion Care Costing Methodology (PACCM). The objective of this study is to expand the research findings of these four studies, making use of their extensive datasets. These studies offer the most complete and consistent estimates of the cost of PAC to date, and comparing their findings not only provides generalizable implications for health policies and programs, but also allows an assessment of the PACCM methodology. We find that the labor cost component varies widely: in Ethiopia and Colombia doctors spend about 30-60% more time with PAC patients than do nurses; in Uganda and Rwanda an opposite pattern is found. Labor costs range from I$42.80 in Uganda to I$301.30 in Colombia. The cost of drugs and supplies does not vary greatly, ranging from I$79 in Colombia to I$115 in Rwanda. Capital and overhead costs are substantial amounting to 52-68% of total PAC costs. Total costs per PAC case vary from I$334 in Rwanda to I$972 in Colombia. The financial burden of PAC is considerable: the expense of treating each PAC case is equivalent to around 35% of annual per capita income in Uganda, 29% in Rwanda and 11% in Colombia. Providing modern methods of contraception to women with an unmet need would cost just a fraction of the average expenditure on PAC: one year of modern contraceptive services and supplies cost only 3-12% of the average cost of treating a PAC patient. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

[Impact of the positive appraisal of care on quality of life, purpose in life, and will to continue care among Japanese family caregivers of older adults: analysis by kinship type].

PubMed

Yamamoto-Mitani, Noriko; Ishigaki, Kazuko; Kuniyoshi, Midori; Kawahara-Maekawa, Noriko; Hasegawa, Kiyomi; Hayashi, Kunihiko; Sugishita, Chieko

2002-07-01

The impact of positive appraisal of care (PAC) on the caregiver's quality of life (QL), sense of purpose in life (sense of ikigai) and will to continue care was examined. Data were collected from 322 Japanese family caregivers of older adults who were using visiting nursing services through 21 facilities in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and the prefectures of Shizuoka, Mie and Okinawa. The data were grouped by kinship type (husband or son, wife, daughter or daughter-in-law) and analyzed separately. From the multiple regression and logistic regression analyses, the following results were derived: 1) The PAC was not related to the physical QL regardless of the relationship type; 2) The relationship depended upon the relationship type: only the PAC was related to the mental QL among husband and son caregivers, both the PAC and the negative appraisal of care (NAC) were important among wives, only the NAC among daughters, and none of them among daughters-in-law; 3) Both the PAC and NAC were related to the sense of ikigai in all caregiver types except among husband and son caregivers, which showed no relationship between the NAC and sense of ikigai; 4) Both the PAC and NAC were related to will to continue care among son and husband caregivers, whereas only the PAC was among wives and daughters-in-law. Only the NAC was related among daughters. However, the difference across kinship type seems minimal for will to continue care. Understanding the PAC among family caregivers may be important in order to better assist them to improve their mental QL or sense of ikigai as well as to predict their continuation of caregiving at home. The impact of PAC varies depending on the kinship type, and it should be assessed separately with reference to this pariable to develop plans for appropriate assistance.

Characterizing differences in the phosphorus activation coefficient of three typical cropland soils and the influencing factors under long-term fertilization

PubMed Central

Wu, Qihua; Zhang, Shuxiang; Zhu, Ping; Huang, Shaomin; Wang, Boren; Zhao, LinPing; Xu, Minggang

2017-01-01

The phosphorus activation coefficient (PAC, the ratio of available P to total P) is an important indicator of soil P availability and the transformation of P fractions. Understanding the details of the PAC is useful to estimate soil available P status and to provide P management guidance. In this research, soils from five long-term (23 years) fertilization treatments in three croplands were selected to examine the relationships between the PAC and P fractions and to analyse the influencing factors. PAC was affected by both soil types and fertilization treatments. Compared to the unfertilized control (CK) treatment, long-term P application significantly increased the PAC, all of the inorganic P (Pi) fractions and most of the organic P (Po) fractions in all the three soils, particularly in chemical fertilizer combined with manure treatment (NPKM). The PAC was significantly correlated to all of the Pi fractions proportions (P<0.05) except for Dil. HCl-Pi and Conc. HCl-Pi. Compared with CK, the chemical P and chemical P combined with manure treatments increased the ratio of total Pi fractions to total Po fractions (Pit/Pot); furthermore, NPKM significantly increased the organic C (Co) content and decreased the Co/Pot ratio. Stepwise multiple regressions showed that PAC = 0.93 Co+0.69 Pit/Pot-0.07 Co/Pot-0.27CaCO3-3.79 (R2 = 0.924, P<0.001). In addition, the variance partitioning analysis showed that more variance of PAC is explained by soil factors (29.53%) than by P input (0.19%) and climate (0.25%) factors. Our findings demonstrate that P application increased the PAC by changing the Co content and the proportion of P fractions. Moreover, soil factors were the most important drivers of P transformations, and NPKM was optimal for improving soil fertility in Chinese croplands. PMID:28467425

Prostate cancer: from Gleason scoring to prognostic grade grouping.

PubMed

Montironi, Rodolfo; Santoni, Matteo; Mazzucchelli, Roberta; Burattini, Luciano; Berardi, Rossana; Galosi, Andrea B; Cheng, Liang; Lopez-Beltran, Antonio; Briganti, Alberto; Montorsi, Francesco; Scarpelli, Marina

2016-01-01

The Gleason grading system was developed in the late 1960s by Dr. Donald F. Gleason. Due to changes in prostatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) detection and treatment, newer technologies to better characterize prostatic pathology, subsequently described variants of PAC and further data relating various morphologic patterns to prognosis, the application of the Gleason grading system changed substantially in surgical pathology. First in 2005 and more recently in 2014, consensus conferences were held to update PAC grading. Here, we review of the successive changes in the grading of PAC from the original system, with emphasis on the newest prognostic grade grouping.

Novel in vitro protein fragment complementation assay applicable to high-throughput screening in a 1536-well format.

PubMed

Hashimoto, Junko; Watanabe, Taku; Seki, Tatsuya; Karasawa, Satoshi; Izumikawa, Miho; Seki, Tomoe; Iemura, Shun-Ichiro; Natsume, Tohru; Nomura, Nobuo; Goshima, Naoki; Miyawaki, Atsushi; Takagi, Motoki; Shin-Ya, Kazuo

2009-09-01

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play key roles in all cellular processes and hence are useful as potential targets for new drug development. To facilitate the screening of PPI inhibitors as anticancer drugs, the authors have developed a high-throughput screening (HTS) system using an in vitro protein fragment complementation assay (PCA) with monomeric Kusabira-Green fluorescent protein (mKG). The in vitro PCA system was established by the topological formation of a functional complex between 2 split inactive mKG fragments fused to target proteins, which fluoresces when 2 target proteins interact to allow complementation of the mKG fragments. Using this assay system, the authors screened inhibitors for TCF7/beta-catenin, PAC1/PAC2, and PAC3 homodimer PPIs from 123,599 samples in their natural product library. Compound TB1 was identified as a specific inhibitor for PPI of PAC3 homodimer. TB1 strongly inhibited the PPI of PAC3 homodimer with an IC(50) value of 0.020 microM and did not inhibit PPI between TCF7/beta-catenin and PAC1/PAC2 even at a concentration of 250 microM. The authors thus demonstrated that this in vitro PCA system applicable to HTS in a 1536-well format is capable of screening for PPI inhibitors from a huge natural product library.

Reducing Potentially Avoidable Complications in Patients with Chronic Diseases: The Prometheus Payment Approach

PubMed Central

de Brantes, Francois; Rastogi, Amita; Painter, Michael

2010-01-01

Objective (or Study Question) To determine whether a new payment model can reduce current incidence of potentially avoidable complications (PACs) in patients with a chronic illness. Data Sources/Study Setting A claims database of 3.5 million commercially insured members under age 65. Study Design We analyzed the database using the Prometheus Payment model's analytical software for six chronic conditions to quantify total costs, proportion spent on PACs, and their variability across the United States. We conducted a literature review to determine the feasibility of reducing PACs. We estimated the financial impact on a prototypical practice if that practice received payments based on the Prometheus Payment model. Principal Findings We find that (1) PACs consume an average of 28.6 percent of costs for the six chronic conditions studied and vary significantly; (2) reducing PACs to the second decile level would save U.S.$116.7 million in this population; (3) current literature suggests that practices in certain settings could decrease PACs; and (4) using the Prometheus model could create a large potential incentive for a prototypical practice to reduce PACs. Conclusions By extrapolating these findings we conclude that costs might be reduced through payment reform efforts. A full extrapolation of these results, while speculative, suggests that total costs associated to the six chronic conditions studied could decrease by 3.8 percent. PMID:20662949

Scalable Fabrication of Natural-Fiber Reinforced Composites with Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Properties by Incorporating Powdered Activated Carbon

PubMed Central

Xia, Changlei; Zhang, Shifeng; Ren, Han; Shi, Sheldon Q.; Zhang, Hualiang; Cai, Liping; Li, Jianzhang

2015-01-01

Kenaf fiber—polyester composites incorporated with powdered activated carbon (PAC) were prepared using the vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process. The product demonstrates the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding function. The kenaf fibers were retted in a pressured reactor to remove the lignin and extractives in the fiber. The PAC was loaded into the freshly retted fibers in water. The PAC loading effectiveness was determined using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area analysis. A higher BET value was obtained with a higher PAC loading. The transmission energies of the composites were measured by exposing the samples to the irradiation of electromagnetic waves with a variable frequency from 8 GHz to 12 GHz. As the PAC content increased from 0% to 10.0%, 20.5% and 28.9%, the EMI shielding effectiveness increased from 41.4% to 76.0%, 87.9% and 93.0%, respectively. Additionally, the EMI absorption increased from 21.2% to 31.7%, 44.7% and 64.0%, respectively. The ratio of EMI absorption/shielding of the composite at 28.9% of PAC loading was increased significantly by 37.1% as compared with the control sample. It was indicated that the incorporation of PAC into the composites was very effective for absorbing electromagnetic waves, which resulted in a decrease in secondary electromagnetic pollution. PMID:28787808

Effects of polyaluminum chloride and lanthanum-modified bentonite on the growth rates of three Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii strains

PubMed Central

van Oosterhout, Frank; Becker, Vanessa; Attayde, José Luiz; Lürling, Miquel

2018-01-01

In tropical and subtropical lakes, eutrophication often leads to nuisance blooms of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. In laboratory experiments, we tested the combined effects of flocculant polyaluminum chloride (PAC) and lanthanum-modified bentonite (LMB) on the sinking and growth rates of three C. raciborskii strains. We tested the hypothesis that the combination of PAC and LMB would (1) effectively sink C. raciborskii in a test tube experiment and (2) impair C. raciborskii growth, irrespective of the biomass of the inoculum (bloom) and the strain in the growth experiment. We tested the recommended (LMB1) and a three-times higher dose of LMB (LMB3). The combined addition of PAC and LMB enhanced the sedimentation of all C. raciborskii strains. Moreover, both the PAC and LMB doses decreased the phosphate concentration. PAC and LMB1 decreased the growth rate of all strains, but the efficacy depended on the biomass and strain. The combined addition of PAC and LMB3 inhibited the growth of all strains independently of the biomass and strain. We conclude that a low dose of PAC in combination with the recommended dose of LMB decreases C. raciborskii blooms and that the efficiency of the technique depends on the biomass of the bloom. A higher dose of LMB is needed to obtain a more efficient control of C. raciborskii blooms. PMID:29614118

Genetic Variation of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis Bacteriophages Isolated from Cheese Processing Plants in Finland

PubMed Central

Forsman, Päivi; Alatossava, Tapani

1991-01-01

The genomes of four Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis bacteriophages were characterized by restriction endonuclease mapping, Southern hybridization, and heteroduplex analysis. The phages were isolated from different cheese processing plants in Finland between 1950 and 1972. All four phages had a small isometric head and a long noncontractile tail. Two different types of genome (double-stranded DNA) organization existed among the different phages, the pac type and the cos type, corresponding to alternative types of phage DNA packaging. Three phages belonged to the pac type, and a fourth was a cos-type phage. The pac-type phages were genetically closely related. In the genomes of the pac-type phages, three putative insertion/deletions (0.7 to 0.8 kb, 1.0 kb, and 1.5 kb) and one other region (0.9 kb) containing clustered base substitutions were discovered and localized. At the phenotype level, three main differences were observed among the pac-type phages. These concerned two minor structural proteins and the efficiency of phage DNA packaging. The genomes of the pac-type phages showed only weak homology with that of the cos-type phage. Phage-related DNA, probably a defective prophage, was located in the chromosome of the host strain sensitive to the cos-type phage. This DNA exhibited homology under stringent conditions to the pac-type phages. Images PMID:16348513

Effects of polyaluminum chloride and lanthanum-modified bentonite on the growth rates of three Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii strains.

PubMed

Araújo, Fabiana; van Oosterhout, Frank; Becker, Vanessa; Attayde, José Luiz; Lürling, Miquel

2018-01-01

In tropical and subtropical lakes, eutrophication often leads to nuisance blooms of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. In laboratory experiments, we tested the combined effects of flocculant polyaluminum chloride (PAC) and lanthanum-modified bentonite (LMB) on the sinking and growth rates of three C. raciborskii strains. We tested the hypothesis that the combination of PAC and LMB would (1) effectively sink C. raciborskii in a test tube experiment and (2) impair C. raciborskii growth, irrespective of the biomass of the inoculum (bloom) and the strain in the growth experiment. We tested the recommended (LMB1) and a three-times higher dose of LMB (LMB3). The combined addition of PAC and LMB enhanced the sedimentation of all C. raciborskii strains. Moreover, both the PAC and LMB doses decreased the phosphate concentration. PAC and LMB1 decreased the growth rate of all strains, but the efficacy depended on the biomass and strain. The combined addition of PAC and LMB3 inhibited the growth of all strains independently of the biomass and strain. We conclude that a low dose of PAC in combination with the recommended dose of LMB decreases C. raciborskii blooms and that the efficiency of the technique depends on the biomass of the bloom. A higher dose of LMB is needed to obtain a more efficient control of C. raciborskii blooms.

Status of the CP-PACS Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwasaki, Y.

1997-02-01

The CP-PACS computer with a peak speed of 300 Gflops was completed in March 1996 and has started to operate. We describe the final specification and the hardware implementation of the CP-PACS computer, and its performance for QCD codes. A plan of the grade-up of the computer scheduled for fall of 1996 is also given.

Invasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm vs. sporadic pancreatic adenocarcinoma: a stage-matched comparison of outcomes

PubMed Central

Wasif, Nabil; Bentrem, David J.; Farrell, James J.; Ko, Clifford Y.; Hines, Oscar J.; Reber, Howard A.; Tomlinson, James S.

2010-01-01

Introduction Although invasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) of the pancreas is thought to be more indolent than sporadic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC), the natural history remains poorly defined. We compare survival and identify prognostic factors following resection for invasive IPMN vs. stage-matched PAC. Methods The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (1991-2005) was utilized to identify 729 patients with invasive IPMN and 8082 patients with PAC who underwent surgical resection. Results Patients with resected invasive IPMN experienced improved overall survival when compared to resected PAC (median survival 21mos vs. 14mos, p<0.001). Stratification by nodal status demonstrated no difference in survival among node positive patients, however, median survival of resected, node negative, invasive IPMN was significantly improved compared to node negative PAC (34mos vs. 18mos, p <0.001). On multivariate analysis PAC histology was an adverse predictor of overall survival (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.15-1.50) compared to invasive IPMN. For patients with invasive IPMN, positive lymph nodes (HR 1.98, 95% CI 1.50- 2.60), high tumor grade (HR 1.74, 95% CI 1.31- 2.31), tumor size >2cm (HR 1.50, 95% CI 1.04- 2.19), and age >66 years (HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.03- 1.73) were adverse predictors of survival. Conclusions Although node negative invasive IPMN shows improved survival following resection compared to node negative PAC, the natural history of node positive invasive IPMN mimics that of node positive PAC. We also identify adverse predictors of survival in invasive IPMN to guide discussions regarding use of adjuvant therapies and prognosis following resection of invasive IPMN. PMID:20564064

Invasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm versus sporadic pancreatic adenocarcinoma: a stage-matched comparison of outcomes.

PubMed

Wasif, Nabil; Bentrem, David J; Farrell, James J; Ko, Clifford Y; Hines, Oscar J; Reber, Howard A; Tomlinson, James S

2010-07-15

Although invasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas is thought to be more indolent than sporadic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC), the natural history remains poorly defined. The authors compared survival and identify prognostic factors after resection for invasive IPMN versus stage-matched PAC. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (1991-2005) was used to identify 729 patients with invasive IPMN and 8082 patients with PAC who underwent surgical resection. Patients with resected invasive IPMN experienced improved overall survival when compared with resected PAC (median survival, 21 vs 14 months; P<.001). Stratification by nodal status demonstrated no difference in survival among lymph node-positive patients; however, median survival of resected, lymph node-negative, invasive IPMN was significantly improved compared with lymph node-negative PAC (34 vs 18 months; P<.001). On multivariate analysis, PAC histology was an adverse predictor of overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-1.50) compared with invasive IPMN. For patients with invasive IPMN, positive lymph nodes (HR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.50-2.60), high tumor grade (HR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.31-2.31), tumor size>2 cm (HR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.04-2.19), and age>66 years (HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.03-1.73) were adverse predictors of survival. Although lymph node-negative invasive IPMN showed improved survival after resection compared with lymph node-negative PAC, the natural history of lymph node-positive invasive IPMN mimicked that of lymph node-positive PAC. The authors also identified adverse predictors of survival in invasive IPMN to guide discussions regarding use of adjuvant therapies and prognosis after resection of invasive IPMN. Copyright (c) 2010 American Cancer Society.

PAC exhibits potent anti-colon cancer properties through targeting cyclin D1 and suppressing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.

PubMed

Al-Qasem, Abeer; Al-Howail, Huda A; Al-Swailem, Mashael; Al-Mazrou, Amer; Al-Otaibi, Basem; Al-Jammaz, Ibrahim; Al-Khalaf, Huda H; Aboussekhra, Abdelilah

2016-03-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although response rates and overall survival have been improved in recent years, resistance to multiple drug combinations is inevitable. Therefore, the development of more efficient drugs, with fewer side effects is urgently needed. To this end, we have investigated in the present report the effect of PAC, a novel cucumin analogue, on CRC cells both in vitro and in vivo. We have shown that PAC induces apoptosis, mainly via the internal mitochondrial route, and inhibits cell proliferation through delaying the cell cycle at G2/M phase. Interestingly, the pro-apoptotic effect was mediated through STAT3-dependent down-regulation of cyclin D1 and its downstream target survivin. Indeed, change in the expression level of cyclin D1 modulated the expression of survivin and the response of CRC cells to PAC. Furthermore, using the ChIP assay, we have shown PAC-dependent reduction in the binding of STAT3 to the cyclin D1 promoter in vivo. Additionally, PAC suppressed the epithelial-to-mesenchymal process through down-regulating the mesenchymal markers (N-cadherin, vimentin and Twist1) and inhibiting the invasion/migration abilities of the CRC cells via repressing the pro-migration/invasion protein kinases AKT and ERK1/2. In addition, PAC inhibited tumor growth and repressed the JAK2/STAT3, AKT/mTOR and MEK/ERK pathways as well as their common downstream effectors cyclin D1 and survivin in humanized CRC xenografts. Collectively, these results indicate that PAC has potent anti-CRC effects, and therefore could constitute an effective alternative chemotherapeutic agent, which may consolidate the adjuvant treatment of colon cancer. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Do pulmonary artery catheters cause or increase tricuspid or pulmonic valvular regurgitation?

PubMed

Sherman, S V; Wall, M H; Kennedy, D J; Brooker, R F; Butterworth, J

2001-05-01

There are few quantitative data on the extent or mechanism of pulmonary artery catheter (PAC)-induced valvular dysfunction. We hypothesized that PACs cause or worsen tricuspid and pulmonic valvular regurgitation, and tested this hypothesis by using transesophageal echocardiography. In 54 anesthetized adult patients, we measured color Doppler jet areas of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in two planes (midesophageal [ME] 4-chamber and right ventricular inflow-outflow views) and pulmonic insufficiency (PI) in one plane (ME aortic valve long-axis view), both before and after we advanced a PAC into the pulmonary artery. Regurgitant jet areas and hemodynamic measurements were compared by using paired t-test. There were no significant changes in blood pressure or heart rate after passage of the PAC. After PAC placement, the mean PI jet area was not significantly increased. The mean TR jet area increased significantly in the right ventricular inflow-outflow view (+0.37 +/- 0.11 cm(2)) (P = 0.0014), but did not increase at the ME 4-chamber view. Seventeen percent of patients had an increase in TR jet area > or =1 cm(2); 8% of patients had an increase in PI jet area >/=1 cm(2). In patients without pulmonic or tricuspid valvular pathology, placement of a pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) worsened tricuspid regurgitation, which is consistently visualized in the right ventricular inflow-outflow view, and often not seen in the midesophageal 4-chamber view. This is consistent with malcoaptation of the anterior and posterior leaflets. PAC-induced pulmonic insufficiency was rarely detected in the midesophageal aortic valve long-axis view. We conclude that a PAC is very unlikely to be the sole cause of severe tricuspid regurgitation or pulmonic insufficiency.

Improve homology search sensitivity of PacBio data by correcting frameshifts.

PubMed

Du, Nan; Sun, Yanni

2016-09-01

Single-molecule, real-time sequencing (SMRT) developed by Pacific BioSciences produces longer reads than secondary generation sequencing technologies such as Illumina. The long read length enables PacBio sequencing to close gaps in genome assembly, reveal structural variations, and identify gene isoforms with higher accuracy in transcriptomic sequencing. However, PacBio data has high sequencing error rate and most of the errors are insertion or deletion errors. During alignment-based homology search, insertion or deletion errors in genes will cause frameshifts and may only lead to marginal alignment scores and short alignments. As a result, it is hard to distinguish true alignments from random alignments and the ambiguity will incur errors in structural and functional annotation. Existing frameshift correction tools are designed for data with much lower error rate and are not optimized for PacBio data. As an increasing number of groups are using SMRT, there is an urgent need for dedicated homology search tools for PacBio data. In this work, we introduce Frame-Pro, a profile homology search tool for PacBio reads. Our tool corrects sequencing errors and also outputs the profile alignments of the corrected sequences against characterized protein families. We applied our tool to both simulated and real PacBio data. The results showed that our method enables more sensitive homology search, especially for PacBio data sets of low sequencing coverage. In addition, we can correct more errors when comparing with a popular error correction tool that does not rely on hybrid sequencing. The source code is freely available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/frame-pro/ yannisun@msu.edu. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Experience with high-performance PACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Dennis L.; Goldburgh, Mitchell M.; Head, Calvin

1997-05-01

Lockheed Martin (Loral) has installed PACS with associated teleradiology in several tens of hospitals. The PACS that have been installed have been the basis for a shift to filmless radiology in many of the hospitals. the basic structure for the PACS and the teleradiology that is being used is outlined. The way that the PACS are being used in the hospitals is instructive. The three most used areas for radiology in the hospital are the wards including the ICU wards, the emergency room, and the orthopedics clinic. The examinations are mostly CR images with 20 percent to 30 percent of the examinations being CT, MR, and ultrasound exams. The PACS are being used to realize improved productivity for radiology and for the clinicians. For radiology the same staff is being used for 30 to 50 percent more workload. For the clinicians 10 to 20 percent of their time is being saved in dealing with radiology images. The improved productivity stems from the high performance of the PACS that has been designed and installed. Images are available on any workstation in the hospital within less than two seconds, even during the busiest hour of the day. The examination management functions to restrict the attention of any one user to the examinations that are of interest. The examination management organizes the workflow through the radiology department and the hospital, improving the service of the radiology department by reducing the time until the information from a radiology examination is available. The remaining weak link in the PACS system is transcription. The examination can be acquired, read, an the report dictated in much less than ten minutes. The transcription of the dictated reports can take from a few hours to a few days. The addition of automatic transcription services will remove this weak link.

Expression of PACAP and PAC1 Receptor in Normal Human Thyroid Gland and in Thyroid Papillary Carcinoma.

PubMed

Bardosi, Sebastian; Bardosi, Attila; Nagy, Zsuzsanna; Reglodi, Dora

2016-10-01

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) belongs to the vasoactive intestinal peptide-secretin-glucagon peptide family, isolated first from ovine hypothalamus. The diverse physiological effects of PACAP are known mainly from animal experiments, including several actions in endocrine glands. Alteration of PACAP expression has been shown in several tumors, but changes in expression of PACAP and its specific PAC1 receptor in human thyroid gland pathologies have not yet been investigated. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate expression of PACAP and its PAC1 receptor in human thyroid papillary carcinoma, the most common endocrine malignant tumor. PACAP and PAC1 receptor expressions were investigated from thyroid gland samples of patients with papillary carcinomas. The staining intensity of follicular epithelial cells and thyroid colloid of tumor tissue was compared to that of tumor-free tissue in the same thyroid glands in a semi-quantitative way. Our results reveal that both PACAP(-like) and PAC1 receptor(-like) immunoreactivities are altered in papillary carcinoma. Stronger PACAP immunoreactivity was observed in active follicles. Colloidal PACAP immunostaining was either lacking or very weak, and more tumorous cells displayed strong apical immunoreactivity. Regarding PAC1 receptor, cells of the normal thyroid tissue showed strong granular expression, which was lacking in the tumor cells. The cytoplasm of tumor cells displayed weak, minimal staining, while in a few tumor cells we observed strong PAC1 receptor expression. This pattern was similar to that observed in the PACAP expression, but fewer in number. In summary, we showed alteration of PACAP and PAC1 receptor expression in human thyroid papillary carcinoma, indicating that PACAP regulation is disturbed in tumorous tissue of the thyroid gland. The exact role of PACAP in thyroid tumor growth should be further explored.

Association of iris crypts with acute primary angle closure.

PubMed

Koh, Victor; Chua, Jacqueline; Shi, Yuan; Thakku, Sri Gowtham; Lee, Ryan; Nongpiur, Monisha E; Baskaran, Mani; Kumar, Rajesh S; Perera, Shamira; Aung, Tin; Cheng, Ching-Yu

2017-10-01

To determine the relationship between iris surface features and acute primary angle closure (APAC) in eyes with angle closure. Case-control study involving Asian patients diagnosed with previous APAC, primary angle closure suspect (PACS), primary angle closure (PAC) and primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) at an eye centre in Singapore between August 2012 and January 2015. Participants underwent ophthalmic examination and digital slit-lamp iris photography. Iris surface features were graded based on crypts, furrows and colour. Fellow eyes of APAC were compared with PACS and PAC/PACG eyes with regard to their iris surface features. Occurrence of APAC. A total of 309 patients (71 APAC, 139 PACS, 47 PAC and 52 PACG) were included (mean age: 67.7±7.2 years and 36.6% male). Compared with PACS, higher crypt grade was significantly associated with lower odds of APAC (OR=0.58 for one grade higher in crypt grade; p=0.027, adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity and pupil diameter). The results remained similar when compared with PAC/PACG group (OR=0.58 for one grade higher in crypt grade; p=0.043). We did not observe any significant associations between iris furrows or colour with presence of APAC. Our study comprising Asian eyes with angle closure suggests that the presence of a higher crypt grading may be protective for APAC. As such, assessing iris surface architecture for crypts could be a new measure for risk stratification of developing APAC in eyes with angle closure. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Mice lacking the PACAP type I receptor have impaired photic entrainment and negative masking.

PubMed

Hannibal, Jens; Brabet, Philippe; Fahrenkrug, Jan

2008-12-01

The retinohypothalamic tract (RHT) is a retinofugal neuronal pathway which, in mammals, mediates nonimage-forming vision to various areas in the brain involved in circadian timing, masking behavior, and regulation of the pupillary light reflex. The RHT costores the two neurotransmitters glutamate and pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide (PACAP), which in a rather complex interplay are mediators of photic adjustment of the circadian system. To further characterize the role of PACAP/PACAP receptor type 1 (PAC1) receptor signaling in light entrainment of the clock and in negative masking behavior, we extended previous studies in mice lacking the PAC1 receptor (PAC1 KO) by examining their phase response to single light pulses using Aschoff type II regime, their ability to entrain to non-24-h light-dark (LD) cycles and large phase shifts of the LD cycle (jet lag), as well as their negative masking response during different light intensities. A prominent finding in PAC1 KO mice was a significantly decreased phase delay of the endogenous rhythm at early night. In accordance, PAC1 KO mice had a reduced ability to entrain to T cycles longer than 26 h and needed more time to reentrain to large phase delays, which was prominent at low light intensities. The data obtained at late night indicated that PACAP/PAC1 receptor signaling is less important during the phase-advancing part of the phase-response curve. Finally, the PAC1 KO mice showed impaired negative masking behavior at low light intensities. Our findings substantiate a role for PACAP/PAC1 receptor signaling in nonimage-forming vision and indicate that the system is particularly important at lower light intensities.

PAC1- and VPAC2 receptors in light regulated behavior and physiology: Studies in single and double mutant mice.

PubMed

Hannibal, Jens; Georg, Birgitte; Fahrenkrug, Jan

2017-01-01

The two sister peptides, pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and their receptors, the PAC1 -and the VPAC2 receptors, are involved in regulation of the circadian timing system. PACAP as a neurotransmitter in the retinohypothalamic tract (RHT) and VIP as a neurotransmitter, involved in synchronization of SCN neurons. Behavior and physiology in VPAC2 deficient mice are strongly regulated by light most likely as a result of masking. Consequently, we used VPAC2 and PAC1/VPAC2 double mutant mice in comparison with PAC1 receptor deficient mice to further elucidate the role of PACAP in the light mediated regulation of behavior and physiology of the circadian system. We compared circadian rhythms in mice equipped with running wheels or implanted radio-transmitter measuring core body temperature kept in a full photoperiod ((FPP)(12:12 h light dark-cycles (LD)) and skeleton photo periods (SPP) at high and low light intensity. Furthermore, we examined the expression of PAC1- and VPAC2 receptors in the SCN of the different genotypes in combination with visualization of PACAP and VIP and determined whether compensatory changes in peptide and/or receptor expression in the reciprocal knockouts (KO) (PAC1 and VPAC2) had occurred. Our data demonstrate that in although being closely related at both ligand and receptor structure/sequence, PACAP/PAC1 receptor signaling are independent of VIP/VPAC2 receptor signaling and vice versa. Furthermore, lack of either of the receptors does not result in compensatory changes at neither the physiological or anatomical level. PACAP/PAC1 signaling is important for light regulated behavior, VIP/VPAC2signaling for stable clock function and both signaling pathways may play a role in shaping diurnality versus nocturnality.

Validity and reliability of the patient assessment of constipation quality of life questionnaire for the Turkish population.

PubMed

Bengi, Göksel; Yalçın, Mustafa; Akpınar, Hale; Keskinoğlu, Pembe; Ellidokuz, Hülya

2015-07-01

There are few specific evaluation forms for evaluating the quality of life among patients with chronic constipation. Our study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of the translated Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) questionnaire for the Turkish population because evidence of its reliability and validity is required to justify its use in other studies and clinical practice. This study included 154 patients with constipation who were treated at the Department of Gastroenterology, Dokuz Eylül University Hospital between January and June 2012. The translated PAC-QOL questionnaire was completed by patients at the clinic and also at a 2-week follow-up to test its reliability. Cronbach's alpha coefficient (internal consistency) was 0.91 (good) for the translated PAC-QOL questionnaire. Time validity was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) method, and the ICC value for all questions was confirmed as 0.68 at the 2-week follow-up. The validity of the tool in the study group was evaluated using factor analysis, and the results were highly significant (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value: 0.857; Bartlett's test: p=0.001). Questions were categorized according to six factors based on the factor analysis, and these factors explained 65.1% of the total variation. For hypothesis verification of the tool, the correlation coefficient for PAC-QOL and PAC Symptoms (PAC-SYM) was r=0.577 (p<0.001), whereas the correlation coefficient for PAC-QOL and constipation severity score was r=0.457 (p<0.001). The PAC-QOL questionnaire was reliable, although not valid because of the limited sample group.

Reliability of the German version of the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE) and Preferences for Activities of Children (PAC).

PubMed

Fink, A; Gebhard, B; Erdwiens, S; Haddenhorst, L; Nowak, S

2016-09-01

The introduction of the International Classification of Functioning, Disabilities and Health of the World Health Organization in 2001 made social participation a major rehabilitation outcome and the ultimate goal of rehabilitation services. There is no available instrument to measure the youth participation in leisure activities apart from asking the youth themselves. The goal of this study was to present a German version of the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment and Preferences for Activities of Children (CAPE/PAC). The CAPE/PAC questionnaire was translated into German, a cultural adaptation process was designed and a reliability study was conducted. One hundred and fifty-two youths with and without disabilities, with a mean age of 15.2 years (standard deviation 1.7), participated in the study. The participants completed CAPE and PAC twice within 4 weeks. Reliability was examined by intraclass correlation coefficients, standard error of measurement, smallest detectable change and Cronbach's alpha. The absolute values of participation differ between the typically developed youth group and those with impairments; the reliability of the CAPE/PAC is comparable in both groups. Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.43 to 0.74 for the CAPE and from 0.71 to 0.83 for the PAC in all participants. The alpha values for internal consistency ranged from 0.42 to 0.82 for the CAPE and from 0.65 to 0.92 for the PAC. The German version of the PAC showed satisfactory reliability; however, reliability was not satisfactory for all scores of the CAPE, but comparable with versions in other languages. The need for newly developed participation measurements requires further discussion. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Competitive effects of humic acid and wastewater on adsorption of Methylene Blue dye by activated carbon and non-imprinted polymers.

PubMed

Murray, Audrey; Örmeci, Banu

2018-04-01

Natural organic matter (NOM), present in natural waters and wastewater, decreases adsorption of micropollutants, increasing treatment costs. This research investigated mechanisms of competition for non-imprinted polymers (NIPs) and activated carbon with humic acid and wastewater. Three different types of activated carbons (Norit PAC 200, Darco KB-M, and Darco S-51) were used for comparison with the NIP. The lower surface area and micropore to mesopore ratio of the NIP led to decreased adsorption capacity in comparison to the activated carbons. In addition, experiments were conducted for single-solute adsorption of Methylene Blue (MB) dye, simultaneous adsorption with humic acid and wastewater, and pre-loading with humic acid and wastewater followed by adsorption of MB dye using NIP and Norit PAC 200. Both the NIP and PAC 200 showed significant decreases of 27% for NIP (p=0.087) and 29% for PAC 200 (p=0.096) during simultaneous exposure to humic acid and MB dye. There was no corresponding decrease for NIP or PAC 200 pre-loaded with humic acid and then exposed to MB. In fact, for PAC 200, the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon increased when it was pre-loaded with humic acid by 39% (p=0.0005). For wastewater, the NIP showed no significant increase or decrease in adsorption capacity during either simultaneous exposure or pre-loading. The adsorption capacity of PAC 200 increased by 40% (p=0.001) for simultaneous exposure to wastewater and MB. Pre-loading with wastewater had no effect on MB adsorption by PAC 200. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A comparison of volume clamp method-based continuous noninvasive cardiac output (CNCO) measurement versus intermittent pulmonary artery thermodilution in postoperative cardiothoracic surgery patients.

PubMed

Wagner, Julia Y; Körner, Annmarie; Schulte-Uentrop, Leonie; Kubik, Mathias; Reichenspurner, Hermann; Kluge, Stefan; Reuter, Daniel A; Saugel, Bernd

2018-04-01

The CNAP technology (CNSystems Medizintechnik AG, Graz, Austria) allows continuous noninvasive arterial pressure waveform recording based on the volume clamp method and estimation of cardiac output (CO) by pulse contour analysis. We compared CNAP-derived CO measurements (CNCO) with intermittent invasive CO measurements (pulmonary artery catheter; PAC-CO) in postoperative cardiothoracic surgery patients. In 51 intensive care unit patients after cardiothoracic surgery, we measured PAC-CO (criterion standard) and CNCO at three different time points. We conducted two separate comparative analyses: (1) CNCO auto-calibrated to biometric patient data (CNCO bio ) versus PAC-CO and (2) CNCO calibrated to the first simultaneously measured PAC-CO value (CNCO cal ) versus PAC-CO. The agreement between the two methods was statistically assessed by Bland-Altman analysis and the percentage error. In a subgroup of patients, a passive leg raising maneuver was performed for clinical indications and we present the changes in PAC-CO and CNCO in four-quadrant plots (exclusion zone 0.5 L/min) in order to evaluate the trending ability of CNCO. The mean difference between CNCO bio and PAC-CO was +0.5 L/min (standard deviation ± 1.3 L/min; 95% limits of agreement -1.9 to +3.0 L/min). The percentage error was 49%. The concordance rate was 100%. For CNCOcal, the mean difference was -0.3 L/min (±0.5 L/min; -1.2 to +0.7 L/min) with a percentage error of 19%. In this clinical study in cardiothoracic surgery patients, CNCO cal showed good agreement when compared with PAC-CO. For CNCO bio , we observed a higher percentage error and good trending ability (concordance rate 100%).

Impact of PACAP and PAC1 receptor deficiency on the neurochemical and behavioral effects of acute and chronic restraint stress in male C57BL/6 mice.

PubMed

Mustafa, Tomris; Jiang, Sunny Zhihong; Eiden, Adrian M; Weihe, Eberhard; Thistlethwaite, Ian; Eiden, Lee E

2015-01-01

Acute restraint stress (ARS) for 3 h causes corticosterone (CORT) elevation in venous blood, which is accompanied by Fos up-regulation in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of male C57BL/6 mice. CORT elevation by ARS is attenuated in PACAP-deficient mice, but unaffected in PAC1-deficient mice. Correspondingly, Fos up-regulation by ARS is greatly attenuated in PACAP-deficient mice, but much less so in PAC1-deficient animals. We noted that both PACAP- and PAC1-deficiency greatly attenuate CORT elevation after ARS when CORT measurements are performed on trunk blood following euthanasia by abrupt cervical separation: this latter observation is of critical importance in assessing the role of PACAP neurotransmission in ARS, based on previous reports in which serum CORT was sampled from trunk blood. Seven days of chronic restraint stress (CRS) induces non-habituating CORT elevation, and weight loss consequent to hypophagia, in wild-type male C57BL/6 mice. Both CORT elevation and weight loss following 7-day CRS are severely blunted in PACAP-deficient mice, but only slightly in PAC1-deficient mice. However, longer periods of daily restraint (14-21 days) resulted in sustained weight loss and elevated CORT in wild-type mice, and these effects of long-term chronic stress were attenuated or abolished in both PACAP- and PAC1-deficient mice. We conclude that while a PACAP receptor in addition to PAC1 may mediate some of the PACAP-dependent central effects of ARS and short-term (<7 days) CRS on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the PAC1 receptor plays a prominent role in mediating PACAP-dependent HPA axis activation, and hypophagia, during long-term (>7 days) CRS.

Differential pharmacodynamic effects of paclitaxel formulations in an intracranial rat brain tumor model.

PubMed

Zhou, Rong; Mazurchuk, Richard V; Tamburlin, Judith H; Harrold, John M; Mager, Donald E; Straubinger, Robert M

2010-02-01

Nano- and microparticulate carriers can exert a beneficial impact on the pharmacodynamics of anticancer agents. To investigate the relationships between carrier and antitumor pharmacodynamics, paclitaxel incorporated in liposomes (L-pac) was compared with the clinical standard formulated in Cremophor-EL/ethanol (Cre-pac) in a rat model of advanced primary brain cancer. Three maximum-tolerated-dose regimens given by intravenous administration were investigated: 50 mg/kg on day 8 (d8) after implantation of 9L gliosarcoma tumors; 40 mg/kg on d8 and d15; 20 mg/kg on d8, d11, and d15. Body weight change and neutropenia were assessed as pharmacodynamic markers of toxicity. The pharmacodynamic markers of antitumor efficacy were increase in lifespan (ILS) and tumor volume progression, measured noninvasively by magnetic resonance imaging. At equivalent doses, neutropenia was similar for both formulations, but weight loss was more severe for Cre-pac. No regimen of Cre-pac extended survival, whereas L-pac at 40 mg/kg x2 doses was well tolerated and mediated 26% ILS (p < 0.0002) compared with controls. L-pac at a lower cumulative dose (20 mg/kg x3) was even more effective (40% ILS; p < 0.0001). In striking contrast, the identical regimen of Cre-pac was lethal. Development of a novel semimechanistic pharmacodynamic model permitted quantitative hypothesis testing with the tumor volume progression data, and suggested the existence of a transient treatment effect that was consistent with sensitization or "priming" of tumors by more frequent L-pac dosing schedules. Therefore, improved antitumor responses of carrier-based paclitaxel formulations can arise both from dose escalation, because of reduced toxicity, and from novel carrier-mediated alterations of antitumor pharmacodynamic effects.

Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life Questionnaire: Translation, Cultural Adaptation, Reliability, and Validity of the Persian Version.

PubMed

Nikjooy, Afsaneh; Jafari, Hassan; Saba, Maryam A; Ebrahimi, Naghmeh; Mirzaei, Rezvan

2018-05-01

The Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) questionnaire is the most validated and the most specific tool for measuring the quality of life of patients with constipation. Over 120 million people live in countries whose official language is Persian. There is no reported Persian version of the PAC-QOL questionnaire yet. The aim of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the PAC-QOL questionnaire and to assess its reliability and validity among Persian patients with chronic constipation. Following the translation and cultural adaptation of the PAC-QOL questionnaire to Persian, 100 patients (mean±SD age=40.51±13.67) with constipation were recruited for validity measurement and 20 patients were re-examined for reliability. Content validity was assessed based on the opinions of an expert committee and the floor/ceiling effect. Construct validity was evaluated according to the hypothesis test. The SF-36 questionnaire was used for concurrent criterion validity, intra-class correlation coefficient for reliability, and Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency. The content validity of the PAC-QOL questionnaire was proven, and there was no floor/ceiling effect. Construct validity also was confirmed based on the hypothesis test. The overall Cronbach's alpha of the PAC-QOL questionnaire was 0.92 (range=0.72-0.92), and the overall intra-class correlation coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.88 (range=0.69-0.87). The correlation between the SF-36 and PAC-QOL questionnaires was moderate. The Persian version of the PAC-QOL questionnaire demonstrated good validity and reliability properties in chronic constipation. Accordingly, Persian researchers and clinicians can benefit from this questionnaire in further research and assessment of treatment outcomes.

Interstellar Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds and Astrophysics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hudgins, Douglas M.; DeVincenzi, Donald (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Over the past fifteen years, thanks to significant, parallel advancements in observational, experimental, and theoretical techniques, tremendous strides have been made in our understanding of the role polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC) in the interstellar medium (ISM). Twenty years ago, the notion of an abundant population of large, carbon rich molecules in the ISM was considered preposterous. Today, the unmistakable spectroscopic signatures of PAC - shockingly large molecules by previous interstellar chemistry standards - are recognized throughout the Universe. In this paper, we will examine the interstellar PAC model and its importance to astrophysics, including: (1) the evidence which led to inception of the model; (2) the ensuing laboratory and theoretical studies of the fundamental spectroscopic properties of PAC by which the model has been refined and extended; and (3) a few examples of how the model is being exploited to derive insight into the nature of the interstellar PAC population.

Current status of the joint Mayo Clinic-IBM PACS project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hangiandreou, Nicholas J.; Williamson, Byrn, Jr.; Gehring, Dale G.; Persons, Kenneth R.; Reardon, Frank J.; Salutz, James R.; Felmlee, Joel P.; Loewen, M. D.; Forbes, Glenn S.

1994-05-01

A multi-phase collaboration between Mayo Clinic and IBM-Rochester was undertaken, with the goal of developing a picture archiving and communication system for routine clinical use in the Radiology Department. The initial phase of this project (phase 0) was started in 1988. The current system has been fully integrated into the clinical practice and, to date, over 6.5 million images from 16 imaging modalities have been archived. Phase 3 of this project has recently concluded.

BIRAM: a content-based image retrieval framework for medical images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreno, Ramon A.; Furuie, Sergio S.

2006-03-01

In the medical field, digital images are becoming more and more important for diagnostics and therapy of the patients. At the same time, the development of new technologies has increased the amount of image data produced in a hospital. This creates a demand for access methods that offer more than text-based queries for retrieval of the information. In this paper is proposed a framework for the retrieval of medical images that allows the use of different algorithms for the search of medical images by similarity. The framework also enables the search for textual information from an associated medical report and DICOM header information. The proposed system can be used for support of clinical decision making and is intended to be integrated with an open source picture, archiving and communication systems (PACS). The BIRAM has the following advantages: (i) Can receive several types of algorithms for image similarity search; (ii) Allows the codification of the report according to a medical dictionary, improving the indexing of the information and retrieval; (iii) The algorithms can be selectively applied to images with the appropriated characteristics, for instance, only in magnetic resonance images. The framework was implemented in Java language using a MS Access 97 database. The proposed framework can still be improved, by the use of regions of interest (ROI), indexing with slim-trees and integration with a PACS Server.

Radiology reporting: a closed-loop cycle from order entry to results communication.

PubMed

Weiss, David L; Kim, Woojin; Branstetter, Barton F; Prevedello, Luciano M

2014-12-01

With the increasing prevalence of PACS over the past decade, face-to-face image review among health care providers has become a rarity. This change has resulted in increasing dependence on fast and accurate communication in radiology. Turnaround time expectations are now conveyed in minutes rather than hours or even days. Ideal modern radiology communication is a closed-loop cycle with multiple interoperable applications contributing to the final product. The cycle starts with physician order entry, now often performed through the electronic medical record, with clinical decision support to ensure that the most effective imaging study is ordered. Radiology reports are now almost all in electronic format. The majority are produced using speech recognition systems. Optimization of this software use can alleviate some, if not all, of the inherent user inefficiencies in this type of reporting. Integrated third-party software applications that provide data mining capability are extremely helpful in both academic and clinical settings. The closed-loop ends with automated communication of imaging results. Software products for this purpose should facilitate use of levels of alert, automated escalation to providers, and recording of audit trails of reports received. The multiple components of reporting should be completely interoperable with each other, as well as with the PACS, the RIS, and the electronic medical record. This integration will maximize radiologist efficiency and minimize the possibility of communication error. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Regeneration of spent powdered activated carbon saturated with inorganic ions by cavitation united with ion exchange method.

PubMed

Li, Gang; Gao, Hong; Li, Yansheng; Yang, Huixin

2011-06-01

Using ion exchange resin as transfer media, regenerate powdered activated carbon (PAC) adsorbed inorganic ions by cavitation to enhance the transfer; we studied how the regeneration time and the mass ratio of resin and PAC influence the regeneration rate respectively through re-adsorption. The result showed that the effective regeneration of PAC saturated with inorganic ions was above 90% using ion exchange resin as media and transfer carrier, the quantity of PAC did not reduced but activated in the process. Copyright © 2011 The Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Radiography for intensive care: participatory process analysis in a PACS-equipped and film/screen environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peer, Regina; Peer, Siegfried; Sander, Heike; Marsolek, Ingo; Koller, Wolfgang; Pappert, Dirk; Hierholzer, Johannes

2002-05-01

If new technology is introduced into medical practice it must prove to make a difference. However traditional approaches of outcome analysis failed to show a direct benefit of PACS on patient care and economical benefits are still in debate. A participatory process analysis was performed to compare workflow in a film based hospital and a PACS environment. This included direct observation of work processes, interview of involved staff, structural analysis and discussion of observations with staff members. After definition of common structures strong and weak workflow steps were evaluated. With a common workflow structure in both hospitals, benefits of PACS were revealed in workflow steps related to image reporting with simultaneous image access for ICU-physicians and radiologists, archiving of images as well as image and report distribution. However PACS alone is not able to cover the complete process of 'radiography for intensive care' from ordering of an image till provision of the final product equals image + report. Interference of electronic workflow with analogue process steps such as paper based ordering reduces the potential benefits of PACS. In this regard workflow modeling proved to be very helpful for the evaluation of complex work processes linking radiology and the ICU.

Perspectives of Post-Acute Transition of Care for Cardiac Surgery Patients

PubMed Central

Stoicea, Nicoleta; You, Tian; Eiterman, Andrew; Hartwell, Clifton; Davila, Victor; Marjoribanks, Stephen; Florescu, Cristina; Bergese, Sergio Daniel; Rogers, Barbara

2017-01-01

Post-acute care (PAC) facilities improve patient recovery, as measured by activities of daily living, rehabilitation, hospital readmission, and survival rates. Seamless transitions between discharge and PAC settings continue to be challenges that hamper patient outcomes, specifically problems with effective communication and coordination between hospitals and PAC facilities at patient discharge, patient adherence and access to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) services, caregiver burden, and the financial impact of care. The objective of this review is to examine existing models of cardiac transitional care, identify major challenges and social factors that affect PAC, and analyze the impact of current transitional care efforts and strategies implemented to improve health outcomes in this patient population. We intend to discuss successful methods to address the following aspects: hospital-PAC linkages, improved discharge planning, caregiver burden, and CR access and utilization through patient-centered programs. Regular home visits by healthcare providers result in decreased hospital readmission rates for patients utilizing home healthcare while improved hospital-PAC linkages reduced hospital readmissions by 25%. We conclude that widespread adoption of improvements in transitional care will play a key role in patient recovery and decrease hospital readmission, morbidity, and mortality. PMID:29230400

Pregnancy-associated-cancer in the French West Indies (Martinique): maternal and neonatal outcomes.

PubMed

Melan, Kathleen; Volumenie, Jean-Luc; Wan-Ajouhu, Gaël; Ulric-Gervaise, Stephen; Veronique-Baudin, Jacqueline; Joachim, Clarisse

2017-10-02

The management of pregnancy-associated-cancer (PAC) requires epidemiological evaluation of the pathways of care. The aim of this study was to describe maternal and neonatal outcomes of PAC in Martinique. A retrospective study was conducted using data from medical records and the Martinique Cancer Registry for all PAC diagnosed between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2014. Eighteen women were diagnosed with PAC: 17 during pregnancy and one during the postpartum period. Mean age at diagnosis was 35.7 ± 5.4 years. PAC were mainly gynecological cancers (12/18); the other sites were: lymphoma, brain, liver, colon, skin and unknown primary site. In most cases, PAC was detected in symptomatic individuals (72.2%). Nine women had nodal involvement or initial metastasis at diagnosis. No chemotherapy was administered in cases of preservation of pregnancy. Seven fetal losses caused by abortion and miscarriage were recorded, and 11 women conducted viable pregnancies. The main neonatal pathology observed was prematurity (58.3%). Cancer management during pregnancy is a challenge for French West-Indies territories. A Caribbean Observatory of rare cancers could help to ensure a coordinated approach to support and monitoring for these patients.

Advantages of genome sequencing by long-read sequencer using SMRT technology in medical area.

PubMed

Nakano, Kazuma; Shiroma, Akino; Shimoji, Makiko; Tamotsu, Hinako; Ashimine, Noriko; Ohki, Shun; Shinzato, Misuzu; Minami, Maiko; Nakanishi, Tetsuhiro; Teruya, Kuniko; Satou, Kazuhito; Hirano, Takashi

2017-07-01

PacBio RS II is the first commercialized third-generation DNA sequencer able to sequence a single molecule DNA in real-time without amplification. PacBio RS II's sequencing technology is novel and unique, enabling the direct observation of DNA synthesis by DNA polymerase. PacBio RS II confers four major advantages compared to other sequencing technologies: long read lengths, high consensus accuracy, a low degree of bias, and simultaneous capability of epigenetic characterization. These advantages surmount the obstacle of sequencing genomic regions such as high/low G+C, tandem repeat, and interspersed repeat regions. Moreover, PacBio RS II is ideal for whole genome sequencing, targeted sequencing, complex population analysis, RNA sequencing, and epigenetics characterization. With PacBio RS II, we have sequenced and analyzed the genomes of many species, from viruses to humans. Herein, we summarize and review some of our key genome sequencing projects, including full-length viral sequencing, complete bacterial genome and almost-complete plant genome assemblies, and long amplicon sequencing of a disease-associated gene region. We believe that PacBio RS II is not only an effective tool for use in the basic biological sciences but also in the medical/clinical setting.

The HERSCHEL/PACS early Data Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wieprecht, E.; Wetzstein, M.; Huygen, R.; Vandenbussche, B.; De Meester, W.

2006-07-01

ESA's Herschel Space Observatory to be launched in 2007, is the first space observatory covering the full far-infrared and submillimeter wavelength range (60 - 670 microns). The Photodetector Array Camera & Spectrometer (PACS) is one of the three science instruments. It contains two Ge:Ga photoconductor arrays and two bolometer arrays to perform imaging line spectroscopy and imaging photometry in the 60 - 210 micron wavelength band. The HERSCHEL ground segment (Herschel Common Science System - HCSS) is implemented using JAVA technology and written in a common effort by the HERSCHEL Science Center and the three instrument teams. The PACS Common Software System (PCSS) is based on the HCSS and used for the online and offline analysis of PACS data. For telemetry bandwidth reasons PACS science data are partially processed on board, compressed, cut into telemetry packets and transmitted to the ground. These steps are instrument mode dependent. We will present the software model which allows to reverse the discrete on board processing steps and evaluate the data. After decompression and reconstruction the detector data and instrument status information are organized in two main PACS Products. The design of these JAVA classes considers the individual sampling rates, data formats, memory and performance optimization aspects and comfortable user interfaces.

Political action committee for scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richman, Barbara T.

Spurred by budget proposals that could severely reduce science funding (Eos, March 24, March 3, February 10), seven scientists currently serving as Congressional Science or State Department Fellows recently founded a political action committee (PAC) for scientists. The Science and Technology Political Action Committee (SCITEC-PAC) aims to make scientists more politically aware and better informed about potential legislative actions that affect research. It will also serve to ‘establish a political presence’ with respect to science, said Donald Stein, SCITEC-PAC's chairman.The organization is not a lobbying group, explained Stein, professor of neurology and psychology at Clark University and the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. ‘Lobbyists seek to influence officials by presenting information to them,’ he said, ‘while a PAC tries to influence the outcome of elections through campaign contributions of money, time, and effort in behalf of candidates that share similar goals and aspirations.’ In other words, the PAC will be a vehicle for promoting candidates for federal office who advocate strong support for scientific research and training. In addition, the PAC will develop and study science policy and budget issues and will attempt to stimulate government and private sector interest in these issues.

Efficient removal of antibiotics in a fluidized bed reactor by facile fabricated magnetic powdered activated carbon.

PubMed

Ma, Jianqing; Yang, Qunfeng; Xu, Dongmei; Zeng, Xiaomei; Wen, Yuezhong; Liu, Weiping

2017-02-01

Powdered activated carbons (PACs) with micrometer size are showing great potential for enabling and improving technologies in water treatment. The critical problem in achieving practical application of PAC involves simple, effective fabrication of magnetic PAC and the design of a feasible reactor that can remove pollutants and recover the adsorbent efficiently. Herein, we show that such materials can be fabricated by the combination of PAC and magnetic Fe 3 O 4 with chitosan-Fe hydrogel through a simple co-precipitation method. According to the characterization results, CS-Fe/Fe 3 O 4 /PAC with different micrometers in size exhibited excellent magnetic properties. The adsorption of tetracycline was fast and efficient, and 99.9% removal was achieved in 30 min. It also possesses good usability and stability to co-existing ions, organics, and different pH values due to its dispersive interaction nature. Finally, the prepared CS-Fe/Fe 3 O 4 /PAC also performed well in the fluidized bed reactor with electromagnetic separation function. It could be easily separated by applying a magnetic field and was effectively in situ regenerated, indicating a potential of practical application for the removal of pollutants from water.

Picture archiving and communication system developments expected in the 1990s

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drew, Philip G.; Lorah, Lawrence D.; Lydon, Michael J.; Novak, Elliott D.

1993-01-01

Among the applications for high-bandwidth systems are medical picture archiving and communication systems (PACS). Viewed in the light of developments anticipated ten years ago when these systems were first discussed, progress has been disappointingly slow. However, with the recognition that teleradiology, digital archives, and computed radiography can be regarded as PAC subsystems, and that systems confined to a single modality can be regarded as mini-PACS, it becomes clear that development of PAC systems has made remarkable progress. Growing from modest size today, the markets for PAC systems and subsystems in the U.S. is likely to exceed $600 million by the end of the decade, a market of the same magnitude as those for CT, MRI, and catheterization lab equipment. This paper discusses the forces that have stimulated growth of PAC systems - among them, the opportunity to provide better service to patients and referring physicians, a chance to expand effective service area, and a possible solution to the ubiquitous problems of lost films - as well as the impediments that have retarded growth - among them, technical limitations, especially of the radiologists' workstations, and cost. A review of these forces allows prediction of likely developments in the 1990s.

Study on user interface of pathology picture archiving and communication system.

PubMed

Kim, Dasueran; Kang, Peter; Yun, Jungmin; Park, Sung-Hye; Seo, Jeong-Wook; Park, Peom

2014-01-01

It is necessary to improve the pathology workflow. A workflow task analysis was performed using a pathology picture archiving and communication system (pathology PACS) in order to propose a user interface for the Pathology PACS considering user experience. An interface analysis of the Pathology PACS in Seoul National University Hospital and a task analysis of the pathology workflow were performed by observing recorded video. Based on obtained results, a user interface for the Pathology PACS was proposed. Hierarchical task analysis of Pathology PACS was classified into 17 tasks including 1) pre-operation, 2) text, 3) images, 4) medical record viewer, 5) screen transition, 6) pathology identification number input, 7) admission date input, 8) diagnosis doctor, 9) diagnosis code, 10) diagnosis, 11) pathology identification number check box, 12) presence or absence of images, 13) search, 14) clear, 15) Excel save, 16) search results, and 17) re-search. And frequently used menu items were identified and schematized. A user interface for the Pathology PACS considering user experience could be proposed as a preliminary step, and this study may contribute to the development of medical information systems based on user experience and usability.

Perspectives of Post-Acute Transition of Care for Cardiac Surgery Patients.

PubMed

Stoicea, Nicoleta; You, Tian; Eiterman, Andrew; Hartwell, Clifton; Davila, Victor; Marjoribanks, Stephen; Florescu, Cristina; Bergese, Sergio Daniel; Rogers, Barbara

2017-01-01

Post-acute care (PAC) facilities improve patient recovery, as measured by activities of daily living, rehabilitation, hospital readmission, and survival rates. Seamless transitions between discharge and PAC settings continue to be challenges that hamper patient outcomes, specifically problems with effective communication and coordination between hospitals and PAC facilities at patient discharge, patient adherence and access to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) services, caregiver burden, and the financial impact of care. The objective of this review is to examine existing models of cardiac transitional care, identify major challenges and social factors that affect PAC, and analyze the impact of current transitional care efforts and strategies implemented to improve health outcomes in this patient population. We intend to discuss successful methods to address the following aspects: hospital-PAC linkages, improved discharge planning, caregiver burden, and CR access and utilization through patient-centered programs. Regular home visits by healthcare providers result in decreased hospital readmission rates for patients utilizing home healthcare while improved hospital-PAC linkages reduced hospital readmissions by 25%. We conclude that widespread adoption of improvements in transitional care will play a key role in patient recovery and decrease hospital readmission, morbidity, and mortality.

I know I can: a longitudinal examination of precursors and outcomes of perceived athletic competence among adolescent girls.

PubMed

Baker, Birgitta L; Davison, Kirsten K

2011-02-01

This study examined predictors of perceived athletic competence and subsequent physical activity in a longitudinal sample of adolescent girls. A sample of 149 girls was assessed at ages 9, 11, and 13. Perceived athletic competence (PAC) was measured at all ages. Nonaesthetic versus aesthetic sport participation, body fat percentage, and breast development were measured at age 9. Accelerometers were used to measure girls' moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at age 13. Girls who participated in nonaesthetic sports at age 9 reported higher PAC at age 11 than those who participated in only aesthetic sports, while more advanced breast development at age 9 was associated with greater relative declines in PAC between ages 11 and 13. Both age 11 PAC and the relative change in PAC between ages 11 and 13 were significant positive predictors of age 13 MVPA. Results were independent of age 9 socioeconomic status and self-reported physical activity. Perceived athletic competence is a suitable target for intervention efforts designed to increase adolescent girls' physical activity. Particular attention should be focused on girls who are overweight or experiencing puberty. Participation in nonaesthetic sports may be particularly important in the development of PAC.

Removal of Trace Pharmaceuticals from Water using coagulation and powdered activated carbon as pretreatment to ultrafiltration membrane system.

PubMed

Sheng, Chenguang; Nnanna, A G Agwu; Liu, Yanghe; Vargo, John D

2016-04-15

In this study, the efficacy of water treatment technologies: ultra-filtration (UF), powdered activated carbon (PAC), coagulation (COA) and a combination of these technologies (PAC/UF and COA/UF) to remove target pharmaceuticals (Acetaminophen, Bezafibrate, Caffeine, Carbamazepine, Cotinine, Diclofenac, Gemfibrozil, Ibuprofen, Metoprolol, Naproxen, Sulfadimethoxine, Sulfamethazine, Sulfamethoxazole, Sulfathiazole, Triclosan and Trimethoprim) was investigated. Samples of wastewater from municipal WWTPs were analyzed using direct aqueous injection High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Tandem Quadrupole Mass Spectrometric (LC/MS/MS) detection. On concentration basis, results showed an average removal efficiency of 29%, 50%, and 7%, respectively, for the UF, PAC dosage of 50ppm, and COA dosage of 10ppm. When PAC dosage of 100ppm was used as pretreatment to the combined PAC and UF in-line membrane system, a 90.3% removal efficiency was achieved. The removal efficiency of UF in tandem with COA was 33%, an increase of 4% compared with the single UF treatment. The adsorption effect of PAC combined with the physical separation process of UF revealed the best treatment strategy for removing pharmaceutical contaminant from water. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Peer consultation on relationship between PAC profile and toxicity of petroleum substances.

PubMed

Patterson, Jacqueline; Maier, Andrew; Kohrman-Vincent, Melissa; Dourson, Michael L

2013-11-01

An expert peer consultation panel reviewed a report by the PAC Analysis Task Group, which hypothesized that systemic, developmental, and reproductive toxicity observed in repeated-dose dermal toxicity studies was related to polycyclic aromatic compound (PAC) content. Peer consultations seek to solicit scientific and technical input from experts on the scientific basis and merits of the subject report. This peer consultation panel included nine scientists with expertise in petroleum chemistry, biostatistics, toxicology, risk assessment, structure activity, and reproductive and developmental toxicology. The panel evaluated the technical quality of the PAC report and provided recommendations for improving the statistical and biological approaches. The PAC report authors revised their methods and documentation, which are published elsewhere in this supplement. A review of the post peer consultation manuscripts confirmed that many of the key suggestions from expert panel members were considered and incorporated. In cases where the PAC report authors did not fully incorporate panel suggestions from the peer consultation, they have provided an explanation and support for their decision. This peer consultation demonstrates the value of formal engagement of peers in development of new scientific methods and approaches. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PACS photometer calibration block analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moór, A.; Müller, T. G.; Kiss, C.; Balog, Z.; Billot, N.; Marton, G.

2014-07-01

The absolute stability of the PACS bolometer response over the entire mission lifetime without applying any corrections is about 0.5 % (standard deviation) or about 8 % peak-to-peak. This fantastic stability allows us to calibrate all scientific measurements by a fixed and time-independent response file, without using any information from the PACS internal calibration sources. However, the analysis of calibration block observations revealed clear correlations of the internal source signals with the evaporator temperature and a signal drift during the first half hour after the cooler recycling. These effects are small, but can be seen in repeated measurements of standard stars. From our analysis we established corrections for both effects which push the stability of the PACS bolometer response to about 0.2 % (stdev) or 2 % in the blue, 3 % in the green and 5 % in the red channel (peak-to-peak). After both corrections we still see a correlation of the signals with PACS FPU temperatures, possibly caused by parasitic heat influences via the Kevlar wires which connect the bolometers with the PACS Focal Plane Unit. No aging effect or degradation of the photometric system during the mission lifetime has been found.

Parents as Agents of Change (PAC) in pediatric weight management: The protocol for the PAC randomized clinical trial

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background There is an urgent need to develop and evaluate weight management interventions to address childhood obesity. Recent research suggests that interventions designed for parents exclusively, which have been named parents as agents of change (PAC) approaches, have yielded positive outcomes for managing pediatric obesity. To date, no research has combined a PAC intervention approach with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to examine whether these combined elements enhance intervention effectiveness. This paper describes the protocol our team is using to examine two PAC-based interventions for pediatric weight management. We hypothesize that children with obesity whose parents complete a CBT-based PAC intervention will achieve greater reductions in adiposity and improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors, lifestyle behaviours, and psychosocial outcomes than children whose parents complete a psycho-education-based PAC intervention (PEP). Methods/Design This study is a pragmatic, two-armed, parallel, single-blinded, superiority, randomized clinical trial. The primary objective is to examine the differential effects of a CBT-based PAC vs PEP-based PAC intervention on children’s BMI z-score (primary outcome). Secondary objectives are to assess intervention-mediated changes in cardiometabolic, lifestyle, and psychosocial variables in children and parents. Both interventions are similar in frequency of contact, session duration, group facilitation, lifestyle behaviour goals, and educational content. However, the interventions differ insofar as the CBT-based intervention incorporates theory-based concepts to help parents link their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours; these cognitive activities are enabled by group leaders who possess formal training in CBT. Mothers and fathers of children (8–12 years of age; BMI ≥85th percentile) are eligible to participate if they are proficient in English (written and spoken) and agree for at least one parent to attend group-based sessions on a weekly basis. Anthropometry, cardiometabolic risk factors, lifestyle behaviours, and psychosocial health of children and parents are assessed at pre-intervention, post-intervention, 6-, and 12-months follow-up. Discussion This study is designed to extend findings from earlier efficacy studies and provide data on the effect of a CBT-based PAC intervention for managing pediatric obesity in a real-world, outpatient clinical setting. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01267097 PMID:22866998

Oral microemulsions of paclitaxel: in situ and pharmacokinetic studies.

PubMed

Nornoo, Adwoa O; Zheng, Haian; Lopes, Luciana B; Johnson-Restrepo, Boris; Kannan, Kurunthachalam; Reed, Rachel

2009-02-01

The overall goal of this study was to develop cremophor-free oral microemulsions of paclitaxel (PAC) to enhance its permeability and oral absorption. The mechanism of this enhancement, as well as characteristics of the microemulsions relevant to the increase in permeability and absorption of the low solubility, low permeability PAC was investigated. Phase diagrams were used to determine the macroscopic phase behavior of the microemulsions and to compare the efficiency of different surfactant-oil mixtures to incorporate water. The microemulsion region on the phase diagrams utilizing surfactant-myvacet oil combinations was in decreasing order: lecithin: butanol: myvacet oil (LBM, 48.5%)>centromix CPS: 1-butanol: myvacet oil (CPS, 45.15%)>capmul MCM: polysorbate 80: myvacet oil (CPM, 27.6%)>capryol 90: polysorbate 80: myvacet oil (CP-P80, 23.9%)>capmul: myvacet oil (CM, 20%). Oil-in-water (o/w) microemulsions had larger droplet sizes (687-1010 nm) than the water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsions (272-363 nm) when measured using a Zetasizer nano series particle size analyzer. Utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), the self-diffusion coefficient (D) of PAC in CM, LBM and CPM containing 10% of deuterium oxide (D(2)O) was 2.24x10(-11), 1.97x10(-11) and 0.51x10(-11) m(2)/s, respectively. These values indicate the faster molecular mobility of PAC in the two w/o microemulsions (CM and LBM) than the o/w microemulsion--CPM. The in situ permeability of PAC through male CD-IGS rat intestine was 3- and 11-fold higher from LBM and CM, respectively, than that from the control clinical formulation, Taxol (CE, cremophor: ethanol) in a single pass perfusion study. PAC permeability was significantly increased in the presence of the pgp/CYP3A4 inhibitor cyclosporine A (CsA). This enhancement may be attributed to the pgp inhibitory effect of the surfactants, oil and/or the membrane perturbation effect of the surfactants. The oral disposition of PAC in CM, LBM and CPM compared to CE was studied in male CD-IGS rats after a single oral dose (20 mg/kg). The area-under-the-curve of PAC in CM was significantly larger than LBM, CPM and CE. Oral microemulsions of PAC were developed that increased both the permeability and AUC of PAC as compared to CE.

Functional expression of a penicillin acylase from the extreme thermophile Thermus thermophilus HB27 in Escherichia coli

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Penicillin acylases (PACs) are enzymes of industrial relevance in the manufacture of β-lactam antibiotics. Development of a PAC with a longer half-life under the reaction conditions used is essential for the improvement of the operational stability of the process. A gene encoding a homologue to Escherichia coli PAC was found in the genome of the thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus (Tth) HB27. Because of the nature of this PAC and its complex maturation that is crucial to reach its functional heterodimeric final conformation, the overexpression of this enzyme in a heterologous mesophilic host was a challenge. Here we describe the purification and characterization of the PAC protein from Tth HB27 overexpressed in Escherichia coli. Results Fusions to a superfolder green fluorescent protein and differential membrane solubilization assays indicated that the native enzyme remains attached through its amino-terminal end to the outer side of the cytoplasmic membrane of Tth cells. In order to overexpress this PAC in E. coli cells, a variant of the protein devoid of its membrane anchoring segment was constructed. The effect of the co-expression of chaperones and calcium supplementation of the culture medium was investigated. The total production of PAC was enhanced by the presence of DnaK/J and GrpE and even more by trigger factor and GroEL/ES. In addition, 10 mM calcium markedly improved both PAC specific and volumetric activities. Recombinant PAC was affinity-purified and proper maturation of the protein was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF analysis of the subunits. The recombinant protein was tested for activity towards several penicillins, cephalosporins and homoserine lactones. Hydrophobic acyl-chain penicillins were preferred over the rest of the substrates. Penicillin K (octanoyl penicillin) was the best substrate, with the highest specificity constant value (16.12 mM-1.seg-1). The optimum pH was aprox. 4 and the optimum temperature was 75 °C. The half-life of the enzyme at this temperature was 9.2 h. Conclusions This is the first report concerning the heterologous expression of a pac gene from a thermophilic microorganism in the mesophilic host E. coli. The recombinant protein was identified as a penicillin K-deacylating thermozyme. PMID:22876915

Functional expression of a penicillin acylase from the extreme thermophile Thermus thermophilus HB27 in Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Torres, Leticia L; Ferreras, Eloy R; Cantero, Angel; Hidalgo, Aurelio; Berenguer, José

2012-08-09

Penicillin acylases (PACs) are enzymes of industrial relevance in the manufacture of β-lactam antibiotics. Development of a PAC with a longer half-life under the reaction conditions used is essential for the improvement of the operational stability of the process. A gene encoding a homologue to Escherichia coli PAC was found in the genome of the thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus (Tth) HB27. Because of the nature of this PAC and its complex maturation that is crucial to reach its functional heterodimeric final conformation, the overexpression of this enzyme in a heterologous mesophilic host was a challenge. Here we describe the purification and characterization of the PAC protein from Tth HB27 overexpressed in Escherichia coli. Fusions to a superfolder green fluorescent protein and differential membrane solubilization assays indicated that the native enzyme remains attached through its amino-terminal end to the outer side of the cytoplasmic membrane of Tth cells. In order to overexpress this PAC in E. coli cells, a variant of the protein devoid of its membrane anchoring segment was constructed. The effect of the co-expression of chaperones and calcium supplementation of the culture medium was investigated. The total production of PAC was enhanced by the presence of DnaK/J and GrpE and even more by trigger factor and GroEL/ES. In addition, 10 mM calcium markedly improved both PAC specific and volumetric activities. Recombinant PAC was affinity-purified and proper maturation of the protein was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF analysis of the subunits. The recombinant protein was tested for activity towards several penicillins, cephalosporins and homoserine lactones. Hydrophobic acyl-chain penicillins were preferred over the rest of the substrates. Penicillin K (octanoyl penicillin) was the best substrate, with the highest specificity constant value (16.12 mM-1.seg-1). The optimum pH was aprox. 4 and the optimum temperature was 75 °C. The half-life of the enzyme at this temperature was 9.2 h. This is the first report concerning the heterologous expression of a pac gene from a thermophilic microorganism in the mesophilic host E. coli. The recombinant protein was identified as a penicillin K-deacylating thermozyme.

Tools to manage the enterprise-wide picture archiving and communications system environment.

PubMed

Lannum, L M; Gumpf, S; Piraino, D

2001-06-01

The presentation will focus on the implementation and utilization of a central picture archiving and communications system (PACS) network-monitoring tool that allows for enterprise-wide operations management and support of the image distribution network. The MagicWatch (Siemens, Iselin, NJ) PACS/radiology information system (RIS) monitoring station from Siemens has allowed our organization to create a service support structure that has given us proactive control of our environment and has allowed us to meet the service level performance expectations of the users. The Radiology Help Desk has used the MagicWatch PACS monitoring station as an applications support tool that has allowed the group to monitor network activity and individual systems performance at each node. Fast and timely recognition of the effects of single events within the PACS/RIS environment has allowed the group to proactively recognize possible performance issues and resolve problems. The PACS/operations group performs network management control, image storage management, and software distribution management from a single, central point in the enterprise. The MagicWatch station allows for the complete automation of software distribution, installation, and configuration process across all the nodes in the system. The tool has allowed for the standardization of the workstations and provides a central configuration control for the establishment and maintenance of the system standards. This report will describe the PACS management and operation prior to the implementation of the MagicWatch PACS monitoring station and will highlight the operational benefits of a centralized network and system-monitoring tool.

Children's hospitals and PACS: six profiles of planning and implementation.

PubMed

Keen, C

1999-01-01

Six pediatric hospitals were interviewed at length about the status of PACS in their facilities. Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio entered electronic imaging communications in 1993. Several nearby clinics were connected through teleradiology and by 1998, the radiology department had developed a business plan for the implementation of PACS. Two hospitals in Atlanta, Egleston Hospital and Scottish Rite Children's. Medical Center, merged in 1998 to become one entity with two medical campuses. They now treat 60 percent of Atlanta's pediatric patients. Merging incompatible systems has been the administrator's most immediate problem. One director of imaging services is responsible for the recently merged Mary Bridge Children's Hospital and Tacoma General Hospital, plus a network of clinics and medical facilities scatted throughout Tacoma and the South Puget Sound area in Washington state. A state-of-the-art mini-PACS and teleradiology system were implemented at Primary Children's Medical Center, Salt Lake City, in 1991. Over the years, it has added modalities into an electronic system that now results in significantly improved use of physicians' time and patient relations. St. Louis Children's Hospital, with both a director of radiology and a PACS administrator, has implemented teleradiology and an ultrasound mini-PACS, and has plans for an enterprise-wide PACS. Children's Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., a major trauma center, provides specialized pediatric care to nearly all 67 counties in Alabama. With a 20-year history of online computerization, it is now reengineering its emergency department and will implement CR there first.

Fine particulate air pollution and premature atrial contractions: The REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke study.

PubMed

O'Neal, Wesley T; Soliman, Elsayed Z; Efird, Jimmy T; Judd, Suzanne E; Howard, Virginia J; Howard, George; McClure, Leslie A

2017-05-01

Several reports have suggested that particulate matter (PM) exposure increases the risk for atrial arrhythmias. However, data from large-scale epidemiologic studies supporting this hypothesis are lacking. We examined the association of PM <2.5 μm in diameter (PM 2.5 ) concentration with premature atrial contractions (PACs) in 26,609 (mean age=65±9.4 years; 55% female; 41% black) participants from the REGARDS (REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke) study. Estimates of short- (2 weeks) and long-term (1 year) PM 2.5 exposure were computed before each participant's baseline visit using geographic information system data on the individual level at the coordinates of study participants' residences. PACs were identified from baseline electrocardiograms. A total of 2140 (8.2%) participants had evidence of PACs on the baseline electrocardiogram. Short-term PM 2.5 (per 10 μg/m 3 ) exposure was not associated with PACs (OR=1.09, 95% CI=0.98, 1.23). Increases in long-term PM 2.5 (per 10 μg/m 3 ) were associated with PACs (OR=1.40, 95% CI=1.10, 1.78). Interactions were not detected for short- and long-term PM 2.5 exposure by age, sex, or race. Long- but not short-term PM 2.5 exposure is associated with PACs. This suggests a role for long-term PM 2.5 exposure in initiating supraventricular arrhythmias that are triggered by PACs.

Examining spatial patterns in polycyclic aromatic compounds measured in stream macroinvertebrates near a small subarctic oil and gas operation.

PubMed

Korosi, J B; Eickmeyer, D C; Chin, K S; Palmer, M J; Kimpe, L E; Blais, J M

2016-03-01

The Cameron River runs through a small, remote petrochemical development in the Cameron Hills (Northwest Territories, Canada). In order to evaluate the exposure of aquatic biota to contaminants from oil and gas activities, we measured polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in macroinvertebrates collected from sites and tributaries along the Cameron River, including upstream and downstream of the development, and sites located near drilled wells (developed). Macroinvertebrate tissue PAC burdens ranged from 0.2-2.8 μg g(-1) lipid for unsubstituted compounds, and from 4.2-63.2 μg g(-1) lipid for alkylated compounds, relatively low compared to similar studies from more industrialized regions in North America. There was no significant difference in tissue PAC burdens between upstream, downstream, or developed sites (p = 0.12), although alkyl PACs in five out of seven developed sites were higher than the regional average. Petrogenic PACs were dominant in most samples, including alkyl fluorines, alkyl phenanthrene/anthracenes, and alkyl dibenzothiophenes. Minimal changes in PAC composition in macroinvertebrate tissues were detected along the Cameron River, with the exception of the two sites furthest downstream that had high concentrations of C3-C4 naphthalene. Overall, our results suggest that oil and gas development in the Cameron Hills has not resulted in substantial increases in PAC bioaccumulation in stream macroinvertebrates, although the potential that alkyl naphthalenes are being transported downstream from the development warrants further attention.

Aldosterone and glomerular filtration--observations in the general population.

PubMed

Hannemann, Anke; Rettig, Rainer; Dittmann, Kathleen; Völzke, Henry; Endlich, Karlhans; Nauck, Matthias; Wallaschofski, Henri

2014-03-10

Increasing evidence suggests that aldosterone promotes renal damage. Since data on the association between aldosterone and renal function in the general population are sparse, we chose to address this issue. We investigated the associations between the plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) or the aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR) and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in a sample of adult men and women from Northeast Germany. A study population of 1921 adult men and women who participated in the first follow-up of the Study of Health in Pomerania was selected. None of the subjects used drugs that alter PAC or ARR. The eGFR was calculated according to the four-variable Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formula. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was defined as an eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2. Linear regression models, adjusted for sex, age, waist circumference, diabetes mellitus, smoking status, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, serum triglyceride concentrations and time of blood sampling revealed inverse associations of PAC or ARR with eGFR (ß-coefficient for log-transformed PAC -3.12, p < 0.001; ß-coefficient for log-transformed ARR -3.36, p < 0.001). Logistic regression models revealed increased odds for CKD with increasing PAC (odds ratio for a one standard deviation increase in PAC: 1.35, 95% confidence interval: 1.06-1.71). There was no statistically significant association between ARR and CKD. Our study demonstrates that PAC and ARR are inversely associated with the glomerular filtration rate in the general population.

Legacy system integration using web technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kennedy, Richard L.; Seibert, James A.; Hughes, Chris J.

2000-05-01

As healthcare moves towards a completely digital, multimedia environment there is an opportunity to provide for cost- effective, highly distributed physician access to clinical information including radiology-based imaging. In order to address this opportunity a Universal Clinical Desktop (UCD) system was developed. A UCD provides a single point of entry into an integrated view of all types of clinical data available within a network of disparate healthcare information systems. In order to explore the application of a UCD in a hospital environment, a pilot study was established with the University of California Davis Medical Center using technology from Trilix Information Systems. Within this pilot environment the information systems integrated under the UCD include a radiology information system (RIS), a picture archive and communication system (PACS) and a laboratory information system (LIS).

'It's a very complicated issue here': understanding the limited and declining use of manual vacuum aspiration for postabortion care in Malawi: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Cook, Sinead; de Kok, Bregje; Odland, Maria Lisa

2017-04-01

Malawi has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world. Unsafe abortions are an important contributor to Malawi's maternal mortality and morbidity, where abortion is illegal except to save the woman's life. Postabortion care (PAC) aims to reduce adverse consequences of unsafe abortions, in part by treating incomplete abortions. Although global and national PAC policies recommend manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) for treatment of incomplete abortion, usage in Malawi is low and appears to be decreasing, with sharp curettage being used in preference. There is limited evidence regarding what influences rejection of recommended PAC innovations. Hence, drawing on Greenhalgh et al. 's (2004. Diffusion of innovations in service organizations: systematic review and recommendations. Milbank Quarterly 82: 581-629.) diffusion of healthcare innovation framework, this qualitative study aimed to investigate factors contributing to the limited and declining use of MVA in Malawi. Semi-structured interviews with 17 PAC providers in a central hospital and a district hospital indicate that a range of factors coalesce and influence PAC and MVA use in Malawi. Factors pertain to four main domains: the system (shortages of material and human resources; lack of training, supervision and feedback), relationships (power dynamics; expected job roles), the health workers (attitudes towards abortion and PAC; prioritization of PAC) and the innovation (perceived risks and benefits of MVA use). Effective and sustainable PAC policy must adopt a broader people-centred health systems approach which considers all these factors, their interactions and the wider socio-cultural, legal and political context of abortion and PAC. The study showed the value of using Greenhalgh et al. 's (2004. Diffusion of innovations in service organizations: systematic review and recommendations. Milbank Quarterly 82: 581-629.) framework to consider the complex interaction of factors surrounding innovation use (or lack of), but provided more insights into rejections of innovations and, particularly, a low- and middle-income country perspective. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Identification of Germline Genetic Mutations in Pancreatic Cancer Patients

PubMed Central

Salo-Mullen, Erin E.; O’Reilly, Eileen; Kelsen, David; Ashraf, Asad M.; Lowery, Maeve; Yu, Kenneth; Reidy, Diane; Epstein, Andrew S.; Lincoln, Anne; Saldia, Amethyst; Jacobs, Lauren M.; Rau-Murthy, Rohini; Zhang, Liying; Kurtz, Robert; Saltz, Leonard; Offit, Kenneth; Robson, Mark; Stadler, Zsofia K.

2016-01-01

Background Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) is part of several cancer predisposition syndromes; however, indications for genetic counseling/testing are not well-defined. We sought to determine mutation prevalence and characteristics that predict for inherited predisposition to PAC. Methods We identified 175 consecutive PAC patients who underwent clinical genetics assessment at Memorial Sloan Kettering between 2011–2014. Clinical data, family history, and germline results were evaluated. Results Among 159 PAC patients who pursued genetic testing, 24 pathogenic mutations were identified (15.1%; 95%CI, 9.5%–20.7%), including BRCA2(n=13), BRCA1(n=4), p16(n=2), PALB2(n=1), and Lynch syndrome(n=4). BRCA1/BRCA2 prevalence was 13.7% in Ashkenazi Jewish(AJ) (n=95) and 7.1% in non-AJ(n=56) patients. In AJ patients with strong, weak, or absent family history of BRCA-associated cancers, mutation prevalence was 16.7%, 15.8%, and 7.4%, respectively. Mean age at diagnosis in all mutation carriers was 58.5y(range 45–75y) compared to 64y(range 27–87y) in non-mutation carriers(P=0.02). Although BRCA2 was the most common mutation identified, no patients with early-onset PAC(≤50y) harbored a BRCA2 mutation and the mean age at diagnosis in BRCA2 carriers was equivalent to non-mutation carriers(P=0.34). Mutation prevalence in early-onset patients(n=21) was 28.6%, including BRCA1(n=2), p16(n=2), MSH2(n=1) and MLH1(n=1). Conclusion Mutations in BRCA2 account for over 50% of PAC patients with an identified susceptibility syndrome. AJ patients had high BRCA1/BRCA2 prevalence regardless of personal/family history, suggesting that ancestry alone indicates a need for genetic evaluation. With the exception of BRCA2-associated PAC, inherited predisposition to PAC is associated with earlier age at PAC diagnosis suggesting that this subset of patients may also represent a population warranting further evaluation. PMID:26440929

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dibenzothiophene, and alkylated homologs in the lichen Hypogymnia physodes by gas chromatography using single quadrupole mass spectrometry and time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Studabaker, William B; Puckett, Keith J; Percy, Kevin E; Landis, Matthew S

2017-04-07

Development of the Athabasca Oil Sands Region in northeastern Alberta, Canada has contributed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), which include alkyl PAHs and dibenzothiophenes, to the regional environment. A new analytical method was developed for quantification of PAHs and PACs in the epiphytic lichen bioindicator species Hypogymnia physodes for use in the development of receptor models for attribution of PAH and PAC concentrations to anthropogenic and natural emission sources. Milled lichens were extracted with cyclohexane, and extracts were cleaned on silica gel using automated solid phase extraction techniques. Quantitative analysis was performed by gas chromatography with selected ion monitoring (GC-SIM-MS) for PAHs, and by GC with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) for PACs. PACs were quantitated in groups using representative reference compounds as calibration standards. Analytical detection limits were ≤2.5ngg -1 for all individual compounds. Precision as measured by laboratory duplicates was variable; for individual analytes above 5ngg -1 the mean absolute difference between duplicates was typically <20%. Selection of single-analyte markers for source attribution should include consideration of data quality indicators. Use of TOF-MS to spectrally characterize PAC group constituents identified significant challenges for the accurate quantitation of PACs with more than two carbons in their side chain(s). Total PAH concentrations in lichen samples ranged from 12 to 482ngg -1 . Total PACs in each sample varied from a fraction of total PAHs to more than four times total PAHs. Results of our analyses of H. physodes are compared with other studies using other species of lichens as PAH receptors and with passive monitoring data using polyurethane foam (PUF) samplers in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR). This study presents the first analytical methodology developed for the determination of PACs in an epiphytic lichen bioindicator species. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Adoption of alternative financing strategies to increase the diffusion of picture archiving and communication systems into the radiology marketplace.

PubMed

Reiner, B; Siegel, E; McKay, P

2000-05-01

The objective of the study was to evaluate current marketplace conditions and strategies employed by major picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) vendors in the creation of alternative financing strategies, to enhance the diffusion of filmless imaging. Data were collected from the major PACS vendors in the forms of survey questionnaires and review of existing leases. Topics evaluated in the survey included current financing options available, foreseeable changes in PACS financing, role of third-party financiers, and creation of risk-sharing arrangements. Generic leases were also reviewed evaluating the presence or absence of several key variables including technology obsolescence protection, hardware/software upgrades, end-of-term options, determination of fair market value, functionality/acceptance testing, uptime guarantees, and workflow management consulting. Eight of the 10 PACS vendors surveyed participated in the data collection. The vast majority of current PACS implementations (60% to 90%) occur through direct purchase, with conventional leasing (operating or capital) accounting for only 5% to 30% of PACS installations. The majority of respondents view fee-for-lease arrangements and other forms of risk sharing as increasing importance for future PACS financing. The specific targets for such risk-sharing arrangements consist of small hospital and privately owned imaging centers. Leases currently offered range in duration from 3 to 5 years and frequently offer technology obsolescence protection with upgrades, multiple end-of-term options, and some form of acceptance testing. A number of important variables frequently omitted from leases include uptime guarantees, flexibility in changing financing or vendors, and incorporation of expected productivity/operational efficiency gains. As vendors strive to increase the penetration of PACS into the radiology marketplace, there will be a shift from conventional financing (loan or purchase) to leasing. Fee-for-use leasing and other forms of risk sharing have the greatest potential in smaller hospitals, which do not have the financial resources to pursue conventional financing options. Potential PACS customers must be cautious when entering into these alternative financing strategies, to ensure that appropriate safeguards are incorporated, in order to minimize downside risk.

Medical imaging, PACS, and imaging informatics: retrospective.

PubMed

Huang, H K

2014-01-01

Historical reviews of PACS (picture archiving and communication system) and imaging informatics development from different points of view have been published in the past (Huang in Euro J Radiol 78:163-176, 2011; Lemke in Euro J Radiol 78:177-183, 2011; Inamura and Jong in Euro J Radiol 78:184-189, 2011). This retrospective attempts to look at the topic from a different angle by identifying certain basic medical imaging inventions in the 1960s and 1970s which had conceptually defined basic components of PACS guiding its course of development in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as subsequent imaging informatics research in the 2000s. In medical imaging, the emphasis was on the innovations at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, in the 1960s and 1970s. During the 1980s and 1990s, research and training support from US government agencies and public and private medical imaging manufacturers became available for training of young talents in biomedical physics and for developing the key components required for PACS development. In the 2000s, computer hardware and software as well as communication networks advanced by leaps and bounds, opening the door for medical imaging informatics to flourish. Because many key components required for the PACS operation were developed by the UCLA PACS Team and its collaborative partners in the 1980s, this presentation is centered on that aspect. During this period, substantial collaborative research efforts by many individual teams in the US and in Japan were highlighted. Credits are due particularly to the Pattern Recognition Laboratory at Georgetown University, and the computed radiography (CR) development at the Fuji Electric Corp. in collaboration with Stanford University in the 1970s; the Image Processing Laboratory at UCLA in the 1980s-1990s; as well as the early PACS development at the Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan, in the late 1970s, and film scanner and digital radiography developed by Konishiroku Photo Ind. Co. Ltd. (Konica-Minolta), Japan, in the 1980-1990s. Major support from the US National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies and private medical imaging industry are appreciated. The NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Advanced Study Institute (ASI) sponsored the International PACS Conference at Evian, France, in 1990, the contents and presentations of which convinced a half dozen high-level US military healthcare personnel, including surgeons and radiologists, that PACS was feasible and would greatly streamline the current military healthcare services. The impact of the post-conference summary by these individuals to their superiors opened the doors for long-term support of PACS development by the US Military Healthcare Services. PACS and imaging informatics have thus emerged as a daily clinical necessity.

[Establishment of myocardial targeted nanoparticles and preliminary evaluation of its effects on prevention and treatment of myocardial injury].

PubMed

Liu, Y Y; Wang, C; Luo, P F; Xia, Z F

2017-11-20

Objective: To establish 3-{4-[2-hydroxyl-(1-methylethylamino) propoxy] phenyl} propionic acid cetylesters (PAC) modified nanoparticles, and preliminarily explore its cardiomyocyte-targeting function and protection effects on myocardium. Methods: (1) HL-1 myocardial cells were divided into cyanidin-3 (Cy3) marked non-targeted small interference RNA (Cy3-siNC) group and Cy3 marked small interference RNA designed for the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)-p65 gene (Cy3-si435) group according to the random number table, with 3 wells in each group. Cells in Cy3-siNC group were transfected with Cy3-siNC, while cells in Cy3-si435 group were transfected with Cy3-si435. At transfection hour 24, the mRNA expression of NF-κB-p65 of cells was determined by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction. (2) Multiple emulsificating solvent evaporating method was adopted to prepare PAC modified nanoparticles carried with Cy3-siNC (Cy3-siNC-PAC) and PAC modified nanoparticles carried with Cy3-si435 (Cy3-si435-PAC). The morphology of Cy3-si435-PAC nanoparticles was observed with scanning electron microscope, and the size and potential of Cy3-si435-PAC nanoparticles were detected by nanometer particle size and zeta potential analyzer. The entrapment efficiency and drug loadings of Cy3-si435-PAC nanoparticle were determined with ultraviolet spectrophotometer. The release of Cy3-si435 of Cy3-si435-PAC nanoparticles was determined by dialysis method. (3) Another batch of HL-1 cells were divided into 4 groups according to the random number table, with 9 wells in each group. Cells in negative control group were added with 5 μL phosphate buffer. Cells in 25, 50, and 100 mg/mL Cy3-si435-PAC nanoparticles groups were added with 5 μL 25, 50, and 100 mg/mL Cy3-si435-PAC nanoparticles, respectively. At transfection hour 6, 12, and 24, proliferation activity of cells in 3 wells of each group was detected by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium method, respectively. (4) Another batch of HL-1 cells were cultured for 24 h, and then treated with 100 μL Cy3-si435-PAC nanoparticles. At transfection hour 0, 4, 8, 12, and 24, the percentage of cells uptaking Cy3-si435-PAC nanoparticles in 3 wells were detected by flow cytometry, respectively. (5) Another batch of HL-1 cells were divided into 2 groups according to the random number table, with 3 wells in each group. Cells in Cy3-siNC-PAC group were added with 100 μL Cy3-siNC-PAC nanoparticles, while cells in Cy3-si435-PAC group were added with 100 μL Cy3-si435-PAC nanoparticles. At transfection hour 24, the mRNA expression of NF-κB-p65 of cells was determined by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction. (6) Six male C57BL/6J mice were divided into 2 groups according to the random number table, with 3 mice in each group. Mice in Cy3-siNC-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group and Cy3-si435-LPS group were respectively injected with 500 μL Cy3-siNC-PAC nanoparticles and Cy3-si435-PAC nanoparticles (50 mg/mL) in the tail vein. At injection hour 24, mice in the two groups were intraperitoneally injected with 10 mg/kg LPS to induce myocardial injury. At post injury hour 24, the distribution of nanoparticles in mice was detected with small animal imager. (7) Another 9 male C57BL/6J mice were divided into 3 groups according to the random number table, with 3 mice in each group. Mice in Cy3-siNC-normal saline (NS) group and Cy3-siNC-LPS group were injected with 500 μL 50 mg/mL Cy3-siNC-PAC nanoparticles in the tail vein, while mice in Cy3-si435-LPS group were injected with 500 μL 50 mg/mL Cy3-si435-PAC nanoparticles. At injection hour 24, mice in Cy3-siNC-NS group were intraperitoneally injected with NS, while mice in Cy3-siNC-LPS group and Cy3-si435-LPS group were injected with 10 mg/kg LPS to induce myocardial injury. At post injury hour 24, pathological changes of myocardium of mice in each group were observed with HE staining. Data were processed with t test and one-way analysis of variance. Results: (1) The mRNA expression of NF-κB-p65 of cells in Cy3-si435 group was 0.183±0.004, significantly lower than 1.003±0.092 in Cy3-siNC group ( t =15.46, P <0.01). (2) The form of prepared Cy3-si435-PAC nanoparticles was good, with particle size of 146.0 nm, potential of -29.2 mV, entrapment efficiency of (86.9±1.1) %, drug loadings of (25.4±0.9) %, and stable Cy3-si435 release. (3) At transfection hour 6, 12, and 24, there were no statistically significant differences in proliferation activity of cells in the 4 groups (with F values from 0.129 to 2.512, P values above 0.05). (4) At transfection hour 0, 4, 8, 12, and 24, the percentages of cells uptaking Cy3-si435-PAC nanoparticles were (0.79±0.06)%, (31.04±1.59)%, (51.64±2.67)%, (68.15±2.60)%, and (83.68±4.67)%, respectively. (5) The mRNA expression of NF-κB-p65 of cells in Cy3-si435-PAC group was 0.286±0.015, significantly lower than 1.002±0.073 in Cy3-siNC-PAC group ( t =16.62, P <0.01). (6) At post injury hour 24, uniform distribution of nanoparticles could be observed in cardiomyocytes of mice in Cy3-siNC-LPS group and Cy3-si435-LPS group. (7) The structure of myocardial fibers of mice in Cy3-siNC-NS group was dense, with no inflammatory cells infiltration and uniform distribution of cytoplasm. The structure of myocardial fibers of mice in Cy3-siNC-LPS group were loose, with inflammatory cells infiltration and scattered distribution of cytoplasm. The structure of myocardial fibers of mice in Cy3-si435-LPS group was denser, with no obvious inflammatory cells infiltration and uniform distribution of cytoplasm. Conclusions: Cy3-si435-PAC nanoparticles have good morphology, uniform particle size, normal potential distribution, and no cell cytotoxicity. Cy3-si435-PAC nanoparticles can be effectively uptaked by HL-1 cells and suppress NF-κB-p65 mRNA expression. They also can effectively target to mice cardiomyocytes to reduce inflammatory cells infiltration and alleviate the myocardial injury of mice induced by LPS.

Implementation, reliability, and feasibility test of an Open-Source PACS.

PubMed

Valeri, Gianluca; Zuccaccia, Matteo; Badaloni, Andrea; Ciriaci, Damiano; La Riccia, Luigi; Mazzoni, Giovanni; Maggi, Stefania; Giovagnoni, Andrea

2015-12-01

To implement a hardware and software system able to perform the major functions of an Open-Source PACS, and to analyze it in a simulated real-world environment. A small home network was implemented, and the Open-Source operating system Ubuntu 11.10 was installed in a laptop containing the Dcm4chee suite with the software devices needed. The Open-Source PACS implemented is compatible with Linux OS, Microsoft OS, and Mac OS X; furthermore, it was used with operating systems that guarantee the operation in portable devices (smartphone, tablet) Android and iOS. An OSS PACS is useful for making tutorials and workshops on post-processing techniques for educational and training purposes.

Tablet PC as a mobil PACS terminal using wireless LAN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsao, Bo-Shen; Ching, Yu-Tai; Lee, Wen-Jeng; Chen, Shyh-Jye; Chang, Chia-Hung; Chen, Chien-Jung; Yen, York; Lee, Yuan-Ten

2003-05-01

A PACS mobile terminal has applications in ward round, emergency room and remote teleradiology consultation. Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) have the highest mobility and are used for many medical applications. However, their roles are limited in the field of radiology due to small screen size. In this study, we built a wireless PACS terminal using a hand-held tablet-PC. A tablet PC (X-pilot, LEO systems, Taiwan) running the WinCE operating systems was used as our mobile PACS terminal. This device is equipped with 800×600 resolution 10.4 inch TFT monitor. The network connection between the tablet PC and the server was linked via wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11b).

Development and flight evaluation of an augmented stability active controls concept with a small horizontal tail

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rising, J. J.; Kairys, A. A.; Maass, C. A.; Siegart, C. D.; Rakness, W. L.; Mijares, R. D.; King, R. W.; Peterson, R. S.; Hurley, S. R.; Wickson, D.

1982-01-01

A limited authority pitch active control system (PACS) was developed for a wide body jet transport (L-1011) with a flying horizontal stabilizer. Two dual channel digital computers and the associated software provide command signals to a dual channel series servo which controls the stabilizer power actuators. Input sensor signals to the computer are pitch rate, column-trim position, and dynamic pressure. Control laws are given for the PACS and the system architecture is defined. The piloted flight simulation and vehicle system simulation tests performed to verify control laws and system operation prior to installation on the aircraft are discussed. Modifications to the basic aircraft are described. Flying qualities of the aircraft with the PACS on and off were evaluated. Handling qualities for cruise and high speed flight conditions with the c.g. at 39% mac ( + 1% stability margin) and PACS operating were judged to be as good as the handling qualities with the c.g. at 25% (+15% stability margin) and PACS off.

Why Older Adults May Decline Offers of Post-Acute Care Services: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

PubMed Central

Sefcik, Justine S.; Ritter, Ashley Z.; Flores, Emilia J.; Nock, Rebecca H.; Chase, Jo-Ana D.; Bradway, Christine; Potashnik, Sheryl; Bowles, Kathryn H.

2016-01-01

The most common post-acute care (PAC) services available to patients after hospital discharge include home care, skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, inpatient rehabilitation, and hospice. Patients who need PAC and receive services have better outcomes, however almost one-third of those offered services decline. Little research exists on PAC decision-making and why patients may decline services. This qualitative descriptive study explored the responses of thirty older adults to the question: “Can you, from the patient point of view, tell me why someone would not want post hospital care?” Three themes emerged. Participants may decline due to 1) previous negative experiences with PAC, or 2) a preference to be home. Some participants stated, “I'd be there” and would not decline services. Participants also discussed 3) why other patients might decline PAC which included patients’ past experiences, fear of the unknown, and preferences. Clinical implications include assessing patients’ knowledge and experience before providing recommendations. PMID:27964972

Effects of heterogeneous traffic with speed limit zone on the car accidents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marzoug, R.; Lakouari, N.; Bentaleb, K.; Ez-Zahraouy, H.; Benyoussef, A.

2016-06-01

Using the extended Nagel-Schreckenberg (NS) model, we numerically study the impact of the heterogeneity of traffic with speed limit zone (SLZ) on the probability of occurrence of car accidents (Pac). SLZ in the heterogeneous traffic has an important effect, typically in the mixture velocities case. In the deterministic case, SLZ leads to the appearance of car accidents even in the low densities, in this region Pac increases with increasing of fraction of fast vehicles (Ff). In the nondeterministic case, SLZ decreases the effect of braking probability Pb in the low densities. Furthermore, the impact of multi-SLZ on the probability Pac is also studied. In contrast with the homogeneous case [X. Li, H. Kuang, Y. Fan and G. Zhang, Int. J. Mod. Phys. C 25 (2014) 1450036], it is found that in the low densities the probability Pac without SLZ (n = 0) is low than Pac with multi-SLZ (n > 0). However, the existence of multi-SLZ in the road decreases the risk of collision in the congestion phase.

Why older adults may decline offers of post-acute care services: A qualitative descriptive study.

PubMed

Sefcik, Justine S; Ritter, Ashley Z; Flores, Emilia J; Nock, Rebecca H; Chase, Jo-Ana D; Bradway, Christine; Potashnik, Sheryl; Bowles, Kathryn H

The most common post-acute care (PAC) services available to patients after hospital discharge include home care, skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, inpatient rehabilitation, and hospice. Patients who need PAC and receive services have better outcomes, however almost one-third of those offered services decline. Little research exists on PAC decision-making and why patients may decline services. This qualitative descriptive study explored the responses of thirty older adults to the question: "Can you, from the patient point of view, tell me why someone would not want post hospital care?" Three themes emerged. Participants may decline due to 1) previous negative experiences with PAC, or 2) a preference to be home. Some participants stated, "I'd be there" and would not decline services. Participants also discussed 3) why other patients might decline PAC which included patients' past experiences, lack of understanding/preconceived ideas, and preferences. Clinical implications include assessing patients' knowledge and experience before providing recommendations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Insufficient cure under the condition of high irradiance and short irradiation time.

PubMed

Feng, Li; Carvalho, Ricardo; Suh, Byoung I

2009-03-01

To investigate if and why a plasma arc curing (PAC) light tends to undercure methacrylate-based resins or resin composites. Model dimethacrylate resins, commercial dental adhesives, and commercial resin composites were cured using a PAC light and a halogen light with the similar radiant exposures but different combinations of irradiance and irradiation time. The degree of double bond conversion (DC) was measured with FTIR spectroscopy and analyzed as a function of radiant exposure. The PAC light produced a lower DC than the halogen light for the model resin with the lowest viscosity and for three of the four adhesives. With a high irradiance, the PAC light could cure three of the four composites as thoroughly as its halogen counterpart. When the irradiance was reduced, however, three composites yielded a lower DC. Insufficient cure by PAC lights or any curing lights with very high irradiance is likely to happen when too short an irradiation time is used. It is because under higher irradiance, the lifetime of free radicals is shorter.

Transforming medical imaging applications into collaborative PACS-based telemedical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maani, Rouzbeh; Camorlinga, Sergio; Arnason, Neil

2011-03-01

Telemedical systems are not practical for use in a clinical workflow unless they are able to communicate with the Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS). On the other hand, there are many medical imaging applications that are not developed as telemedical systems. Some medical imaging applications do not support collaboration and some do not communicate with the PACS and therefore limit their usability in clinical workflows. This paper presents a general architecture based on a three-tier architecture model. The architecture and the components developed within it, transform medical imaging applications into collaborative PACS-based telemedical systems. As a result, current medical imaging applications that are not telemedical, not supporting collaboration, and not communicating with PACS, can be enhanced to support collaboration among a group of physicians, be accessed remotely, and be clinically useful. The main advantage of the proposed architecture is that it does not impose any modification to the current medical imaging applications and does not make any assumptions about the underlying architecture or operating system.

Phase-amplitude coupling supports phase coding in human ECoG

PubMed Central

Watrous, Andrew J; Deuker, Lorena; Fell, Juergen; Axmacher, Nikolai

2015-01-01

Prior studies have shown that high-frequency activity (HFA) is modulated by the phase of low-frequency activity. This phenomenon of phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) is often interpreted as reflecting phase coding of neural representations, although evidence for this link is still lacking in humans. Here, we show that PAC indeed supports phase-dependent stimulus representations for categories. Six patients with medication-resistant epilepsy viewed images of faces, tools, houses, and scenes during simultaneous acquisition of intracranial recordings. Analyzing 167 electrodes, we observed PAC at 43% of electrodes. Further inspection of PAC revealed that category specific HFA modulations occurred at different phases and frequencies of the underlying low-frequency rhythm, permitting decoding of categorical information using the phase at which HFA events occurred. These results provide evidence for categorical phase-coded neural representations and are the first to show that PAC coincides with phase-dependent coding in the human brain. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.07886.001 PMID:26308582

Cardiology-oriented PACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, Augusto F. d.; Costa, Carlos; Abrantes, Pedro; Gama, Vasco; Den Boer, Ad

1998-07-01

This paper describes an integrated system designed to provide efficient means for DICOM compliant cardiac imaging archival, transmission and visualization based on a communications backbone matching recent enabling telematic technologies like Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and switched Local Area Networks (LANs). Within a distributed client-server framework, the system was conceived on a modality based bottom-up approach, aiming ultrafast access to short term archives and seamless retrieval of cardiac video sequences throughout review stations located at the outpatient referral rooms, intensive and intermediate care units and operating theaters.

Cyanobacterial Treatment Options: Permanganate and ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This presentation will begin with a brief overview of drinking water treatment options for cyanobacteria and their toxins. The treatment discussion will focus on the impacts of permanganate addition to suspensions of toxin-producing Microcystis aeruginosa, followed by powdered activated carbon (PAC) addition. Results will be presented that show changes in toxin concentrations, chlorophyll-a concentrations and cell membrane integrity. The EPA Small Systems Webinar Presentations allow the dissemination of the latest Agency guidance and research to a large geographically dispersed audience while minimizing taxpayer expense

Action of Gibberellins on Growth and Metabolism of Arabidopsis Plants Associated with High Concentration of Carbon Dioxide1[W

PubMed Central

Ribeiro, Dimas M.; Araújo, Wagner L.; Fernie, Alisdair R.; Schippers, Jos H.M.; Mueller-Roeber, Bernd

2012-01-01

Although the positive effect of elevated CO2 concentration [CO2] on plant growth is well known, it remains unclear whether global climate change will positively or negatively affect crop yields. In particular, relatively little is known about the role of hormone pathways in controlling the growth responses to elevated [CO2]. Here, we studied the impact of elevated [CO2] on plant biomass and metabolism in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) in relation to the availability of gibberellins (GAs). Inhibition of growth by the GA biosynthesis inhibitor paclobutrazol (PAC) at ambient [CO2] (350 µmol CO2 mol−1) was reverted by elevated [CO2] (750 µmol CO2 mol−1). Thus, we investigated the metabolic adjustment and modulation of gene expression in response to changes in growth of plants imposed by varying the GA regime in ambient and elevated [CO2]. In the presence of PAC (low-GA regime), the activities of enzymes involved in photosynthesis and inorganic nitrogen assimilation were markedly increased at elevated [CO2], whereas the activities of enzymes of organic acid metabolism were decreased. Under ambient [CO2], nitrate, amino acids, and protein accumulated upon PAC treatment; however, this was not the case when plants were grown at elevated [CO2]. These results suggest that only under ambient [CO2] is GA required for the integration of carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism underlying optimal biomass determination. Our results have implications concerning the action of the Green Revolution genes in future environmental conditions. PMID:23090585

MediLink: a wearable telemedicine system for emergency and mobile applications.

PubMed

Koval, T; Dudziak, M

1999-01-01

The practical needs of the medical professional faced with critical care or emergency situations differ from those working in many environments where telemedicine and mobile computing have been introduced and tested. One constructive criticism of the telemedicine initiative has been to question what positive benefits are gained from videoconferencing, paperless transactions, and online access to patient record. With a goal of producing a positive answer to such questions an architecture for multipurpose mobile telemedicine applications has been developed. The core technology is based upon a wearable personal computer with a smart-card interface coupled with speech, pen, video input and wireless intranet connectivity. The TransPAC system with the MedLink software system is designed to provide an integrated solution for a broad range of health care functions where mobile and hands-free or limited-access systems are preferred or necessary and where the capabilities of other mobile devices are insufficient or inappropriate. Structured and noise-resistant speech-to-text interfacing plus the use of a web browser-like display, accessible through either a flatpanel, standard, or headset monitor, gives the beltpack TransPAC computer the functions of a complete desktop including PCMCIA card interfaces for internet connectivity and a secure smartcard with 16-bit microprocessor and upwards of 64K memory. The card acts to provide user access control for security, user custom configuration of applications and display and vocabulary, and memory to diminish the need for PC-server communications while in an active session. TransPAC is being implemented for EMT and ER staff usage.

Child-Report Measures of Occupational Performance: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Totino, Rebekah; Doma, Kenji; Leicht, Anthony; Brown, Nicole; Cuomo, Belinda

2016-01-01

Introduction Improving occupational performance is a key service of occupational therapists and client-centred approach to care is central to clinical practice. As such it is important to comprehensively evaluate the quality of psychometric properties reported across measures of occupational performance; in order to guide assessment and treatment planning. Objective To systematically review the literature on the psychometric properties of child-report measures of occupational performance for children ages 2–18 years. Methods A systematic search of the following six electronic databases was conducted: CINAHL; PsycINFO; EMBASE; PubMed; the Health and Psychosocial Instruments (HAPI) database; and Google Scholar. The quality of the studies was evaluated against the COSMIN taxonomy of measurement properties and the overall quality of psychometric properties was evaluated using pre-set psychometric criteria. Results Fifteen articles and one manual were reviewed to assess the psychometric properties of the six measures–the PEGS, MMD, CAPE, PAC, COSA, and OSA- which met the inclusion criteria. Most of the measures had conducted good quality studies to evaluate the psychometric properties of measures (PEGS, CAPE, PAC, OSA); however, the quality of the studies for two of these measures was relatively weak (MMD, COSA). When integrating the quality of the psychometric properties of the measures with the quality of the studies, the PAC stood out as having superior psychometric qualities. Conclusions The overall quality of the psychometric properties of most measures was limited. There is a need for continuing research into the psychometric properties of child-report measures of occupational performance, and to revise and improve the psychometric properties of existing measures. PMID:26808674

A reliable, low-cost picture archiving and communications system for small and medium veterinary practices built using open-source technology.

PubMed

Iotti, Bryan; Valazza, Alberto

2014-10-01

Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS) are the most needed system in a modern hospital. As an integral part of the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard, they are charged with the responsibility for secure storage and accessibility of the diagnostic imaging data. These machines need to offer high performance, stability, and security while proving reliable and ergonomic in the day-to-day and long-term storage and retrieval of the data they safeguard. This paper reports the experience of the authors in developing and installing a compact and low-cost solution based on open-source technologies in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital for the University of Torino, Italy, during the course of the summer of 2012. The PACS server was built on low-cost x86-based hardware and uses an open source operating system derived from Oracle OpenSolaris (Oracle Corporation, Redwood City, CA, USA) to host the DCM4CHEE PACS DICOM server (DCM4CHEE, http://www.dcm4che.org ). This solution features very high data security and an ergonomic interface to provide easy access to a large amount of imaging data. The system has been in active use for almost 2 years now and has proven to be a scalable, cost-effective solution for practices ranging from small to very large, where the use of different hardware combinations allows scaling to the different deployments, while the use of paravirtualization allows increased security and easy migrations and upgrades.

Towards Social Radiology as an Information Infrastructure: Reconciling the Local With the Global

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

The current widespread use of medical images and imaging procedures in clinical practice and patient diagnosis has brought about an increase in the demand for sharing medical imaging studies among health professionals in an easy and effective manner. This article reveals the existence of a polarization between the local and global demands for radiology practice. While there are no major barriers for sharing such studies, when access is made from a (local) picture archive and communication system (PACS) within the domain of a healthcare organization, there are a number of impediments for sharing studies among health professionals on a global scale. Social radiology as an information infrastructure involves the notion of a shared infrastructure as a public good, affording a social space where people, organizations and technical components may spontaneously form associations in order to share clinical information linked to patient care and radiology practice. This article shows however, that such polarization establishes a tension between local and global demands, which hinders the emergence of social radiology as an information infrastructure. Based on an analysis of the social space for radiology practice, the present article has observed that this tension persists due to the inertia of a locally installed base in radiology departments, for which common teleradiology models are not truly capable of reorganizing as a global social space for radiology practice. Reconciling the local with the global signifies integrating PACS and teleradiology into an evolving, secure, heterogeneous, shared, open information infrastructure where the conceptual boundaries between (local) PACS and (global) teleradiology are transparent, signaling the emergence of social radiology as an information infrastructure. PMID:25600710

The radiology digital dashboard: effects on report turnaround time.

PubMed

Morgan, Matthew B; Branstetter, Barton F; Lionetti, David M; Richardson, Jeremy S; Chang, Paul J

2008-03-01

As radiology departments transition to near-complete digital information management, work flows and their supporting informatics infrastructure are becoming increasingly complex. Digital dashboards can integrate separate computerized information systems and summarize key work flow metrics in real time to facilitate informed decision making. A PACS-integrated digital dashboard function designed to alert radiologists to their unsigned report queue status, coupled with an actionable link to the report signing application, resulted in a 24% reduction in the time between transcription and report finalization. The dashboard was well received by radiologists who reported high usage for signing reports. Further research is needed to identify and evaluate other potentially useful work flow metrics for inclusion in a radiology clinical dashboard.

Inhibitory effects of proanthocyanidins from Ribes nigrum leaves on carrageenin acute inflammatory reactions induced in rats

PubMed Central

Garbacki, Nancy; Tits, Monique; Angenot, Luc; Damas, Jacques

2004-01-01

Background The anti-inflammatory effects of proanthocyanidins (PACs), isolated from blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) leaves, were analysed using carrageenin-induced paw oedema and carrageenin-induced pleurisy in rats. Results Pretreatment of the animals with PACs (10, 30, 60 and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) reduced paw oedema induced by carrageenin in a dose and time-dependent manner. PACs also inhibited dose-dependently carrageenin-induced pleurisy in rats. They reduced (A) lung injury, (B) pleural exudate formation, (C) polymorphonuclear cell infiltration, (D) pleural exudate levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and CINC-1 but did not affect IL-6 and IL-10 levels. They reduced (E) pleural exudate levels of nitrite/nitrate (NOx). In indomethacin treated rats, the volume of pleural exudate was low, its content in leukocytes and its contents in TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-10 but not in NOx were reduced. These data suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties of PACs are achieved through a different pattern from those of indomethacin. Conclusion These results suggest that the main mechanism of the anti-inflammatory effect of PACs mainly lies in an interference with the migration of the leukocytes. Moreover, PACs inhibited in vivo nitric oxide release. PMID:15498105

Changes in the use of postacute care during the initial Medicare payment reforms.

PubMed

Lin, Wen-Chieh; Kane, Robert L; Mehr, David R; Madsen, Richard W; Petroski, Gregory F

2006-08-01

To examine changes in postacute care (PAC) use during the initial Medicare payment reforms enacted by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. We used claims data from the 5 percent Medicare beneficiary sample in 1996, 1998, and 2000. Linked data from the Denominator file, Provider of Service file, and Area Resource File provided additional patient, hospital, and market-area characteristics. Six disease groups with high PAC use were selected for analysis. We used multinomial logit regression to examine how PAC use differed by year of service, controlling for patient, hospital, and market-area characteristics. There were major changes in PAC use, and a portion of services shifted to settings where reimbursement remained cost-based. During the first reform, the home health agency interim payment system, home health use decreased consistently across disease groups. This decrease was accompanied by increased use in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Following the implementation of the prospective payment system for SNFs, the use of inpatient rehabilitation facilities increased. The shift in usage among settings occurred in two stages that corresponded to the timing of payment reforms for home health agencies and SNFs. Evidence strongly suggests the substitutability between PAC settings. Financial incentives, in addition to clinical needs and individual preferences, play a major role in PAC use.

PACS in an intensive care unit: results from a randomized controlled trial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryan, Stirling; Weatherburn, Gwyneth C.; Watkins, Jessamy; Walker, Samantha; Wright, Carl; Waters, Brian; Evans, Jeff; Buxton, Martin J.

1998-07-01

The objective of this research was to assess the costs and benefits associated with the introduction of a small PACS system into an intensive care unit (ICU) at a district general hospital in north Wales. The research design adopted for this study was a single center randomized controlled trial (RCT). Patients were randomly allocated either to a trial arm where their x-ray imaging was solely film-based or to a trial arm where their x-ray imaging was solely PACS based. Benefit measures included examination-based process measures, such as image turn-round time, radiation dose and image unavailability; and patient-related process measures, which included adverse events and length of stay. The measurement of costs focused on additional 'radiological' costs and the costs of patient management. The study recruited 600 patients. The key findings from this study were that the installation of PACS was associated with important benefits in terms of image availability, and important costs in both monetary and radiation dose terms. PACS-related improvements in terms of more timely 'clinical actions' were not found. However, the qualitative aspect of the research found that clinicians were advocates of the technology and believed that an important benefit of PACS related to improved image availability.

The politics of unsafe abortion in Burkina Faso: The interface of local norms and global public health practice

PubMed Central

Storeng, Katerini T.; Ouattara, Fatoumata

2014-01-01

In Burkina Faso, abortion is legally restricted and socially stigmatised, but also frequent. Unsafe abortions represent a significant public health challenge, contributing to the country's very high maternal mortality ratio. Inspired by an internationally disseminated public health framing of unsafe abortion, the country's main policy response has been to provide post-abortion care (PAC) to avert deaths from abortion complications. Drawing on ethnographic research, this article describes how Burkina Faso's PAC policy emerged at the interface of political and moral negotiations between public health professionals, national bureaucrats and international agencies and NGOs. Burkinabè decision-makers and doctors, who are often hostile to induced abortion, have been convinced that PAC is ‘life-saving care’ which should be delivered for ethical medical reasons. Moreover, by supporting PAC they not only demonstrate compliance with international standards but also, importantly, do not have to contend with any change in abortion legislation, which they oppose. Rights-based international NGOs, in turn, tactically focus on PAC as a ‘first step’ towards their broader institutional objective to secure safe abortion and abortion rights. Such negotiations between national and international actors result in widespread support for PAC but stifled debate about further legalisation of abortion. PMID:25132157

Prevention of urinary tract infections with vaccinium products.

PubMed

Davidson, Elyad; Zimmermann, Benno F; Jungfer, Elvira; Chrubasik-Hausmann, Sigrun

2014-03-01

Cranberries exert a dose-dependent inhibition of the adherence of E. coli fimbriae to uroepithelial cells. This was demonstrated in vitro but also ex vivo in vitro with urine from cranberry consumers. The active principle has not been identified in detail but type-A proanthocyanidins (PAC) play an important role in the mechanism of action. Since the three species, American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), European cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccus) and/or lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), have different patterns of type-A PACs, results from one species cannot be transferred to the others. It seems likely that most of the studies with monopreparations from V. macrocarpon were underdosed. Whereas photometric PAC quantification may overestimate the true content on co-active compounds, reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatograpy may underestimate them. Recent studies with PAC doses in the upper range (DMAC method) or declared type-A PAC content in the daily dose reveal a dose-dependent trend of clinical effectiveness, however, with a possible ceiling effect. In order to clarify this, future three-arm studies should investigate Vaccinium preparations with higher type-A PAC doses than previously used. We analysed two popular European vitis-idaea products, a mother juice and a proprietary extract. Both preparations may be appropriate to confirm the Vaccinium urinary tract infection-preventive effect beyond doubt. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Interfacing the PACS and the HIS: results of a 5-year implementation.

PubMed

Kinsey, T V; Horton, M C; Lewis, T E

2000-01-01

An interface was created between the Department of Defense's hospital information system (HIS) and its two picture archiving and communication system (PACS)-based radiology information systems (RISs). The HIS is called the Composite Healthcare Computer System (CHCS), and the RISs are called the Medical Diagnostic Imaging System (MDIS) and the Digital Imaging Network (DIN)-PACS. Extensive mapping between dissimilar data protocols was required to translate data from the HIS into both RISs. The CHCS uses a Health Level 7 (HL7) protocol, whereas the MDIS uses the American College of Radiology-National Electrical Manufacturers Association 2.0 protocol and the DIN-PACS uses the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) 3.0 protocol. An interface engine was required to change some data formats, as well as to address some nonstandard HL7 data being output from the CHCS. In addition, there are differences in terminology between fields and segments in all three protocols. This interface is in use at 20 military facilities throughout the world. The interface reduces the amount of manual entry into more than one automated system to the smallest level possible. Data mapping during installation saved time, improved productivity, and increased user acceptance during PACS implementation. It also resulted in more standardized database entries in both the HIS (CHCS) and the RIS (PACS).

I Know I Can: A Longitudinal Examination of Precursors and Outcomes of Perceived Athletic Competence Among Adolescent Girls

PubMed Central

Baker, Birgitta L.; Davison, Kirsten K.

2017-01-01

Background This study examined predictors of perceived athletic competence and subsequent physical activity in a longitudinal sample of adolescent girls. Methods A sample of 149 girls was assessed at ages 9, 11, and 13. Perceived athletic competence (PAC) was measured at all ages. Nonaesthetic versus aesthetic sport participation, body fat percentage, and breast development were measured at age 9. Accelerometers were used to measure girls’ moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at age 13. Results Girls who participated in nonaesthetic sports at age 9 reported higher PAC at age 11 than those who participated in only aesthetic sports, while more advanced breast development at age 9 was associated with greater relative declines in PAC between ages 11 and 13. Both age 11 PAC and the relative change in PAC between ages 11 and 13 were significant positive predictors of age 13 MVPA. Results were independent of age 9 socioeconomic status and self-reported physical activity. Conclusion Perceived athletic competence is a suitable target for intervention efforts designed to increase adolescent girls’ physical activity. Particular attention should be focused on girls who are overweight or experiencing puberty. Participation in nonaesthetic sports may be particularly important in the development of PAC. PMID:21415446

Adsorption of selected emerging contaminants onto PAC and GAC: Equilibrium isotherms, kinetics, and effect of the water matrix.

PubMed

Real, Francisco J; Benitez, F Javier; Acero, Juan L; Casas, Francisco

2017-07-03

The removal of three emerging contaminants (ECs) (amitriptyline hydrochloride (AH), methyl salicylate (MS) and 2-phenoxyethanol (PE)) dissolved in several water matrices by means of their adsorption onto powdered activated carbon (PAC) and granular activated carbon (GAC) has been investigated. When dissolved in ultrapure water, adsorption of the ECs followed the trend of AH > MS > PE, with a positive effect of the adsorbent dose. According to the analysis of the adsorption isotherms and adsorption kinetics, PAC showed strongly higher adsorption efficiency in both capacity and velocity of the adsorption, in agreement with its higher mesoporosity. Equilibrium isotherm data were fitted by Langmuir and Freundlich models. Pseudo-second order kinetics modeled very successfully the adsorption process. Finally, the effect of the presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the water matrices (ultrapure water, surface water and two effluents from wastewater treatment plants) on the adsorption of the selected ECs onto PAC was established, as well as its performance on the removal of water quality parameters. Results show a negative effect of the DOM content on the adsorption efficiency. Over 50% of organic matter was removed with high PAC doses, revealing that adsorption onto PAC is an effective technology to remove both micro-pollutants and DOM from water matrices.

Method of Individual Adjustment for 3D CT Analysis: Linear Measurement.

PubMed

Kim, Dong Kyu; Choi, Dong Hun; Lee, Jeong Woo; Yang, Jung Dug; Chung, Ho Yun; Cho, Byung Chae; Choi, Kang Young

2016-01-01

Introduction . We aim to regularize measurement values in three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) reconstructed images for higher-precision 3D analysis, focusing on length-based 3D cephalometric examinations. Methods . We measure the linear distances between points on different skull models using Vernier calipers (real values). We use 10 differently tilted CT scans for 3D CT reconstruction of the models and measure the same linear distances from the picture archiving and communication system (PACS). In both cases, each measurement is performed three times by three doctors, yielding nine measurements. The real values are compared with the PACS values. Each PACS measurement is revised based on the display field of view (DFOV) values and compared with the real values. Results . The real values and the PACS measurement changes according to tilt value have no significant correlations ( p > 0.05). However, significant correlations appear between the real values and DFOV-adjusted PACS measurements ( p < 0.001). Hence, we obtain a correlation expression that can yield real physical values from PACS measurements. The DFOV value intervals for various age groups are also verified. Conclusion . Precise confirmation of individual preoperative length and precise analysis of postoperative improvements through 3D analysis is possible, which is helpful for facial-bone-surgery symmetry correction.

Novel combination of photoactive species: photoresists formed from selectively esterified novolacs and polyfunctional photoactive compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeffries, Alfred T., III; Brzozowy, David J.; Naiini, Ahmad A.; Gallagher-Wetmore, Paula M.

1997-07-01

The addition of selected PACs to resists comprised of selectively esterified DNQ novolacs improves their performance in terms of side wall angle and resolution compared to resists whose photoactive component is composed of entirely selectively esterified DNQ novolacs. The performance gain is particularly evident for the resists with two selectively esterified fractions. A conventional 60/40 m-cresol/p-cresol novolac was synthesized and fractionated into five nearly equal weight fractions using supercritical fluids (SCF) fractionation technique. Resists were made from either a single esterified fraction [fraction Two, esterification level (EL), 42%] or dual esterified fractions (fractions Two and Four, EL 21% each), a selection of PACs and the remaining unesterified fractions. They were compared to a control containing only the corresponding esterified fraction(s). The PACs A and B were effective at increasing the resist profile angle for 0.50 (mu) features in the singly esterified novalacs in comparison to the control material and exhibited flat tops. The resolution and profiles of dual esterified fraction resists improved significantly when low levels of PACs were added to dual esterified fraction control resist. The comparison was made from 0.40 (mu) features. The resist made using PAC C is the best candidate for photospeed although its profile angle is less in comparison to PACs A and B.

Associations of Body Mass Index, Motor Performance, and Perceived Athletic Competence with Physical Activity in Normal Weight and Overweight Children

PubMed Central

Cairney, John; Eisenmann, Joe; Pfeiffer, Karin; Gould, Dan

2018-01-01

Children who are overweight and obese display lower physical activity levels than normal weight peers. Measures of weight status, perceived motor competence, and motor skill performance have been identified as potential correlates explaining this discrepancy. 1881 children (955 males; 926 females; 9.9 years) were assessed as part of the Physical Health Activity Study Team project. The age, habitual physical activity participation (PAP), body mass index (BMI), socioeconomic status (SES), motor performance (MP), and perceived athletic competence (PAC) of each child included were assessed. Gender-specific linear regression analyses (main effects model) were conducted to identify the percent variance in PAP explained by the following variables: BMI, MP, and PAC. For males, 18.3% of the variance in PAP was explained by BMI, MP, and PAC. PAC explained 17% of the variance, while MP, BMI, and SES only accounted for 0.6%, 0.7%, and 0.5%, respectively. PAC explained 17.5% of PAP variance in females; MP explained 0.8%. BMI, SES, and chronological age were not significant correlates of PAP in girls. An established repertoire of motor skill performance has been seen as a vehicle to PAP in children; however, this study indicates that PAC should not be overlooked in intervention strategies to promote increased PAP. PMID:29854437

Associations of Body Mass Index, Motor Performance, and Perceived Athletic Competence with Physical Activity in Normal Weight and Overweight Children.

PubMed

Morrison, Kyle M; Cairney, John; Eisenmann, Joe; Pfeiffer, Karin; Gould, Dan

2018-01-01

Children who are overweight and obese display lower physical activity levels than normal weight peers. Measures of weight status, perceived motor competence, and motor skill performance have been identified as potential correlates explaining this discrepancy. 1881 children (955 males; 926 females; 9.9 years) were assessed as part of the Physical Health Activity Study Team project. The age, habitual physical activity participation (PAP), body mass index (BMI), socioeconomic status (SES), motor performance (MP), and perceived athletic competence (PAC) of each child included were assessed. Gender-specific linear regression analyses (main effects model) were conducted to identify the percent variance in PAP explained by the following variables: BMI, MP, and PAC. For males, 18.3% of the variance in PAP was explained by BMI, MP, and PAC. PAC explained 17% of the variance, while MP, BMI, and SES only accounted for 0.6%, 0.7%, and 0.5%, respectively. PAC explained 17.5% of PAP variance in females; MP explained 0.8%. BMI, SES, and chronological age were not significant correlates of PAP in girls. An established repertoire of motor skill performance has been seen as a vehicle to PAP in children; however, this study indicates that PAC should not be overlooked in intervention strategies to promote increased PAP.

Putting a Face on the Issue: Corporate Stakeholder Mobilization in Professional Grassroots Lobbying Campaigns.

PubMed

Walker, Edward T

2012-12-01

Business scholars pay increasing attention to the expanded influence of stakeholders on firm strategies, legitimacy, and competitiveness. At the same time, analysts have noted that the transformed regulatory and legislative environments of recent decades have encouraged firms to become much more politically active. Surprisingly, relatively little research has tied together these two trends. The present study integrates perspectives on stakeholder management with research on corporate political activity to develop an understanding of the structural sources of stakeholder mobilization in professional grassroots lobbying campaigns. This study employs a unique, original data source to consider how the adoption of grassroots lobbying by a firm relates to its industry, degree of inside lobbying, partisan PAC contributions, and more. This research shows that corporate grassroots lobbying is shaped most significantly by a firm's degree of inside lobbying, as highly active firms take a diversified strategy for gaining influence. Firms in industries with a heavy public presence as well as those concerned with taxation, government appropriations, and economic development also adopt these strategies readily. PAC contributions to Republican, but not Democratic, candidates also heighten firms' propensity to lobby the public.

Assessment of the MIMOSA model: experience learned from the development of a demonstrator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibaud, Bernard; Gandon, Yves; Garfagni, Herve; Hervault, Bernard; Lussot, Eric; Bares, Bernard; Klipfel, Bruno; Bourgeois, Laurent; Quideau, Jean-Christophe

1995-05-01

This paper recalls the major motivations for developing the MIMOSA model (medical image management in an open system architecture). It gives an overview of the content of this model and focuses on the validation brought by the prototyping activity. The paper describes the functional scenario addressed by the demonstrator developed at the University Hospital of Rennes, France. Emphasis is put on methodology and architectural issues, allowing a portable MIMOSA-based PACS core to be built while addressing the integration of local PACS components by means of an ad-hoc adaptation layer. Openness is also a central issue: the architecture has been designed in such a way that the MIMOSA services can be requested and provided using established standards. The influence of the DICOM standard with respect to this concern is analyzed in detail. Achievements and current limitations are highlighted. Conclusions are drawn concerning the technical assessment of that part of the model involved in the demonstrator. Clinical validation is not discussed here since the system should be introduced in clinical routine in the course of 1995.

Performance of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) local area and wide area networks for medical imaging transmission in clinical environment.

PubMed

Huang, H K; Wong, A W; Zhu, X

1997-01-01

Asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technology emerges as a leading candidate for medical image transmission in both local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) applications. This paper describes the performance of an ATM LAN and WAN network at the University of California, San Francisco. The measurements were obtained using an intensive care unit (ICU) server connecting to four image workstations (WS) at four different locations of a hospital-integrated picture archiving and communication system (HI-PACS) in a daily regular clinical environment. Four types of performance were evaluated: magnetic disk-to-disk, disk-to-redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID), RAID-to-memory, and memory-to-memory. Results demonstrate that the transmission rate between two workstations can reach 5-6 Mbytes/s from RAID-to-memory, and 8-10 Mbytes/s from memory-to-memory. When the server has to send images to all four workstations simultaneously, the transmission rate to each WS is about 4 Mbytes/s. Both situations are adequate for radiologic image communications for picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) and teleradiology applications.

Removals of pesticides and pesticide transformation products during drinking water treatment processes and their impact on mutagen formation potential after chlorination.

PubMed

Matsushita, Taku; Morimoto, Ayako; Kuriyama, Taisuke; Matsumoto, Eisuke; Matsui, Yoshihiko; Shirasaki, Nobutaka; Kondo, Takashi; Takanashi, Hirokazu; Kameya, Takashi

2018-07-01

Removal efficiencies of 28 pesticide transformation products (TPs) and 15 parent pesticides during steps in drinking water treatment (coagulation-sedimentation, activated carbon adsorption, and ozonation) were estimated via laboratory-scale batch experiments, and the mechanisms underlying the removal at each step were elucidated via regression analyses. The removal via powdered activated carbon (PAC) treatment was correlated positively with the log K ow at pH 7. The adjusted coefficient of determination (r 2 ) increased when the energy level of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) was added as an explanatory variable, the suggestion being that adsorption onto PAC particles was largely governed by hydrophobic interactions. The residual error could be partly explained by π-π electron donor-acceptor interactions between the graphene surface of the PAC particles and the adsorbates. The removal via ozonation correlated positively with the energy level of the HOMO, probably because compounds with relatively high energy level HOMOs could more easily transfer an electron to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of ozone. Overall, the TPs tended to be more difficult to remove via PAC adsorption and ozonation than their parent pesticides. However, the TPs that were difficult to remove via PAC adsorption did not induce strong mutagenicity after chlorination, and the TPs that were associated with strong mutagenicity after chlorination could be removed via PAC adsorption. Therefore, PAC adsorption is hypothesized to be an effective method of treating drinking water to reduce the possibility of post-chlorination mutagenicity associated with both TPs and their parent pesticides. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metronidazole removal in powder-activated carbon and concrete-containing graphene adsorption systems: Estimation of kinetic, equilibrium and thermodynamic parameters and optimization of adsorption by a central composite design.

PubMed

Manjunath, S V; Kumar, S Mathava; Ngo, Huu Hao; Guo, Wenshan

2017-12-06

Metronidazole (MNZ) removal by two adsorbents, i.e., concrete-containing graphene (CG) and powder-activated carbon (PAC), was investigated via batch-mode experiments and the outcomes were used to analyze the kinetics, equilibrium and thermodynamics of MNZ adsorption. MNZ sorption on CG and PAC has followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and the thermodynamic parameters revealed that MNZ adsorption was spontaneous on PAC and non-spontaneous on CG. Subsequently, two-parameter isotherm models, i.e., Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, Dubinin-Radushkevich and Elovich models, were applied to evaluate the MNZ adsorption capacity. The maximum MNZ adsorption capacities ([Formula: see text]) of PAC and CG were found to be between 25.5-32.8 mg/g and 0.41-0.002 mg/g, respectively. Subsequently, the effects of pH, temperature and adsorbent dosage on MNZ adsorption were evaluated by a central composite design (CCD) approach. The CCD experiments have pointed out the complete removal of MNZ at a much lower PAC dosage by increasing the system temperature (i.e., from 20°C to 40°C). On the other hand, a desorption experiment has shown 3.5% and 1.7% MNZ removal from the surface of PAC and CG, respectively, which was insignificant compared to the sorbed MNZ on the surface by adsorption. The overall findings indicate that PAC and CG with higher graphene content could be useful in MNZ removal from aqueous systems.

SCAR Radiologic Technologist Survey: analysis of the impact of digital technologies on productivity.

PubMed

Reiner, Bruce I; Siegel, Eliot L; Carrino, John A; Goldburgh, Mitchell M

2002-09-01

As medical reimbursements continue to decline, increasing financial pressures are placed upon medical imaging providers. This burden is exacerbated by the existing radiologic technologist (RT) crisis, which has caused RT salaries to trend upward. One strategy to address these trends is employing technology to improve technologist productivity. While industry-wide RT productivity benchmarks have been established for film-based operation, little to date has been published in the medical literature regarding similar productivity measures for filmless operation using PACS. This study was undertaken to document the complex relationship between technologist productivity and implementation of digital radiography and digital information technologies, including PACS and hospital/radiology information systems (HIS/RIS). A nationwide survey was conducted with 112 participating institutions, in varying degrees of digital technology implementation. Technologist productivity was defined as the number of annual exams performed per technologist full-time equivalent (FTE). Productivity analyses were performed among the different demographic and technology profile groups, with a focus on general radiography, which accounts for 65-70% of imaging department volumes. When evaluating the relationship between technologist productivity and digital technology implementation, improved productivity measures were observed for institutions implementing HIS/RIS, modality worklist, and PACS. The timing of PACS implementation was found to have a significant effect on technologist productivity measures, with an initial 10.8% drop in productivity during the first year of PACS implementation, followed by a 27.8% increase in productivity beyond year one. This suggests there is a "PACS learning curve" phenomenon, which should be considered when institutions are planning for PACS implementation.

Uptake of postabortion care services and acceptance of postabortion contraception in Puntland, Somalia.

PubMed

Chukwumalu, Kingsley; Gallagher, Meghan C; Baunach, Sabine; Cannon, Amy

2017-11-01

Unsafe abortion is responsible for at least 9% of all maternal deaths worldwide; however, in humanitarian emergencies where health systems are weak and reproductive health services are often unavailable or disrupted, this figure is higher. In Puntland, Somalia, Save the Children International (SCI) implemented postabortion care (PAC) services to address the issue of high maternal morbidity and mortality due to unsafe abortion. Abortion is explicitly permitted by Somali law to save the life of a woman, but remains a sensitive topic due to religious and social conservatism that exists in the region. Using a multipronged approach focusing on capacity building, assurance of supplies and infrastructure, and community collaboration and mobilisation, the demand for PAC services increased as did the proportion of women who adopted a method of family planning post-abortion. From January 2013 to December 2015, a total of 1111 clients received PAC services at the four SCI-supported health facilities. The number of PAC clients increased from a monthly average of 20 in 2013 to 38 in 2015. During the same period, 98% (1090) of PAC clients were counselled for postabortion contraception, of which 955 (88%) accepted a contraceptive method before leaving the facility, with 30% opting for long-acting reversible contraception. These results show that comprehensive PAC services can be implemented in politically unstable, culturally conservative settings where abortion and modern contraception are sensitive and stigmatised matters among communities, health workers, and policy makers. However, like all humanitarian settings, large unmet needs exist for PAC services in Somalia.

Aldosterone and glomerular filtration – observations in the general population

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Increasing evidence suggests that aldosterone promotes renal damage. Since data on the association between aldosterone and renal function in the general population are sparse, we chose to address this issue. We investigated the associations between the plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) or the aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR) and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in a sample of adult men and women from Northeast Germany. Methods A study population of 1921 adult men and women who participated in the first follow-up of the Study of Health in Pomerania was selected. None of the subjects used drugs that alter PAC or ARR. The eGFR was calculated according to the four-variable Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formula. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was defined as an eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2. Results Linear regression models, adjusted for sex, age, waist circumference, diabetes mellitus, smoking status, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, serum triglyceride concentrations and time of blood sampling revealed inverse associations of PAC or ARR with eGFR (ß-coefficient for log-transformed PAC −3.12, p < 0.001; ß-coefficient for log-transformed ARR −3.36, p < 0.001). Logistic regression models revealed increased odds for CKD with increasing PAC (odds ratio for a one standard deviation increase in PAC: 1.35, 95% confidence interval: 1.06-1.71). There was no statistically significant association between ARR and CKD. Conclusion Our study demonstrates that PAC and ARR are inversely associated with the glomerular filtration rate in the general population. PMID:24612948

Mapping Cd²⁺-induced membrane permeability changes of single live cells by means of scanning electrochemical microscopy.

PubMed

Filice, Fraser P; Li, Michelle S M; Henderson, Jeffrey D; Ding, Zhifeng

2016-02-18

Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM) is a powerful, non-invasive, analytical methodology that can be used to investigate live cell membrane permeability. Depth scan SECM imaging allowed for the generation of 2D current maps of live cells relative to electrode position in the x-z or y-z plane. Depending on resolution, one depth scan image can contain hundreds of probe approach curves (PACs). Individual PACs were obtained by simply extracting vertical cross-sections from the 2D image. These experimental PACs were overlaid onto theoretically generated PACs simulated at specific geometry conditions. Simulations were carried out using 3D models in COMSOL Multiphysics to determine the cell membrane permeability coefficients at different locations on the surface of the cells. Common in literature, theoretical PACs are generated using a 2D axially symmetric geometry. This saves on both compute time and memory utilization. However, due to symmetry limitations of the model, only one experimental PAC right above the cell can be matched with simulated PAC data. Full 3D models in this article were developed for the SECM system of live cells, allowing all experimental PACs over the entire cell to become usable. Cd(2+)-induced membrane permeability changes of single human bladder (T24) cells were investigated at several positions above the cell, displaced from the central axis. The experimental T24 cells under study were incubated with Cd(2+) in varying concentrations. It is experimentally observed that 50 and 100 μM Cd(2+) caused a decrease in membrane permeability, which was uniform across all locations over the cell regardless of Cd(2+) concentration. The Cd(2+) was found to have detrimental effects on the cell, with cells shrinking in size and volume, and the membrane permeability decreasing. A mapping technique for the analysis of the cell membrane permeability under the Cd(2+) stress is realized by the methodology presented. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PACS quality control and automatic problem notifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honeyman-Buck, Janice C.; Jones, Douglas; Frost, Meryll M.; Staab, Edward V.

1997-05-01

One side effect of installing a clinical PACS Is that users become dependent upon the technology and in some cases it can be very difficult to revert back to a film based system if components fail. The nature of system failures range from slow deterioration of function as seen in the loss of monitor luminance through sudden catastrophic loss of the entire PACS networks. This paper describes the quality control procedures in place at the University of Florida and the automatic notification system that alerts PACS personnel when a failure has happened or is anticipated. The goal is to recover from a failure with a minimum of downtime and no data loss. Routine quality control is practiced on all aspects of PACS, from acquisition, through network routing, through display, and including archiving. Whenever possible, the system components perform self and between platform checks for active processes, file system status, errors in log files, and system uptime. When an error is detected or a exception occurs, an automatic page is sent to a pager with a diagnostic code. Documentation on each code, trouble shooting procedures, and repairs are kept on an intranet server accessible only to people involved in maintaining the PACS. In addition to the automatic paging system for error conditions, acquisition is assured by an automatic fax report sent on a daily basis to all technologists acquiring PACS images to be used as a cross check that all studies are archived prior to being removed from the acquisition systems. Daily quality control is preformed to assure that studies can be moved from each acquisition and contrast adjustment. The results of selected quality control reports will be presented. The intranet documentation server will be described with the automatic pager system. Monitor quality control reports will be described and the cost of quality control will be quantified. As PACS is accepted as a clinical tool, the same standards of quality control must be established as are expected on other equipment used in the diagnostic process.

Design and evaluation of hydraulic baffled-channel PAC contactor for taste and odor removal from drinking water supplies.

PubMed

Kim, Young-Il; Bae, Byung-Uk

2007-05-01

Based on the concept of hydraulic flocculator, a baffled-channel powdered activated carbon (PAC) contactor, placed before the rapid-mixing basin, was designed and evaluated for removal of taste and odor (T&O) in drinking water. PAC adsorption kinetic tests for raw water samples were conducted for selection of design parameters related to contact time and degree of mixing. Within the tested range of velocity gradient (G) from 18 to 83s(-1), mixing had a relatively minor effect on the adsorption kinetics of the PAC. The hydrodynamic characteristics of the pilot-scale horizontally and vertically baffled-channel PAC contactor were investigated by tracer tests. It was found that the plug flow fractions of vertically baffled-channel PAC contactor (vBPC) were higher than those of the horizontally baffled-channel PAC contactor (hBPC) for the same bend width or bend height. However, the hBPC seems to be more appropriate than the vBPC in terms of construction and maintenance. The geosmin and MIB removal rate increased with the number of baffles, PAC dose and contact time increased regardless of bend width in the pilot-scale hBPC. The pair of full-scale hBPCs at Pohang water treatment plant, having a design capacity of 6.5x10(4)m(3)/d with 20min of hydraulic retention time with a safety factor of 2, was designed based on lab- and pilot-scale experimental results. Under a velocity gradient of 20s(-1), the number of baffles to be installed was calculated to be 20 with a space of about 2m between each baffle, resulting in a hydraulic head loss through the contactor of about 0.056m. The successful application of hBPC for T&O removal from drinking water supplies should provide momentum for developing more effective treatment methods.

Effect of bead milling on chemical and physical characteristics of activated carbons pulverized to superfine sizes.

PubMed

Partlan, Erin; Davis, Kathleen; Ren, Yiran; Apul, Onur Guven; Mefford, O Thompson; Karanfil, Tanju; Ladner, David A

2016-02-01

Superfine powdered activated carbon (S-PAC) is an adsorbent material with particle size between roughly 0.1-1 μm. This is about an order of magnitude smaller than conventional powdered activated carbon (PAC), typically 10-50 μm. S-PAC has been shown to outperform PAC for adsorption of various drinking water contaminants. However, variation in S-PAC production methods and limited material characterization in prior studies lead to questions of how S-PAC characteristics deviate from that of its parent PAC. In this study, a wet mill filled with 0.3-0.5 mm yttrium-stabilized zirconium oxide grinding beads was used to produce S-PAC from seven commercially available activated carbons of various source materials, including two coal types, coconut shell, and wood. Particle sizes were varied by changing the milling time, keeping mill power, batch volume, and recirculation rate constant. As expected, mean particle size decreased with longer milling. A lignite coal-based carbon had the smallest mean particle diameter at 169 nm, while the wood-based carbon had the largest at 440 nm. The wood and coconut-shell based carbons had the highest resistance to milling. Specific surface area and pore volume distributions were generally unchanged with increased milling time. Changes in the point of zero charge (pH(PZC)) and oxygen content of the milled carbons were found to correlate with an increasing specific external surface area. However, the isoelectric point (pH(IEP)), which measures only external surfaces, was unchanged with milling and also much lower in value than pH(PZC). It is likely that the outer surface is easily oxidized while internal surfaces remain largely unchanged, which results in a lower average pH as measured by pH(PZC). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PAC1- and VPAC2 receptors in light regulated behavior and physiology: Studies in single and double mutant mice

PubMed Central

Georg, Birgitte; Fahrenkrug, Jan

2017-01-01

The two sister peptides, pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and their receptors, the PAC1 –and the VPAC2 receptors, are involved in regulation of the circadian timing system. PACAP as a neurotransmitter in the retinohypothalamic tract (RHT) and VIP as a neurotransmitter, involved in synchronization of SCN neurons. Behavior and physiology in VPAC2 deficient mice are strongly regulated by light most likely as a result of masking. Consequently, we used VPAC2 and PAC1/VPAC2 double mutant mice in comparison with PAC1 receptor deficient mice to further elucidate the role of PACAP in the light mediated regulation of behavior and physiology of the circadian system. We compared circadian rhythms in mice equipped with running wheels or implanted radio-transmitter measuring core body temperature kept in a full photoperiod ((FPP)(12:12 h light dark-cycles (LD)) and skeleton photo periods (SPP) at high and low light intensity. Furthermore, we examined the expression of PAC1- and VPAC2 receptors in the SCN of the different genotypes in combination with visualization of PACAP and VIP and determined whether compensatory changes in peptide and/or receptor expression in the reciprocal knockouts (KO) (PAC1 and VPAC2) had occurred. Our data demonstrate that in although being closely related at both ligand and receptor structure/sequence, PACAP/PAC1 receptor signaling are independent of VIP/VPAC2 receptor signaling and vice versa. Furthermore, lack of either of the receptors does not result in compensatory changes at neither the physiological or anatomical level. PACAP/PAC1 signaling is important for light regulated behavior, VIP/VPAC2signaling for stable clock function and both signaling pathways may play a role in shaping diurnality versus nocturnality. PMID:29155851

Impact of PACAP and PAC1 Receptor Deficiency on the Neurochemical and Behavioral Effects of Acute and Chronic Restraint Stress in Male C57BL/6 Mice

PubMed Central

Mustafa, Tomris; Jiang, Sunny Zhihong; Eiden, Adrian M.; Weihe, Eberhard; Thistlethwaite, Ian; Eiden, Lee E.

2016-01-01

Acute restraint stress (ARS) for 3 hours causes CORT elevation in venous blood, which is accompanied by Fos up-regulation in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of male C57BL/6 mice. CORT elevation by ARS is attenuated in PACAP-deficient mice, but unaffected in PAC1-deficient mice. Correspondingly, Fos up-regulation by ARS is greatly attenuated in PACAP-deficient mice, but much less so in PAC1-deficient animals. We noted that both PACAP- and PAC1-deficiency greatly attenuate CORT elevation after ARS when CORT measurements are performed on trunk blood following euthanasia by abrupt cervical separation: this latter observation is of critical importance in assessing the role of PACAP neurotransmission in ARS, based on previous reports in which serum CORT was sampled from trunk blood. Seven days of chronic restraint stress (CRS) induces non-habituating CORT elevation, and weight loss consequent to hypophagia, in wild-type male C57BL/6 mice. Both CORT elevation and weight loss following seven day CRS are severely blunted in PACAP-deficient mice, but only slightly in PAC1 deficient mice. However, longer periods of daily restraint (14–21 days) resulted in sustained weight loss and elevated CORT in wild-type mice, and these effects of long-term chronic stress were attenuated or abolished in both PACAP- and PAC1-deficient mice. We conclude that while a PACAP receptor in addition to PAC1 may mediate some of the PACAP-dependent central effects of acute restraint stress and short-term (<7 days) chronic restraint stress on the HPA axis, the PAC1 receptor plays a prominent role in mediating PACAP-dependent HPA axis activation, and hypophagia, during long-term (>7 days) chronic restraint stress. PMID:25853791

Influence of Drugs Carried in Lipid Nanoparticles in Coronary Disease of Rabbit Transplanted Heart.

PubMed

Barbieri, Lucas R; Lourenço-Filho, Domingos D; Tavares, Elaine R; Carvalho, Priscila O; Gutierrez, Paulo S; Maranhão, Raul C; Stolf, Noedir A G

2017-08-01

Coronary allograft vasculopathy is an inflammatory-proliferative process that compromises the long-term success of heart transplantation and currently has no effective prevention and treatment. Lipid nanoparticles, termed LDE can carry chemotherapeutic agents in the circulation and concentrates them in the heart. Twenty-eight rabbits fed a cholesterol-rich diet and submitted to heterotopic heart transplantation were treated with cyclosporine A (10 mg/kg daily) and allocated to four groups of 7 animals treated with intravenous LDE-methotrexate (MTX; 4 mg/kg weekly), with LDE-paclitaxel (PACLI; 4 mg/kg weekly), or with LDE-PACLI (4 mg/kg weekly) and LDE-MTX (4 mg/kg weekly). A control group was treated with only weekly intravenous saline solution. Animals were euthanized 6 weeks later for morphometric, histologic, immunohistochemical, and gene expression analysis of the graft and native hearts. Compared with controls, grafts of rabbits treated with LDE-PACLI showed 50% reduction of coronary stenosis, and in the LDE-MTX and LDE-MTX/PACLI stenosis was approximately 18% less than in control, but this difference was not statistically significant. In the three treatment groups, macrophage infiltration was decreased. In the LDE-MTX group, gene expression of proinflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-α, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, interleukin 18, vascular cellular adhesion molecule 1, and matrix metalloproteinase 12 was strongly diminished, whereas expression of antiinflammatory interleukin 10 increased. In the LDE-PACLI and LDE-PACLI/MTX groups, proinflammatory and antiinflammatory gene expressions were not consistently changed by the treatments. LDE-PACLI promoted strong improvement of cardiac allograft vasculopathy, but the decrease in coronary stenosis by LDE-MTX and LDE-MTX/PACLI was not significant. All three treatments decreased macrophage infiltration in the graft. These results may encourage future clinical trials to test this new therapeutic approach to coronary allograft vasculopathy. Copyright © 2017 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exposure to carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic compounds and health risk assessment for diesel-exhaust exposed workers.

PubMed

Sauvain, J-J; Vu Duc, T; Guillemin, M

2003-07-01

Workers' exposure to diesel exhaust in a bus depot, a truck repair workshop and an underground tunnel was determined by the measuring of elemental carbon (EC) and 15 carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) proposed by the US Department of Health and Human Services/National Toxicology Program (NTP). Based on these concentration data, the genotoxic PAC contribution to the diesel-exhaust particle (DEP) lung-cancer risk was calculated. Respirable particulate matter was collected during the summer and winter of 2001 (except for in the underground situation) and analysed by coulometry for EC and by GC-MS methods for PACs. The use of potency equivalence factors (PEFs) allowed the studied PAC concentrations to be expressed as benzo[a]pyrene equivalents (B[a]P(eq)). We then calculated the lung-cancer risk due to PACs and DEPs by multiplying the B[a]P(eq) and EC concentrations by the corresponding unit risk factor. The ratio of these two risks values has been considered as an estimate of the genotoxic contribution to the DEP cancer risk. For the bus depot and truck repair workshop, exposure to EC and PACs has been shown to increase by three to six times and ten times, respectively, during winter compared to summer. This increase has been attributed mainly to a decrease in ventilation during the cold. With the PEF approach, the B[a]P(eq) concentration is five-times higher than if only benzo[ a]pyrene (B[a]P) is considered. Dibenzopyrenes contribute an important part to this increase. A simple calculation based on unit risk factors indicates that the studied PAC contribution to the total lung-cancer risk attributed to DEPs is in the range of 3-13%. The 15 NTP PACs represent a small but non-negligible part of lung-cancer risk with regard to diesel exposure. From this point of view, the dibenzopyrene family are important compounds to be considered.

In Vivo Consumption of Cranberry Exerts ex Vivo Antiadhesive Activity against FimH-Dominated Uropathogenic Escherichia coli: A Combined in Vivo, ex Vivo, and in Vitro Study of an Extract from Vaccinium macrocarpon.

PubMed

Rafsanjany, Nasli; Senker, Jandirk; Brandt, Simone; Dobrindt, Ulrich; Hensel, Andreas

2015-10-14

For investigation of the molecular interaction of cranberry extract with adhesins of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), urine from four volunteers consuming standardized cranberry extract (proanthocyanidin content = 1.24%) was analyzed within ex vivo experiments, indicating time-dependent significant inhibition of 40-50% of bacterial adhesion of UPEC strain NU14 to human T24 bladder cells. Under in vitro conditions a dose-dependent increase in bacterial adhesion was observed with proanthocyanidin-enriched cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon extract (proanthocyanidin content = 21%). Confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy proved that V.m. extract led to the formation of bacterial clusters on the outer plasma membrane of the host cells without subsequent internalization. This agglomerating activity was not observed when a PAC-depleted extract (V.m. extract(≠PAC)) was used, which showed significant inhibition of bacterial adhesion in cases where type 1 fimbriae dominated and mannose-sensitive UPEC strain NU14 was used. V.m. extract(≠PAC) had no inhibitory activity against P- and F1C-fimbriae dominated strain 2980. Quantitative gene expression analysis indicated that PAC-containing as well as PAC-depleted cranberry extracts increased the fimH expression in NU14 as part of a feedback mechanism after blocking FimH. For strain 2980 the PAC-containing extract led to up-regulation of P- and F1C-fimbriae, whereas the PAC-depleted extract had no influence on gene expression. V.m. and V.m. extract(≠PAC) did not influence biofilm and curli formation in UPEC strains NU14 and 2980. These data lead to the conclusion that also proanthocyanidin-free cranberry extracts exert antiadhesive activity by interaction with mannose-sensitive type 1 fimbriae of UPEC.

Phytochemicals in fruits of Hawaiian wild cranberry relatives.

PubMed

Hummer, Kim; Durst, Robert; Zee, Francis; Atnip, Allison; Giusti, M Monica

2014-06-01

Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) contain high levels of phytochemicals such as proanthocyanidins (PACs). These polymeric condensations of flavan-3-ol monomers are associated with health benefits. Our objective was to evaluate phytochemicals in fruit from Hawaiian cranberry relatives, V. reticulatum Sm. and V. calycinum Sm. Normal-phase HPLC coupled with fluorescence and ESI-MS detected PACs; the colorimetric 4-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde (DMAC) assay was used to determine total PACs. Spectrophotometric tests and reverse-phase HPLC coupled to photodiode array and refractive index detectors evaluated phenolics, sugars, and organic acids. Antioxidant capacity was determined by the ORAC and FRAP assays. Antioxidant capacities of Hawaiian berries were high. The FRAP measurement for V. calycinum was 454.7 ± 90.2 µmol L(-1) Trolox equivalents kg(-1) for pressed fruit. Hawaiian berries had lower peonidin, quinic and citric acids amounts and invert (∼1) glucose/fructose ratio compared with cranberry. Both Hawaiian Vaccinium species were good sources of PACs; they contained phenolics and PAC monomers, A and B-type trimers, tetramers and larger polymers. Vaccinium reticulatum and V. calycinum showed comparable or higher PAC levels than in cranberry. Cranberries had higher percentage of A-type dimers than did V. reticulatum. A and B-type dimers were not differentiated in V. calycinum. The total PACs (as measured by DMAC) for V. calycinum (24.3 ± 0.10 mg catechin equivalents kg(-1) ) were about twice that in cranberry. Berries of V. reticulatum and V. calycinum could serve as a rich dietary source of PACs, comparable to or greater than cranberries. These finding suggest that Hawaiian Vaccinium berries could be a functional food. Additional examination of the phytochemicals in other wild Vaccinium species is warranted. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) and its receptor 1 (PAC1) in the human infant brain and changes in the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

PubMed

Huang, J; Waters, K A; Machaalani, R

2017-07-01

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) and its complementary receptor, PAC1, are crucial in central respiratory control. PACAP Knockout (KO) mice exhibit a SIDS-like phenotype, with an inability to overcome noxious insults, compression of baseline ventilation, and death in the early post-neonatal period. PAC1 KO demonstrate similar attributes to PACAP-null mice, but with the addition of increased pulmonary artery pressure, consequently leading to heart failure and death. This study establishes a detailed interpretation of the neuroanatomical distribution and localization of both PACAP and PAC1 in the human infant brainstem and hippocampus, to determine whether any changes in expression are evident in infants who died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and any relationships to risk factors of SIDS including smoke exposure and sleep related parameters. Immunohistochemistry for PACAP and PAC1 was performed on formalin fixed and paraffin embedded human infant brain tissue of SIDS (n=32) and non-SIDS (n=12). The highest expression of PACAP was found in the hypoglossal (XII) of the brainstem medulla and lowest expression in the subiculum of the hippocampus. Highest expression of PAC1 was also found in XII of the medulla and lowest in the midbrain dorsal raphe (MBDR) and inferior colliculus. SIDS compared to non-SIDS had higher PACAP in the MBDR (p<0.05) and lower PAC1 in the medulla arcuate nucleus (p<0.001). Correlations were found between PACAP and PAC1 with the risk factors of smoke exposure, bed sharing, upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) and seasonal temperatures. The findings of this study show for the first time that some abnormalities of the PACAP system are evident in the SIDS brain and could contribute to the mechanisms of infants succumbing to SIDS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

TBCRC 019: A Phase II Trial of Nanoparticle Albumin-Bound Paclitaxel with or without the Anti-Death Receptor 5 Monoclonal Antibody Tigatuzumab in Patients with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

PubMed

Forero-Torres, Andres; Varley, Katherine E; Abramson, Vandana G; Li, Yufeng; Vaklavas, Christos; Lin, Nancy U; Liu, Minetta C; Rugo, Hope S; Nanda, Rita; Storniolo, Anna M; Traina, Tiffany A; Patil, Sujata; Van Poznak, Catherine H; Nangia, Julie R; Irvin, William J; Krontiras, Helen; De Los Santos, Jennifer F; Haluska, Paul; Grizzle, William; Myers, Richard M; Wolff, Antonio C

2015-06-15

Tigatuzumab (TIG), an agonistic anti-DR5 antibody, triggers apoptosis in DR5(+) human tumor cells without crosslinking. TIG has strong in vitro/in vivo activity against basal-like breast cancer cells enhanced by chemotherapy agents. This study evaluates activity of TIG and chemotherapy in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Randomized 2:1 phase II trial of albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-PAC) ± TIG in patients with TNBC stratified by prior chemotherapy. Patients received nab-PAC weekly × 3 ± TIG every other week, every 28 days. Primary objective was within-arm objective response rate (ORR). Secondary objectives were safety, progression-free survival (PFS), clinical benefit, and TIG immunogenicity. Metastatic research biopsies were required. Among 64 patients (60 treated; TIG/nab-PAC n = 39 and nab-PAC n = 21), there were 3 complete remissions (CR), 8 partial remissions (PR; 1 almost CR), 11 stable diseases (SD), and 17 progressive diseases (PD) in the TIG/nab-PAC arm (ORR, 28%), and no CRs, 8 PRs, 4 SDs, and 9 PDs in the nab-PAC arm (ORR, 38%). There was a numerical increase in CRs and several patients had prolonged PFS (1,025+, 781, 672, 460, 334) in the TIG/nab-PAC arm. Grade 3 toxicities were 28% and 29%, respectively, with no grade 4-5. Exploratory analysis suggests an association of ROCK1 gene pathway activation with efficacy in the TIG/nab-PAC arm. ORR and PFS were similar in both. Preclinical activity of TIG in basal-like breast cancer and prolonged PFS in few patients in the combination arm support further investigation of anti-DR5 agents. ROCK pathway activation merits further evaluation. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

Molecular evidence of Zn chelation of the procaspase activating compound B-PAC-1 in B cell lymphoma.

PubMed

Sarkar, Aloke; Balakrishnan, Kumudha; Chen, Jefferson; Patel, Viralkumar; Neelapu, Sattva S; McMurray, John S; Gandhi, Varsha

2016-01-19

The resistance of apoptosis in cancer cells is pivotal for their survival and is typically ruled by mutations or dysregulation of core apoptotic cascade. Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a non-Hodgkin's B-cell malignancy expressing higher anti-apoptotic proteins providing survival advantage. B-PAC-1, a procaspase activating compound, induces apoptosis by sequestering Zn bound to procaspase-3, but the amino acids holding Zn in Caspase-3 is not known. Here we show that reintroduction of WT caspase-3 or 7 in Caspase3-7 double knock-out (DKO) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) promoted B-PAC-1 to induce apoptosis (27-43%), but not in DKO MEFs or MEFs expressing respective Casp3-7 catalytic mutants (12-13%). Using caspase-6 and -9 exosite analysis, we identified and mutated predicted Zn-ligands in caspase-3 (H108A, C148S and E272A) and overexpressed into DKO MEFs. Mutants carrying E272A abrogated Zn-reversal of apoptosis induced by B-PAC-1 via higher XIAP and smac expressions but not in H108A or C148S mutants. Co-immunoprecipitation analysis revealed stronger XIAP-caspase-3 interaction suggesting a novel mechanism of impulsive apoptosis resistance by disrupting predicted Zn-ligands in caspase-3. B-PAC-1 sponsored apoptosis in MCL cell lines (30-73%) via caspase-3 and PARP cleavages accompanied by loss of Mcl-1 and IAPs including XIAP while Zn substantially abrogated B-PAC-1-driven apoptosis (18-36%). In contrary, Zn is dispensable to inhibit staurosporin, bendamustine, ABT199 or MK206-induced apoptosis. Consistent to cell lines, B-PAC-1 stimulated cell death in primary B-lymphoma cells via caspase-3 cleavage with decline in both Mcl-1 and XIAP. This study underscores the first genetic evidence that B-PAC-1 driven apoptosis is mediated via Zn chelation.