Diffraction effects in mechanically chopped laser pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gambhir, Samridhi; Singh, Mandip

2018-06-01

A mechanical beam chopper consists of a rotating disc of regularly spaced wide slits which allow light to pass through them. A continuous light beam, after passing through the rotating disc, is switched-on and switched-off periodically, and a series of optical pulses are produced. The intensity of each pulse is expected to rise and fall smoothly with time. However, a careful study has revealed that the edges of mechanically chopped laser light pulses consist of periodic intensity undulations which can be detected with a photo detector. In this paper, it is shown that the intensity undulations in mechanically chopped laser pulses are produced by diffraction of light from the rotating disc, and a detailed explanation is given of the intensity undulations in mechanically chopped laser pulses. An experiment presented in this paper provides an efficient method to capture a one dimensional diffraction profile of light from a straight sharp-edge in the time domain. In addition, the experiment accurately measures wavelengths of three different laser beams from the undulations in mechanically chopped laser light pulses.

Brainstem auditory evoked responses in man. 1: Effect of stimulus rise-fall time and duration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hecox, K.; Squires, N.; Galambos, R.

1975-01-01

Short latency (under 10 msec) responses elicited by bursts of white noise were recorded from the scalps of human subjects. Response alterations produced by changes in the noise burst duration (on-time), inter-burst interval (off-time), and onset and offset shapes were analyzed. The latency of the most prominent response component, wave V, was markedly delayed with increases in stimulus rise time but was unaffected by changes in fall time. Increases in stimulus duration, and therefore in loudness, resulted in a systematic increase in latency. This was probably due to response recovery processes, since the effect was eliminated with increases in stimulus off-time. The amplitude of wave V was insensitive to changes in signal rise and fall times, while increasing signal on-time produced smaller amplitude responses only for sufficiently short off-times. It was concluded that wave V of the human auditory brainstem evoked response is solely an onset response.

In situ diagnosis of pulsed UV laser surface ablation of tungsten carbide hardmetal by using laser-induced optical emission spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Tiejun; Lou, Qihong; Wei, Yunrong; Huang, Feng; Dong, Jingxing; Liu, Jingru

2001-12-01

Surface ablation of cobalt cemented tungsten carbide hardmetal with pulsed UV laser has been in situ diagnosed by using the technique of laser-induced optical emission spectroscopy. The dependence of emission intensity of cobalt lines on number of laser shots was investigated at laser fluence of 2.5 J/cm 2. As a comparison, the reliance of emission intensity of cobalt lines as a function of laser pulse number by using pure cobalt as ablation sample was also studied at the same laser condition. It was found that for surface ablation of tungsten carbide hardmetal at laser fluence of 2.5 J/cm 2, the intensities of cobalt lines fell off dramatically in the first 300 consecutive laser shots and then slowed down to a low stable level with even more shots. For surface ablation of pure cobalt at the same laser condition, the intensities of cobalt lines remained constant more or less even after 500 laser shots and then reduced very slowly with even more shots. It was concluded that selective evaporation of cobalt at this laser fluence should be responsible for the dramatic fall-off of cobalt lines with laser shots accumulation for surface ablation of tungsten carbide hardmetal. In contrast, for surface ablation of pure cobalt, the slow reduction of cobalt lines with pulse number accumulation should be due to the formation of laser-induced crater effect.

Impact of E × B flow shear on turbulence and resulting power fall-off width in H-mode plasmas in experimental advanced superconducting tokamak

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

Yang, Q. Q., E-mail: yangqq@ipp.ac.cn; Zhong, F. C., E-mail: gsxu@ipp.ac.cn, E-mail: fczhong@dhu.edu.cn; Jia, M. N.

2015-06-15

The power fall-off width in the H-mode scrape-off layer (SOL) in tokamaks shows a strong inverse dependence on the plasma current, which was noticed by both previous multi-machine scaling work [T. Eich et al., Nucl. Fusion 53, 093031 (2013)] and more recent work [L. Wang et al., Nucl. Fusion 54, 114002 (2014)] on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak. To understand the underlying physics, probe measurements of three H-mode discharges with different plasma currents have been studied in this work. The results suggest that a higher plasma current is accompanied by a stronger E×B shear and a shorter radial correlation lengthmore » of turbulence in the SOL, thus resulting in a narrower power fall-off width. A simple model has also been applied to demonstrate the suppression effect of E×B shear on turbulence in the SOL and shows relatively good agreement with the experimental observations.« less

SU-F-T-590: Modeling PTV Dose Fall-Off for Cervical Cancer SBRT Treatment Planning Using VMAT and Step-And-Shoot IMRT

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

Delgado, A Brito; Cohen, D; Eng, T

Purpose: Due to the high dose per fraction in SBRT, dose conformity and dose fall-off are critical. In patients with cervical cancer, rapid dose fall-off is particularly important to limit dose to the nearby rectum, small bowel, and bladder. This study compares the target volume dose fall-off for two radiation delivery techniques, fixed-field IMRT & VMAT, using non-coplanar beam geometries. Further comparisons are made between 6 and 10MV photon beam energies. Methods: Eleven (n=11) patients were planned in Pinnacle3 v9.10 with a NovalisTx (HD120 MLC) machine model using 6 and 10 MV photons. The following three techniques were used: (1)more » IMRT (10 non-coplanar beams) (2) Dual, coplanar 360° VMAT arcs (4° spacing), and (3) Triple, non-coplanar VMAT arcs (1 full arc and dual partial arcs). All plans were normalized such that 98% of the PTV received at least 28Gy/4Fx. Dose was calculated using a 2.0mm isotropic dose grid. To assess dose fall-off, twenty concentric 2mm thick rings were created around the PTV. The maximum dose in each ring was recorded and the data was fitted to model dose fall-off. A separate analysis was performed by separating target volumes into small (0–50cc), medium (51–80cc), and large (81–110cc). Results: Triple, non-coplanar VMAT arcs showed the best dose fall-off for all patients evaluated. All fitted regressions had an R{sup 2}≥0.99. At 10mm from the PTV edge, 10 MV VMAT3-arc had an absolute improvement in dose fall-off of 3.8% and 6.9% over IMRT and VMAT2-arc, respectively. At 30mm, 10 MV VMAT3-arc had an absolute improvement of 12.0% and 7.0% over IMRT and VMAT2-arc, respectively. Faster dose fall-off was observed for small volumes as opposed to medium and large ones—9.6% at 20mm. Conclusion: Triple, non-coplanar VMAT arcs offer the sharpest dose fall-off for cervical SBRT plans. This improvement is most pronounced when treating smaller target volumes.« less

Evaluation of an inpatient fall risk screening tool to identify the most critical fall risk factors in inpatients.

PubMed

Hou, Wen-Hsuan; Kang, Chun-Mei; Ho, Mu-Hsing; Kuo, Jessie Ming-Chuan; Chen, Hsiao-Lien; Chang, Wen-Yin

2017-03-01

To evaluate the accuracy of the inpatient fall risk screening tool and to identify the most critical fall risk factors in inpatients. Variations exist in several screening tools applied in acute care hospitals for examining risk factors for falls and identifying high-risk inpatients. Secondary data analysis. A subset of inpatient data for the period from June 2011-June 2014 was extracted from the nursing information system and adverse event reporting system of an 818-bed teaching medical centre in Taipei. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and logistic regression analysis. During the study period, 205 fallers and 37,232 nonfallers were identified. The results revealed that the inpatient fall risk screening tool (cut-off point of ≥3) had a low sensitivity level (60%), satisfactory specificity (87%), a positive predictive value of 2·0% and a negative predictive value of 99%. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed an area under the curve of 0·805 (sensitivity, 71·8%; specificity, 78%). To increase the sensitivity values, the Youden index suggests at least 1·5 points to be the most suitable cut-off point for the inpatient fall risk screening tool. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a considerably increased fall risk in patients with impaired balance and impaired elimination. The fall risk factor was also significantly associated with days of hospital stay and with admission to surgical wards. The findings can raise awareness about the two most critical risk factors for falls among future clinical nurses and other healthcare professionals and thus facilitate the development of fall prevention interventions. This study highlights the needs for redefining the cut-off points of the inpatient fall risk screening tool to effectively identify inpatients at a high risk of falls. Furthermore, inpatients with impaired balance and impaired elimination should be closely monitored by nurses to prevent falling during hospitalisations. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Predicting Falls and When to Intervene in Older People: A Multilevel Logistical Regression Model and Cost Analysis

PubMed Central

Smith, Matthew I.; de Lusignan, Simon; Mullett, David; Correa, Ana; Tickner, Jermaine; Jones, Simon

2016-01-01

Introduction Falls are the leading cause of injury in older people. Reducing falls could reduce financial pressures on health services. We carried out this research to develop a falls risk model, using routine primary care and hospital data to identify those at risk of falls, and apply a cost analysis to enable commissioners of health services to identify those in whom savings can be made through referral to a falls prevention service. Methods Multilevel logistical regression was performed on routinely collected general practice and hospital data from 74751 over 65’s, to produce a risk model for falls. Validation measures were carried out. A cost-analysis was performed to identify at which level of risk it would be cost-effective to refer patients to a falls prevention service. 95% confidence intervals were calculated using a Monte Carlo Model (MCM), allowing us to adjust for uncertainty in the estimates of these variables. Results A risk model for falls was produced with an area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.87. The risk cut-off with the highest combination of sensitivity and specificity was at p = 0.07 (sensitivity of 81% and specificity of 78%). The risk cut-off at which savings outweigh costs was p = 0.27 and the risk cut-off with the maximum savings was p = 0.53, which would result in referral of 1.8% and 0.45% of the over 65’s population respectively. Above a risk cut-off of p = 0.27, costs do not exceed savings. Conclusions This model is the best performing falls predictive tool developed to date; it has been developed on a large UK city population; can be readily run from routine data; and can be implemented in a way that optimises the use of health service resources. Commissioners of health services should use this model to flag and refer patients at risk to their falls service and save resources. PMID:27448280

Evidence-based exercise prescription for balance and falls prevention: a current review of the literature.

PubMed

Shubert, Tiffany E

2011-01-01

Falls are the leading cause of emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and unintentional death for older adults. Balance and strength impairments are common falls risk factors for community-dwelling older adults. Though physical therapists commonly treat balance and strength, standardized falls screening has not been fully incorporated into physical therapy practice and there is much variation in the frequency, intensity, and duration of therapy prescribed to achieve optimal results. For community-dwelling older adults, a progressive exercise program that focuses on moderate to high-intensity balance exercises appears to be one of the most effective interventions to prevent falls. For more frail older adults in institutional settings, exercise programs in addition to multifactorial interventions appear to show promise as effective falls prevention interventions. The minimum dose of exercise to protect an older adult against falls is 50 hours. This article describes the current best practices for physical therapists to effectively improve balance and manage falls risk in patients. The unique challenges and opportunities for physical therapists to incorporate evidence-based fall-prevention strategies are discussed. Innovative practice models incorporating evidence-based fall-prevention programs and partnerships with public health and aging service providers to create a continuum of care and achieve the optimal dose of balance training are presented.

An 8-Week Low-Intensity Progressive Cycling Training Improves Motor Functions in Patients with Early-Stage Parkinson's Disease.

PubMed

Chang, Hsiu Chen; Lu, Chin Song; Chiou, Wei Da; Chen, Chiung Chu; Weng, Yi Hsin; Chang, Ya Ju

2018-04-01

The effects of high-intensity cycling as an adjuvant therapy for early-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) were highlighted recently. However, patients experience difficulties in maintaining these cycling training programs. The present study investigated the efficacy of cycling at a mild-to-moderate intensity in early-stage PD. Thirteen PD patients were enrolled for 16 serial cycling sessions over a 2-month period. Motor function was assessed using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III (UPDRS III) and Timed Up and Go (TUG) test as primary outcomes. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), modified Hoehn and Yahr Stage (mHYS), total UPDRS, Falls Efficacy Scale, New Freezing of Gait Questionnaire, Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living, 39-item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire, Patient Global Impression of Change, and gait performance were assessed as secondary outcomes. The age and the age at onset were 59.67±7.24 and 53.23±10.26 years (mean±SD), respectively. The cycling cadence was 53.27±8.92 revolutions per minute. The UPDRS III score improved significantly after 8 training sessions (p=0.011) and 16 training sessions (T2) (p=0.001) in the off-state, and at T2 (p=0.004) in the on-state compared to pretraining (T0). The TUG duration was significantly shorter at T2 than at T0 (p<0.05). The findings of MoCA, total UPDRS, double limb support time, and mHYS (in both the off- and on-states) also improved significantly at T2. Our pioneer study has demonstrated that a low-intensity progressive cycling exercise can improve motor function in PD, especially akinesia. The beneficial effects were similar to those of high-intensity rehabilitation programs. Copyright © 2018 Korean Neurological Association.

Color Profile Trends of Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrmann, Kimberly A.; LITTLE THINGS Team

2012-01-01

Radial stellar surface brightness profiles of spiral galaxies can be classified into three types: (I) single exponential, (II) truncated: the light falls off with one exponential out to a break radius and then falls off more steeply, and (III) anti-truncated: the light falls off with one exponential out to a break radius and then falls off less steeply. Stellar surface brightness profile breaks are also found in dwarf disk galaxies, but with an additional category: (FI) flat-inside: the light is roughly constant or increasing and then falls off beyond a break. Additionally, Bakos, Trujillo, & Pohlen (2008) showed that for spirals, each profile type has a characteristic color trend with respect to the break location. Furthermore, color trends reveal information about possible stellar population changes at the breaks. Here we show color trends for the four profile types from a large multi-wavelength photometric study of dwarf disk galaxies (the 141 dwarf parent sample of the LITTLE THINGS galaxies). We explore the similarities and differences between spirals and dwarfs and also between different colors. We gratefully acknowledge funding for this research from the National Science Foundation (AST-0707563).

Effectiveness of a Play Therapy Intervention on Children's Externalizing and Off-Task Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meany-Walen, Kristin K.; Teeling, Sunny; Davis, Aubrey; Artley, George; Vignovich, Andrea

2017-01-01

Children's externalizing and off-task behaviors are deemed a major concern for elementary teachers and interfere with the classroom learning environment (Abidin & Robinson, 2002; Shillingford-Butler & Theodore, 2013). Children with these behaviors are at risk of falling behind academically and experiencing ongoing behavioral problems…

The Little Schmidy Pediatric Hospital Fall Risk Assessment Index: A diagnostic accuracy study.

PubMed

Franck, Linda S; Gay, Caryl L; Cooper, Bruce; Ezrre, Suzanne; Murphy, Barbette; Chan, June Shu-Ling; Buick, Maureen; Meer, Carrie R

2017-03-01

Falls are among the most common potentially preventable adverse events. Current pediatric falls risk assessment methods have poor precision and accuracy. To evaluate an inpatient pediatric fall risk assessment index, known as the Little Schmidy, and describe characteristics of pediatric falls. Retrospective case control and descriptive study. The dataset included 114 reported falls and 151,678 Little Schmidy scores documented in medical records during the 5-year study period (2007-2011). Pediatric medical and surgical inpatient units of an academic medical center in the western United States. Pediatric hospital inpatients <25 years of age. Nurses used the 5-item, 7-point Little Schmidy to assess fall risk each day and night shift throughout the patient's hospitalization. Conditional fixed-effects logistic regressions were used to examine predictive relationships between Little Schmidy scores (at admission, highest prior to fall, and just prior to fall) and the patient's fall status (fell or not). The sensitivity and specificity of different cut-off scores were explored. Associations between Little Schmidy scores and patient and hospitalization factors were examined using multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression and multilevel mixed-effects ordinal logistic regression. Little Schmidy scores were significantly associated with pediatric falls (p<0.005). Maximal performance was achieved with a 4-item, 4-point, Little Schmidy index (LS4) using a cut-off score of 1 to indicate fall risk with sensitivity of 79% and specificity of 49%. Patients with an LS4 score ≥1 were 4 times more likely to fall before the next assessment than patients with a score of 0. LS4 scores indicative of fall risk were associated with age ≥5 years, neurological diagnosis, multiple hospitalizations, and night shift, but not with sex, length of hospital stay, or hospital unit. Of the 114 reported falls, 64% involved a male patient, nearly one third (32%) involved adolescents (13-17 years), most resulted in no (59%) or mild (36%) injury, and most (54%) were related to diagnosis or clinical characteristics. For 60% of the falls, fall precautions had been implemented prior to the fall. The revised 4-item Little Schmidy, the LS4, predicts pediatric falls when administered every day and night shift, but identifies most patients (65%) as being at risk for fall. Strategies for improving the accuracy and efficiency of the assessments are proposed. Further research is needed to develop more effective pediatric fall prevention strategies tailored to patient's age, diagnosis, and time of day. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brainstem auditory evoked responses in man. 1: Effect of stimulus rise-fall time and duration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hecox, K.; Squires, N.; Galambos, R.

1975-01-01

Short latency (under 10 msec) evoked responses elicited by bursts of white noise were recorded from the scalp of human subjects. Response alterations produced by changes in the noise burst duration (on-time) inter-burst interval (off-time), and onset and offset shapes are reported and evaluated. The latency of the most prominent response component, wave V, was markedly delayed with increases in stimulus rise-time but was unaffected by changes in fall-time. The amplitude of wave V was insensitive to changes in signal rise-and-fall times, while increasing signal on-time produced smaller amplitude responses only for sufficiently short off-times. It is concluded that wave V of the human auditory brainstem evoked response is solely an onset response.

Off-Hour Admission and Outcomes in Patients with Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage in the INTERACT2 Trial.

PubMed

Sato, Shoichiro; Arima, Hisatomi; Heeley, Emma; Hirakawa, Yoichiro; Delcourt, Candice; Lindley, Richard I; Robinson, Thompson; Huang, Yining; Morgenstern, Lewis; Stapf, Christian; Wang, Jiguang; Chalmers, John; Anderson, Craig S

2015-01-01

Conflicting data exist of an association between off-hour (weekend, holiday, or night-time) hospital admission and adverse outcome in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We determined the association between off-hour admissions and poor clinical outcome, and of any differential effect of early intensive blood pressure (BP) lowering treatment between off- and on-hour admissions, among participants of the Intensive BP Reduction in Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage Trial (INTERACT2). Subsidiary analysis of INTERACT2, a multinational, multicenter, clinical trial of patients with spontaneous ICH with elevated systolic BP, randomly assigned to intensive (target systolic BP <140 mm Hg) or guideline-based (<180 mm Hg) BP management. Primary outcome was death or major disability (modified Rankin scale of 3-6) at 90 days. Off-hour admission was defined as night-time (4:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m.) on weekdays, weekends (Saturday and Sunday), and public holidays in each participating country. Of 2,794 patients with information on the primary outcome, 1,770 (63%) were admitted to study centers during off-hours. Off-hour admission was not associated with risk of poor outcome at 90 days (53% off-hour vs. 55% on-hour; p = 0.49), even after adjustment for comorbid risk factors (odds ratio 0.92; 95% CI 0.76-1.12). Consistency exists in the effects of intensive BP lowering between off- and on-hour admission (p = 0.85 for homogeneity). Off-hour admission was not associated with increased risks of death or major disability among trial protocol participants with acute ICH. Intensive BP lowering can provide similar treatment effect irrespective of admission hours. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The population approach to falls injury prevention in older people: findings of a two community trial

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background There is a sound rationale for the population-based approach to falls injury prevention but there is currently insufficient evidence to advise governments and communities on how they can use population-based strategies to achieve desired reductions in the burden of falls-related injury. The aim of the study was to quantify the effectiveness of a streamlined (and thus potentially sustainable and cost-effective), population-based, multi-factorial falls injury prevention program for people over 60 years of age. Methods Population-based falls-prevention interventions were conducted at two geographically-defined and separate Australian sites: Wide Bay, Queensland, and Northern Rivers, NSW. Changes in the prevalence of key risk factors and changes in rates of injury outcomes within each community were compared before and after program implementation and changes in rates of injury outcomes in each community were also compared with the rates in their respective States. Results The interventions in neither community substantially decreased the rate of falls-related injury among people aged 60 years or older, although there was some evidence of reductions in occurrence of multiple falls reported by women. In addition, there was some indication of improvements in fall-related risk factors, but the magnitudes were generally modest. Conclusions The evidence suggests that low intensity population-based falls prevention programs may not be as effective as those that are intensively implemented. PMID:20167124

Radial Color and Mass Profile Trends of Dwarf Irregular Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrmann, Kimberly A.; Hunter, D. A.; THINGS, LITTLE

2014-01-01

Radial stellar surface brightness (SB) profiles of spiral galaxies can be classified into three types: (I) single exponential, (II) truncated: the light falls off with one exponential out to a break radius and then falls off more steeply, and (III) anti-truncated: the light falls off with one exponential out to a break radius and then falls off less steeply. Stellar SB profile breaks are also found in dwarf disk galaxies, but with an additional sub-category of Type II profiles: (FI) flat-inside: the light is roughly constant or increasing and then falls off beyond a break. Additionally, Bakos, Trujillo, & Pohlen (2008) showed that for spirals, each profile type has a characteristic color trend with respect to the break location which can be combined with color mass-to-light ratio relationships to examine radial mass profiles as well. Here we show radial color and mass profile trends for the three main SB types from a large multi-wavelength photometric study of dwarf irregular galaxies (the 141 dwarf parent sample of the LITTLE THINGS galaxies). We explore the similarities and differences between spirals and dwarfs and also between different colors.

SU-F-T-648: Sharpening Dose Fall-Off Via Beam Number Enhancements For Stereotactic Brain Radiosurgery

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

Chiu, J; Braunstein, S; McDermott, M

Purpose: Sharp dose fall-off is the hallmark of brain radiosurgery to deliver a high dose of radiation to the target while minimizing dose to normal brain tissue. In this study, we developed a technique for the purpose of enhancing the peripheral dose gradient by magnifying the total number of beams focused toward each isocenter via patient head tilt and simultaneous beam intensity modulations. Methods: Computer scripting for the proposed beam number enhancement (BNE) technique was developed. The technique was tested and then implemented on a clinical treatment planning system for a dedicated brain radiosurgical system (GK Perfexion, Elekta Oncology). Tomore » study technical feasibility and dosimetric advantages of the technique, we compared treatment planning quality and delivery efficiency for 20 radiosurgical cases previously treated at our institution. These cases included relatively complex treatments such as acoustic schwannoma, meningioma, brain metastasis and mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Results: The BNE treatment plans were found to produce nearly identical target volume coverage (absolute value < 0.5%, P > 0.2) and dose conformity (BNE CI= 1.41±0.15 versus 1.41±0.20, P>0.9) as the original treatment plans. The total beam-on time for theBNE treatment plans were comparable (within 1.0 min or 1.8%) with those of the original treatment plans for all the cases. However, BNE treatment plans significantly improved the mean gradient index (BNE GI = 2.9±0.3 versus original GI =3.0±0.3 p<0.0001) and low-level isodose volumes, e.g. 20-50% prescribed isodose volumes, by 2.0% to 5.0% (p<0.02). Furthermore, with 4 to 5-fold increase in the total number of beams, the GI decreased by as much as 20% or 0.5 in absolute values. Conclusion: BNE via head tilt and simultaneous beam intensity modulation is an effective and efficient technique that physically sharpens the peripheral dose gradient for brain radiosurgery.« less

Hospitalizations for fall-related injuries among active-duty Army soldiers, 1980–1998

PubMed Central

Senier, Laura; Bell, Nicole S.; Yore, Michelle M.; Amoroso, Paul J.

2007-01-01

Data from the Total Army Injury and Health Outcomes Database (TAIHOD) were used to describe 28,352 fall-related hospitalizations among active-duty Army soldiers between 1980 and 1998. Soldiers who were younger than age 26, single, and had a high school education or less were at greatest risk. Falls from a height were more likely to be fatal than other types of falls, accounting for 88% of all fatalities. In cases where duty status was known, 64% of the falls took place while the soldier was on duty and half of these occurred during training. The most common type of fall during training was fall from a height (37%). Falls on stairs and ladders accounted for 49% of all off-duty falls. Future research should include identification of specific behavioral and occupational risk factors for falls, particularly those occurring during training activities, and falls occurring off duty. PMID:12441580

Global loudness of rising- and falling-intensity tones: How temporal profile characteristics shape overall judgments.

PubMed

Ponsot, Emmanuel; Susini, Patrick; Meunier, Sabine

2017-07-01

The mechanisms underlying global loudness judgments of rising- or falling-intensity tones were further investigated in two magnitude estimation experiments. By manipulating the temporal characteristics of such stimuli, it was examined whether judgments could be accounted for by an integration of their loudest portion over a certain temporal window associated to a "decay mechanism" downsizing this integration over time for falling ramps. In experiment 1, 1-kHz intensity-ramps were stretched in time between 1 and 16 s keeping their dynamics (difference between maximum and minimum levels) unchanged. While global loudness of rising tones increased up to 6 s, evaluations of falling tones increased at a weaker rate and slightly decayed between 6 and 16 s, resulting in significant differences between the two patterns. In experiment 2, ramps were stretched in time between 2 and 12 s keeping their slopes (rate of change in dB/s) unchanged. In this context, the main effect of duration became non-significant and the interaction between the two profiles remained, although the decay of falling tones was not significant. These results qualitatively support the view that the global loudness computation of intensity-ramps involves an integration of their loudest portions; the presence of a decay mechanism could, however, not be attested.

The effectiveness of wrist guards for reducing wrist and elbow accelerations resulting from simulated forward falls.

PubMed

Burkhart, Timothy A; Andrews, David M

2010-08-01

The effectiveness of wrist guards and modifying elbow posture for reducing impact-induced accelerations at the wrist and elbow, for the purpose of decreasing upper extremity injury risk during forward fall arrest, has not yet been documented in living people. A seated human pendulum was used to simulate the impact conditions consistent with landing on outstretched arms during a forward fall. Accelerometers measured the wrist and elbow response characteristics of 28 subjects following impacts with and without a wrist guard, and with elbows straight or slightly bent. Overall, the wrist guard was very effective, with significant reductions in peak accelerations at the elbow in the axial and off-axis directions, and in the off-axis direction at the wrist by almost 50%. The effect of elbow posture as an intervention strategy was mixed; a change in magnitude and direction of the acceleration response was documented at the elbow, while there was little effect at the wrist. Unique evidence was presented in support of wrist guard use in activities like in-line skating where impacts to the hands are common. The elbow response clearly shows that more proximal anatomical structures also need to be monitored when assessing the effectiveness of injury prevention strategies.

Spatiotemporal change of intraseasonal oscillation intensity over the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean associated with El Niño and La Niña events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Renguang; Song, Lei

2018-02-01

The present study analyzes the intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) intensity change over the tropical Indo-Pacific associated with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and compares the intensity change between El Niño and La Niña years and between the 10-20-day and 30-60-day ISOs. The ISO intensity change tends to be opposite between El Niño and La Niña years in the developing and mature phases. The intensity change features a contrast between the tropical southeastern Indian Ocean and the tropical western North Pacific (WNP) in the developing phases and between the Maritime Continent and the tropical central Pacific in the mature phase. In the decaying phases, the intensity change shows notable differences between El Niño and La Niña events and between fast and slow decaying El Niño events. Large intensity change is observed over the tropical WNP in the developing summer, over the tropical southeastern Indian Ocean in the developing fall, and over the tropical WNP in the fast decaying El Niño summer due to a combined effect of vertical shear, vertical motion, and lower-level moisture. In the ENSO developing summer and in the El Niño decaying summer, the 10-20-day ISO intensity change displays a northwest-southeast tilted distribution over the tropical WNP, whereas the large 30-60-day ISO intensity change is confined to the off-equatorial WNP. In the La Niña decaying summer, the 30-60-day ISO intensity change features a large zonal contrast across the Philippines, whereas the 10-20-day ISO intensity anomaly is characterized by a north-south contrast over the tropical WNP.

Cetacean high-use habitats of the northeast United States continental shelf

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

Kenney, R.D.; Winn, H.E.

1986-04-01

Results of the Cetacean and Turtle Assessment Program previously demonstrated at a qualitative level that specific areas of the continental shelf waters off the northeastern US coast consistently showed high-density utilization by several cetacean species. They have quantified, on a multispecies basis and with adjustment for level of survey effort, the intensity of habitat use by whales and dolphins, and defined areas of especially high-intensity utilization. The results demonstrate that the area off the northeast US, which is used most intensively as cetacean habitat, is the western margin of the Gulf of Maine, from the Great South Channel to Stellwagenmore » Bank and Jeffreys Ledge. Secondary high-use areas include the continental shelf edge and the region around the eastern end of Georges Bank. High-use areas for piseivorous cetaceans are concentrated mainly in the western Gulf of Maine and secondarily at mid-shelf east of the Chesapeake region, for planktivores in the western Gulf of Maine and the southwestern and eastern portions of Georges Bank, and for teuthivores in the western Gulf of Maine and the southwestern and eastern portions of Georges Bank, and for teuthivores along the edge of the shelf. In general, habitat use by cetaceans is highest in spring and summer, and lowest in fall and winter.« less

Short Berg Balance Scale, BBS-9, as a predictor of fall risk among the aged: a prospective 12-month follow-up study.

PubMed

Hohtari-Kivimäki, Ulla; Salminen, Marika; Vahlberg, Tero; Kivelä, Sirkka-Liisa

2013-12-01

The aim of this study was to assess the adequacy of the short, 9-item Berg Balance Scale (BBS-9) to predict fall risk among the community-dwelling aged. The subjects (n = 519) were derived from the participants in a multifactorial fall prevention intervention conducted in Pori, Finland. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine the cut-off score for BBS-9 (range 0-36) to classify aged people with a fall risk during a 12-month follow-up. Logistic regression was used to analyse the relationship of potential confounders with fall risk. The association between the cut-off score for BBS-9 and fall risk was tested using the Chi-square test. In determining the cut-off score of BBS-9 to classify fall risk, the highest sensitivity (0.51) and specificity (0.57) (when both presumed to be above 0.50) sum score was within the limit range 32 scores or below. The area under curve (AUC) was significantly better in the model adjusted for significant confounders (vision and the number of regularly used drugs) (AUC = 0.64) than in the unadjusted model (AUC = 0.57) (p = 0.045). Among patients who scored 32 or below in BBS-9 the incidence of multiple falls was 20.0 %, whereas among those who scored 33-36 it was 15.7 %. BBS-9 with the cut-off score of 32/33 together with data on vision and the number of regularly used drugs predicted moderately the risk of falling among the community-dwelling aged.

Essays on equity-efficiency trade offs in energy and climate policies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sesmero, Juan P.

Economic efficiency and societal equity are two important goals of public policy. Energy and climate policies have the potential to affect both. Efficiency is increased by substituting low-carbon energy for fossil energy (mitigating an externality) while equity is served if such substitution enhances consumption opportunities of unfavored groups (low income households or future generations). However policies that are effective in reducing pollution may not be so effective in redistributing consumption and vice-versa. This dissertation explores potential trade-offs between equity and efficiency arising in energy and climate policies. Chapter 1 yields two important results. First, while effective in reducing pollution, energy efficiency policies may fall short in protecting future generations from resource depletion. Second, deployment of technologies that increase the ease with which capital can substitute for energy may enhance the ability of societies to sustain consumption and achieve intertemporal equity. Results in Chapter 1 imply that technologies more intensive in capital and materials and less intensive in carbon such as corn ethanol may be effective in enhancing intertemporal equity. However the effectiveness of corn ethanol (relative to other technologies) in reducing emissions will depend upon the environmental performance of the industry. Chapter 2 measures environmental efficiency of ethanol plants, identifies ways to enhance performance, and calculates the cost of such improvements based on a survey of ethanol plants in the US. Results show that plants may be able to increase profits and reduce emissions simultaneously rendering the ethanol industry more effective in tackling efficiency. Finally while cap and trade proposals are designed to correcting a market failure by reducing pollution, allocation of emission allowances may affect income distribution and, hence, intra-temporal equity. Chapter 3 proves that under plausible conditions on preferences and technology increasing efficiency requires greater transfers to low income households the higher the effect of these transfers on the price of permits and the lower their effect on the price of consumption goods. This denotes market conditions under which efficiency and equity are complementary goals.

Liquid lithium target as a high intensity, high energy neutron source

DOEpatents

Parkin, Don M.; Dudey, Norman D.

1976-01-01

This invention provides a target jet for charged particles. In one embodiment the charged particles are high energy deuterons that bombard the target jet to produce high intensity, high energy neutrons. To this end, deuterons in a vacuum container bombard an endlessly circulating, free-falling, sheet-shaped, copiously flowing, liquid lithium jet that gushes by gravity from a rectangular cross-section vent on the inside of the container means to form a moving web in contact with the inside wall of the vacuum container. The neutrons are produced via break-up of the beam in the target by stripping, spallation and compound nuclear reactions in which the projectiles (deuterons) interact with the target (Li) to produce excited nuclei, which then "boil off" or evaporate a neutron.

Optical inverse-square displacement sensor

DOEpatents

Howe, Robert D.; Kychakoff, George

1989-01-01

This invention comprises an optical displacement sensor that uses the inverse-square attenuation of light reflected from a diffused surface to calculate the distance from the sensor to the reflecting surface. Light emerging from an optical fiber or the like is directed onto the surface whose distance is to be measured. The intensity I of reflected light is angle dependent, but within a sufficiently small solid angle it falls off as the inverse square of the distance from the surface. At least a pair of optical detectors are mounted to detect the reflected light within the small solid angle, their ends being at different distances R and R+.DELTA.R from the surface. The distance R can then be found in terms of the ratio of the intensity measurements and the separation length as ##EQU1##

Stellar Surface Brightness Profiles of Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrmann, Kimberly A.; LITTLE THINGS Team

2012-01-01

Radial stellar surface brightness profiles of spiral galaxies can be classified into three types: (I) single exponential, (II) truncated: the light falls off with one exponential out to a break radius and then falls off more steeply, and (III) anti-truncated: the light falls off with one exponential out to a break radius and then falls off less steeply. Stellar surface brightness profile breaks are also found in dwarf disk galaxies, but with an additional category: (FI) flat-inside: the light is roughly constant or increasing and then falls off beyond a break. We have been re-examining the multi-wavelength stellar disk profiles of 141 dwarf galaxies, primarily from Hunter & Elmegreen (2006, 2004). Each dwarf has data in up to 11 wavelength bands: FUV and NUV from GALEX, UBVJHK and H-alpha from ground-based observations, and 3.6 and 4.5 microns from Spitzer. In this talk, I will highlight results from a semi-automatic fitting of this data set, including: (1) statistics of break locations and other properties as a function of wavelength and profile type, (2) color trends and radial mass distribution as a function of profile type, and (3) the relationship of the break radius to the kinematics and density profiles of atomic hydrogen gas in the 41 dwarfs of the LITTLE THINGS subsample. We gratefully acknowledge funding for this research from the National Science Foundation (AST-0707563).

Population biology of alewives, Alosa pseudoharengus, in Lake Michigan, 1949-70

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Edward H.

1972-01-01

Alewives were unknown in Lake Michigan before 1949, but became extremely abundant in the 1960s and soon exceeded the carrying capacity of the lake. In 1967 they were decimated by a lakewide mass mortality, and have since been less abundant as 'adults' (a?Y 120 mm long), although numerous young were produced in 1969-70 and the adult population appeared to be gradually increasing. Alewives were studied intensively during 1962-70 on the basis of collections made primarily with bottom trawls. Principal considerations in the population study include effects of seasonal changes in distribution on length composition of young and adults, sex and maturity in relation to size and age at recruitment into adult stocks, and changes in age, growth, condition, and population structure that accompanied the drastic changes in abundance. A substantial increase in the age of adults in the bottom stocks and on the spawning grounds was among the important population changes after the 1967 die-off. Growth of older adults also increased appreciably immediately after the die-off, and a sharp increase in average weight (16-26%) over a standard range of lengths was maintained in 1968-70. Selective depletion of zooplankton by alewives was evidence that overabundance decreased the food supply, depressed growth, and caused the poor condition that made alewives vulnerable to excessive mortality in 1967. Although poor condition in fall undoubtedly increased winter and spring mortality in the mid-1960s, alewives apparently were stressed by below-average temperature in the winter of 1969-70, and experiences a light die-off through May 1970 despite their good condition and relatively low population density the preceding fall. The population upsurge that preceded the 1967 die-off was reflected by a fivefold increase of adults in the fall index catch (in trawls) from 1962 to 1965 and 1966. The index catch then dropped 70% in fall 1967. Mortality among the 1960-64 year-classes, as represented by annual losses from age III to age IV in the index catch during 1964-68, ranged from 40% in 1965 to 89% in 1967, and averaged 68%. Assessment of mortality from the index catches was difficult because the age of alewives at full recruitment into bottom stocks increased from III in the mid-1960s to IV or older in 1968-70, when alewives remained longer at midlevels, possibly because of a delay in sexual maturity. Annual mortality after the fifth year of life, on the basis of average percentage age composition of the trawl catches in 1964-70, was tentatively estimated at 79-80%. The number of alewives recruited to the adult population from the 1962-67 year-classes over several ages in the fall index catch was inversely related to the abundance of their parents in the fall immediately preceding the year in which each year-class was spawned. Annual commercial production in the 1960s (peak in 1967, 42 million lb) may not have exceeded 7.7-18.6% of the bottom stocks, on the basis of the estimated weights of alewives available to trawls in the spring of 1964 and 1969. Yield per recruitment to the commercial fishery was low because of slow growth and high natural mortality.

Structured illumination diffuse optical tomography for noninvasive functional neuroimaging in mice.

PubMed

Reisman, Matthew D; Markow, Zachary E; Bauer, Adam Q; Culver, Joseph P

2017-04-01

Optical intrinsic signal (OIS) imaging has been a powerful tool for capturing functional brain hemodynamics in rodents. Recent wide field-of-view implementations of OIS have provided efficient maps of functional connectivity from spontaneous brain activity in mice. However, OIS requires scalp retraction and is limited to superficial cortical tissues. Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) techniques provide noninvasive imaging, but previous DOT systems for rodent neuroimaging have been limited either by sparse spatial sampling or by slow speed. Here, we develop a DOT system with asymmetric source-detector sampling that combines the high-density spatial sampling (0.4 mm) detection of a scientific complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor camera with the rapid (2 Hz) imaging of a few ([Formula: see text]) structured illumination (SI) patterns. Analysis techniques are developed to take advantage of the system's flexibility and optimize trade-offs among spatial sampling, imaging speed, and signal-to-noise ratio. An effective source-detector separation for the SI patterns was developed and compared with light intensity for a quantitative assessment of data quality. The light fall-off versus effective distance was also used for in situ empirical optimization of our light model. We demonstrated the feasibility of this technique by noninvasively mapping the functional response in the somatosensory cortex of the mouse following electrical stimulation of the forepaw.

Impact of musculoskeletal pain on balance and concerns of falling in mobility-limited, community-dwelling Danes over 75 years of age: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Kendall, Julie C; Hvid, Lars G; Hartvigsen, Jan; Fazalbhoy, Azharuddin; Azari, Michael F; Skjødt, Mathias; Robinson, Stephen R; Caserotti, Paolo

2017-12-11

In older adults, musculoskeletal pain is associated with increased concerns of falling, reduced balance and increased occurrence of falls. In younger adults, the intensity of neck pain and low back pain is associated with increased postural sway. It is not known if pain further impairs balance and concerns of falling in mobility-limited older adults, and if so, whether this is associated with different intensities of pain. This study examined whether mobility-limited older adults with mild or intense neck pain and/or low back pain have significantly increased postural sway as measured by centre of pressure (COP) changes and concerns of falling compared to those without pain. 48 older adults with a gait speed of < 0.9 m/s from Odense, Denmark were recruited through the public health service. Self-reported neck pain, low back pain, and concerns of falling were recorded on questionnaires. Sway range, velocity and area were recorded on a force plate in a comfortable standing stance. Pain intensity was rated on an 11 point numerical rating scale (0-10). Participants were sub-grouped into mild (0-4) and intense (> 5) neck pain or low back pain. Intense neck pain was associated with increased anterior-posterior sway range and area of sway. Intense low back pain was associated with increased concerns of falling. Intense neck pain in mobility-limited older adults is associated with significant changes in postural balance, and intense low back pain is associated with significantly higher concerns of falling.

Push-off reactions in recovery after tripping discriminate young subjects, older non-fallers and older fallers.

PubMed

Pijnappels, Mirjam; Bobbert, Maarten F; van Dieën, Jaap H

2005-06-01

Tripping is a major cause for falls, especially in the elderly. This study investigated whether falls in the elderly can be attributed to inadequate push-off reactions by the support limb in the recovery after a trip. Twelve young (20-34 years) and eleven older (65-72 years) men and women walked over a platform and were tripped several times over an obstacle that suddenly appeared from the floor. Kinematics and ground reactions forces of the support limb during push-off were measured of falls and successful recoveries. Young subjects did not fall. The older subjects were divided into a group of four non-fallers and seven fallers. Older fallers showed insufficient reduction of the angular momentum during push-off and less proper placement of the recovery limb. This was due to a lower rate of change of moment generation in all support limb joints and a lower peak ankle moment. Onset of knee moment generation was slightly delayed in older fallers. Improvement over trials was ascribed to better positioning of the recovery limb, as no clear differences were seen in the joint moments of the support limb. In conclusion, the contribution of the support limb to prevent a fall after tripping is decreased in older adults. Lower limb strength could be an underlying factor and strength training might help to reduce fall risk.

Analysis of drift effects on the tokamak power scrape-off width using SOLPS-ITER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meier, E. T.; Goldston, R. J.; Kaveeva, E. G.; Makowski, M. A.; Mordijck, S.; Rozhansky, V. A.; Senichenkov, I. Yu; Voskoboynikov, S. P.

2016-12-01

SOLPS-ITER, a comprehensive 2D scrape-off layer modeling package, is used to examine the physical mechanisms that set the scrape-off width ({λq} ) for inter-ELM power exhaust. Guided by Goldston’s heuristic drift (HD) model, which shows remarkable quantitative agreement with experimental data, this research examines drift effects on {λq} in a DIII-D H-mode magnetic equilibrium. As a numerical expedient, a low target recycling coefficient of 0.9 is used in the simulations, resulting in outer target plasma that is sheath limited instead of conduction limited as in the experiment. Scrape-off layer (SOL) particle diffusivity (D SOL) is scanned from 1 to 0.1 m2 s-1. Across this diffusivity range, outer divertor heat flux is dominated by a narrow (˜3-4 mm when mapped to the outer midplane) electron convection channel associated with thermoelectric current through the SOL from outer to inner divertor. An order-unity up-down ion pressure asymmetry allows net ion drift flux across the separatrix, facilitated by an artificial mechanism that mimics the anomalous electron transport required for overall ambipolarity in the HD model. At {{D}\\text{SOL}}=0.1 m2 s-1, the density fall-off length is similar to the electron temperature fall-off length, as predicted by the HD model and as seen experimentally. This research represents a step toward a deeper understanding of the power scrape-off width, and serves as a basis for extending fluid modeling to more experimentally relevant, high-collisionality regimes.

Analysis of drift effects on the tokamak power scrape-off width using SOLPS-ITER

DOE PAGES

Meier, E. T.; Goldston, R. J.; Kaveeva, E. G.; ...

2016-11-02

SOLPS-ITER, a comprehensive 2D scrape-off layer modeling package, is used to examine the physical mechanisms that set the scrape-off width (more » $${{\\lambda}_{q}}$$ ) for inter-ELM power exhaust. Guided by Goldston's heuristic drift (HD) model, which shows remarkable quantitative agreement with experimental data, this research examines drift effects on $${{\\lambda}_{q}}$$ in a DIII-D H-mode magnetic equilibrium. As a numerical expedient, a low target recycling coefficient of 0.9 is used in the simulations, resulting in outer target plasma that is sheath limited instead of conduction limited as in the experiment. Scrape-off layer (SOL) particle diffusivity (D SOL) is scanned from 1 to 0.1 m2 s –1. Across this diffusivity range, outer divertor heat flux is dominated by a narrow (~3–4mm when mapped to the outer midplane) electron convection channel associated with thermoelectric current through the SOL from outer to inner divertor. An order-unity up–down ion pressure asymmetry allows net ion drift flux across the separatrix, facilitated by an artificial mechanism that mimics the anomalous electron transport required for overall ambipolarity in the HD model. At $${{D}_{\\text{SOL}}}=0.1$$ m2 s –1, the density fall-off length is similar to the electron temperature fall-off length, as predicted by the HD model and as seen experimentally. Furthermore, this research represents a step toward a deeper understanding of the power scrape-off width, and serves as a basis for extending fluid modeling to more experimentally relevant, high-collisionality regimes.« less

Temporal Trends in Fall Rates with the Implementation of a Multifaceted Fall Prevention Program: Persistence Pays Off.

PubMed

Walsh, Catherine M; Liang, Li-Jung; Grogan, Tristan; Coles, Courtney; McNair, Norma; Nuckols, Teryl K

2018-02-01

Most fall prevention programs are only modestly effective, and their sustainability is unknown. An academic medical center implemented a series of fall prevention interventions from 2001 to 2014. The medical center's series of fall prevention interventions were as follows: reorganized the Falls Committee (2001), started flagging high-risk patients (2001), improved fall reporting (2002), increased scrutiny of falls (2005), instituted hourly nursing rounds (2006), reorganized leadership systems (2007), standardized fall prevention equipment (2008), adapted to a move to a new hospital building (2008), routinely investigated root causes (2009), mitigated fall risk during hourly nursing rounds (2009), educated patients about falls (2011), and taught nurses to think critically about risk (2012). To evaluate temporal trends in falls and injury falls, piecewise negative binomial regression with study unit-level random effects was used to analyze structured validated data sets available since 2003. From July 2003 through December 2014, the crude fall rate declined from 3.07 to 2.22 per 1,000 patient days, and injury falls declined from 0.77 to 0.65 per 1,000 patient days. Nonsignificant increases in falls occurred after nurses started rounding hourly and after the move to the new hospital. On the basis of regression models, significant declines occurred after nurses began to mitigate fall risk during hourly rounds (p = 0.009). Instituting incremental changes for more than a decade was associated with a meaningful (about 28%) and sustained decline in falls, although the rate of decline varied over time. Hospitals interested in reducing falls but concerned about competing clinical and financial priorities may find an incremental approach to be effective. Copyright © 2017 The Joint Commission. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Operational wave forecasting with spaceborne SAR: Prospects and pitfalls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beal, R. C.

1986-01-01

Measurements collected in the Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-B) Extreme Waves Experiment confirm the ability of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to yield useful estimates of wave directional energy spectra over global scales, at least for shuttle altitudes. However, azimuth fall-off effects tend to become severe for wavelengths shorter than about 100 m in most sea states. Moreover, the azimuth fall-off problem becomes increasingly severe as the platform altitude increases beyond 300 km. The most viable solution to the global wave measurements problem may be a low altitude spacecraft containing a combination of both the SAR and the Radar Ocean Wave Spectrometry (ROWS). Such a combination could have a synergy which yield global spectral estimates superior to those of either instrument singly employed.

Global warming and tropical cyclone climate in the western North Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Nam-Young

Violent tropical cyclones (TCs) continue to inflict serious impacts on national economies and welfare, but how they are responding to global warming has not been fully clarified. Here I construct an empirical framework that shows the observations supporting a strong link between rising global ocean warmth and increasing trade-off between TC intensity and frequency in the western North Pacific. Thermodynamic structure of the tropical western North Pacific with high global ocean warmth is characterized by convectively more unstable lower troposphere with greater heat and moisture, but this instability is simultaneously accompanied by anomalous high pressure in the middle and upper troposphere over the same region. Increasing trade-off level between TC intensity and frequency in a warmer year proves that this environment further inhibits the TC occurrences over the region, but TCs that form tend to discharge stored energy to upper troposphere with stronger intensities. By increasing the intensity threshold at higher levels we confirmed that the TC climate connection with global ocean warmth occurs throughout the strongest portion of TCs, and the environmental connection of the TC climate is more conspicuous in the extreme portion of TCs. Intensities at the strongest 10~% of the western North Pacific TCs are comparable to super typhoons on average, the increasing trade-off magnitude clearly suggests that super typhoons in a warmer year gets stronger. Conclusively, the negative collinear feature of the thermodynamics influences the portion of TCs at the highest intensities, and super typhoons are likely to become stronger at the expense of overall TC frequencies in a warmer world. The consequence of this finding is that record-breaking TC intensities occur at the expense of overall TC frequencies under global warming. TC activity is understood as a variation which is independent of global warming, and could be assumed to be an internal variability having no trend. Frequency variation and super typhoon intensity variation are regarded as the addition of global warming influence on TC activity variation. The structure depicts how a previous intensity record is overtaken and frequency falls continuously in the global warming environment in a linear perspective. A peak TC activity year when global ocean warmth is the highest ever is likely to experience a record-breaking intensity. In the same way, the least number of annual TCs may appear when a lull of TC activity occurs in the warmest year.

The effect of nurse manager turnover on patient fall and pressure ulcer rates.

PubMed

Warshawsky, Nora; Rayens, Mary Kay; Stefaniak, Karen; Rahman, Rana

2013-07-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of nurse manager turnover on the occurrence of adverse events. Nurse managers create professional nurse practice environments to support the provision of quality patient outcomes. Inconsistent findings were reported in the literature testing the relationship between nurse managers and patient outcomes. All prior studies assumed stable nursing management. A longitudinal quasi-experimental study of 23 nursing units in two hospitals was used to determine whether unit characteristics, including nurse manager turnover, have an effect on patient falls or pressure ulcers. Statistical analyses included repeated measures and hierarchical modelling. Patients in medical/surgical units experienced more falls than in intensive care units (F1,11 = 15.9, P = 0.002). Patients in units with a nurse manager turnover [odds ratio: 3.16; 95% confidence interval: 1.49-6.70] and intensive care units (odds ratio: 2.70; 95% confidence interval: 1.33-5.49) were more likely to develop pressure ulcers. Nurse manager turnover and intensive care unit status were associated with more pressure ulcers. Medical/surgical unit status was associated with more falls. The study was limited by a small sample size. Nurse manager turnover may negatively impact patient outcomes. Stable nursing management, strategic interim management and long-term succession planning may reduce adverse patient events. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

SU-E-T-75: A Simple Technique for Proton Beam Range Verification

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

Burgdorf, B; Kassaee, A; Garver, E

2015-06-15

Purpose: To develop a measurement-based technique to verify the range of proton beams for quality assurance (QA). Methods: We developed a simple technique to verify the proton beam range with in-house fabricated devices. Two separate devices were fabricated; a clear acrylic rectangular cuboid and a solid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) step wedge. For efficiency in our clinic, we used the rectangular cuboid for double scattering (DS) beams and the step wedge for pencil beam scanning (PBS) beams. These devices were added to our QA phantom to measure dose points along the distal fall-off region (between 80% and 20%) in addition tomore » dose at mid-SOBP (spread out Bragg peak) using a two-dimensional parallel plate chamber array (MatriXX™, IBA Dosimetry, Schwarzenbruck, Germany). This method relies on the fact that the slope of the distal fall-off is linear and does not vary with small changes in energy. Using a multi-layer ionization chamber (Zebra™, IBA Dosimetry), percent depth dose (PDD) curves were measured for our standard daily QA beams. The range (energy) for each beam was then varied (i.e. ±2mm and ±5mm) and additional PDD curves were measured. The distal fall-off of all PDD curves was fit to a linear equation. The distal fall-off measured dose for a particular beam was used in our linear equation to determine the beam range. Results: The linear fit of the fall-off region for the PDD curves, when varying the range by a few millimeters for a specific QA beam, yielded identical slopes. The calculated range based on measured point dose(s) in the fall-off region using the slope resulted in agreement of ±1mm of the expected beam range. Conclusion: We developed a simple technique for accurately verifying the beam range for proton therapy QA programs.« less

ELECTRICAL STUDIES ON THE COMPOUND EYE OF LIGIA OCCIDENTALIS DANA (CRUSTACEA: ISOPODA)

PubMed Central

Ruck, Philip; Jahn, Theodore L.

1954-01-01

The ERG of the compound eye in freshly collected Ligia occidentalis, in response to high intensity light flashes of ⅛ second or longer duration, begins with a negative on-effect quickly followed by an early positive deflection, rapidly returns to the baseline during illumination, and ends with a positive off-effect. As the stimulus intensity is decreased the early positivity progressively decreases and the rapid return to the baseline is replaced by a slowing decline of the negative on-effect. Responses were recorded with one active electrode subcorneally situated in the illuminated eye, the reference electrode in the dark eye. The dark-adapted eye shows a facilitation of the amplitude and rates of rise and fall of the on-effect to a brief, high intensity light stimulus. This facilitation may persist for more than 2 minutes. Following light adaptation under conditions in which the human eye loses sensitivity by a factor of almost 40,000 the Ligia eye loses sensitivity by a factor of only 3. The flicker fusion frequency of the ERG may be as high as 120/second with a corneal illumination of 15,000 foot-candles. Bleeding an otherwise intact animal very rapidly results in a decline of amplitude, change of wave form, and loss of facilitation in the ERG. When the eye is deganglionated without bleeding the animal the isolated retina responds in the same manner as the intact eye. Histological examination of the Ligia receptor layer showed that each ommatidium contains three different retinula cell types, each of which may be responsible for a different aspect of the ERG. PMID:13174786

157. Photocopy of drawing (taken from Twin Falls Canal Company ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

157. Photocopy of drawing (taken from Twin Falls Canal Company Field Book #360, Page 75, entitled, 'Clay-Seam Cut-Off.' Cross-Reference: ID-15-153). MILNER DAM SURVEY, TWIN FALLS COUNTY, MILNER, IDAHO. - Milner Dam & Main Canal: Twin Falls Canal Company, On Snake River, 11 miles West of city of Burley, Idaho, Twin Falls, Twin Falls County, ID

153. Photocopy of drawing (taken from Twin Falls Canal Company ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

153. Photocopy of drawing (taken from Twin Falls Canal Company Field Book #360, Page 74, entitled, 'Clay-Seam Cut-Off.' Cross-Reference: ID-15-157). MILNER DAM SURVEY, TWIN FALLS COUNTY, MILNER, IDAHO. - Milner Dam & Main Canal: Twin Falls Canal Company, On Snake River, 11 miles West of city of Burley, Idaho, Twin Falls, Twin Falls County, ID

Elderly fall risk prediction using static posturography

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Maintaining and controlling postural balance is important for activities of daily living, with poor postural balance being predictive of future falls. This study investigated eyes open and eyes closed standing posturography with elderly adults to identify differences and determine appropriate outcome measure cut-off scores for prospective faller, single-faller, multi-faller, and non-faller classifications. 100 older adults (75.5 ± 6.7 years) stood quietly with eyes open and then eyes closed while Wii Balance Board data were collected. Range in anterior-posterior (AP) and medial-lateral (ML) center of pressure (CoP) motion; AP and ML CoP root mean square distance from mean (RMS); and AP, ML, and vector sum magnitude (VSM) CoP velocity were calculated. Romberg Quotients (RQ) were calculated for all parameters. Participants reported six-month fall history and six-month post-assessment fall occurrence. Groups were retrospective fallers (24), prospective all fallers (42), prospective fallers (22 single, 6 multiple), and prospective non-fallers (47). Non-faller RQ AP range and RQ AP RMS differed from prospective all fallers, fallers, and single fallers. Non-faller eyes closed AP velocity, eyes closed VSM velocity, RQ AP velocity, and RQ VSM velocity differed from multi-fallers. RQ calculations were particularly relevant for elderly fall risk assessments. Cut-off scores from Clinical Cut-off Score, ROC curves, and discriminant functions were clinically viable for multi-faller classification and provided better accuracy than single-faller classification. RQ AP range with cut-off score 1.64 could be used to screen for older people who may fall once. Prospective multi-faller classification with a discriminant function (-1.481 + 0.146 x Eyes Closed AP Velocity—0.114 x Eyes Closed Vector Sum Magnitude Velocity—2.027 x RQ AP Velocity + 2.877 x RQ Vector Sum Magnitude Velocity) and cut-off score 0.541 achieved an accuracy of 84.9% and is viable as a screening tool for older people at risk of multiple falls. PMID:28222191

Elderly fall risk prediction using static posturography.

PubMed

Howcroft, Jennifer; Lemaire, Edward D; Kofman, Jonathan; McIlroy, William E

2017-01-01

Maintaining and controlling postural balance is important for activities of daily living, with poor postural balance being predictive of future falls. This study investigated eyes open and eyes closed standing posturography with elderly adults to identify differences and determine appropriate outcome measure cut-off scores for prospective faller, single-faller, multi-faller, and non-faller classifications. 100 older adults (75.5 ± 6.7 years) stood quietly with eyes open and then eyes closed while Wii Balance Board data were collected. Range in anterior-posterior (AP) and medial-lateral (ML) center of pressure (CoP) motion; AP and ML CoP root mean square distance from mean (RMS); and AP, ML, and vector sum magnitude (VSM) CoP velocity were calculated. Romberg Quotients (RQ) were calculated for all parameters. Participants reported six-month fall history and six-month post-assessment fall occurrence. Groups were retrospective fallers (24), prospective all fallers (42), prospective fallers (22 single, 6 multiple), and prospective non-fallers (47). Non-faller RQ AP range and RQ AP RMS differed from prospective all fallers, fallers, and single fallers. Non-faller eyes closed AP velocity, eyes closed VSM velocity, RQ AP velocity, and RQ VSM velocity differed from multi-fallers. RQ calculations were particularly relevant for elderly fall risk assessments. Cut-off scores from Clinical Cut-off Score, ROC curves, and discriminant functions were clinically viable for multi-faller classification and provided better accuracy than single-faller classification. RQ AP range with cut-off score 1.64 could be used to screen for older people who may fall once. Prospective multi-faller classification with a discriminant function (-1.481 + 0.146 x Eyes Closed AP Velocity-0.114 x Eyes Closed Vector Sum Magnitude Velocity-2.027 x RQ AP Velocity + 2.877 x RQ Vector Sum Magnitude Velocity) and cut-off score 0.541 achieved an accuracy of 84.9% and is viable as a screening tool for older people at risk of multiple falls.

Dependence of the L-Mode scrape-off layer power fall-off length on the upper triangularity in TCV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faitsch, M.; Maurizio, R.; Gallo, A.; Coda, S.; Eich, T.; Labit, B.; Merle, A.; Reimerdes, H.; Sieglin, B.; Theiler, C.; the Eurofusion MST1 Team; the TCV Team

2018-04-01

This paper reports on experimental observations on TCV with a scan in upper triangularity {δ }up}, including negative triangularity, focusing on the power fall-off length {λ }{{q}} in L-Mode. The upper triangularity is scanned from -0.28 to 0.47. Smaller {λ }{{q}}out} is measured at the outer divertor target for decreasing {δ }up} together with higher edge temperature {T}{{e},{edge}} leading to increased confinement. This effect is observed for both magnetic drift directions for discharges in deuterium and helium. In helium larger {λ }{{q}} values are observed compared to deuterium. The power fall-off length at the inner divertor target {λ }{{q}}in} has a non-monotonic behaviour with changing triangularity. The largest values are around {δ }up}=0. The ratio {λ }{{q}}in}/{λ }{{q}}out} increases for decreasing {δ }up} for positive triangularity and is approximately constant for negative triangularity. {λ }{{q}}out} is compared to available scaling laws. Partial agreement is only observed for a scaling law containing a proxy for {T}{{e},{edge}} at ASDEX Upgrade (Sieglin 2016 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 58 055015). Extending this scaling to TCV and using {T}{{e},{edge}} at {ρ }pol}=0.95 suggests that {λ }{{q}}out} is independent of machine size {λ }{{q}}{{L} - {Mode}} ({mm}) = 165\\cdot {B}pol}{({{T}})}-0.66\\cdot A{({{u}})}-0.15\\cdot {T}{{e},{edge}}{({eV})}-0.93\\cdot R{({{m}})}-0.03. Possible explanations for smaller {λ }{{q}}out} for decreasing {δ }up} is a reduction in turbulence or a direct effect of increasing {T}{{e},{edge}}.

Optical inverse-square displacement sensor

DOEpatents

Howe, R.D.; Kychakoff, G.

1989-09-12

This invention comprises an optical displacement sensor that uses the inverse-square attenuation of light reflected from a diffused surface to calculate the distance from the sensor to the reflecting surface. Light emerging from an optical fiber or the like is directed onto the surface whose distance is to be measured. The intensity I of reflected light is angle dependent, but within a sufficiently small solid angle it falls off as the inverse square of the distance from the surface. At least a pair of optical detectors are mounted to detect the reflected light within the small solid angle, their ends being at different distances R and R + [Delta]R from the surface. The distance R can then be found in terms of the ratio of the intensity measurements and the separation length as given in an equation. 10 figs.

Rippled scour depressions on the inner continental shelf off central California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cacchione, David A.; Drake, David E.; Grant, William D.; Tate, George B.

1984-01-01

Side-scan sonar records taken during the recent Coastal Ocean Dynamics Experiment (CODE) show elongate, shore-normal tippled depressions of low relief on the inner continental shelf off central California between Bodega Bay and Point Arena. These features extend up to 2 kin from the coast into water depths of up to 65 m. The proposed mechanism for their generation is storm- generated bottom currents associated with coastal downwelling during the late fall and winter which scour the surficial fine-sand sediment and expose the coarser-sand substrate in the depressions. The zones of most intense erosion and the irregular spacing of the features may be controlled by submerged rock ledges and other prominent coastal features. The large straight-crested ripples within the depres- sions (heights to 40 cm; wavelengths to 1.7 m) are probably formed by large-amplitude, long-period surface waves generated by winter storms.

Unilateral pedunculopontine stimulation improves falls in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Moro, Elena; Hamani, Clement; Poon, Yu-Yan; Al-Khairallah, Thamar; Dostrovsky, Jonathan O; Hutchison, William D; Lozano, Andres M

2010-01-01

Postural instability and falls are a major source of disability in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. These problems are currently not well addressed by either pharmacotherapy nor by subthalamic nucleus deep-brain stimulation surgery. The neuroanatomical substrates of posture and gait are poorly understood but a number of important observations suggest a major role for the pedunculopontine nucleus and adjacent areas in the brainstem. We conducted a double-blinded evaluation of unilateral pedunculopontine nucleus deep-brain stimulation in a pilot study in six advanced Parkinson's disease patients with significant gait and postural abnormalities. There was no significant difference in the double-blinded on versus off stimulation Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor scores after 3 or 12 months of continuous stimulation and no improvements in the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III scores compared to baseline. In contrast, patients reported a significant reduction in falls in the on and off medication states both at 3 and 12 months after pedunculopontine nucleus deep-brain stimulation as captured in the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part II scores. Our results suggest that pedunculopontine nucleus deep-brain stimulation may be effective in preventing falls in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease but that further evaluation of this procedure is required.

The Coronal Monsoon: Thermal Nonequilibrium Revealed by Periodic Coronal Rain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auchère, Frédéric; Froment, Clara; Soubrié, Elie; Antolin, Patrick; Oliver, Ramon; Pelouze, Gabriel

2018-02-01

We report on the discovery of periodic coronal rain in an off-limb sequence of Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly images. The showers are co-spatial and in phase with periodic (6.6 hr) intensity pulsations of coronal loops of the sort described by Auchère et al. and Froment et al. These new observations make possible a unified description of both phenomena. Coronal rain and periodic intensity pulsations of loops are two manifestations of the same physical process: evaporation/condensation cycles resulting from a state of thermal nonequilibrium. The fluctuations around coronal temperatures produce the intensity pulsations of loops, and rain falls along their legs if thermal runaway cools the periodic condensations down and below transition-region temperatures. This scenario is in line with the predictions of numerical models of quasi-steadily and footpoint heated loops. The presence of coronal rain—albeit non-periodic—in several other structures within the studied field of view implies that this type of heating is at play on a large scale.

TESTING BALANCE AND FALL RISK IN PERSONS WITH PARKINSON DISEASE, AN ARGUMENT FOR ECOLOGICALLY VALID TESTING

PubMed Central

Foreman, K. Bo; Addison, Odessa; Kim, Han S.; Dibble, Leland E.

2010-01-01

Introduction Despite clear deficits in postural control, most clinical examination tools lack accuracy in identifying persons with Parkinson disease (PD) who have fallen or are at risk for falls. We assert that this is in part due to the lack of ecological validity of the testing. Methods To test this assertion, we examined the responsiveness and predictive validity of the Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), the Pull test, and the Timed up and Go (TUG) during clinically defined ON and OFF medication states. To address responsiveness, ON/OFF medication performance was compared. To address predictive validity, areas under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were compared. Comparisons were made using separate non-parametric tests. Results Thirty-six persons (24 male, 12 female) with PD (22 fallers, 14 non-fallers) participated. Only the FGA was able to detect differences between fallers and non-fallers for both ON/OFF medication testing. The predictive validity of the FGA and the TUG for fall identification was higher during OFF medication compared to ON medication testing. The predictive validity of the FGA was higher than the TUG and the Pull test during ON and OFF medication testing. Discussion In order to most accurately identify fallers, clinicians should test persons with PD in ecologically relevant conditions and tasks. In this study, interpretation of the OFF medication performance and use of the FGA provided more accurate prediction of those who would fall. PMID:21215674

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

Murphy, David J.; Horner, Robert M.; Clark, Corrie E.

Estimates of the amount of land used for a defined amount of utility-scale electricity generation in the solar power industry, referred to as solar land use energy intensity (LUEI), are important to decision makers for evaluating the environmental impact of energy technology choices. In general, solar energy tends to have a larger on-site LUEI than that of fossil fuels because the energy generated per square meter of power plant area is much lower. Unfortunately, there are few studies that quantify the off-site LUEI for utility-scale solar energy, and of those that do, they share common methodologies and data sets. Inmore » this study, we develop a new method for calculating the off-site LUEI for utility-scale solar energy for three different technologies: silicon photovoltaic (Si-PV), cadmium-telluride (CdTe) PV, and parabolic trough concentrated solar thermal. Our results indicate that the off-site LUEI is most likely 1% or less of the on-site LUEI for each technology. Although our results have some inherent uncertainties, they fall within an order of magnitude of other estimates in the literature.« less

Factors Associated with the Risk of Falls of Nursing Home Residents Aged 80 or Older.

PubMed

Álvarez Barbosa, Francisco; Del Pozo-Cruz, Borja; Del Pozo-Cruz, Jesús; Alfonso-Rosa, Rosa M; Sañudo Corrales, Borja; Rogers, Michael E

2016-01-01

Falls are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in older and represents one of the major and most costly public health problems worldwide. Evaluate the influences of lower limb muscle performance, static balance, functional independence and quality of life on fall risk as assessed with the timed up and go (TUG) test. Cross-sectional study. Fifty-two residents aged 80 or older were assessed and distributed in one of the two study groups (no risk of falls; risk of falls) according to the time to complete the TUG test. A Kistler force platform and linear transducer was used to determinate lower limb muscle performance. Postural Stability (static balance) was measured by recording the center of pressure. The EuroQol-5 dimension was used to assess Health-related quality of life and the Barthel index was used to examine functional status. Student's t-test was performed to evaluate the differences between groups. Correlations between variables were analyzed using Spearman or Pearson coefficient. ROC (receiver operating charasteristic) analysis was used to determine the cut-off points related to a decrease in the risk of a fall. Participants of no-fall risk group showed better lower limb performance, quality of life, and functional status. Cut-off points were determined for each outcome. Risk of falls in nursing home residents over the age of 80 is associated with lower limb muscle performance, functional status, and quality of Life. Cut-off points can be used by clinicians when working toward fall prevention and could help in determining the optimal lower limb muscle performance level for preventing falls. © 2015 Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.

Radiometric Calibration of a Dual-Wavelength, Full-Waveform Terrestrial Lidar.

PubMed

Li, Zhan; Jupp, David L B; Strahler, Alan H; Schaaf, Crystal B; Howe, Glenn; Hewawasam, Kuravi; Douglas, Ewan S; Chakrabarti, Supriya; Cook, Timothy A; Paynter, Ian; Saenz, Edward J; Schaefer, Michael

2016-03-02

Radiometric calibration of the Dual-Wavelength Echidna(®) Lidar (DWEL), a full-waveform terrestrial laser scanner with two simultaneously-pulsing infrared lasers at 1064 nm and 1548 nm, provides accurate dual-wavelength apparent reflectance (ρ(app)), a physically-defined value that is related to the radiative and structural characteristics of scanned targets and independent of range and instrument optics and electronics. The errors of ρ(app) are 8.1% for 1064 nm and 6.4% for 1548 nm. A sensitivity analysis shows that ρ(app) error is dominated by range errors at near ranges, but by lidar intensity errors at far ranges. Our semi-empirical model for radiometric calibration combines a generalized logistic function to explicitly model telescopic effects due to defocusing of return signals at near range with a negative exponential function to model the fall-off of return intensity with range. Accurate values of ρ(app) from the radiometric calibration improve the quantification of vegetation structure, facilitate the comparison and coupling of lidar datasets from different instruments, campaigns or wavelengths and advance the utilization of bi- and multi-spectral information added to 3D scans by novel spectral lidars.

Radiometric Calibration of a Dual-Wavelength, Full-Waveform Terrestrial Lidar

PubMed Central

Li, Zhan; Jupp, David L. B.; Strahler, Alan H.; Schaaf, Crystal B.; Howe, Glenn; Hewawasam, Kuravi; Douglas, Ewan S.; Chakrabarti, Supriya; Cook, Timothy A.; Paynter, Ian; Saenz, Edward J.; Schaefer, Michael

2016-01-01

Radiometric calibration of the Dual-Wavelength Echidna® Lidar (DWEL), a full-waveform terrestrial laser scanner with two simultaneously-pulsing infrared lasers at 1064 nm and 1548 nm, provides accurate dual-wavelength apparent reflectance (ρapp), a physically-defined value that is related to the radiative and structural characteristics of scanned targets and independent of range and instrument optics and electronics. The errors of ρapp are 8.1% for 1064 nm and 6.4% for 1548 nm. A sensitivity analysis shows that ρapp error is dominated by range errors at near ranges, but by lidar intensity errors at far ranges. Our semi-empirical model for radiometric calibration combines a generalized logistic function to explicitly model telescopic effects due to defocusing of return signals at near range with a negative exponential function to model the fall-off of return intensity with range. Accurate values of ρapp from the radiometric calibration improve the quantification of vegetation structure, facilitate the comparison and coupling of lidar datasets from different instruments, campaigns or wavelengths and advance the utilization of bi- and multi-spectral information added to 3D scans by novel spectral lidars. PMID:26950126

Lateral stepping for postural correction in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

King, Laurie A; Horak, Fay B

2008-03-01

To characterize the lateral stepping strategies for postural correction in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and the effect of their anti-parkinson medication. Observational study. Outpatient neuroscience laboratory. Thirteen participants with idiopathic PD in their on (PD on) and off (PD off) levodopa state and 14 healthy elderly controls. Movable platform with lateral translations of 12 cm at 14.6 cm/s ramp velocity. The incidence and characteristics of 3 postural strategies were observed: lateral side-step, crossover step, or no step. Corrective stepping was characterized by latency to step after perturbation onset, step velocity, and step length and presence of an anticipatory postural adjustment (APA). Additionally, percentages of trials resulting in falls were identified for each group. Whereas elderly control participants never fell, PD participants fell in 24% and 35% of trials in the on and off medication states, respectively. Both PD and control participants most often used a lateral side-step strategy; 70% (control), 67% (PD off), and 73% (PD on) of all trials, respectively. PD participants fell most often when using a crossover strategy (75% of all crossover trials) or no-step strategy (100% of all no-step trials). In the off medication state, PD participants' lateral stepping strategies were initiated later than controls (370+/-37 ms vs 280+/-10 ms, P<.01), and steps were smaller (254+/-20 mm vs 357+/-17 mm, P<.01) and slower (0.99+/-0.08 m/s vs 1.20+/-0.07 m/s, P<.05). No differences were found between the PD off versus PD on state in the corrective stepping characteristics. Unlike control participants, PD participants often (56% of side-step strategy trials) failed to activate an APA before stepping, although their APAs, when present, were of similar latency and magnitude as for control participants. Levodopa on or off state did not significantly affect falls, APAs, or lateral step latency, velocity, or amplitude (P>.05). PD participants showed significantly more postural instability and falls than age-matched controls when stepping was required for postural correction in response to lateral disequilibrium. Although PD participants usually used a similar lateral stepping strategy as controls in response to lateral translations, lack of an anticipatory lateral weight shift, and bradykinetic characteristics of the stepping responses help explain the greater rate of falls in participants with PD. Differences were not found between the levodopa on and off states. The results suggest that rehabilitation aimed at improving lateral stability in PD should include facilitating APAs before a lateral side-stepping strategy with faster and larger steps to recover equilibrium.

Perceived pain, fear of falling and physical function in women with osteoporosis.

PubMed

Hübscher, Markus; Vogt, Lutz; Schmidt, Katharina; Fink, Matthias; Banzer, Winfried

2010-07-01

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate pain intensity-related differences in physical performance and fear of falling in elderly women with osteoporosis. A sample of 82 osteoporotic women (73.8±8.1 years) with and without vertebral fractures was included. Numeric rating scale (NRS) measures (0=no pain, 10=unbearable) were applied to obtain actual pain intensity and to stratify between patients with mild (0-3), moderate (4-6) and severe (7-10) pain. Activity-related fear of falling was evaluated with the Falls Efficacy Scale-International Version (FES-I). Physical performance measures included maximum voluntary quadriceps strength, postural sway and gait speed measures. Controlling for age, fractures, and history of falls ANCOVA with Scheffe's post hoc test indicated significant slower walking velocities and greater postural sway for patients with severe pain. Furthermore, significant group differences could be detected for muscle strength and fear of falling. Patients with more intense pain (NRS≥5) were 6.4 times (odds ratio; 95%CI: 1.5-26.7) more likely to score below average in fall-related self-efficacy and all physical performance tests. Among women with osteoporosis, heightened back pain intensity increases fear of falling and decreases physical performance irrespective of vertebral fractures and history of falls. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sidescan backscatter variations of cold seeps on the Hikurangi Margin (New Zealand): indications for different stages in seep development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dumke, Ines; Klaucke, Ingo; Berndt, Christian; Bialas, Jörg

2014-06-01

Cold seeps on the Hikurangi Margin off New Zealand exhibit various seabed morphologies producing different intensity patterns in sidescan backscatter images. Acoustic backscatter characteristics of 25 investigated seep sites fall into four distinct types characterised by variations in backscatter intensity, distribution and inferred structural heights. The types reflect different carbonate morphologies including up to 20-m-high structures (type 1), low-relief crusts (type 2), scattered blocks (type 3) and carbonate-free sites (type 4). Each seep corresponds to a single type; intermediates were not observed. This correlates well with published data on seep fauna at each site, with the four types representing three different faunal habitats of successive stages of seep development. Backscatter signatures in sidescan sonar images of cold seeps may therefore serve as a convenient proxy for variations in faunal habitats.

Falls risk assessment outcomes and factors associated with falls for older Indigenous Australians.

PubMed

Hill, Keith D; Flicker, Leon; LoGiudice, Dina; Smith, Kate; Atkinson, David; Hyde, Zoë; Fenner, Stephen; Skeaf, Linda; Malay, Roslyn; Boyle, Eileen

2016-12-01

To describe the prevalence of falls and associated risk factors in older Indigenous Australians, and compare the accuracy of validated falls risk screening and assessment tools in this population in classifying fall status. Cross-sectional study of 289 Indigenous Australians aged ≥45 years from the Kimberley region of Western Australia who had a detailed assessment including self-reported falls in the past year (n=289), the adapted Elderly Falls Screening Tool (EFST; n=255), and the Falls Risk for Older People-Community (FROP-Com) screening tool (3 items, n=74) and FROP-Com falls assessment tool (n=74). 32% of participants had ≥1 fall in the preceding year, and 37.3% were classified high falls risk using the EFST (cut-off ≥2). In contrast, for the 74 participants assessed with the FROP-Com, only 14.9% were rated high risk, 35.8% moderate risk, and 49.3% low risk. The FROP-Com screen and assessment tools had the highest classification accuracy for identifying fallers in the preceding year (area under curve >0.85), with sensitivity/specificity highest for the FROP-Com assessment (cut-off ≥12), sensitivity=0.84 and specificity=0.73. Falls are common in older Indigenous Australians. The FROP-Com falls risk assessment tool appears useful in this population, and this research suggests changes that may improve its utility further. © 2016 Public Health Association of Australia.

Extraction of spatial-temporal rules from mesoscale eddies in the South China Sea Based on rough set theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Y.; Fan, X.; He, Z.; Su, F.; Zhou, C.; Mao, H.; Wang, D.

2011-06-01

In this paper, a rough set theory is introduced to represent spatial-temporal relationships and extract the corresponding rules from typical mesoscale-eddy states in the South China Sea (SCS). Three decision attributes are adopted in this study, which make the approach flexible in retrieving spatial-temporal rules with different features. Spatial-temporal rules of typical states in the SCS are extracted as three decision attributes, which then are confirmed by the previous works. The results demonstrate that this approach is effective in extracting spatial-temporal rules from typical mesoscale-eddy states, and therefore provides a powerful approach to forecasts in the future. Spatial-temporal rules in the SCS indicate that warm eddies following the rules are generally in the southeastern and central SCS around 2000 m isobaths in winter. Their intensity and vorticity are weaker than those of cold eddies. They usually move a shorter distance. By contrast, cold eddies are in 2000 m-deeper regions of the southwestern and northeastern SCS in spring and fall. Their intensity and vorticity are strong. Usually they move a long distance. In winter, a few rules are followed by cold eddies in the northern tip of the basin and southwest of Taiwan Island rather than warm eddies, indicating cold eddies may be well-regulated in the region. Several warm-eddy rules are achieved west of Luzon Island, indicating warm eddies may be well-regulated in the region as well. Otherwise, warm and cold eddies are distributed not only in the jet flow off southern Vietnam induced by intraseasonal wind stress in summer-fall, but also in the northern shallow water, which should be a focus of future study.

Stellar Surface Brightness Profiles of Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrmann, K. A.

2014-03-01

Radial stellar surface brightness profiles of spiral galaxies can be classified into three types: (I) single exponential, or the light falls off with one exponential out to a break radius and then falls off (II) more steeply (“truncated”), or (III) less steeply (“anti-truncated”). Why there are three different radial profile types is still a mystery, including why light falls off as an exponential at all. Profile breaks are also found in dwarf disks, but some dwarf Type IIs are flat or increasing (FI) out to a break before falling off. I have been re-examining the multi-wavelength stellar disk profiles of 141 dwarf galaxies, primarily from Hunter & Elmegreen (2004, 2006). Each dwarf has data in up to 11 wavelength bands: FUV and NUV from GALEX, UBVJHK and Hα from ground-based observations, and 3.6 and 4.5μm from Spitzer. Here I highlight some results from a semi-automatic fitting of this data set including: (1) statistics of break locations and other properties as a function of wavelength and profile type, (2) color trends and radial mass distribution as a function of profile type, and (3) the relationship of the break radius to the kinematics and density profiles of atomic hydrogen gas in the 40 dwarfs of the LITTLE THINGS subsample.

Injury survey of a non-traditional 'soft-edged' trampoline designed to lower equipment hazards.

PubMed

Eager, David B; Scarrott, Carl; Nixon, Jim; Alexander, Keith

2013-01-01

In Australia trampolines contribute one quarter of all childhood play equipment injuries. The objective of this study was to gather and evaluate injury data from a non-traditional, 'soft-edged', consumer trampoline, where the design aimed to minimise injuries from the equipment and from falling off. The manufacturer of the non-traditional trampoline provided the University of Technology Sydney with their Australian customer database. The study involved surveys in Queensland and New South Wales, between May 2007 and March 2010. Initially injury data was gathered by a phone interview pilot study, then in the full study, through an email survey. The 3817 respondents were the carers of child users of the 'soft-edge' trampolines. Responses were compared with Australian and US emergency department data. In both countries the proportion of injuries caused by the equipment and falling off was compared with the proportion caused by the jumpers to themselves or each other. The comparisons showed a significantly lower proportion resulted from falling-off or hitting the equipment for this design when compared to traditional trampolines, both in Australia and the US. This research concludes that equipment-induced and falling-off injuries, the more severe injuries on traditional trampolines, can be significantly reduced with appropriate trampoline design.

Relationships between ground reaction force parameters during a sit-to-stand movement and physical activity and falling risk of the elderly and a comparison of the movement characteristics between the young and the elderly.

PubMed

Yamada, Takayoshi; Demura, Shin-ichi

2009-01-01

This study aimed to examine the relationships between ground reaction force during a sit-to-stand (STS) movement and physical activity and falling risk of the elderly and the difference of the movement characteristics between the young and the elderly. Sixty elderly females who can achieve a STS movement by themselves and 30 healthy young females were measured for ground reaction force during STS movement from a chair, adjusted for lower leg length height. The elderly's physical activity and falling risk were also assessed. Physical activity and falling risk significantly correlated with parameters on force exertion during hip lift-off and knee-hip joint extension phases (|r|=0.26-0.41). Significant differences were found in ground reaction force parameters of all phases between the young and the elderly and STS movement of the elderly was suggested to result in poor force exertion and slowing down. The above tendency was noticeable in the hip lift-off and knee-hip joint extension phases. In conclusion, force exertion in hip lift-off and knee-hip joint extension phases of STS movement is related to physical activity and falling risk in the elderly. These phases may be useful to evaluate the elderly's physical activity and falling risk.

A Note on Testing Mediated Effects in Structural Equation Models: Reconciling Past and Current Research on the Performance of the Test of Joint Significance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valente, Matthew J.; Gonzalez, Oscar; Miocevic, Milica; MacKinnon, David P.

2016-01-01

Methods to assess the significance of mediated effects in education and the social sciences are well studied and fall into two categories: single sample methods and computer-intensive methods. A popular single sample method to detect the significance of the mediated effect is the test of joint significance, and a popular computer-intensive method…

SU-C-204-04: Irradiation of Human Cell Lines Using Various Ions

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

Lin, Y; McMahon, S; Kaminuma, T

2016-06-15

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate and quantify the biological effects of ion radiation using several human cell lines. We aim to answer the question of whether carbon ion the most ideal ion species for heavy ion radiotherapy. Methods: The cells were irradiated at different positions along the pristine Bragg peak of several ions with different atomic number. The biological effectiveness was evaluated using the clonogenic cell survival assay. Irradiation of three human lung cancer cell lines and a fibroblast cell line were undertaken using the charged particle beam at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory at Brookhavenmore » National Lab. Four mono-energetic ion beams (carbon, oxygen, helium and lithium) were used to irradiate the cells. Water or media-filled T25 flasks were lined up along the beam line so that the cell-containing surfaces of the flasks were placed at a specific depth along the pristine Bragg curve. Four depths along the curve, representing entrance point, rising peak, peak and distal fall off, were selected to determine biological effectiveness. Gaf-chromic films were placed between the flasks to monitor the irradiation as soon as it was finished. Results: For all ion radiations, the maximum cell killing effect occurs at either peak or distal fall off, depending on the cell lines. For instance, for the fibroblast cell line AGO1522, RBEs of 1.4, 1.2, 1.4 and 1.9 were observed at the Bragg peak for Helium, Lithium, Carbon and Oxygen ions. Comparing positions, RBEs of 0.9, 1.2, 1.4 and 1.8 were observed for carbon irradiation of AGO-1522 cells positions corresponding to entrance, rising peak, peak and distal fall off. Conclusion: RBE values differ with position in the Bragg peak, ion species and cell line. Ions other than carbon may prove more effective in certain irradiation conditions and may contribute to optimized heavy ion therapy.« less

Exercise modality effect on oxygen uptake off-transient kinetics at maximal oxygen uptake intensity.

PubMed

Sousa, Ana; Rodríguez, Ferran A; Machado, Leandro; Vilas-Boas, J Paulo; Fernandes, Ricardo J

2015-06-01

What is the central question of this study? Do the mechanical differences between swimming, rowing, running and cycling have a potential effect on the oxygen uptake (V̇O2) off-kinetics after an exercise sustained until exhaustion at 100% of maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max) intensity? What is the main finding and its importance? The mechanical differences between exercise modes had a potential effect and contributed to distinct amplitude of the fast component (higher in running compared with cycling) and time constant (higher in swimming compared with rowing and cycling) in the V̇O2 off-kinetic patterns at 100% of V̇O2max intensity. This suggests that swimmers, unlike rowers and cyclists, would benefit more from a longer duration of training intervals after each set of exercise performed at V̇O2max intensity. The kinetics of oxygen uptake (V̇O2) during recovery (off-transient kinetics) for different exercise modes is largely unexplored, hampering the prescription of training and recovery to enhance performance. The purpose of this study was to compare the V̇O2 off-transient kinetics response between swimmers, rowers, runners and cyclists during their specific mode of exercise at 100% of maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max) intensity and to examine the on-off symmetry. Groups of swimmers, rowers, runners and cyclists (n = 8 per group) performed (i) an incremental exercise protocol to assess the velocity or power associated with V̇O2max (vV̇O2max or wV̇O2max, respectively) and (ii) a square-wave exercise transition from rest to vV̇O2max/vV̇O2maxwV̇O2maxwV̇O2max until volitional exhaustion. Pulmonary exchange parameters were measured using a telemetric portable gas analyser (K4b(2) ; Cosmed, Rome, Italy), and the on- and off-transient kinetics were analysed through a double-exponential approach. For all exercise modes, both transient periods were symmetrical in shape once they had both been adequately fitted by a double-exponential model. However, differences were found in the off-kinetic parameters between exercise modes; the amplitude of the fast component of the V̇O2 off-response was higher in running compared with cycling (48 ± 5 and 36 ± 7 ml kg(-1) min(-1) , respectively; P < 0.001), and the time constant of the same phase was higher in swimming compared with rowing and cycling (63 ± 5, 56 ± 5 and 55 ± 3 s, respectively; P < 0.001). Although both phases were well described by a double-exponential model, the differences between exercise modes had a potential effect and contributed to distinct V̇O2 off-transient kinetic patterns at 100% of V̇O2max intensity. © 2015 The Authors. Experimental Physiology © 2015 The Physiological Society.

Bidirectional superior cavopulmonary anastomosis with or without cardiopulmonary bypass: A randomized study.

PubMed

Talwar, Sachin; Gupta, Anish; Nehra, Ashima; Makhija, Neeti; Kapoor, Poonam Malhotra; Sreenivas, Vishnubhatla; Choudhary, Shiv Kumar; Airan, Balram

2017-06-01

This study aims to compare the bidirectional superior cavopulmonary anastomosis (BDG) with or without cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). 100 patients undergoing BDG were randomized into two groups: Off-CPB or on-CPB groups. All patients underwent near-infrared spectrophotometry (NIRS) and bispectral index (BIS) monitoring and pre- and postoperative serum 100 beta protein measurements (Sβ100) and neuro-cognitive evaluation. Postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) parameters were also studied. The median age of patients in the on-CPB and off-CPB group were 42 and 48 months, respectively (p = 0.11). Median weights in the on-CPB group and off-CPB group were 13.5 (5-50) kg and 15 (7-36) kg, respectively (p = 0.927). There was a significant rise in superior vena cava (SVC) pressure on SVC clamping in the off-CPB group (23.12 ± 6.84 vs 2.98 ± 2.22 mmHg) on-CPB group (p < 0.001). There was a significant fall in NIRS and BIS values from baseline in the off-CPB group during the anastomosis but there was no statistically significant change in serum Sβ100from pre-clamp to post-clamp in either group. Inotropic support, duration of ventilation, ICU stay, and hospital stay were significantly less in the off-CPB group (p < 0.001). Assessment of Social Adaptive Functioning revealed no adverse sequelae. There were significant cost savings if surgery was performed off-CPB (p < 0.001). Off CPB-BDG is an economical and safe procedure. Duration of inotropic and mechanical ventilatory support, ICU, and hospital stay is significantly less. We did not observe any early adverse neurologic sequelae in patients undergoing off-CPB BDG. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

81. Photocopy of Photograph (original located in Univ. of Denver ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

81. Photocopy of Photograph (original located in Univ. of Denver collection). C.R. Savage, Photographer, date unknown. DRY CREEK DAM, TWIN FALLS COUNTY, SOUTH OF MURTAUGH, IDAHO; DRIVING SHEET PILING TO SHUT OFF SEEPAGE. - Milner Dam & Main Canal: Twin Falls Canal Company, On Snake River, 11 miles West of city of Burley, Idaho, Twin Falls, Twin Falls County, ID

The effect of surface waviness on friction between Neolite and quarry tiles.

PubMed

Chang, Wen-Ruey; Grönqvist, Raoul; Hirvonen, Mikko; Matz, Simon

2004-06-22

Friction is widely used as an indicator of surface slipperiness in preventing accidents in slips and falls. Surface texture affects friction, but it is not clear which surface characteristics are better correlated with friction. Highly correlated surface characteristics could be used as potential interventions to prevent slip and fall accidents. The dynamic friction between quarry tiles and a commonly used sole testing material, Neolite, using three different mixtures of glycerol and water as contaminants at the interface was correlated with the surface parameters of the tile surfaces. The surface texture was quantified with various surface roughness and surface waviness parameters using three different cut-off lengths to filter the measured profiles for obtaining the profiles of either surface roughness or surface waviness. The correlation coefficients between the surface parameters and the measured friction were affected by the glycerol contents and cut-off lengths. Surface waviness parameters could potentially be better indicators of friction than commonly used surface roughness parameters, especially when they were measured with commonly used cut-off lengths or when the viscosity of the liquid contaminant was high.

Improving understanding of the underlying physical process of sediment wash-off from urban road surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muthusamy, Manoranjan; Tait, Simon; Schellart, Alma; Beg, Md Nazmul Azim; Carvalho, Rita F.; de Lima, João L. M. P.

2018-02-01

Among the urban aquatic pollutants, the most common is sediment which also acts as a transport medium for many contaminants. Hence there is an increasing interest in being able to better predict the sediment wash-off from urban surfaces. The exponential wash-off model is the most widely used method to predict the sediment wash-off. Although a number of studies proposed various modifications to the original exponential wash-off equation, these studies mostly looked into one parameter in isolation thereby ignoring the interactions between the parameters corresponding to rainfall, catchment and sediment characteristics. Hence in this study we aim (a) to investigate the effect of rainfall intensity, surface slope and initial load on wash-off load in an integrated and systematic way and (b) to subsequently improve the exponential wash-off equation focusing on the effect of the aforementioned three parameters. A series of laboratory experiments were carried out in a full-scale setup, comprising of a rainfall simulator, a 1 m2 bituminous road surface, and a continuous wash-off measuring system. Five rainfall intensities ranging from 33 to 155 mm/h, four slopes ranging from 2 to 16% and three initial loads ranging from 50 to 200 g/m2 were selected based on values obtained from the literature. Fine sediment with a size range of 300-600 μm was used for all of the tests. Each test was carried out for one hour with at least 9 wash-off samples per test collected. Mass balance checks were carried out for all the tests as a quality control measure to make sure that there is no significant loss of sand during the tests. Results show that the washed off sediment load at any given time is proportional to initial load for a given combination of rainfall intensity and surface slope. This indicates the importance of dedicated modelling of build-up so as to subsequently predict wash-off load. It was also observed that the maximum fraction that is washed off from the surface increases with both rainfall intensity and the surface slope. This observation leads to the second part of the study where the existing wash-off model is modified by introducing a capacity factor which defines this maximum fraction. This capacity factor is derived as a function of wash-off coefficient, making use of the correlation between the maximum fraction and the wash-off rate. Values of the modified wash-off coefficient are presented for all combinations of rainfall intensities and surface slopes, which can be transferred to other urban catchments with similar conditions.

Analyzing non-LTE Kr plasmas produced in high energy density experiments: from the Z machine to the National Ignition Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dasgupta, Arati

2015-11-01

Designing high fluence photon sources above 10 keV are a challenge for High Energy Density plasmas. This has motivated radiation source development investigations of Kr with K-shell energies around 13 keV. Recent pulsed power driven gas-puff experiments on the refurbished Z machine at Sandia have produced intense X-rays in the multi-keV photon energy range. K-shell radiative yields and efficiencies are very high for Ar, but rapidly decrease for higher atomic number (ZA) elements such as Kr. It has been suggested that an optimum exists corresponding to a trade-off between the increase of photon energy for higher ZA elements and the corresponding fall off in radiative power. However the conversion efficiency on NIF, where the drive, energy deposition process, and target dynamics are different, does not fall off with higher ZA as rapidly as on Z. We have developed detailed atomic structure and collisional data for the full K-, L- and partial M-shell of Kr using the Flexible Atomic Code (FAC). Our non-LTE atomic model includes all collisional and recombination processes, including state-specific dielectronic recombination (DR), that significantly affect ionization balance and spectra of Kr plasmas at the temperatures and densities of concern. The model couples ionization physics, radiation production and transport, and magnetohydrodynamics. In this talk, I will give a detailed description of the model and discuss 1D Kr simulations employing a multifrequency radiation transport scheme. Synthetic K- and L-shell spectra will be compared with available experimental data. This talk will analyze experimental data indicative of the differences between Z and NIF experimental data and discuss how they affect the K-shell radiative output of Kr plasma. Work supported by DOE/NNSA.

Heating of cardiovascular stents in intense radiofrequency magnetic fields.

PubMed

Foster, K R; Goldberg, R; Bonsignore, C

1999-01-01

We consider the heating of a metal stent in an alternating magnetic field from an induction heating furnace. An approximate theoretical analysis is conducted to estimate the magnetic field strength needed to produce substantial temperature increases. Experiments of stent heating in industrial furnaces are reported, which confirm the model. The results show that magnetic fields inside inductance furnaces are capable of significantly heating stents. However, the fields fall off very quickly with distance and in most locations outside the heating coil, field levels are far too small to produce significant heating. The ANSI/IEEE C95.1-1992 limits for human exposure to alternating magnetic fields provide adequate protection against potential excessive heating of the stents.

Effect of inhomogeneity in a patient's body on the accuracy of the pencil beam algorithm in comparison to Monte Carlo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamashita, T.; Akagi, T.; Aso, T.; Kimura, A.; Sasaki, T.

2012-11-01

The pencil beam algorithm (PBA) is reasonably accurate and fast. It is, therefore, the primary method used in routine clinical treatment planning for proton radiotherapy; still, it needs to be validated for use in highly inhomogeneous regions. In our investigation of the effect of patient inhomogeneity, PBA was compared with Monte Carlo (MC). A software framework was developed for the MC simulation of radiotherapy based on Geant4. Anatomical sites selected for the comparison were the head/neck, liver, lung and pelvis region. The dose distributions calculated by the two methods in selected examples were compared, as well as a dose volume histogram (DVH) derived from the dose distributions. The comparison of the off-center ratio (OCR) at the iso-center showed good agreement between the PBA and MC, while discrepancies were seen around the distal fall-off regions. While MC showed a fine structure on the OCR in the distal fall-off region, the PBA showed smoother distribution. The fine structures in MC calculation appeared downstream of very low-density regions. Comparison of DVHs showed that most of the target volumes were similarly covered, while some OARs located around the distal region received a higher dose when calculated by MC than the PBA.

Genesis, Pathways, and Terminations of Intense Global Water Vapor Transport in Association with Large-Scale Climate Patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sellars, S. L.; Kawzenuk, B.; Nguyen, P.; Ralph, F. M.; Sorooshian, S.

2017-12-01

The CONNected objECT (CONNECT) algorithm is applied to global Integrated Water Vapor Transport data from the NASA's Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications - Version 2 reanalysis product for the period of 1980 to 2016. The algorithm generates life-cycle records in time and space evolving strong vapor transport events. We show five regions, located in the midlatitudes, where events typically exist (off the coast of the southeast United States, eastern China, eastern South America, off the southern tip of South Africa, and in the southeastern Pacific Ocean). Global statistics show distinct genesis and termination regions and global seasonal peak frequency during Northern Hemisphere late fall/winter and Southern Hemisphere winter. In addition, the event frequency and geographical location are shown to be modulated by the Arctic Oscillation, Pacific North American Pattern, and the quasi-biennial oscillation. Moreover, a positive linear trend in the annual number of objects is reported, increasing by 3.58 objects year-over-year.

Entropic anomaly and maximal efficiency of microscopic heat engines.

PubMed

Bo, Stefano; Celani, Antonio

2013-05-01

The efficiency of microscopic heat engines in a thermally heterogenous environment is considered. We show that-as a consequence of the recently discovered entropic anomaly-quasistatic engines, whose efficiency is maximal in a fluid at uniform temperature, have in fact vanishing efficiency in the presence of temperature gradients. For slow cycles the efficiency falls off as the inverse of the period. The maximum efficiency is reached at a finite value of the cycle period that is inversely proportional to the square root of the gradient intensity. The relative loss in maximal efficiency with respect to the thermally homogeneous case grows as the square root of the gradient. As an illustration of these general results, we construct an explicit, analytically solvable example of a Carnot stochastic engine. In this thought experiment, a Brownian particle is confined by a harmonic trap and immersed in a fluid with a linear temperature profile. This example may serve as a template for the design of real experiments in which the effect of the entropic anomaly can be measured.

Quantifying streambank erosion: a comparative study using an unmanned aerial system (UAS) and a terrestrial laser scanner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rizzo, D.; Hamshaw, S. D.; Dewoolkar, M.; ONeil-Dunne, J.; Frolik, J.; Bryce, T. G.; Waldron, A. Y.

2015-12-01

Streambank erosion is a common non-point source contributing to suspended sediment and nutrient loading of waterways, and recently has been estimated to account for 30-80% of sediment loading into receiving waters. There is interest in developing reliable methods to quantify bank erosion in watersheds, so effective management strategies can be devised. However, current methods can be either cost prohibitive or unreliable. Direct measurement approaches (surveys and erosion pins) are labor intensive and yield site-specific measurements that are limited for extrapolation to larger scales. Similar issues arise with analytical methods such as slope stability analysis, which require material parameters that are resource intensive to determine. Newer approaches such as use of aerial LiDAR data have proved effective for watershed level assessment, but come with long turnaround times and high cost. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) is also effective and offers high accuracy, however collection over large areas is impractical and post-processing is labor intensive. New technology in the form of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) has the potential to significantly enhance the ability to monitor channel migration and quantify bank erosion at variable scales. In this study, 20 km of the Mad and Winooski Rivers in Vermont were flown using a senseFly eBee UAS. Flights were made in spring and fall 2015 in leaf-off conditions with selected portions also flown after large storms in the summer. Change in bank profiles between spring and fall flights provide a comprehensive estimate of bank erosion along the study reaches. Six sites with varying bank heights, erosion sensitivity, and vegetation conditions were selected for simultaneous surveying using a TLS. Point cloud data from both the TLS and UAS were compared to assess the accuracy of the UAS for capturing the bank profile. Changes in bank cross-sections and in volumes calculated from 3D digital surface models were used to compare the UAS and TLS methods. Ascertaining the accuracy of UAS in measuring streambank profiles will determine the appropriateness of the technology for long-term monitoring of bank erosion. The ability for rapid deployment, covering large areas, and fast post-processing allow for more comprehensive monitoring of streambank erosion in river systems.

Numerical investigation of output beam quality in efficient broadband optical parametric chirped pulse amplification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiao-Di; Xu, Lu; Liang, Xiao-Yan

2017-01-01

We theoretically analyzed output beam quality of broad bandwidth non-collinear optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (NOPCPA) in LiB3O5 (LBO) centered at 800 nm. With a three-dimensional numerical model, the influence of the pump intensity, pump and signal spatial modulations, and the walk-off effect on the OPCPA output beam quality are presented, together with conversion efficiency and the gain spectrum. The pump modulation is a dominant factor that affects the output beam quality. Comparatively, the influence of signal modulation is insignificant. For a low-energy system with small beam sizes, walk-off effect has to be considered. Pump modulation and walk-off effect lead to asymmetric output beam profile with increased modulation. A special pump modulation type is found to optimize output beam quality and efficiency. For a high-energy system with large beam sizes, the walk-off effect can be neglected, certain back conversion is beneficial to reduce the output modulation. A trade-off must be made between the output beam quality and the conversion efficiency, especially when the pump modulation is large since. A relatively high conversion efficiency and a low output modulation are both achievable by controlling the pump modulation and intensity.

Atmospheric conditions during the spring and fall transitions in the coastal ocean off western United States

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strub, P. Ted; James, Corinne

1988-01-01

Atmospheric events which force the spring and fall oceanic transitions in the coastal ocean off the west coast of North America were examined by analyzing the records of adjusted sea level (ASL), coastal wind stress, sea level atmospheric pressure (SLP), and 500-mbar heights for the years 1971-1975 and 1980-1983. The records cover periods of 91 days, centered on the dates of the spring and fall transitions as determined from coastal ASL data. It was found that the dominant mode of the ASL and coastal wind stress are similar around the times of both the spring and fall transitions, and that the time series for these modes are highly correlated with one another. Principal estimator patterns show the spatial patterns of SLP which force the ASL and coastal wind stress during the transitions.

Vibrotactile tilt feedback improves dynamic gait index: a fall risk indicator in older adults.

PubMed

Wall, Conrad; Wrisley, Diane M; Statler, Kennyn D

2009-07-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of vibrotactile feedback of body tilt in improving dynamic gait index (DGI) a fall risk indicator in community dwelling older adults. Twelve healthy elderly subjects (three males and nine females, age 79.7+/-5.4 yrs) were tested in an institutional balance rehabilitation laboratory to investigate changes between the feedback off and on conditions. Subjects were acutely exposed to a vibrotactile display that indicated the magnitude and direction of their body tilt from the vertical. DGI and mediolateral (ML) sway were determined during locomotion with, and without, vibrotactile tilt feedback (VTTF). All subjects were at risk for falls based on their initial DGI Score (range: 15-19, mean 17.4+/-1.56), which was taken with the vibratory stimulus turned off. Subjects learned to use the trunk tilt information from the vibrotactile feedback vest through 20-30 min of gait and balance training consisting of activities that challenged their balance. Subjects were then retested on the DGI. Statistically significant changes were demonstrated for the DGI total score while using the vibrotactile tilt feedback. DGI total scores improved from 17.1+/-0.4 to 20.8+/-0.3 (p<0.05). We conclude that vibrotactile tilt feedback improves both control of mediolateral sway during gait and dynamic gait index. Both are fall risk indicators for this population.

Clinical tests performed in acute stroke identify the risk of falling during the first year: postural stroke study in Gothenburg (POSTGOT).

PubMed

Persson, Carina U; Hansson, Per-Olof; Sunnerhagen, Katharina S

2011-03-01

To assess the likelihood of clinical tests for postural balance, walking and motor skills, performed during the first week after stroke, identifying the risk of falling. Prospective study. Patients with first stroke. Assessments were carried out during the first week, and the occurrence of falls was recorded 3, 6 and 12 months after stroke onset. The tests used were: 10-Metre Walking Test (10MWT), Timed Up & Go, Swedish Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke Patients, Berg Balance Scale and Modified Motor Assessment Scale. Cut-off levels were obtained by receiver operation characteristic curves, and odds ratios were used to assess cut-off levels for falling. The analyses were based on 96 patients. Forty-eight percent had at least one fall during the first year. All tests were associated with the risk of falling. The highest predictive values were found for the 10MWT (positive predictive value 64%, negative predictive value 76%). Those subjects who were unable to perform the 10MWT had the highest odds ratio, 6.06 (95% confidence interval 2.66-13.84, p<0.001) of falling. Clinical tests used during the first week after stroke onset can, to some extent, identify those patients at risk of falling during the first year after stroke.

Collimated proton pencil-beam scanning for superficial targets: impact of the order of range shifter and aperture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bäumer, C.; Janson, M.; Timmermann, B.; Wulff, J.

2018-04-01

To assess if apertures shall be mounted upstream or downstream of a range shifting block if these field-shaping devices are combined with the pencil-beam scanning delivery technique (PBS). The lateral dose fall-off served as a benchmark parameter. Both options realizing PBS-with-apertures were compared to the uniform scanning mode. We also evaluated the difference regarding the out-of-field dose caused by interactions of protons in beam-shaping devices. The potential benefit of the downstream configuration over the upstream configuration was estimated analytically. Guided by this theoretical evaluation a mechanical adapter was developed which transforms the upstream configuration provided by the proton machine vendor to a downstream configuration. Transversal dose profiles were calculated with the Monte-Carlo based dose engine of the commercial treatment planning system RayStation 6. Two-dimensional dose planes were measured with an ionization chamber array and a scintillation detector at different depths and compared to the calculation. Additionally, a clinical example for the irradiation of the orbit was compared for both PBS options and a uniform scanning treatment plan. Assuming the same air gap the lateral dose fall-off at the field edge at a few centimeter depth is 20% smaller for the aperture-downstream configuration than for the upstream one. For both options of PBS-with-apertures the dose fall-off is larger than in uniform scanning delivery mode if the minimum accelerator energy is 100 MeV. The RayStation treatment planning system calculated the width of the lateral dose fall-off with an accuracy of typically 0.1 mm–0.3 mm. Although experiments and calculations indicate a ranking of the three delivery options regarding lateral dose fall-off, there seems to be a limited impact on a multi-field treatment plan.

Rotation curve for the Milky Way galaxy in conformal gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, James G.; Moss, Robert J.

2015-05-01

Galactic rotation curves have proven to be the testing ground for dark matter bounds in galaxies, and our own Milky Way is one of many large spiral galaxies that must follow the same models. Over the last decade, the rotation of the Milky Way galaxy has been studied and extended by many authors. Since the work of conformal gravity has now successfully fit the rotation curves of almost 140 galaxies, we present here the fit to our own Milky Way. However, the Milky Way is not just an ordinary galaxy to append to our list, but instead provides a robust test of a fundamental difference of conformal gravity rotation curves versus standard cold dark matter models. It was shown by Mannheim and O'Brien that in conformal gravity, the presence of a quadratic potential causes the rotation curve to eventually fall off after its flat portion. This effect can currently be seen in only a select few galaxies whose rotation curve is studied well beyond a few multiples of the optical galactic scale length. Due to the recent work of Sofue et al and Kundu et al, the rotation curve of the Milky Way has now been studied to a degree where we can test the predicted fall off in the conformal gravity rotation curve. We find that - like the other galaxies already studied in conformal gravity - we obtain amazing agreement with rotational data and the prediction includes the eventual fall off at large distances from the galactic center.

Scoring the home falls and accidents screening tool for health professionals (HOME FAST-HP): Evidence from one epidemiological study.

PubMed

Mackenzie, Lynette; Byles, Julie

2018-03-30

Falls in older people are a major public health concern. To target falls prevention interventions, screening tools need to be able to identify older people at greater risk of falling. This study aimed to investigate the screening capacity of the Home Falls and Accidents Screening Tool for health professionals (HOME FAST-HP), and to identify the best cut-off score to identify older people at higher risk of falls using the HOME FAST-HP. The study used cross-sectional data from a random sample of 650 women from the 1921 to 1926 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health (ALSWH). Selected women were sent a postal survey including the HOME FAST-HP, falls history, and other health factors. Scores on the home fast were calculated and the cut-point for optimal sensitivity and specificity of the HOME FAST-HP in relation to falls was assessed using a Receiver Operating Characteristic curve. A total of 567 older women participated (response rate 87%). The mean age of participants was 77.5 yrs (95% CI 77.31-77.70). A total of 153 participants (27%) reported a fall in the previous six months. The mean number of hazards using the HOME FAST-HP was 9.74 (95% CI 9.48-10.01), range 2-22. Non-fallers had a mean of 9.6 hazards (95% CI 9.32-9.91) and fallers had a mean of 10.63 hazards (95% CI 10.08-11.19) which was a significant difference (t = 3.41, P = 0.001). The area under the receiver operator curve (AUC) was 0.58 (95% CI 0.53-0.64). A HOME FAST-HP cut-off score of 9 was associated with the optimal sensitivity for falls (73.9%), with specificity (37.9%), and positive predictive value was 30.6% and negative predictive value was 79.7%. The HOME FAST-HP can be used as a screening tool to identify fallers with a cut-off score of nine indicating a higher risk of falling. © 2018 Occupational Therapy Australia.

GABAa and GABAc receptor-mediated modulation of responses to color stimuli: electroretinographic study in the turtle Emys orbicularis.

PubMed

Kupenova, Petia; Vitanova, Lily; Popova, Elka

2010-04-01

GABAergic transmission is involved in color coding in the retina. The specific contribution of different GABA receptors to spectral sensitivity of the retinal responses is not well characterized. We studied GABAa and GABAc receptor-mediated effects on the intensity-response functions of the electroretinographic ON (b-wave) and OFF (d-wave) responses to color stimuli. For this purpose, we compared the effects of GABAa receptor blockade by bicuculline with the effects of GABAa + GABAc receptor blockade by picrotoxin. The blockade of both GABAa and GABAc receptors caused an amplitude increase of the electroretinographic responses, but the effects of the two blockades depended in a specific manner on stimulus intensity and wavelength. The effects of GABAa receptor blockade showed distinct color ON/OFF asymmetry. The absolute and relative sensitivities of the ON responses to blue stimuli and OFF responses to red stimuli were increased to the greatest degree while the sensitivity of the ON responses to red stimuli and OFF responses to blue stimuli was least increased. In contrast, color ON/OFF asymmetry was not typical of the effects of GABAc receptor blockade. The most prominent GABAc effect was the sensitivity increase of the ON and OFF responses to blue stimuli and, to some lesser extent, to green stimuli. The results of this study indicate a specific role of GABAa and GABAc receptor-mediated influences in processing of chromatic information in the distal retina.

Addressing the issue of falls off playground equipment: an empirically-based intervention to reduce fall-risk behaviors on playgrounds.

PubMed

Morrongiello, Barbara A; Matheis, Shawn

2007-08-01

The present study evaluated the impact of an intervention to reduce fall-risk behaviors on playgrounds among children 6-11 years of age. Children completed posters indicating risky playground behaviors they would and would not do. In the intervention group, video and audio presentations were used to expose children to injury occurrences so that injury vulnerability was communicated in a fear-evoking way. In the control group, children only completed the pre- and post-intervention measures. Significant decreases in intentions to risk-take were obtained in the intervention, but not the control group. Effectiveness did not vary with children's age or sex, but was greater for those scoring high in sensation-seeking. A fear-appeals approach proved successful to reduce intended fall-risk behaviors, particularly for children high in sensation-seeking whose risk-taking is motivated by affect arousal.

Negative Gauge Pressure Moisture Management and Secure Adherence Device for Prosthetic Limbs

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

prosthesis feels like it is sliding up and down or falling off when I am active. D. I have been more active than normal as a result of this prosthesis ...temperature. 3. My prosthesis feels like it is sliding up and down or falling off when I am active. 4. I have been more active than normal as a result of...objective of this research was to develop and test a novel prosthesis incorporating a negative gauge pressure moisture management and secure

Comparison and characterization of Android-based fall detection systems.

PubMed

Luque, Rafael; Casilari, Eduardo; Morón, María-José; Redondo, Gema

2014-10-08

Falls are a foremost source of injuries and hospitalization for seniors. The adoption of automatic fall detection mechanisms can noticeably reduce the response time of the medical staff or caregivers when a fall takes place. Smartphones are being increasingly proposed as wearable, cost-effective and not-intrusive systems for fall detection. The exploitation of smartphones' potential (and in particular, the Android Operating System) can benefit from the wide implantation, the growing computational capabilities and the diversity of communication interfaces and embedded sensors of these personal devices. After revising the state-of-the-art on this matter, this study develops an experimental testbed to assess the performance of different fall detection algorithms that ground their decisions on the analysis of the inertial data registered by the accelerometer of the smartphone. Results obtained in a real testbed with diverse individuals indicate that the accuracy of the accelerometry-based techniques to identify the falls depends strongly on the fall pattern. The performed tests also show the difficulty to set detection acceleration thresholds that allow achieving a good trade-off between false negatives (falls that remain unnoticed) and false positives (conventional movements that are erroneously classified as falls). In any case, the study of the evolution of the battery drain reveals that the extra power consumption introduced by the Android monitoring applications cannot be neglected when evaluating the autonomy and even the viability of fall detection systems.

Comparison and Characterization of Android-Based Fall Detection Systems

PubMed Central

Luque, Rafael; Casilari, Eduardo; Morón, María-José; Redondo, Gema

2014-01-01

Falls are a foremost source of injuries and hospitalization for seniors. The adoption of automatic fall detection mechanisms can noticeably reduce the response time of the medical staff or caregivers when a fall takes place. Smartphones are being increasingly proposed as wearable, cost-effective and not-intrusive systems for fall detection. The exploitation of smartphones' potential (and in particular, the Android Operating System) can benefit from the wide implantation, the growing computational capabilities and the diversity of communication interfaces and embedded sensors of these personal devices. After revising the state-of-the-art on this matter, this study develops an experimental testbed to assess the performance of different fall detection algorithms that ground their decisions on the analysis of the inertial data registered by the accelerometer of the smartphone. Results obtained in a real testbed with diverse individuals indicate that the accuracy of the accelerometry-based techniques to identify the falls depends strongly on the fall pattern. The performed tests also show the difficulty to set detection acceleration thresholds that allow achieving a good trade-off between false negatives (falls that remain unnoticed) and false positives (conventional movements that are erroneously classified as falls). In any case, the study of the evolution of the battery drain reveals that the extra power consumption introduced by the Android monitoring applications cannot be neglected when evaluating the autonomy and even the viability of fall detection systems. PMID:25299953

Tephra fall clean-up in urban environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayes, Josh L.; Wilson, Thomas M.; Magill, Christina

2015-10-01

Tephra falls impact urban communities by disrupting transport systems, contaminating and damaging buildings and infrastructures, and are potentially hazardous to human health. Therefore, prompt and effective tephra clean-up measures are an essential component of an urban community's response to tephra fall. This paper reviews case studies of tephra clean-up operations in urban environments around the world, spanning 50 years. It identifies methods used in tephra clean-up and assesses a range of empirical relationships between level of tephra accumulation and clean-up metrics such as collected tephra volume, costs, and duration of operations. Results indicate the volume of tephra collected from urban areas is proportional to tephra accumulation. Urban areas with small tephra accumulations (1,000 m3/km2 or an average of 1 mm thickness) may collect < 1% of the total deposit, whereas urban areas which experience large accumulations (> 50,000 m3/km2 or an average of 50 mm thickness) remove up to 80%. This relationship can inform impact and risk assessments by providing an estimate of the likely response required for a given tephra fall. No strong relationship was found between tephra fall accumulation and clean-up cost or duration for urban environments which received one-off tephra falls, suggesting that these aspects of tephra fall clean-up operations are context specific. Importantly, this study highlights the advantage of effective planning for tephra clean-up and disposal in potentially exposed areas.

Magnetic-time model at off-season germination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahajan, Tarlochan Singh; Pandey, Om Prakash

2014-03-01

Effect of static magnetic field on germination of mung beans is described. Seeds of mung beans, were exposed in batches to static magnetic fields of 87 to 226 mT intensity for 100 min. Magnetic time constant - 60.743 Th (Tesla hour) was determined experimentally. High value of magnetic time constant signifies lower effect of magnetic field on germination rate as this germination was carried out at off-season (13°C). Using decay function, germination magnetic constant was calculated. There was a linear increase in germination magnetic constant with increasing intensity of magnetic field. Calculated values of mean germination time, mean germination rate, germination rate coefficient, germination magnetic constant, transition time, water uptake, indicate that the impact of applied static magnetic field improves the germination of mung beans seeds even in off-season

Raindrop fall velocities from an optical array probe and 2-D video disdrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bringi, Viswanathan; Thurai, Merhala; Baumgardner, Darrel

2018-03-01

We report on fall speed measurements of raindrops in light-to-heavy rain events from two climatically different regimes (Greeley, Colorado, and Huntsville, Alabama) using the high-resolution (50 µm) Meteorological Particle Spectrometer (MPS) and a third-generation (170 µm resolution) 2-D video disdrometer (2DVD). To mitigate wind effects, especially for the small drops, both instruments were installed within a 2/3-scale Double Fence Intercomparison Reference (DFIR) enclosure. Two cases involved light-to-moderate wind speeds/gusts while the third case was a tornadic supercell and several squall lines that passed over the site with high wind speeds/gusts. As a proxy for turbulent intensity, maximum wind speeds from 10 m height at the instrumented site recorded every 3 s were differenced with the 5 min average wind speeds and then squared. The fall speeds vs. size from 0.1 to 2 and > 0.7 mm were derived from the MPS and the 2DVD, respectively. Consistency of fall speeds from the two instruments in the overlap region (0.7-2 mm) gave confidence in the data quality and processing methodologies. Our results indicate that under low turbulence, the mean fall speeds agree well with fits to the terminal velocity measured in the laboratory by Gunn and Kinzer from 100 µm up to precipitation sizes. The histograms of fall speeds for 0.5, 0.7, 1 and 1.5 mm sizes were examined in detail under the same conditions. The histogram shapes for the 1 and 1.5 mm sizes were symmetric and in good agreement between the two instruments with no evidence of skewness or of sub- or super-terminal fall speeds. The histograms of the smaller 0.5 and 0.7 mm drops from MPS, while generally symmetric, showed that occasional occurrences of sub- and super-terminal fall speeds could not be ruled out. In the supercell case, the very strong gusts and inferred high turbulence intensity caused a significant broadening of the fall speed distributions with negative skewness (for drops of 1.3, 2 and 3 mm). The mean fall speeds were also found to decrease nearly linearly with increasing turbulent intensity attaining values about 25-30 % less than the terminal velocity of Gunn-Kinzer, i.e., sub-terminal fall speeds.

Low-Latitude Solar Wind During the Fall 1998 SOHO-Ulysses Quadrature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poletto, G.; Suess, Steven T.; Biesecker, D.; Esser, R.; Gloeckler, G.; Zurbuchen, T.; Whitaker, Ann F. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The Fall 1998 SOlar-Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) - Ulysses quadrature occurred when Ulysses was at 5.2 AU, 17.4 deg South of the equator, and off the West line of the Sun. SOHO coronal observations, at heliocentric distances of a few solar radii, showed that the line through the solar center and Ulysses crossed, over the first days of observations, a dark, weakly emitting area and through the northern edge of a streamer complex during the second half of the quadrature campaign. Ulysses in situ observations showed this transition to correspond to a decrease from higher speed wind typical of coronal hole flow to low speed wind. Physical parameters (density, temperature, flow speed) of the low latitude coronal plasma sampled over the campaign are determined using constraints from what is the same plasma measured later in situ and simulating the intensities of the Hydrogen Lyman-alpha and OVI 1032 and 1037 Angstrom lines, measured by the Ultra Violet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) on SOHO. The densities, temperatures and outflow speed are compared with the same characteristic flow parameters for high-latitude fast wind streams and typical slow solar wind.

Acoustics flow analysis in circular duct using sound intensity and dynamic mode decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weyna, S.

2014-08-01

Sound intensity generation in hard-walled duct with acoustic flow (no mean-flow) is treated experimentally and shown graphically. In paper, numerous methods of visualization illustrating the vortex flow (2D, 3D) can graphically explain diffraction and scattering phenomena occurring inside the duct and around open end area. Sound intensity investigation in annular duct gives a physical picture of sound waves in any duct mode. In the paper, modal energy analysis are discussed with particular reference to acoustics acoustic orthogonal decomposition (AOD). The image of sound intensity fields before and above "cut-off" frequency region are found to compare acoustic modes which might resonate in duct. The experimental results show also the effects of axial and swirling flow. However acoustic field is extremely complicated, because pressures in non-propagating (cut-off) modes cooperate with the particle velocities in propagating modes, and vice versa. Measurement in cylindrical duct demonstrates also the cut-off phenomenon and the effect of reflection from open end. The aim of experimental study was to obtain information on low Mach number flows in ducts in order to improve physical understanding and validate theoretical CFD and CAA models that still may be improved.

Image irradiance distribution in the 3MI wide field of view polarimeter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabrieli, Riccardo; Bartoli, Alessandro; Maiorano, Michele; Bruno, Umberto; Olivieri, Monica; Calamai, Luciano; Manolis, Ilias; Labate, Demetrio

2015-09-01

The Multi-Viewing, Multi-Channel, Multi-Polarisation Imager (3MI) is an imaging radiometer for the ESA/Eumetsat MeteOp-SG programme. Based on the heritage of the POLDER/PARASOL instrument, 3MI is designed to collect global observations of the top-of-atmosphere polarised bi-directional reflectance distribution function in 12 spectral bands, by observing the same target from multiple views using a pushbroom scanning concept. The demanding challenge of the 3MI optical design is represented by the polarisation and image irradiance fall-off (throughput uniformity) requirements. In a generic optical system, the image irradiance fall-off is a function of: target radiance distribution and polarisation, entrance pupil size and optical transmittance variations across the field of view (FOV), distortion and vignetting. In most applications these aspects can be considered as independent; however, when high image irradiance uniformity is required, they have to be considered as linked together. This is particularly true in case of a wide FOV polarimeter as 3MI is. In order to properly account for these aspects, an irradiance fall-off analytical model has been developed in the frame of 3MI Optics Pre-Development (OPD), whose aim is to mitigate any technological risks associated with the 3MI instrument development. It is shown how it is possible to control the image irradiance distribution acting on optical design parameters (e.g. distortion and entrance pupil size variation with FOV). Moreover, the impact of polarisation performances on irradiance fall-off is discussed.

Are Virtual Rehabilitation Technologies Feasible Models to Scale an Evidence-Based Fall Prevention Program? A Pilot Study Using the Kinect Camera.

PubMed

Shubert, Tiffany E; Basnett, Jeanna; Chokshi, Anang; Barrett, Mark; Komatireddy, Ravi

2015-11-05

Falls in older adults are a significant public health issue. Interventions have been developed and proven effective to reduce falls in older adults, but these programs typically last several months and can be resource intensive. Virtual rehabilitation technologies may offer a solution to bring these programs to scale. Off-the-shelf and custom exergames have demonstrated to be a feasible adjunct to rehabilitation with older adults. However, it is not known if older adults will be able or willing to use a virtual rehabilitation technology to participate in an evidence-based fall prevention program. To have the greatest impact, virtual rehabilitation technologies need to be acceptable to older adults from different backgrounds and level of fall risk. If these technologies prove to be a feasible option, they offer a new distribution channel to disseminate fall prevention programs. Stand Tall (ST) is a virtual translation of the Otago Exercise Program (OEP), an evidence-based fall prevention program. Stand Tall was developed using the Virtual Exercise Rehabilitation Assistant (VERA) software, which uses a Kinect camera and a laptop to deliver physical therapy exercise programs. Our purpose in this pilot study was to explore if ST could be a feasible platform to deliver the OEP to older adults from a variety of fall risk levels, education backgrounds, and self-described level of computer expertise. Adults age 60 and over were recruited to participate in a one-time usability study. The study included orientation to the program, navigation to exercises, and completion of a series of strength and balance exercises. Quantitative analysis described participants and the user experience. A diverse group of individuals participated in the study. Twenty-one potential participants (14 women, 7 men) met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 69.2 (± 5.8) years, 38% had a high school education, 24% had a graduate degree, and 66% classified as "at risk for falls". Eighteen participants agreed they would like to use ST to help improve their balance, and 17 agreed or strongly agreed they would feel confident using the system in either the senior center or the home. Thirteen participants felt confident they could actually set up the system in their home. The mean System Usability Scale (SUS) score was 65.5 ± 21.2 with a range of 32.5 to 97.5. Ten participants scored ST as an above average usability experience compared to other technologies and 5 participants scored a less than optimal experience. Exploratory analysis revealed no significant relationships between user experience, education background, self-described computer experience, and fall risk. Results support the virtual delivery of the OEP by a Kinect camera and an avatar may be acceptable to older adults from a variety of backgrounds. Virtual technologies, like Stand Tall, could offer an efficient and effective approach to bring evidence-based fall prevention programs to scale to address the problem of falls and fall-related injuries. Next steps include determining if similar or better outcomes are achieved by older adults using the virtual OEP, Stand Tall, compared to the standard of care. ©Tiffany E Shubert, Jeanna Basnett, Anang Chokshi, Mark Barrett, Ravi Komatireddy. Originally published in JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology (http://rehab.jmir.org), 05.11.2015.

Influence of a falling edge on high power microwave pulse combination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jiawei; Huang, Wenhua; Zhu, Qi; Xiao, Renzhen; Shao, Hao

2016-07-01

This paper presents an explanation of the influence of a microwave falling edge on high-power microwave pulse combination. Through particle-in-cell simulations, we discover that the falling edge is the driving factor that limits the output power of the combined pulses. We demonstrate that the space charge field, which accumulates to become comparable to the E-field at the falling edge of the former pulse, will trap the electrons in the gas layer and decrease its energy to attain a high ionization rate. Hence, avalanche discharge, caused by trapped electrons, makes the plasma density to approach the critical density and cuts off the latter microwave pulse. An X-band combination experiment is conducted with different pulse intervals. This experiment confirms that the high density plasma induced by the falling edge can cut off the latter pulse, and that the time required for plasma recombination in the transmission channel is several microseconds. To ensure a high output power for combined pulses, the latter pulse should be moved ahead of the falling edge of the former one, and consequently, a beat wave with high peak power becomes the output by adding two pulses with normal amplitudes.

Reversal of functional changes in the brain associated with obstructive sleep apnoea following 6 months of CPAP.

PubMed

Fatouleh, Rania H; Lundblad, Linda C; Macey, Paul M; McKenzie, David K; Henderson, Luke A; Macefield, Vaughan G

2015-01-01

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with an increase in the number of bursts of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), leading to neurogenic hypertension. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the most effective and widely used treatment for preventing collapse of the upper airway in OSA. In addition to improving sleep, CPAP decreases daytime MSNA towards control levels. It remains unknown how this restoration of MSNA occurs, in particular whether CPAP treatment results in a simple readjustment in activity of those brain regions responsible for the initial increase in MSNA or whether other brain regions are recruited to over-ride aberrant brain activity. By recording MSNA concurrently with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), we aimed to assess brain activity associated with each individual subject's patterns of MSNA prior to and following 6 months of CPAP treatment. Spontaneous fluctuations in MSNA were recorded via tungsten microelectrodes inserted into the common peroneal nerve in 13 newly diagnosed patients with OSA before and after 6 months of treatment with CPAP and in 15 healthy control subjects while lying in a 3 T MRI scanner. Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) contrast gradient echo, echo-planar images were continuously collected in a 4 s ON, 4 s OFF (200 volumes) sampling protocol. MSNA was significantly elevated in newly diagnosed OSA patients compared to control subjects (55 ± 4 vs 26 ± 2 bursts/min). Fluctuations in BOLD signal intensity in multiple regions covaried with the intensity of the concurrently recorded bursts of MSNA. There was a significant fall in MSNA after 6 months of CPAP (39 ± 2 bursts/min). The reduction in resting MSNA was coupled with significant falls in signal intensity in precuneus bilaterally, the left and right insula, right medial prefrontal cortex, right anterior cingulate cortex, right parahippocampus and the left and right retrosplenial cortices. These data support our contention that functional changes in these suprabulbar sites are, via projections to the brainstem, driving the augmented sympathetic outflow to the muscle vascular bed in untreated OSA.

Ergonomic factors related to drop-off detection with the long cane: effects of cane tips and techniques.

PubMed

Kim, Dae Shik; Emerson, Robert S Wall; Curtis, Amy B

2010-06-01

This study examined the effect of cane tips and cane techniques on drop-off detection with the long cane. Blind pedestrians depend on a long cane to detect drop-offs. Missing a drop-off may result in falls or collision with moving vehicles in the street. Although cane tips appear to affect a cane user's ability to detect drop-offs, few experimental studies have examined such effect. A repeated-measures design with block randomization was used for the study. Participants were 17 adults who were legally blind and had no other disabilities. Participants attempted to detect the drop-offs of varied depths using different cane tips and cane techniques. Drop-off detection rates were similar between the marshmallow tip (77.0%) and the marshmallow roller tip (79.4%) when both tips were used with the constant contact technique, p = .294. However, participants detected drop-offs at a significantly higher percentage when they used the constant contact technique with the marshmallow roller tip (79.4%) than when they used the two-point touch technique with the marshmallow tip (63.2%), p < .001. The constant contact technique used with a marshmallow roller tip (perceived as a less advantageous tip) was more effective than the two-point touch technique used with a marshmallow tip (perceived as a more advantageous tip) in detecting drop-offs. The findings of the study may help cane users and orientation and mobility specialists select appropriate cane techniques and cane tips in accordance with the cane user's characteristics and the nature of the travel environment.

The effect of ultrasonic intensity on the crystal structure of palm oil.

PubMed

Patrick, Maria; Blindt, Renoo; Janssen, Jo

2004-05-01

It has been known for a long time that both the crystal structure and kinetics of crystallisation can be affected by ultrasound. In the past systems used have relied on high power ultrasonic probes to produce crystals. The majority of these probes produce cavitation in the system and it has been difficult to differentiate between effects caused by the ultrasound alone or by the cavitation produced by ultrasound on the crystal structure. Some materials, such as fats, are very susceptible to the production of free radicals that lead to "off-flavours" being obtained. These "off-flavours" are easily produced when the standard high power probes are used. This has meant that, although the crystal structure of the final product might be improved, the presence of 'off' flavours has prevented ultrasound being considered as a commercial technique for the crystallisation of edible fats. At Unilever R&D a system has been developed which can investigate the effect of ultrasound on the crystallisation of fats under controlled conditions covering a range of intensities and cooling rates. The intensity levels used were both below and above the cavitational threshold. By keeping the cooling regime constant it has been possible to show that the structure of the final product can vary from a material looking similar to cottage cheese through to a fine cream simply by varying the ultrasonic intensity. This paper describes the effect of ultrasound on both the crystal structure and kinetics of palm oil crystallisation at intensities below and above the cavitational threshold.

Synergistic interactions between leaf beetle herbivory and fire enhance tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) mortality

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drus, Gail M.; Dudley, Tom L.; Antonio, Carla M.; Even, Thomas J.; Brooks, Matt L.; Matchett, J.R.

2014-01-01

The combined effects of herbivory and fire on plant mortality were investigated using prescribed burns of tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima Lebed) exposed to herbivory by the saltcedar leaf beetle (Chrysomelidae: Diorhabda carinulata Desbrocher). Tamarix stands in the Humboldt Sink (NV, USA) were divided into three treatments: summer burn (August 2006), fall burn (October 2006) and control (unburned), and litter depth was manipulated to vary fire intensity within burn seasons. A gradient of existing herbivory impact was described with three plant condition metrics prior to fire: reduced proportions of green canopy, percent root crown starch sampled at the height of the growing season (August 2006), and percent root crown starch measured during dormancy (December 2006). August root crown starch concentration and proportion green canopy were strongly correlated, although the proportion green canopy predicted mortality better than August root crown starch. December root crown starch concentration was more depleted in unburned trees and in trees burned during the summer than in fall burn trees. Mortality in summer burned trees was higher than fall burned trees due to higher fire intensity, but December root crown starch available for resprouting in the spring was also lower in summer burned trees. The greatest mortality was observed in trees with the lowest December root crown starch concentration which were exposed to high fire intensity. Disproportionate changes in the slope and curvature of prediction traces as fire intensity and December starch reach reciprocal maximum and minimum levels indicate that beetle herbivory and fire intensity are synergistic.

On the role of vibrational excitation in dissociative recombination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cunningham, A. J.; Omalley, T. F.; Hobson, R. M.

1981-01-01

An improved physical model of dissociative recombination is presented and applied to experimental data on the temperature dependence of rate coefficients for the rare-gas and atmospheric-gas ions. It is shown that in the charge neutralisation of the rare-gas dimer ions, autoionisation plays an important role (at least in comparison with the atmospheric-gas ions) and contributes to the fast fall-off in the rate coefficient with vibrational excitation observed in shock tube studies. Numerical estimates of the observed fall-off in rate coefficient with increasing vibrational excitation are also presented.

The effect of vibration exposure during haul truck operation on grip strength, touch sensation, and balance

PubMed Central

Pollard, Jonisha; Porter, William; Mayton, Alan; Xu, Xueyan; Weston, Eric

2017-01-01

Falls from mobile equipment are reported at surface mine quarry operations each year in considerable numbers. Research shows that a preponderance of falls occur while getting on/off mobile equipment. Contributing factors to the risk of falls include the usage of ladders, exiting onto a slippery surface, and foot or hand slippage. Balance issues may also contribute to fall risks for mobile equipment operators who are exposed to whole-body vibration (WBV). For this reason, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Office of Mine Safety and Health Research conducted a study at four participating mine sites with seven haul truck operators. The purpose was to ascertain whether WBV and hand-arm vibration (HAV) exposures for quarry haul truck operators were linked to short-term decreases in performance in relation to postural stability, touch sensation threshold, and grip strength that are of crucial importance when getting on/off the trucks. WBV measures of frequency-weighted RMS accelerations (wRMS) and vibration dose value (VDV), when compared to the ISO/ANSI standards, were mostly below levels identified for the Health Guidance Caution Zone (HGCZ), although there were instances where the levels were within and above the specified Exposure Action Value. Comparably, all mean HAV levels, when compared to the ISO/ANSI standards, were below the HGCZ. For the existing conditions and equipment, no significant correlation could be identified between the WBV, HAV, postural stability, touch sensation threshold, and grip strength measures taken during this study. PMID:28220051

24-hour pattern of falls in hospitalized and long-term care institutionalized elderly persons: A systematic review of the published literature.

PubMed

López-Soto, Pablo Jesús; Manfredini, Roberto; Smolensky, Michael H; Rodríguez-Borrego, María Aurora

2015-05-01

Falls are common among the elderly > 65 years of age and can result in both serious trauma and costly medical care. The epidemiology of falls in the elderly typically focuses on identifying contributory exogenous environmental and endogenous age-related physical, cognitive and other health status factors; however, one potentially important variable seldom considered is time of fall. We sought to determine if falls in hospitalized/institutionalized elderly persons exhibit 24 h and other temporal patterns, since knowledge of such could be useful in their prevention. We conducted a systematic review of the published literature to critically appraise and synthesize the methods and findings of previous reports addressing clock-time, day-of-week and month-of-year fall patterns of institutionalized elderly cohorts. Medline, SCOPUS, Ovid SP and Web of Knowledge were systematic assessed, entering search terms of "accidental fall", "circadian rhythm", "biological clocks", "circadian clocks", "activity cycles", "periodicity", and with databases accepting an age limiter, "age of 65(+) years". Methodological quality was assessed by STROBE and CONSORT checklists, respectively, in observational and clinical studies. Publications were reviewed if meeting inclusion criteria of: (i) being an empirical study, (ii) adopting circadian and/or other period rhythmicity as a fall risk, and (iii) focusing on hospitalized/institutionalized falls in those ≥ 65 years of age; plus exclusion criteria of: (i) cohort < 65 years of age and (ii) reports as dissertations or editorials. The search retrieved 170 publications; however, only nine met all inclusion/exclusion criteria. Typically, past studies disregarded the temporal aspects of fall incidents; the few that did varied in quality, institutional setting, and patient type, i.e. medical diagnoses. Overall, findings suggest a single or double-peak 24 h pattern of fall incidence, with time of greatest incidence seemingly associated with circadian rhythm-dependent differences in the symptom intensity of dominating medical diagnoses (e.g. heart failure versus Alzheimer syndrome) among sample cohorts plus location (e.g. bathroom versus hallway) of occurrence. Future research is urgently required to define temporal patterns in falls and their etiology, e.g. relative to circadian and other rhythms in both the manifestation and intensity of medical conditions and adverse effects of medications according to scheduling, plus staff personnel number and work schedules as it affects patient oversight, and cyclic environmental conditions (e.g. light intensity exposure) to best design preventive measures.

Plant structure and the searching efficiency of coccinellid larvae.

PubMed

Carter, M C; Sutherland, D; Dixon, A F G

1984-08-01

| 1. To determine the effect of plant structure on the searching efficiency of Coccinella septempunctata L. larvae, their functional response on pea and bean plants was compared. 2. The attack coefficient a was lower on pea than on bean plants. 3. This was not due to a difference in the coincidence of prey distribution and predator searching effort, but was due to larvae falling off the smooth leaves of pea plants significantly more frequently than off bean plants. 4. It was concluded that plant structure is an important factor in determining the quality of a habitat for coccinellids.

Risk assessment of fall-related occupational accidents in the workplace

PubMed Central

Tsukada, Tsukimi; Sakakibara, Hisataka

2016-01-01

Objectives: This study aimed to examine effective assessment methods of falls in the workplace. Methods: There were 436 employees (305 males and 131 females) of electrical appliance manufacturers included in this study. In 2014, a baseline survey was conducted using the fall scores questionnaire and the self-check risk assessment of falls and other accidents in the workplace (physical function measurement and questionnaire). In 2015, the occurrence of falls in the past year was investigated. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to examine factors relevant to falls. Results: In total, 62 subjects (14.2%) fell during the year, including those who fell during off-hours. The occurrence of falls during that one year was only associated with having experienced falls during the past year in the baseline survey (odds ratio [OR] 5.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.5-9.7). Falls during that year were also related to the inability to walk 1 km continuously (OR 0.1; 95% CI 0.1-0.6), tripping sometimes (OR 4.0; 95% CI 1.6-9.9), step height differences at home (OR 3.0; 95% CI 1.3-6.8), and working in the production section (OR 0.2; 95% CI 0.1-0.5). Measurements of physical functions, such as muscle strength, balance, and agility, were not different between subjects who fell and those who did not. Conclusions: Our results showed that the questionnaire assessing falls during the past year could be useful to assess the risk of falls in the workplace. Annual checks for falls may contribute to fall prevention programs in the workplace. PMID:27725487

Are Virtual Rehabilitation Technologies Feasible Models to Scale an Evidence-Based Fall Prevention Program? A Pilot Study Using the Kinect Camera

PubMed Central

Basnett, Jeanna; Chokshi, Anang; Barrett, Mark; Komatireddy, Ravi

2015-01-01

Background Falls in older adults are a significant public health issue. Interventions have been developed and proven effective to reduce falls in older adults, but these programs typically last several months and can be resource intensive. Virtual rehabilitation technologies may offer a solution to bring these programs to scale. Off-the-shelf and custom exergames have demonstrated to be a feasible adjunct to rehabilitation with older adults. However, it is not known if older adults will be able or willing to use a virtual rehabilitation technology to participate in an evidence-based fall prevention program. To have the greatest impact, virtual rehabilitation technologies need to be acceptable to older adults from different backgrounds and level of fall risk. If these technologies prove to be a feasible option, they offer a new distribution channel to disseminate fall prevention programs. Objective Stand Tall (ST) is a virtual translation of the Otago Exercise Program (OEP), an evidence-based fall prevention program. Stand Tall was developed using the Virtual Exercise Rehabilitation Assistant (VERA) software, which uses a Kinect camera and a laptop to deliver physical therapy exercise programs. Our purpose in this pilot study was to explore if ST could be a feasible platform to deliver the OEP to older adults from a variety of fall risk levels, education backgrounds, and self-described level of computer expertise. Methods Adults age 60 and over were recruited to participate in a one-time usability study. The study included orientation to the program, navigation to exercises, and completion of a series of strength and balance exercises. Quantitative analysis described participants and the user experience. Results A diverse group of individuals participated in the study. Twenty-one potential participants (14 women, 7 men) met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 69.2 (± 5.8) years, 38% had a high school education, 24% had a graduate degree, and 66% classified as “at risk for falls”. Eighteen participants agreed they would like to use ST to help improve their balance, and 17 agreed or strongly agreed they would feel confident using the system in either the senior center or the home. Thirteen participants felt confident they could actually set up the system in their home. The mean System Usability Scale (SUS) score was 65.5 ± 21.2 with a range of 32.5 to 97.5. Ten participants scored ST as an above average usability experience compared to other technologies and 5 participants scored a less than optimal experience. Exploratory analysis revealed no significant relationships between user experience, education background, self-described computer experience, and fall risk. Conclusions Results support the virtual delivery of the OEP by a Kinect camera and an avatar may be acceptable to older adults from a variety of backgrounds. Virtual technologies, like Stand Tall, could offer an efficient and effective approach to bring evidence-based fall prevention programs to scale to address the problem of falls and fall-related injuries. Next steps include determining if similar or better outcomes are achieved by older adults using the virtual OEP, Stand Tall, compared to the standard of care. PMID:28582244

Risk of Hospitalization Due to Unintentional Fall Injury in British Columbia, Canada, 1999-2008: Ecological Associations with Socioeconomic Status, Geographic Place, and Aboriginal Ethnicity.

PubMed

Jin, Andrew; Brussoni, Mariana; George, M Anne; Lalonde, Christopher E; McCormick, Rod

2017-08-01

Aboriginal people in British Columbia (BC), especially those residing on Indian reserves, have higher risk of unintentional fall injury than the general population. We test the hypothesis that the disparities are attributable to a combination of socioeconomic status, geographic place, and Aboriginal ethnicity. Within each of 16 Health Service Delivery Areas in BC, we identified three population groups: total population, Aboriginal off-reserve, and Aboriginal on-reserve. We calculated age and gender-standardized relative risks (SRR) of hospitalization due to unintentional fall injury (relative to the total population of BC), during time periods 1999-2003 and 2004-2008, and we obtained custom data from the 2001 and 2006 censuses (long form), describing income, education, employment, housing, proportions of urban and rural dwellers, and prevalence of Aboriginal ethnicity. We studied association of census characteristics with SRR of fall injury, by multivariable linear regression. The best-fitting model was an excellent fit (R 2  = 0.854, p < 0.001) and predicted SRRs very close to observed values for the total, Aboriginal off-reserve, and Aboriginal on-reserve populations of BC. After stepwise regression, the following terms remained: population per room, urban residence, labor force participation, income per capita, and multiplicative interactions of Aboriginal ethnicity with population per room and labor force participation. The disparities are predictable by the hypothesized risk markers. Aboriginal ethnicity is not an independent risk marker: it modifies the effects of socioeconomic factors. Closing the gap in fall injury risk between the general and Aboriginal populations is likely achievable by closing the gaps in socioeconomic conditions.

Aircraft Monitoring of Sea-Spray and Changes in Hurricane Intensity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawrence, J. R.

2010-12-01

Sea spray above the ocean surface in hurricanes enhances the transfer of sensible heat to the atmospheric boundary layer. Sea spray becomes of greater significance as the intensity and thereby the wind speed of the hurricane increases. A fuller knowledge of the distribution of sea spray over the ocean may help in understanding changes in intensity of the most dangerous hurricanes. An instrument to measure the salt content of rain has been developed and installed on one of NOAA’s P3 hurricane research aircraft. The instrument detects changes in the conductivity of a thin film of water on the surface of the instrument. Calibration of the instrument has been completed at the University of Texas A&M wind tunnel facility. An earlier version of the sensor was flown into Hurricane Paloma (2008) at an elevation of 4 km. Changes in salt concentration were detected. A sturdier version of the instrument was flown into winter storms off the coast of Newfoundland in February of 2010. For the most part, the instrument did not function because the precipitation was a solid. But the one time the on-board meteorologist noted there was liquid precipitation, the instrument did function. Rain samples collected at ground level from eleven land falling hurricanes ranged from 5 ppm to 50 ppm (Lawrence et al, 2006 Fall AGU abstract, session A33). Hurricane Katrina showed the highest concentration of salt at 50 ppm. Sea salt measurements in rain from Hurricane Earl were underway starting on August 28 with continued plans through September 3. Salinity measurements by the instrument will be compared to wind velocities measured by the on-board radar. Because sea spray increases heat-transfer from the ocean to the hurricane atmosphere, especially in category 3 to 5 hurricanes, these studies may help improve models that predict changes in hurricane intensity.

Effects of turbulence intensity and gravity on transport of inertial particles across a shearless turbulence interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Good, Garrett; Gerashchenko, Sergiy; Warhaft, Zellman

2010-11-01

Water droplets of sub-Kolmogorov size are sprayed into the turbulence side of a shearless turbulent-non-turbulent interface (TNI) as well as a turbulent-turbulent interface (TTI). An active grid is used to form the mixing layer and a splitter plate separates the droplet-non droplet interface near the origin. Particle concentration, size and velocity are determined by Phase Doppler Particle Analyzer, the velocity field by hot wires, and the droplet accelerations by particle tracking. As for a passive scalar, for the TTI, the concentration profiles are described by an error function. For the TNI, the concentration profiles fall off more rapidly than for the TTI due to the large-scale intermittency. The profile evolution and effects of initial conditions are discussed, as are the relative importance of the large and small scales in the transport process. It is shown that the concentration statistics are better described in terms of the Stokes number based on the large scales than the small, but some features of the mixing are determined by the small scales, and these will be discussed. Sponsored by the U.S. NSF.

Simultaneous heat and mass transfer inside a vertical channel in evaporating a heated falling glycols liquid film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nait Alla, Abderrahman; Feddaoui, M'barek; Meftah, Hicham

2015-12-01

The interactive effects of heat and mass transfer in the evaporation of ethylene and propylene glycol flowing as falling films on vertical channel was investigated. The liquid film falls along a left plate which is externally subjected to a uniform heat flux while the right plate is the dry wall and is kept thermally insulated. The model solves the coupled governing equations in both phases together with the boundary and interfacial conditions. The systems of equations obtained by using an implicit finite difference method are solved by Tridiagonal Matrix Algorithm. The influence of the inlet liquid flow, Reynolds number in the gas flow and the wall heat flux on the intensity of heat and mass transfers are examined. A comparison between the results obtained for studied glycols and water in the same conditions is made. The results indicate that water evaporates in more intense way in comparison to glycols and the increase of gas flow rate tends to improve slightly the evaporation.

Spinal sagittal contour affecting falls: cut-off value of the lumbar spine for falls.

PubMed

Ishikawa, Yoshinori; Miyakoshi, Naohisa; Kasukawa, Yuji; Hongo, Michio; Shimada, Yoichi

2013-06-01

Spinal deformities reportedly affect postural instability or falls. To prevent falls in clinical settings, the determination of a cut-off angle of spinal sagittal contour associated with increase risk for falls would be useful for screening for high-risk fallers. The purpose of this study was to calculate the spinal sagittal contour angle associated with increased risk for falls during medical checkups in community dwelling elders. The subjects comprised 213 patients (57 men, 156 women) with a mean age of 70.1 years (range, 55-85 years). The upright and flexion/extension thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis angles, and the spinal inclination were evaluated with SpinalMouse(®). Postural instability was evaluated by stabilometry, using the total track length (LNG), enveloped areas (ENV), and track lengths in the lateral and anteroposterior directions (X LNG and Y LNG, respectively). The back extensor strength (BES) was measured using a strain-gauge dynamometer. The relationships among the parameters were analyzed statistically. Age, lumbar lordosis, spinal inclination, LNG, X LNG, Y LNG, and BES were significantly associated with falls (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that lumbar lordosis was the most significant factor (P<0.01). Univariate logistic regression analyses for falls about lumbar lordosis angles revealed that angles of 3° and less were significant for falls. The present findings suggest that increased age, spinal inclination, LNG, X LNG, Y LNG, and decreased BES and lumbar lordosis, are associated with falls. An angle of lumbar lordosis of 3° or less was associated with falls in these community-dwelling elders. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fires of differing intensities rapidly select distinct soil fungal communities in a Northwest US ponderosa pine forest ecosystem

Treesearch

C. Reazin; S. Morris; Jane Smith; A.D. Cowan; A. Jumpponen

2016-01-01

Environmental change and long-term fire management in the western United States have created conditions that facilitate high-intensity burn areas in forested systems. Such burns may have dramatic effects on the soil microbial communities. In this study, we utilized experimental infrastructure in the Pringle Falls Experimental Forest in Oregon, where ten pairs of sites...

Community Outreach: Assessment and Program Planning for Off-Campus Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Massey, Jennifer; Gouthro, Karla

2011-01-01

The Community Outreach Centre (COC) is part of the Community Development portfolio in the Division of Student Affairs at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It opened in fall 2007 as a resource and support centre for students who live off campus. The overarching goal of the centre is to cultivate community among off-campus students…

Exercise improves gait, reaction time and postural stability in older adults with type 2 diabetes and neuropathy.

PubMed

Morrison, Steven; Colberg, Sheri R; Parson, Henri K; Vinik, Aaron I

2014-01-01

For older adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), declines in balance and walking ability are risk factors for falls, and peripheral neuropathy magnifies this risk. Exercise training may improve balance, gait and reduce the risk of falling. This study investigated the effects of 12weeks of aerobic exercise training on walking, balance, reaction time and falls risk metrics in older T2DM individuals with/without peripheral neuropathy. Adults with T2DM, 21 without (DM; age 58.7±1.7years) and 16 with neuropathy (DM-PN; age 58.9±1.9years), engaged in either moderate or intense supervised exercise training thrice-weekly for 12weeks. Pre/post-training assessments included falls risk (using the physiological profile assessment), standing balance, walking ability and hand/foot simple reaction time. Pre-training, the DM-PN group had higher falls risk, slower (hand) reaction times (232 vs. 219ms), walked at a slower speed (108 vs. 113cm/s) with shorter strides compared to the DM group. Following training, improvements in hand/foot reaction times and faster walking speed were seen for both groups. While falls risk was not significantly reduced, the observed changes in gait, reaction time and balance metrics suggest that aerobic exercise of varying intensities is beneficial for improving dynamic postural control in older T2DM adults with/without neuropathy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Roads to ruin: conservation threats to a sentinel species across an urban gradient.

PubMed

Feist, Blake E; Buhle, Eric R; Baldwin, David H; Spromberg, Julann A; Damm, Steven E; Davis, Jay W; Scholz, Nathaniel L

2017-12-01

Urbanization poses a global challenge to species conservation. This is primarily understood in terms of physical habitat loss, as agricultural and forested lands are replaced with urban infrastructure. However, aquatic habitats are also chemically degraded by urban development, often in the form of toxic stormwater runoff. Here we assess threats of urbanization to coho salmon throughout developed areas of the Puget Sound Basin in Washington, USA. Puget Sound coho are a sentinel species for freshwater communities and also a species of concern under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Previous studies have demonstrated that stormwater runoff is unusually lethal to adult coho that return to spawn each year in urban watersheds. To further explore the relationship between land use and recurrent coho die-offs, we measured mortality rates in field surveys of 51 spawning sites across an urban gradient. We then used spatial analyses to measure landscape attributes (land use and land cover, human population density, roadways, traffic intensity, etc.) and climatic variables (annual summer and fall precipitation) associated with each site. Structural equation modeling revealed a latent urbanization gradient that was associated with road density and traffic intensity, among other variables, and positively related to coho mortality. Across years within sites, mortality increased with summer and fall precipitation, but the effect of rainfall was strongest in the least developed areas and was essentially neutral in the most urbanized streams. We used the best-supported structural equation model to generate a predictive mortality risk map for the entire Puget Sound Basin. This map indicates an ongoing and widespread loss of spawners across much of the Puget Sound population segment, particularly within the major regional north-south corridor for transportation and development. Our findings identify current and future urbanization-related threats to wild coho, and show where green infrastructure and similar clean water strategies could prove most useful for promoting species conservation and recovery. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Influence of neuromuscular noise and walking speed on fall risk and dynamic stability in a 3D dynamic walking model.

PubMed

Roos, Paulien E; Dingwell, Jonathan B

2013-06-21

Older adults and those with increased fall risk tend to walk slower. They may do this voluntarily to reduce their fall risk. However, both slower and faster walking speeds can predict increased risk of different types of falls. The mechanisms that contribute to fall risk across speeds are not well known. Faster walking requires greater forward propulsion, generated by larger muscle forces. However, greater muscle activation induces increased signal-dependent neuromuscular noise. These speed-related increases in neuromuscular noise may contribute to the increased fall risk observed at faster walking speeds. Using a 3D dynamic walking model, we systematically varied walking speed without and with physiologically-appropriate neuromuscular noise. We quantified how actual fall risk changed with gait speed, how neuromuscular noise affected speed-related changes in fall risk, and how well orbital and local dynamic stability measures predicted changes in fall risk across speeds. When we included physiologically-appropriate noise to the 'push-off' force in our model, fall risk increased with increasing walking speed. Changes in kinematic variability, orbital, and local dynamic stability did not predict these speed-related changes in fall risk. Thus, the increased neuromuscular variability that results from increased signal-dependent noise that is necessitated by the greater muscular force requirements of faster walking may contribute to the increased fall risk observed at faster walking speeds. The lower fall risk observed at slower speeds supports experimental evidence that slowing down can be an effective strategy to reduce fall risk. This may help explain the slower walking speeds observed in older adults and others. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An update on radiation therapy in head and neck cancers.

PubMed

Mazzola, Rosario; Fiorentino, Alba; Ricchetti, Francesco; Gregucci, Fabiana; Corradini, Stefanie; Alongi, Filippo

2018-04-01

Technological and technical improvements allowed for significant advances in the field of radiation therapy (RT) of head and neck cancer (HNC). Several organ-sparing strategies have been investigated with the objective to decrease acute and long-term adverse effects and, subsequently, to assure a better quality of life in patients affected by HNC. In this context, intensity modulated irradiation and the use of multimodality-imaging could help clinicians to obtain a rapid dose fall off towards surrounding healthy tissues and a better delineation of targets volumes and organs at risk. Areas covered: A literature review was performed with the aim to offer an update on radiation therapy in HNC. Expert commentary: During these last years, radiation oncologists have observed a continuous changing regarding radiation treatment for HNC. The adoption of intensity-modulated RT (IMRT) and the use of multimodality-imaging for tumor volume definition and organs at risk or delineation have improved the clinical outcomes of HNC patients. In the future, a better integration of functional imaging for target volume delineation as well as adaptive delivery strategies will allow to further personalize radiation oncology in HNC. Furthermore, the latest breakthrough technologies, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-linacs and heavy particles technologies have a great potential to improve treatment-related quality of life in HNC. Future studies are needed to demonstrate the clinical advantages of these new RT technologies in HNC.

Ultralong time response of magnetic fluid based on fiber-optic evanescent field.

PubMed

Du, Bobo; Yang, Dexing; Bai, Yang; Yuan, Yuan; Xu, Jian; Jiang, Yajun; Wang, Meirong

2016-07-20

The ultralong time (a few hours) response properties of magnetic fluid using etched optical fiber are visualized and investigated experimentally. The operating structure is made by injecting magnetic fluid into a capillary tube that contains etched single-mode fiber. An interesting extreme asymmetry is observed, in which the transmitted light intensity after the etched optical fiber cannot reach the final steady value when the external magnetic field is turned on (referred to as the falling process), while it can reach the stable state quickly once the magnetic field is turned off (referred to as the rising process). The relationship between the response times/loss rates of the transmitted light and the strength of the applied magnetic field is obtained. The physical mechanisms of two different processes are discussed qualitatively.

Stimulated Raman scattering of sub-millimeter waves in bismuth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Pawan; Tripathi, V. K.

2007-12-01

A high-power sub-millimeter wave propagating through bismuth, a semimetal with non-spherical energy surfaces, parametrically excites a space-charge mode and a back-scattered electromagnetic wave. The free carrier density perturbation associated with the space-charge wave couples with the oscillatory velocity due to the pump to derive the scattered wave. The scattered and pump waves exert a pondermotive force on electrons and holes, driving the space-charge wave. The collisional damping of the decay waves determines the threshold for the parametric instability. The threshold intensity for 20 μm wavelength pump turns out to be ˜2×1012 W/cm2. Above the threshold, the growth rate scales increase with ωo, attain a maximum around ωo=6.5ωp, and, after this, falls off.

Ergonomic Factors Related to Drop-Off Detection With the Long Cane: Effects of Cane Tips and Techniques

PubMed Central

Kim, Dae Shik; Wall Emerson, Robert S.; Curtis, Amy B.

2010-01-01

Objective This study examined the effect of cane tips and cane techniques on drop-off detection with the long cane. Background Blind pedestrians depend on a long cane to detect drop-offs. Missing a drop-off may result in falls or collision with moving vehicles in the street. Although cane tips appear to affect a cane user’s ability to detect drop-offs, few experimental studies have examined such effect. Method A repeated-measures design with block randomization was used for the study. Participants were 17 adults who were legally blind and had no other disabilities. Participants attempted to detect the drop-offs of varied depths using different cane tips and cane techniques. Results Drop-off detection rates were similar between the marshmallow tip (77.0%) and the marshmallow roller tip (79.4%) when both tips were used with the constant contact technique, p = .294. However, participants detected drop-offs at a significantly higher percentage when they used the constant contact technique with the marshmallow roller tip (79.4%) than when they used the two-point touch technique with the marshmallow tip (63.2%), p < .001. Conclusion The constant contact technique used with a marshmallow roller tip (perceived as a less advantageous tip) was more effective than the two-point touch technique used with a marshmallow tip (perceived as a more advantageous tip) in detecting drop-offs. Application The findings of the study may help cane users and orientation and mobility specialists select appropriate cane techniques and cane tips in accordance with the cane user’s characteristics and the nature of the travel environment. PMID:21077566

A fluid modeling perspective on the tokamak power scrape-off width using SOLPS-ITER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meier, Eric

2016-10-01

SOLPS-ITER, a 2D fluid code, is used to conduct the first fluid modeling study of the physics behind the power scrape-off width (λq). When drift physics are activated in the code, λq is insensitive to changes in toroidal magnetic field (Bt), as predicted by the 0D heuristic drift (HD) model developed by Goldston. Using the HD model, which quantitatively agrees with regression analysis of a multi-tokamak database, λq in ITER is projected to be 1 mm instead of the previously assumed 4 mm, magnifying the challenge of maintaining the peak divertor target heat flux below the technological limit. These simulations, which use DIII-D H-mode experimental conditions as input, and reproduce the observed high-recycling, attached outer target plasma, allow insights into the scrape-off layer (SOL) physics that set λq. Independence of λq with respect to Bt suggests that SOLPS-ITER captures basic HD physics: the effect of Bt on the particle dwell time ( Bt) cancels with the effect on drift speed ( 1 /Bt), fixing the SOL plasma density width, and dictating λq. Scaling with plasma current (Ip), however, is much weaker than the roughly 1 /Ip dependence predicted by the HD model. Simulated net cross-separatrix particle flux due to magnetic drifts exceeds the anomalous particle transport, and a Pfirsch-Schluter-like SOL flow pattern is established. Up-down ion pressure asymmetry enables the net magnetic drift flux. Drifts establish in-out temperature asymmetry, and an associated thermoelectric current carries significant heat flux to the outer target. The density fall-off length in the SOL is similar to the electron temperature fall-off length, as observed experimentally. Finally, opportunities and challenges foreseen in ongoing work to extrapolate SOLPS-ITER and the HD model to ITER and future machines will be discussed. Supported by U.S. Department of Energy Contract DESC0010434.

Fall Risk Assessment Tools for Elderly Living in the Community: Can We Do Better?

PubMed

Palumbo, Pierpaolo; Palmerini, Luca; Bandinelli, Stefania; Chiari, Lorenzo

2015-01-01

Falls are a common, serious threat to the health and self-confidence of the elderly. Assessment of fall risk is an important aspect of effective fall prevention programs. In order to test whether it is possible to outperform current prognostic tools for falls, we analyzed 1010 variables pertaining to mobility collected from 976 elderly subjects (InCHIANTI study). We trained and validated a data-driven model that issues probabilistic predictions about future falls. We benchmarked the model against other fall risk indicators: history of falls, gait speed, Short Physical Performance Battery (Guralnik et al. 1994), and the literature-based fall risk assessment tool FRAT-up (Cattelani et al. 2015). Parsimony in the number of variables included in a tool is often considered a proxy for ease of administration. We studied how constraints on the number of variables affect predictive accuracy. The proposed model and FRAT-up both attained the same discriminative ability; the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) for multiple falls was 0.71. They outperformed the other risk scores, which reported AUCs for multiple falls between 0.64 and 0.65. Thus, it appears that both data-driven and literature-based approaches are better at estimating fall risk than commonly used fall risk indicators. The accuracy-parsimony analysis revealed that tools with a small number of predictors (~1-5) were suboptimal. Increasing the number of variables improved the predictive accuracy, reaching a plateau at ~20-30, which we can consider as the best trade-off between accuracy and parsimony. Obtaining the values of these ~20-30 variables does not compromise usability, since they are usually available in comprehensive geriatric assessments.

Highly Structured Wind in Vela X-1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kreykenbohm, Ingo; Wilms, Joern; Kretschmar, Peter; Torrejon, Jose Miguel; Pottschmidt, Katja; Hanke, Manfred; Santangelo, Andrea; Ferrigno, Carlo; Staubert, Ruediger

2008-01-01

We present an in-depth analysis of the spectral and temporal behavior of a long almost uninterrupted INTEGRAL observation of Vela X-1 in Nov/Dec 2003. In addition to an already high activity level, Vela X-1 exhibited several very intense flares with a maximum intensity of more than 5 Crab in the 20 40 keV band. Furthermore Vela X-1 exhibited several off states where the source became undetectable with ISGRI. We interpret flares and off states as being due to the strongly structured wind of the optical companion: when Vela X-1 encounters a cavity in the wind with strongly reduced density, the flux will drop, thus potentially triggering the onset of the propeller effect which inhibits further accretion, thus giving rise to the off states. The required drop in density to trigger the propeller effect in Vela X-1 is of the same order as predicted by theoretical papers for the densities in the OB star winds. The same structured wind can give rise to the giant flares when Vela X-1 encounters a dense blob in the wind. Further temporal analysis revealed that a short lived QPO with a period of 6800 sec is present. The part of the light curve during which the QPO is present is very close to the off states and just following a high intensity state, thus showing that all these phenomena are related.

A study of lateral fall-off (penumbra) optimisation for pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winterhalter, C.; Lomax, A.; Oxley, D.; Weber, D. C.; Safai, S.

2018-01-01

The lateral fall-off is crucial for sparing organs at risk in proton therapy. It is therefore of high importance to minimize the penumbra for pencil beam scanning (PBS). Three optimisation approaches are investigated: edge-collimated uniformly weighted spots (collimation), pencil beam optimisation of uncollimated pencil beams (edge-enhancement) and the optimisation of edge collimated pencil beams (collimated edge-enhancement). To deliver energies below 70 MeV, these strategies are evaluated in combination with the following pre-absorber methods: field specific fixed thickness pre-absorption (fixed), range specific, fixed thickness pre-absorption (automatic) and range specific, variable thickness pre-absorption (variable). All techniques are evaluated by Monte Carlo simulated square fields in a water tank. For a typical air gap of 10 cm, without pre-absorber collimation reduces the penumbra only for water equivalent ranges between 4-11 cm by up to 2.2 mm. The sharpest lateral fall-off is achieved through collimated edge-enhancement, which lowers the penumbra down to 2.8 mm. When using a pre-absorber, the sharpest fall-offs are obtained when combining collimated edge-enhancement with a variable pre-absorber. For edge-enhancement and large air gaps, it is crucial to minimize the amount of material in the beam. For small air gaps however, the superior phase space of higher energetic beams can be employed when more material is used. In conclusion, collimated edge-enhancement combined with the variable pre-absorber is the recommended setting to minimize the lateral penumbra for PBS. Without collimator, it would be favourable to use a variable pre-absorber for large air gaps and an automatic pre-absorber for small air gaps.

SU-E-T-366: Estimation of Whole Body Dose From Cranial Irradiation From C and Perfexion Series Gamma Knife Units

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

Srivastava, S; Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleaveland, OH; Andersen, A

2015-06-15

Purpose: The Leksell Gamma Knife (GK) B & C series contains 201 Cobalt-60 sources with a helmet. The new model, Perfexion uses 192 Cobalt-60 sources without a helmet; using IRIS system for collimation and stereotactic guidance to deliver SRS to brain tumors. Relative dose to extracranial organs at risk (OARs) is measured in phantom in this study for Perfexion and C-series GK. Materials & Methods: Measurements were performed in a Rando anthropomorphic phantom on both systems using a large ion chamber (Keithley-175) for each collimator. The Keithley-175 cc ion chamber was sandwiched between phantom slices at various locations in themore » phantom to correspond to different extracranial OARs (thyroid, heart, kidney, ovary and testis, etc.) The dose measurement was repeated with OSL detectors for each position and collimator. Results: A large variation is observed in the normalized dose between these two systems. The dose beyond the housing falls off exponentially for Perfexion. Dose beyond the C-series GK housing falls off exponentially from 0–20cm then remains relatively constant from 20–40cm and again falls off with distance but less rapidly. The variation of extracranial dose with distance for each collimator is found to be parallel to each other for both systems. Conclusion: Whole body dose is found to vary significantly between these systems. It is important to measure the extracranial dose, especially for young patients. It is estimated that dose falls off exponentially from the GK housing and is about 1% for large collimators at 75 cm. The dose is two-orders of magnitude smaller for the 4mm collimator. However, this small dose for patient may be significant radiologically.« less

The effects of 5.1 sound presentations on the perception of stereoscopic imagery in video games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cullen, Brian; Galperin, Daniel; Collins, Karen; Hogue, Andrew; Kapralos, Bill

2013-03-01

Stereoscopic 3D (S3D) content in games, film and other audio-visual media has been steadily increasing over the past number of years. However, there are still open, fundamental questions regarding its implementation, particularly as it relates to a multi-modal experience that involves sound and haptics. Research has shown that sound has considerable impact on our perception of 2D phenomena, but very little research has considered how sound may influence stereoscopic 3D. Here we present the results of an experiment that examined the effects of 5.1 surround sound (5.1) and stereo loudspeaker setups on depth perception in relation to S3D imagery within a video game environment. Our aim was to answer the question: "can 5.1 surround sound enhance the participant's perception of depth in the stereoscopic field when compared to traditional stereo sound presentations?" In addition, our study examined how the presence or absence of Doppler frequency shift and frequency fall-off audio effects can also influence depth judgment under these conditions. Results suggest that 5.1 surround sound presentations enhance the apparent depth of stereoscopic imagery when compared to stereo presentations. Results also suggest that the addition of audio effects such as Doppler shift and frequency fall-off filters can influence the apparent depth of S3D objects.

Impact of Fall Prevention on Nurses and Care of Fall Risk Patients.

PubMed

King, Barbara; Pecanac, Kristen; Krupp, Anna; Liebzeit, Daniel; Mahoney, Jane

2018-03-19

Falls are common events for hospitalized older adults, resulting in negative outcomes both for patients and hospitals. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) has placed pressure on hospital administrators by identifying falls as a "never event", resulting in a zero falls goal for many hospitals. Staff nurses are responsible for providing direct care to patients and for meeting the hospital no falls goal. Little is known about the impact of "zero falls" on nurses, patients and the organization. A qualitative study, using Grounded Dimensional Analysis (GDA) was conducted to explore nurses' experiences with fall prevention in hospital settings and the impact of those experiences on how nurses provide care to fall risk patients. Twenty-seven registered nurses and certified nursing assistants participated in in-depth interviews. Open, axial and selective coding was used to analyze data. A conceptual model which illustrates the impact of intense messaging from nursing administration to prevent patient falls on nurses, actions nurses take to address the message and the consequences to nurses, older adult patients and to the organization was developed. Intense messaging from hospital administration to achieve zero falls resulted in nurses developing a fear of falls, protecting self and unit, and restricting fall risk patients as a way to stop messages and meet the hospital goal. Results of this study identify unintended consequences of fall prevention message on nurses and older adult patients. Further research is needed understand how nurse care for fall risk patients.

The dependence of the CO2 removal efficiency of LiOH on humidity and mesh size. [in spacecraft life support systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, S. H.; Kissinger, L. D.

1978-01-01

The effect of humidity on the CO2 removal efficiency of small beds of anhydrous LiOH has been studied. Experimental data taken in this small bed system clearly show that there is an optimum humidity for beds loaded with LiOH from a single lot. The CO2 efficiency falls rapidly under dry conditions, but this behavior is approximately the same in all samples. The behavior of the bed under wet conditions is quite dependent on material size distribution. The presence of large particles in a sample can lead to rapid fall off in the CO2 efficiency as the humidity increases.

Balance performance in older adults and its relationship with falling.

PubMed

Jalali, Mir Mohammad; Gerami, Hooshang; Heidarzadeh, Abtin; Soleimani, Robabeh

2015-06-01

A normal consequence of aging is a general deterioration in a number of musculoskeletal and sensory systems that affect postural control and balance. The aim of this study was to evaluate history of falls among active older individuals in Iran, and estimate the risk factors for falls among this population. A total of 448 active older subjects from rural region of Rasht city, Iran, were included. They were divided into three groups depending on their age: young-old (n = 266); middle-old (n = 154) and oldest-old (n = 28). We assessed balance performance by One-Leg Balance (OLB), Functional Reach (FR), Timed Up and Go (TUG) and Romberg tests. The fall rate (>2 in the last year) was 27.0 %. The cut-off point 13.75 s for TUG test showed 84.7 % sensitivity and 56 % specificity. Also the best cut-off point for OLB test was 12.7 s (63 % sensitivity and 83.5 % specificity). Logistic regression analysis revealed that age, BMI, diabetes, and failure in OLB, FR, and Romberg tests predicted fall risk. The decision tree classification of older individuals showed three categorical variables, which in their order of importance included diabetes, Romberg test, and OLB test. This study revealed the value of history taking about diabetes as a predictor for existing falling. Decision tree technique showed that Romberg and OLB tests help in identifying older adults with balance problems. Given the incidence and consequences of falls among older adults, large-scale prospective studies on older individuals to identify those prone to falls are warranted.

Heavy rain effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunham, R. Earl, Jr.

1994-01-01

This paper summarizes the current state of knowledge of the effect of heavy rain on airplane performance. Although the effects of heavy rain on airplane systems and engines are generally known, only recently has the potential aerodynamic effect of heavy rain been recognized. In 1977 the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducted a study of 25 aircraft accidents and incidents which occurred between 1964 and 1976 in which low-altitude wind shear could have been a contributing factor. Of the 25 cases (23 approach or landing and 2 take-off) in the study, ten cases had occurred in a rain environment, and in five cases these were classified as intense or heavy rain encounters. These results led to the reconsideration of high-intensity, short-duration rainfall as a potential weather-related aircraft safety hazard, particularly in the take-off and/or approach phases of flight.

Falls in ambulatory non-demented patients with Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Rascol, Olivier; Perez-Lloret, Santiago; Damier, Philippe; Delval, Arnaud; Derkinderen, Pascal; Destée, Alain; Meissner, Wassilios G; Tison, Francois; Negre-Pages, Laurence

2015-10-01

This study aimed at determining the prevalence of falling in PD patients, to assess generic and disease-specific clinical and pharmacological factors, relationship with health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) and changes in falls from OFF to ON in patients with motor fluctuations. Six-hundred and eighty-three PD patients of the COPARK survey were evaluated (11 had missing data and were excluded from the analysis). Patients with falls were identified as those with a UPDRS Item 13 ≥ 1 in the ON condition. All patients were assessed in a standardized manner [demographics, treatments, Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Pittsburg questionnaire and HR-QoL scales (SF36, PDQ39)]. Falling was reported by 108/672 (16%) PD patients during the ON state and prevalence increased according to PD severity, from 5% in Hoehn and Yahr stage 1-60% in stage 4. Falling was significantly related to lower HR-QoL. Falling correlated with (1) generic factors such as female gender, age at the end of academic studies and diuretics consumption, (2) motor PD-specific factors including disease severity, frozen gait, difficulties when arising from a chair, dyskinesia and higher levodopa daily equivalent dose and (3) non-motor PD-specific factors such as orthostatic hypotension and hallucinations. Falling was more frequent in OFF than in ON in 48/74 (64%) patients with motor fluctuations and remained unchanged in 27 patients (36%). In summary, falling affected a significant proportion of PD patients, especially in advanced stages. It was associated with a variety of generic and PD-specific factors and was related to reduced HR-QoL.

Relative biological effectiveness (RBE) and distal edge effects of proton radiation on early damage in vivo.

PubMed

Sørensen, Brita Singers; Bassler, Niels; Nielsen, Steffen; Horsman, Michael R; Grzanka, Leszek; Spejlborg, Harald; Swakoń, Jan; Olko, Paweł; Overgaard, Jens

2017-11-01

The aim of the present study was to examine the RBE for early damage in an in vivo mouse model, and the effect of the increased linear energy transfer (LET) towards the distal edge of the spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP). The lower part of the right hind limb of CDF1 mice was irradiated with single fractions of either 6 MV photons, 240 kV photons or scanning beam protons and graded doses were applied. For the proton irradiation, the leg was either placed in the middle of a 30-mm SOBP, or to assess the effect in different positions, irradiated in 4 mm intervals from the middle of the SOBP to behind the distal dose fall-off. Irradiations were performed with the same dose plan at all positions, corresponding to a dose of 31.25 Gy in the middle of the SOBP. Endpoint of the study was early skin damage of the foot, assessed by a mouse foot skin scoring system. The MDD 50 values with 95% confidence intervals were 36.1 (34.2-38.1) Gy for protons in the middle of the SOBP for score 3.5. For 6 MV photons, it was 35.9 (34.5-37.5) Gy and 32.6 (30.7-34.7) Gy for 240 kV photons for score 3.5. The corresponding RBE was 1.00 (0.94-1.05), relative to 6 MV photons and 0.9 (0.85-0.97) relative to 240 kV photons. In the mice group positioned at the SOBP distal dose fall-off, 25% of the mice developed early skin damage compared with 0-8% in other groups. LET d,z = 1 was 8.4 keV/μm at the distal dose fall-off and the physical dose delivered was 7% lower than in the central SOBP position, where LET d,z =1 was 3.3 keV/μm. Although there is a need to expand the current study to be able to calculate an exact enhancement ratio, an enhanced biological effect in vivo for early skin damage in the distal edge was demonstrated.

Metapopulation dynamics and future persistence of epiphytic cyanolichens in a European boreal forest ecosystem

PubMed Central

Fedrowitz, Katja; Kuusinen, Mikko; Snäll, Tord

2012-01-01

1. One approach to biodiversity conservation is to set aside small woodland key habitats (WKHs) in intensively managed landscapes. The aim is to support species, such as epiphytes, which often depend on old trees and are negatively affected by intensive forestry. However, it is not known whether the number of host trees within these areas can sustain species in the long term. 2. We studied metapopulation dynamics and assessed the future persistence of epiphytes assuming host tree numbers similar to those observed in large north European WKHs. The study species were seven cyanolichens confined to Populus tremula in the boreal study area. Colonizations and extinctions were recorded in 2008 on trees that had been surveyed 13 years earlier. We applied generalized (non)linear models to test the importance of environmental conditions, facilitation and spatial connectivity on the metapopulation dynamics. We also simulated the effects of tree numbers and tree fall rates on future species persistence. 3. Metapopulation dynamics were explained by tree quality, size or tree fall. In one species, colonizations increased with increasing connectivity, and in a second species it increased if other lichens sharing the photobiont with the focal species were present, suggesting facilitation. Both stochastic extinctions from standing trees and deterministic extinctions caused by tree fall should be accounted for in projecting epiphyte metapopulation dynamics. 4. One to three infrequent, sexually dispersed study species face a significant extinction risk within 50 years, especially in areas with low tree numbers. 5. Synthesis and applications. During the coming decades, infrequent, sexually dispersed, epiphytic lichens are likely to be lost from small woodland habitat set asides in intensively managed landscapes. Local extinction will be a consequence of low colonization rates and tree fall. Low colonization rates can be prevented by retaining large trees on which lichen species colonization rates are the highest and by assuring a high density of occupied trees. The negative effect of tree fall should be compensated for by assuring continuous availability of old trees. This can be achieved by decreasing the populations of large browsers, or by retaining trees with high conservation value during management operations. PMID:22745512

Evidence for Neutrals-Foreshock Electrons Impact at Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazelle, C. X.; Meziane, K.; Mitchell, D. L.; Garnier, P.; Espley, J. R.; Hamza, A. M.; Halekas, J.; Jakosky, B. M.

2018-05-01

Backstreaming electrons emanating from the bow shock of Mars reported from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN/Solar Wind Electron Analyzer observations show a flux fall off with the distance from the shock. This feature is not observed at the terrestrial foreshock. The flux decay is observed only for electron energy E ≥ 29 eV. A reported recent study indicates that Mars foreshock electrons are produced at the shock in a mirror reflection of a portion of the solar wind electrons. In this context, and given that the electrons are sufficiently energetic to not be affected by the interplanetary magnetic field fluctuations, the observed flux decrease appears problematic. We investigate the possibility that the flux fall off with distance results from the impact of backstreaming electrons with Mars exospheric neutral hydrogen. We demonstrate that the flux fall off is consistent with the electron-atomic hydrogen impact cross section for a large range of energy. A better agreement is obtained for energy where the impact cross section is the highest. One important consequence is that foreshock electrons can play an important role in the production of pickup ions at Mars far exosphere.

The efficacy of Tai Chi Chuan in older adults: a systematic review.

PubMed

Verhagen, Arianne P; Immink, Monique; van der Meulen, Annemieke; Bierma-Zeinstra, Sita M A

2004-02-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) on fall prevention, balance and cardiorespiratory functions in the elderly. A systematic review was carried out according to the Cochrane standards. A computerized literature search was carried out. Studies were selected when they had an experimental design; the age of the study population was >50; one of the interventions was a form of TCC; and when falls, balance or cardiorespiratory functions were used as an outcome measure. A total of seven studies were included, with in total 505 participants, of whom all but 27 were healthy seniors, age between 53 and 96 years. In most studies, the intervention of TCC is a modified Yang style, varying from 10 to 24 forms. The intensity of TCC varies from 1 h weekly for 10 weeks to 1 h every morning for 1 year. One study used falls as outcome measure and reported a beneficial effect of 47% in the TCC group. All studies mention a beneficial effect of TCC, but in most studies this conclusion was based on a pre-post analysis. There is limited evidence that TCC is effective in reducing falls and blood pressure in the elderly.

Screening older adults at risk of falling with the Tinetti balance scale.

PubMed

Raîche, M; Hébert, R; Prince, F; Corriveau, H

2000-09-16

In a prospective study of 225 community dwelling people 75 years and older, we tested the validity of the Tinetti balance scale to predict individuals who will fall at least once during the following year. A score of 36 or less identified 7 of 10 fallers with 70% sensitivity and 52% specificity. With this cut-off score, 53% of the individuals were screened positive and presented a two-fold risk of falling. These characteristics support the use of this test to screen older people at risk of falling in order to include them in a preventive intervention.

Association of the weekly practice of guided physical activity with the reduction of falls and symptoms of fibromyalgia in adult women.

PubMed

Martínez-Amat, Antonio; Hita-Contreras, Fidel; Latorre-Román, Pedro A; Gutierrez-López, María de la Cabeza; García-Pinillos, Felipe; Martínez-López, Emilio J

2014-11-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of weekly physical activity on the risk of falls and the impact of fibromyalgia (FM) symptoms on daily function in Spanish women. Fibromyalgia is a common widespread pain condition that has been linked to an increased risk of falling and a low amount of guided physical activity, defined as regular participation in moderate-intensity exercise. Before the development of fall-risk reduction interventions, it is essential to understand the context of falls and fall-related experiences in patients with FM. Ours was a descriptive longitudinal study, wherein 140 women participated, all aged 28-73 years and belonging to AFIXA (Asociación Provincial de Fibromialgia y Síndrome de Fatiga Crónica), the Fibromyalgia Association of Jaén (Andalusia, Spain). The study took place during 2013; data were collected through fall diaries, interviews, and questionnaires. Results showed that weekly physical activity can explain up to 12% of the variance in the fear of falling and 18% of the number of falls per year in patients with FM. However, the weekly physical activity prediction against the perceived impact of FM yielded R values below 10% in the 3 factors and in the total score of the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ-R). Inactive women were proven to have a significantly higher number of falls per year than active ones (1.86 ± 1.46 vs. 0.69 ± 0.43, p < 0.001), but their fear of falling was similar (p > 0.05). In addition, physically active women had a significantly lower intensity in the symptoms of their condition (FIQ-R symptoms: 30.87 ± 8.58 vs. 34.78 ± 7.58 arbitrary units [a.u.], p = 0.014), and lower scores in the total score of the FIQ-R (54.33 ± 21.50 vs. 65.19 ± 19.27 a.u., p = 0.004). Results show that, with at least 1 hour per session of guided physical activity, a higher weekly number of sessions reduced the fear of falling in patients with FM and the total number of falls per year, and is associated with less severe symptoms (FIQ-R3).

6 Tip-offs to Rip-offs: Don't Fall for Health Fraud Scams

MedlinePlus

... are not the only health scams on the market. FDA found a fraudulent and expensive light therapy device with cure-all claims to treat fungal meningitis, Alzheimer’s, skin cancer, concussions and many other unrelated diseases. Generally, making health claims about a medical device without FDA ...

Falling Outer Rotation Curves of Star-forming Galaxies at 0.6 ≲ z ≲ 2.6 Probed with KMOS3D and SINS/zC-SINF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, Philipp; Förster Schreiber, Natascha M.; Genzel, Reinhard; Wuyts, Stijn; Wisnioski, Emily; Beifiori, Alessandra; Belli, Sirio; Bender, Ralf; Brammer, Gabe; Burkert, Andreas; Chan, Jeffrey; Davies, Ric; Fossati, Matteo; Galametz, Audrey; Kulkarni, Sandesh K.; Lutz, Dieter; Mendel, J. Trevor; Momcheva, Ivelina G.; Naab, Thorsten; Nelson, Erica J.; Saglia, Roberto P.; Seitz, Stella; Tacchella, Sandro; Tacconi, Linda J.; Tadaki, Ken-ichi; Übler, Hannah; van Dokkum, Pieter G.; Wilman, David J.

2017-05-01

We exploit the deep, resolved, Hα kinematic data from the KMOS3D and SINS/zC-SINF surveys to examine the largely unexplored outer-disk kinematics of star-forming galaxies (SFGs), out to the peak of cosmic star formation. Our sample contains 101 SFGs, representative of the more massive (9.3≲ {log}{M}* /{M}⊙ ≲ 11.5) main sequence population at 0.6 ≤ z ≤ 2.6. Through a novel stacking approach, we are able to constrain a representative rotation curve extending out to ˜4 effective radii. This average rotation curve exhibits a significant drop in rotation velocity beyond the turnover, with a slope of {{Δ }}V/{{Δ }}R=-{0.26}-0.09+0.10 in units of normalized coordinates V/V max and R/R turn. This result confirms that the fall-off seen in some individual galaxies is a common feature of our sample of high-z disks. The outer fall-off strikingly deviates from the flat or mildly rising rotation curves of local spiral galaxies that have similar masses. Through a comparison with models that include baryons and dark matter, we demonstrate that the falling stacked rotation curve is consistent with a high mass fraction of baryons, relative to the total dark matter halo (m d ≳ 0.05), in combination with a sizeable level of pressure support in the outer disk. These findings agree with recent studies demonstrating that high-z star-forming disks are strongly baryon-dominated within the disk scale, and furthermore suggest that pressure gradients caused by large, turbulent gas motions are present even in their outer disks. These results are largely independent of our model assumptions, such as the presence of stellar bulges, the effect of adiabatic contraction, and variations in halo concentration.

Acoustic Fluctuation Workshop Held at Naval Research Lab. on February 22-23 1978. Technical Review, Editorial Summary, Synopsis and Papers. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-07-02

modulation falls off at -30 dB per oc- tave as would be expected for internal waves. jloat: (C) (1) Random course and speed produce small effect on coherence...2) Constant course and speed produce large effects. (3) Measured coherence lower than predicted. Barbour: (C) Standard deviation of fluctuations in...present characteristics of signals propagated over long range deep water paths, for which the data is currently insufficient to permit modeling. In

Effects of whole body vibration on bone mineral density and falls: results of the randomized controlled ELVIS study with postmenopausal women.

PubMed

von Stengel, S; Kemmler, W; Engelke, K; Kalender, W A

2011-01-01

We determined whether the effect of exercise on bone mineral density (BMD) and falls can be enhanced by whole body vibration (WBV). In summary, the multi-purpose exercise training was effective to increase lumbar BMD but added WBV did not enhance this effect. However, falls were lowest in the exercise program combined with WBV. WBV is a new approach to reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures. In the "Erlangen Longitudinal Vibration Study" (ELVIS), we investigated whether WBV enhances the effect of multifunctional exercise on BMD and falls. One hundred fifty-one postmenopausal women (68.5 ± 3.1 years) were randomly assigned to a: (1) conventional training group (TG); (2) conventional training group including vibration (TGV); and (3) wellness control group (CG). TG conducted an exercise program consisting of 20 min dancing aerobics, 5 min balance training, 20 min functional gymnastics, and 15 min dynamic leg-strength training on vibration plates (without vibration) twice a week. TGV performed an identical exercise regimen with vibration (25-35 Hz) during the leg-strengthening sequence. CG performed a low-intensity wellness program. BMD was measured at the hip and lumbar spine at baseline and follow-up using the DXA method. Falls were recorded daily via the calendar method. After 18 months, an increase in BMD at the lumbar spine was observed in both training groups (TGV: +1.5% vs. TG: +2.1%). The difference between the TG and the CG (1.7%) was significant. At the hip no changes were determined in either group. The fall frequency was significantly lower in TGV (0.7 falls/person) compared with CG (1.5), whereas the difference between TG (0.96) and CG was not significant. A multifunctional training program had a positive impact on lumbar BMD. The application of vibration did not enhance these effects. However, only the training including WBV affected the number of falls significantly.

Exercise intensity and oxygen uptake kinetics in African-American and Caucasian women.

PubMed

Lai, Nicola; Tolentino-Silva, Fatima; Nasca, Melita M; Silva, Marco A; Gladden, L Bruce; Cabrera, Marco E

2012-03-01

The effect of exercise intensity on the on- and off-transient kinetics of oxygen uptake (VO(2)) was investigated in African American (AA) and Caucasian (C) women. African American (n = 7) and Caucasian (n = 6) women of similar age, body mass index and weight, performed an incremental test and bouts of square-wave exercise at moderate, heavy and very heavy intensities on a cycle ergometer. Gas exchange threshold (LT(GE)) was lower in AA (13.6 ± 2.3 mL kg(-1) min(-1)) than C (18.6 ± 5.6 mL kg(-1) min(-1)). The dynamic exercise and recovery VO(2) responses were characterized by mathematical models. There were no significant differences in (1) peak oxygen uptake (VO(2peak)) between AA (28.5 ± 5 mL kg(-1) min(-1)) and C (31.1 ± 6.6 mL kg(-1) min(-1)) and (2) VO(2) kinetics at any exercise intensity. At moderate exercise, the on- and off- VO(2) kinetics was described by a monoexponential function with similar time constants τ (1,on) (39.4 ± 12.5; 38.8 ± 15 s) and τ (1,off) (52.7 ± 10.1; 40.7 ± 4.4 s) for AA and C, respectively. At heavy and very heavy exercise, the VO(2) kinetics was described by a double-exponential function. The parameter values for heavy and very heavy exercise in the AA group were, respectively: τ (1,on) (47.0 ± 10.8; 44.3 ± 10 s), τ (2,on) (289 ± 63; 219 ± 90 s), τ (1,off) (45.9 ± 6.2; 50.7 ± 10 s), τ (2,off) (259 ± 120; 243 ± 93 s) while in the C group were, respectively: τ (1,on) (41 ± 12; 43.2 ± 15 s); τ (2, on) (277 ± 81; 215 ± 36 s), τ (1,off) (40.2 ± 3.4; 42.3 ± 7.2 s), τ (2,off) (215 ± 133; 228 ± 64 s). The on- and off-transients were symmetrical with respect to model order and dependent on exercise intensity regardless of race. Despite similar VO(2) kinetics, LT(GE) and gain of the VO(2) on-kinetics at moderate intensity were lower in AA than C. However, generalization to the African American and Caucasian populations is constrained by the small subject numbers.

Falls in residential carpentry and drywall installation: findings from active injury surveillance with union carpenters.

PubMed

Lipscomb, Hester J; Dement, John M; Nolan, James; Patterson, Dennis; Li, Leiming; Cameron, Wilfred

2003-08-01

Active injury surveillance was conducted with a large, unionized workforce of residential and drywall carpenters over a 3-year period. Injured carpenters were interviewed by trained carpenter investigators and sites were visited where falls occurred. Qualitative information was collected on exposures, risk perception, training, and mentoring. Falls accounted for 20% of injuries. Same-level falls were often related to weather, carrying objects-sometimes with an obstructed view-housekeeping, terrain of the lot, and speed of work. Falls from height occurred from a variety of work surfaces and involved ladders, scaffolding, roofs, work on other unsecured surfaces, unprotected openings, speed, and weather conditions. Recognized fall protection strategies, such as guardrails, toe boards, tying off to appropriate anchors, and guarding openings, would have prevented many of these falls; these practices were not the norm on many sites.

Habitat change and geomorphic response related to sediment releases during reservoir drawdowns at Fall Creek Lake, Oregon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keith, M. K.; Wallick, R.; Bangs, B. L.; Taylor, G.; Gordon, G. W.; White, J. S.; Mangano, J.

2017-12-01

Reservoir drawdowns at Fall Creek Lake, Oregon lower lake levels to facilitate downstream passage of juvenile spring Chinook salmon through the 55-m high dam. Since 2011, annual fall and winter drawdowns have improved fish passage, but temporarily lowering the lake nearly to streambed has increased downstream transport of predominantly fine (<2 mm) sediment to the lower gravel-bed reaches of Fall Creek and the Middle Fork Willamette River. Repeated releases of reservoir sediments have uncertain long-term consequences for downstream reaches where dam construction has reduced peak flows, coarse sediment transport, and habitat creation. Here, we evaluate site and reach-scale geomorphic responses to sediment released from the reservoir over 2011-17. At the reach-scale, sediment aggradation is most apparent in low velocity zones along channel margins and in side channels and alcoves of Fall Creek nearest to the dam. These areas accumulate sediment following the drawdown and are colonized with vegetation, such as reed canary grass, thereby increasing the trapping efficiency for fine sediment during the following year's drawdown. Fine sediment accumulation in off-channel areas has reduced the available rearing area for some salmonid species but may provide alternative habitat suitable for other native aquatic species such as Pacific lamprey ammocoetes that live in fine substrates for several years. Changes in off-channel aquatic habitat and bare gravel bars related to the drawdowns are small relative to the historically dynamic conditions on the Middle Fork (presently stable). Fall Creek, historically and presently stable, has fewer off-channel areas than the Middle Fork, so filling those areas has greater reach-scale impacts on habitat. Locally, deposition measured following the 2015 drawdown showed most aggradation on high-elevation gravel bars and low-elevation floodplains occurred when flows were higher on Fall Creek ( 2,000 ft3/s) and the Middle Fork (near bankfull events, 19,000 ft3/s). Rapid mobilization and re-deposition of reservoir sediments indicates that strategically planned flow releases could be used flush sediment through the channel, potentially minimizing habitat impacts.

Effects of long-term wearing of high-heeled shoes on the control of the body's center of mass motion in relation to the center of pressure during walking.

PubMed

Chien, Hui-Lien; Lu, Tung-Wu; Liu, Ming-Wei

2014-04-01

High-heeled shoes are associated with instability and falling, leading to injuries such as fracture and ankle sprain. This study investigated the effects of habitual wearing of high-heeled shoes on the body's center of mass (COM) motion relative to the center of pressure (COP) during gait. Fifteen female experienced wearers and 15 matched controls walked with high-heeled shoes (7.3cm) while kinematic and ground reaction force data were measured and used to calculate temporal-distance parameters, joint moments, COM-COP inclination angles (IA) and the rate of IA changes (RCIA). Compared with inexperienced wearers, experienced subjects showed significantly reduced frontal IA with increased ankle pronator moments during single-limb support (p<0.05). During double-limb support (DLS), they showed significantly increased magnitudes of the frontal RCIA at toe-off and contralateral heel-strike, and reduced DLS time (p<0.05) but unaltered mean RCIA over DLS. In the sagittal plane experienced wearers showed significantly increased mean RCIA (p<0.05) and significant differences in the RCIA at toe-off and contralateral heel-strike (p<0.05). Significantly increased hip flexor moments and knee extensor moments at toe-off (p<0.05) were needed for forward motion of the trailing limb. The current results identified the change in the balance control in females after long-term use of high-heeled shoes, providing a basis for future design of strategies to minimize the risk of falling during high-heeled gait. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Monte Carlo turbulence simulation using rational approximations to von Karman spectra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, C. W.

1986-01-01

Turbulence simulation is computationally much simpler using rational spectra, but turbulence falls off as f exp -5/3 in frequency ranges of interest to aircraft response and as predicted by von Karman's model. Rational approximations to von Karman spectra should satisfy three requirements: (1) the rational spectra should provide a good approximation to the von Karman spectra in the frequency range of interest; (2) for stability, the resulting rational transfer function should have all its poles in the left half-plane; and (3) at high frequencies, the rational spectra must fall off as an integer power of frequency, and since the -2 power is closest to the -5/3 power, the rational approximation should roll off as the -2 power at high frequencies. Rational approximations to von Karman spectra that satisfy these three criteria are presented, along with spectra from simulated turbulence. Agreement between the spectra of the simulated turbulence and von Karman spectra is excellent.

High-throughput screening in two dimensions: binding intensity and off-rate on a peptide microarray.

PubMed

Greving, Matthew P; Belcher, Paul E; Cox, Conor D; Daniel, Douglas; Diehnelt, Chris W; Woodbury, Neal W

2010-07-01

We report a high-throughput two-dimensional microarray-based screen, incorporating both target binding intensity and off-rate, which can be used to analyze thousands of compounds in a single binding assay. Relative binding intensities and time-resolved dissociation are measured for labeled tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) bound to a peptide microarray. The time-resolved dissociation is fitted to a one-component exponential decay model, from which relative dissociation rates are determined for all peptides with binding intensities above background. We show that most peptides with the slowest off-rates on the microarray also have the slowest off-rates when measured by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Voluntary stepping behavior under single- and dual-task conditions in chronic stroke survivors: A comparison between the involved and uninvolved legs.

PubMed

Melzer, Itshak; Goldring, Melissa; Melzer, Yehudit; Green, Elad; Tzedek, Irit

2010-12-01

If balance is lost, quick step execution can prevent falls. Research has shown that speed of voluntary stepping was able to predict future falls in old adults. The aim of the study was to investigate voluntary stepping behavior, as well as to compare timing and leg push-off force-time relation parameters of involved and uninvolved legs in stroke survivors during single- and dual-task conditions. We also aimed to compare timing and leg push-off force-time relation parameters between stroke survivors and healthy individuals in both task conditions. Ten stroke survivors performed a voluntary step execution test with their involved and uninvolved legs under two conditions: while focusing only on the stepping task and while a separate attention-demanding task was performed simultaneously. Temporal parameters related to the step time were measured including the duration of the step initiation phase, the preparatory phase, the swing phase, and the total step time. In addition, force-time parameters representing the push-off power during stepping were calculated from ground reaction data and compared with 10 healthy controls. The involved legs of stroke survivors had a significantly slower stepping time than uninvolved legs due to increased swing phase duration during both single- and dual-task conditions. For dual compared to single task, the stepping time increased significantly due to a significant increase in the duration of step initiation. In general, the force time parameters were significantly different in both legs of stroke survivors as compared to healthy controls, with no significant effect of dual compared with single-task conditions in both groups. The inability of stroke survivors to swing the involved leg quickly may be the most significant factor contributing to the large number of falls to the paretic side. The results suggest that stroke survivors were unable to rapidly produce muscle force in fast actions. This may be the mechanism of delayed execution of a fast step when balance is lost, thus increasing the likelihood of falls in stroke survivors. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Solar Tests of Aperture Plate Materials for Solar Thermal Dish Collectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaffe, L. D.

1984-01-01

If a malfunction occurs in a solar thermal point-focus distributed receiver power plant while a concentrator is pointed at the Sun, motion of the concentrator may stop. As the Sun moves relative to the Earth, the spot of concentrated sunlight then slowly walks off the receiver aperture, across the receiver face plate, and perhaps across adjacent portions of the concentrator. Intense local heating by the concentrated sunlight may damage or destroy these parts. The behavior of various materials under conditions simulating walk-off of a parabolic dish solar collector were evaluated. Each test consisted of exposure to concentrated sunlight at a peak flux density of about 7000 kW/square meter for 15 minutes. Types of materials tested included graphite, silicon carbide, silica, various silicates, alumina, zirconia, aluminum, copper, steel, and polytetrafluoroethylene. The only material that neither cracked nor melted was grade G-90 graphite. Grade CS graphite, a lower cost commercial grade, cracked half-way across, but did not fall apart. Both of these grades are medium-grain extruded graphites. A graphite cloth (graphitized polyacrylonitrile) showed fair performance when tested as a single thin ply; it might be useful as a multi-ply assembly. High purity slipcast silica showed some promise also.

Solar tests of aperture plate materials for solar thermal dish collectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaffe, L. D.

1984-01-01

If a malfunction occurs in a solar thermal point-focus distributed receiver power plant while a concentrator is pointed at the sun, motion of the concentrator may stop. As the sun moves relative to the earth, the spot of concentrated sunlight then slowly walks off the receiver aperture, across the receiver face plate, and perhaps across adjacent portions of the concentrator. Intense local heating by the concentrated sunlight may damage or destroy these parts. The behavior of various materials under conditions simulating walk-off of a parabolic dish solar collector were evaluated. Each test consisted of exposure to concentrated sunlight at a peak flux density of about 7000 kW/square meter for 15 minutes. Types of materials tested included graphite, silicon carbide, silica, various silicates, alumina, zirconia, aluminum, copper, steel, and polytetrafluoroethylene. The only material that neither cracked nor melted was grade G-90 graphite. Grade CS graphite, a lower cost commercial grade, cracked half-way across, but did not fall apart. Both of these grades are medium-grain extruded graphites. A graphite cloth (graphitized polyacrylonitrile) showed fair performance when tested as a single thin ply; it might be useful as a multi-ply assembly. High purity slipcast silica showed some promise also.

Second harmonic generation of off axial vortex beam in the case of walk-off effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shunyi; Ding, Panfeng; Pu, Jixiong

2016-07-01

Process of off axial vortex beam propagating in negative uniaxial crystal is investigated in this work. Firstly, we get the formulae of the normalized electric field and calculate the location of vortices for second harmonic beam in two type of phase matching. Then, numerical analysis verifies that the intensity distribution and location of vortices of the first order original vortex beam depend on the walk-off angle and off axial magnitude. It is shown that, in type I phase matching, the distribution of vortices is symmetrical about the horizontal axis, the separation distance increases as the off axial magnitude increases or the off axial magnitude deceases. However, in type II phase matching, the vortices are symmetrical along with some vertical axis, and increase of the walk-off angle or off axial magnitude leads to larger separation distance. Finally, the case of high order original off axial vortex beam is also investigated.

Falls prevention and balance rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis: a bi-centre randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Cattaneo, Davide; Rasova, Kamila; Gervasoni, Elisa; Dobrovodská, Gabriela; Montesano, Angelo; Jonsdottir, Johanna

2018-03-01

People with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS) have a high incidence of accidental falls that have a potentially detrimental effect on their daily life participation. The effect of balance specific rehabilitation on clinical balance measures and frequency of falls in PwMS was studied. A bi-centre randomised rater-blinded controlled trial. Participants in both groups received 20 treatment sessions. Participants in the intervention group received treatment aimed at improving balance and mobility. Participants in the control group received treatments to reduce limitations at activity and body function level. Primary measures were frequency of fallers (>1 fall in two months) and responders (>3 points improvement) at the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Data was analysed according to an intention to treat approach. One hundred and nineteen participants were randomised. Following treatment frequency of fallers was 22% in the intervention group and 23% in the control group, odds ratio (OR) and (confidence limits): 1.05 (0.41 to 2.77). Responders on the BBS were 28% in the intervention group and 33% in the control group, OR = 0.75 (0.30 to 1.91). At follow up ORs for fallers and responders at BBS were 0.98 (0.48 to 2.01) and 0.79 (0.26 to 2.42), respectively. Twenty sessions 2-3 times/week of balance specific rehabilitation did not reduce fall frequency nor improve balance suggesting the need for more frequent and challenging interventions. Implications for Rehabilitation Programs for balance rehabilitation can improve balance but their effects in fall prevention are unclear. Twenty treatments sessions 2/3 times per week did not reduced frequency of falls in MS. The comparison with similar studies suggests that higher intensity of practice of highly challenging balance activities appears to be critical to maximizing effectiveness.

Systematic Review: The Effectiveness of Interventions to Reduce Falls and Improve Balance in Adults With Multiple Sclerosis.

PubMed

Gunn, Hilary; Markevics, Sophie; Haas, Bernhard; Marsden, Jonathan; Freeman, Jennifer

2015-10-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in reducing falls and/or improving balance as a falls risk in multiple sclerosis (MS). Computer-based and manual searches included the following medical subject heading keywords: "Multiple Sclerosis AND accidental falls" OR "Multiple Sclerosis AND postural balance" OR "Multiple Sclerosis AND exercise" OR "Multiple Sclerosis AND physical/physio therapy" NOT animals. All literature published to November 2014 with available full-text details were included. Studies were reviewed against the PICO (participants, interventions, comparisons, outcomes) selection criteria: P, adults with MS; I, falls management/balance rehabilitation interventions; C, randomized/quasi-randomized studies comparing intervention with usual care or placebo control; O, falls outcomes and measures of balance. Fifteen articles of the original 529 search results were included. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed methodological quality using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Random-effects meta-analysis indicated a small decrease in falls risk (risk ratio, .74), although the 95% confidence interval (CI) crossed 1 (95% CI, .12-4.38). The pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) for balance outcomes was .55 (95% CI, .35-.74). SMD varied significantly between exercise subgroupings; gait, balance, and functional training interventions yielded the greatest pooled effect size (ES) (SMD=.82; 95% CI, 0.55-1.10). There was a moderate positive correlation between program volume (min/wk) and ES (Cohen's d) (r=.70, P=.009), and a moderate negative correlation between program duration in weeks and ES (r=-.62, P=.03). Variations in interventions and outcomes and methodological limitations mean that results must be viewed with caution. This review suggests that balance may improve through exercise interventions, but that the magnitude of the improvements achieved in existing programs may not be sufficient to impact falls outcomes. Supporting participants to achieve an appropriate intensity of practice of highly challenging balance activities appears to be critical to maximizing effectiveness. Copyright © 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterizing effects of hydropower plants on sub-daily flow regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bejarano, María Dolores; Sordo-Ward, Álvaro; Alonso, Carlos; Nilsson, Christer

2017-07-01

A characterization of short-term changes in river flow is essential for understanding the ecological effects of hydropower plants, which operate by turning the turbines on or off to generate electricity following variations in the market demand (i.e., hydropeaking). The goal of our study was to develop an approach for characterizing the effects of hydropower plant operations on within-day flow regimes across multiple dams and rivers. For this aim we first defined ecologically meaningful metrics that provide a full representation of the flow regime at short time scales from free-flowing rivers and rivers exposed to hydropeaking. We then defined metrics that enable quantification of the deviation of the altered short-term flow regime variables from those of the unaltered state. The approach was successfully tested in two rivers in northern Sweden, one free-flowing and another regulated by cascades of hydropower plants, which were additionally classified based on their impact on short-term flows in sites of similar management. The largest differences between study sites corresponded to metrics describing sub-daily flow magnitudes such as amplitude (i.e., difference between the highest and the lowest hourly flows) and rates (i.e., rise and fall rates of hourly flows). They were closely followed by frequency-related metrics accounting for the numbers of within-day hourly flow patterns (i.e., rises, falls and periods of stability of hourly flows). In comparison, between-site differences for the duration-related metrics were smallest. In general, hydropeaking resulted in higher within-day flow amplitudes and rates and more but shorter periods of a similar hourly flow patterns per day. The impacted flow feature and the characteristics of the impact (i.e., intensity and whether the impact increases or decreases whatever is being described by the metric) varied with season. Our approach is useful for catchment management planning, defining environmental flow targets, prioritizing river restoration or dam reoperation efforts and contributing information for relicensing hydropower dams.

[High prevalence of off-label and unlicensed drug prescribing in a Brazilian intensive care unit].

PubMed

Ferreira, Lilian de Abreu; Ibiapina, Cássio da Cunha; Machado, Márcia Gomes Penido; Fagundes, Eleonora Druve Tavares

2012-01-01

To describe the use and determine the prevalence of off-label and unlicensed drug use prescribing in a pediatric intensive care unit in a Southeastern Brazilian hospital Cross-sectional study of inpatients in a pediatric intensive care unit from May 2008 through January 2009. The classification according to the Brazilian regulatory agency (Agência de Vigilância Sanitária - Anvisa) approval criteria was based on the Anvisa electronic package insert list, Pharmaceuticals Dictionary, and the analysis was conducted through R software. We analysed 1,054 prescription items for 73 patients. Females predominated (52%), and the patients' age ranged from 0 to 16 years. Among the prescribed items, 23.4% were off-label, 12.6% were unlicensed, 1.4% were both off-label and unlicensed, 86% had at least one item off-label, and 67% had at least one unlicensed drug. The most frequently prescribed therapeutic groups were systemic anti-bacterial, analgesic, psycholeptic, and antiasmathic agents. The current study results confirm the high prevalence of unlicensed and off-label drug use in a pediatric intensive care unit.

Natural falling of beetle-killed ponderosa pine

Treesearch

J. M. Schmid; S. A. Mata; W. F. McCambridge

1985-01-01

Beetle-killed trees in the Front Range of Colorado were observed for their rate and direction of falling. No trees fell within the 2 years following infestation. Thereafter, trees generally fell at the rate of 3-5% per year unless winds exceeded 75 mph. Most trees fell to the east and broke off between ground level and 2 feet above ground.

The Evolution of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Classes when Delivered via Distance Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hecht, Jeffrey B.; Klass, Patricia H.

This study examined whether new streamed Internet audio and video technology could be used for primary instruction in off-campus research classes. Several different off-campus student cohorts at Illinois State university enrolled in both a fall semester qualitative research methods class and a spring semester quantitative research methods class.…

Four Weeks of Off-Season Training Improves Peak Oxygen Consumption in Female Field Hockey Players

PubMed Central

Funch, Lindsey T.; Lind, Erik; Van Langen, Deborah; Hokanson, James F.

2017-01-01

The purpose of the study was to examine the changes in peak oxygen consumption (V˙O2peak) and running economy (RE) following four-weeks of high intensity training and concurrent strength and conditioning during the off-season in collegiate female field hockey players. Fourteen female student-athletes (age 19.29 ± 0.91 years) were divided into two training groups, matched from baseline V˙O2peak: High Intensity Training (HITrun; n = 8) and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT; n = 6). Participants completed 12 training sessions. HITrun consisted of 30 min of high-intensity running, while HIIT consisted of a series of whole-body high intensity Tabata-style intervals (75–85% of age predicted maximum heart rate) for a total of four minutes. In addition to the interval training, the off-season training included six resistance training sessions, three team practices, and concluded with a team scrimmage. V˙O2peak was measured pre- and post-training to determine the effectiveness of the training program. A two-way mixed (group × time) ANOVA showed a main effect of time with a statistically significant difference in V˙O2peak from pre- to post-testing, F(1, 12) = 12.657, p = 0.004, partial η2 = 0.041. Average (±SD) V˙O2peak increased from 44.64 ± 3.74 to 47.35 ± 3.16 mL·kg−1·min−1 for HIIT group and increased from 45.39 ± 2.80 to 48.22 ± 2.42 mL·kg−1·min−1 for HITrun group. Given the similar improvement in aerobic power, coaches and training staff may find the time saving element of HIIT-type conditioning programs attractive. PMID:29910449

The Effect of Different Kinds of Noise on the Quality of Sleep Under the Controlled Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

KUWANO, S.; MIZUNAMI, T.; NAMBA, S.; MORINAGA, M.

2002-02-01

Many laboratory and field studies of the effect of noise on sleep have been performed where subjects sleep whole nights. It was suggested from our former studies that the most serious effect of noise on sleep is disturbance in falling asleep and that people have to make efforts to try to sleep in noisy situations. In this study, the effort to fall asleep was used as an index of sleep and the effect of various physical properties of sounds was examined. Subjects were asked to try to sleep listening to sounds presented with a mini-disk and they were allowed to switch off the sound after 1 h if they could not sleep. The results suggest that (1) whether subjects can sleep within 1 h after they start to try to sleep is a good index of the effect of noise on sleep and that LAeqis a good index of the effect of noise on sleep except for the sounds which have meanings such as songs and people's talk.

Falls prevention focused medication review by a pharmacist in an acute hospital: implications for future practice.

PubMed

Browne, Claire; Kingston, Claire; Keane, Claire

2014-10-01

Patients at risk of falling are regularly prescribed medicines which increase falls risk. Medication review is a widely advocated risk reduction strategy. The objectives of this descriptive study were to determine the number and types of falls risk medicines suitable for intervention, and to develop guidance to optimise the effectiveness of future medication related falls prevention initiatives. An Irish acute teaching hospital and tertiary referral centre. 50 hospital in-patients at risk of falls underwent medication review focused on falls prevention by a pharmacist. Falls risk medicines were identified, and reviewed. If scope to discontinue, dose reduce or switch to a safer alternative was identified by the pharmacist, the suggested medication changes were communicated to the patient's care team. Identification of the classes of falls risk medicines and types of prescriptions with greatest potential for intervention. Results The mean number of falls risk medicines prescribed to each patient was 4.8 (± 2.8) and the total number prescribed to the 50 patients was 238. Following medication review, the pharmacist identified 48 (20 %) as suitable for intervention. Consequently, 34 medication changes (70.8 %) were implemented. Four medication classes accounted for over 80 % of medication changes. These were anti-emetics, opioid analgesics, anti-cholinergic agents acting on the bladder and benzodiazepines/hypnotics. Intervention was statistically significantly more likely to be possible in the case of p.r.n. medicines compared to regular medicines (p < 0.001, Chi square test). Medication reviews focused on falls prevention took an average of 23.5 min per patient to complete. Medication reviews focused on falls prevention involve striking a balance between minimising medicines associated with falls and effectively treating medical conditions. We found only 20 % of falls risk medicines were suitable for change, and reviews were time consuming and resource intensive. However, targeting four medication classes, and being particularly alert to the potential to discontinue 'as required' medicines, has the potential to achieve most of the benefits of more comprehensive reviews. This information will guide the development of future falls risk medicine review initiatives in our hospital, increasing their feasibility in the acute hospital setting.

Injection method of barrier bucket supported by off-aligned electron cooling for CRing of HIAF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Guo-Dong; Yang, Jian-Cheng; Xia, Jia-Wen; Mao, Li-Jun; Yin, Da-Yu; Chai, Wei-Ping; Shi, Jian; Sheng, Li-Na; Smirnov, A.; Wu, Bo; Zhao, He

2016-08-01

A new accelerator complex, HIAF (the High Intensity Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility), has been approved in China. It is designed to provide intense primary and radioactive ion beams for research in high energy density physics, nuclear physics, atomic physics as well as other applications. In order to achieve a high intensity of up to 5×1011 ppp 238U34+, the Compression Ring (CRing) needs to stack more than 5 bunches transferred from the Booster Ring (BRing). However, the normal bucket to bucket injection scheme can only achieve an intensity gain of 2, so an injection method, fixed barrier bucket (BB) supported by electron cooling, is proposed. To suppress the severe space charge effect during the stacking process, off-alignment is adopted in the cooler to control the transverse emittance. In this paper, simulation and optimization with the BETACOOL program are presented. Supported by New Interdisciplinary and Advanced Pilot Fund of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Absorption spectra and nonlinear transmission (at λ = 2940 nm) of a diffusion-doped Fe{sup 2+}:ZnSe single crystal

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

Bufetova, G A; Gulyamova, E S; Il'ichev, N N

2015-06-30

Transmission spectra of a ZnSe sample diffusion-doped with Fe{sup 2+} ions have been measured in the wavelength range 500 – 7000 nm. A broad absorption band in the range 500 – 1500 nm has been observed in both doped and undoped regions of the sample. This band is possibly due to deviations from stoichiometry in the course of diffusion doping. The transmission of the Fe{sup 2+}:ZnSe sample at a wavelength of 2940 nm has been measured at various dopant concentrations and high peak pulse intensities (up to 8 MW cm{sup -2}). The samples have been shown to be incompletely bleached:more » during a laser pulse, the transmission first increases, reaches a maximum, and then falls off. Our results suggest that the incomplete bleaching cannot be accounted for by excited-state absorption. The incomplete bleaching (as well as the transmission maximum) is due to the heating of the sample, which leads to a reduction in upper level lifetime and, accordingly, to an increase in absorption saturation intensity. (nonlinear optical phenomena)« less

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

Feldman, W.C.; Symbalisty, E.M.D.; Roussel-Dupre, R.A.

Hard X ray and neutron emissions measured in low-Earth orbit are surveyed to develop a global overview of lightning-related energetic-electron precipitation and acceleration process. Comparison of geographic intensity maps shows the dominance of enhanced hard X ray intensities measured when the satellite was above the continental United States and above the southern Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Australia. The emission is most enhanced during the northern summer months. Lesser although significant enhancements are seen between the Middle East and the Tibetan plateau, a stretch of ocean off the east Asian coast between the Phillipines and Korea, a stretch of equatorialmore » Africa from the Ivory Coast to Mozambique, a region of the eastern equatorial Pacific just west of Columbia, and a patch of the Indian Ocean stretching between the southern tip of India and Indonesia. Although emissions from many of these regions are generally enhanced during the northern summer and fall seasons, none show any regularity relative to local time of day. Many but not all of these enhancements support natural interpretations in terms of lightning-induced energetic-electron precipitation from the terrestrial trapped radiation belts. Electron scattering induced by radio waves from VLF transmitters most likely contributes to this precipitation. 46 refs., 6 figs.« less

Hurricane Darby off the Pacific Coast of Mexico

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-07-26

Hurricane Darby as observed by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder AIRS onboard NASA Aqua in July, 2004. This daylight image of Hurricane Darby on July 28 was made with the visible sensor in the AIRS instrument suite. After reaching sustained winds on July 27 of 100 knots (115 mph) with gusts to 120 knots (138 mph), the intensity of the storm is now lowered to 75 knots (86 mph). Located in the eastern north Pacific Ocean located about 1,165 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, the storm continues its west/northwest path at 14 knots (16mph). Figure 1 is a daylight snapshot from AIRS visible/near-infrared sensor before Darby became a tropical storm. Darby is in the upper right-hand corner. Circulation is not apparent because the storm was not organized sufficiently to allow the nascent eye to appear. At this time, winds were approximately 35 mph. Figure 2 is an AIRS infrared image. Darby falls on the edge of two AIRS data granules, which have been "stitched" together in this image. Storm intensity is lowered to 75 knots (86 mph), down from 100 knots (115 mph). http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00439

Public Risk Assessment of Off-Nominal Genesis Entries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mendeck, Gavin F.; Kadwa, Binaifer

2006-01-01

Public risk estimations were among the preparations for the entry of the Genesis sample return capsule. Personnel at the Johnson Space Center were requested to provide estimates of the public risk of off-nominal entries. These scenarios dealt with an incomplete trajectory maneuver that would result in the capsule landing outside of the controlled Utah Test and Training Range. Using a conservative approach to the inputs and assumptions, such off-nominal entries were demonstrated to fall within the project risk limits.

Soil erosion and deposition before and after fire in oak savannas

Treesearch

Peter F. Ffolliott; Gerald J. Gottfried; Hui Chen; Aaron T. Kauffman; Cody L. Stropki; Daniel G. Neary

2013-01-01

Effects of low severity prescribed burning treatments and a wildfire on soil erosion and deposition in the oak savannas in the Southwestern Borderlands are reported. Measurements in the spring and fall, respectively, characterize soil movements following winter rains and high-intensity summer rainstorms. Annual values are also presented. Relationships between soil...

Human survivability of extreme impacts in free-fall.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1963-08-01

Human deceleration tolerances beyond the limits imposed by voluntary experimental methods were studied by means of intensive case histories of 137 individuals who have survived extremely abrupt impacts in accidental, suicidal, and homicidal free-fall...

A 10-s sprint performed prior to moderate-intensity exercise prevents early post-exercise fall in glycaemia in individuals with type 1 diabetes.

PubMed

Bussau, V A; Ferreira, L D; Jones, T W; Fournier, P A

2007-09-01

We investigated whether a 10-s maximal sprint effort performed immediately prior to moderate-intensity exercise provides another means to counter the rapid fall in glycaemia associated with moderate-intensity exercise in individuals with type 1 diabetes. Seven complication-free type 1 diabetic males (21.6 +/- 3.6 years; mean+/-SD) with HbA(1c) levels of 7.4 +/- 0.7% injected their normal morning insulin dose and ate their usual breakfast. When post-meal glycaemia fell to approximately 11 mmol/l, participants were asked to perform a 10-s all-out sprint (sprint trial) or to rest (control trial) immediately before cycling at 40% of peak rate of oxygen consumption for 20 min, with both trials conducted in a random counterbalanced order. Sprinting did not affect the rapid fall in glycaemia during the subsequent bout of moderate-intensity exercise (2.9 +/- 0.4 mmol/l in 20 min; p = 0.00; mean+/-SE). However, during the following 45 min of recovery, glycaemia in the control trial decreased by 1.23 +/- 0.60 mmol/l (p = 0.04) while remaining stable in the sprint trial, subsequently decreasing in this latter trial at a rate similar to that in the control trial. The large increase in noradrenaline (norepinephrine) (p = 0.005) and lactate levels (p = 0.0005) may have contributed to the early post-exercise stabilisation of glycaemia in the sprint trial. During recovery, adrenaline (epinephrine) and NEFA levels increased marginally in the sprint trial, but other counter-regulatory hormones did not change significantly (p < 0.05). A 10-s sprint performed immediately prior to moderate-intensity exercise prevents glycaemia from falling during early recovery from moderate-intensity exercise in individuals with type 1 diabetes.

Relationship between 3-Methyl-2,4-nonanedione Concentration and Intensity of Light-induced Off-odor in Soy Bean Oil.

PubMed

Sano, Takashi; Iwahashi, Maiko; Imagi, Jun; Sato, Toshiro; Yamashita, Toshiyuki; Fukusaki, Eiichiro; Bamba, Takeshi

2016-05-01

A beany and green off-odor is developed in soy bean oil (SBO) under light-induced oxidative conditions. 3-Methyl-2,4-nonanedione (3-MND) was inferred as the compound responsible for the off-odor. In this study, we designed a simple quantification method for 3-MND in SBO, and evaluated the relationship between the 3-MND concentration and the intensity of the off-odor. 3-MND was analyzed by GC/MS with a thermal desorption unit system. By our method, the 3-MND concentration was found to increase with storage days and the SBO content under light exposure, and there was a high correlation between the measured 3-MND concentration and the intensity of the light-induced off-odor in SBO (R = 0.9586).

Changes in solidified microstructures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallace, J. F.

1984-01-01

The properties and casting behavior of metals are significantly affected by their cast structure. This structure is optimized by producing columnar versus equiaxed grains and coarse versus fine grains by controlling solidification conditions. The transition from columnar to equiaxed grains is favored by: constitutional supercooling with effective nucleation of free dendrites; melting off and transport of dendrite tips and arms; mechanical vibration; falling down of free dendrites from a chilled top surface; and induced flow in the solidifying structure by oscillation of rotation.

A correction scheme for a simplified analytical random walk model algorithm of proton dose calculation in distal Bragg peak regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Weiguang; Merchant, Thomas E.; Farr, Jonathan B.

2016-10-01

The lateral homogeneity assumption is used in most analytical algorithms for proton dose, such as the pencil-beam algorithms and our simplified analytical random walk model. To improve the dose calculation in the distal fall-off region in heterogeneous media, we analyzed primary proton fluence near heterogeneous media and propose to calculate the lateral fluence with voxel-specific Gaussian distributions. The lateral fluence from a beamlet is no longer expressed by a single Gaussian for all the lateral voxels, but by a specific Gaussian for each lateral voxel. The voxel-specific Gaussian for the beamlet of interest is calculated by re-initializing the fluence deviation on an effective surface where the proton energies of the beamlet of interest and the beamlet passing the voxel are the same. The dose improvement from the correction scheme was demonstrated by the dose distributions in two sets of heterogeneous phantoms consisting of cortical bone, lung, and water and by evaluating distributions in example patients with a head-and-neck tumor and metal spinal implants. The dose distributions from Monte Carlo simulations were used as the reference. The correction scheme effectively improved the dose calculation accuracy in the distal fall-off region and increased the gamma test pass rate. The extra computation for the correction was about 20% of that for the original algorithm but is dependent upon patient geometry.

Is There a Starling Curve for Intensive Care?

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Large differences exist in the provision of ICU beds worldwide, with a complicated mix of risks and benefits to the population of having either too few or too many beds. Having too few beds can result in delayed admission of patients to the ICU or no admission at all, with either scenario potentially increasing mortality. Potential societal benefits of having few beds include lower costs for health care and less futile intensive care at the end of life. With added ICU beds for a population, mortality benefit should accrue, but there is still the question of whether the addition of beds always means that more lives will be saved or whether there is a point at which no additional mortality benefit is gained. With an abundance of ICU beds may come the possibility of increasing harm in the forms of unnecessary costs, poor quality of deaths (ie, excessively intensive), and iatrogenic complications. The possibility of harm may be likened to the concept of falling off a Starling curve, which is traditionally used to describe worsening heart function when overfilling occurs. This commentary examines the possible implications of having too few or too many ICU beds and proposes the concept of a family of Starling curves as a way to conceptualize the balance of societal benefits and harms associated with different availability of ICU beds for a population. PMID:22670019

A social-ecological analysis of ecosystem services supply and trade-offs in European wood-pastures.

PubMed

Torralba, Mario; Fagerholm, Nora; Hartel, Tibor; Moreno, Gerardo; Plieninger, Tobias

2018-05-01

Wood-pastures are complex social-ecological systems (SES), which are the product of long-term interaction between society and its surrounding landscape. Traditionally characterized by multifunctional low-intensity management that enhanced a wide range of ecosystem services (ES), current farm management has shifted toward more intensive farm models. This study assesses the supply of ES in four study areas dominated by managed wood-pastures in Spain, Sweden, and Romania. On the basis of 144 farm surveys and the use of multivariate techniques, we characterize farm management and structure in the study areas and identify the trade-offs in ES supply associated with this management. We link these trade-offs to multiple factors that characterize the landholding: economic, social, environmental, technological, and governance. Finally, we analyze how landholders' values and perspectives have an effect on management decisions. Results show a differentiated pattern of ES supply in the four study areas. We identified four types of trade-offs in ES supply that appear depending on what is being promoted by the farm management and that are associated with different dimensions of wood-pasture management: productivity-related trade-offs, crop production-related trade-offs, multifunctionality-related trade-offs, and farm accessibility-related trade-offs. These trade-offs are influenced by complex interactions between the properties of the SES, which have a direct influence on landholders' perspectives and motivations. The findings of this paper advance the understanding of the dynamics between agroecosystems and society and can inform system-based agricultural and conservation policies.

A social-ecological analysis of ecosystem services supply and trade-offs in European wood-pastures

PubMed Central

Hartel, Tibor

2018-01-01

Wood-pastures are complex social-ecological systems (SES), which are the product of long-term interaction between society and its surrounding landscape. Traditionally characterized by multifunctional low-intensity management that enhanced a wide range of ecosystem services (ES), current farm management has shifted toward more intensive farm models. This study assesses the supply of ES in four study areas dominated by managed wood-pastures in Spain, Sweden, and Romania. On the basis of 144 farm surveys and the use of multivariate techniques, we characterize farm management and structure in the study areas and identify the trade-offs in ES supply associated with this management. We link these trade-offs to multiple factors that characterize the landholding: economic, social, environmental, technological, and governance. Finally, we analyze how landholders’ values and perspectives have an effect on management decisions. Results show a differentiated pattern of ES supply in the four study areas. We identified four types of trade-offs in ES supply that appear depending on what is being promoted by the farm management and that are associated with different dimensions of wood-pasture management: productivity-related trade-offs, crop production–related trade-offs, multifunctionality-related trade-offs, and farm accessibility–related trade-offs. These trade-offs are influenced by complex interactions between the properties of the SES, which have a direct influence on landholders’ perspectives and motivations. The findings of this paper advance the understanding of the dynamics between agroecosystems and society and can inform system-based agricultural and conservation policies. PMID:29732404

Wave energetics of the southern hemisphere of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battalio, Michael; Szunyogh, Istvan; Lemmon, Mark

2018-07-01

An assessment of the energetics of transient waves in the southern hemisphere of Mars is presented using the Mars Analysis Correction Data Assimilation (MACDA) dataset (v1.0) and the eddy kinetic energy equation. The dataset is divided into four representative periods covering the summer and winter solstices, a late fall period, and an early spring period for three Mars years. Spring eddies are the most intense, with eddies during the fall being less intense due to a marginally more stable mean-temperature profile and reduced recirculation of ageostrophic geopotential fluxes compared to the spring. Eddy kinetic energy during winter is reduced in intensity as a result of the winter solstitial pause in wave activity, and eddy kinetic energy during the summer is limited. Baroclinic energy conversion acts as a source in fall and spring but disappears during the winter as a result of a stabilized vertical temperature profile. Barotropic energy conversion acts as both a source and a sink of eddy kinetic energy, being most positive during the solstitial pause. Eddies take a northwest to southeast track across the southern highlands in the fall but have a more zonal track in the spring due to stronger eddy kinetic energy advection. Wave energetics is less intense in the southern compared to the northern hemisphere as a result of a shallower baroclinically unstable vertical profile.

Factors associated with fall-related fractures in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Cheng, Kuei-Yueh; Lin, Wei-Che; Chang, Wen-Neng; Lin, Tzu-Kong; Tsai, Nai-Wen; Huang, Chih-Cheng; Wang, Hung-Chen; Huang, Yung-Cheng; Chang, Hsueh-Wen; Lin, Yu-Jun; Lee, Lian-Hui; Cheng, Ben-Chung; Kung, Chia-Te; Chang, Ya-Ting; Su, Chih-Min; Chiang, Yi-Fang; Su, Yu-Jih; Lu, Cheng-Hsien

2014-01-01

Fall-related fracture is one of the most disabling features of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). A better understanding of the associated factors is needed to predict PD patients who will require treatment. This prospective study enrolled 100 adult idiopathic PD patients. Stepwise logistic regressions were used to evaluate the relationships between clinical factors and fall-related fracture. Falls occurred in 56 PD patients, including 32 with fall-related fractures. The rate of falls in the study period was 2.2 ± 1.4 per 18 months. The percentage of osteoporosis was 34% (19/56) and 11% in PD patients with and without falls, respectively. Risk factors associated with fall-related fracture were sex, underlying knee osteoarthritis, mean Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale score, mean Morse fall scale, mean Hoehn and Yahr stage, and exercise habit. By stepwise logistic regression, sex and mean Morse fall scale were independently associated with fall-related fracture. Females had an odds ratio of 3.8 compared to males and the cut-off value of the Morse fall scale for predicting fall-related fracture was 72.5 (sensitivity 72% and specificity 70%). Higher mean Morse fall scales (>72.5) and female sex are associated with higher risk of fall-related fractures. Preventing falls in the high-risk PD group is an important safety issue and highly relevant for their quality of life. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of a multifactorial fall-and-fracture risk assessment and management program on gait and balance performances and disability in hospitalized older adults: a controlled study.

PubMed

Trombetti, A; Hars, M; Herrmann, F; Rizzoli, R; Ferrari, S

2013-03-01

This controlled intervention study in hospitalized oldest old adults showed that a multifactorial fall-and-fracture risk assessment and management program, applied in a dedicated geriatric hospital unit, was effective in improving fall-related physical and functional performances and the level of independence in activities of daily living in high-risk patients. Hospitalization affords a major opportunity for interdisciplinary cooperation to manage fall-and-fracture risk factors in older adults. This study aimed at assessing the effects on physical performances and the level of independence in activities of daily living (ADL) of a multifactorial fall-and-fracture risk assessment and management program applied in a geriatric hospital setting. A controlled intervention study was conducted among 122 geriatric inpatients (mean ± SD age, 84 ± 7 years) admitted with a fall-related diagnosis. Among them, 92 were admitted to a dedicated unit and enrolled into a multifactorial intervention program, including intensive targeted exercise. Thirty patients who received standard usual care in a general geriatric unit formed the control group. Primary outcomes included gait and balance performances and the level of independence in ADL measured 12 ± 6 days apart. Secondary outcomes included length of stay, incidence of in-hospital falls, hospital readmission, and mortality rates. Compared to the usual care group, the intervention group had significant improvements in Timed Up and Go (adjusted mean difference [AMD] = -3.7s; 95 % CI = -6.8 to -0.7; P = 0.017), Tinetti (AMD = -1.4; 95 % CI = -2.1 to -0.8; P < 0.001), and Functional Independence Measure (AMD = 6.5; 95 %CI = 0.7-12.3; P = 0.027) test performances, as well as in several gait parameters (P < 0.05). Furthermore, this program favorably impacted adverse outcomes including hospital readmission (hazard ratio = 0.3; 95 % CI = 0.1-0.9; P = 0.02). A multifactorial fall-and-fracture risk-based intervention program, applied in a dedicated geriatric hospital unit, was effective and more beneficial than usual care in improving physical parameters related to the risk of fall and disability among high-risk oldest old patients.

Get connected: New Fall Meeting technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moscovitch, Mirelle

2012-11-01

Kick off your 2012 Fall Meeting experience today by joining the Fall Meeting Community, an interactive Web-based community. Whether you are attending this year's Fall Meeting or are just interested in learning more, this site can help you connect with colleagues, learn about the groundbreaking research and amazing programming being presented in San Francisco, and plan your trip to the largest Earth and space science conference of the year. Available through the Fall Meeting Web site (http://fallmeeting.agu.org), the Community allows you to share your Fall Meeting experience like never before. You can join groups based on your interests, and each group includes a message board that allows you to ask questions, post comments, discuss presentations, and make plans with colleagues. You can also create your own groups and use the Community's robust search engine to find and connect with friends. And because the Fall Meeting Web site was improved for 2012 to allow for nearly seamless functionality on mobile devices, you can access much of the same Community functionality on the go.

A Hypothalamic Switch for REM and Non-REM Sleep.

PubMed

Chen, Kai-Siang; Xu, Min; Zhang, Zhe; Chang, Wei-Cheng; Gaj, Thomas; Schaffer, David V; Dan, Yang

2018-03-07

Rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep are controlled by specific neuronal circuits. Here we show that galanin-expressing GABAergic neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) comprise separate subpopulations with opposing effects on REM versus NREM sleep. Microendoscopic calcium imaging revealed diverse sleep-wake activity of DMH GABAergic neurons, but the galanin-expressing subset falls into two distinct groups, either selectively activated (REM-on) or suppressed (REM-off) during REM sleep. Retrogradely labeled, preoptic area (POA)-projecting galaninergic neurons are REM-off, whereas the raphe pallidus (RPA)-projecting neurons are primarily REM-on. Bidirectional optogenetic manipulations showed that the POA-projecting neurons promote NREM sleep and suppress REM sleep, while the RPA-projecting neurons have the opposite effects. Thus, REM/NREM switch is regulated antagonistically by DMH galaninergic neurons with intermingled cell bodies but distinct axon projections. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Data Fusion for a Vision-Radiological System for Source Tracking and Discovery

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

Enqvist, Andreas; Koppal, Sanjeev

2015-07-01

A multidisciplinary approach to allow the tracking of the movement of radioactive sources by fusing data from multiple radiological and visual sensors is under development. The goal is to improve the ability to detect, locate, track and identify nuclear/radiological threats. The key concept is that such widely available visual and depth sensors can impact radiological detection, since the intensity fall-off in the count rate can be correlated to movement in three dimensions. To enable this, we pose an important question; what is the right combination of sensing modalities and vision algorithms that can best compliment a radiological sensor, for themore » purpose of detection and tracking of radioactive material? Similarly what is the best radiation detection methods and unfolding algorithms suited for data fusion with tracking data? Data fusion of multi-sensor data for radiation detection have seen some interesting developments lately. Significant examples include intelligent radiation sensor systems (IRSS), which are based on larger numbers of distributed similar or identical radiation sensors coupled with position data for network capable to detect and locate radiation source. Other developments are gamma-ray imaging systems based on Compton scatter in segmented detector arrays. Similar developments using coded apertures or scatter cameras for neutrons have recently occurred. The main limitation of such systems is not so much in their capability but rather in their complexity and cost which is prohibitive for large scale deployment. Presented here is a fusion system based on simple, low-cost computer vision and radiological sensors for tracking of multiple objects and identifying potential radiological materials being transported or shipped. The main focus of this work is the development on two separate calibration algorithms for characterizing the fused sensor system. The deviation from a simple inverse square-root fall-off of radiation intensity is explored and accounted for. In particular, the computer vision system enables a map of distance-dependence of the sources being tracked. Infrared, laser or stereoscopic vision sensors are all options for computer-vision implementation depending on interior vs exterior deployment, resolution desired and other factors. Similarly the radiation sensors will be focused on gamma-ray or neutron detection due to the long travel length and ability to penetrate even moderate shielding. There is a significant difference between the vision sensors and radiation sensors in the way the 'source' or signals are generated. A vision sensor needs an external light-source to illuminate the object and then detects the re-emitted illumination (or lack thereof). However, for a radiation detector, the radioactive material is the source itself. The only exception to this is the field of active interrogations where radiation is beamed into a material to entice new/additional radiation emission beyond what the material would emit spontaneously. The aspect of the nuclear material being the source itself means that all other objects in the environment are 'illuminated' or irradiated by the source. Most radiation will readily penetrate regular material, scatter in new directions or be absorbed. Thus if a radiation source is located near a larger object that object will in turn scatter some radiation that was initially emitted in a direction other than the direction of the radiation detector, this can add to the count rate that is observed. The effect of these scatter is a deviation from the traditional distance dependence of the radiation signal and is a key challenge that needs a combined system calibration solution and algorithms. Thus both an algebraic approach as well as a statistical approach have been developed and independently evaluated to investigate the sensitivity to this deviation from the simplified radiation fall-off as a function of distance. The resulting calibrated system algorithms are used and demonstrated in various laboratory scenarios, and later in realistic tracking scenarios. The selection and testing of radiological and computer-vision sensors for the additional specific scenarios will be the subject of ongoing and future work. (authors)« less

Comparison of an intermittent high-intensity vs continuous low-intensity physiotherapy service over 12 months in community-dwelling people with stroke: a randomized trial.

PubMed

Hesse, S; Welz, A; Werner, C; Quentin, B; Wissel, J

2011-02-01

This study compared two modes of physiotherapy service over 12 months in community-dwelling people with stroke, either following a train-wait train paradigm by providing bouts of intense physiotherapy, or a continuous less intense programme. Randomized trial. Community-dwelling people with stroke. Fifty patients, first-time stroke, discharged home, following inpatient rehabilitation, allocated to two groups, A and B. Over 12 months, Group A (n = 25) received three two-month blocks of therapy at home, each block contained four 30 to 45 minute sessions per week, totalling 96 sessions. Group B (n = 25) continuously received two 30 to 45 minute sessions per week, totalling 104 sessions. Primary Rivermead Mobility Index (0-15), secondary upper- and lower-limb motor functions, Activities of Daily Living competence, tone and number of falls. Both groups were comparable at onset, the mean age in Group A (B) was 62.4 (61.9) years. A and B patients equally improved functions over time, between group differences did not occur. The initial (terminal) Rivermead Mobility Index was 9.4 ± 2.8 (12.2 ± 2.1) in Group A, and 8.5 ± 3.5 (11.2 ± 2.7) in Group B. More Group B patients fell seriously (7 versus 1). The intermittent high-intensity and continuous low-intensity therapy protocols were equally effective, the sheer intensity seems more important than the time-mode of application. The relatively young patients functionally improved in the first year after stroke, the reduced risk of serious falls in the intermittent high-intensity group should be validated.

Phonon cross-plane transport and thermal boundary resistance: effect of heat source size and thermal boundary resistance on phonon characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, H.; Yilbas, B. S.

2016-09-01

Phonon cross-plane transport across silicon and diamond thin films pair is considered, and thermal boundary resistance across the films pair interface is examined incorporating the cut-off mismatch and diffusive mismatch models. In the cut-off mismatch model, phonon frequency mismatch for each acoustic branch is incorporated across the interface of the silicon and diamond films pair in line with the dispersion relations of both films. The frequency-dependent and transient solution of the Boltzmann transport equation is presented, and the equilibrium phonon intensity ratios at the silicon and diamond film edges are predicted across the interface for each phonon acoustic branch. Temperature disturbance across the edges of the films pair is incorporated to assess the phonon transport characteristics due to cut-off and diffusive mismatch models across the interface. The effect of heat source size, which is allocated at high-temperature (301 K) edge of the silicon film, on the phonon transport characteristics at the films pair interface is also investigated. It is found that cut-off mismatch model predicts higher values of the thermal boundary resistance across the films pair interface as compared to that of the diffusive mismatch model. The ratio of equilibrium phonon intensity due to the cut-off mismatch over the diffusive mismatch models remains >1 at the silicon edge, while it becomes <1 at the diamond edge for all acoustic branches.

Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing Approach with Hydrologic Rational Model for Flood Event Analysis in Jakarta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aditya, M. R.; Hernina, R.; Rokhmatuloh

2017-12-01

Rapid development in Jakarta which generates more impervious surface has reduced the amount of rainfall infiltration into soil layer and increases run-off. In some events, continuous high rainfall intensity could create sudden flood in Jakarta City. This article used rainfall data of Jakarta during 10 February 2015 to compute rainfall intensity and then interpolate it with ordinary kriging technique. Spatial distribution of rainfall intensity then overlaid with run-off coefficient based on certain land use type of the study area. Peak run-off within each cell resulted from hydrologic rational model then summed for the whole study area to generate total peak run-off. For this study area, land use types consisted of 51.9 % industrial, 37.57% parks, and 10.54% residential with estimated total peak run-off 6.04 m3/sec, 0.39 m3/sec, and 0.31 m3/sec, respectively.

Diabetes mellitus and risk of falls in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Yang, Yu; Hu, Xinhua; Zhang, Qiang; Zou, Rui

2016-11-01

intensive or very loose glycemic control may contribute to the risk of falls in diabetic patients. However, studies on diabetes mellitus and the risk of falls have yielded conflicting results. Our objective was to investigate the effect of diabetes mellitus on the risk of falls in older adults by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. the PubMed and Embase databases were searched for relevant studies published until November 2015. Only prospective cohort studies reporting at least age-adjusted risk estimate of falls compared diabetic to non-diabetic individuals were selected. Diabetes mellitus was ascertained by a combination of medical history and laboratory tests or use of anti-diabetic drugs. a total of six studies involving 14,685 participants were identified. The number of falls in diabetic and non-diabetic individuals was 423 of 1,692 (25.0%) and 2,368 of 13,011 (18.2%), respectively. Diabetes mellitus was associated with an increased risk of falls (risk ratio [RR] = 1.64; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.27-2.11) in a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses showed that the risk of falls seemed more pronounced among both gender groups (RR = 1.81; 95% CI 1.19-2.76) than among women (RR = 1.52; 95% CI 1.04-2.21). Diabetes increased 94% (RR = 1.94; 95% CI 1.42-2.63) and 27% (RR = 1.27; 95% CI 1.06-1.52) risk of falls in insulin-treated and no-insulin-treated patients, respectively. this meta-analysis reveals that older adults with diabetes mellitus are associated with greater risk of falls, and this association is more pronounced in insulin-treated patients. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Aircraft data summaries for the SURE intensives. Final report. [Sampling done August 1977 near Rockport, Indiana and Duncan Falls, Ohio

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

Blumenthal, D.L.; Tommerdahl, J.B.; McDonald, J.A.

1981-09-01

As part of the EPRI sulfate regional experiment (SURE), Meteorology Research, Inc., (MRI) and Research Triangle Institute (RTI) conducted six air quality sampling programs in the eastern United States using instrumented aircraft. This volume includes the air quality and meteorological data obtained during the August 1977 Intensive when MRI sampled near the Rockport, Indiana, SURE Station and RTI sampled near the Duncan Falls, Ohio, SURE Station. Sampling data are presented for all measured parameters.

High-speed spectral domain optical coherence tomography using non-uniform fast Fourier transform

PubMed Central

Chan, Kenny K. H.; Tang, Shuo

2010-01-01

The useful imaging range in spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is often limited by the depth dependent sensitivity fall-off. Processing SD-OCT data with the non-uniform fast Fourier transform (NFFT) can improve the sensitivity fall-off at maximum depth by greater than 5dB concurrently with a 30 fold decrease in processing time compared to the fast Fourier transform with cubic spline interpolation method. NFFT can also improve local signal to noise ratio (SNR) and reduce image artifacts introduced in post-processing. Combined with parallel processing, NFFT is shown to have the ability to process up to 90k A-lines per second. High-speed SD-OCT imaging is demonstrated at camera-limited 100 frames per second on an ex-vivo squid eye. PMID:21258551

Is the 'great attractor' a loop of cosmic string?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffman, Y.; Zurek, W. H.

1988-05-01

Recent measurements of galaxy velocities suggest that the observed large-scale streaming may be attributed to a massive "attractor". The authors explore the idea that the streaming was induced by a large, moving loop of cosmic string. A stationary loop induces a velocity field that falls off as r-1, where r is the distance from the loop. This is somewhat modified by the motion of the loop, but the r-1 profile still persists in much of the wake of the string. The standard inflationary models of cold or hot dark matter predict, on the other hand, a velocity that should fall off as r-3 away from the density peak. Extension of this model to the Local Supercluster allows one to understand its Virgocentric velocity field of r-1.

Professional Development Models: A Comparison of Duration and Effect.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crowther, David T.; Cannon, John R.

The purpose of this research was to explore two professional development models, Nevada Operation Physical Science (a three-weekend course) and Nevada Operation Chemistry (a two-week intensive course with a follow-up session in the fall), to see if there was any impact on learning and to determine the ideal length of the workshops as measured by…

RKKY exchange interaction within the parabolic quantum-well

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baķ, Zygmunt

2001-03-01

Indirect magnetic exchange in a semimagnetic semiconductor heterostructure with the parabolic quantum-well barrier potential is considered. Within the analytical method, we provide the exact derivation of the spatial dependence of the RKKY exchange integral. Using the effective dimensionality approach, we show that the spectral dimensionality of the free electron (hole) system equals four. We prove, that the RKKY exchange integral shows conventional, sign reversal variation with the 2 kF period, however, the envelope function falls off in a manner characteristic to 4D systems.

DOE's Oak Ridge Site Kick Off Demolition of the K-27 Building

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

Cange, Sue; Rueter, Ken

2016-02-10

DOE's Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management kicked off demolition of the K-27 Building this month, moving closer to fulfilling Vision 2016 — removal of all gaseous diffusion buildings from the site by year’s end. As the site's last uranium enrichment building falls, it will mark the first-ever demolition and cleanup of a gaseous diffusion complex anywhere.

SOHO/CDS Measurements of Coronal EUV Polarization above the Limb

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, Roger J.; Oegerle, William R. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Attempts to measure polarization in coronal EUV emission above the solar limb have been made using the SOHO/CDS normal-incidence spectrometer which has a polarization sensitivity of about 50%, a property that causes variations in intensity response as a function of the spacecraft's roll angle for polarized light. Such observations were made on the disk and up to 0.22 solar radii above the solar limb in a number of EUV lines during two special roll-maneuvers of the SOHO spacecraft. Measurements of intensity gradients were made above a modestly active equatorial region in 1997 and above a relatively cool polar region in 2001. Observed emission lines include He I 584A, He II 304A, 0 IV 555+610A, 0 V 630A, Mg IX 368A, Mg X 610+625A, and Si XI 303A, formed at temperatures that evenly cover the range in logT from 4.1 to 6.2. Near the disk, measured intensities of all lines fall off exponentially at different rates that can be used to determine the density scale-heights of the emitting plasma, since this emission is dominated by collisional excitation with an Ne-squared dependence. Assuming hydrostatic equilibrium, the intensity gradient for each line can then be converted into a 'scale-height temperature', which is found to be closely related to the ionization temperature of each line over the wide range of lines and solar conditions observed. Beyond a certain distance, intensity gradients of the cooler lines switch over to a flatter exponential slope, suggesting that this radiation is dominated by resonance scattering which varies as Ne to the first power. Such radiation should also be linearly polarized in the plane containing the line-of-sight and the solar center, a signature that would strongly confirm this interpretation.

Experience of micromultileaf collimator linear accelerator based single fraction stereotactic radiosurgery: Tumor dose inhomogeneity, conformity, and dose fall off

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

Hong, Linda X.; Garg, Madhur; Lasala, Patrick

2011-03-15

Purpose: Sharp dose fall off outside a tumor is essential for high dose single fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) plans. This study explores the relationship among tumor dose inhomogeneity, conformity, and dose fall off in normal tissues for micromultileaf collimator (mMLC) linear accelerator (LINAC) based cranial SRS plans. Methods: Between January 2007 and July 2009, 65 patients with single cranial lesions were treated with LINAC-based SRS. Among them, tumors had maximum diameters {<=}20 mm: 31; between 20 and 30 mm: 21; and >30 mm: 13. All patients were treated with 6 MV photons on a Trilogy linear accelerator (Varian Medical Systems,more » Palo Alto, CA) with a tertiary m3 high-resolution mMLC (Brainlab, Feldkirchen, Germany), using either noncoplanar conformal fixed fields or dynamic conformal arcs. The authors also created retrospective study plans with identical beam arrangement as the treated plan but with different tumor dose inhomogeneity by varying the beam margins around the planning target volume (PTV). All retrospective study plans were normalized so that the minimum PTV dose was the prescription dose (PD). Isocenter dose, mean PTV dose, RTOG conformity index (CI), RTOG homogeneity index (HI), dose gradient index R{sub 50}-R{sub 100} (defined as the difference between equivalent sphere radius of 50% isodose volume and prescription isodose volume), and normal tissue volume (as a ratio to PTV volume) receiving 50% prescription dose (NTV{sub 50}) were calculated. Results: HI was inversely related to the beam margins around the PTV. CI had a ''V'' shaped relationship with HI, reaching a minimum when HI was approximately 1.3. Isocenter dose and mean PTV dose (as percentage of PD) increased linearly with HI. R{sub 50}-R{sub 100} and NTV{sub 50} initially declined with HI and then reached a plateau when HI was approximately 1.3. These trends also held when tumors were grouped according to their maximum diameters. The smallest tumor group (maximum diameters {<=}20 mm) had the most HI dependence for dose fall off. For treated plans, CI averaged 2.55{+-}0.79 with HI 1.23{+-}0.06; the average R{sub 50}-R{sub 100} was 0.41{+-}0.08, 0.55{+-}0.10, and 0.65{+-}0.09 cm, respectively, for tumors {<=}20 mm, between 20 and 30 mm, and >30 mm. Conclusions: Tumor dose inhomogeneity can be used as an important and convenient parameter to evaluate mMLC LINAC-based SRS plans. Sharp dose fall off in the normal tissue is achieved with sufficiently high tumor dose inhomogeneity. By adjusting beam margins, a homogeneity index of approximately 1.3 would provide best conformity for the authors' SRS system.« less

Survival of high-velocity free-falls in water.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1965-04-01

Forty-four cases of free-falls survived by individuals impacting water environments under conditions of high velocity (50 to 116 ft/sec, corrected for aerodynamic drag) have been intensively investigated and analyzed. Ages varied from 7 to 80 years a...

Formulation Effects and the Off-target Transport of Pyrethroid Insecticides from Urban Hard Surfaces

PubMed Central

Jorgenson, Brant C.; Young, Thomas M.

2010-01-01

Controlled rainfall experiments utilizing drop forming rainfall simulators were conducted to study various factors contributing to off-target transport of off-the-shelf formulated pyrethroid insecticides from concrete surfaces. Factors evaluated included active ingredient, product formulation, time between application and rainfall (set time), and rainfall intensity. As much as 60% and as little as 0.8% of pyrethroid applied could be recovered in surface runoff depending primarily on product formulation, and to a lesser extent on product set time. Resulting wash-off profiles during one-hour storm simulations could be categorized based on formulation, with formulations utilizing emulsifying surfactants rather than organic solvents resulting in unique wash-off profiles with overall higher wash-off efficiency. These higher wash-off efficiency profiles were qualitatively replicated by applying formulation-free neat pyrethroid in the presence of independently applied linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (LAS) surfactant, suggesting that the surfactant component of some formulated products may be influential in pyrethroid wash-off from urban hard surfaces. PMID:20524665

Structure of the classical scrape-off layer of a tokamak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozhansky, V.; Kaveeva, E.; Senichenkov, I.; Vekshina, E.

2018-03-01

The structure of the scrape-off layer (SOL) of a tokamak with little or no turbulent transport is analyzed. The analytical estimates of the density and electron temperature fall-off lengths of the SOL are put forward. It is demonstrated that the SOL width could be of the order of the ion poloidal gyroradius, as suggested in Goldston (2012 Nuclear Fusion 52 013009). The analytical results are supported by the results of the 2D simulations of the edge plasma with reduced transport coefficients performed by SOLPS-ITER transport code.

Geomorphic responses of gravel bed rivers to fine sediment releases during annual reservoir drawdowns: Spatial patterns and magnitude of aggradation along Fall Creek and Middle Fork Willamette River, Oregon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keith, M. K.; Wallick, R.; Taylor, G.; Mangano, J.; White, J.; Schenk, L.

2016-12-01

Drawdowns at Fall Creek Lake, Oregon—one of 13 U.S. Army Corp of Engineers reservoirs in the Willamette Valley Project—lower lake levels to facilitate downstream passage of juvenile spring Chinook salmon through the 55-m high dam. The annual (since 2011) winter drawdowns have improved fish passage, but temporarily lowering Fall Creek Lake nearly to streambed levels has increased downstream transport of predominantly fine (<2 mm) sediment to the lower gravel bed reaches of Fall Creek and the Middle Fork Willamette River. The annual release of reservoir sediments into these historically dynamic reaches has uncertain consequences for aquatic and riparian habitats. In this study, we 1) document reach-scale geomorphic responses to sediment released from Fall Creek Lake over 2011-15 and 2) evaluate linkages between reservoir operations, sediment releases, and resulting downstream responses. Results so far show aggradation of off-channel features such as side-channels, although deposition patterns have changed over 2011-15. Sites along Fall Creek that filled with sand during earlier drawdowns accumulated silt and clay during the 2015 drawdown. Further downstream on the Middle Fork Willamette River, some sites have aggraded almost 2 m with sand through 2015, although most off-channel aggradation has been less than 0.6 meters. During winter of 2015-16, we measured deposition at nine sites; most high bar and low floodplain deposition occurred during 2 weeks after the drawdown when flows were about 35-75% higher than those during the drawdown, suggesting post-drawdown dam operations potentially could be used to minimize associated sediment impacts.

Implementation and evaluation of a nursing home fall management program.

PubMed

Rask, Kimberly; Parmelee, Patricia A; Taylor, Jo A; Green, Diane; Brown, Holly; Hawley, Jonathan; Schild, Laura; Strothers, Harry S; Ouslander, Joseph G

2007-03-01

To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a falls management program (FMP) for nursing homes (NHs). A quality improvement project with data collection throughout FMP implementation. NHs in Georgia owned and operated by a single nonprofit organization. All residents of participating NHs. A convenience sample of 19 NHs implemented the FMP. The FMP is a multifaceted quality improvement and culture change intervention. Key components included organizational leadership buy-in and support, a designated facility-based falls coordinator and interdisciplinary team, intensive education and training, and ongoing consultation and oversight by advanced practice nurses with expertise in falls management. Process-of-care documentation using a detailed 24-item audit tool and fall and physical restraint use rates derived from quality improvement software currently used in all Georgia NHs (MyInnerView). Care process documentation related to the assessment and management of fall risk improved significantly during implementation of the FMP. Restraint use decreased substantially during the project period, from 7.9% to 4.4% in the intervention NHs (a relative reduction of 44%), and decreased in the nonintervention NHs from 7.0% to 4.9% (a relative reduction of 30%). Fall rates remained stable in the intervention NHs (17.3 falls/100 residents per month at start and 16.4 falls/100 residents per month at end), whereas fall rates increased 26% in the NHs not implementing the FMP (from 15.0 falls/100 residents/per month to 18.9 falls/100 residents per month). Implementation was associated with significantly improved care process documentation and a stable fall rate during a period of substantial reduction in the use of physical restraints. In contrast, fall rates increased in NHs owned by the same organization that did not implement the FMP. The FMP may be a helpful tool for NHs to manage fall risk while attempting to reduce physical restraint use in response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services quality initiatives.

Fractional flow reserve-guided revascularization: practical implications of a diagnostic gray zone and measurement variability on clinical decisions.

PubMed

Petraco, Ricardo; Sen, Sayan; Nijjer, Sukhjinder; Echavarria-Pinto, Mauro; Escaned, Javier; Francis, Darrel P; Davies, Justin E

2013-03-01

This study sought to evaluate the effects of fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement variability on FFR-guided treatment strategy. Current appropriateness guidelines recommend the utilization of FFR to guide coronary revascularization based on a fixed cut-off of 0.8. This rigid approach does not take into account the intrinsic biological variability of a single FFR result and the clinical judgment of experienced interventional cardiologists. [corrected]. FFR reproducibility data from the landmark Deferral Versus Performance of PTCA in Patients Without Documented Ischemia (DEFER) trial was analyzed (two repeated FFR measurements in the same lesion, 10 min apart) and the standard deviation of the difference (SDD) between repeated measurements was calculated. The measurement certainty (probability that the FFR-guided revascularization strategy will not change if the test is repeated 10 min later) was subsequently established across the whole range of FFR values, from 0.2 to 1. Outside the [0.75 to 0.85] FFR range, measurement certainty of a single FFR result is >95%. However, closer to its cut-off, certainty falls to less than 80% within 0.77 to 0.83, reaching a nadir of 50% around 0.8. In clinical practice, that means that each time a single FFR value falls between 0.75 and 0.85, there is a chance that the FFR-derived revascularization recommendation will change if the measurement is repeated 10 min later, with this chance increasing the closer the FFR result is to 0.8. A measurement FFR gray-zone is found between 0.75 and 0.85]. Therefore, clinicians should make revascularization decisions based on broadened clinical judgment when a single FFR result falls within this uncertainty zone, particularly between 0.77 and 0.83, when measurement certainty falls to less than 80%. Copyright © 2013 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Carbaryl washoff from soybean plants.

PubMed

Willis, G H; Smith, S; McDowell, L L; Southwick, L M

1996-08-01

Both the efficacy and fate of most foliar-applied pesticides may be affected by weather variables, especially rain. A multiple-intensity rainfall simulator was used to determine the effects of rainfall intensity and amount on concentrations of carbaryl (Sevin(R) XLS Plus) washed from soybean plants. Two hours after carbaryl was applied at 1.12 kg/ha, 25 mm of rain was applied at intensities of 13.0, 27.4, 53.8, or 105.1 mm/h. About 67% of the carbaryl on the plants was washed off by 25 mm of rain. Rainfall intensity affected carbaryl concentrations in washoff; higher concentrations occurred at lower intensities. Even though the experimental conditions were designed for "worst-case" conditions, washoff patterns suggested improved carbaryl rainfastness when compared to carbaryl (formulated as a wettable powder) washoff from cotton plants in earlier studies. Rainfall amount had a greater effect on carbaryl concentrations in washoff than rainfall intensity.

The Rain-Powered Cart

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-05

publication 11 July 2016 Published 5 August 2016 Abstract A frictionless cart in the shape of a right triangle (with the vertical side forward) is...elastically impacted by vertically falling raindrops. The speed of the cart as a function of time can be analytically deduced as an exercise in the use...horizontal surface under the impulse of raindrops (or hail) falling vertically at terminal speed u that bounce elastically [4, 5] off the cart’s two

The influence of broadcast tape-recorded calls on captures of fall migrant Northern Saw-whet Owls (Aegolius acadicus) and Long-eared Owls (Asio otus)

Treesearch

David L. Evans

1997-01-01

Nocturnal netting operations have been conducted at the Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve since 1972. From 1988 to 1992 a recording of human whistles simulating the calls of fall migrant Northern Saw-whet Owls (Aegolius acadicus) was broadcast on a random, on or off, half-night basis. Mist net captures of Saw-whet Owls increased about fourfold during the...

Polypharmacy as a risk for fall occurrence in geriatric outpatients.

PubMed

Kojima, Taro; Akishita, Masahiro; Nakamura, Tetsuro; Nomura, Kazushi; Ogawa, Sumito; Iijima, Katsuya; Eto, Masato; Ouchi, Yasuyoshi

2012-07-01

To investigate the predictors of falls, such as comorbidity and medication, in geriatric outpatients in a longitudinal observational study. A total of 172 outpatients (45 men and 126 women, mean age 76.9 ± 7.0 years) were evaluated. Physical examination, clinical history and medication profile were obtained from each patient at baseline. These patients were followed for up to 2 years and falls were self-reported to their physicians. The factors associated with falls were analyzed statistically. A total of 32 patients experienced falls within 2 years. On univariate analysis, older age, osteoporosis, number of comorbid conditions and number of drugs were significantly associated with falls within 2 years. On multiple logistic regression analysis, the number of drugs was associated with falls, independent of age, sex, number of comorbid conditions and other factors that were significantly associated in univariate analysis. A receiver-operator curve evaluating the optimal cut-off value for the number of drugs showed that taking five or more drugs was a significant risk. In geriatric outpatients, polypharmacy is associated with falls. Intervention studies are needed to clarify the causal relationship between polypharmacy, comorbidity and falls. © 2011 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Baby Bath Basics

MedlinePlus

... bit first. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends sponge baths until the umbilical cord stump falls off — ... week or two. To give your baby a sponge bath, you'll need: A warm place with ...

Evaluating rainfall kinetic energy - intensity relationships with observed disdrometric data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angulo-Martinez, Marta; Begueria, Santiago; Latorre, Borja

2016-04-01

Rainfall kinetic energy is required for determining erosivity, the ability of rainfall to detach soil particles and initiate erosion. Its determination relay on the use of disdrometers, i.e. devices capable of measuring the drop size distribution and velocity of falling raindrops. In the absence of such devices, rainfall kinetic energy is usually estimated with empirical expressions relating rainfall energy and intensity. We evaluated the performance of 14 rainfall energy equations in estimating one-minute rainfall energy and event total energy, in comparison with observed data from 821 rainfall episodes (more than 100 thousand one-minute observations) by means of an optical disdrometer. In addition, two sources of bias when using such relationships were evaluated: i) the influence of using theoretical terminal raindrop fall velocities instead of measured values; and ii) the influence of time aggregation (rainfall intensity data every 5-, 10-, 15-, 30-, and 60-minutes). Empirical relationships did a relatively good job when complete events were considered (R2 > 0.82), but offered poorer results for within-event (one-minute resolution) variation. Also, systematic biases where large for many equations. When raindrop size distribution was known, estimating the terminal fall velocities by empirical laws produced good results even at fine time resolution. The influence of time aggregation was very high in the estimated kinetic energy, although linear scaling may allow empirical correction. This results stress the importance of considering all these effects when rainfall energy needs to be estimated from more standard precipitation records. , and recommends the use of disdrometer data to locally determine rainfall kinetic energy.

Prevention of fall-related injuries in long-term care: a randomized controlled trial of staff education.

PubMed

Ray, Wayne A; Taylor, Jo A; Brown, Anne K; Gideon, Patricia; Hall, Kathi; Arbogast, Patrick; Meredith, Sarah

2005-10-24

Fall-related injuries, a major public health problem in long-term care, may be reduced by interventions that improve safety practices. Previous studies have shown that safety practice interventions can reduce falls; however, in long-term care these have relied heavily on external funding and staff. The aim of this study was to test whether a training program in safety practices for staff could reduce fall-related injuries in long-term care facilities. A cluster randomization clinical trial with 112 qualifying facilities and 10,558 study residents 65 years or older and not bedridden. The intervention was an intensive 2-day safety training program with 12-month follow-up. The training program targeted living space and personal safety; wheelchairs, canes, and walkers; psychotropic medication use; and transferring and ambulation. The main outcome measure was serious fall-related injuries during the follow-up period. There was no difference in injury occurrence between the intervention and control facilities (adjusted rate ratio, 0.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.83-1.16). For residents with a prior fall in facilities with the best program compliance, there was a nonsignificant trend toward fewer injuries in the intervention group (adjusted rate ratio, 0.79; 95% confidence interval, 0.57-1.10). More intensive interventions are required to prevent fall-related injuries in long-term care facilities.

Feasibility and cost-effectiveness of a multidisciplinary home-telehealth intervention programme to reduce falls among elderly discharged from hospital: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Giordano, Alessandro; Bonometti, Gian Pietro; Vanoglio, Fabio; Paneroni, Mara; Bernocchi, Palmira; Comini, Laura; Giordano, Amerigo

2016-12-07

Fall incidents are the third cause of chronic disablement in elderly according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Recent meta-analyses shows that a multifactorial falls risk assessment and management programmes are effective in all older population studied. However, the application of these programmes may not be the same in all National health care setting and, consequently, needs to be evaluated by cost-effectiveness studies before to plan this intervention in regular care. In Italy structured collaboration between hospital staff and primary care is generally lacking and the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in a fall prevention programme at home has never been explored. This will be a two-group randomised controlled trial aiming to evaluate the effects of a home-based intervention programme delivered by a multidisciplinary health team. The home tele-management programme, previously adopted in our Institute for chronic patients, will be proposed to elderly people affected by chronic diseases at high risk of falling at hospital discharge. The programme will involve the hospital staff and will be managed thanks to the collaboration between hospital and primary care setting. Patients will be followed for 6 months after hospital discharge. A nurse-tutor telephone support and tele-exercise will characterize the intervention programme. People in the control group will receive usual care. The main outcome measure of the study will be the percentage of patients sustaining a fall during the 6-months follow-up period. An economic evaluation will be performed from a societal perspective and will involve calculating cost-effectiveness and cost utility ratios. To date, no adequately powered studies have investigated the effect of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in a home fall prevention program. We aim the program will be feasible in terms of intensity and characteristics, but particularly in terms of patient and provider compliance. The results of the economic evaluation could provide information about the cost-effectiveness of the intervention and the effects on quality of life. In case of shown effectiveness and cost effectiveness, the program could be implemented into health services settings. ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT02487589 ).

Beyond the limits of present active matrix flat-panel imagers (AMFPIs) for diagnostic radiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonuk, Larry E.; El-Mohri, Youcef; Jee, Kyung-Wook; Maolinbay, Manat; Nassif, Samer C.; Rong, Xiujiang; Siewerdsen, Jeffrey H.; Zhao, Qihua; Street, Robert A.

1999-05-01

A theoretical cascaded systems analysis of the performance limits of x-ray imagers based on thin-film, active matrix flat-panel technology is presented. This analysis specifically focuses upon an examination of the functional dependence of the detective quantum efficiency on exposure. While the DQE of AMFPI systems is relatively high at the large exposure levels associated with radiographic x-ray imaging, there is a significant decline in DQE with decreasing exposure over the medium and lower end of the exposure range associated with fluoroscopic imaging. This fall-off in DQE originates from the relatively large size of the additive noise of AMFPI systems compared to their overall system gain. Therefore, strategies to diminish additive noise and increase system gain should significantly improve performance. Potential strategies for noise reduction include the use of charge compensation lines while strategies for gain enhancement include continuous photodiodes, pixel amplification structures, or higher gain converters. The effect of the implementation of such strategies is examined for a variety for hypothetical imager configurations. Through the modeling of these configurations, such enhancements are shown to hold the potential of making low frequency DQE response large and essentially independent of exposure while greatly reducing the fall-off in DQE at higher spatial frequencies.

TMD evolution of the Sivers asymmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boer, Daniël

2013-09-01

The energy scale dependence of the Sivers asymmetry in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering is studied numerically within the framework of TMD factorization that was put forward in 2011. The comparison to previous results in the literature shows that the treatment of next-to-leading logarithmic effects is important for the fall-off of the Sivers asymmetry with energy in the measurable regime. The TMD factorization based approach indicates that the peak of the Sivers asymmetry falls off with energy scale Q to good approximation as 1/Q0.7, somewhat faster than found previously based on the first TMD factorization expressions by Collins and Soper in 1981. It is found that the peak of the asymmetry moves rather slowly towards higher transverse momentum values as Q increases, which may be due to the absence of perturbative tails of the TMDs in the presented treatments. We conclude that the behavior of the peak of the asymmetry as a function of energy and transverse momentum allows for valuable tests of the TMD formalism and the considered approximations. To confront the TMD approach with experiment, high energy experimental data from an Electron-Ion Collider is required. Note that in B01/B09 the Gaussian width of the Sivers TMD appears in the asymmetry expressions, because of the derivative in f1T⊥ ' a(x;Q0).

Guide for First-Time Parents

MedlinePlus

... Bathing Basics You should give your baby a sponge bath until: the umbilical cord falls off and ... towels or blankets a clean diaper clean clothes Sponge baths. For a sponge bath, select a safe, ...

Strategies of emotion management: not just on, but off the job.

PubMed

Hammonds, Clare; Cadge, Wendy

2014-06-01

Intensive care nurses, like professionals in other intense occupations characterized by high degrees of uncertainty, manage the emotions that result from their work both on and off the job. We focus on the job strategies - calling-in, sharing their experiences with others and engaging in a range of activities oriented to emotional recovery - that 37 intensive care nurses use to manage their emotions off the job. These strategies show how the social organization and division of labor in intensive care units influences nurses' emotional management outside of them and how organizational troubles for hospitals becomes personal ones for staff. They further support theoretical approaches that view emotions as dynamic elements belonging to individuals rather than aspects of people that can be fully appropriated by organizations. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Predictive validity of the Hendrich fall risk model II in an acute geriatric unit.

PubMed

Ivziku, Dhurata; Matarese, Maria; Pedone, Claudio

2011-04-01

Falls are the most common adverse events reported in acute care hospitals, and older patients are the most likely to fall. The risk of falling cannot be completely eliminated, but it can be reduced through the implementation of a fall prevention program. A major evidence-based intervention to prevent falls has been the use of fall-risk assessment tools. Many tools have been increasingly developed in recent years, but most instruments have not been investigated regarding reliability, validity and clinical usefulness. This study intends to evaluate the predictive validity and inter-rater reliability of Hendrich fall risk model II (HFRM II) in order to identify older patients at risk of falling in geriatric units and recommend its use in clinical practice. A prospective descriptive design was used. The study was carried out in a geriatric acute care unit of an Italian University hospital. All over 65 years old patients consecutively admitted to a geriatric acute care unit of an Italian University hospital over 8-month period were enrolled. The patients enrolled were screened for the falls risk by nurses with the HFRM II within 24h of admission. The falls occurring during the patient's hospital stay were registered. Inter-rater reliability, area under the ROC curve, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and time for the administration were evaluated. 179 elderly patients were included. The inter-rater reliability was 0.87 (95% CI 0.71-1.00). The administration time was about 1min. The most frequently reported risk factors were depression, incontinence, vertigo. Sensitivity and specificity were respectively 86% and 43%. The optimal cut-off score for screening at risk patients was 5 with an area under the ROC curve of 0.72. The risk factors more strongly associated with falls were confusion and depression. As falls of older patients are a common problem in acute care settings it is necessary that the nurses use specific validate and reliable fall risk assessment tools in order to implement the most effective prevention measures. Our findings provided supporting evidence to the choice of the HFRM II to screen older patients at risk of falling in acute care settings. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparisons of Modeled and Observed Reflectivities and Fall Speeds for Snowfall of Varied Riming Degree During Winter Storms on Long Island, New York

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Molthan, Andrew L.; Colle, Brian A.; Yuter, Sandra E.; Stark, David

2016-01-01

Derived radar reflectivity and fall speed for four Weather Research and Forecasting model bulk microphysical parameterizations (BMPs) run at 1.33 km grid spacing are compared with ground-based, vertically-pointing Ku-band radar, scanning S- band radar, and in situ measurements at Stony Brook, NY. Simulations were partitioned into periods of observed riming degree as determined manually using a stereo microscope and camera during nine winter storms. Simulations were examined to determine whether the selected BMPs captured the effects of varying riming intensities, provided a reasonable match to the vertical structure of radar reflectivity or fall speed, and whether they produced reasonable surface fall speed distributions. Schemes assuming non spherical mass-diameter relationships yielded reflectivity distributions closer to observed values. All four schemes examined in this study provided a better match to the observed, vertical structure of reflectivity during moderate riming than light riming periods. The comparison of observed and simulated snow fall speeds had mixed results. One BMP produced episodes of excessive cloud water at times, resulting in fall speeds that were too large. However, most schemes had frequent periods of little or no cloud water during moderate riming periods and thus underpredicted the snow fall speeds at lower levels. Short, 1-4 hour periods with relatively steady snow conditions were used to compare BMP and observed size and fall speed distributions. These limited data suggest the examined BMPs underpredict fall speeds of cold-type snow habits and underrepresent aggregates larger than 4 mm diameter.

DOE's Oak Ridge Site Kick Off Demolition of the K-27 Building

ScienceCinema

Cange, Sue; Rueter, Ken

2018-06-21

DOE's Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management kicked off demolition of the K-27 Building this month, moving closer to fulfilling Vision 2016 — removal of all gaseous diffusion buildings from the site by year’s end. As the site's last uranium enrichment building falls, it will mark the first-ever demolition and cleanup of a gaseous diffusion complex anywhere.

Does aging with a cortical lesion increase fall-risk: Examining effect of age versus stroke on intensity modulation of reactive balance responses from slip-like perturbations.

PubMed

Patel, Prakruti J; Bhatt, Tanvi

2016-10-01

We examined whether aging with and without a cerebral lesion such as stroke affects modulation of reactive balance response for recovery from increasing intensity of sudden slip-like stance perturbations. Ten young adults, older age-match adults and older chronic stroke survivors were exposed to three different levels of slip-like perturbations, level 1 (7.75m/s(2)), Level II (12.00m/s(2)) and level III (16.75m/s(2)) in stance. The center of mass (COM) state stability was computed as the shortest distance of the instantaneous COM position and velocity relative to base of support (BOS) from a theoretical threshold for backward loss of balance (BLOB). The COM position (XCOM/BOS) and velocity (ẊCOM/BOS) relative to BOS at compensatory step touchdown, compensatory step length and trunk angle at touchdown were also recorded. At liftoff, stability reduced with increasing perturbation intensity across all groups (main effect of intensity p<0.05). At touchdown, while the young group showed a linear improvement in stability with increasing perturbation intensity, such a trend was absent in other groups (intensity×group interaction, p<0.05). Between-group differences in stability at touchdown were thus observed at levels II and III. Further, greater stability at touchdown positively correlated with anterior XCOM/BOS however not with ẊCOM/BOS. Young adults maintained anterior XCOM/BOS by increasing compensatory step length and preventing greater trunk extension at higher perturbation intensities. The age-match group attempted to increase step length from intensity I to II to maintain stability however could not further increase step length at intensity III, resulting in lower stability on this level compared with the young group. Stroke group on the other hand was unable to modulate compensatory step length or control trunk extension at higher perturbation intensities resulting in reduced stability on levels II and III compared with the other groups. The findings reflect impaired modulation of recovery response with increasing intensity of sudden perturbations among stroke survivors compared with their healthy counter parts. Thus, aging superimposed with a cortical lesion could further impair reactive balance control, potentially contributing toward a higher fall risk in older stroke survivors. Copyright © 2016 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hands-On Experiences in Deploying Cost-Effective Ambient-Assisted Living Systems

PubMed Central

Dasios, Athanasios; Gavalas, Damianos; Pantziou, Grammati; Konstantopoulos, Charalampos

2015-01-01

Older adults’ preferences to remain independent in their own homes along with the high costs of nursing home care have motivated the development of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) technologies which aim at improving the safety, health conditions and wellness of the elderly. This paper reports hands-on experiences in designing, implementing and operating UbiCare, an AAL based prototype system for elderly home care monitoring. The monitoring is based on the recording of environmental parameters like temperature and light intensity as well as micro-level incidents which allows one to infer daily activities like moving, sitting, sleeping, usage of electrical appliances and plumbing components. The prototype is built upon inexpensive, off-the-shelf hardware (e.g., various sensors, Arduino microcontrollers, ZigBee-compatible wireless communication modules) and license-free software, thereby ensuring low system deployment costs. The network comprises nodes placed in a house’s main rooms or mounted on furniture, one wearable node, one actuator node and a centralized processing element (coordinator). Upon detecting significant deviations from the ordinary activity patterns of individuals and/or sudden falls, the system issues automated alarms which may be forwarded to authorized caregivers via a variety of communication channels. Furthermore, measured environmental parameters and activity incidents may be monitored through standard web interfaces. PMID:26094631

Hands-On Experiences in Deploying Cost-Effective Ambient-Assisted Living Systems.

PubMed

Dasios, Athanasios; Gavalas, Damianos; Pantziou, Grammati; Konstantopoulos, Charalampos

2015-06-18

Older adults' preferences to remain independent in their own homes along with the high costs of nursing home care have motivated the development of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) technologies which aim at improving the safety, health conditions and wellness of the elderly. This paper reports hands-on experiences in designing, implementing and operating UbiCare, an AAL based prototype system for elderly home care monitoring. The monitoring is based on the recording of environmental parameters like temperature and light intensity as well as micro-level incidents which allows one to infer daily activities like moving, sitting, sleeping, usage of electrical appliances and plumbing components. The prototype is built upon inexpensive, off-the-shelf hardware (e.g., various sensors, Arduino microcontrollers, ZigBee-compatible wireless communication modules) and license-free software, thereby ensuring low system deployment costs. The network comprises nodes placed in a house's main rooms or mounted on furniture, one wearable node, one actuator node and a centralized processing element (coordinator). Upon detecting significant deviations from the ordinary activity patterns of individuals and/or sudden falls, the system issues automated alarms which may be forwarded to authorized caregivers via a variety of communication channels. Furthermore, measured environmental parameters and activity incidents may be monitored through standard web interfaces.

Chemiluminescence of off-line and on-line gold nanoparticle-catalyzed luminol system in the presence of flavonoid.

PubMed

Wu, Dong; Zhang, Xiaoyue; Liu, Yong; Ma, Yan; Wang, Xiaowu; Wang, Xiaojuan; Xu, Liuxin

2017-06-01

It was found that flavonoids could remarkably inhibit the chemiluminescence (CL) intensity of an off-line gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-catalyzed luminol-H 2 O 2 CL system. By contrast, flavonoids enhanced the CL intensity of an on-line AuNP-catalyzed luminol-H 2 O 2 CL system. In the off-line system, the AuNPs were prepared beforehand, whereas in the on-line system, AuNPs were produced by on-line mixing of luminol prepared in a buffer solution of NaHCO 3  - Na 2 CO 3 and HAuCl 4 with no need for the preliminary preparation of AuNPs. The on-line system had prominent advantages over the off-line system, namely a lowering of the background noise and improvements in the stability of the CL system. The results show that differences in the signal suppression effect of flavonoids on the off-line AuNP-catalyzed CL system are influenced by the combined action of a free radical scavenging effect and occupy-sites function; the latter was proved to be predominant using controlled experiments. Enhancement of the on-line system was ascribed to the presence of flavonoids promoting the on-line formation of AuNPs, which better catalyzed the luminol-H 2 O 2 CL reaction, and the enhancement activity of the six flavonoids increased with the increase in reducibility. This work broadens the scope of practical applications of an AuNP-catalyzed CL system. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Knowledge training and the change of fertilizer use intensity: Evidence from wheat farmers in China.

PubMed

Pan, Dan; Kong, Fanbin; Zhang, Ning; Ying, Ruiyao

2017-07-15

High fertilizer use intensity is a serious issue throughout China, with adverse environmental and economic impacts. The lack of knowledge of Chinese farmers has been found to be the primary constraint. Using a propensity score matching (PSM) method to create a credible counterfactual analysis, this study examines the causal effects of two kinds of knowledge training approaches, traditional one-time training and in-field guidance, on the change of fertilizer use intensity of wheat farmers in China. The estimated results provide evidence that the traditional one-time training approach has a small effect on fertilizer use intensity reduction (only a 4% average), while the in-field guidance has a larger effect on fertilizer use intensity reduction (a 17% average). Moreover, we also found knowledge training has heterogeneous treatment effects. The reduction in fertilizer use intensity is larger for the farmers who are male and middle aged, have acquired a middle level of education, receive a lower share of off-farm income, collect a lower income, and operate a larger farm. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Laser flash photolysis of ozone - O/1D/ quantum yields in the fall-off region 297-325 nm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brock, J. C.; Watson, R. T.

1980-01-01

The wavelength dependence of the quantum yield for O(1D) production from ozone photolysis has been determined between 297.5 nm and 325 nm in order to resolve serious discrepancies among previous studies. The results of this investigation are compared to earlier work by calculating atmospheric production rate constants for O(1D). It is found that for the purpose of calculating this rate constant, there is now good agreement among three studies at 298 K. Furthermore, it appears that previous data on the temperature dependence of the O(1D) quantum yield fall-off is adequate for determining the vertical profile of the O(1D) production rate constant. Several experimental difficulties associated with using NO2(asterisk) chemiluminescence to monitor O(1D) have been identified.

Aircraft data summaries for the SURE intensives. Final report. [Data obtained during January/February 1978 near Duncan Falls, Ohio and Lewisburg, Virginia

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

Keifer, W.S.; Blumenthal, D.L.; Tommerdahl, J.B.

1981-09-01

As part of the EPRI sulfate regional experiment (SURE), Meteorology Research, Inc., (MRI) and Research Triangle Institute (RTI) conducted six air quality sampling programs in the eastern United States using instrumented aircraft. This volume includes the air quality and meteorological data obtained during the January/February 1978 Intensive when MRI sampled near the Duncan Falls, Ohio, SURE Station and RTI sampled near the Lewisburg, Virginia, SURE Station. Sampling data are presented for all measured parameters.

Aircraft data summaries for the SURE intensives. Final report. [Sampling done October, 1978 near Duncan Falls, Ohio and Giles County, Tennessee

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

Keifer, W.S.; Blumenthal, D.L.; Tommerdahl, J.B.

1981-09-01

As part of the EPRI sulfate regional experiment (SURE), Meteorology Research, Inc., (MRI) and Research Triangle Institute (RTI) conducted six air quality sampling programs in the eastern United States using instrumented aircraft. This volume includes the air quality and meteorological data obtained during the October 1978 intensive when MRI sampled near the Giles County, Tennessee, SURE Station and RTI sampled near the Duncan Falls, Ohio, SURE Station. Sampling data are presented for all measured parameters.

Quantification of the trade-off between force attenuation and balance impairment in the design of compliant safety floors.

PubMed

Glinka, Michal N; Cheema, Kim P; Robinovitch, Stephen N; Laing, Andrew C

2013-10-01

Safety floors (also known as compliant floors) may reduce the risk of fall-related injuries by attenuating impact force during falls, but are only practical if they do not negatively affect balance and mobility. In this study, we evaluated seven safety surfaces based on their ability to attenuate peak femoral neck force during simulated hip impacts, and their influence on center of pressure (COP) sway during quiet and tandem stance. Overall, we found that some safety floors can attenuate up to 33.7% of the peak femoral impact force without influencing balance. More specifically, during simulated hip impacts, force attenuation for the safety floors ranged from 18.4 (SD 4.3)% to 47.2 (3.1)%, with each floor significantly reducing peak force compared with a rigid surface. For quiet stance, only COP root mean square was affected by flooring (and increased for only two safety floors). During tandem stance, COP root mean square and mean velocity increased in the medial-lateral direction for three of the seven floors. Based on the substantial force attenuation with no concomitant effects on balance for some floors, these results support the development of clinical trials to assess the effectiveness of safety floors at reducing fall-related injuries in high-risk settings.

Recent evolution of the offline computing model of the NOvA experiment

DOE PAGES

Habig, Alec; Norman, A.; Group, Craig

2015-12-23

The NOvA experiment at Fermilab is a long-baseline neutrino experiment designed to study ν e appearance in a ν μ beam. Over the last few years there has been intense work to streamline the computing infrastructure in preparation for data, which started to flow in from the far detector in Fall 2013. Major accomplishments for this effort include migration to the use of off-site resources through the use of the Open Science Grid and upgrading the file-handling framework from simple disk storage to a tiered system using a comprehensive data management and delivery system to find and access files onmore » either disk or tape storage. NOvA has already produced more than 6.5 million files and more than 1 PB of raw data and Monte Carlo simulation files which are managed under this model. In addition, the current system has demonstrated sustained rates of up to 1 TB/hour of file transfer by the data handling system. NOvA pioneered the use of new tools and this paved the way for their use by other Intensity Frontier experiments at Fermilab. Most importantly, the new framework places the experiment's infrastructure on a firm foundation, and is ready to produce the files needed for first physics.« less

Recent Evolution of the Offline Computing Model of the NOvA Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habig, Alec; Norman, A.

2015-12-01

The NOvA experiment at Fermilab is a long-baseline neutrino experiment designed to study νe appearance in a νμ beam. Over the last few years there has been intense work to streamline the computing infrastructure in preparation for data, which started to flow in from the far detector in Fall 2013. Major accomplishments for this effort include migration to the use of off-site resources through the use of the Open Science Grid and upgrading the file-handling framework from simple disk storage to a tiered system using a comprehensive data management and delivery system to find and access files on either disk or tape storage. NOvA has already produced more than 6.5 million files and more than 1 PB of raw data and Monte Carlo simulation files which are managed under this model. The current system has demonstrated sustained rates of up to 1 TB/hour of file transfer by the data handling system. NOvA pioneered the use of new tools and this paved the way for their use by other Intensity Frontier experiments at Fermilab. Most importantly, the new framework places the experiment's infrastructure on a firm foundation, and is ready to produce the files needed for first physics.

Proposal of ultra-compact NAND/NOR/XNOR all-optical logic gates based on a nonlinear 3x1 multimode interference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tajaldini, Mehdi; Mat Jafri, M. Z.

2014-05-01

We present a highly miniaturized multimode interference (MMI) coupler based on nonlinear modal propagation analysis (NMPA) method as a novel design method and potential application for optical NAND, NOR and XNOR logic gates for Boolean logic signal processing devices. Crystalline polydiacetylene is used to allow the appearances of nonlinear effects in low input intensities and ultra- short length to control the MMI coupler as an active device to access light switching due to its high nonlinear susceptibility. We consider a 10x33 μm2 MMI structure with three inputs and one output. Notably, the access facets are single-mode waveguides with sub-micron width. The center input contributes to control the induced light propagation in MMI by intensity variation whereas others could be launched by particular intensity when they are ON and 0 in OFF. Output intensity is analyzed in various sets of inputs to show the capability of Boolean logic gates, the contrast between ON and OFF is calculated on mentioned gates to present the efficiency. Good operation in low intensity and highly miniaturized MMI coupler is observed. Furthermore, nonlinear effects could be realized through the modal interferences. The issue of high insertion loss is addressed with a 3×3 upgraded coupler. Furthermore, the main significant aspect of this paper is simulating an MMI coupler that is launched by three nonlinear inputs, simultaneously, whereas last presents have never studied more than one input in nonlinear regimes.

Time-resolved study of SrTiO3 homoepitaxial pulsed-laser deposition using surface x-ray diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eres, G.; Tischler, J. Z.; Yoon, M.; Larson, B. C.; Rouleau, C. M.; Lowndes, D. H.; Zschack, P.

2002-05-01

Homoepitaxy of SrTiO3 by pulsed-laser deposition has been studied using in situ time-resolved surface x-ray diffraction in the temperature range of 310 °C to 780 °C. Using a two-detector configuration, surface x-ray diffraction intensities were monitored simultaneously at the (0 0 1/2) specular and the (0 1 1/2) off-specular truncation rod positions. Abrupt intensity changes in both the specular and off-specular rods after laser pulses indicated prompt crystallization into SrTiO3 layers followed by slower intra- and interlayer surface rearrangements on time scales of seconds. Specular rod intensity oscillations indicated layer-by-layer growth, while off-specular rod intensity measurements suggested the presence of transient in-plane lattice distortions for depositions above 600 °C.

Increased Risk for Falling Associated with Subtle Cognitive Impairment: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial

PubMed Central

Gleason, Carey E.; Gangnon, Ronald E.; Fischer, Barbara L.; Mahoney, Jane E.

2009-01-01

Background/Aims Having dementia increases patients’ risk for accidental falls. However, it is unknown if having mild cognitive deficits also elevates a person's risk for falls. This study sought to clarify the relationship between subtle cognitive impairment, measured with a widely-used, clinic-based assessment, the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE), and risk for falls. Methods In a secondary analysis of the Kenosha County Falls Prevention Study, a randomized controlled trial targeting older adults at risk for falls, we examined the association between baseline MMSE and prospective rate of falls over 12 months in 172 subjects randomized to control group. Results Using univariate analysis, the rate of falls increased with each unit decrease in MMSE score down to at least 22 (rate ratio 1.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09–1.45, p = 0.0026). Using stepwise multivariate regression, controlling for ability to perform activities of daily living, use of assistive device, current exercise, and arthritis, the association between MMSE score and falls rate persisted (rate ratio 1.20, 95% CI 1.03–1.40, p = 0.021). Conclusion Minimal decrements on the MMSE were associated with elevations in rate of falls, suggesting that subtle cognitive deficits reflected in MMSE scores above a cut-off consistent with a diagnosis of dementia, can influence risk for falls. PMID:19602883

The effect of spiked boots on logger safety, productivity and workload.

PubMed

Kirk, P; Parker, R

1994-04-01

Analysis of 1657 lost-time logging accidents in the New Zealand logging industry (1985-1991) indicates that 17.5% were as a result of slips, trips and falls and a total of 2870 days were lost. Most (56%) of these slipping, tripping and falling accidents occurred in the felling and delimbing phase of the logging operation, where 37% of the workforce are employed. In an attempt to reduce the number of slipping injuries to loggers employed in felling and delimbing, a study of the effectiveness of spike-soled (caulk) boots was undertaken. Four loggers were intensively observed at work, by continuous time-study methods, while wearing their conventional rubber-soled boots and then spike-soled boots. The number of slips, work methods used, physiological workload and productivity were compared for loggers wearing the two footwear types. Results indicated that spike-soled boots were associated with a significant reduction in the frequency of slips and had no adverse effect on work methods, physiological workload or productivity. Spike-soled boots are now being promoted for use by loggers in New Zealand as a simple method to reduce slipping, tripping and falling accidents.

Correlated noise-based switches and stochastic resonance in a bistable genetic regulation system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Can-Jun; Yang, Ke-Li

2016-07-01

The correlated noise-based switches and stochastic resonance are investigated in a bistable single gene switching system driven by an additive noise (environmental fluctuations), a multiplicative noise (fluctuations of the degradation rate). The correlation between the two noise sources originates from on the lysis-lysogeny pathway system of the λ phage. The steady state probability distribution is obtained by solving the time-independent Fokker-Planck equation, and the effects of noises are analyzed. The effects of noises on the switching time between the two stable states (mean first passage time) is investigated by the numerical simulation. The stochastic resonance phenomenon is analyzed by the power amplification factor. The results show that the multiplicative noise can induce the switching from "on" → "off" of the protein production, while the additive noise and the correlation between the noise sources can induce the inverse switching "off" → "on". A nonmonotonic behaviour of the average switching time versus the multiplicative noise intensity, for different cross-correlation and additive noise intensities, is observed in the genetic system. There exist optimal values of the additive noise, multiplicative noise and cross-correlation intensities for which the weak signal can be optimal amplified.

Relaxation Method for Navier-Stokes Equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Oliveira, P. M. C.

2012-04-01

The motivation for this work was a simple experiment [P. M. C. de Oliveira, S. Moss de Oliveira, F. A. Pereira and J. C. Sartorelli, preprint (2010), arXiv:1005.4086], where a little polystyrene ball is released falling in air. The interesting observation is a speed breaking. After an initial nearly linear time-dependence, the ball speed reaches a maximum value. After this, the speed finally decreases until its final, limit value. The provided explanation is related to the so-called von Kármán street of vortices successively formed behind the falling ball. After completely formed, the whole street extends for some hundred diameters. However, before a certain transient time needed to reach this steady-state, the street is shorter and the drag force is relatively reduced. Thus, at the beginning of the fall, a small and light ball may reach a speed superior to the sustainable steady-state value. Besides the real experiment, the numerical simulation of a related theoretical problem is also performed. A cylinder (instead of a 3D ball, thus reducing the effective dimension to 2) is positioned at rest inside a wind tunnel initially switched off. Suddenly, at t = 0 it is switched on with a constant and uniform wind velocity ěc{V} far from the cylinder and perpendicular to it. This is the first boundary condition. The second is the cylinder surface, where the wind velocity is null. In between these two boundaries, the velocity field is determined by solving the Navier-Stokes equation, as a function of time. For that, the initial condition is taken as the known Stokes laminar limit V → 0, since initially the tunnel is switched off. The numerical method adopted in this task is the object of the current text.

Approaching Free Fall on Two Degrees of Freedom: Simultaneous Measurement of Residual Force and Torque on a Double Torsion Pendulum.

PubMed

Bassan, M; Cavalleri, A; De Laurentis, M; De Marchi, F; De Rosa, R; Di Fiore, L; Dolesi, R; Finetti, N; Garufi, F; Grado, A; Hueller, M; Marconi, L; Milano, L; Pucacco, G; Stanga, R; Visco, M; Vitale, S; Weber, W J

2016-02-05

A torsion pendulum with 2 soft degrees of freedom (DOFs), realized by off-axis cascading two torsion fibers, has been built and operated. This instrument helps characterize the geodesic motion of a test mass for LISA Pathfinder or any other free-fall space mission, providing information on cross talk and other effects that cannot be detected when monitoring a single DOF. We show that it is possible to simultaneously measure both the residual force and the residual torque acting on a quasifree test mass. As an example of the investigations that a double pendulum allows, we report the measurement of the force-to-torque cross talk, i.e., the amount of actuation signal, produced by applying a force on the suspended test mass, that leaks into the rotational DOF, detected by measuring the corresponding (unwanted) torque.

Scintillation-based Search for Off-pulse Radio Emission from Pulsars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ravi, Kumar; Deshpande, Avinash A.

2018-05-01

We propose a new method to detect off-pulse (unpulsed and/or continuous) emission from pulsars using the intensity modulations associated with interstellar scintillation. Our technique involves obtaining the dynamic spectra, separately for on-pulse window and off-pulse region, with time and frequency resolutions to properly sample the intensity variations due to diffractive scintillation and then estimating their mutual correlation as a measure of off-pulse emission, if any. We describe and illustrate the essential details of this technique with the help of simulations, as well as real data. We also discuss the advantages of this method over earlier approaches to detect off-pulse emission. In particular, we point out how certain nonidealities inherent to measurement setups could potentially affect estimations in earlier approaches and argue that the present technique is immune to such nonidealities. We verify both of the above situations with relevant simulations. We apply this method to the observation of PSR B0329+54 at frequencies of 730 and 810 MHz made with the Green Bank Telescope and present upper limits for the off-pulse intensity at the two frequencies. We expect this technique to pave the way for extensive investigations of off-pulse emission with the help of existing dynamic spectral data on pulsars and, of course, with more sensitive long-duration data from new observations.

Herbivory Drives the Spread of Salt Marsh Die-Off

PubMed Central

Bertness, Mark D.; Brisson, Caitlin P.; Bevil, Matthew C.; Crotty, Sinead M.

2014-01-01

Salt marsh die-off is a Western Atlantic conservation problem that has recently spread into Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, USA. It has been hypothesized to be driven by: 1) eutrophication decreasing plant investment into belowground biomass causing plant collapse, 2) boat wakes eroding creek banks, 3) pollution or disease affecting plant health, 4) substrate hardness controlling herbivorous crab distributions and 5) trophic dysfunction releasing herbivorous crabs from predator control. To distinguish between these hypotheses we quantified these variables at 14 Narragansett Bay salt marshes where die-off intensity ranged from <5% to nearly 98%. Nitrogen availability, wave intensity and plant growth did not explain any variation in die-off. Herbivory explained 73% of inter-site variation in die-off and predator control of herbivores and substrate hardness also varied significantly with die-off. This suggests that salt marsh die-off is being largely driven by intense herbivory via the release of herbivorous crabs from predator control. Our results and those from other marsh systems suggest that consumer control may not simply be a factor to consider in marsh conservation, but with widespread predator depletion impacting near shore habitats globally, trophic dysfunction and runaway consumption may be the largest and most urgent management challenge for salt marsh conservation. PMID:24651837

A modified method for MRF segmentation and bias correction of MR image with intensity inhomogeneity.

PubMed

Xie, Mei; Gao, Jingjing; Zhu, Chongjin; Zhou, Yan

2015-01-01

Markov random field (MRF) model is an effective method for brain tissue classification, which has been applied in MR image segmentation for decades. However, it falls short of the expected classification in MR images with intensity inhomogeneity for the bias field is not considered in the formulation. In this paper, we propose an interleaved method joining a modified MRF classification and bias field estimation in an energy minimization framework, whose initial estimation is based on k-means algorithm in view of prior information on MRI. The proposed method has a salient advantage of overcoming the misclassifications from the non-interleaved MRF classification for the MR image with intensity inhomogeneity. In contrast to other baseline methods, experimental results also have demonstrated the effectiveness and advantages of our algorithm via its applications in the real and the synthetic MR images.

Efficient star formation in the spiral arms of M51

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lord, Steven D.; Young, Judith S.

1990-01-01

The molecular, neutral, and ionized hydrogen distributions in the Sbc galaxy M51 (NGC 5194) are compared. To estimate H2 surface densities observations of the CO (J = 1 - 0) transition were made in 60 positions out to a radius of 155 arcsec. Extinction-corrected H-alpha intensities were used to compute the detailed massive star formation rates (MSFRs) in the disk. Estimates of the gas surface density, the MSFR, and the ratio of these quantities, MSFR/sigma(p), were then examined. The spiral arms were found to exhibit an excess gas density, measuring between 1.4 and 1.6 times the interarm values at 45 arcsec resolution. The total (arm and interarm) gas content and massive star formation rates in concentric annuli in the disk of M51 were computed. The two quantities fall off together with radius, yielding a relatively constant MSFR/sigma(p) with radius. This behavior is not explained by current models of star formation in galactic disks.

The interaction of heavy ions from Comet P/Giacobini-Zinner with the solar wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanderson, T. R.; Wenzel, K.-P.; Daly, P.; Cowley, S. W. H.; Hynds, R. J.; Smith, E. J.; Bame, S. J.; Zwickl, R. D.

1986-04-01

The encounter between the ICE spacecraft and Comet P/Giacobini-Zinner was characterized in the solar wind by intense fluxes of heavy ions, measurable over a region 6 x 10 to the 6th km in extent. The ions are observed with highly anisotropic angular distributions, steep energy spectra, and a change in the energy spectrum at around 80 keV, consistent with a composition predominantly of the water group. Flux versus time profiles follow a general fall off with increasing distance from the comet, but with a marked inbound/outbound asymmetry. This asymmetry is due to the higher solar wind velocity on the outbound pass, giving rise to an increased energy gain of the pick-up ions. The flux versus time profiles are strongly modulated by the rapid changes in the direction of interplanetary magnetic field. Correlated observations of energetic ions, the interplanetary magnetic field and the solar wind are presented, and these observations are compared with theoretical predictions of the ion pick-up process.

Fine-scale variation in meiotic recombination in Mimulus inferred from population shotgun sequencing

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

Hellsten, Uffe; Wright, Kevin M.; Jenkins, Jerry

2013-11-13

Meiotic recombination rates can vary widely across genomes, with hotspots of intense activity interspersed among cold regions. In yeast, hotspots tend to occur in promoter regions of genes, whereas in humans and mice hotspots are largely defined by binding sites of the PRDM9 protein. To investigate the detailed recombination pattern in a flowering plant we use shotgun resequencing of a wild population of the monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus to precisely locate over 400,000 boundaries of historic crossovers or gene conversion tracts. Their distribution defines some 13,000 hotspots of varying strengths, interspersed with cold regions of undetectably low recombination. Average recombination ratesmore » peak near starts of genes and fall off sharply, exhibiting polarity. Within genes, recombination tracts are more likely to terminate in exons than in introns. The general pattern is similar to that observed in yeast, as well as in PRDM9-knockout mice, suggesting that recombination initiation described here in Mimulus may reflect ancient and conserved eukaryotic mechanisms« less

Automatic Surveying For Hazard Prevention On Glacier De GiÉtro, Switzerland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauder, A.; Funk, M.; Bösch, H.

Breaking off of large ice masses from the steep tongue of Glacier de Giétro may endanger a nearby reservoir. Such a falling ice mass could cause an oversplash over the dam at timeof a nearly filled lake. For this reason the glacier has been monitored intensively since the 1960's. An automatic theodolite was installed three years ago. It allows continuous displacement measurements of several targets on the glacier in order to detect short-term acceleration events. The installation includes a telemetric data transmission, which provides for immediate recognition of hazardous situations and early alarming. The obtained data were analysed in terms of precision and performance of the applied method. A high temporal resolution was gained. The comparison with traditional ob- servations shows clearly the potential of modern instruments to improve monitoring schems. We summarize the main results of this study and discuss the applicability of a modern motorized theodolite with target tracking and recognition ability for moni- toring purposes.

High harmonic generation at the tunneling ionization of atoms by intense laser radiation near the classical cut-off

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gets, A. V.; Krainov, V. P.

2018-01-01

The yield of spontaneous photons at the tunneling ionization of atoms by intense low-frequency laser radiation near the classical cut-off is estimated analytically by using the three-step model. The Bell-shaped dependence in the universal photon spectrum is explained qualitatively.

[The effect of 24 weeks of moderate-to-high intensity strength training on the elderly].

PubMed

Solà Serrabou, Marta; López del Amo, José Luis; Valero, Oliver

2014-01-01

Strength programs have been seen to be useful in minimizing the effects of sarcopenia, although intervention protocols may vary in their content and characteristics. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the influence of a particular strength protocol for the elderly. A total of 35 individuals took part in the study, with 18 in the exercise group (4 men and 14 women), and 17 in the control group (4 men and 13 women). The average age was 73. The exercise group carried out a strength training program at moderate to high intensity over 24 weeks. Strength was evaluated using the chair stand test, 2-minute step and 2 vertical jumps-squat jump (SJ), and countermovement jump (CMJ). Falls in both groups were also compared before and after the intervention, as well as their relationship with the chair stand variable. A tendency towards improvement was observed in all tests, with the exception of CMJ; while the control group showed a tendency in the opposite direction. Contrast between the two groups at the end of the intervention was notable in all the tests. An inverse relationship between the chair stand strength variable and the number of falls was evident. According to the results achieved, the training was perceived to exercise a positive influence on both the strength of the elderly people and a reduction of the number of falls. The gap between the two groups widened towards the end of the intervention. Copyright © 2013 SEGG. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Acute, intermediate intensity exercise, and speed and accuracy in working memory tasks: a meta-analytical comparison of effects.

PubMed

McMorris, Terry; Sproule, John; Turner, Anthony; Hale, Beverley J

2011-03-01

The purpose of this study was to compare, using meta-analytic techniques, the effect of acute, intermediate intensity exercise on the speed and accuracy of performance of working memory tasks. It was hypothesized that acute, intermediate intensity exercise would have a significant beneficial effect on response time and that effect sizes for response time and accuracy data would differ significantly. Random-effects meta-analysis showed a significant, beneficial effect size for response time, g=-1.41 (p<0.001) but a significant detrimental effect size, g=0.40 (p<0.01), for accuracy. There was a significant difference between effect sizes (Z(diff)=3.85, p<0.001). It was concluded that acute, intermediate intensity exercise has a strong beneficial effect on speed of response in working memory tasks but a low to moderate, detrimental one on accuracy. There was no support for a speed-accuracy trade-off. It was argued that exercise-induced increases in brain concentrations of catecholamines result in faster processing but increases in neural noise may negatively affect accuracy. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

What makes a rhythm complex? The influence of musical training and accent type on beat perception

PubMed Central

Burgoyne, J. Ashley; Odijk, Daan; Honing, Henkjan; Grahn, Jessica A.

2018-01-01

Perception of a regular beat in music is inferred from different types of accents. For example, increases in loudness cause intensity accents, and the grouping of time intervals in a rhythm creates temporal accents. Accents are expected to occur on the beat: when accents are “missing” on the beat, the beat is more difficult to find. However, it is unclear whether accents occurring off the beat alter beat perception similarly to missing accents on the beat. Moreover, no one has examined whether intensity accents influence beat perception more or less strongly than temporal accents, nor how musical expertise affects sensitivity to each type of accent. In two experiments, we obtained ratings of difficulty in finding the beat in rhythms with either temporal or intensity accents, and which varied in the number of accents on the beat as well as the number of accents off the beat. In both experiments, the occurrence of accents on the beat facilitated beat detection more in musical experts than in musical novices. In addition, the number of accents on the beat affected beat finding more in rhythms with temporal accents than in rhythms with intensity accents. The effect of accents off the beat was much weaker than the effect of accents on the beat and appeared to depend on musical expertise, as well as on the number of accents on the beat: when many accents on the beat are missing, beat perception is quite difficult, and adding accents off the beat may not reduce beat perception further. Overall, the different types of accents were processed qualitatively differently, depending on musical expertise. Therefore, these findings indicate the importance of designing ecologically valid stimuli when testing beat perception in musical novices, who may need different types of accent information than musical experts to be able to find a beat. Furthermore, our findings stress the importance of carefully designing rhythms for social and clinical applications of beat perception, as not all listeners treat all rhythms alike. PMID:29320533

What makes a rhythm complex? The influence of musical training and accent type on beat perception.

PubMed

Bouwer, Fleur L; Burgoyne, J Ashley; Odijk, Daan; Honing, Henkjan; Grahn, Jessica A

2018-01-01

Perception of a regular beat in music is inferred from different types of accents. For example, increases in loudness cause intensity accents, and the grouping of time intervals in a rhythm creates temporal accents. Accents are expected to occur on the beat: when accents are "missing" on the beat, the beat is more difficult to find. However, it is unclear whether accents occurring off the beat alter beat perception similarly to missing accents on the beat. Moreover, no one has examined whether intensity accents influence beat perception more or less strongly than temporal accents, nor how musical expertise affects sensitivity to each type of accent. In two experiments, we obtained ratings of difficulty in finding the beat in rhythms with either temporal or intensity accents, and which varied in the number of accents on the beat as well as the number of accents off the beat. In both experiments, the occurrence of accents on the beat facilitated beat detection more in musical experts than in musical novices. In addition, the number of accents on the beat affected beat finding more in rhythms with temporal accents than in rhythms with intensity accents. The effect of accents off the beat was much weaker than the effect of accents on the beat and appeared to depend on musical expertise, as well as on the number of accents on the beat: when many accents on the beat are missing, beat perception is quite difficult, and adding accents off the beat may not reduce beat perception further. Overall, the different types of accents were processed qualitatively differently, depending on musical expertise. Therefore, these findings indicate the importance of designing ecologically valid stimuli when testing beat perception in musical novices, who may need different types of accent information than musical experts to be able to find a beat. Furthermore, our findings stress the importance of carefully designing rhythms for social and clinical applications of beat perception, as not all listeners treat all rhythms alike.

Analysis of Public Datasets for Wearable Fall Detection Systems.

PubMed

Casilari, Eduardo; Santoyo-Ramón, José-Antonio; Cano-García, José-Manuel

2017-06-27

Due to the boom of wireless handheld devices such as smartwatches and smartphones, wearable Fall Detection Systems (FDSs) have become a major focus of attention among the research community during the last years. The effectiveness of a wearable FDS must be contrasted against a wide variety of measurements obtained from inertial sensors during the occurrence of falls and Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). In this regard, the access to public databases constitutes the basis for an open and systematic assessment of fall detection techniques. This paper reviews and appraises twelve existing available data repositories containing measurements of ADLs and emulated falls envisaged for the evaluation of fall detection algorithms in wearable FDSs. The analysis of the found datasets is performed in a comprehensive way, taking into account the multiple factors involved in the definition of the testbeds deployed for the generation of the mobility samples. The study of the traces brings to light the lack of a common experimental benchmarking procedure and, consequently, the large heterogeneity of the datasets from a number of perspectives (length and number of samples, typology of the emulated falls and ADLs, characteristics of the test subjects, features and positions of the sensors, etc.). Concerning this, the statistical analysis of the samples reveals the impact of the sensor range on the reliability of the traces. In addition, the study evidences the importance of the selection of the ADLs and the need of categorizing the ADLs depending on the intensity of the movements in order to evaluate the capability of a certain detection algorithm to discriminate falls from ADLs.

Analysis of Public Datasets for Wearable Fall Detection Systems

PubMed Central

Santoyo-Ramón, José-Antonio; Cano-García, José-Manuel

2017-01-01

Due to the boom of wireless handheld devices such as smartwatches and smartphones, wearable Fall Detection Systems (FDSs) have become a major focus of attention among the research community during the last years. The effectiveness of a wearable FDS must be contrasted against a wide variety of measurements obtained from inertial sensors during the occurrence of falls and Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). In this regard, the access to public databases constitutes the basis for an open and systematic assessment of fall detection techniques. This paper reviews and appraises twelve existing available data repositories containing measurements of ADLs and emulated falls envisaged for the evaluation of fall detection algorithms in wearable FDSs. The analysis of the found datasets is performed in a comprehensive way, taking into account the multiple factors involved in the definition of the testbeds deployed for the generation of the mobility samples. The study of the traces brings to light the lack of a common experimental benchmarking procedure and, consequently, the large heterogeneity of the datasets from a number of perspectives (length and number of samples, typology of the emulated falls and ADLs, characteristics of the test subjects, features and positions of the sensors, etc.). Concerning this, the statistical analysis of the samples reveals the impact of the sensor range on the reliability of the traces. In addition, the study evidences the importance of the selection of the ADLs and the need of categorizing the ADLs depending on the intensity of the movements in order to evaluate the capability of a certain detection algorithm to discriminate falls from ADLs. PMID:28653991

Properties of Thermal Staircases Off the Northeast Coast of South America, Spring and Fall 1985

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-06-15

Figures 15 + I and 16 aire accepted, then on may conclude that the stair- Lij15, FALL cases arise at and shortly aller the confluence (at diflerent U...Space Center, MS 39529-5004 11. Supplementary Notes. *Formerly Naval Ocean Research and Development Activity **Continued on the next page 1 12a...south (180-360 m) and deepest in the northwest (420-650 m), occurring on the average between the 8 degrea and 13 degree C isotherms. Typically, each

Combined resistance and balance-jumping exercise reduces older women's injurious falls and fractures: 5-year follow-up study.

PubMed

Karinkanta, Saija; Kannus, Pekka; Uusi-Rasi, Kirsti; Heinonen, Ari; Sievänen, Harri

2015-09-01

previously, a randomised controlled exercise intervention study (RCT) showed that combined resistance and balance-jumping training (COMB) improved physical functioning and bone strength. The purpose of this follow-up study was to assess whether this exercise intervention had long-lasting effects in reducing injurious falls and fractures. five-year health-care register-based follow-up study after a 1-year, four-arm RCT. community-dwelling older women in Finland. one hundred and forty-five of the original 149 RCT participants; women aged 70-78 years at the beginning. participants' health-care visits were collected from computerised patient register. An injurious fall was defined as an event in which the subject contacted the health-care professionals or was taken to a hospital, due to a fall. The rate of injured fallers was assessed by Cox proportional hazards model (hazard ratio, HR), and the rate of injurious falls and fractures by Poisson regression (risk ratio, RR). eighty-one injurious falls including 26 fractures occurred during the follow-up. The rate of injured fallers was 62% lower in COMB group compared with the controls (HR 0.38, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.85). In addition, COMB group had 51% less injurious falls (RR 0.49, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.98) and 74% less fractures (RR 0.26, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.97). home-dwelling older women who participated in a 12-month intensive multi-component exercise training showed a reduced incidence for injurious falls during 5-year post-intervention period. Reduction in fractures was also evident. These long-term effects need to be confirmed in future studies. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Urinary tract infections due to Trichosporon spp. in severely ill patients in an intensive care unit

PubMed Central

Mattede, Maria das Graças Silva; Piras, Cláudio; Mattede, Kelly Dematte Silva; Ferrari, Aline Trugilho; Baldotto, Lorena Simões; Assbu, Michel Silvestre Zouain

2015-01-01

Objective To evaluate the incidence of urinary tract infections due to Trichosporon spp. in an intensive care unit. Methods This descriptive observational study was conducted in an intensive care unit between 2007 and 2009. All consecutive patients admitted to the intensive care unit with a confirmed diagnosis were evaluated. Results Twenty patients presented with urinary tract infections due to Trichosporon spp. The prevalence was higher among men (65%) and among individuals > 70 years of age (55%). The mortality rate was 20%. The average intensive care unit stay was 19.8 days. The onset of infection was associated with prior use of antibiotics and was more frequent in the fall and winter. Conclusion Infection due to Trichosporon spp. was more common in men and among those > 70 years of age and was associated with the use of an indwelling urinary catheter for more than 20 days and with the use of broadspectrum antibiotics for more than 14 days. In addition, patients with urinary infection due to Trichosporon spp. were most often hospitalized in intensive care units in the fall and winter periods. PMID:26465246

Effect of the EEC regulation (ban) on meat world trade.

PubMed

Bouffault, J C

1991-01-01

The EEC policy (prohibition on the use of anabolics in cattle breeding) has released a succession of negative effects, and in particular the breaking off of the commercial relationship with regard to meat exchange and the appearance of an intensive black market. It has involved strong reactions from the USA as well as from other countries.

The effect of methacholine-induced acute airway narrowing on lung sounds in normal and asthmatic subjects.

PubMed

Schreur, H J; Vanderschoot, J; Zwinderman, A H; Dijkman, J H; Sterk, P J

1995-02-01

The association between lung sound alterations and airways obstruction has long been recognized in clinical practice, but the precise pathophysiological mechanisms of this relationship have not been determined. Therefore, we examined the changes in lung sounds at well-defined levels of methacholine-induced airway narrowing in eight normal and nine asthmatic subjects with normal baseline lung function. All subjects underwent phonopneumography at baseline condition and at > or = 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and in asthmatic subjects also at > or = 40% fall in FEV1. Lung sounds were recorded at three locations on the chest wall during standardized quiet breathing, and during maximal forced breathing. Airflow-dependent power spectra were computed using fast Fourier transform. For each spectrum, we determined the intensity and frequency content of lung sounds, together with the extent of wheezing. The results were analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). During acute airway narrowing, the intensity and frequency content of the recorded sounds, as well as the extent of wheezing, were higher than at baseline in both groups of subjects. At similar levels of obstruction, both the pitch and the change in sound intensity with airflow were higher in asthmatics than in normal subjects. Wheezing, being nondiscriminative between the subject groups at baseline, was more prominent in asthmatics than in normal subjects at 20% fall in FEV1. We conclude that, at given levels of acute airway narrowing, lung sounds differ between asthmatics and normal subjects. This suggests that airflow-standardized phonopneumography is a sensitive method for detecting abnormalities in airway dynamics in asthma.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Wave Energetics of the Atmosphere of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battalio, Joseph Michael

A comprehensive assessment of the energetics of transient waves is presented for the atmosphere of Mars using the Mars Analysis Correction Data Assimilation (MACDA) dataset (v1.0) and the eddy kinetic energy equation. Each hemisphere is divided into four representative periods covering the summer and winter solstices, a late fall period, and an early spring period for each of the three Mars years available. Northern hemisphere fall and spring eddy energetics is similar with some inter-annual and inter-seasonal variability, but winter eddy kinetic energy and its transport are strongly reduced in intensity as a result of the winter solstitial pause in wave activity. Barotropic energy conversion acts as a sink of eddy kinetic energy throughout each year with little reduction in amplitude during the solstitial pause. Baroclinic energy conversion acts as a source in fall and spring but disappears during the winter period as a result of the stabilized vertical temperature profile around winter solstice. Traveling waves are typically triggered by geopotential flux convergence. Individual waves decay through a combination of barotropic conversion of the kinetic energy from the waves to the mean flow, geopotential flux divergence, and dissipation. The southern hemisphere energetics is similar to the northern hemisphere in timing, but wave energetics is much weaker as a result of the high and zonally asymmetric topography. The effect of dust on baroclinic instability is examined by comparing a year with a global-scale dust storm (GDS) to two years without a GDS. In the GDS year, waves develop a mixed baroclinic/barotropic growth phase before decaying barotropically. Though the total amount of eddy kinetic energy generated by baroclinic energy conversion is lower during the GDS year, the maximum eddy intensity is not diminished. Instead, the number of intense eddies is reduced by about 50%.

DC-Powered Jumping Ring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeffery, Rondo N.; Amiri, Farhang

2016-02-01

The classroom jumping ring demonstration is nearly always performed using alternating current (AC), in which the ring jumps or flies off the extended iron core when the switch is closed. The ring jumps higher when cooled with liquid nitrogen (LN2). We have performed experiments using DC to power the solenoid and find similarities and significant differences from the AC case. In particular, the ring does not fly off the core but rises a short distance and then falls back. If the ring jumps high enough, the rising and the falling motion of the ring does not follow simple vertical motion of a projectile. This indicates that there are additional forces on the ring in each part of its motion. Four possible stages of the motion of the ring with DC are identified, which result from the ring current changing directions during the jump in response to a changing magnetic flux through the moving ring.

Asymptotic symmetries in p-form theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afshar, Hamid; Esmaeili, Erfan; Sheikh-Jabbari, M. M.

2018-05-01

We consider ( p + 1)-form gauge fields in flat (2 p + 4)-dimensions for which radiation and Coulomb solutions have the same asymptotic fall-off behavior. Imposing appropriate fall-off behavior on fields and adopting a Maxwell-type action, we construct the boundary term which renders the action principle well-defined in the Lorenz gauge. We then compute conserved surface charges and the corresponding asymptotic charge algebra associated with nontrivial gauge transformations. We show that for p ≥ 1, there are three sets of conserved asymptotic charges associated with exact, coexact and zero-mode parts of the corresponding p-form gauge transformations on the asymptotic S 2 p+2. The coexact and zero-mode charges are higher form extensions of the four dimensional electrodynamics ( p = 0), and are commuting. Charges associated with exact gauge transformations have no counterparts in four dimensions and form infinite copies of Heisenberg algebras. We briefly discuss physical implications of these charges and their algebra.

Near horizon symmetry and entropy formula for Kerr-Newman (A)dS black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setare, Mohammad Reza; Adami, Hamed

2018-04-01

In this paper we provide the first non-trivial evidence for universality of the entropy formula 4 πJ 0 + J 0 - beyond pure Einstein gravity in 4-dimensions. We consider the Einstein-Maxwell theory in the presence of cosmological constant, then write near horizon metric of the Kerr-Newman (A)dS black hole in the Gaussian null coordinate system. We consider near horizon fall-off conditions for metric and U(1) gauge field. We find asymptotic combined symmetry generator, consists of diffeomorphism and U(1) gauge transformation, so that it preserves fall-off conditions. Consequently, we find supertranslation, supperrotation and multiple-charge modes and then we show that the entropy formula is held for the Kerr-Newman (A)dS black hole. Supperrotation modes suffer from a problem. By introducing new combined symmetry generator, we cure that problem.

Optical filter requirements in an EML-based single-sideband PAM4 intensity-modulation and direct-detection transmission system.

PubMed

Chen, Hsing-Yu; Kaneda, Noriaki; Lee, Jeffrey; Chen, Jyehong; Chen, Young-Kai

2017-03-20

The feasibility of a single sideband (SSB) PAM4 intensity-modulation and direct-detection (IM/DD) transmission based on a CMOS ADC and DAC is experimentally demonstrated in this work. To cost effectively build a >50 Gb/s system as well as to extend the transmission distance, a low cost EML and a passive optical filter are utilized to generate the SSB signal. However, the EML-induced chirp and dispersion-induced power fading limit the requirements of the SSB filter. To separate the effect of signal-signal beating interference, filters with different roll-off factors are employed to demonstrate the performance tolerance at different transmission distance. Moreover, a high resolution spectrum analysis is proposed to depict the system limitation. Experimental results show that a minimum roll-off factor of 7 dB/10GHz is required to achieve a 51.84Gb/s 40-km transmission with only linear feed-forward equalization.

Occurrence, distribution, and transport of pesticides, trace elements, and selected inorganic constituents into the Salton Sea Basin, California, 2001-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

LeBlanc, Lawrence A.; Schroeder, Roy A.; Orlando, James L.; Kuivila, Kathyrn M.

2004-01-01

A study of pesticide distribution and transport within the Salton Sea Basin, California, was conducted from September 2001 to October 2002. Sampling for the study was done along transects for the three major rivers that flow into the Salton Sea Basin: the New and Alamo Rivers at the southern end of the basin and the Whitewater River at the northern end. Three stations were established on each river: an outlet station approximately 1 mile upstream of the river discharge, a near-shore station in the river delta, and off-shore station in the Salton Sea. Water and suspended and bed sediments were collected at each station in October 2001, March-April 2002, and September 2002, coinciding with peak pesticide applications in the fall and spring. Fourteen current-use pesticides were detected in the water column. Concentrations of dissolved pesticides typically decreased from the outlets to the sea in all three rivers, consistent with the off-shore transport of pesticides from the rivers to the sea. Dissolved concentrations ranged from the limits of detection to 151 nanograms per liter (ng/L); however, diazinon, eptam (EPTC), and malathion were detected at much higher concentrations (940?3,830 ng/L) at the New and Alamo River outlet and near-shore stations. Concentrations of carbaryl, dacthal, diazinon, and eptam were higher during the two fall sampling periods, whereas concentrations of atrazine, carbofuran, and trifluralin were higher during the spring. Current-use pesticides also were detected on suspended and bed sediments in concentrations ranging from method detection limits to 106 ng/g (nanograms per gram). Chlorpyrifos, dacthal, eptam, trifluralin, and DDE were the most frequently detected pesticides on sediments from all three rivers. The number and concentrations of pesticides associated with suspended sediments frequently were similar for the river outlet and near-shore sites, consistent with the downstream transport of sediment-associated pesticides out of the rivers. Seasonal trends in pesticide concentration were similar to those for dissolved concentrations in fall 2001 and spring 2002, but not in fall 2002. Generally, the pesticides detected in the suspended sediments were the same pesticides detected in the bed sediments, and concentrations were similar, especially at the Alamo River outlet site in spring 2002 and fall 2002. Pesticides generally were not detected in sediments from the off-shore sites; however, the samples from these sites also had greater incidences of matrix interference during analysis. Sediment-associated pesticide concentrations were above equilibrium in water, suggesting a bound fraction of sediment-associated pesticides that are resistant to desorption. Concentrations of trace elements and other inorganic constituents in suspended sediments collected during the fall 2001 followed expected trends with dilution of river-derived minerals owing to highly organic autochthonous production within the Salton Sea Basin. However, calculation of enrichment ratios provided evidence for the bioconcentration of several trace elements, notably selenium in the off-shore biota.

Determining Whether a Dosage-Specific and Individualized Home Exercise Program With Consults Reduces Fall Risk and Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Difficulty Walking: A Randomized Control Trial.

PubMed

Gallo, Estelle; Stelmach, Maria; Frigeri, Fernanda; Ahn, Dong-Hyun

The development and implementation of effective interventions to prevent falls in older adults is a public health priority. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of a new practice model, incorporating Shubert's evidence-based fall prevention recommendations, with the usual ambulatory physical therapy (PT) at Rusk Rehabilitation, to decrease fall risk among older adults living in the community. The hypotheses were (1) the proposed program would decrease participants' fall risk, (2) it would be more effective than our usual PT, and (3) the addition of 4 consults after discharge would improve compliance with a home exercise program. This was a randomized controlled trial. Sixty-nine participants who were independent community dwellers, were 65 years or older, had difficulty walking or complaints of instability, and had 1 or more risk of falls were randomly assigned into a usual care group (UCG, n = 43) or an experimental group (EG, n = 26). Both groups received PT 2 times per week for 30 minutes for 10 to 32 visits. The UCG received the usual PT delivered at Rusk. The EG was instructed in a moderate- to high-intensity home exercise program designed after completing the mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test to assist with exercise prescription. The EG was educated on performing a recommended dosage of exercise over 6 months using a diary. The EG received 4 additional 30-minute consults every 2 to 4 weeks postdischarge to reinforce compliance. Self-report of number of falls, number of minutes of exercise per week, and performance on outcome measures (Timed Up and Go, 5-times sit-to-stand, Berg Balance Scale, and Activity Balance Confidence Scale) were monitored at evaluation, 2, 4, and 6 months. Thirty-five participants completed the study (UCG n = 22; EG n = 13). Both groups were similar at baseline on outcome measures and number of visits. Random effect model analyses demonstrated that both groups made significant reductions in fall risk over 6 months as identified by performance on outcome measures. However, the EG improved significantly more compared with the UCG over time (P < .05). Linear regression analyses showed that the EG exercised significantly more compared with the UCG at all times (P < .05). The EG exceeded the target of 115 min/wk of exercise (154 minutes, standard deviation [SD] 68.5; 170 minutes, SD 96.8; and 143 minutes, SD 68.5) at 2, 4, and 6 months, respectively. This study demonstrated that the experimental program is effective in decreasing fall risk in community-dwelling older adults and is more effective than our usual care. Moreover, it suggests that the overall experimental protocol may offer an effective strategy to foster adherence to an exercise program without the increasing number of visits. This study supports the efficacy of the experimental program in decreasing fall risk and being more effective than our usual care, as well as fostering greater compliance with an exercise regimen. It provides some preliminary evidence to support Shubert's recommendation on exercise prescription for fall prevention.

Ultrasound generation with high power and coil only EMAT concepts.

PubMed

Rueter, Dirk; Morgenstern, Tino

2014-12-01

Electro-magnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) are intended as non-contact and non-destructive ultrasound transducers for metallic material. The transmitted intensities from EMATS are modest, particularly at notable lift off distances. Some time ago a concept for a "coil only EMAT" was presented, without static magnetic field. In this contribution, such compact "coil only EMATs" with effective areas of 1-5cm(2) were driven to excessive power levels at MHz frequencies, using pulsed power technologies. RF induction currents of 10kA and tens of Megawatts are applied. With increasing power the electroacoustic conversion efficiency also increases. The total effect is of second order or quadratic, therefore non-linear and progressive, and yields strong ultrasound signals up to kW/cm(2) at MHz frequencies in the metal. Even at considerable lift off distances (cm) the ultrasound can be readily detected. Test materials are aluminum, ferromagnetic steel and stainless steel (non-ferromagnetic). Thereby, most metal types are represented. The technique is compared experimentally with other non-contact methods: laser pulse induced ultrasound and spark induced ultrasound, both damaging to the test object's surface. At small lift off distances, the intensity from this EMAT concept clearly outperforms the laser pulses or heavy spark impacts. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A trophic cascade triggers collapse of a salt-marsh ecosystem with intensive recreational fishing.

PubMed

Altieri, Andrew H; Bertness, Mark D; Coverdale, Tyler C; Herrmann, Nicholas C; Angelini, Christine

2012-06-01

Overexploitation of predators has been linked to the collapse of a growing number of shallow-water marine ecosystems. However, salt-marsh ecosystems are often viewed and managed as systems controlled by physical processes, despite recent evidence for herbivore-driven die-off of marsh vegetation. Here we use field observations, experiments, and historical records at 14 sites to examine whether the recently reported die-off of northwestern Atlantic salt marshes is associated with the cascading effects of predator dynamics and intensive recreational fishing activity. We found that the localized depletion of top predators at sites accessible to recreational anglers has triggered the proliferation of herbivorous crabs, which in turn results in runaway consumption of marsh vegetation. This suggests that overfishing may be a general mechanism underlying the consumer-driven die-off of salt marshes spreading throughout the western Atlantic. Our findings support the emerging realization that consumers play a dominant role in regulating marine plant communities and can lead to ecosystem collapse when their impacts are amplified by human activities, including recreational fishing.

Torque and Muscle Activation Impairment Along With Insulin Resistance Are Associated With Falls in Women With Fibromyalgia.

PubMed

Góes, Suelen M; Stefanello, Joice M F; Homann, Diogo; Lodovico, Angélica; Hubley-Kozey, Cheryl L; Rodacki, André L F

2016-11-01

Góes, SM, Stefanello, JMF, Homann, D, Lodovico, A, Hubley-Kozey, CL, and Rodacki, ALF. Torque and muscle activation impairment along with insulin resistance are associated with falls in women with fibromyalgia. J Strength Cond Res 30(11): 3155-3164, 2016-Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain condition associated with reduced muscle strength, which can lead to functional incapacity and higher risk of falls. The purpose of the study was to compare maximal ankle joint torque, muscle activation, and metabolic changes between women with and without FM. In addition, the relationship between those aspects and retrospectively reported falls in women with FM was determined. Twenty-nine middle-aged women with FM and 30 controls were recruited. Fall history, pain intensity, and pain threshold were assessed. Plasma glucose levels and insulin resistance (IR) were determined. Peak torque and rate of torque development (RTD) were calculated, and muscle activation was assessed from maximum isometric voluntary ankle dorsiflexion and plantar flexion contractions. In addition, voluntary muscle activation failure of the anterior tibialis muscle during maximal dorsiflexion was calculated. When compared to controls, women with FM reported higher number of retrospectively reported falls, exhibited higher IR, showed reduced plantar flexion and dorsiflexion RTD, had lower plantar flexion peak torque, and demonstrated more antagonist coactivation and higher muscle activation failure (p ≤ 0.05). Higher muscle activation failure was explained by glucose level and pain intensity (adj R = 0.28; p ≤ 0.05). Reduced plantar flexion and dorsiflexion peak torque explained 80% of retrospectively reported falls variance; also, high antagonist coactivation (odds ratio [OR] = 1.6; p ≤ 0.05) and high IR (OR = 1.8; p ≤ 0.05) increased the chance of falls in the FM group. A combination of metabolic factors and muscle function increased the odds of retrospectively reporting a fall in FM. Both aspects may be considered in interventions designed for reducing falls in this population.

Cancer susceptibility and reproductive trade-offs: a model of the evolution of cancer defences

PubMed Central

Boddy, Amy M.; Kokko, Hanna; Breden, Felix; Wilkinson, Gerald S.; Aktipis, C. Athena

2015-01-01

The factors influencing cancer susceptibility and why it varies across species are major open questions in the field of cancer biology. One underexplored source of variation in cancer susceptibility may arise from trade-offs between reproductive competitiveness (e.g. sexually selected traits, earlier reproduction and higher fertility) and cancer defence. We build a model that contrasts the probabilistic onset of cancer with other, extrinsic causes of mortality and use it to predict that intense reproductive competition will lower cancer defences and increase cancer incidence. We explore the trade-off between cancer defences and intraspecific competition across different extrinsic mortality conditions and different levels of trade-off intensity, and find the largest effect of competition on cancer in species where low extrinsic mortality combines with strong trade-offs. In such species, selection to delay cancer and selection to outcompete conspecifics are both strong, and the latter conflicts with the former. We discuss evidence for the assumed trade-off between reproductive competitiveness and cancer susceptibility. Sexually selected traits such as ornaments or large body size require high levels of cell proliferation and appear to be associated with greater cancer susceptibility. Similar associations exist for female traits such as continuous egg-laying in domestic hens and earlier reproductive maturity. Trade-offs between reproduction and cancer defences may be instantiated by a variety of mechanisms, including higher levels of growth factors and hormones, less efficient cell-cycle control and less DNA repair, or simply a larger number of cell divisions (relevant when reproductive success requires large body size or rapid reproductive cycles). These mechanisms can affect intra- and interspecific variation in cancer susceptibility arising from rapid cell proliferation during reproductive maturation, intrasexual competition and reproduction. PMID:26056364

Carbon dots-based fluorescent probe for "off-on" sensing of Hg(II) and I⁻.

PubMed

He, Jiangling; Zhang, Haoran; Zou, Jinliang; Liu, Yingliang; Zhuang, Jianle; Xiao, Yong; Lei, Bingfu

2016-05-15

Herein, we report a simple, one-step reflux method for synthesis of photoluminescent carbon dots (CDs) using citric acid as the carbon source and diethylenetriamine (DETA) as the surface passivation reagent along with a high quantum yield (82.40%), the fluorescence intensity of the CDs was found to be effectively quenched by Hg(II) ions. Upon addition of I(-) to the CDs/Hg(II) complex dispersion, the fluorescence intensity of the CDs was significantly recovered. Furthermore, we developed an "off-on" fluorescence assay for the detection of I(-) using CDs/Hg(II) as a fluorescence probe. This probe enables the selective detection of Hg(II) with a linear range of 0-80 μM and a limit of detection is 0.201 µM and a limit of detection about I(-) is 0.234 µM with a linear range of 0-70 μM. Most importantly, the sensors can be successfully applied to the determination of Hg(II) and I(-) in real lake water and urine of cattles, the "off-on" sensor demonstrates high selectivity, repeatability, stability, which offer this CDs-based "off-on" fluorescent sensor a promising platform for environmental and biological sensing applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of waveforms of inspired gas tension on the respiratory oscillations of carotid body discharge.

PubMed

Kumar, P; Nye, P C; Torrance, R W

1991-07-01

The responses of carotid body chemoreceptor discharge to repeated ramps (20- to 60-s forcing cycle durations) of inspired gas tensions were studied in spontaneously breathing and in artificially ventilated pentobarbitone-anesthetized cats. In all animals the mean intensity of chemoreceptor discharge followed the frequency of the forcing cycle, and superimposed on this were oscillations at the frequency of ventilation (breath-by-breath oscillations). The amplitude of the breath-by-breath oscillations in discharge was often large, and it waxed and waned with the forcing cycle. It was greatest when the mean level of discharge was falling and smallest near the peak of mean discharge. No qualitative differences were observed between PO2-alone forcing in constant normocapnia and PCO2-alone forcing in constant hypoxia. The variation in the amplitudes of breath-by-breath oscillations was shown to be due primarily to variations in the amplitudes of the downslope component of the discharge oscillation. Variations in the upslope component of individual oscillations were small. The factors responsible for the breath-by-breath oscillations are discussed, and it is concluded that the shape of the waveform of arterial gas tensions that stimulate the peripheral chemoreceptors departs markedly from that of a line joining end-tidal gas tensions. This causes breath-by-breath oscillations of discharge to be very large after an "off" stimulus. Reflex studies involving the forcing of respiratory gases should therefore include consideration of these effects.

Gate field plate IGBT with trench accumulation layer for extreme injection enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Xiaorui; Chen, Wanjun; Liu, Chao; Chen, Nan; Tao, Hong; Shi, Yijun; Ma, Yinchang; Zhou, Qi; Zhang, Bo

2017-04-01

A gate field plate IGBT (GFP-IGBT) with extreme injection enhancement is proposed and verified using TCAD simulations. The GFP-IGBT features a gate field plate (GFP) inserted into n-drift region directly and a tiny P-base region separated from the GFP. In the ON-state, the accumulation layer is formed near to not only the bottom but also the side of the trench, which enhances electron injection efficiency. And the tiny P-base region reduces the holes extracted by reverse-biased P-base/N-drift junction. Both the GFP and tiny P-base contribute to achieving extreme injection enhancement, leading to a low forward voltage drop. In the OFF-state, due to the low stored charges in N-buffer layer, GFP-IGBT shows a short current fall time, leading to a decrease of turn-off loss. The simulation results show that, compared with the conventional IGBT, the GFP-IGBT offers a forward voltage drop reduction of 25% or current fall time reduction of 89% (i.e. turn-off loss reduction of 53%), resulting in low power loss. The excellent device performance, coupled with a commercial IGBT-compatible fabrication process, makes the proposed GFP-IGBT a promising candidate for power switching applications.

Condom use among female commercial sex workers in Nevada's legal brothels.

PubMed Central

Albert, A E; Warner, D L; Hatcher, R A; Trussell, J; Bennett, C

1995-01-01

OBJECTIVES. The purpose of this study was to evaluate condom use and the incidence of breakage and slippage during vaginal intercourse among female prostitutes in legal Nevada brothels, where use of condoms is required by law. METHODS. Forty-one licensed prostitutes in three brothels were enrolled in a prospective trial in August 1993. Used condoms were collected to verify reported breaks visually. Retrospective breakage and slippage rates were obtained in a standardized interview. RESULTS. Condoms were used for every act of vaginal intercourse with a brothel client during the study period, as well as in the previous year. In the prospective study phase, condoms were used in 353 acts of vaginal intercourse with clients. No condoms broke, and none fell off the penis during intercourse. Only twice (0.6%) did condoms completely fall off during withdrawal. Twelve times (3.4%) during intercourse and 15 times (4.3%) during withdrawal, condoms slipped down the penis but did not fall off. CONCLUSIONS. These findings, among the lowest breakage and slippage rates published, suggest that regular condom use may lead to condom mastery and the development of techniques to reduce the likelihood of breakage and slippage. PMID:7485663

Strong signal increase in STED fluorescence microscopy by imaging regions of subdiffraction extent

PubMed Central

Göttfert, Fabian; Pleiner, Tino; Heine, Jörn; Westphal, Volker; Görlich, Dirk; Sahl, Steffen J.; Hell, Stefan W.

2017-01-01

Photobleaching remains a limiting factor in superresolution fluorescence microscopy. This is particularly true for stimulated emission depletion (STED) and reversible saturable/switchable optical fluorescence transitions (RESOLFT) microscopy, where adjacent fluorescent molecules are distinguished by sequentially turning them off (or on) using a pattern of light formed as a doughnut or a standing wave. In sample regions where the pattern intensity reaches or exceeds a certain threshold, the molecules are essentially off (or on), whereas in areas where the intensity is lower, that is, around the intensity minima, the molecules remain in the initial state. Unfortunately, the creation of on/off state differences on subdiffraction scales requires the maxima of the intensity pattern to exceed the threshold intensity by a large factor that scales with the resolution. Hence, when recording an image by scanning the pattern across the sample, each molecule in the sample is repeatedly exposed to the maxima, which exacerbates bleaching. Here, we introduce MINFIELD, a strategy for fundamentally reducing bleaching in STED/RESOLFT nanoscopy through restricting the scanning to subdiffraction-sized regions. By safeguarding the molecules from the intensity of the maxima and exposing them only to the lower intensities (around the minima) needed for the off-switching (on-switching), MINFIELD largely avoids detrimental transitions to higher molecular states. A bleaching reduction by up to 100-fold is demonstrated. Recording nanobody-labeled nuclear pore complexes in Xenopus laevis cells showed that MINFIELD-STED microscopy resolved details separated by <25 nm where conventional scanning failed to acquire sufficient signal. PMID:28193881

Exposure of trees to drought-induced die-off is defined by a common climatic threshold across different vegetation types

PubMed Central

Mitchell, Patrick J; O'Grady, Anthony P; Hayes, Keith R; Pinkard, Elizabeth A

2014-01-01

Increases in drought and temperature stress in forest and woodland ecosystems are thought to be responsible for the rise in episodic mortality events observed globally. However, key climatic drivers common to mortality events and the impacts of future extreme droughts on tree survival have not been evaluated. Here, we characterize climatic drivers associated with documented tree die-off events across Australia using standardized climatic indices to represent the key dimensions of drought stress for a range of vegetation types. We identify a common probabilistic threshold associated with an increased risk of die-off across all the sites that we examined. We show that observed die-off events occur when water deficits and maximum temperatures are high and exist outside 98% of the observed range in drought intensity; this threshold was evident at all sites regardless of vegetation type and climate. The observed die-off events also coincided with at least one heat wave (three consecutive days above the 90th percentile for maximum temperature), emphasizing a pivotal role of heat stress in amplifying tree die-off and mortality processes. The joint drought intensity and maximum temperature distributions were modeled for each site to describe the co-occurrence of both hot and dry conditions and evaluate future shifts in climatic thresholds associated with the die-off events. Under a relatively dry and moderate warming scenario, the frequency of droughts capable of inducing significant tree die-off across Australia could increase from 1 in 24 years to 1 in 15 years by 2050, accompanied by a doubling in the occurrence of associated heat waves. By defining commonalities in drought conditions capable of inducing tree die-off, we show a strong interactive effect of water and high temperature stress and provide a consistent approach for assessing changes in the exposure of ecosystems to extreme drought events. PMID:24772285

Quality of life in Parkinson's disease: the relative importance of the symptoms.

PubMed

Rahman, Shibley; Griffin, Harry J; Quinn, Niall P; Jahanshahi, Marjan

2008-07-30

A body of literature now exists, which demonstrates that idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) has a major negative impact on quality of life (QoL), and that depression and cognitive impairment are among the main predictors of poor QoL in this disorder. Relatively little work has been done to assess the differential contribution of the specific symptoms of PD to QoL, which was the aim of this study. One hundred thirty patients with PD completed a booklet of questionnaires, which included the PDQ39 as a disease-specific measure of QoL, a symptom checklist, a mobility checklist, as well as patient ratings of disease stage and disability. The results indicated that the contribution of physical, medication-related, and cognitive/psychiatric symptoms to QoL can be significant. Sudden unpredictable on/off states, difficulty in dressing, difficulty in walking, falls, depression, and confusion were PD symptoms, which significantly influenced QoL scores. Among the mobility problems associated with PD, start hesitation, shuffling gait, freezing, festination, propulsion, and difficulty in turning had a significant effect on QoL scores. In addition to depression and anxiety, the major predictors of QoL were shuffling, difficulty turning, falls, difficulty in dressing, fatigue, confusion, autonomic disturbance particularly urinary incontinence, unpredictable on/off fluctuations, and sensory symptoms such as pain. The implications of these results for the medical management of PD are discussed. Copyright 2007 Movement Disorder Society.

Environmental Modeling, Technology, and Communication for Land Falling Tropical Cyclone/Hurricane Prediction

PubMed Central

Tuluri, Francis; Reddy, R. Suseela; Anjaneyulu, Y.; Colonias, John; Tchounwou, Paul

2010-01-01

Katrina (a tropical cyclone/hurricane) began to strengthen reaching a Category 5 storm on 28th August, 2005 and its winds reached peak intensity of 175 mph and pressure levels as low as 902 mb. Katrina eventually weakened to a category 3 storm and made a landfall in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, Gulf of Mexico, south of Buras on 29th August 2005. We investigate the time series intensity change of the hurricane Katrina using environmental modeling and technology tools to develop an early and advanced warning and prediction system. Environmental Mesoscale Model (Weather Research Forecast, WRF) simulations are used for prediction of intensity change and track of the hurricane Katrina. The model is run on a doubly nested domain centered over the central Gulf of Mexico, with grid spacing of 90 km and 30 km for 6 h periods, from August 28th to August 30th. The model results are in good agreement with the observations suggesting that the model is capable of simulating the surface features, intensity change and track and precipitation associated with hurricane Katrina. We computed the maximum vertical velocities (Wmax) using Convective Available Kinetic Energy (CAPE) obtained at the equilibrium level (EL), from atmospheric soundings over the Gulf Coast stations during the hurricane land falling for the period August 21–30, 2005. The large vertical atmospheric motions associated with the land falling hurricane Katrina produced severe weather including thunderstorms and tornadoes 2–3 days before landfall. The environmental modeling simulations in combination with sounding data show that the tools may be used as an advanced prediction and communication system (APCS) for land falling tropical cyclones/hurricanes. PMID:20623002

Fall and balance outcomes after an intervention to promote leg strength, balance, and walking in people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy: "feet first" randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Kruse, Robin L; Lemaster, Joseph W; Madsen, Richard W

2010-11-01

Weight-bearing exercise has been discouraged for people with diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy (DM+PN). However, people with diabetes mellitus and insensate feet have an increased risk of falling. Lower-extremity exercise and balance training reduce fall risk in some older adults. It is unknown whether those with neuropathy experience similar benefits. As part of a study of the effects of weight-bearing exercise on foot ulceration in people with DM+PN, the effects of a lower-extremity exercise and walking intervention on balance, lower-extremity strength (force-generating capacity), and fall incidence were determined. Design The study was an observer-masked, 12-month randomized controlled trial. Part 1 of the intervention took place in physical therapy offices, and part 2 took place in the community. The participants were 79 people who were mostly sedentary, who had DM+PN, and who were randomly assigned to either a control group (n=38) or an intervention group (n=41). Intervention Part 1 included leg strengthening and balance exercises and a graduated, self-monitored walking program; part 2 included motivational telephone calls. Both groups received regular foot care, foot care education, and 8 sessions with a physical therapist. The measurements collected were strength, balance, and participant-reported falls for the year after enrollment. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups for falls during follow-up. At 12 months, there was a small increase in the amount of time that participants in the intervention group could stand on 1 leg with their eyes closed. No other strength or balance measurements differed between the groups. The study was designed to detect differences in physical activity, not falls. The intensity of the intervention was insufficient to improve strength and balance in this population. The training program had a minimal effect on participants' balance and lower-extremity strength. Increasing weight-bearing activity did not alter the rate of falling for participants in the intervention group relative to that for participants in the control group. People who are sedentary and who have DM+PN appear to be able to increase activity without increasing their rate of falling.

Cosmic Rays and Dynamical Meteorology, 2. Snow Effect In Different Multiplicities According To Neutron Monitor Data of Emilio Segre' Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorman, L. I.; Iucci, N.; Pustil'Nik, L. A.; Sternlieb, A.; Villoresi, G.; Zukerman, I. G.

On the basis of cosmic ray hourly data obtained by NM of Emilio Segre' Observatory (hight 2025 m above s.l., cut-off rigidity for vertical direction 10.8 GV) we determine the snow effect in CR for total neutron intensity and for multiplicities m=1, m=2, m=3, m=4, m=5, m=6, and m=7. For comparison and excluding primary CR variations we use also hourly data on neutron multiplicities obtained by Rome NM (about sea level, cut-off rigidity 6.7 GV). In this paper we will analize effects of snow in periods from 4 January 2000 to 15 April 2000 with maximal absorption effect about 5%, and from 21 December 2000 up to 31 March 2001 with maximal effect 13% in the total neu- tron intensity. We use the periods without snow to determine regeression coefficients between primary CR variations observed by NM of Emilio Segre' Observatory, and by Rome NM. On the basis of obtained results we develop a method to correct data on snow effect by using several NM hourly data. On the basis of our data we estimate the accuracy with what can be made correction of NM data of stations where the snow effect can be important.

The epidemiology of slips, trips, and falls in a helicopter manufacturing plant.

PubMed

Amandus, Harlan; Bell, Jennifer; Tiesman, Hope; Biddle, Elyce

2012-06-01

The purpose of this evaluation was to evaluate the causes and costs of slips, trips, and falls (STFs) in a helicopter manufacturing plant. STFs are a significant portion of the total industry injury burden. For this study, 4,070 helicopter plant workers who were employed from January 1, 2004, through February 28, 2008, were enrolled. Company records on workers' compensation claims, occupational health first report of injury, and payroll records on hours worked were collected. Cause and source of all injuries, including STFs, were coded for analysis. During the 4-year study period, there were 2,378 injuries and 226 STFs (46 falls [20%] to a lower level, 117 [52%] falls on the same level, 41 [18%] from loss of balance without a fall, and 22 [10%] from other events). Of the 226 STFs, 123 falls to the same level were caused by slippery substances (52), objects on floor (43), and surface hazards (28), and they cost $1,543,946. Falls to lower levels primarily involved access to stands to and from aircraft and falling off large machines. More than half of the STF injury claims likely could have been prevented by housekeeping and maintenance, and this cost saving could reasonably offset a considerable portion of the cost of prevention. Training and stand modifications could be considered to prevent falls from elevation from stands, machines, and aircraft. Recommendations for STF prevention are discussed.

Cigarette smoking and cancer: intensity patterns in the alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene cancer prevention study in Finnish men.

PubMed

Lubin, Jay H; Virtamo, Jarmo; Weinstein, Stephanie J; Albanes, Demetrius

2008-04-15

Relative risks for lung and bladder cancers by smoking intensity level off at more than 15-20 cigarettes per day. A three-parameter excess relative risk model in pack-years and intensity quantified this leveling (Lubin et al., Am J Epidemiol 2007;166:479-89). Above 15-20 cigarettes per day was an "inverse exposure rate" effect whereby, for equal pack-years, the excess relative risk/pack-year decreased with increasing intensity; that is, smoking at a lower intensity for a longer duration was more deleterious than smoking at a higher intensity for a shorter duration. After adjustment for pack-years, intensity effects were quantitatively homogeneous across multiple case-control studies of lung, bladder, oral cavity, pancreas, and esophagus cancers. The authors extended those analyses to examine intensity patterns for incident bladder, esophagus, kidney, larynx, liver, lung, oropharynx, and pancreas cancers by using data from a single prospective cohort in Finland, the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study, with follow-up from enrollment, which occurred between 1985 and 1988, through April 2004. At more than 10 cigarettes per day, they found an inverse exposure rate pattern for each cancer site. After adjustment for pack-years, intensity effects were quantitatively homogeneous across the diverse cancer sites and homogeneous with intensity effects from the prior analysis of multiple studies. Consistency of intensity patterns suggested a general phenomenon and may provide clues to the molecular basis of smoking-related cancer risk.

A two-dimensional matrix correction for off-axis portal dose prediction errors

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

Bailey, Daniel W.; Department of Radiation Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York 14263; Kumaraswamy, Lalith

2013-05-15

Purpose: This study presents a follow-up to a modified calibration procedure for portal dosimetry published by Bailey et al. ['An effective correction algorithm for off-axis portal dosimetry errors,' Med. Phys. 36, 4089-4094 (2009)]. A commercial portal dose prediction system exhibits disagreement of up to 15% (calibrated units) between measured and predicted images as off-axis distance increases. The previous modified calibration procedure accounts for these off-axis effects in most regions of the detecting surface, but is limited by the simplistic assumption of radial symmetry. Methods: We find that a two-dimensional (2D) matrix correction, applied to each calibrated image, accounts for off-axismore » prediction errors in all regions of the detecting surface, including those still problematic after the radial correction is performed. The correction matrix is calculated by quantitative comparison of predicted and measured images that span the entire detecting surface. The correction matrix was verified for dose-linearity, and its effectiveness was verified on a number of test fields. The 2D correction was employed to retrospectively examine 22 off-axis, asymmetric electronic-compensation breast fields, five intensity-modulated brain fields (moderate-high modulation) manipulated for far off-axis delivery, and 29 intensity-modulated clinical fields of varying complexity in the central portion of the detecting surface. Results: Employing the matrix correction to the off-axis test fields and clinical fields, predicted vs measured portal dose agreement improves by up to 15%, producing up to 10% better agreement than the radial correction in some areas of the detecting surface. Gamma evaluation analyses (3 mm, 3% global, 10% dose threshold) of predicted vs measured portal dose images demonstrate pass rate improvement of up to 75% with the matrix correction, producing pass rates that are up to 30% higher than those resulting from the radial correction technique alone. As in the 1D correction case, the 2D algorithm leaves the portal dosimetry process virtually unchanged in the central portion of the detector, and thus these correction algorithms are not needed for centrally located fields of moderate size (at least, in the case of 6 MV beam energy).Conclusion: The 2D correction improves the portal dosimetry results for those fields for which the 1D correction proves insufficient, especially in the inplane, off-axis regions of the detector. This 2D correction neglects the relatively smaller discrepancies that may be caused by backscatter from nonuniform machine components downstream from the detecting layer.« less

Identifying the source of super-high energetic electrons in the presence of pre-plasma in laser–matter interaction at relativistic intensities

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

Wu, D.; Krasheninnikov, S. I.; Luan, S. X.

The generation of super-high energetic electrons influenced by pre-plasma in relativistic intensity laser–matter interaction is studied in a one-dimensional slab approximation with particle-in-cell simulations. Different pre-plasma scale lengths and laser intensities are considered, showing an increase in both particle number and cut-off kinetic energy of electrons with the increase of pre-plasma scale length and laser intensity, the cut-off kinetic energy greatly exceeding the corresponding laser ponderomotive energy. A two-stage electron acceleration model is proposed to explain the underlying physics. The first stage is attributed to the synergetic acceleration by longitudinal electric field and counter-propagating laser pulses, and a scaling lawmore » is obtained with efficiency depending on the pre-plasma scale length and laser intensity. These electrons pre-accelerated in the first stage could build up an intense electrostatic potential barrier with maximal value several times as large as the initial electron kinetic energy. Some of the energetic electrons could be further accelerated by reflection off the electrostatic potential barrier, with their finial kinetic energies significantly higher than the values pre-accelerated in the first stage.« less

Identifying the source of super-high energetic electrons in the presence of pre-plasma in laser–matter interaction at relativistic intensities

DOE PAGES

Wu, D.; Krasheninnikov, S. I.; Luan, S. X.; ...

2016-10-03

The generation of super-high energetic electrons influenced by pre-plasma in relativistic intensity laser–matter interaction is studied in a one-dimensional slab approximation with particle-in-cell simulations. Different pre-plasma scale lengths and laser intensities are considered, showing an increase in both particle number and cut-off kinetic energy of electrons with the increase of pre-plasma scale length and laser intensity, the cut-off kinetic energy greatly exceeding the corresponding laser ponderomotive energy. A two-stage electron acceleration model is proposed to explain the underlying physics. The first stage is attributed to the synergetic acceleration by longitudinal electric field and counter-propagating laser pulses, and a scaling lawmore » is obtained with efficiency depending on the pre-plasma scale length and laser intensity. These electrons pre-accelerated in the first stage could build up an intense electrostatic potential barrier with maximal value several times as large as the initial electron kinetic energy. Some of the energetic electrons could be further accelerated by reflection off the electrostatic potential barrier, with their finial kinetic energies significantly higher than the values pre-accelerated in the first stage.« less

Effects of backscatter of brief high intensity light on physiological responses of instrument-rated pilots and non-pilots.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1972-03-01

Thirty-nine human subjects were exposed to reptitive backscatter light stimulation (off a white wall or fog) from a Grimes capacitance discharge airplane anticollision light flashing at 1.27 Hertz. Both tonic (light stimulus absent) and phasic (light...

76 FR 16420 - Ocean Transportation Intermediary License; Applicants

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-23

... Falling Creek, 132, Houston, TX 77068. Officers: William J. Blair, General Manager (Qualifying Individual), Andrew P. Bottomley, Managing Partner, Application Type: QI Change and Add OFF Service. All Transport.... Orton, Managing Member/Manager (Qualifying Individual), Nils P. Marsen, Managing Member, Application...

Does the plant defend itself against leaf-feeding insects?

Treesearch

Paul M. Rafes

1991-01-01

Trees do not actively respond to herbivore grazing, they react to the deterioration in the balance of their roots and crowns functions, which comes when transpiration powers fall off. Such inherent reactions of plants originated as abilities to restore photosynthesis.

Characteristics of Fishes with the Potential to Cause Acoustic Clutter off Oregon and Washington during the Summer of 2012

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-10

14. Barboza, T., "West Coast sardine crash could radiate throughout ecosystem," Los Angeles Times, January 5, 2014. 15. Enticknap, B., Letter to the...AND SURVEYS Much of the Pacific sardine and Pacific hake stocks undertake annual north-south migrations . They migrate in late spring from off...California to the Pacific Northwest to feed during the summer. In the fall they migrate back to California to spawn during the winter and spring. The

A practice-based intervention to improve primary care for falls, urinary incontinence, and dementia.

PubMed

Wenger, Neil S; Roth, Carol P; Shekelle, Paul G; Young, Roy T; Solomon, David H; Kamberg, Caren J; Chang, John T; Louie, Rachel; Higashi, Takahiro; MacLean, Catherine H; Adams, John; Min, Lillian C; Ransohoff, Kurt; Hoffing, Marc; Reuben, David B

2009-03-01

To determine whether a practice-based intervention can improve care for falls, urinary incontinence, and cognitive impairment. Controlled trial. Two community medical groups. Community-dwelling patients (357 at intervention sites and 287 at control sites) aged 75 and older identified as having difficulty with falls, incontinence, or cognitive impairment. Intervention and control practices received condition case-finding, but only intervention practices received a multicomponent practice-change intervention. Percentage of quality indicators satisfied measured using a 13-month medical record abstraction. Before the intervention, the quality of care was the same in intervention and control groups. Screening tripled the number of patients identified as needing care for falls, incontinence, or cognitive impairment. During the intervention, overall care for the three conditions was better in the intervention than the control group (41%, 95% confidence interval (CI)=35-46% vs 25%, 95% CI=20-30%, P<.001). Intervention group patients received better care for falls (44% vs 23%, P<.001) and incontinence (37% vs 22%, P<.001) but not for cognitive impairment (44% vs 41%, P=.67) than control group patients. The intervention was more effective for conditions identified by screening than for conditions identified through usual care. A practice-based intervention integrated into usual clinical care can improve primary care for falls and urinary incontinence, although even with the intervention, less than half of the recommended care for these conditions was provided. More-intensive interventions, such as embedding intervention components into an electronic medical record, will be needed to adequately improve care for falls and incontinence.

Characterizing CH4 and N2O emissions from an intensive dairy operation in summer and fall in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Gaodi; Ma, Xiaoyuan; Gao, Zhiling; Ma, Wenqi; Li, Jianguo; Cai, Zhenjiang

2014-02-01

Evaluation of the global warming potential of the dairy industry both in China and globally necessitates reliable characterization of CH4 and N2O emissions. However, CH4 and N2O emissions from dairy operations differ with feeds, herd structures and manure management practices, and the lack of N2O and CH4 emission measurements for China, especially for intensive dairy operations, causes substantial uncertainty in accounting for GHGs from dairy operation both in China and globally. In this study, CH4 and N2O emissions during summer to fall period from an intensive feedlot in China were characterized to fill the data gap. The diurnal CH4 emission patterns for milking cows and heifers were driven by the feeding activities and the diurnal N2O patterns by the diurnal changes in temperature. The CH4 emission rates of 397 g head-1 d-1 (23.63 L CH4 kg-1 milk) (in summer) and 279 g head-1 d-1 (in fall) for milking cows and heifers accounted for 5.17% and 7.68% of their daily gross energy intakes, whereas the N2O emission rates of 36.7 g head-1 d-1 (0.85 L N2O kg-1 milk) for milking cows and 24.2 g head-1 d-1 for heifers accounted for 4.25% and 6.86% of the daily feed N intake. The CH4 conversion factor and CH4 emission intensity in the measurement season for intensive dairy operations in China are lower than those for collective operations in China, and the CH4 emission intensity is similar to those in developed countries.

Drifts, currents, and power scrape-off width in SOLPS-ITER modeling of DIII-D

DOE PAGES

Meier, E. T.; Goldston, R. J.; Kaveeva, E. G.; ...

2016-12-27

The effects of drifts and associated flows and currents on the width of the parallel heat flux channel (λ q) in the tokamak scrape-off layer (SOL) are analyzed using the SOLPS-ITER 2D fluid transport code. Motivation is supplied by Goldston’s heuristic drift (HD) model for λ q, which yields the same approximately inverse poloidal magnetic field dependence seen in multi-machine regression. The analysis, focusing on a DIII-D H-mode discharge, reveals HD-like features, including comparable density and temperature fall-off lengths in the SOL, and up-down ion pressure asymmetry that allows net cross-separatrix ion magnetic drift flux to exceed net anomalous ionmore » flux. In experimentally relevant high-recycling cases, scans of both toroidal and poloidal magnetic field (B tor and B pol) are conducted, showing minimal λ q dependence on either component of the field. Insensitivity to B tor is expected, and suggests that SOLPS-ITER is effectively capturing some aspects of HD physics. Absence of λ q dependence on B pol, however, is inconsistent with both the HD model and experimental results. As a result, the inconsistency is attributed to strong variation in the parallel Mach number, which violates one of the premises of the HD model.« less

Trained sensory panel and consumer evaluation of the effects of gamma irradiation on palatability of vacuum-packaged frozen ground beef patties.

PubMed

Wheeler, T L; Shackelford, S D; Koohmaraie, M

1999-12-01

The objectives for this experiment were to determine the effects of gamma irradiation on 1) the palatability of vacuum-packaged frozen ground beef patties by trained sensory panel and 2) consumer evaluation of the taste of hamburgers made with those patties. Boxes (4.5 kg) of frozen (-28 degrees C) ground beef patties (113.4 g/patty, 19% fat) from a commercial supplier were irradiated at a commercial gamma irradiation facility at one of three levels (0, 3.0, or 4.5 kGy). All boxes were stored at 28 degrees C for 27 to 29 d after irradiation before evaluation by a trained descriptive attribute sensory panel and for 62 to 104 d after irradiation before consumer evaluation. The trained panel evaluated grilled patties for ground beef aroma intensity, off-aroma, and off-flavor on 4-point scales (4 = intense, none, and none; 1 = none, intense, and intense, respectively) and ground beef flavor intensity, tenderness, and juiciness on 8-point scales (8 = extremely intense, tender, or juicy; 1 = extremely bland, tough, or dry). Control patties had more intense (P<.05) ground beef aroma (3.1 vs 2.6), less off-aroma (3.3 vs 2.6), and more intense ground beef flavor (4.9 vs. 4.3) than irradiated patties. However, there were no differences (P>.05) in any sensory trait between frozen ground beef patties treated with 3.0 or 4.5 kGy of gamma irradiation. There were no differences (P>.05) among treatments for tenderness (6.3, 6.6, and 6.7) or juiciness ratings (5.7, 5.9, and 5.9), respectively, for 0, 3.0, and 4.5 kGy. The consumers evaluated taste of a hamburger that included their choice of condiments on a 10-point scale (10 = excellent; 1 = terrible). Hamburgers made with patties treated with 4.5 kGy were rated lower (P<.05) in taste than hamburgers made with either control patties or those treated with 3.0 kGy (6.5, 6.6, and 6.2, respectively, for 0, 3.0, and 4.5 kGy); however, all doses were rated at some level of "fair." These results imply that hamburgers made from ground beef patties irradiated under the conditions of this experiment would encounter little, if any, consumer acceptance problems at the 3.0 kGy dose and only slightly greater problems at the 4.5 kGy dose.

Effect of season on reproductive behaviors and fertilization success in cavies (Cavia aperea).

PubMed

Hribal, Romy; Rübensam, Kathrin; Bernhardt, Sandra; Jewgenow, Katarina; Guenther, Anja

2018-04-05

Finding the optimal timing for breeding is crucial for small mammals to ensure survival and maximize lifetime reproductive success. Species living in temperate regions therefore often restrict breeding to seasons with favorable food and weather conditions. Although caviomorph rodents such as guinea pigs are described as non-seasonal breeders, a series of recent publications has shown seasonal adaptations in litter size, offspring birth mass and maternal investment. Here, we aim to test if seasonal patterns of litter size variation found in earlier studies, are mediated by seasonal differences in female estrus length, fertilization rate and mating behavior. The female estrus period was longer in fall compared to all other seasons (p < 0.001), frequently lasting 7-9 days while estrus in spring usually lasted less than 2 days. In fall, females mated later during estrus (p < 0.001), resulting in reduced fertilization rates (p < 0.001). Fertilization rate was well above 95% in summer while it dropped to less than 85% in fall and winter. While none of the male mating characteristics such as number and duration of copulations differed across seasons, the number of mating bouts was reduced in fall (p = 0.04). Finally, the developmental stages of flushed embryos were more diverse in spring and summer compared to fall and winter. These results suggest that seasonal differences in fertilization rate and quality of implanted embryos are mediated by female estrus length and timing and intensity of mating behavior. Together, these effects contribute to the observed differences in litter size across seasons. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evolutionary trade-offs and the structure of polymorphisms.

PubMed

Sheftel, Hila; Szekely, Pablo; Mayo, Avi; Sella, Guy; Alon, Uri

2018-05-26

Populations of organisms show genetic differences called polymorphisms. Understanding the effects of polymorphisms is important for biology and medicine. Here, we ask which polymorphisms occur at high frequency when organisms evolve under trade-offs between multiple tasks. Multiple tasks present a problem, because it is not possible to be optimal at all tasks simultaneously and hence compromises are necessary. Recent work indicates that trade-offs lead to a simple geometry of phenotypes in the space of traits: phenotypes fall on the Pareto front, which is shaped as a polytope: a line, triangle, tetrahedron etc. The vertices of these polytopes are the optimal phenotypes for a single task. Up to now, work on this Pareto approach has not considered its genetic underpinnings. Here, we address this by asking how the polymorphism structure of a population is affected by evolution under trade-offs. We simulate a multi-task selection scenario, in which the population evolves to the Pareto front: the line segment between two archetypes or the triangle between three archetypes. We find that polymorphisms that become prevalent in the population have pleiotropic phenotypic effects that align with the Pareto front. Similarly, epistatic effects between prevalent polymorphisms are parallel to the front. Alignment with the front occurs also for asexual mating. Alignment is reduced when drift or linkage is strong, and is replaced by a more complex structure in which many perpendicular allele effects cancel out. Aligned polymorphism structure allows mating to produce offspring that stand a good chance of being optimal multi-taskers in at least one of the locales available to the species.This article is part of the theme issue 'Self-organization in cell biology'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Study on the effect of ellipticity and misalignment on OAM modes in a ring fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Li-li; Zhang, Xia; Bai, Cheng-lin

2018-05-01

Based on the optical fiber mode theory and employing the expertized software COMSOL, we study the effect of ellipticity and misalignment on the effective refractive indices, walk-off and intensity distribution of the even and odd eigenmodes that form the basis of the orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes in a ring fiber. Our results show that the effective refractive index difference and the walk-off increase with the ellipticity and misalignment, thus reducing the stability of the OAM modes. We find that the misalignment has a greater impact on the OAM modes than the ellipticity, and both the misalignment and ellipticity affect the lower-order OAM modes more significantly, suggesting that the higher-order OAM modes are more stable during propagation.

Comparison of Aerosol Optical Depth from Four Solar Radiometers During the Fall 1997 ARM Intensive Observation Period

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmid, B.; Michalsky, J.; Halthore, R.; Beauharnois, M.; Harrison, L.; Livingston, J.; Russell, P.; Holben, B.; Eck, T.; Smirnov, A.

2000-01-01

In the Fall of 1997 the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program conducted an Intensive Observation Period (IOP) to study aerosols. Five sun-tracking radiometers were present to measure the total column aerosol optical depth. This comparison performed on the Southern Great Plains (SGP) demonstrates the capabilities and limitations of modern tracking sunphotometers at a location typical of where aerosol measurements are required. The key result was agreement in aerosol optical depth measured by 4 of the 5 instruments within 0.015 (rms). The key to this level of agreement was meticulous care in the calibrations of the instruments.

Superradiance in a Large and Dilute Cloud of Cold Atoms in the Linear-Optics Regime.

PubMed

Araújo, Michelle O; Krešić, Ivor; Kaiser, Robin; Guerin, William

2016-08-12

Superradiance has been extensively studied in the 1970s and 1980s in the regime of superfluorescence, where a large number of atoms are initially excited. Cooperative scattering in the linear-optics regime, or "single-photon superradiance," has been investigated much more recently, and superradiant decay has also been predicted, even for a spherical sample of large extent and low density, where the distance between atoms is much larger than the wavelength. Here, we demonstrate this effect experimentally by directly measuring the decay rate of the off-axis fluorescence of a large and dilute cloud of cold rubidium atoms after the sudden switch off of a low-intensity laser driving the atomic transition. We show that, at large detuning, the decay rate increases with the on-resonance optical depth. In contrast to forward scattering, the superradiant decay of off-axis fluorescence is suppressed near resonance due to attenuation and multiple-scattering effects.

Influence of Wafer Edge Geometry on Removal Rate Profile in Chemical Mechanical Polishing: Wafer Edge Roll-Off and Notch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuda, Akira; Fukuda, Tetsuo; Fukunaga, Akira; Tsujimura, Manabu

2012-05-01

In the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process, uniform polishing up to near the wafer edge is essential to reduce edge exclusion and improve yield. In this study, we examine the influences of inherent wafer edge geometries, i.e., wafer edge roll-off and notch, on the CMP removal rate profile. We clarify the areas in which the removal rate profile is affected by the wafer edge roll-off and the notch, as well as the intensity of their effects on the removal rate profile. In addition, we propose the use of a small notch to reduce the influence of the wafer notch and present the results of an examination by finite element method (FEM) analysis.

Plasma dynamics near critical density inferred from direct measurements of laser hole boring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Chao; Tochitsky, Sergei Ya.; Fiuza, Frederico; Pigeon, Jeremy J.; Joshi, Chan

2016-06-01

We have used multiframe picosecond optical interferometry to make direct measurements of the hole boring velocity, vHB, of the density cavity pushed forward by a train of C O2 laser pulses in a near critical density helium plasma. As the pulse train intensity rises, the increasing radiation pressure of each pulse pushes the density cavity forward and the plasma electrons are strongly heated. After the peak laser intensity, the plasma pressure exerted by the heated electrons strongly impedes the hole boring process and the vHB falls rapidly as the laser pulse intensity falls at the back of the laser pulse train. A heuristic theory is presented that allows the estimation of the plasma electron temperature from the measurements of the hole boring velocity. The measured values of vHB, and the estimated values of the heated electron temperature as a function of laser intensity are in reasonable agreement with those obtained from two-dimensional numerical simulations.

Plasma dynamics near critical density inferred from direct measurements of laser hole boring

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

Gong, Chao; Tochitsky, Sergei Ya.; Fiuza, Frederico

Here, we use multiframe picosecond optical interferometry to make direct measurements of the hole boring velocity, vHB, of the density cavity pushed forward by a train of CO 2 laser pulses in a near critical density helium plasma. As the pulse train intensity rises, the increasing radiation pressure of each pulse pushes the density cavity forward and the plasma electrons are strongly heated. After the peak laser intensity, the plasma pressure exerted by the heated electrons strongly impedes the hole boring process and the vHB falls rapidly as the laser pulse intensity falls at the back of the laser pulsemore » train. We present a heuristic theory that allows the estimation of the plasma electron temperature from the measurements of the hole boring velocity. Furthermore, the measured values of v HB, and the estimated values of the heated electron temperature as a function of laser intensity are in reasonable agreement with those obtained from two-dimensional numerical simulations.« less

Plasma dynamics near critical density inferred from direct measurements of laser hole boring.

PubMed

Gong, Chao; Tochitsky, Sergei Ya; Fiuza, Frederico; Pigeon, Jeremy J; Joshi, Chan

2016-06-01

We have used multiframe picosecond optical interferometry to make direct measurements of the hole boring velocity, v_{HB}, of the density cavity pushed forward by a train of CO_{2} laser pulses in a near critical density helium plasma. As the pulse train intensity rises, the increasing radiation pressure of each pulse pushes the density cavity forward and the plasma electrons are strongly heated. After the peak laser intensity, the plasma pressure exerted by the heated electrons strongly impedes the hole boring process and the v_{HB} falls rapidly as the laser pulse intensity falls at the back of the laser pulse train. A heuristic theory is presented that allows the estimation of the plasma electron temperature from the measurements of the hole boring velocity. The measured values of v_{HB}, and the estimated values of the heated electron temperature as a function of laser intensity are in reasonable agreement with those obtained from two-dimensional numerical simulations.

Plasma dynamics near critical density inferred from direct measurements of laser hole boring

DOE PAGES

Gong, Chao; Tochitsky, Sergei Ya.; Fiuza, Frederico; ...

2017-06-24

Here, we use multiframe picosecond optical interferometry to make direct measurements of the hole boring velocity, vHB, of the density cavity pushed forward by a train of CO 2 laser pulses in a near critical density helium plasma. As the pulse train intensity rises, the increasing radiation pressure of each pulse pushes the density cavity forward and the plasma electrons are strongly heated. After the peak laser intensity, the plasma pressure exerted by the heated electrons strongly impedes the hole boring process and the vHB falls rapidly as the laser pulse intensity falls at the back of the laser pulsemore » train. We present a heuristic theory that allows the estimation of the plasma electron temperature from the measurements of the hole boring velocity. Furthermore, the measured values of v HB, and the estimated values of the heated electron temperature as a function of laser intensity are in reasonable agreement with those obtained from two-dimensional numerical simulations.« less

Mapping evaporative water loss in desert passerines reveals an expanding threat of lethal dehydration.

PubMed

Albright, Thomas P; Mutiibwa, Denis; Gerson, Alexander R; Smith, Eric Krabbe; Talbot, William A; O'Neill, Jacqueline J; McKechnie, Andrew E; Wolf, Blair O

2017-02-28

Extreme high environmental temperatures produce a variety of consequences for wildlife, including mass die-offs. Heat waves are increasing in frequency, intensity, and extent, and are projected to increase further under climate change. However, the spatial and temporal dynamics of die-off risk are poorly understood. Here, we examine the effects of heat waves on evaporative water loss (EWL) and survival in five desert passerine birds across the southwestern United States using a combination of physiological data, mechanistically informed models, and hourly geospatial temperature data. We ask how rates of EWL vary with temperature across species; how frequently, over what areas, and how rapidly lethal dehydration occurs; how EWL and die-off risk vary with body mass; and how die-off risk is affected by climate warming. We find that smaller-bodied passerines are subject to higher rates of mass-specific EWL than larger-bodied counterparts and thus encounter potentially lethal conditions much more frequently, over shorter daily intervals, and over larger geographic areas. Warming by 4 °C greatly expands the extent, frequency, and intensity of dehydration risk, and introduces new threats for larger passerine birds, particularly those with limited geographic ranges. Our models reveal that increasing air temperatures and heat wave occurrence will potentially have important impacts on the water balance, daily activity, and geographic distribution of arid-zone birds. Impacts may be exacerbated by chronic effects and interactions with other environmental changes. This work underscores the importance of acute risks of high temperatures, particularly for small-bodied species, and suggests conservation of thermal refugia and water sources.

Mapping evaporative water loss in desert passerines reveals an expanding threat of lethal dehydration

PubMed Central

Mutiibwa, Denis; Gerson, Alexander. R.; Smith, Eric Krabbe; Talbot, William A.; O’Neill, Jacqueline J.; McKechnie, Andrew E.; Wolf, Blair O.

2017-01-01

Extreme high environmental temperatures produce a variety of consequences for wildlife, including mass die-offs. Heat waves are increasing in frequency, intensity, and extent, and are projected to increase further under climate change. However, the spatial and temporal dynamics of die-off risk are poorly understood. Here, we examine the effects of heat waves on evaporative water loss (EWL) and survival in five desert passerine birds across the southwestern United States using a combination of physiological data, mechanistically informed models, and hourly geospatial temperature data. We ask how rates of EWL vary with temperature across species; how frequently, over what areas, and how rapidly lethal dehydration occurs; how EWL and die-off risk vary with body mass; and how die-off risk is affected by climate warming. We find that smaller-bodied passerines are subject to higher rates of mass-specific EWL than larger-bodied counterparts and thus encounter potentially lethal conditions much more frequently, over shorter daily intervals, and over larger geographic areas. Warming by 4 °C greatly expands the extent, frequency, and intensity of dehydration risk, and introduces new threats for larger passerine birds, particularly those with limited geographic ranges. Our models reveal that increasing air temperatures and heat wave occurrence will potentially have important impacts on the water balance, daily activity, and geographic distribution of arid-zone birds. Impacts may be exacerbated by chronic effects and interactions with other environmental changes. This work underscores the importance of acute risks of high temperatures, particularly for small-bodied species, and suggests conservation of thermal refugia and water sources. PMID:28193891

33 CFR 84.17 - Horizontal sectors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... intensities. The intensities shall decrease to reach practical cut-off between 1 and 3 degrees outside the... intensity may decrease by 50 percent up to the prescribed limits; it shall decrease steadily to reach...

Research notes : detecting objects at railroad crossings.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-04-01

The highest risks are at intersections with roadways. An object may fall off of a truck or farm vehicle, or someone may drop something. The goal of this research was to evaluate promising technologies for the detection of such objects at railroad-roa...

Photometric correction for an optical CCD-based system based on the sparsity of an eight-neighborhood gray gradient.

PubMed

Zhang, Yuzhong; Zhang, Yan

2016-07-01

In an optical measurement and analysis system based on a CCD, due to the existence of optical vignetting and natural vignetting, photometric distortion, in which the intensity falls off away from the image center, affects the subsequent processing and measuring precision severely. To deal with this problem, an easy and straightforward method used for photometric distortion correction is presented in this paper. This method introduces a simple polynomial fitting model of the photometric distortion function and employs a particle swarm optimization algorithm to get these model parameters by means of a minimizing eight-neighborhood gray gradient. Compared with conventional calibration methods, this method can obtain the profile information of photometric distortion from only a single common image captured by the optical CCD-based system, with no need for a uniform luminance area source used as a standard reference source and relevant optical and geometric parameters in advance. To illustrate the applicability of this method, numerical simulations and photometric distortions with different lens parameters are evaluated using this method in this paper. Moreover, the application example of temperature field correction for casting billets also demonstrates the effectiveness of this method. The experimental results show that the proposed method is able to achieve the maximum absolute error for vignetting estimation of 0.0765 and the relative error for vignetting estimation from different background images of 3.86%.

SOHO/CDS Measurements of Coronal EUV Polarization above the Limb

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, Roger J.

2002-01-01

Attempts to measure polarization in coronal extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission above the solar limb have been made using the SOHO/CDS normal-incidence spectrometer which has a polarization sensitivity of about 50%, a property that causes variations in intensity response as a function of the spacecraft's roll angle for polarized light. Such observations were made on the disk and up to 0.22 solar radii above the solar limb in a number of EUV lines during two special roll-maneuvers of the SOHO spacecraft. Measurements of intensity gradients were made above a modestly active equatorial region in 1997 and above a relatively cool polar region in 2001. Observed emission lines include He I 584 A, He II 304 A, O IV 555+610 A, O V 630 A, Mg IX 368 A, Mg X 610+625 A, and Si XI 303 A, formed at temperatures that evenly cover the range in log T from 4.1 to 6.2. Near the disk, measured intensities of all lines fall off exponentially at different rates that can be used to determine the density scale-heights of the emitting plasma, since this emission is dominated by collisional excitation with an Ne-squared dependence. Assuming hydrostatic equilibrium, the intensity gradient for each line can then be converted into a 'scale-height temperature', which is found to be closely related to the ionization temperature of each line over the wide range of lines and solar conditions observed. Thus the large-scale corona is remarkably uniform, even though clearly displaying a great deal of structure and non-uniformity on smaller spatial scales. Beyond a certain distance, intensity gradients of the cooler lines switch over to a flatter exponential slope, suggesting that this radiation is dominated by resonance scattering which varies as Ne to the first power. Such radiation should also be linearly polarized in the plane containing the line-of-sight and the solar center, a signature that would strongly confirm this interpretation.

Combining spray nozzle simulators with meshes: characterization of rainfall intensity and drop properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carvalho, Sílvia C. P.; de Lima, João L. M. P.; de Lima, M. Isabel P.

2013-04-01

Rainfall simulators can be a powerful tool to increase our understanding of hydrological and geomorphological processes. Nevertheless, rainfall simulators' design and operation might be rather demanding, for achieving specific rainfall intensity distributions and drop characteristics. The pressurized simulators have some advantages over the non-pressurized simulators: drops do not rely on gravity to reach terminal velocity, but are sprayed out under pressure; pressurized simulators also yield a broad range of drop sizes in comparison with drop-formers simulators. The main purpose of this study was to explore in the laboratory the potential of combining spray nozzle simulators with meshes in order to change rainfall characteristics (rainfall intensity and diameters and fall speed of drops). Different types of spray nozzles were tested, such as single full-cone and multiple full-cone nozzles. The impact of the meshes on the simulated rain was studied by testing different materials (i.e. plastic and steel meshes), square apertures and wire thicknesses, and different vertical distances between the nozzle and the meshes underneath. The diameter and fall speed of the rain drops were measured using a Laser Precipitation Monitor (Thies Clima). The rainfall intensity range and coefficients of uniformity of the sprays and the drop size distribution, fall speed and kinetic energy were analysed. Results show that when meshes intercept drop trajectories the spatial distribution of rainfall intensity and the drop size distribution are affected. As the spray nozzles generate typically small drop sizes and narrow drop size distributions, meshes can be used to promote the formation of bigger drops and random their landing positions.

Physical Health Problems and Environmental Challenges Influence Balancing Behaviour in Laying Hens.

PubMed

LeBlanc, Stephanie; Tobalske, Bret; Quinton, Margaret; Springthorpe, Dwight; Szkotnicki, Bill; Wuerbel, Hanno; Harlander-Matauschek, Alexandra

2016-01-01

With rising public concern for animal welfare, many major food chains and restaurants are changing their policies, strictly buying their eggs from non-cage producers. However, with the additional space in these cage-free systems to perform natural behaviours and movements comes the risk of injury. We evaluated the ability to maintain balance in adult laying hens with health problems (footpad dermatitis, keel damage, poor wing feather cover; n = 15) using a series of environmental challenges and compared such abilities with those of healthy birds (n = 5). Environmental challenges consisted of visual and spatial constraints, created using a head mask, perch obstacles, and static and swaying perch states. We hypothesized that perch movement, environmental challenges, and diminished physical health would negatively impact perching performance demonstrated as balance (as measured by time spent on perch and by number of falls of the perch) and would require more exaggerated correctional movements. We measured perching stability whereby each bird underwent eight 30-second trials on a static and swaying perch: with and without disrupted vision (head mask), with and without space limitations (obstacles) and combinations thereof. Video recordings (600 Hz) and a three-axis accelerometer/gyroscope (100 Hz) were used to measure the number of jumps/falls, latencies to leave the perch, as well as magnitude and direction of both linear and rotational balance-correcting movements. Laying hens with and without physical health problems, in both challenged and unchallenged environments, managed to perch and remain off the ground. We attribute this capacity to our training of the birds. Environmental challenges and physical state had an effect on the use of accelerations and rotations to stabilize themselves on a perch. Birds with physical health problems performed a higher frequency of rotational corrections to keep the body centered over the perch, whereas, for both health categories, environmental challenges required more intense and variable movement corrections. Collectively, these results provide novel empirical support for the effectiveness of training, and highlight that overcrowding, visual constraints, and poor physical health all reduce perching performance.

Physical Health Problems and Environmental Challenges Influence Balancing Behaviour in Laying Hens

PubMed Central

LeBlanc, Stephanie; Tobalske, Bret; Quinton, Margaret; Springthorpe, Dwight; Szkotnicki, Bill; Wuerbel, Hanno; Harlander-Matauschek, Alexandra

2016-01-01

With rising public concern for animal welfare, many major food chains and restaurants are changing their policies, strictly buying their eggs from non-cage producers. However, with the additional space in these cage-free systems to perform natural behaviours and movements comes the risk of injury. We evaluated the ability to maintain balance in adult laying hens with health problems (footpad dermatitis, keel damage, poor wing feather cover; n = 15) using a series of environmental challenges and compared such abilities with those of healthy birds (n = 5). Environmental challenges consisted of visual and spatial constraints, created using a head mask, perch obstacles, and static and swaying perch states. We hypothesized that perch movement, environmental challenges, and diminished physical health would negatively impact perching performance demonstrated as balance (as measured by time spent on perch and by number of falls of the perch) and would require more exaggerated correctional movements. We measured perching stability whereby each bird underwent eight 30-second trials on a static and swaying perch: with and without disrupted vision (head mask), with and without space limitations (obstacles) and combinations thereof. Video recordings (600 Hz) and a three-axis accelerometer/gyroscope (100 Hz) were used to measure the number of jumps/falls, latencies to leave the perch, as well as magnitude and direction of both linear and rotational balance-correcting movements. Laying hens with and without physical health problems, in both challenged and unchallenged environments, managed to perch and remain off the ground. We attribute this capacity to our training of the birds. Environmental challenges and physical state had an effect on the use of accelerations and rotations to stabilize themselves on a perch. Birds with physical health problems performed a higher frequency of rotational corrections to keep the body centered over the perch, whereas, for both health categories, environmental challenges required more intense and variable movement corrections. Collectively, these results provide novel empirical support for the effectiveness of training, and highlight that overcrowding, visual constraints, and poor physical health all reduce perching performance. PMID:27078835

Improvement of Tidal Analysis Results by a Priori Rain Fall Modelling at the Vienna and Membach stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meurers, B.; van Camp, M.; Petermans, T.

2005-12-01

We investigate how far tidal analysis results can be improved when a rain fall admittance model is applied on the superconducting gravity (SG) data. For that purpose both Vienna and Membach data have been analysed with and without a priori rain fall correction. In Membach the residual drop for most events (80%) can be explained by the rain water load, while in Vienna only 50% of all events fit the model in detail. In the other cases the Newtonian effect of vertical air mass redistribution (vertical density variation without air pressure change), predominantly connected with high vertical convection activity, e.g. thunderstorms, plays an essential role: short-term atmospheric signals show up steep gravity residual decreases of a few nms-2 within 10 - 60 min, well correlated with outdoor air temperature in most cases. However, even in those cases the water load model is able to explain the dominating part of the residual drop especially during heavy rain fall. In Vienna more than 110 events have been detected over 10 years. 84% of them are associated with heavy rain starting at or up to 10 min later than the residual drop while the rest (16%) shows no or only little rainfall. The magnitude of the gravity drop depends on the total amount of rainfall accumulated during the meteorological event. Step like signals deteriorate the frequency spectrum estimates. This even holds for tidal analysis. As the drops are of physical origin, they should not be eliminated blindly but corrected using water load modeling constrained by high temporal resolution (1 min) rain data. 3D modeling of the water mass load due to a rain event is based on the following assumptions: (1) Rain water intrudes into the uppermost soil layer (close to the topography surface) and remains there at least until rain has stopped. This is justified for a period of some hours after the rainfall as evapotranspiration is not yet effective. (2) No run-off except of sealed areas or building roofs, where water can not intrude into the soil but will drain off into the sewage water system instead. (3) Rainfall is equal everywhere in the station surroundings. (4) No surface deformation due to the water mass load Correcting for rain fall effects reduces by about 10% the standard deviation of the residuals after tidal parameter adjustment. Amplitude factor changes are in the order of 10-3 or less, phase lags change by 10-3 to 10-2: statistically, these variations are not significant as they lie within the error bars. However, it is worth noting that the amplitude factors of tidal constituents with high amplitude (O1, P1, K1) and even Ψ1 and Φ1 show similar variations in Vienna and Membach. Generally the tidal parameter variation is less in the SD than in the D band.

Estimating the intensity of ward admission and its effect on emergency department access block.

PubMed

Luo, Wei; Cao, Jiguo; Gallagher, Marcus; Wiles, Janet

2013-07-10

Emergency department access block is an urgent problem faced by many public hospitals today. When access block occurs, patients in need of acute care cannot access inpatient wards within an optimal time frame. A widely held belief is that access block is the end product of a long causal chain, which involves poor discharge planning, insufficient bed capacity, and inadequate admission intensity to the wards. This paper studies the last link of the causal chain-the effect of admission intensity on access block, using data from a metropolitan hospital in Australia. We applied several modern statistical methods to analyze the data. First, we modeled the admission events as a nonhomogeneous Poisson process and estimated time-varying admission intensity with penalized regression splines. Next, we established a functional linear model to investigate the effect of the time-varying admission intensity on emergency department access block. Finally, we used functional principal component analysis to explore the variation in the daily time-varying admission intensities. The analyses suggest that improving admission practice during off-peak hours may have most impact on reducing the number of ED access blocks. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The importance of trunk muscle strength for balance, functional performance, and fall prevention in seniors: a systematic review.

PubMed

Granacher, Urs; Gollhofer, Albert; Hortobágyi, Tibor; Kressig, Reto W; Muehlbauer, Thomas

2013-07-01

The aging process results in a number of functional (e.g., deficits in balance and strength/power performance), neural (e.g., loss of sensory/motor neurons), muscular (e.g., atrophy of type-II muscle fibers in particular), and bone-related (e.g., osteoporosis) deteriorations. Traditionally, balance and/or lower extremity resistance training were used to mitigate these age-related deficits. However, the effects of resistance training are limited and poorly translate into improvements in balance, functional tasks, activities of daily living, and fall rates. Thus, it is necessary to develop and design new intervention programs that are specifically tailored to counteract age-related weaknesses. Recent studies indicate that measures of trunk muscle strength (TMS) are associated with variables of static/dynamic balance, functional performance, and falls (i.e., occurrence, fear, rate, and/or risk of falls). Further, there is preliminary evidence in the literature that core strength training (CST) and Pilates exercise training (PET) have a positive influence on measures of strength, balance, functional performance, and falls in older adults. The objectives of this systematic literature review are: (a) to report potential associations between TMS/trunk muscle composition and balance, functional performance, and falls in old adults, and (b) to describe and discuss the effects of CST/PET on measures of TMS, balance, functional performance, and falls in seniors. A systematic approach was employed to capture all articles related to TMS/trunk muscle composition, balance, functional performance, and falls in seniors that were identified using the electronic databases PubMed and Web of Science (1972 to February 2013). A systematic approach was used to evaluate the 582 articles identified for initial review. Cross-sectional (i.e., relationship) or longitudinal (i.e., intervention) studies were included if they investigated TMS and an outcome-related measure of balance, functional performance, and/or falls. In total, 20 studies met the inclusionary criteria for review. Longitudinal studies were evaluated using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. Effect sizes (ES) were calculated whenever possible. For ease of discussion, the 20 articles were separated into three groups [i.e., cross-sectional (n = 6), CST (n = 9), PET (n = 5)]. The cross-sectional studies reported small-to-medium correlations between TMS/trunk muscle composition and balance, functional performance, and falls in older adults. Further, CST and/or PET proved to be feasible exercise programs for seniors with high-adherence rates. Age-related deficits in measures of TMS, balance, functional performance, and falls can be mitigated by CST (mean strength gain = 30 %, mean effect size = 0.99; mean balance/functional performance gain = 23 %, mean ES = 0.88) and by PET (mean strength gain = 12 %, mean ES = 0.52; mean balance/functional performance gain = 18 %, mean ES = 0.71). Given that the mean PEDro quality score did not reach the predetermined cut-off of ≥6 for the intervention studies, there is a need for more high-quality studies to explicitly identify the relevance of CST and PET to the elderly population. Core strength training and/or PET can be used as an adjunct or even alternative to traditional balance and/or resistance training programs for old adults. Further, CST and PET are easy to administer in a group setting or in individual fall preventive or rehabilitative intervention programs because little equipment and space is needed to perform such exercises.

Influence of a falling edge on high power microwave pulse combination

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

Li, Jiawei; Huang, Wenhua; Science and Technology on High Power Microwave Laboratory, Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi'an 710024

This paper presents an explanation of the influence of a microwave falling edge on high-power microwave pulse combination. Through particle-in-cell simulations, we discover that the falling edge is the driving factor that limits the output power of the combined pulses. We demonstrate that the space charge field, which accumulates to become comparable to the E-field at the falling edge of the former pulse, will trap the electrons in the gas layer and decrease its energy to attain a high ionization rate. Hence, avalanche discharge, caused by trapped electrons, makes the plasma density to approach the critical density and cuts offmore » the latter microwave pulse. An X-band combination experiment is conducted with different pulse intervals. This experiment confirms that the high density plasma induced by the falling edge can cut off the latter pulse, and that the time required for plasma recombination in the transmission channel is several microseconds. To ensure a high output power for combined pulses, the latter pulse should be moved ahead of the falling edge of the former one, and consequently, a beat wave with high peak power becomes the output by adding two pulses with normal amplitudes.« less

Multicriteria evaluation of simulated logging scenarios in a tropical rain forest.

PubMed

Huth, Andreas; Drechsler, Martin; Köhler, Peter

2004-07-01

Forest growth models are useful tools for investigating the long-term impacts of logging. In this paper, the results of the rain forest growth model FORMIND were assessed by a multicriteria decision analysis. The main processes covered by FORMIND include tree growth, mortality, regeneration and competition. Tree growth is calculated based on a carbon balance approach. Trees compete for light and space; dying large trees fall down and create gaps in the forest. Sixty-four different logging scenarios for an initially undisturbed forest stand at Deramakot (Malaysia) were simulated. The scenarios differ regarding the logging cycle, logging method, cutting limit and logging intensity. We characterise the impacts with four criteria describing the yield, canopy opening and changes in species composition. Multicriteria decision analysis was used for the first time to evaluate the scenarios and identify the efficient ones. Our results plainly show that reduced-impact logging scenarios are more 'efficient' than the others, since in these scenarios forest damage is minimised without significantly reducing yield. Nevertheless, there is a trade-off between yield and achieving a desired ecological state of logged forest; the ecological state of the logged forests can only be improved by reducing yields and enlarging the logging cycles. Our study also demonstrates that high cutting limits or low logging intensities cannot compensate for the high level of damage caused by conventional logging techniques.

Beam On Target (BOT) Produces Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) Fireballs and Afterglows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greyber, H. D.

1997-12-01

Unlike the myriads of ad hoc models that have been offered to explain GRB, the BOT process is simply the very common process used worldwide in accelerator laboratories to produce gamma rays. The Strong Magnetic Field (SMF) model postulates an extremely intense, highly relativistic current ring formed during the original gravitational collapse of a distant galaxy when the plasma cloud was permeated by a primordial magnetic field. GRB occur when solid matter (asteroid, white dwarf, neutron star, planet) falls rapidly through the Storage Ring beam producing a very strongly collimated electromagnetic shower, and a huge amount of matter from the target, in the form of a giant, hot, expanding plasma cloud, or ``Fireball,'' is blown off. BOT satisfies all the ``severe constraints imposed on the source of this burst --'' concluded by the CGRO team (Sommer et al, Astrophys. J. 422 L63 (1994)) for the huge intense burst GRB930131, whereas neutron star merger models are ``difficult to reconcile.'' BOT expects the lowest energy gamma photons to arrive very slightly later than higher energy photons due to the time for the shower to penetrate the target. The millisecond spikes in bursts are due to the slender filaments of current that make up the Storage Ring beam. Delayed photons can be explained by a broken target ``rock.'' See H. Greyber in the book ``Compton Gamma Ray Observatory,'' AIP Conf. Proc. 280, 569 (1993).

a Virtual Trip to the Schwarzschild-De Sitter Black Hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakala, Pavel; Hledík, Stanislav; Stuchlík, Zdenĕk; Truparová, Kamila; Čermák, Petr

2008-09-01

We developed realistic fully general relativistic computer code for simulation of optical projection in a strong, spherically symmetric gravitational field. Standard theoretical analysis of optical projection for an observer in the vicinity of a Schwarzschild black hole is extended to black hole spacetimes with a repulsive cosmological constant, i.e, Schwarzschild-de Sitter (SdS) spacetimes. Influence of the cosmological constant is investigated for static observers and observers radially free-falling from static radius. Simulation includes effects of gravitational lensing, multiple images, Doppler and gravitational frequency shift, as well as the amplification of intensity. The code generates images of static observers sky and a movie simulations for radially free-falling observers. Techniques of parallel programming are applied to get high performance and fast run of the simulation code.

The Aachen Mobility and Balance Index to measure physiological falls risk: a comparison with the Tinetti POMA Scale.

PubMed

Knobe, M; Giesen, M; Plate, S; Gradl-Dietsch, G; Buecking, B; Eschbach, D; van Laack, W; Pape, H-C

2016-10-01

The most commonly used mobility assessments for screening risk of falls among older adults are rating scales such as the Tinetti performance oriented mobility assessment (POMA). However, its correlation with falls is not always predictable and disadvantages of the scale include difficulty to assess many of the items on a 3-point scale and poor specificity. The purpose of this study was to describe the ability of the new Aachen Mobility and Balance Index (AMBI) to discriminate between subjects with a fall history and subjects without such events in comparison to the Tinetti POMA Scale. For this prospective cohort study, 24 participants in the study group and 10 in the control group were selected from a population of patients in our hospital who had met the stringent inclusion criteria. Both groups completed the Tinetti POMA Scale (gait and balance component) and the AMBI (tandem stance, tandem walk, ten-meter-walk-test, sit-to-stand with five repetitions, 360° turns, timed-up-and-go-test and measurement of the dominant hand grip strength). A history of falls and hospitalization in the past year were evaluated retrospectively. The relationships among the mobility tests were examined with Bland-Altmananalysis. Receiver-operated characteristics curves, sensitivity and specificity were calculated. The study showed a strong negative correlation between the AMBI (17 points max., highest fall risk) and Tinetti POMA Scale (28 points max., lowest fall risk; r = -0.78, p < 0.001) with an excellent discrimination between community-dwelling older people and a younger control group. However, there were no differences in any of the mobility and balance measurements between participants with and without a fall history with equal characteristics in test comparison (AMBI vs. Tinetti POMA Scale: AUC 0.570 vs. 0.598; p = 0.762). The Tinetti POMA Scale (cut-off <20 points) showed a sensitivity of 0.45 and a specificity of 0.69, the AMBI a sensitivity of 0.64 and a specificity of 0.46 (cut-off >5 points). The AMBI comprises mobility and balance tasks with increasing difficulty as well as a measurement of the dominant hand-grip strength. Its ability to identify fallers was comparable to the Tinetti POMA Scale. However, both measurement sets showed shortcomings in discrimination between fallers and non-fallers based on a self-reported retrospective falls-status.

Megagauss magnetic fields in ultra-intense laser generated dense plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaikh, Moniruzzaman; Lad, Amit D.; Jana, Kamalesh; Sarkar, Deep; Dey, Indranuj; Kumar, G. Ravindra

2017-01-01

Table-top terawatt lasers can create relativistic light intensities and launch megaampere electron pulses in a solid. These pulses induce megagauss (MG) magnetic pulses, which in turn strongly affect the hot electron transport via electromagnetic instabilities. It is therefore crucial to characterize the MG magnetic fields in great detail. Here, we present measurements of the spatio-temporal evolution of MG magnetic fields produced by a high contrast (picosecond intensity contrast 10-9) laser in a dense plasma on a solid target. The MG magnetic field is measured using the magneto-optic Cotton-Mouton effect, with a time delayed second harmonic (400 nm) probe. The magnetic pulse created by the high contrast laser in a glass target peaks much faster and has a more rapid fall than that induced by a low contrast (10-6) laser.

Construction and evaluation of FiND, a fall risk prediction model of inpatients from nursing data.

PubMed

Yokota, Shinichiroh; Ohe, Kazuhiko

2016-04-01

To construct and evaluate an easy-to-use fall risk prediction model based on the daily condition of inpatients from secondary use electronic medical record system data. The present authors scrutinized electronic medical record system data and created a dataset for analysis by including inpatient fall report data and Intensity of Nursing Care Needs data. The authors divided the analysis dataset into training data and testing data, then constructed the fall risk prediction model FiND from the training data, and tested the model using the testing data. The dataset for analysis contained 1,230,604 records from 46,241 patients. The sensitivity of the model constructed from the training data was 71.3% and the specificity was 66.0%. The verification result from the testing dataset was almost equivalent to the theoretical value. Although the model's accuracy did not surpass that of models developed in previous research, the authors believe FiND will be useful in medical institutions all over Japan because it is composed of few variables (only age, sex, and the Intensity of Nursing Care Needs items), and the accuracy for unknown data was clear. © 2016 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

Effect of Hydrothermal Alteration on Rock Properties in Active Geothermal Setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikisek, P.; Bignall, G.; Sepulveda, F.; Sass, I.

2012-04-01

Hydrothermal alteration records the physical-chemical changes of rock and mineral phases caused by the interaction of hot fluids and wall rock, which can impact effective permeability, porosity, thermal parameters, rock strength and other rock properties. In this project, an experimental approach has been used to investigate the effects of hydrothermal alteration on rock properties. A rock property database of contrastingly altered rock types and intensities has been established. The database details horizontal and vertical permeability, porosity, density, thermal conductivity and thermal heat capacity for ~300 drill core samples from wells THM12, THM13, THM14, THM17, THM18, THM22 and TH18 in the Wairakei-Tauhara geothermal system (New Zealand), which has been compared with observed hydrothermal alteration type, rank and intensity obtained from XRD analysis and optical microscopy. Samples were selected from clay-altered tuff and intercalated siltstones of the Huka Falls Formation, which acts as a cap rock at Wairakei-Tauhara, and tuffaceous sandstones of the Waiora Formation, which is a primary reservoir-hosting unit for lateral and vertical fluid flows in the geothermal system. The Huka Falls Formation exhibits argillic-type alteration of varying intensity, while underlying Waiora Formations exhibits argillic- and propylithic-type alteration. We plan to use a tempered triaxial test cell at hydrothermal temperatures (up to 200°C) and pressures typical of geothermal conditions, to simulate hot (thermal) fluid percolation through the rock matrix of an inferred "reservoir". Compressibility data will be obtained under a range of operating (simulation reservoir) conditions, in a series of multiple week to month-long experiments that will monitor change in permeability and rock strength accompanying advancing hydrothermal alteration intensity caused by the hot brine interacting with the rock matrix. We suggest, our work will provide new baseline information concerning fluid-rock interaction processes in geothermal reservoirs, and their effects on rock properties, that will aid improved understanding of the evolution of high-temperature geothermal systems, provide constraints to parameterization of reservoir models and assist future well planning and design through prediction of rock properties in the context of drilling strategies.

Alcohol risk management in college settings: the safer California universities randomized trial.

PubMed

Saltz, Robert F; Paschall, Mallie J; McGaffigan, Richard P; Nygaard, Peter M O

2010-12-01

Potentially effective environmental strategies have been recommended to reduce heavy alcohol use among college students. However, studies to date on environmental prevention strategies are few in number and have been limited by their nonexperimental designs, inadequate sample sizes, and lack of attention to settings where the majority of heavy drinking events occur. To determine whether environmental prevention strategies targeting off-campus settings would reduce the likelihood and incidence of student intoxication at those settings. The Safer California Universities study involved 14 large public universities, half of which were assigned randomly to the Safer intervention condition after baseline data collection in 2003. Environmental interventions took place in 2005 and 2006 after 1 year of planning with seven Safer intervention universities. Random cross-sectional samples of undergraduates completed online surveys in four consecutive fall semesters (2003-2006). Campuses and communities surrounding eight campuses of the University of California and six in the California State University system were utilized. The study used random samples of undergraduates (∼500-1000 per campus per year) attending the 14 public California universities. Safer environmental interventions included nuisance party enforcement operations, minor decoy operations, driving-under-the-influence checkpoints, social host ordinances, and use of campus and local media to increase the visibility of environmental strategies. Proportion of drinking occasions in which students drank to intoxication at six different settings during the fall semester (residence hall party, campus event, fraternity or sorority party, party at off-campus apartment or house, bar/restaurant, outdoor setting), any intoxication at each setting during the semester, and whether students drank to intoxication the last time they went to each setting. Significant reductions in the incidence and likelihood of intoxication at off-campus parties and bars/restaurants were observed for Safer intervention universities compared to controls. A lower likelihood of intoxication was observed also for Safer intervention universities the last time students drank at an off-campus party (OR=0.81, 95% CI=0.68, 0.97); a bar or restaurant (OR=0.76, 95% CI=0.62, 0.94); or any setting (OR=0.80, 95% CI=0.65, 0.97). No increase in intoxication (e.g., displacement) appeared in other settings. Further, stronger intervention effects were achieved at Safer universities with the highest level of implementation. Environmental prevention strategies targeting settings where the majority of heavy drinking events occur appear to be effective in reducing the incidence and likelihood of intoxication among college students. Copyright © 2010 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Linear transformation of the encoding mechanism for light intensity underlies the paradoxical enhancement of cortical visual responses by sevoflurane.

PubMed

Arena, Alessandro; Lamanna, Jacopo; Gemma, Marco; Ripamonti, Maddalena; Ravasio, Giuliano; Zimarino, Vincenzo; De Vitis, Assunta; Beretta, Luigi; Malgaroli, Antonio

2017-01-01

The mechanisms of action of anaesthetics on the living brain are still poorly understood. In this respect, the analysis of the differential effects of anaesthetics on spontaneous and sensory-evoked cortical activity might provide important and novel cues. Here we show that the anaesthetic sevoflurane strongly silences the brain but potentiates in a dose- and frequency-dependent manner the cortical visual response. Such enhancement arises from a linear scaling by sevoflurane of the power-law relation between light intensity and the cortical response. The fingerprint of sevoflurane action suggests that circuit silencing can boost linearly synaptic responsiveness presumably by scaling the number of responding units and/or their correlation following a sensory stimulation. General anaesthetics, which are expected to silence brain activity, often spare sensory responses. To evaluate differential effects of anaesthetics on spontaneous and sensory-evoked cortical activity, we characterized their modulation by sevoflurane and propofol. Power spectra and the bust-suppression ratio from EEG data were used to evaluate anaesthesia depth. ON and OFF cortical responses were elicited by light pulses of variable intensity, duration and frequency, during light and deep states of anaesthesia. Both anaesthetics reduced spontaneous cortical activity but sevoflurane greatly enhanced while propofol diminished the ON visual response. Interestingly, the large potentiation of the ON visual response by sevoflurane was found to represent a linear scaling of the encoding mechanism for light intensity. To the contrary, the OFF cortical visual response was depressed by both anaesthetics. The selective depression of the OFF component by sevoflurane could be converted into a robust potentiation by the pharmacological blockade of the ON pathway, suggesting that the temporal order of ON and OFF responses leads to a depression of the latter. This hypothesis agrees with the finding that the enhancement of the ON response was converted into a depression by increasing the frequency of light-pulse stimulation from 0.1 to 1 Hz. Overall, our results support the view that inactivity-dependent modulation of cortical circuits produces an increase in their responsiveness. Among the implications of our findings, the silencing of cortical circuits can boost linearly the cortical responsiveness but with negative impact on their frequency transfer and with a loss of the information content of the sensory signal. © 2016 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2016 The Physiological Society.

Synchronous Crepuscular Flight of Female Asian Gypsy Moths: Relationships of Light Intensity and Ambient and Body Temperatures

Treesearch

Ralph E. Charlton; Ring T. Carde; William E. Wallner; William E. Wallner

1999-01-01

Female gypsy moths (Lymantria dispar) of Asian heritage studied in central Siberia and Germany exhibit a highly synchronous flight at dusk, after light intensity falls to about 2 lux. This critical light intensity sets the timing of flight behaviors independent of ambient temperature. Flight follows several minutes of preflight wing fanning during which females in...

Cathode fall thickness of abnormal glow discharges between parallel-plane electrodes in different radii at low pressure

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

Fu, Yangyang; Luo, Haiyun; Zou, Xiaobing

2015-02-15

In order to investigate the influence of electrode radius on the characteristics of cathode fall thickness, experiments of low-pressure (20 Pa ≤ p ≤ 30 Pa) abnormal glow discharge were carried out between parallel-plane electrodes in different radii keeping gap distance unchanged. Axial distributions of light intensity were obtained from the discharge images captured using a Charge Coupled Device camera. The assumption that the position of the negative glow peak coincides with the edge of cathode fall layer was verified based on a two-dimensional model, and the cathode fall thicknesses, d{sub c}, were calculated from the axial distributions of light intensity. It was observedmore » that the position of peak emission shifts closer to the cathode as current or pressure grows. The dependence of cathode fall thickness on the gas pressure and normalized current J/p{sup 2} was presented, and it was found that for discharges between electrodes in large radius the curves of pd{sub c} against J/p{sup 2} were superimposed on each other, however, this phenomenon will not hold for discharges between the smaller electrodes. The reason for this phenomenon is that the transverse diffusions of charged particles are not the same in two gaps between electrodes with different radii.« less

Effect sizes and cut-off points: a meta-analytical review of burnout in latin American countries.

PubMed

García-Arroyo, Jose; Osca Segovia, Amparo

2018-05-02

Burnout is a highly prevalent globalized health issue that causes significant physical and psychological health problems. In Latin America research on this topic has increased in recent years, however there are no studies comparing results across countries, nor normative reference cut-offs. The present meta-analysis examines the intensity of burnout (emotional exhaustion, cynicism and personal accomplishment) in 58 adult nonclinical samples from 8 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela). We found low intensity of burnout but there are significant differences between countries in emotional exhaustion explained by occupation and language. Social and human service professionals (police officers, social workers, public administration staff) are more exhausted than health professionals (physicians, nurses) or teachers. The samples with Portuguese language score higher in emotional exhaustion than Spanish, supporting the theory of cultural relativism. Demographics (sex, age) and study variables (sample size, instrument), were not found significant to predict burnout. The effect size and confidence intervals found are proposed as a useful baseline for research and medical diagnosis of burnout in Latin American countries.

Simple telemedicine for developing regions: camera phones and paper-based microfluidic devices for real-time, off-site diagnosis.

PubMed

Martinez, Andres W; Phillips, Scott T; Carrilho, Emanuel; Thomas, Samuel W; Sindi, Hayat; Whitesides, George M

2008-05-15

This article describes a prototype system for quantifying bioassays and for exchanging the results of the assays digitally with physicians located off-site. The system uses paper-based microfluidic devices for running multiple assays simultaneously, camera phones or portable scanners for digitizing the intensity of color associated with each colorimetric assay, and established communications infrastructure for transferring the digital information from the assay site to an off-site laboratory for analysis by a trained medical professional; the diagnosis then can be returned directly to the healthcare provider in the field. The microfluidic devices were fabricated in paper using photolithography and were functionalized with reagents for colorimetric assays. The results of the assays were quantified by comparing the intensities of the color developed in each assay with those of calibration curves. An example of this system quantified clinically relevant concentrations of glucose and protein in artificial urine. The combination of patterned paper, a portable method for obtaining digital images, and a method for exchanging results of the assays with off-site diagnosticians offers new opportunities for inexpensive monitoring of health, especially in situations that require physicians to travel to patients (e.g., in the developing world, in emergency management, and during field operations by the military) to obtain diagnostic information that might be obtained more effectively by less valuable personnel.

Evaluation of maintenance procedures for bridge spalling on parapet walls : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-03-01

Deterioration of parapet walls is a concern to the Ohio Department of Transportation. Spalling of the parapets : presents a danger as pieces of deteriorated concrete may fall onto the road below. The current repair method : is to chip off the deterio...

Inhomogeneous Phase Effect of Smart Meta-Superconducting MgB2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yongbo; Chen, Honggang; Qi, Weichang; Chen, Guowei; Zhao, Xiaopeng

2018-05-01

The inhomogeneous phase of a smart meta-superconductor has a great effect on its superconductivity. In this paper, the effect of concentration, dimensions, electroluminescence (EL) intensity, and distribution of the inhomogeneous phase on the superconducting critical temperature (TC) has been systematically investigated. An ex situ solid sintering was utilized to prepare smart meta-superconducting MgB2 doped with six kinds of electroluminescent materials, such as YVO4{:}Eu^{3+} and Y2O3{:}Eu^{3+} flakes. Elemental mappings through energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) show that the inhomogeneous phase is comparatively uniformly dispersed around the MgB2 particles; thus V, Y, and Eu were accumulated at a small area. The measurement results show that the optimum doping concentration of the meta-superconducting MgB2 is 2.0 wt%. The offset temperature (TC^{{ off}}) of the sample doped with 2.0 wt% dopant A is 1.6 K higher than that of pure MgB2. The improvement in TC^{{ off}} is likely related to the sizes, thickness, and EL intensity of the inhomogeneous phase of MgB2 smart meta-superconductor. This experiment provides a novel approach to enhance TC.

AlGaN/GaN-on-Si monolithic power-switching device with integrated gate current booster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Sang-Woo; Jo, Min-Gi; Kim, Hyungtak; Cho, Chun-Hyung; Cha, Ho-Young

2017-08-01

This study investigates the effects of a monolithic gate current booster integrated with an AlGaN/GaN-on-Si power-switching device. The integrated gate current booster was implemented by a single-stage inverter topology consisting of a recessed normally-off AlGaN/GaN MOS-HFET and a mesa resistor. The monolithically integrated gate current booster in a switching FET eliminated the parasitic elements caused by external interconnection and enabled fast switching operation. The gate charging and discharging currents were boosted by the integrated inverter, which significantly reduced both rise and fall times: the rise time was reduced from 626 to 41.26 ns, while the fall time was reduced from 554 to 42.19 ns by the single-stage inverter. When the packaged monolithic power chip was tested under 1 MHz hard-switching operation with VDD = 200 V, the switching loss was found to have been drastically reduced, from 5.27 to 0.55 W.

The impact of fall risk assessment on nurse fears, patient falls, and functional ability in long-term care.

PubMed

Dever Fitzgerald, Theresa; Hadjistavropoulos, Thomas; Williams, Jaime; Lix, Lisa; Zahir, Sharmeen; Alfano, Dennis; Scudds, Rhonda

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether providing fall risk information to long-term care (LTC) nurses affects restraint use, activities of daily living (ADL), falls, and nurse fears about patient falls. One-hundred and fifty LTC residents were randomized to a fall risk assessment intervention or care-as-usual group. Hypotheses were tested using analyses of variance and path analyses. Restraint use was associated with lower ADL scores. In the intervention group, there ceased to be significant relationships between nurse fears about falls and patient falls (after controlling for actual patient risk; post-intervention, nurse fears about falls were based on realistic appraisals), and between fears and restraints (i.e. unjustified nurse fears became less likely to lead to unjustified restraint use). No group differences in falls were identified. Despite a lack of group differences in falls, results show initial promise in potentially impacting resident care. Increasing intervention intensity may lead to fall reductions in future research. Given the high prevalence rates of falls in LTC and associated injuries, prevention programs are important. Nurse fears about patient falls may impact upon restraint use which, when excessive, can interfere with the patient's ability to perform ADL. Excessive restraint use, due to unjustified nurse fears, could also lead to falls. Providing accurate, concise information to nursing staff about patient fall risk may aid in reducing the association between unjustified nurse fears and the resulting restraint use that can have potential negative consequences.

Assessment of balance and risk for falls in a sample of community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older

PubMed Central

Hawk, Cheryl; Hyland, John K; Rupert, Ronald; Colonvega, Makasha; Hall, Stephanie

2006-01-01

Background Falls are a major health concern for older adults and their impact is a significant public health problem. The chief modifiable risk factors for falls in community-dwellers are psychotropic drugs, polypharmacy, environmental hazards, poor vision, lower extremity impairments, and balance impairments. This study focused on balance impairments. Its purpose was to assess the feasibility of recruiting older adults with possible balance problems for research conducted at a chiropractic research center, and to explore the utility of several widely used balance instruments for future studies of the effect of chiropractic care on balance in older adults. Methods This descriptive study was conducted from September through December 2004. Participants were recruited through a variety of outreach methods, and all were provided with an educational intervention. Data were collected at each of two visits through questionnaires, interviews, and physical examinations. Balance was assessed on both visits using the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABCS), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and the One Leg Standing Test (OLST). Results A total of 101 participants enrolled in the study. Advertising in the local senior newspaper was the most effective method of recruitment (46%). The majority of our participants were white (86%) females (67%). About one third (32%) of participants had a baseline BBS score below 46, the cut-off point for predicting risk of falling. A mean improvement in BBS scores of 1.7 points was observed on the second visit. For the subgroup with baseline scores below 46, the mean change was 4.5 points, but the group mean remained below 46 (42.5). Conclusion Recruitment of community-dwelling seniors for fall-related research conducted at a chiropractic research center appears feasible, and the most successful recruitment strategies for this center appeared to be a combination of targeted newspaper ads and personal contact through senior centers. The BBS and OLST appear to be promising screening and assessment instruments, which might have utility in future investigations of the possible effects of chiropractic care on balance. PMID:16441893

Assessment of balance and risk for falls in a sample of community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older.

PubMed

Hawk, Cheryl; Hyland, John K; Rupert, Ronald; Colonvega, Makasha; Hall, Stephanie

2006-01-27

Falls are a major health concern for older adults and their impact is a significant public health problem. The chief modifiable risk factors for falls in community-dwellers are psychotropic drugs, polypharmacy, environmental hazards, poor vision, lower extremity impairments, and balance impairments. This study focused on balance impairments. Its purpose was to assess the feasibility of recruiting older adults with possible balance problems for research conducted at a chiropractic research center, and to explore the utility of several widely used balance instruments for future studies of the effect of chiropractic care on balance in older adults. This descriptive study was conducted from September through December 2004. Participants were recruited through a variety of outreach methods, and all were provided with an educational intervention. Data were collected at each of two visits through questionnaires, interviews, and physical examinations. Balance was assessed on both visits using the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABCS), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and the One Leg Standing Test (OLST). A total of 101 participants enrolled in the study. Advertising in the local senior newspaper was the most effective method of recruitment (46%). The majority of our participants were white (86%) females (67%). About one third (32%) of participants had a baseline BBS score below 46, the cut-off point for predicting risk of falling. A mean improvement in BBS scores of 1.7 points was observed on the second visit. For the subgroup with baseline scores below 46, the mean change was 4.5 points, but the group mean remained below 46 (42.5). Recruitment of community-dwelling seniors for fall-related research conducted at a chiropractic research center appears feasible, and the most successful recruitment strategies for this center appeared to be a combination of targeted newspaper ads and personal contact through senior centers. The BBS and OLST appear to be promising screening and assessment instruments, which might have utility in future investigations of the possible effects of chiropractic care on balance.

Degradation of the Bragg peak due to inhomogeneities.

PubMed

Urie, M; Goitein, M; Holley, W R; Chen, G T

1986-01-01

The rapid fall-off of dose at the end of range of heavy charged particle beams has the potential in therapeutic applications of sparing critical structures just distal to the target volume. Here we explored the effects of highly inhomogeneous regions on this desirable depth-dose characteristic. The proton depth-dose distribution behind a lucite-air interface parallel to the beam was bimodal, indicating the presence of two groups of protons with different residual ranges, creating a step-like depth-dose distribution at the end of range. The residual ranges became more spread out as the interface was angled at 3 degrees, and still more at 6 degrees, to the direction of the beam. A second experiment showed little significant effect on the distal depth-dose of protons having passed through a mosaic of teflon and lucite. Anatomic studies demonstrated significant effects of complex fine inhomogeneities on the end of range characteristics. Monoenergetic protons passing through the petrous ridges and mastoid air cells in the base of skull showed a dramatic degradation of the distal Bragg peak. In beams with spread out Bragg peaks passing through regions of the base of skull, the distal fall-off from 90 to 20% dose was increased from its nominal 6 to well over 32 mm. Heavy ions showed a corresponding degradation in their ends of range. In the worst case in the base of skull region, a monoenergetic neon beam showed a broadening of the full width at half maximum of the Bragg peak to over 15 mm (compared with 4 mm in a homogeneous unit density medium). A similar effect was found with carbon ions in the abdomen, where the full width at half maximum of the Bragg peak (nominally 5.5 mm) was found to be greater than 25 mm behind gas-soft-tissue interfaces. We address the implications of these data for dose computation with heavy charged particles.

Fly Photoreceptors Demonstrate Energy-Information Trade-Offs in Neural Coding

PubMed Central

Niven, Jeremy E; Anderson, John C; Laughlin, Simon B

2007-01-01

Trade-offs between energy consumption and neuronal performance must shape the design and evolution of nervous systems, but we lack empirical data showing how neuronal energy costs vary according to performance. Using intracellular recordings from the intact retinas of four flies, Drosophila melanogaster, D. virilis, Calliphora vicina, and Sarcophaga carnaria, we measured the rates at which homologous R1–6 photoreceptors of these species transmit information from the same stimuli and estimated the energy they consumed. In all species, both information rate and energy consumption increase with light intensity. Energy consumption rises from a baseline, the energy required to maintain the dark resting potential. This substantial fixed cost, ∼20% of a photoreceptor's maximum consumption, causes the unit cost of information (ATP molecules hydrolysed per bit) to fall as information rate increases. The highest information rates, achieved at bright daylight levels, differed according to species, from ∼200 bits s−1 in D. melanogaster to ∼1,000 bits s−1 in S. carnaria. Comparing species, the fixed cost, the total cost of signalling, and the unit cost (cost per bit) all increase with a photoreceptor's highest information rate to make information more expensive in higher performance cells. This law of diminishing returns promotes the evolution of economical structures by severely penalising overcapacity. Similar relationships could influence the function and design of many neurons because they are subject to similar biophysical constraints on information throughput. PMID:17373859

Balanced Trade-Offs between Alternative Strategies Shape the Response of C. elegans Reproduction to Chronic Heat Stress

PubMed Central

Aprison, Erin Z.; Ruvinsky, Ilya

2014-01-01

To ensure long-term reproductive success organisms have to cope with harsh environmental extremes. A reproductive strategy that simply maximizes offspring production is likely to be disadvantageous because it could lead to a catastrophic loss of fecundity under unfavorable conditions. To understand how an appropriate balance is achieved, we investigated reproductive performance of C. elegans under conditions of chronic heat stress. We found that following even prolonged exposure to temperatures at which none of the offspring survive, worms could recover and resume reproduction. The likelihood of producing viable offspring falls precipitously after exposure to temperatures greater than 28°C primarily due to sperm damage. Surprisingly, we found that worms that experienced higher temperatures can recover considerably better, provided they did not initiate ovulation. Therefore mechanisms controlling this process must play a crucial role in determining the probability of recovery. We show, however, that suppressing ovulation is only beneficial under relatively long stresses, whereas it is a disadvantageous strategy under shorter stresses of the same intensity. This is because the benefit of shutting down egg laying, and thus protecting the reproductive system, is negated by the cost associated with implementing this strategy – it takes considerable time to recover and produce offspring. We interpret these balanced trade-offs as a dynamic response of the C. elegans reproductive system to stress and an adaptation to life in variable and unpredictable conditions. PMID:25165831

Rod-driven OFF pathway responses in the distal retina: dark-adapted flicker electroretinogram in mouse.

PubMed

Lei, Bo

2012-01-01

The rodent retina does not exhibit a positive OFF-response in the electroretinogram (ERG), which makes it difficult to evaluate its OFF-pathway functions in vivo. We studied the rod-driven OFF pathway responses by using a dark-adapted 10-Hz flicker ERG procedure in mouse. Conventional ERGs and 10-Hz dark-adapted flicker ERGs were obtained in wild-type mice (C57BL/6), in mice with pure rod (cpfl1) or pure cone (rho(-/-)) function, and in nob1 mice which have a selective ON-pathway defect. To isolate the response from ON or OFF pathway, glutamate analogs 2-amino-4-phosphobutyric acid (APB, an ON pathway blocker) and cis-2, 3-piperidine-dicarboxylic acid (PDA, an OFF pathway blocker), were injected intravitreally. The amplitude-intensity profile of the dark-adapted 10-Hz flicker ERG in the wild-type mice exhibits two peaks at middle and high light intensities. The two peaks represent rod- and cone-driven responses respectively. In APB-treated C57BL/6 mice and in nob1 mice, the dark-adapted ERG b-waves were absent. However, both rod- and cone-driven OFF pathway responses were evident with flicker ERG recording. At middle light intensities that activate only rod system, the flicker ERG responses in saline-injected nob1 mice were similar to those in APB-injected cpfl1 mice and wild-type mice. These responses are sensitive to PDA. The amplitudes of these rod-driven OFF pathway responses were approximately 20% of the total rod-driven flicker ERG responses. We demonstrate that the rod-OFF bipolar cell pathway is functional in the outer retina. The dark-adapted flicker ERG is practical for the evaluation of rod- and cone-driven responses, and the residual OFF pathway signals in subjects with ON pathway defects.

Hillslope-channel coupling in a steep Hawaiian catchment accelerates erosion rates over 100-fold

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stock, J. D.; Hanshaw, M. N.; Rosener, M.; Schmidt, K. M.; Brooks, B. A.; Tribble, G.; Jacobi, J.

2009-12-01

In tropical watersheds, hillslope changes are producing increasing amounts of fine sediment that can be quickly carried to reefs by channels. Suspended sediment concentrations off the reefs of Molokai, Hawaii, chronically exceed a toxic level of 10 mg/L, threatening reef ecosystems. We hypothesize that historic conversion of watersheds from soil creep to overland flow erosion increased both magnitude and frequency of sediment flooding adjacent reefs. We combined surficial and ecological mapping, hillslope and stream gages, and novel sensors to locate, quantify and model the generation of fine sediments polluting the Molokai reef. Ecological and geomorphic mapping from LiDAR and multi-spectral imagery located a subset of overland flow areas with vegetation cover below a threshold value preventing erosion. Here, feral goat grazing exposed cohesive volcanic soils whose low matrix hydraulic conductivities (1-20 mm/hour) promote Horton overland flow erosion. We instrumented steep, barren hillslopes with soil moisture sensors, overland flow meters, Parshall flumes, ISCO sediment samplers, and a rain gage and conducted repeat Tripod LiDAR and infiltration tests. To characterize soil resistance here and elsewhere to overland flow erosion, we deployed a Cohesive Strength Meter (CSM) to simulate the stresses of flowing water. At the 13.5 km 2 watershed mouth we used a USGS stream gage and ISCO sediment sampler to estimate total load. Over 2 years, storms triggered overland flow during rainfall intensities above 10-15 mm/hr. Overland flow meters indicate such flows can be up to 3 cm deep, with a tendency to deepen downslope. CSM tests indicate that these depths are insufficient to erode soils where vegetation is dense, but far above threshold values of 2-3 mm depth for bare soil erosion. Sediment ratings curves for both hillslope and downstream catchment gages show strong clock-wise hysteresis during the first intense storms in the Fall, becoming linear later in the rainy season. During Fall storms, sediment concentration is often 10X higher at a given stage. During intense Fall storms, we measured erosion rates using erosion pins (1.0 cm/a), suspended sediment flux (1.5 cm/a) and repeat tripod LiDAR (1.7 cm/a). These rates are at least 100-fold greater than the long-term lowering rate of 0.13 mm/a. A sediment budget constructed by extrapolating hillslope lowering rates to the portions of the catchments mapped as overland flow hotspots predicts a total yearly flux of ~ 6500 t, in agreement with the measured total of ~6200 t. A decadal record illustrates that rainfall intensities sufficient to generate overland flow occur for at least 8-10 hours every year, coincident with 1-3 large storm events. We hypothesize that high lowering rates reflect a combination of long-duration overland flow events, and availability of weathered soils that can be entrained by thin flows. It appears that the generation of loose, seasonally weathered silt is a 1st order control on the amount of sediment exported to the reef. If climate change increases storm frequency or duration, or decreases vegetation cover, sediment loading rates to the reef here could increase dramatically.

Untreated runoff quality from roof and road surfaces in a low intensity rainfall climate.

PubMed

Charters, Frances J; Cochrane, Thomas A; O'Sullivan, Aisling D

2016-04-15

Sediment and heavy metals in stormwater runoff are key pollutants of urban waterways, and their presence in stormwater is driven by climatic factors such as rainfall intensity. This study describes the total suspended solids (TSS) and heavy metal concentrations found in runoff from four different urban surfaces within a residential/institutional catchment, in a climate where rainfall is typically of low intensity (<5.1mm·h(-1)). The results were compared to untreated runoff quality from a compilation of international studies. The road runoff had the highest TSS concentrations, while copper and galvanized roof runoff had the highest copper and zinc concentrations, respectively. Pollutant concentrations were found to be significantly different between surfaces; quantification and prediction of pollutant contributions from urban surfaces should thus take account of the different surface materials, instead of being aggregated into more generalized categories such as land use. The TSS and heavy metal concentrations were found to be at the low to medium end of ranges observed internationally, except for total copper and zinc concentrations generated by dissolution of copper and galvanized roofing material respectively; these concentrations were at least as high as those reported internationally. TSS wash-off from the roofs was seen to be a source-limited process, where all available TSS is washed off during the rain event despite the low intensity rainfall, whereas both road TSS and heavy metals wash-off from roof and road surfaces appeared to all be transport-limited and therefore some carryover of pollutants occurs between rain events. A first flush effect was seen from most surfaces for TSS, but not for heavy metals. This study demonstrates that in low intensity rainfall climates, quantification of untreated runoff quality from key individual surface types in a catchment are needed to enable development of targeted and appropriately sized stormwater treatment systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intense pulse light and 5-ALA PDT: phototoxic effects in vitro depend on the spectral overlap with protoporphyrine IX but do not match cut-off filter notations.

PubMed

Maisch, Tim; Moor, Anne C E; Regensburger, Johannes; Ortland, Christoph; Szeimies, Rolf-Markus; Bäumler, Wolfgang

2011-02-01

Successful photodynamic therapy (PDT) requires a light source by which light is absorbed by the photosensitizer. Such absorption is achieved by adapting the emission spectrum of the lamp to the absorption-spectrum of the photosensitizer. Intense pulsed light sources (IPLs) are widely used in dermatology, but a standardized protocol for IPL-PDT is not available. Five different IPLs were chosen to evaluate their efficacy for PDT in vitro and the possibility for developing a standard protocol for PDT. Emission-spectra of IPLs were measured with an optical spectrograph and compared with the absorption spectrum of protoporphyrine IX (PpIX). Keratinocytes were incubated with 5-ALA and illuminated with the IPLs. Cell viability was determined for radiant exposures ranging from 0 to 504 J/cm(2) and pulse durations from 8 to 100 milliseconds. A standard LED light source was used as a reference. Cell viability is less effectively reduced by 5-ALA-PDT with IPLs than by a LED light source. Radiant exposures of the five IPLs ranged between 80 and 311 J/cm(2) to achieve the EC(50) value. This value correlated with the spectral overlap of the respective IPL and the absorption-spectrum of PpIX but not with the cut-off filter notations supplied by the manufacturer. All IPLs assessed emit different spectra because of different filter technologies. Different radiant exposures (J/cm(2) ) were necessary to achieve a photodynamic effect with 5-ALA in vitro depending on these spectra similar to the photodynamic effect of the standard LED light source. IPLs may be applicable in clinical PDT but radiant exposure protocols must be separately evaluated for each single IPL despite similar cut-off filter specifications. Such protocols are highly important for clinical practice to avoid a potential mismatch of excitation wavelengths and to prevent photothermal side effects when light intensities of up to hundreds of W/cm(2) are applied. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Shades of Gray.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, John C.; Calibeo, Thomas E.

1998-01-01

A university's financing choices cover many shades of gray. Some off-balance-sheet financing uses no debt capacity, while others represent or imply full financial commitment. Many others fall in between. The choices made by a number of institutions in financing facility expansions or improvements are discussed, and the Moody's Investors Service…

ADHD Perspectives: Medicalization and ADHD Connectivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Gloria Sunnie

2012-01-01

Today's "ADHDscape" is no longer confined to images of fidgety children falling off classroom chairs. Trans-generational images flood popular culture, from "ADHD creator" with entrepreneurial style, to "ADHD troublemaker". Indeed, ADHD's enigmatic characteristics seem to apply as much to crying babies as to forgetful grannies. With the recent…

Characterizing Mechanical and Flow Properties using Injection Falloff Tests, March 28, 2011

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This presentation asserts that Injection Fall-off Testing is an efficient way to derive in-situ information on most rock types, after-closure analysis can derive rock transmissibility and pore fluid pressure, and this is used to assist in the HF process.

Gigabit-per-second white light-based visible light communication using near-ultraviolet laser diode and red-, green-, and blue-emitting phosphors.

PubMed

Lee, Changmin; Shen, Chao; Cozzan, Clayton; Farrell, Robert M; Speck, James S; Nakamura, Shuji; Ooi, Boon S; DenBaars, Steven P

2017-07-24

Data communication based on white light generated using a near-ultraviolet (NUV) laser diode (LD) pumping red-, green-, and blue-emitting (RGB) phosphors was demonstrated for the first time. A III-nitride laser diode (LD) on a semipolar (2021¯)  substrate emitting at 410 nm was used for the transmitter. The measured modulation bandwidth of the LD was 1 GHz, which was limited by the avalanche photodetector. The emission from the NUV LD and the RGB phosphor combination measured a color rendering index (CRI) of 79 and correlated color temperature (CCT) of 4050 K, indicating promise of this approach for creating high quality white lighting. Using this configuration, data was successfully transmitted at a rate of more than 1 Gbps. This NUV laser-based system is expected to have lower background noise from sunlight at the LD emission wavelength than a system that uses a blue LD due to the rapid fall off in intensity of the solar spectrum in the NUV spectral region.

Fission Spectrum

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Bloch, F.; Staub, H.

1943-08-18

Measurements of the spectrum of the fission neutrons of 25 are described, in which the energy of the neutrons is determined from the ionization produced by individual hydrogen recoils. The slow neutrons producing fission are obtained by slowing down the fast neutrons from the Be-D reaction of the Stanford cyclotron. In order to distinguish between fission neutrons and the remaining fast cyclotron neutrons both the cyclotron current and the pusle amplifier are modulated. A hollow neutron container, in which slow neutrons have a lifetime of about 2 milliseconds, avoids the use of large distances. This method results in much higher intensities than the usual modulation arrangement. The results show a continuous distribution of neutrons with a rather wide maximum at about 0.8 MV falling off to half of its maximum value at 2.0 MV. The total number of netrons is determined by comparison with the number of fission fragments. The result seems to indicate that only about 30% of the neutrons have energies below .8 MV. Various tests are described which were performed in order to rule out modification of the spectrum by inelastic scattering. Decl. May 4, 1951

Transport of energy by ultraintense laser-generated electrons in nail-wire targets

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

Ma, T.; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550; Key, M. H.

2009-11-15

Nail-wire targets (20 {mu}m diameter copper wires with 80 {mu}m hemispherical head) were used to investigate energy transport by relativistic fast electrons generated in intense laser-plasma interactions. The targets were irradiated using the 300 J, 1 ps, and 2x10{sup 20} W{center_dot}cm{sup -2} Vulcan laser at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. A spherically bent crystal imager, a highly ordered pyrolytic graphite spectrometer, and single photon counting charge-coupled device gave absolute Cu K{alpha} measurements. Results show a concentration of energy deposition in the head and an approximately exponential fall-off along the wire with about 60 {mu}m 1/e decay length due to resistive inhibition.more » The coupling efficiency to the wire was 3.3{+-}1.7% with an average hot electron temperature of 620{+-}125 keV. Extreme ultraviolet images (68 and 256 eV) indicate additional heating of a thin surface layer of the wire. Modeling using the hybrid E-PLAS code has been compared with the experimental data, showing evidence of resistive heating, magnetic trapping, and surface transport.« less

Reactor Pressure Vessel Fracture Analysis Capabilities in Grizzly

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

Spencer, Benjamin; Backman, Marie; Chakraborty, Pritam

2015-03-01

Efforts have been underway to develop fracture mechanics capabilities in the Grizzly code to enable it to be used to perform deterministic fracture assessments of degraded reactor pressure vessels (RPVs). Development in prior years has resulted a capability to calculate -integrals. For this application, these are used to calculate stress intensity factors for cracks to be used in deterministic linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) assessments of fracture in degraded RPVs. The -integral can only be used to evaluate stress intensity factors for axis-aligned flaws because it can only be used to obtain the stress intensity factor for pure Mode Imore » loading. Off-axis flaws will be subjected to mixed-mode loading. For this reason, work has continued to expand the set of fracture mechanics capabilities to permit it to evaluate off-axis flaws. This report documents the following work to enhance Grizzly’s engineering fracture mechanics capabilities for RPVs: • Interaction Integral and -stress: To obtain mixed-mode stress intensity factors, a capability to evaluate interaction integrals for 2D or 3D flaws has been developed. A -stress evaluation capability has been developed to evaluate the constraint at crack tips in 2D or 3D. Initial verification testing of these capabilities is documented here. • Benchmarking for axis-aligned flaws: Grizzly’s capabilities to evaluate stress intensity factors for axis-aligned flaws have been benchmarked against calculations for the same conditions in FAVOR. • Off-axis flaw demonstration: The newly-developed interaction integral capabilities are demon- strated in an application to calculate the mixed-mode stress intensity factors for off-axis flaws. • Other code enhancements: Other enhancements to the thermomechanics capabilities that relate to the solution of the engineering RPV fracture problem are documented here.« less

Ultrasonic vibration double scratch morphology and scratching force of BK7 glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chu; Wang, Hongxiang; Liu, Junliang; Gao, Shi

2018-03-01

In this paper, the damage morphology and scratching force of BK7 glass components were analyzed by ultrasonic vibration double-scratch test. The results showed that there was surface damage caused by plastic flow and brittle fracture during the scratching process, and the scratching depth and the distance between the two scratches had effect on the propagation and overlapping of lateral cracks. When the scratching depth was small, the jagged scratch was produced on the surface, and accompanied by a small amount of tiny pieces of debris off. With the increase in scratching depth, the lateral cracks caused by scratching overlapped and expended to form a mesh sheet, and then fell off from the surface. When the scratching distance was small, the interaction of the cracks caused large slice of material to fall off. With the increase in scratching distance, the area between the two scratches was not easy to occur the overlapping of the lateral cracks. In addition, with the increase of the scratching depth, the scratching force showed a gradual increase trend, and the scratching force of the second scratch would increase with the scratching distance.

Flame quality monitor system for fixed firing rate oil burners

DOEpatents

Butcher, Thomas A.; Cerniglia, Philip

1992-01-01

A method and apparatus for determining and indicating the flame quality, or efficiency of the air-fuel ratio, in a fixed firing rate heating unit, such as an oil burning furnace, is provided. When the flame brightness falls outside a preset range, the flame quality, or excess air, has changed to the point that the unit should be serviced. The flame quality indicator output is in the form of lights mounted on the front of the unit. A green light indicates that the flame is about in the same condition as when the burner was last serviced. A red light indicates a flame which is either too rich or too lean, and that servicing of the burner is required. At the end of each firing cycle, the flame quality indicator goes into a hold mode which is in effect during the period that the burner remains off. A yellow or amber light indicates that the burner is in the hold mode. In this mode, the flame quality lights indicate the flame condition immediately before the burner turned off. Thus the unit can be viewed when it is off, and the flame condition at the end of the previous firing cycle can be observed.

Contrasting Boundary Scavenging in two Eastern Boundary Current Regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, R. F.; Fleisher, M. Q.; Pavia, F. J.; Vivancos, S. M.; Lu, Y.; Zhang, P.; Cheng, H.; Edwards, R. L.

2016-02-01

We use data from two US GEOTRACES expeditions to compare boundary scavenging intensity in two eastern boundary current systems: the Canary Current off Mauritania and the Humboldt Current off Peru. Boundary scavenging refers to the enhanced removal of trace elements from the ocean by sorption to sinking particles in regions of greater than average particle abundance. Both regimes experience high rates of biological productivity and generation of biogenic particles, with rates of productivity potentially a little greater off Peru, whereas dust fluxes are an order of magnitude greater off NW Africa (see presentation by Vivancos et al., this meeting). Despite greater productivity off Peru, we find greater intensity of scavenging off NW Africa as measured by the residence time of dissolved 230Th integrated from the surface to a depth of 2500 m (10-11 years off NW Africa vs. 15-17 years off Peru). Dissolved 231Pa/230Th ratios off NW Africa (Hayes et al., Deep Sea Res.-II 116 (2015) 29-41) are nearly twice the values observed off Peru. We attribute this difference to the well-known tendency for lithogenic phases (dust) to strongly fractionate in favor of Th uptake during scavenging and removal, leaving the dissolved phase enriched in Pa. This behavior needs to be considered when interpreting sedimentary 231Pa/230Th ratios as a paleo proxy.

Reconnaissance investigation of water quality, bottom sediment, and biota associated with irrigation drainage in the American Falls Reservoir area, Idaho, 1988-89. Water Resources Investigation

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

Low, W.H.; Mullins, W.H.

1990-01-01

The report presents results of a reconnaissance investigation to determine whether potentially toxic concentrations of selected trace elements or organochlorine compounds associated with irrigation drainage exist in surface and ground water, bottom sediment, aquatic plants, benthic invertebrates, fish, and waterbirds in the American Falls Reservoir area. American Falls Reservoir was selected for investigation in part because several previous investigations of fish in the reservoir indicated that mercury and cadmium concentrations exceeded human health standards and periodic botulism-related die-offs of waterbirds have been known to occur. Also, rocks south and southeast of the reservoir contain naturally occurring selenium concentrations many timesmore » greater than those in the continental crust. Samples of water, bottom sediment, aquatic plants, benthic invertebrates, fish, and waterbirds were collected from nine sites in the American Falls Reservoir area. The samples were analyzed for selected inorganic and organic constituents to determine whether concentrations exceeded known standards or criteria.« less

Long‐term trends in fall age ratios of black brant

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ward, David H.; Amundson, Courtney L.; Stehn, Robert A.; Dau, Christian P.

2018-01-01

Accurate estimates of the age composition of populations can inform past reproductive success and future population trajectories. We examined fall age ratios (juveniles:total birds) of black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans; brant) staging at Izembek National Wildlife Refuge near the tip of the Alaska Peninsula, southwest Alaska, USA, 1963 to 2015. We also investigated variation in fall age ratios associated with sampling location, an index of flock size, survey effort, day of season, observer, survey platform (boat‐ or land‐based) and tide stage. We analyzed data using logistic regression models implemented in a Bayesian framework. Mean predicted fall age ratio controlling for survey effort, day of year, and temporal and spatial variation was 0.24 (95% CL = 0.23, 0.25). Overall trend in age ratios was −0.6% per year (95% CL = −1.3%, 0.2%), resulting in an approximate 26% decline in the proportion of juveniles over the study period. We found evidence for variation across a range of variables implying that juveniles are not randomly distributed in space and time within Izembek Lagoon. Age ratios varied by location within the study area and were highly variable among years. They decreased with the number of birds aged (an index of flock size) and increased throughout September before leveling off in early October and declining in late October. Age ratios were similar among tide stages and observers and were lower during boat‐based (offshore) than land‐based (nearshore) surveys. Our results indicate surveys should be conducted annually during early to mid‐October to ensure the entire population is present and available for sampling, and throughout Izembek Lagoon to account for spatiotemporal variation in age ratios. Sampling should include a wide range of flock sizes representative of their distribution and occur in flocks located near and off shore. Further research evaluating the cause of declining age ratios in the fall population is necessary to inform management and predict long‐term population dynamics of brant.

D-A type sensor array for differentiation and identification of white wine varieties based on specific solvent effect activated by CT-LE transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Jingqi; Zhang, Xin; Li, Hao; Hou, Yue; Hou, Jingdan; Li, Zhongfeng; Yang, Feng; Liu, Yang; Han, Tianyu

2018-02-01

In this work, we synthesize a series of compounds with electron donor (D) and acceptor (A) units. They show general solvent effect in aprotic solvents, suggesting a charge transfer (CT) process. While in protic solvents including water, ethanol and methanol, the spectra exert no polarity-dependence but a remarkable hypochromatic shift together with the fading of CT band. Dynamic analysis implies that intermolecular hydrogen bond will be formed between carboxylic acid and protic solvent, boosting another deactivation pathway that jumps off a bigger energy gap, in other words, favoring the locally excited (LE) state emission. The CT-LE transition involves variations in both absorption and emission spectra, and further poses competition with other mechanisms including activated/restricted intramolecular rotation (IR/RIR). Inspired by the cross-reactivity, we turn our attention to the development of sensor array, in order to identify white wine varieties. The differential spectral responses are recorded, generating multiple factors including absorption wavelength (λab), emission wavelength (λem), absorbance (Abs.) and emission intensity (Int.). These factors are processed with principal component analysis (PCA), creating a three-dimensional fingerprint data base for white wines. The data points in the coordinate system are clustered into 10 different groups, demonstrating a clear differentiation of all the white wines. More importantly, as our final test for whether the sensor array can identify the counterfeits, an adulterated liquor sample, which is provided by police officers, is fingerprinted on the three-dimensional diagram. Its canonical factors fall into an area distinct from the adulterated wine, indicating a clear identification.

An Intercomparison of Research Scanning Polarimeter Cloud Droplet Number Concentrations with Aerosol Properties over the Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinclair, K.; van Diedenhoven, B.; Cairns, B.; Alexandrov, M. D.; Ziemba, L. D.; Moore, R.; Crosbie, E.; Hostetler, C. A.

2016-12-01

Cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC) is a key parameter of of liquid clouds and is essential for the understanding of aerosol-cloud interaction. It couples surface aerosol composition and chemistry on the one hand and cloud reflectivity on the other. It impacts radiative forcing, cloud evolution, precipitation, global climate and, through observation, can be used to monitor the cloud albedo effect, or the first indirect effect. The North Atlantic and Marine Ecosystems Study (NAAMES), which is a NASA-led ship and air campaign that takes place off the east coast of Newfoundland, observed many low cloud decks and aerosols over a marine environment. This campaign has completed two of four deployments and provides an excellent opportunity for the Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) to cross-validate its approach of sensing CDNC with the Langley Aerosol Research Group Experiment's (LARGE's) Cloud Droplet Probe (CDP). The RSP is an airborne scanning sensor that provides high-precision measurements of polarized and full-intensity radiances at multiple angles over a wide spectral range. Each of the four NAAMES deployments are aligned to a specific annual event in the plankton cycle, along with other variations in environmental conditions. The Fall 2015 and spring 2016 deployments allow us to demonstrate and characterize the RSP's performance over a range of CDNCs and cloud types. We also assess correlations between the RSP CDNC measurements and atmospheric aerosol load. Using the LARGE Cloud Particle Counter (CPC) and Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS), links between the size and type of aerosols and the RSP CDNC retrievals are explored.

Construction of a Turn Off-On-Off Fluorescent System Based on Competitive Coordination of Cu2+ between 6,7-Dihydroxycoumarin and Pyrophosphate Ion for Sensitive Assay of Pyrophosphatase Activity

PubMed Central

Zhao, Liu; Miao, Yanqing; Liu, Chunye; Zhang, Chenxiao

2016-01-01

The detection of pyrophosphatase (PPase) activity is of great significance in diagnosing diseases and understanding the function of PPase-related biological events. This study constructed a turn off-on-off fluorescent system for PPase activity assay based on PPase-regulated competitive coordination of Cu2+ between a water-soluble fluorescent probe 6,7-dihydroxycoumarin (DHC) and pyrophosphate (PPi). The probe DHC can coordinate with Cu2+ and consequently display on-off type fluorescence response. Furthermore, the in situ formed nonfluorescent Cu2+-DHC complex can act as an effective off-on type fluorescent probe for sensing PPi due to the higher coordination reactivity between Cu2+ and PPi than that between Cu2+ and DHC. The subsequent addition of PPase to the mixture containing Cu2+, DHC, and PPi leads to the fluorescence requenching of the system again (an off state) because PPase catalyzes the hydrolysis of PPi into orthophosphate in the reaction system. Under the optimum conditions, the decrease of the fluorescence intensity of DHC-Cu2+-PPi system was linear with the increase of the PPase activity in the range from 0.1 to 0.3 U. The detection limit was down to 0.028 U PPase (S/N = 3). Moreover, the as-established system was also applied to evaluate PPase inhibitor. This study offers a simple yet effective method for the detection of PPase activity. PMID:27766179

Are the oxygen uptake and heart rate off-kinetics influenced by the intensity of prior exercise?

PubMed

do Nascimento Salvador, Paulo Cesar; de Aguiar, Rafael Alves; Teixeira, Anderson Santiago; Souza, Kristopher Mendes de; de Lucas, Ricardo Dantas; Denadai, Benedito Sérgio; Guglielmo, Luiz Guilherme Antonacci

2016-08-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of prior exercise on the heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake (VO2) off-kinetics after a subsequent high-intensity running exercise. Thirteen male futsal players (age 22.8±6.1years) performed a series of high-intensity bouts without prior exercise (control), preceded by a prior same intensity continuous exercise (CE+CE) and a prior sprint exercise (SE+CE). The magnitude of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOCm-4.25±0.19 vs. 3.69±0.20Lmin(-1) in CE+CE and 3.62±0.18Lmin(-1) in control; p<0.05) and the parasympathetic reactivation (HRR60s-33±3 vs. 37±3bpm in CE+CE and 42±3 bpm in control; p<0.05) in the SE+CE were higher and slower, compared with another two conditions. The EPOCτ (time to attain 63% of total response; 53±2s) and the heart rate time-course (HRτ-86±5s) were significantly longer after the SE+CE condition than control transition (48±2s and 69±5s, respectively; p<0.05). The SE+CE induce greater stress on the metabolic function, respiratory system and autonomic nervous system regulation during post-exercise recovery than CE, highlighting that the inclusion of sprint-based exercises can be an effective strategy to increase the total energy expenditure following an exercise session. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of an external magnetic field on particle acceleration by a rotating black hole surrounded with quintessential energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaymatov, Sanjar; Ahmedov, Bobomurat; Stuchlík, Zdeněk; Abdujabbarov, Ahmadjon

We investigate particle motion and collisions in the vicinity of rotating black holes immersed in combined cosmological quintessential scalar field and external magnetic field. The quintessential dark-energy field governing the spacetime structure is characterized by the quintessential state parameter ωq ∈ (‑1; ‑1/3) characterizing its equation of state, and the quintessential field-intensity parameter c determining the static radius where the black hole attraction is just balanced by the quintessential repulsion. The magnetic field is assumed to be test field that is uniform close to the static radius, where the spacetime is nearly flat, being characterized by strength B there. Deformations of the test magnetic field in vicinity of the black hole, caused by the Ricci non-flat spacetime structure are determined. General expression of the center-of-mass energy of the colliding charged or uncharged particles near the black hole is given and discussed in several special cases. In the case of nonrotating black holes, we discuss collisions of two particles freely falling from vicinity of the static radius, or one such a particle colliding with charged particle revolving at the innermost stable circular orbit. In the case of rotating black holes, we discuss briefly particles falling in the equatorial plane and colliding in close vicinity of the black hole horizon, concentrating attention to the interplay of the effects of the quintessential field and the external magnetic field. We demonstrate that the ultra-high center-of-mass energy can be obtained for black holes placed in an external magnetic field for an infinitesimally small quintessential field-intensity parameter c; the center-of-mass energy decreases if the quintessential field-intensity parameter c increases.

Comparisons of low-intensity versus moderate-intensity combined aerobic and resistance training on body composition, muscle strength, and functional performance in older women.

PubMed

Shiotsu, Yoko; Yanagita, Masahiko

2018-06-01

This study aimed to examine the effects of exercise order of combined aerobic and low- or moderate-intensity resistance training into the same session on body composition, functional performance, and muscle strength in healthy older women. Furthermore, this study compared the effects of different (low- vs moderate-) intensity combined training. A total of 60 healthy older women (age 61-81 y) were randomly assigned to five groups that performed aerobic exercise before low-intensity resistance training (AR-L, n = 12) or after resistance training (RA-L, n = 12), performed aerobic exercise before moderate-intensity resistance training (AR-M, n = 12) or after resistance training (RA-M, n = 12), or nonintervention control conditions (CON, n = 12). Body composition, functional performance, and muscle strength were evaluated before and after the 10-week training. No effects of exercise order of combined aerobic and low- or moderate-intensity resistance training (AR-L vs RA-L, AR-M vs RA-M) were observed in body composition, functional performance, or muscle strength, whereas the effects of training intensity of combined training (AR-L vs AR-M, RA-L vs RA-M) were observed on functional performance. All combined trainings significantly increased muscle strength and gait ability (P < 0.01, respectively). Functional reach test significantly increased in the AR-M and RA-M groups (P < 0.01, respectively), and there were significant group differences between AR-L and AR-M (P = 0.002), RA-L and RA-M (P = 0.014). Preliminary findings suggest that combined aerobic and low- or moderate-intensity resistance training increases muscle strength and improves gait ability, regardless of the exercise order. Also, greater improvement in dynamic balance capacity, a risk factor associated with falling, is observed in moderate-intensity combined training.

40 CFR 60.102a - Emissions limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... the initial performance test, required by § 60.8, is completed, but not later than 60 days after... fall below the level established during the most recent performance test; and (ii) The daily average exhaust coke burn-off rate must not exceed the level established during the most recent performance test...

40 CFR 60.102a - Emissions limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... the initial performance test, required by § 60.8, is completed, but not later than 60 days after... fall below the level established during the most recent performance test; and (ii) The daily average exhaust coke burn-off rate must not exceed the level established during the most recent performance test...

Reinventing School Finance: Falling Forward

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Picus, Lawrence O.; Odden, Allan R.

2011-01-01

States and school districts are facing unprecedented financial pressure due to the continued poor performance of the United States's economy. Dramatic shortfalls in funding due to reduced tax collections were held off for 2 years thanks to federal stimulus funds, but with these revenues already consumed and little likelihood of more in the near…

Green Team News and Upcoming Events | Poster

Cancer.gov

By Melissa Porter, Staff Writer Spring Plant Swap 2013 This past October, you may have seen several members of the Green Team standing in front of Building 549 giving out free plants or offering to take extra plants off your hands—this was the first Green Team Fall Plant Swap.

Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Frontier Chemical Waste Process Incorporated – Royal Avenue Site in Niagara Falls, New York

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Frontier Chemical Waste Process facility is located in a heavy industrial/commercial area. Several large industrial facilities surround the facility. The closest residential area is located about ½ mile west and the closest off-site building is located 300

Watching the Moon from Tenerife

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baruch, John; Machell, James; Norris, Kath

2005-01-01

"Where does the Sun go at night?" or "Why don't the Australians fall off?" are typical of the innocent questions that children ask. A new "Earth and Beyond" primary science learning programme from the University of Bradford is piloting some exciting ways to engage children with these questions and providing…

Drought survival and perennial grass success in the face of cheatgrass invasion: germination, emergence, seedling die-off and reproduction

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) dominance and competitiveness is often attributed to early (fall) germination. We hypothesize that cheatgrass germinates earlier compared to three commonly used restoration/rehabilitation perennial grass species [‘Hycrest’ crested wheatgrass( Agropyron desertorum ssp. c...

Information structure and organisation in change of shift reports: An observational study of nursing hand-offs in a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.

PubMed

Foster-Hunt, Tara; Parush, Avi; Ellis, Jacqueline; Thomas, Margot; Rashotte, Judy

2015-06-01

Patient hand-offs involve the exchange of critical information. Ineffective hand-offs can result in reduced patient safety by leading to wrong treatment, delayed diagnoses or other outcomes that can negatively affect the healthcare system. The objectives of this study were to uncover the structure of the information conveyed during patient hand-offs and look for principles characterising the organisation of the information. With an observational study approach, data was gathered during the morning and evening nursing change of shift hand-offs in a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit. Content analysis identified a common meta-structure used for information transfer that contained categories with varying degrees of information integration and the repetition of high consequence information. Differences were found in the organisation of the hand-off structures, and these varied as a function of nursing experience. The findings are discussed in terms of the potential benefits of computerised tools which utilise standardised structure for information transfer and the implications for future education and critical care skill acquisition. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nodding off or switching off? The use of popular media as a sleep aid in secondary-school children.

PubMed

Eggermont, Steven; Van den Bulck, Jan

2006-01-01

To describe the use of media as a sleep aid in adolescents and relate this to their sleep routines and feelings of tiredness. A questionnaire about using media as a sleep aid, media presence in bedrooms, time to bed and time out of bed on average weekdays and average weekend days, and questions regarding level of tiredness in the morning, at school, after a day at school and after the weekend was completed by 2546 seventh and 10th grade children in a random sample of 15 schools. Of the adolescents, 36.7% reported watching television to help them fall asleep. In total, 28.2% of the boys and 14.7% of the girls used computer games as a sleep aid. Music was used to fall asleep by 60.2% of the adolescents in this sample. About half of the adolescents read books to fall asleep. Except for reading books, using media as a sleep aid is negatively related to respondents' time to bed on weekdays, their number of hours of sleep per week and their self-reported level of tiredness. Using media as a sleep aid appears to be common practice among adolescents. Those who reported using music, television, and computer games more often as a sleeping aid slept fewer hours and were significantly more tired.

Passive gas-gap heat switch for adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shirron, Peter J. (Inventor); Di Pirro, Michael J. (Inventor)

2005-01-01

A passive gas-gap heat switch for use with a multi-stage continuous adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR). The passive gas-gap heat switch turns on automatically when the temperature of either side of the switch rises above a threshold value and turns off when the temperature on either side of the switch falls below this threshold value. One of the heat switches in this multistage process must be conductive in the 0.25? K to 0.3? K range. All of the heat switches must be capable of switching off in a short period of time (1-2 minutes), and when off to have a very low thermal conductance. This arrangement allows cyclic cooling cycles to be used without the need for separate heat switch controls.

The importance of an underestimated grazer under climate change: how crab density, consumer competition, and physical stress affect salt marsh resilience.

PubMed

Angelini, Christine; van Montfrans, Schuyler G; Hensel, Marc J S; He, Qiang; Silliman, Brian R

2018-05-01

Climate change and consumer outbreaks are driving ecosystem collapse worldwide. Although much research has demonstrated that these factors can interact, how heterogeneity in top-down control intensity and physical forcing modulates ecosystem resilience to climate stress remains poorly understood. Here, we explore whether the nocturnal herbivorous crab Sesarma reticulatum can control spatially dominant cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) growth and how its top-down effects vary with crab density, drought stress, and large-scale disturbance in southeastern US salt marshes. In multiple field experiments and surveys, we show that Sesarma depresses cordgrass growth and that its effects increase in a saturating manner with increasing crab density, such that the highest naturally occurring densities of this consumer can trigger local cordgrass die-off. This top-down effect of Sesarma is similar in magnitude to what is thought to be the dominant grazer in the system, the marsh periwinkle snail Littoraria irrorata. In a drought stress by Sesarma density experiment, we further show that salinity stress and intensive crab herbivory additively suppress cordgrass drought resistance. After drought subsides, surveys and experiments reveal that Sesarma also stifles cordgrass re-growth into existing die-off areas. Together, these results show that multiple grazers powerfully regulate the productivity and drought resilience of these intertidal grasslands and that heterogeneity in physical stress and consumer density can dictate when and where top-down forcing is important. More generally, this work provides a rare, experimental demonstration of the critical role top-down control can play across the initiation and recovery stages of ecosystem die-off.

Boosted one dimensional fermionic superfluids on a lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ray, Sayonee; Mukerjee, Subroto; Shenoy, Vijay B.

2017-09-01

We study the effect of a boost (Fermi sea displaced by a finite momentum) on one dimensional systems of lattice fermions with short-ranged interactions. In the absence of a boost such systems with attractive interactions possess algebraic superconducting order. Motivated by physics in higher dimensions, one might naively expect a boost to weaken and ultimately destroy superconductivity. However, we show that for one dimensional systems the effect of the boost can be to strengthen the algebraic superconducting order by making correlation functions fall off more slowly with distance. This phenomenon can manifest in interesting ways, for example, a boost can produce a Luther-Emery phase in a system with both charge and spin gaps by engendering the destruction of the former.

A review on polyamide thin film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes: History, applications, challenges and approaches.

PubMed

Lau, W J; Gray, Stephen; Matsuura, T; Emadzadeh, D; Chen, J Paul; Ismail, A F

2015-09-01

This review focuses on the development of polyamide (PA) thin film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes for various aqueous media-based separation processes such as nanofiltration, reverse osmosis and forward osmosis since the concept of TFN was introduced in year 2007. Although the total number of published TFN articles falls far short of the articles of the well-known thin film composite (TFC) membranes, its growth rate is significant, particularly since 2012. Generally, by incorporating an appropriate amount of nanofiller into a thin selective PA layer of a composite membrane, one could produce TFN membranes with enhanced separation characteristics as compared to the conventional TFC membrane. For certain cases, the resulting TFN membranes demonstrate not only excellent antifouling resistance and/or greater antibacterial effect, but also possibly overcome the trade-off effect between water permeability and solute selectivity. Furthermore, this review attempts to give the readers insights into the difficulties of incorporating inorganic nanomaterials into the organic PA layer whose thickness usually falls in a range of several-hundred nanometers. It is also intended to show new possible approaches to overcome these challenges in TFN membrane fabrication. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Economic aspects of addiction policy.

PubMed

Maynard, A

1986-05-01

One definition of policy or government action in the Oxford English Dictionary is "craftiness" i.e. cunning or deceit. Such qualities have to be employed by governments because of the potential vote-losing effects of radical addiction policies. Health promotion, in relation to addictive substances such as alcohol and tobacco in particular, involves a trade-off between the costs of such policies, especially to industry (which seeks regulation to protect itself from competitors), and the benefits--improvements in the quality and length of life. Measures of such benefits (quality-adjusted life-years or QALYs) are available now to use in the evaluation of competing health promotion policies to determine their efficiency at the margin. Analysis of the market for tobacco indicates that consumption has been falling generally in the UK except among teenagers who appear to be the target of the industry's advertising and sponsorship efforts. This fall in consumption appears to be explained by health promotion rather than the active use of fiscal instruments of control. The recognition of the health effects of passive smoking and the impact of advertising and sponsorship, especially on the young, are policy areas requiring careful review and the evaluation of the costs and benefits of competing policies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acoustically levitated dancing drops: Self-excited oscillation to chaotic shedding.

PubMed

Lin, Po-Cheng; I, Lin

2016-02-01

We experimentally demonstrate self-excited oscillation and shedding of millimeter-sized water drops, acoustically levitated in a single-node standing waves cavity, by decreasing the steady acoustic wave intensity below a threshold. The perturbation of the acoustic field by drop motion is a possible source for providing an effective negative damping for sustaining the growing amplitude of the self-excited motion. Its further interplay with surface tension, drop inertia, gravity and acoustic intensities, select various self-excited modes for different size of drops and acoustic intensity. The large drop exhibits quasiperiodic motion from a vertical mode and a zonal mode with growing coupling, as oscillation amplitudes grow, until falling on the floor. For small drops, chaotic oscillations constituted by several broadened sectorial modes and corresponding zonal modes are self-excited. The growing oscillation amplitude leads to droplet shedding from the edges of highly stretched lobes, where surface tension no longer holds the rapid expanding flow.

Acoustically levitated dancing drops: Self-excited oscillation to chaotic shedding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Po-Cheng; I, Lin

2016-02-01

We experimentally demonstrate self-excited oscillation and shedding of millimeter-sized water drops, acoustically levitated in a single-node standing waves cavity, by decreasing the steady acoustic wave intensity below a threshold. The perturbation of the acoustic field by drop motion is a possible source for providing an effective negative damping for sustaining the growing amplitude of the self-excited motion. Its further interplay with surface tension, drop inertia, gravity and acoustic intensities, select various self-excited modes for different size of drops and acoustic intensity. The large drop exhibits quasiperiodic motion from a vertical mode and a zonal mode with growing coupling, as oscillation amplitudes grow, until falling on the floor. For small drops, chaotic oscillations constituted by several broadened sectorial modes and corresponding zonal modes are self-excited. The growing oscillation amplitude leads to droplet shedding from the edges of highly stretched lobes, where surface tension no longer holds the rapid expanding flow.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of oral fentanyl formulations for breakthrough cancer pain treatment

PubMed Central

Cortesi, Paolo Angelo; D’Angiolella, Lucia Sara; Vellucci, Renato; Allegri, Massimo; Casale, Giuseppe; Favaretti, Carlo; Kheiraoui, Flavia; Cesana, Giancarlo; Mantovani, Lorenzo Giovanni

2017-01-01

Breakthrough cancer Pain (BTcP) has a high prevalence in cancer population. Patients with BTcP reported relevant health care costs and poor quality of life. The study assessed the cost-effectiveness of the available Oral Fentanyl Formulations (OFFs) for BTcP in Italy. A decision-analytical model was developed to estimate costs and benefits associated with treatments, from the Italian NHS perspective. Expected reductions in pain intensity per BTcP episodes were translated into, percentage of BTcP reduction, resource use and Quality-Adjusted-Life-Years (QALYs). Relative efficacy, resources used and unit costs data were derived from the literature and validated by clinical experts. Probabilistic and deterministic sensitivity analyses were performed. At base-case analysis, Sublingual Fentanyl Citrate (FCSL) compared to other oral formulations reported a lower patient’s cost (€1,960.8) and a higher efficacy (18.7% of BTcP avoided and 0.0507 QALYs gained). The sensitivity analyses confirmed the main results in all tested scenarios, with the highest impact reported by BTcP duration and health care resources consumption parameters. Between OFFs, FCSL is the cost-effective option due to faster reduction of pain intensity. However, new research is needed to better understand the economic and epidemiologic impact of BTcP, and to collect more robust data on economic and quality of life impact of the different fentanyl formulations. Different fentanyl formulations are available to manage BTcP in cancer population. The study is the first that assesses the different impact in terms of cost and effectiveness of OFFs, providing new information to better allocate the resources available to treat BTcP and highlighting the need of better data. PMID:28654672

Water quality determination by photographic analysis. [optical density and water turbidity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klooster, S. A.; Scherz, J. P.

1973-01-01

Aerial reconnaissance techniques to extract water quality parameters from aerial photos are reported. The turbidity can be correlated with total suspended solids if the constituent parts of the effluent remain the same and the volumetric flow remains relatively constant. A monochromator is used for the selection of the bandwidths containing the most information. White reflectance panels are used to locate sampling points and eliminate inherent energy changes from lens flare, radial lens fall-off, and changing subject illumination. Misleading information resulting from bottom effects is avoided by the use of Secchi disc readings and proper choice of wavelength for analyzing the photos.

Spontaneous CP breaking in QCD and the axion potential: an effective Lagrangian approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Vecchia, Paolo; Rossi, Giancarlo; Veneziano, Gabriele; Yankielowicz, Shimon

2017-12-01

Using the well-known low-energy effective Lagrangian of QCD — valid for small (non-vanishing) quark masses and a large number of colors — we study in detail the regions of parameter space where CP is spontaneously broken/unbroken for a vacuum angle θ = π. In the CP broken region there are first order phase transitions as one crosses θ = π, while on the (hyper)surface separating the two regions, there are second order phase transitions signalled by the vanishing of the mass of a pseudo Nambu-Goldstone boson and by a divergent QCD topological susceptibility. The second order point sits at the end of a first order line associated with the CP spontaneous breaking, in the appropriate complex parameter plane. When the effective Lagrangian is extended by the inclusion of an axion these features of QCD imply that standard calculations of the axion potential have to be revised if the QCD parameters fall in the above mentioned CP broken region, in spite of the fact that the axion solves the strong- CP problem. These last results could be of interest for axionic dark matter calculations if the topological susceptibility of pure Yang-Mills theory falls off sufficiently fast when temperature is increased towards the QCD deconfining transition.

[Discussion on reduction potential of CH4 emission intensity for early off-take practice of grazing yak].

PubMed

Wang, Shi-Ping; Wilkes, Andreas; Wang, Ya-Yun; Bai, Ling

2014-08-01

The case study preliminarily compared the CH4 reduction potential and CH4 emission intensity of 7 year-old and 4 year-old grazing yak after early off-take practice based on the 2006 IPCC GHG inventory guidelines and under the premise of equal herbage consumption. Our results showed that the total CH4 emission was greater by about 86.3 kg for 2.1 4-year yaks compared with 7 years old yak during their life assuming that their total herbage consumption was the same, because total herbage consumption for a 7-year yak was equal to that of 2.1 4-year yaks. However, CH4 emission per unit body weight (1.374 kg x kg(-1)) for a 7-year yak (i. e. emission intensity) was higher than that of 2.1 4-year yaks (0.973 kg x kg(-1)) because total body weight of 2.1 4-year yaks was higher by 192 kg than that of a 7-year yak. According to CH4 emission intensity, change of the early off-take practice from 7-year to 4-year yak could reduce 77 kg CH4 if producing 192 kg body weight through 2.1 4-year yaks compared with a 7-year yak, i. e. reduction potential was about 1 600 kg CO2 equivalent under the same consuming forage. Therefore, for grassland-based animal husbandry, early off-take practice for grazing animals had a great reduction potential in the intensity of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions per unit output rather than total emissions of GHGs.

How Do River Meanders Change with Sea Level Rise and Fall?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scamardo, J. E.; Kim, W.

2016-12-01

River meander patterns are controlled by numerous factors, including variations in water discharge, sediment input, and base level. However, the effect of sea level rise and fall on meandering rivers has not been thoroughly quantified. This study examines geomorphic changes to meandering rivers as a result of sea level rise and fall. Twenty experimental runs using coarse-grained walnut shell sediment (D50= 500 microns) in a flume tank (2.4m x 0.6m x 0.1m) tested the optimal initial conditions for creating meandering rivers in a laboratory setting as well as variations in base level rise and fall rates. Geomorphic changes were recorded by camera images every 20 seconds for a duration of 4 hours per experiment. Seventeen experiments tested the effects of changes in initial base levels, water discharge between 200 and 400 mL/min, and sediment to water input ratios between 1:1000 and 1:250 while measuring sinuosity, channel geometry, and the timescale of the channel to reach a stable form. Sinuosity and channel activity increased with increasing water discharge, initial base level, and the sediment to water ratio to a point after which the activity decreased with increasing sediment input. Base-level change experiments used initial conditions of 400 mL/min, a 1:750 sediment to water input ratio, and a 6 cm initial base-level to induce river meanders for the initial 2 hours before base-level change occurred. Three separate experiments investigated the effects of increasing rates of sea level change: 0.07 cm/min, 0.1 cm/min, and 0.2 cm/min. Experimental sea level was decreased constantly from a high-stand of 6 cm to a low-stand of 2 cm back to the high-stand base-level in each experiment. The rates of change in the experiments scale roughly from central to glacial cycles. In all three experiments, sea level fall induced meander cut-off while sea level rise prompted greater rates of meander bend erosion and meander growth. Sinuosity increased by 12%, 13.5%, and 24%, respectively in the three experiments, with most sinuosity changes occurring in the downstream reach of the channel. These experiments could provide insight into long term effects of sea level change on modern meandering fluvial systems as well as provide a key to interpreting past fluvial changes in the stratigraphic record.

Feasibility study of an intensity-modulated radiation model for the study of erectile dysfunction.

PubMed

Koontz, Bridget F; Yan, Hui; Kimura, Masaki; Vujaskovic, Zeljko; Donatucci, Craig; Yin, Fang-Fang

2011-02-01

Preclinical studies of radiotherapy (RT) induced erectile dysfunction (ED) have been limited by radiation toxicity when using large fields. To develop a protocol of rat prostate irradiation using techniques mimicking the current clinical standard of intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Quality assurance (QA) testing of plan accuracy, animal health 9 weeks after RT, and intracavernosal pressure (ICP) measurement on cavernosal nerve stimulation. Computed tomography-based planning was used to develop a stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatment plan for five young adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Two treatment planning strategies were utilized to deliver 20 Gy in a single fraction: three-dimensional dynamic conformal arc and intensity-modulated arc (RapidArc). QA testing was performed for each plan type. Treatment was delivered using a NovalisTX (Varian Medical Systems) with high-definition multi-leaf collimators using on-board imaging prior to treatment. Each animal was evaluated for ED 2 months after treatment by nerve stimulation and ICP measurement. The mean prostate volume and target volume (5 mm expansion of prostate) for the five animals was 0.36 and 0.66 cm3, respectively. Both conformal and RapidArc plans provided at least 95% coverage of the target volume, with rapid dose fall-off. QA plans demonstrated strong agreement between doses of calculated and delivered plans, although the conformal arc plan was more homogenous in treatment delivery. Treatment was well tolerated by the animals with no toxicity out to 9 weeks. Compared with control animals, significant reduction in ICP/mean arterial pressure, maximum ICP, and ICP area under the curve were noted. Tightly conformal dynamic arc prostate irradiation is feasible and results in minimal toxicity and measurable changes in erectile function. © 2010 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Electron scattering intensities and Patterson functions of Skyrmions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karliner, M.; King, C.; Manton, N. S.

2016-06-01

The scattering of electrons off nuclei is one of the best methods of probing nuclear structure. In this paper we focus on electron scattering off nuclei with spin and isospin zero within the Skyrme model. We consider two distinct methods and simplify our calculations by use of the Born approximation. The first method is to calculate the form factor of the spherically averaged Skyrmion charge density; the second uses the Patterson function to calculate the scattering intensity off randomly oriented Skyrmions, and spherically averages at the end. We compare our findings with experimental scattering data. We also find approximate analytical formulae for the first zero and first stationary point of a form factor.

The inescapable smart impact detection system (ISIS): An ubiquitous and personalized fall detector based on a distributed 'divide and conquer strategy'.

PubMed

Prado-Velasco, Manuel; del Rio-Cidoncha, Maria Gloria; Ortiz-Marin, Rafael

2008-01-01

Despite the intense research in the last decade with the aim of developing a reliable solution for fall detection in the elderly and other risk populations, it can be asserted that the diffusion of fall detectors in the geriatric practice is near null. This scenario is similar to the very scarce use of telemedicine in healthcare. The present work begins analyzing why fall detectors have not achieved to permeate the industry. That road is used to know the drawbacks of current devices and systems, besides to allow studying several important concepts underlying the principles of fall detection. A novel smart detection system based on that survey is finally briefly presented. The design of this device is founded on the experience and results obtained by an earlier device that was designed in the framework of the thesis of one of the authors.

Association of fall history with the Timed Up and Go test score and the dual task cost: A cross-sectional study among independent community-dwelling older adults.

PubMed

Asai, Tsuyoshi; Oshima, Kensuke; Fukumoto, Yoshihiro; Yonezawa, Yuri; Matsuo, Asuka; Misu, Shogo

2018-05-21

To investigate the associations between fall history and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test (single-TUG test), TUG test while counting aloud backwards from 100 (dual-TUG test) and the dual-task cost (DTC) among independent community-dwelling older adults. This cross-sectional study included 537 older adults who lived independently in the community. Data on fall history in the previous year were obtained by self-administrated questionnaire. The single- and dual-TUG tests were carried out, and the DTC value was computed from these results. Associations between fall history and these TUG-related values were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression models. The participants were divided into fall risk groups using the cut-off values of those significantly associated with falling, and the odds ratios (OR) were computed. Slower single-TUG test scores and lower DTC values were significantly associated with fall history after adjusting for potential confounders (single-TUG test score: OR 1.133, 95% CI 1.029-1.249; DTC value: OR 0.984, 95% CI 0.968-0.998). Older adults with slower single-TUG test scores and lower DTC values reported a fall history more often than those in other categories (OR compared with the lower-risk single-TUG and lower-risk DTC groups: 3.474, 95% CI 1.881-6.570). Slower single-TUG test scores and lower DTC values are associated with fall history among independent community-dwelling older adults. To some extent, dual task performance might provide added value for fall assessment, compared with administering the TUG test alone. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; ••: ••-••. © 2018 Japan Geriatrics Society.

[Development of a portable fall risk index for elderly people living in the community].

PubMed

Toba, Kenji; Okochi, Jiro; Takahashi, Tai; Matsubayashi, Kozo; Nishinaga, Masanori; Yamada, Shizuru; Takahashi, Ryutaro; Nishijima, Reiko; Kobayashi, Yoshio; Machida, Ayako; Akishita, Masahiro; Sasaki, Hidetada

2005-05-01

To develop a portable risk index for falls. Risk factors were chosen from previously established factors then we added several environmental factors to the risk index; previous falls in the last 12 month, trippig or stumbling, inability to ascend or descend stairs without help, decreased walking speed, inability to cross a road within the green signal interval, inability to walk 1km without a break, inability to stand on one leg for 5 seconds (eyes open), using a cane, inability to wring out a towel, dizziness or faintness, stooped or rounded back, knee joint pain, visual disturbance, hearing disturbance, cognitive decline, fear of falling, receiving 5 or more prescribed drugs, sensation of darkness at home, obstacles inside, barrier on the carpet or floor, using steps daily at home, steep slopes around home. The questionnaire sheet was completed by 2,439 community-dwelling elderly subjects (76.3 +/- 7.4 years old). The frequency of each items of fall risk index was compared between fallers (history of fall within one year) and non-fallers. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for previous falls. Except barrier, step use and steep slope around home, all items in the fall risk index were more frequent in fallers. Multivariate analysis revealed that tripping or stumbling, inability to cross a road within the green signal interval, dizziness or faintness, obstacles inside, inability to wring out a towel, cane use and knee joint pain were independent risk factors for previous falls. These 7 selected items were further analyzed as predictors. The maximum sum of sensitivity and specificity was reached at the cut-off point of 2/3 (sensitivity 0.65, specificity 0.72) by receiver operating curve. Portable fall risk index is useful for clinical settings to identify high-risk subjects.

Effect of antecedent-hydrological conditions on rainfall triggering of debris flows in ash-fall pyroclastic mantled slopes of Campania (southern Italy)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Napolitano, E.; Fusco, F; Baum, Rex L.; Godt, Jonathan W.; De Vita, P.

2016-01-01

Mountainous areas surrounding the Campanian Plain and the Somma-Vesuvius volcano (southern Italy) are among the most risky areas of Italy due to the repeated occurrence of rainfallinduced debris flows along ash-fall pyroclastic soil-mantled slopes. In this geomorphological framework, rainfall patterns, hydrological processes taking place within multi-layered ash-fall pyroclastic deposits and soil antecedent moisture status are the principal factors to be taken into account to assess triggering rainfall conditions and the related hazard. This paper presents the outcomes of an experimental study based on integrated analyses consisting of the reconstruction of physical models of landslides, in situ hydrological monitoring, and hydrological and slope stability modeling, carried out on four representative source areas of debris flows that occurred in May 1998 in the Sarno Mountain Range. The hydrological monitoring was carried out during 2011 using nests of tensiometers and Watermark pressure head sensors and also through a rainfall and air temperature recording station. Time series of measured pressure head were used to calibrate a hydrological numerical model of the pyroclastic soil mantle for 2011, which was re-run for a 12-year period beginning in 2000, given the availability of rainfall and air temperature monitoring data. Such an approach allowed us to reconstruct the regime of pressure head at a daily time scale for a long period, which is representative of about 11 hydrologic years with different meteorological conditions. Based on this simulated time series, average winter and summer hydrological conditions were chosen to carry out hydrological and stability modeling of sample slopes and to identify Intensity- Duration rainfall thresholds by a deterministic approach. Among principal results, the opposing winter and summer antecedent pressure head (soil moisture) conditions were found to exert a significant control on intensity and duration of rainfall triggering events. Going from winter to summer conditions requires a strong increase of intensity and/or duration to induce landslides. The results identify an approach to account for different hazard conditions related to seasonality of hydrological processes inside the ash-fall pyroclastic soil mantle. Moreover, they highlight another important factor of uncertainty that potentially affects rainfall thresholds triggering shallow landslides reconstructed by empirical approaches.

Medication and trial duration influence postural and pointing parameters during a standing repetitive pointing task in individuals with Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Jehu, Deborah A; Cantù, Hiram; Hill, Allen; Paquette, Caroline; Côté, Julie N; Nantel, Julie

2018-01-01

We aimed to determine the effects of levodopa medication on the performance of a repetitive pointing task while standing, and to investigate the optimal trial duration in individuals with Parkinson's disease, and older adults. Seventeen individuals with Parkinson's disease (5 freezers) and 9 older adults stood on force platforms for 30 s and 120 s while performing a bilateral repetitive pointing task, tracked by motion capture. Participants with Parkinson's disease were assessed on and off medication and older adults were also assessed on separate days. The main findings were that: 1) on medication, participants with Parkinson's exhibited greater center of pressure root mean square in the medial-lateral direction, greater velocity in the medial-lateral and anterior-posterior directions, and greater range in the medial-lateral direction than off medication; 2) longer trial durations resulted in greater center of pressure range in the medial-lateral and anterior-posterior directions and greater coefficient of variation in finger pointing on the least affected side; 3) Parkinson's participants exhibited larger range in the medial-lateral direction compared to older adults; 4) off medication, freezers presented with less range and root mean square in the anterior-posterior direction than non-freezers; and 5) a correlation emerged between the freezing of gait questionnaire and pointing asymmetry and the coefficient of variation of pointing on the most affected side. Therefore, Parkinson's medication may increase instability during a repetitive pointing task. Longer trials may provide a better depiction of sway by discriminating between those with and without neurological impairment. Individuals with Parkinson's were less stable than older adults, supporting that they are at a greater risk for falls. The greater restrictive postural strategy in freezers compared to non-freezers is likely a factor that augments fall-risk. Lastly, the link between freezing of gait and upper-limb movement indicates that freezing may manifest first in the lower-limbs.

Strategic adjustment of begging effort by banded mongoose pups.

PubMed

Bell, Matthew B V

2008-06-07

Variation in the intensity of conspicuous displays raises three basic questions: (i) the relationship between internal state and display intensity, (ii) the relationship between display intensity and receiver response, and (iii) the effect of variation in receiver responsiveness on signaller behaviour. Here, I investigate the interaction between pups and helpers in the communally breeding banded mongoose (Mungos mungo), where each pup forms an exclusive relationship with a single adult helper (termed its 'escort'). By experimentally manipulating pup need, I demonstrate that changes in begging rate correspond to changes in short-term need. The data then suggest that escorts in good condition may be more responsive to increased begging and that pups associating with them increase their begging more than do pups paired with escorts in poor condition. Escorts also appear more responsive to increased begging by female pups, and female pups increase their begging more than do male pups. These results suggest that banded mongoose pups may strategically adjust their investment in begging in relation to variation in the expected pay-off. I argue that such adjustment is likely to be a general phenomenon: wherever there is variation in responsiveness to signals, signallers will be selected to identify different categories of receiver and adjust their signals in order to maximize the pay-offs. Therefore, differences in signal intensity may be as much a product of context as an indication of variation in individual phenotypic or genotypic state.

Anomalous inverse bremsstrahlung heating of laser-driven plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kundu, Mrityunjay

2016-05-01

Absorption of laser light in plasma via electron-ion collision (inverse bremsstrahlung) is known to decrease with the laser intensity as I 0 -3/2 or with the electron temperature as T e -3/2 where Coulomb logarithm ln Λ = 0.5ln(1 + k 2 min/k 2 max) in the expression of electron-ion collision frequency v ei is assumed to be independent of ponderomotive velocity v 0 = E0/ω which is unjustified. Here k -1 min = v th/max(ω, ω p), and k -1 max = Z/v 2 th are maximum and minimum cut-off distances of the colliding electron from the ion, v th = √T e is its thermal velocity, ω, ω p are laser and plasma frequency. Earlier with a total velocity v = (v 2 0 + v 2 th)1/2 dependent ln Λ(v) it was reported that v ei and corresponding fractional laser absorption (α) initially increases with increasing intensity, reaches a maximum value, and then fall according to the conventional I 0 -3/2 scaling. This anomalous increase in v ei and α may be objected due to an artifact introduced in ln Λ(v) through k-1 min ∝ v. Here we show similar anomalous increase of v ei and α versus I 0 (in the low temperature and under-dense density regime) with quantum and classical kinetic models of v ei without using ln Λ, but a proper choice of the total velocity dependent inverse cut-off length kmax -1 ∝ v 2 (in classical case) or kmax ∝ v (in quantum case). For a given I 0 < 5 × 1014Wcm-2, v ei versus T e also exhibits so far unnoticed identical anomalous increase as v ei versus Io, even if the conventional k max ∝ v2 th, or k max ∝ v th is chosen. However, for higher T e > 15 eV, anomalous growth of vei and a disappear. The total velocity dependent k max in kinetic models, as proposed here, may explain anomalous increase of a with I 0 measured in some earlier laser-plasma experiments. This work may be important to understand collisional absorption in the under-dense pre-plasma region due to low intensity pre-pulses and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) pedestal in the context of laser induced inertial confinement fusion.

Progressive Resistance and Balance Training for Falls Prevention in Long-Term Residential Aged Care: A Cluster Randomized Trial of the Sunbeam Program.

PubMed

Hewitt, Jennifer; Goodall, Stephen; Clemson, Lindy; Henwood, Timothy; Refshauge, Kathryn

2018-04-01

Falls prevention is an international priority, and residents of long-term aged care fall approximately 3 times more often than community dwellers. There is a relative scarcity of published trials in this setting. Our objective was to undertake a randomized controlled trial to test the effect of published best practice exercise in long-term residential aged care. The trial was designed to determine if combined high level balance and moderate intensity progressive resistance training (the Sunbeam Program) is effective in reducing the rate of falls in residents of aged care facilities. A cluster randomized controlled trial of 16 residential aged care facilities and 221 participants was conducted. The broad inclusion criterion was permanent residents of aged care. Exclusions were diagnosed terminal illness, no medical clearance, permanent bed- or wheelchair-bound status, advanced Parkinson's disease, or insufficient cognition to participate in group exercise. Assessments were taken at baseline, after intervention, and at 12 months. Randomization was performed by computer-generated sequence to receive either the Sunbeam program or usual care. A cluster refers to an aged care facility. The program consisted of individually prescribed progressive resistance training plus balance exercise performed in a group setting for 50 hours over a 25-week period, followed by a maintenance period for 6 months. The primary outcome measure was the rate of falls (number of falls and days followed up). Secondary outcomes included physical performance (Short Physical Performance Battery), quality of life (36-item Short-Form Health Survey), functional mobility (University of Alabama Life Space Assessment), fear of falling (Falls Efficacy Scale International), and cognition (Addenbrooke's Cognitive Evaluation-revised). The rate of falls was reduced by 55% in the exercise group (incidence rate ratio = 0.45, 95% confidence interval 0.17-0.74); an improvement was also seen in physical performance (P = .02). There were no serious adverse events. The Sunbeam Program significantly reduced the rate of falls and improved physical performance in residents of aged care. This finding is important as prior work in this setting has returned inconsistent outcomes, resulting in best practice guidelines being cautious about recommending exercise in this setting. This work provides an opportunity to improve clinical practice and health outcomes for long-term care residents. Copyright © 2017 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cultural Resources Intensive Survey, With Testing, of the Millington, Naval Base Levee Construction Site, Millington Shelby County, Tennessee.

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-01-01

terraces, and fall and spring migratory waterfowl in areas of seasonally standing water . Hickory nuts thus appear to be the most strategic resource, * in...for agriculture . Such soils are difficult to work until late in the planting season, are subject to wet-year moisture damage to crops, and provide an...effective barrier to root growth during dry years. Prehistoric agricultural activities tend to focus on better-drained soils such as Collins, Memphis

Protein structure prediction with local adjust tabu search algorithm

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Protein folding structure prediction is one of the most challenging problems in the bioinformatics domain. Because of the complexity of the realistic protein structure, the simplified structure model and the computational method should be adopted in the research. The AB off-lattice model is one of the simplification models, which only considers two classes of amino acids, hydrophobic (A) residues and hydrophilic (B) residues. Results The main work of this paper is to discuss how to optimize the lowest energy configurations in 2D off-lattice model and 3D off-lattice model by using Fibonacci sequences and real protein sequences. In order to avoid falling into local minimum and faster convergence to the global minimum, we introduce a novel method (SATS) to the protein structure problem, which combines simulated annealing algorithm and tabu search algorithm. Various strategies, such as the new encoding strategy, the adaptive neighborhood generation strategy and the local adjustment strategy, are adopted successfully for high-speed searching the optimal conformation corresponds to the lowest energy of the protein sequences. Experimental results show that some of the results obtained by the improved SATS are better than those reported in previous literatures, and we can sure that the lowest energy folding state for short Fibonacci sequences have been found. Conclusions Although the off-lattice models is not very realistic, they can reflect some important characteristics of the realistic protein. It can be found that 3D off-lattice model is more like native folding structure of the realistic protein than 2D off-lattice model. In addition, compared with some previous researches, the proposed hybrid algorithm can more effectively and more quickly search the spatial folding structure of a protein chain. PMID:25474708

Determining the Carrier-Envelope Phase of Intense Few-Cycle Laser Pulses

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

Mackenroth, F.; Di Piazza, A.; Keitel, C. H.

2010-08-06

The electromagnetic radiation emitted by an ultrarelativistic accelerated electron is extremely sensitive to the precise shape of the field driving the electron. We show that the angular distribution of the photons emitted by an electron via multiphoton Compton scattering off an intense (I>10{sup 20} W/cm{sup 2}), few-cycle laser pulse provides a direct way of determining the carrier-envelope phase of the driving laser field. Our calculations take into account exactly the laser field, include relativistic and quantum effects and are in principle applicable to presently available and future foreseen ultrastrong laser facilities.

Review of the circulation in the Beibu Gulf, South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Jingsong; Wu, Guidan; Ya, Hanzheng

2017-04-01

Although Beibu Gulf holds a significant geographical location and is rich in fishery resources, it has attracted only limited attention from researchers in recent decades. This study summarizes the conclusions based on the observations and model results regarding the circulation and cold water mass in the Beibu Gulf to provide a reference for further research. Affected by wind and density gradient, the spring circulation may be gulf-scale cyclonic and nested with an enclosed cyclonic gyre in the northern gulf and unclosed cyclonic gyre in the southern gulf. Meanwhile, the mechanisms of summer circulation remain controversial. Along with the results of a new numerical model, historical observations suggest that summer circulation is cyclonic and anticyclonic in the northern and southern gulfs, respectively. The northern and southern gulfs are mainly influenced by wind stress curl and South China Sea current, respectively. Similarly, although different views regarding the structure of winter circulation have been presented, a large amount of evidence supports the existence of two cyclonic gyres in the northern and southern gulfs. In addition, a southwestward current off the northwestern coast of Hainan Island is present. The circulation structure in the fall is similar to that in winter. However, the cyclonic gyre in the southern Gulf has a greater tendency to intrude northwards into the Beibu Gulf in fall than in winter, and the currents off the coast of Vietnam and the northwestern coast of Hainan Island are weaker in fall than those in winter. Most studies indicate that winter boreal circulation is driven by the monsoon wind. The most recent observations and model results suggest that the current in the Qiongzhou Strait (QS) is eastward on certain days in the boreal summer and is affected by the difference between the sea levels of the two ends of the QS and tidal rectification. Correspondingly, the volume transport is approximately -0.1 Sv (minus sign represents westward) in spring and from -0.1 to -0.4 Sv in boreal winter. By contrast, the volume transport in summer remains controversial. The cold water mass in the Beibu Gulf is generated locally in spring, matures in summer, and disappears in fall. Heat flux and wind dominate the formation of the cold water mass, and tidal mixing and topographic effects influence the variations in the cold water mass.

Characteristics of ZnO nanostructures synthesized by sonochemical reaction: Effects of continuous and pulse waves

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

Widiyastuti, W., E-mail: widi@chem-eng.its.ac.id; Machmudah, Siti; Kusdianto,

Nanostructured ZnO was synthesized by a sonochemical reaction. Ultrasonic irradiation were set up in continuous, pulse in 3 seconds on and a second off (on:off=3:1), and pulse in 2 seconds on and a second off (on:off=2:1) wave modes for 1.5 hours. The characteristics of particles generated by these modes such as morphology, crystallinity, FTIR, photoluminescence, and photocatalytic activity to degrade methylene blue were compared. Zinc nitrate and ammonia water-based solutions were selected as chemicals without the addition of other surfactants. The morphology of the generated ZnO particles could be tuned from flower-like, needle- or hairy-like, and spherical structures by changingmore » the mode of ultrasonic irradiation from continuous, on:off=3:1, and on:off=2:1 modes, respectively. The generated particles indicated that a wurtzite structure of ZnO in a hexagonal phase was formed. The crystalline sizes of particles generated in continuous, on:off=3:1, and on:off=2:1 modes were 28, 27, 24 nm. A similar position of reduction peak of FTIR in all samples indicated that no differences in particles chemical bonding characteristics. Photoluminescence intensity was also decreased with changes the wave mode from continuous to pulse. Photocatalytic activity was also evaluated resulting in particles synthesized by continuous mode had the highest methylene blue degradation degree following by on:off=3:1, and on:off=2:1 modes.« less

Characteristics of ZnO nanostructures synthesized by sonochemical reaction: Effects of continuous and pulse waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widiyastuti, W.; Machmudah, Siti; Kusdianto, Nurtono, Tantular; Winardi, Sugeng

2015-12-01

Nanostructured ZnO was synthesized by a sonochemical reaction. Ultrasonic irradiation were set up in continuous, pulse in 3 seconds on and a second off (on:off=3:1), and pulse in 2 seconds on and a second off (on:off=2:1) wave modes for 1.5 hours. The characteristics of particles generated by these modes such as morphology, crystallinity, FTIR, photoluminescence, and photocatalytic activity to degrade methylene blue were compared. Zinc nitrate and ammonia water-based solutions were selected as chemicals without the addition of other surfactants. The morphology of the generated ZnO particles could be tuned from flower-like, needle- or hairy-like, and spherical structures by changing the mode of ultrasonic irradiation from continuous, on:off=3:1, and on:off=2:1 modes, respectively. The generated particles indicated that a wurtzite structure of ZnO in a hexagonal phase was formed. The crystalline sizes of particles generated in continuous, on:off=3:1, and on:off=2:1 modes were 28, 27, 24 nm. A similar position of reduction peak of FTIR in all samples indicated that no differences in particles chemical bonding characteristics. Photoluminescence intensity was also decreased with changes the wave mode from continuous to pulse. Photocatalytic activity was also evaluated resulting in particles synthesized by continuous mode had the highest methylene blue degradation degree following by on:off=3:1, and on:off=2:1 modes.

Growing trees where trees grow best: short-term research sheds light on long-term productivity.

Treesearch

Jonathan Thompson

2008-01-01

In 1999, the Fall River Long-Term Site Productivity study began in coastal Washington to investigate how intensive management practices affect soil processes and forest productivity. By comparing conventional harvests to more intensive wood removal treatments, researchers are answering long-standing questions about how residual organic matter influences future growth....

Design of Automatic Intensity Varying Smart Street Lighting System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Ashutosh; Gupta, Shipra

2017-08-01

The paper is proposed with an aim of power conservation. In this era of development, it is essential to develop a streetlight that turns on and off automatically without human interference. To achieve this light sensor have been placed in each panel which turns the street light on and off automatically. For energy conservation cool-white LED’s have been used in street light panel and dimmer modules have been installed which changes the intensity of the streetlight depending on the darkness.

Variability in Time and Space of Meloidogyne incognita Fall Population Density in Cotton Fields

PubMed Central

Wheeler, Terry A.; Baugh, Brant; Kaufman, Harold; Schuster, Greta; Siders, Kerry

2000-01-01

Three cotton fields infested with Meloidogyne incognita were intensively sampled in the fall for 3 years (1996 to 1998) to determine if intensive sampling for M. incognita, for which spatial location is important, was necessary every year in a continuous cotton system. Two composite soil samples (20 cores each), taken over an area covering one-third of the field length and two rows wide, were averaged to represent that area (row-location combination). Each field (except one) had 24 areas assayed for changes in M. incognita population density (Pf) over a 3-year period. At all three sites, Pf was higher during fall 1998 than fall 1996. There were no differences in Pf between rows within a year or between years (no. row × year interaction) at any of the sites. At all three sites, there was a consistent difference each year in Pf among locations in a field (no. year × location interaction). At each area, M. incognital/500 cm³ was labeled for one of four Pf classes: <250, 250 to 999, 1,000 to 2,499, and ≥ 2,500. Management of root-knot nematode would likely be altered as classification changed. The areas that were reclassified by two classes or more after 1 and 2 years ranged from 0 to 29% and 25 to 54%, respectively. The risk of underestimating Pf of M. incognita was higher in one site 2 years after the initial intensive sampling procedure, whereas in another site there was little change in Pf 2 years after initial sampling. Sampling frequency will need to be decided on a field-by-field basis. PMID:19270975

Stabilization of a three-dimensional limit cycle walking model through step-to-step ankle control.

PubMed

Kim, Myunghee; Collins, Steven H

2013-06-01

Unilateral, below-knee amputation is associated with an increased risk of falls, which may be partially related to a loss of active ankle control. If ankle control can contribute significantly to maintaining balance, even in the presence of active foot placement, this might provide an opportunity to improve balance using robotic ankle-foot prostheses. We investigated ankle- and hip-based walking stabilization methods in a three-dimensional model of human gait that included ankle plantarflexion, ankle inversion-eversion, hip flexion-extension, and hip ad/abduction. We generated discrete feedback control laws (linear quadratic regulators) that altered nominal actuation parameters once per step. We used ankle push-off, lateral ankle stiffness and damping, fore-aft foot placement, lateral foot placement, or all of these as control inputs. We modeled environmental disturbances as random, bounded, unexpected changes in floor height, and defined balance performance as the maximum allowable disturbance value for which the model walked 500 steps without falling. Nominal walking motions were unstable, but were stabilized by all of the step-to-step control laws we tested. Surprisingly, step-by-step modulation of ankle push-off alone led to better balance performance (3.2% leg length) than lateral foot placement (1.2% leg length) for these control laws. These results suggest that appropriate control of robotic ankle-foot prosthesis push-off could make balancing during walking easier for individuals with amputation.

Altered center of mass control during sit-to-walk in elderly adults with and without history of falling.

PubMed

Chen, Tzurei; Chou, Li-Shan

2013-09-01

Sit-to-walk (STW) is a commonly performed activity of daily living that requires a precise coordination between momentum generation and balance control. However, there is a lack of biomechanical data demonstrating how the center of mass (COM) momentum and balance control interact. This study examines COM kinetic energy distribution in three movement directions and COM-Ankle inclination angles during STW among 15 healthy young adults, 15 elderly non-fallers, and 15 elderly fallers. We found that elderly adults, especially elderly fallers, chose a COM control strategy that provided more stability than mobility to perform STW. A smaller forward COM velocity, a more upward COM momentum distribution, and a smaller anterior-posterior COM-Ankle angle characterize this strategy. Healthy elderly adults modified their STW movement around seat-off so that they achieved a more upright position before walking. Elderly fallers not only altered COM control around seat-off but also showed limitation in COM control during gait initiation. Furthermore, their COM control in the medial-lateral direction might be perturbed at swing-off due to an increased distribution of kinetic energy. Examining COM momentum distribution in different movement directions and the relationship between positions of the COM and supporting foot during STW could enhance our ability to identify elderly adults who are at risk of falling. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermal response of solar receiver aperture plates during sun walk-off

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wen, L.; Roschke, J.

1982-01-01

The tracking mechanism for a point-focusing concentrator may be subject to failure. If this should occur, the solar image will travel across the aperture plate, and it may also impinge on the adjacent support structure. Such an event is called 'sun walk-off'. The present investigation is concerned with the transient response of different aperture plate materials to the intense heating produced in a typical walk-off situation for parabolic dish concentrators. Receivers for two solar module systems are considered, including a high-temperature receiver that utilizes a 2-milliradian (mrad) concentrator, and a lower-temperature receiver which is coupled with a 4-mrad concentrator. It is found that during a walk-off situation the solar image travels in a straight line in the radial direction. The results obtained for a copper aperture plate were disappointing. It appears that passive metallic plates without cooling or other protective support cannot withstand the intense heating.

Exercise effects on bone mineral density, falls, coronary risk factors, and health care costs in older women: the randomized controlled senior fitness and prevention (SEFIP) study.

PubMed

Kemmler, Wolfgang; von Stengel, Simon; Engelke, Klaus; Häberle, Lothar; Kalender, Willi A

2010-01-25

Physical exercise affects many risk factors and diseases and therefore can play a vital role in general disease prevention and treatment of elderly individuals and may reduce costs. We sought to determine whether a single exercise program affects fracture risk (bone mineral density [BMD] and falls), coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors, and health care costs in community-dwelling elderly women. We conducted a randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial from May 1, 2005, through July 31, 2008, recruiting women 65 years or older who were living independently in the area of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. In all, 246 women were randomly assigned to an 18-month exercise program (exercise group) or a wellness program (control group). The exercise group (n = 123) performed a multipurpose exercise program with special emphasis on exercise intensity; the controls (n = 123) focused on well-being with a low-intensity, low-frequency program. The main outcome measures were BMD, the number of falls, the Framingham-based 10-year CHD risk, and direct health care costs. For the 227 women who completed the 18-month study, significant exercise effects were observed for BMD of the lumbar spine (mean [95% confidence interval (CI)] percentage of change in BMD [baseline to follow-up] for the exercise group: 1.77% [1.26% to 2.28%] vs controls: 0.33% [-0.24% to 0.91%]; P < .001), femoral neck (exercise group: 1.01% [0.37% to 1.65%] vs controls: -1.05% [-1.70% to -0.40%]; P < .001), and fall rate per person during 18 months (exercise group: 1.00 [0.76 to 1.24] vs controls: 1.66 [1.33 to 1.99]; P = .002). The 10-year CHD risk was significantly affected in both subgroups (absolute change for the exercise group: -1.96% [95% CI, -2.69% to -1.23%] vs controls: -1.15% [-1.69% to -0.62%]; P = .22), with no significant difference between the groups. The direct health care costs per participant during the 18-month intervention showed nonsignificant differences between the groups (exercise group: 2255 euros[95% CI, 1791 euros-2718 euros] vs controls: 2780 euros [2187 euros-3372 euros]; P = .20). Compared with a general wellness program, our 18-month exercise program significantly improved BMD and fall risk, but not predicted CHD risk, in elderly women. This benefit occurred at no increase in direct costs. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00267839.

Analysis of electric field distribution in GaAs metal-semiconductor field effect transistor with a field-modulating plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hori, Yasuko; Kuzuhara, Masaaki; Ando, Yuji; Mizuta, Masashi

2000-04-01

Electric field distribution in the channel of a field effect transistor (FET) with a field-modulating plate (FP) has been theoretically investigated using a two-dimensional ensemble Monte Carlo simulation. This analysis revealed that the introduction of FP is effective in canceling the influence of surface traps under forward bias conditions and in reducing the electric field intensity at the drain side of the gate edge under pinch-off bias conditions. This study also found that a partial overlap of the high-field region under the gate and that at the FP electrode is important for reducing the electric field intensity. The optimized metal-semiconductor FET with FP (FPFET) (LGF˜0.2 μm) exhibited a much lower peak electric field intensity than a conventional metal-semiconductor FET. Based on these numerically calculated results, we have proposed a design procedure to optimize the power FPFET structure with extremely high breakdown voltages while maintaining reasonable gain performance.

Effects on run-off water quantity and quality of urban organic wastes applied in a degraded semi-arid ecosystem.

PubMed

Martínez, F; Casermeiro, M A; Morales, D; Cuevas, G; Walter, Ingrid

2003-04-15

Biosolids and composted municipal solid wastes were surface-applied (0 and 80 Mg ha(-1)) to a degraded soil in a semi-arid environment to determine their effects on the quantity and quality of run-off water. Three and 4 years after application, a simulated rainfall was performed (intensity=942.5 ml min(-1) and kinetic energy=3.92 J m(-2)) on 0.078 m(2) plots using a portable rainfall simulator. The run-off from the different treatment plots was collected and analysed. The type of treatment was highly related to infiltration, run-off and sediment production. The biosolid-treated plots showed the minimum value of total run-off, maximum time to the beginning of run-off and maximum run-off ratio (the relationship between total rainfall and run-off). The MSW-treated plots showed values intermediate between biosolid-treated plots and control plots. Soil losses were also closely related to treatment type. Control plots showed the maximum sediment yield, MSW-treated plots showed intermediate values, and biosolid plots the minimum values for washout. The concentrations of NH(4)-N and PO(4)-P in the run-off water were significantly higher in the treated plots than in control plots. The highest PO(4)-P value, 0.73 mg l(-1), was obtained in the soil treated with biosolids; NO(3)-N concentration also increased significantly with respect to the control and MSW treatments. NH(4)-N concentrations of 15.6 and 15.0 mg l(-1) were recorded in the soils treated with biosolids and MSW, respectively, values approximately five times higher than those obtained in run-off water from untreated soil. However, the concentrations of all these constituents were lower than threshold limits cited in water quality standards for agricultural use. With the exception of Cu, all trace metals analysed in the run-off water were below detection limits.

LACCD Establishes Recruitment Committee to Stave Off Major Enrollment Decline. CSCC Bulletin #16.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koltai, Leslie

1985-01-01

The fall 1984 implementation of tuition in California's community colleges created the need for aggressive strategies to counter the anticipated, major enrollment decline. For the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), those strategies involved a new campaign incorporating districtwide and campus-oriented events, as well as the…

Organizing Schools to Address Early Warning Indicators (EWIs): Common Practices and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Marcia; Herzog, Liza; Legters, Nettie

2013-01-01

An early warning system is an intentional process whereby school personnel collectively analyze student data to monitor students at risk of falling off track for graduation and to provide the interventions and resources to intervene. We studied the process of monitoring the early warning indicators and implementing interventions to ascertain…

Journey: A Service Learning Mural

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilman, Lisa

2009-01-01

Winthrop Middle School's cafeteria had three paintings on the wall in which the paint was fading and the plaster was falling off. Many students wanted a change since the paintings had been there for over 15 years. This situation seemed appropriate for a service learning project for this Winthrop, Maine middle school. After the students reviewed…

Avoidance of Heights on the Visual Cliff in Newly Walking Infants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witherington, David C.; Campos, Joseph J.; Anderson, David I.; Lejeune, Laure; Seah, Eileen

2005-01-01

Work with infants on the "visual cliff" links avoidance of drop-offs to experience with self-produced locomotion. Adolph's (2002) research on infants' perception of slope and gap traversability suggests that learning to avoid falling down is highly specific to the postural context in which it occurs. Infants, for example, who have…

Is Education News Falling off Front Pages?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maxwell, Lesli A.

2009-01-01

Billions in federal economic-stimulus dollars are slated to be spent to help improve public education, but Americans relying on traditional news outlets are likely to find out little, if anything, about what that effort might mean for the schools in their communities, a new report suggests. That's because education coverage of any type barely…

Leaf fall, humus depth, and soil frost in a northern hardwood forest

Treesearch

George Hart; Raymond E. Leonard; Robert S. Pierce

1962-01-01

In the mound-and-depression microtopography of the northern hardwood forest, leaves are blown off the mounds and collect in the depressions. This influence of microtopography on leaf accumulation is responsible for much of the variation in humus depth; and this, in turn, affects the formation and depth of soil frost.

Equipping the 2015 Chemical Technology Workforce: Partnering with Key Stakeholders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aronson, Blake; Wesemann, Jodi

2007-01-01

The opportunities and challenges associated with establishing and sustaining successful chemistry-based technology programs were discussed at Equipping the 2015 Chemical Technology Workforce, a Presidential Event held at the Fall 2006 ACS National Meeting, kicking off an initiative by the same name. The initiative is based on the recent ACS…

Falling Off Track: How Teacher-Student Relationships Predict Early High School Failure Rates.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Shazia Rafiullah

This paper examines the relationship between the climate of teacher-student relations within a school and individual student's likelihood of freshman year success. Using administrative data from the Chicago Public Schools and survey data, researchers used hierarchical linear modeling to determine whether teacher-student climate predicts students'…

Inclusive Yields of pi{sup +}, pi{sup -}, K{sup +}, and K{sup -} from H{sub 2} Photoproduced at 18 GeV at Forward Angles

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Boyarski, A. M.; Coward, D.; Ecklund, S.; Richter, B.; Sherden, D.; Siemann, R.; Sinclair, C.

1971-01-01

We present here preliminary measurements of an invariant cross section. A bremsstrahlug subtraction was used to obtain 18 GeV cross sections. The cross section falls off exponentially with transverse monenta. The longitudinal dependence is slowly varying.

Efficiency of baited hoop nets for sampling catfish in southeastern U.S. small impoundments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wallace, Benjamin C.; Weaver, Daniel M.; Kwak, Thomas J.

2011-01-01

Many U.S. natural resource agencies stock catfish (Ictaluridae) into small impoundments to provide recreational fishing opportunities. However, effective standardized methods for sampling catfish in small impoundments have not been developed for wide application, particularly in the southeastern United States. We evaluated the efficiency of three bait treatments (i.e., soybean cake, sunflower cake, and no bait) of tandem hoop nets in two North Carolina small impoundments during the fall of 2008 and spring of 2009 in a factorial experimental design. The impoundments were stocked with catchable-size channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus at contrastingly low (5.5 fi sh/ha) and high (90.0 fi sh/ha) rates prior to our sampling. Nets baited with soybean cake consistently sampled more channel catfish than any other treatment. Channel catfish catch ranged as high as 3,251 fi sh per net series during the fall in nets baited with soybean cake in the intensively stocked impoundment and was up to 8.5 and 15.3 times higher during the fall than in the spring in each impoundment. Nets baited with soybean cake sampled significantly (12 and 24 times) more channel catfish than those with no bait in the two impoundments. These trends did not occur among other catfish species. Nonictalurid fish and turtle catch was higher during spring compared to that of fall, corresponding with low channel catfish catches. Our results indicate that tandem hoop nets baited with soybean cake during the fall is a more efficient method for sampling channel catfish compared to nets baited with sunflower cake or no bait in spring or fall. Our findings validate this technique for application in southeastern U.S. small impoundments to assess catfish abundance to guide management and evaluate the success of catfish stocking programs.

Triadic Closure in Configuration Models with Unbounded Degree Fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Hofstad, Remco; van Leeuwaarden, Johan S. H.; Stegehuis, Clara

2018-01-01

The configuration model generates random graphs with any given degree distribution, and thus serves as a null model for scale-free networks with power-law degrees and unbounded degree fluctuations. For this setting, we study the local clustering c(k), i.e., the probability that two neighbors of a degree-k node are neighbors themselves. We show that c(k) progressively falls off with k and the graph size n and eventually for k=Ω (√{n}) settles on a power law c(k)˜ n^{5-2τ }k^{-2(3-τ )} with τ \\in (2,3) the power-law exponent of the degree distribution. This fall-off has been observed in the majority of real-world networks and signals the presence of modular or hierarchical structure. Our results agree with recent results for the hidden-variable model and also give the expected number of triangles in the configuration model when counting triangles only once despite the presence of multi-edges. We show that only triangles consisting of triplets with uniquely specified degrees contribute to the triangle counting.

Wide field and highly sensitive angiography based on optical coherence tomography with akinetic swept source.

PubMed

Xu, Jingjiang; Song, Shaozhen; Wei, Wei; Wang, Ruikang K

2017-01-01

Wide-field vascular visualization in bulk tissue that is of uneven surface is challenging due to the relatively short ranging distance and significant sensitivity fall-off for most current optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) systems. We report a long ranging and ultra-wide-field OCTA (UW-OCTA) system based on an akinetic swept laser. The narrow instantaneous linewidth of the swept source with its high phase stability, combined with high-speed detection in the system enable us to achieve long ranging (up to 46 mm) and almost negligible system sensitivity fall-off. To illustrate these advantages, we compare the basic system performances between conventional spectral domain OCTA and UW-OCTA systems and their functional imaging of microvascular networks in living tissues. In addition, we show that the UW-OCTA is capable of different depth-ranging of cerebral blood flow within entire brain in mice, and providing unprecedented blood perfusion map of human finger in vivo . We believe that the UW-OCTA system has promises to augment the existing clinical practice and explore new biomedical applications for OCT imaging.

Wide field and highly sensitive angiography based on optical coherence tomography with akinetic swept source

PubMed Central

Xu, Jingjiang; Song, Shaozhen; Wei, Wei; Wang, Ruikang K.

2016-01-01

Wide-field vascular visualization in bulk tissue that is of uneven surface is challenging due to the relatively short ranging distance and significant sensitivity fall-off for most current optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) systems. We report a long ranging and ultra-wide-field OCTA (UW-OCTA) system based on an akinetic swept laser. The narrow instantaneous linewidth of the swept source with its high phase stability, combined with high-speed detection in the system enable us to achieve long ranging (up to 46 mm) and almost negligible system sensitivity fall-off. To illustrate these advantages, we compare the basic system performances between conventional spectral domain OCTA and UW-OCTA systems and their functional imaging of microvascular networks in living tissues. In addition, we show that the UW-OCTA is capable of different depth-ranging of cerebral blood flow within entire brain in mice, and providing unprecedented blood perfusion map of human finger in vivo. We believe that the UW-OCTA system has promises to augment the existing clinical practice and explore new biomedical applications for OCT imaging. PMID:28101428

Theory of high-order harmonic generation for gapless graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zurrón, Óscar; Picón, Antonio; Plaja, Luis

2018-05-01

We study the high-harmonic spectrum emitted by a single-layer graphene, irradiated by an ultrashort intense infrared laser pulse. We show the emergence of the typical non-perturbative spectral features, harmonic plateau and cut-off, for mid-infrared driving fields, at fluences below the damage threshold. In contrast to previous works, using THz drivings, we demonstrate that the harmonic cut-off frequency saturates with the intensity. Our results are derived from the numerical integration of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation using a nearest neighbor tight-binding description of graphene. We also develop a saddle-point analysis that reveals a mechanism for harmonic emission in graphene different from that reported in atoms, molecules and finite gap solids. In graphene, the first step is initiated by the non-diabatic crossing of the valence band electron trajectories through the Dirac points, instead of tunneling ionization/excitation. We include a complete identification of the trajectories contributing to any particular high harmonic and reproduce the harmonic cut-off scaling with the driving intensity.

Relative emissions intensity of dairy production systems: employing different functional units in life-cycle assessment.

PubMed

Ross, S A; Topp, C F E; Ennos, R A; Chagunda, M G G

2017-08-01

This study aimed to assess the merit and suitability of individual functional units (FU) in expressing greenhouse gas emissions intensity in different dairy production systems. An FU provides a clearly defined and measurable reference to which input and output data are normalised. This enables the results from life-cycle assessment (LCA) of different systems to be treated as functionally equivalent. Although the methodological framework of LCA has been standardised, selection of an appropriate FU remains ultimately at the discretion of the individual study. The aim of the present analysis was to examine the effect of different FU on the emissions intensities of different dairy production systems. Analysis was based on 7 years of data (2004 to 2010) from four Holstein-Friesian dairy systems at Scotland's Rural College's long-term genetic and management systems project, the Langhill herd. Implementation of LCA accounted for the environmental impacts of the whole-farm systems and their production of milk from 'cradle to farm gate'. Emissions intensity was determined as kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents referenced to six FU: UK livestock units, energy-corrected milk yield, total combined milk solids yield, on-farm land used for production, total combined on- and off-farm land used for production, and the proposed new FU-energy-corrected milk yield per hectare of total land used. Energy-corrected milk was the FU most effective for reflecting differences between the systems. Functional unit that incorporated a land-related aspect did not find difference between systems which were managed under the same forage regime, despite their comprising different genetic lines. Employing on-farm land as the FU favoured grazing systems. The proposed dual FU combining both productivity and land use did not differentiate between emissions intensity of systems as effectively as the productivity-based units. However, this dual unit displayed potential to quantify in a simple way the positive or negative outcome of trade-offs between land and production efficiencies, in which improvement in emissions intensity using one FU may be accompanied by deterioration using another FU. The perceived environmental efficiencies of different dairy production systems in terms of their emissions intensities were susceptible to change based upon the FU employed, and hence the FU used in any study needs to be taken into account in the interpretation of results.

Experimental evolution reveals trade-offs between mating and immunity.

PubMed

McNamara, Kathryn B; Wedell, Nina; Simmons, Leigh W

2013-08-23

Immune system maintenance and upregulation is costly. Sexual selection intensity, which increases male investment into reproductive traits, is expected to create trade-offs with immune function. We assayed phenoloxidase (PO) and lytic activity of individuals from populations of the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella, which had been evolving under different intensities of sexual selection. We found significant divergence among populations, with males from female-biased populations having lower PO activity than males from balanced sex ratio or male-biased populations. There was no divergence in anti-bacterial lytic activity. Our data suggest that it is the increased male mating demands in female-biased populations that trades-off against immunity, and not the increased investment in sperm transfer per mating that characterizes male-biased populations.

Experimental evolution reveals trade-offs between mating and immunity

PubMed Central

McNamara, Kathryn B.; Wedell, Nina; Simmons, Leigh W.

2013-01-01

Immune system maintenance and upregulation is costly. Sexual selection intensity, which increases male investment into reproductive traits, is expected to create trade-offs with immune function. We assayed phenoloxidase (PO) and lytic activity of individuals from populations of the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella, which had been evolving under different intensities of sexual selection. We found significant divergence among populations, with males from female-biased populations having lower PO activity than males from balanced sex ratio or male-biased populations. There was no divergence in anti-bacterial lytic activity. Our data suggest that it is the increased male mating demands in female-biased populations that trades-off against immunity, and not the increased investment in sperm transfer per mating that characterizes male-biased populations. PMID:23720521

Unusual benthic fauna associated with a whale fall in Monterey Canyon, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goffredi, Shana K.; Paull, Charles K.; Fulton-Bennett, Kim; Hurtado, Luis A.; Vrijenhoek, Robert C.

2004-10-01

On February 6, 2002, we discovered an unusual assemblage of deep-sea animals associated with a well-preserved carcass of a gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) at 2891 m depth in the axis of Monterey Canyon, California. The 9-10 m long carcass was found approximately 31 km off shore, where it settled to the bottom against the northern wall of the canyon's sedimented floor. This carcass delivered approximately 20,000 kg of organic material to a typically food-limited seafloor. Particularly noteworthy were the low occurrence of large mobile scavengers, the large number of opportunistic deep-sea species, and an abundance of unusual polychaetes. Two of these polychaetes, a spionid and a siboglinid, are new to science. Since this discovery, we visited the whale fall on two subsequent occasions (March and October 2002) to document faunal community changes in one of the deepest large food falls known to date.

Do greater mouse-eared bats experience a trade-off between energy conservation and learning?

PubMed

Ruczyński, Ireneusz; Clarin, Theresa M A; Siemers, Bjoern M

2014-11-15

Bats, some species of rodents and some birds are able to save energy during the summer period by decreasing their body temperature and falling into torpor. Some studies indicate that torpor prevents sleeping and causes effects similar to sleep deprivation. Impairment of processes stabilizing memory slows down learning accuracy and speed. We conducted two experiments to test whether greater mouse-eared bats, Myotis myotis, which commonly use torpor during the summer period, experience a trade-off between energy savings and learning abilities. We compared learning speed and accuracy in bats that were exposed to low (7°C) and higher ambient temperatures (22°C) between training and experimental sessions. Tests were conducted in experiments with food reward (food search) and without food reward (perch search). Time spent with the skin temperature above 30°C was significantly longer for bats exposed to 22°C than for those exposed to 7°C, and longer in experiments with food reward than without food reward. We observed only a very weak tendency for better accuracy and shorter search times in bats exposed to 22°C than in those exposed to 7°C. Our data indicate that memory consolidation of bats under natural conditions is not affected by daily torpor when bats are in good condition and may therefore defend against a rapid fall into torpor. We suggest that homeostatic processes connected with the circadian rhythm allow protection of the consolidation of memory for relatively simple tasks despite time spent in torpor. © 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

LiF TLD-100 as a Dosimeter in High Energy Proton Beam Therapy-Can It Yield Accurate Results?

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

Zullo, John R.; Kudchadker, Rajat J.; Zhu, X. Ronald

In the region of high-dose gradients at the end of the proton range, the stopping power ratio of the protons undergoes significant changes, allowing for a broad spectrum of proton energies to be deposited within a relatively small volume. Because of the potential linear energy transfer dependence of LiF TLD-100 (thermolumescent dosimeter), dose measurements made in the distal fall-off region of a proton beam may be less accurate than those made in regions of low-dose gradients. The purpose of this study is to determine the accuracy and precision of dose measured using TLD-100 for a pristine Bragg peak, particularly inmore » the distal fall-off region. All measurements were made along the central axis of an unmodulated 200-MeV proton beam from a Probeat passive beam-scattering proton accelerator (Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) at varying depths along the Bragg peak. Measurements were made using TLD-100 powder flat packs, placed in a virtual water slab phantom. The measurements were repeated using a parallel plate ionization chamber. The dose measurements using TLD-100 in a proton beam were accurate to within {+-}5.0% of the expected dose, previously seen in our past photon and electron measurements. The ionization chamber and the TLD relative dose measurements agreed well with each other. Absolute dose measurements using TLD agreed with ionization chamber measurements to within {+-} 3.0 cGy, for an exposure of 100 cGy. In our study, the differences in the dose measured by the ionization chamber and those measured by TLD-100 were minimal, indicating that the accuracy and precision of measurements made in the distal fall-off region of a pristine Bragg peak is within the expected range. Thus, the rapid change in stopping power ratios at the end of the range should not affect such measurements, and TLD-100 may be used with confidence as an in vivo dosimeter for proton beam therapy.« less

[T'ai chi in the elderly: practical aspects].

PubMed

Kressig, Reto W; Beauchet, Olivier; Tharicharu, Jai

2003-11-01

New approaches to health promotion for the growing geriatric population are needed. Low to moderately intense exercise programs, such as T'ai Chi seem particularly appropriate for older individuals because of many worthwhile physiological and psychological long-term benefits. T'ai Chi reduces falls and improves postural stability in older adults. It also has a positive impact on muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness and can improve mobility in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. It imparts a sense of well-being and confidence, and can reduce fear of falling in older adults. This article reviews the current medical literature regarding the multiple effects of T'ai Chi. Historical aspects of T'ai Chi and its current adaptation for practice by healthy older adults are presented. Finally, a set of modified exercises is proposed that is based on underlying principles of T'ai Chi and can be applied to patients with mild to moderate cognitive impairment.

Bio-inspired color image enhancement model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Yufeng

2009-05-01

Human being can perceive natural scenes very well under various illumination conditions. Partial reasons are due to the contrast enhancement of center/surround networks and opponent analysis on the human retina. In this paper, we propose an image enhancement model to simulate the color processes in the human retina. Specifically, there are two center/surround layers, bipolar/horizontal and ganglion/amacrine; and four color opponents, red (R), green (G), blue (B), and yellow (Y). The central cell (bipolar or ganglion) takes the surrounding information from one or several horizontal or amacrine cells; and bipolar and ganglion both have ON and OFF sub-types. For example, a +R/-G bipolar (red-center- ON/green-surround-OFF) will be excited if only the center is illuminated, or inhibited if only the surroundings (bipolars) are illuminated, or stay neutral if both center and surroundings are illuminated. Likewise, other two color opponents with ON-center/OFF-surround, +G/-R and +B/-Y, follow the same rules. The yellow (Y) channel can be obtained by averaging red and green channels. On the other hand, OFF-center/ON-surround bipolars (i.e., -R/+G and -G/+R, but no - B/+Y) are inhibited when the center is illuminated. An ON-bipolar (or OFF-bipolar) only transfers signals to an ONganglion (or OFF-ganglion), where amacrines provide surrounding information. Ganglion cells have strong spatiotemporal responses to moving objects. In our proposed enhancement model, the surrounding information is obtained using weighted average of neighborhood; excited or inhibited can be implemented with pixel intensity increase or decrease according to a linear or nonlinear response; and center/surround excitations are decided by comparing their intensities. A difference of Gaussian (DOG) model is used to simulate the ganglion differential response. Experimental results using natural scenery pictures proved that, the proposed image enhancement model by simulating the two-layer center/surrounding retinal networks can effectively enhance color images in terms of color contrast and image details.

Exploiting multicompartment effects in triple-echo steady-state T2 mapping for fat fraction quantification.

PubMed

Liu, Dian; Steingoetter, Andreas; Curcic, Jelena; Kozerke, Sebastian

2018-01-01

To investigate and exploit the effect of intravoxel off-resonance compartments in the triple-echo steady-state (TESS) sequence without fat suppression for T 2 mapping and to leverage the results for fat fraction quantification. In multicompartment tissue, where at least one compartment is excited off-resonance, the total signal exhibits periodic modulations as a function of echo time (TE). Simulated multicompartment TESS signals were synthesized at various TEs. Fat emulsion phantoms were prepared and scanned at the same TE combinations using TESS. In vivo knee data were obtained with TESS to validate the simulations. The multicompartment effect was exploited for fat fraction quantification in the stomach by acquiring TESS signals at two TE combinations. Simulated and measured multicompartment signal intensities were in good agreement. Multicompartment effects caused erroneous T 2 offsets, even at low water-fat ratios. The choice of TE caused T 2 variations of as much as 28% in cartilage. The feasibility of fat fraction quantification to monitor the decrease of fat content in the stomach during digestion is demonstrated. Intravoxel off-resonance compartments are a confounding factor for T 2 quantification using TESS, causing errors that are dependent on the TE. At the same time, off-resonance effects may allow for efficient fat fraction mapping using steady-state imaging. Magn Reson Med 79:423-429, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Effects of shoe sole geometry on toe clearance and walking stability in older adults.

PubMed

Thies, S B; Price, C; Kenney, L P J; Baker, R

2015-07-01

Thirty-five percent of people above age 65 fall each year, and half of their falls are associated with tripping: tripping, an apparently 'mundane' everyday problem, therefore, significantly impacts on older people's health and associated medical costs. To avoid tripping and subsequent falling, sufficient toe clearance during the swing phase is crucial. We previously found that a rocker-shaped shoe sole enhances toe clearance in young adults, thereby decreasing their trip-risk. This study investigates whether such sole design also enhances older adults' toe clearance, without inadvertently affecting their walking stability. Toe clearance and its variability are reported together with measures of walking stability for twelve older adults, walking in shoes with rocker angles of 10°, 15°, and 20°. Surface inclinations (flat, incline, decline) were chosen to reflect a potential real-world environment. Toe clearance increased substantially from the 10° to the 15° rocker angle (p=0.003) without compromising measures of walking stability (p>0.05). A further increase in rocker angle to 20° resulted in less substantial enhancement of toe clearance and came at the cost of a decrease in gait speed on the decline. The novelty of this investigation lies in the exploration of the trade-off between reduction of trip-risk through footwear design and adverse effects on walking stability on real-life relevant surfaces. Our two studies suggest that the current focus on slip-resistance in footwear design may need to be generalised to include other factors that affect trip-risk. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Large-Scale Off-Target Identification Using Fast and Accurate Dual Regularized One-Class Collaborative Filtering and Its Application to Drug Repurposing.

PubMed

Lim, Hansaim; Poleksic, Aleksandar; Yao, Yuan; Tong, Hanghang; He, Di; Zhuang, Luke; Meng, Patrick; Xie, Lei

2016-10-01

Target-based screening is one of the major approaches in drug discovery. Besides the intended target, unexpected drug off-target interactions often occur, and many of them have not been recognized and characterized. The off-target interactions can be responsible for either therapeutic or side effects. Thus, identifying the genome-wide off-targets of lead compounds or existing drugs will be critical for designing effective and safe drugs, and providing new opportunities for drug repurposing. Although many computational methods have been developed to predict drug-target interactions, they are either less accurate than the one that we are proposing here or computationally too intensive, thereby limiting their capability for large-scale off-target identification. In addition, the performances of most machine learning based algorithms have been mainly evaluated to predict off-target interactions in the same gene family for hundreds of chemicals. It is not clear how these algorithms perform in terms of detecting off-targets across gene families on a proteome scale. Here, we are presenting a fast and accurate off-target prediction method, REMAP, which is based on a dual regularized one-class collaborative filtering algorithm, to explore continuous chemical space, protein space, and their interactome on a large scale. When tested in a reliable, extensive, and cross-gene family benchmark, REMAP outperforms the state-of-the-art methods. Furthermore, REMAP is highly scalable. It can screen a dataset of 200 thousands chemicals against 20 thousands proteins within 2 hours. Using the reconstructed genome-wide target profile as the fingerprint of a chemical compound, we predicted that seven FDA-approved drugs can be repurposed as novel anti-cancer therapies. The anti-cancer activity of six of them is supported by experimental evidences. Thus, REMAP is a valuable addition to the existing in silico toolbox for drug target identification, drug repurposing, phenotypic screening, and side effect prediction. The software and benchmark are available at https://github.com/hansaimlim/REMAP.

Large-Scale Off-Target Identification Using Fast and Accurate Dual Regularized One-Class Collaborative Filtering and Its Application to Drug Repurposing

PubMed Central

Poleksic, Aleksandar; Yao, Yuan; Tong, Hanghang; Meng, Patrick; Xie, Lei

2016-01-01

Target-based screening is one of the major approaches in drug discovery. Besides the intended target, unexpected drug off-target interactions often occur, and many of them have not been recognized and characterized. The off-target interactions can be responsible for either therapeutic or side effects. Thus, identifying the genome-wide off-targets of lead compounds or existing drugs will be critical for designing effective and safe drugs, and providing new opportunities for drug repurposing. Although many computational methods have been developed to predict drug-target interactions, they are either less accurate than the one that we are proposing here or computationally too intensive, thereby limiting their capability for large-scale off-target identification. In addition, the performances of most machine learning based algorithms have been mainly evaluated to predict off-target interactions in the same gene family for hundreds of chemicals. It is not clear how these algorithms perform in terms of detecting off-targets across gene families on a proteome scale. Here, we are presenting a fast and accurate off-target prediction method, REMAP, which is based on a dual regularized one-class collaborative filtering algorithm, to explore continuous chemical space, protein space, and their interactome on a large scale. When tested in a reliable, extensive, and cross-gene family benchmark, REMAP outperforms the state-of-the-art methods. Furthermore, REMAP is highly scalable. It can screen a dataset of 200 thousands chemicals against 20 thousands proteins within 2 hours. Using the reconstructed genome-wide target profile as the fingerprint of a chemical compound, we predicted that seven FDA-approved drugs can be repurposed as novel anti-cancer therapies. The anti-cancer activity of six of them is supported by experimental evidences. Thus, REMAP is a valuable addition to the existing in silico toolbox for drug target identification, drug repurposing, phenotypic screening, and side effect prediction. The software and benchmark are available at https://github.com/hansaimlim/REMAP. PMID:27716836

The clinical significance of 10-m walk test standardizations in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Lindholm, Beata; Nilsson, Maria H; Hansson, Oskar; Hagell, Peter

2018-06-06

The 10-m walk test (10MWT) is a widely used measure of gait speed in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, it is unclear if different standardizations of its conduct impact test results. We examined the clinical significance of two aspects of the standardization of the 10MWT in mild PD: static vs. dynamic start, and a single vs. repeated trials. Implications for fall prediction were also explored. 151 people with PD (mean age and PD duration, 68 and 4 years, respectively) completed the 10MWT in comfortable gait speed with static and dynamic start (two trials each), and gait speed (m/s) was recorded. Participants then registered all prospective falls for 6 months. Absolute mean differences between outcomes from the various test conditions ranged between 0.016 and 0.040 m/s (effect sizes, 0.06-0.14) with high levels of agreement (intra-class correlation coefficients, 0.932-0.987) and small standard errors of measurement (0.032-0.076 m/s). Receiver operating characteristic curves showed similar discriminate abilities for prediction of future falls across conditions (areas under curves, 0.70-0.73). Cut-off points were estimated at 1.1-1.2 m/s. Different 10MWT standardizations yield very similar results, suggesting that there is no practical need for an acceleration distance or repeated trials when conducting this test in mild PD.

Developing an Undergraduate Astronomical Research Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genet, R. M.

2007-05-01

Time-series astronomical photometry is an area of scientific research well suited to amateurs and undergraduates, and their backyard and campus observatories. I describe two past one-semester community college research programs, one six year ago and one last fall (2006), as well as a program planned for this coming fall (2007). The 2001 program, a course at Central Arizona College, utilized a robotic telescope at the Fairborn Observatory. Results were presented at the 200th meeting of the American Astronomical Society. This past fall, three students, in a 17-week, one-semester course at Cuesta College, were able to plan a research program, make several thousand CCD photometric observations, reduce and analyze their data, write up their results and, on the last day of class, send their paper off to a refereed journal, the JAAVSO. A course is being offered this coming fall (2007) that will involve about a dozen students (including high school students), several local amateur astronomers, and at least three CCD- equipped semi-automatic telescopes. Potential solutions to "scaling up" challenges created by increased class size are discussed.

Quantum vacuum effects from boundaries of designer potentials

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

Konopka, Tomasz

2009-04-15

Vacuum energy in quantum field theory, being the sum of zero-point energies of all field modes, is formally infinite but yet, after regularization or renormalization, can give rise to finite observable effects. One way of understanding how these effects arise is to compute the vacuum energy in an idealized system such as a large cavity divided into disjoint regions by pistons. In this paper, this type of calculation is carried out for situations where the potential affecting a field is not the same in all regions of the cavity. It is shown that the observable parts of the vacuum energymore » in such potentials do not fall off to zero as the region where the potential is nontrivial becomes large. This unusual behavior might be interesting for tests involving quantum vacuum effects and for studies on the relation between vacuum energy in quantum field theory and geometry.« less

[Clinical application of IPS-empress 2 pressable all-ceramic crowns].

PubMed

Wang, Ai-jun; He, Xiao-ming; Liu, Li-xia; Zhang, Chao-biao; Zhang, Min; Shen, Bei-yong

2007-02-01

To evaluate the clinical prosthetic effect of IPS-Empress 2 pressahie ceramic crowns. 198 teeth of 70 patients were restored with IPS-Empress 2 pressahie ceramic crowns. The patients were asked to return in one week and every half year. The clinical prosthetic effect was evaluated. Through follow-up of 3-38 months, the veneer porcelain crowns of 3 teeth were broken. 2 crowns fall off due to teeth fracture, gingivitis occurred in 2 teeth, pulpitis or periapical periodontitis occurred in 3 teeth. The shades of 3 crowns were darkening. The prosthetic effect of 185 teeth was satisfied. The rate of satisfaction was 93.4%. IPS-Empress 2 pressable all-ceramic crown has the advantages of aesthetic effect, good hiocompatihility and simple fabrication. But its strength is not enough for posterior teeth and it can not cover the deep color of non-vital teeth and metal materials.

Comparison of Community Metabolism in two Streams With Different Landuse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, H.; Kipphut, G. W.

2005-05-01

Gross primary production (GPP) and community respiration (CR) were measured in a forested (Panther Creek) and an agricultural stream (Ledbetter Creek) using the single-station, open-system method. Reaeration coefficients were estimated using the energy-dissipation model. Both GPP and CR were consistently higher in the forested stream than the agricultural stream. P/R ratio ranged from 0.09 to 0.23 showing the heterotrophic nature in both streams. In Panther Creek, mean daily GPP (1.58 gO2/m2) and CR (15.82 gO2/m2) were significantly higher during fall than summer (GPP=1.17 gO2, CR=5.02 gO2/m2). However, the seasonal differences in daily GPP (0.45 gO2 in summer and 0.33 gO2/m2 in fall) and CR (2.39 gO2 in summer and 3.53 gO2/m2 in fall) were not significant in Ledbetter Creek. Higher GPP and CR in the forested stream can be attributed to more stable hydrology and sediment composition compare to the agricultural stream that is subject to frequent spates and sediment movements. The higher metabolic activities observed in Panther Creek during fall compare to summer is a result of combined effect of higher light intensity reaching to benthic community and increased organic matter post litterfall.

Analysis of human postural responses to recoverable falls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bortolami, S. B.; DiZio, P.; Rabin, E.; Lackner, J. R.

2003-01-01

We studied the kinematics and kinetics of human postural responses to "recoverable falls." To induce brief falling we used a Hold and Release (H&R) paradigm. Standing subjects actively resisted a force applied to their sternum. When this force was quickly released they were suddenly off balance. For a brief period, approximately 125 ms, until restoring forces were generated to shift the center of foot pressure in front of the center of mass, the body was in a forward fall acted on by gravity and ground support forces. We were able to describe the whole-body postural behavior following release using a multilink inverted pendulum model in a regime of "small oscillations." A three-segment model incorporating upper body, upper leg, and lower leg, with active stiffness and damping at the joints was fully adequate to fit the kinematic data from all conditions. The significance of our findings is that in situations involving recoverable falls or loss of balance the earliest responses are likely dependent on actively-tuned, reflexive mechanisms yielding stiffness and damping modulation of the joints. We demonstrate that haptic cues from index fingertip contact with a stationary surface lead to a significantly smaller angular displacement of the torso and a more rapid recovery of balance. Our H&R paradigm and associated model provide a quantifiable approach to studying recovery from potential falling in normal and clinical subjects.

Modified bathroom scale and balance assessment: a comparison with clinical tests.

PubMed

Duchêne, Jacques; Hewson, David; Rumeau, Pierre

2016-01-01

Frailty and detection of fall risk are major issues in preventive gerontology. A simple tool frequently used in daily life, a bathroom scale (balance quality tester: BQT), was modified to obtain information on the balance of 84 outpatients consulting at a geriatric clinic. The results computed from the BQT were compared to the values of three geriatric tests that are widely used either to detect a fall risk or frailty (timed get up and go: TUG; 10 m walking speed: WS; walking time: WT; one-leg stand: OS). The BQT calculates four parameters that are then scored and weighted, thus creating an overall indicator of balance quality. Raw data, partial scores and the global score were compared with the results of the three geriatric tests. The WT values had the highest correlation with BQT raw data (r = 0.55), while TUG (r = 0.53) and WS (r = 0.56) had the highest correlation with BQT partial scores. ROC curves for OS cut-off values (4 and 5 s) were produced, with the best results obtained for a 5 s cut-off, both with the partial scores combined using Fisher's combination (specificity 85 %: <0.11, sensitivity 85 %: >0.48), and with the empirical score (specificity 85 %: <7, sensitivity 85 %: >8). A BQT empirical score of less than seven can detect fall risk in a community dwelling population.

Water Quantity and Water Quality Impacts of Intensive Woody Biomass Feedstock Production in the Southeastern US.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bitew, M. M.; Jackson, C. R.; Vache, K. B.; Griffiths, N.; Starr, G.; McDonnell, J.; Rau, B.; Younger, S. E.; Fouts, K.

2016-12-01

Intensively managed loblolly pine is a candidate species for biofuel feedstock production in the southeastern Coastal Plain of the United States. However, the water quantity and quality effects of high intensity, short-rotation silviculture are largely unknown. Here we evaluate the potential hydrologic and water quality impacts of biofuel-induced land use changes based on model scenarios developed using existing forest BMPs and industry wide experiences. We quantified the effect of bio-energy production scenarios on each of water the balance components by applying an integrated physically based distributed watershed modeling system, and multi-objective assessment functions that accurately describes the flow regimes, water quality, and isotopic observations from three experimental headwater watersheds of Fourmile Creek at Savannah River Site, SC. The model incorporates optimized travel times of groundwater flowpaths and flow control processes in the riparian region allowing water quality analysis of groundwater dominated watershed systems. We compared five different short rotation pine management scenarios ranging from 35 year (low intensity) to 10 year (high intensity) rotations and a mixture of forestry and agriculture/pasture production practices. Simulation results, based on long-term climate records, revealed that complete conversion to short-rotation woody crops would have a negligible effect on water budget components; <2% decrease in streamflow, <1.5% increase in actual evapotranspiration, an average 0.5 m fall in the groundwater table, and no change in subsurface flow due to biofuel production. Simulation results of mixed 50% agriculture and pasture and 50% short-rotation woody crops showed the largest deviation in water budget components compared to the reference condition. Analysis of extreme stream flows showed that the largest effect was observed in the low intensity mixed land use scenario. The smallest effect was in the low intensity biomass production scenario with a 0.5% increase in a 100 year return event.

Unusually abundant and large ciliate xenomas in oysters, Crassostrea virginica, from Great Bay, New Hampshire, USA.

PubMed

McGurk, Emily Scarpa; Ford, Susan; Bushek, David

2016-06-01

During routine histological examination of oysters (Crassostrea virginica) from Great Bay, New Hampshire, USA, a high prevalence and intensity of ciliate xenomas has been noted since sampling began in 1997. Xenomas are hypertrophic lesions on the gills of bivalve molluscs caused by intracellular ciliates, likely Sphenophrya sp. Although not known to cause mortality in oysters, xenomas have not previously been reported at this high abundance. The objectives of this study were to characterize the xenomas, describe the ciliates, and gather baseline epizootiological data with correlations to environmental and biological parameters. Upon gross examination, xenomas appeared as white nodules, up to 3mm in diameter, located in the gill tissue and occasionally fusing into large masses along the gill filaments. Light microscopy of histological sections revealed xenomas located in the gill water tubes, which they often completely blocked. Higher magnification revealed dual nuclei, eight kineties, and conjugation of the ciliates. Transmission electron microscopy revealed dual nuclei that varied in density, a maximum of twenty cilia in each kinety radiating from the oral apparatus to the posterior, and a 9+2 axoneme structure within the cilia. These traits place the ciliates into the Order Rhynchodida, but insufficient molecular data exist to confirm classification of this ciliate to the Genus Sphenophrya. Since 1997, xenoma prevalence has fluctuated with peaks in 2000, 2004, and 2011. Infected oysters generally contained <30 xenomas, but 2.1% contained >100, sharply contrasting the rare prevalence and low intensity reported elsewhere. Prevalence increased with oyster size, leveling off near 50% in oysters >60mm. Infection intensity peaked in 70-90mm oysters and declined in larger oysters. Individual oyster condition was not associated with xenoma intensity, but sites with oysters in higher condition generally had a greater prevalence and intensity of xenoma infections. Seasonal data indicated an infection cycle increasing from summer to fall, peaking at 55-65% in November and dropping to <10% by spring. The oyster population in Great Bay, NH warrants further examination to understand the mechanisms and conditions controlling xenoma formation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study of fracture toughness of ZrO2 ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deryugin, Yevgeny; Narkevich, Natalya; Vlasov, Ilya; Panin, Victor; Danilenko, Igor; Schmauder, Siegfried

2017-12-01

The fracture toughness characteristics of ZrO2ceramics were determined experimentally using an original technique of wedging small-sized chevron notch specimens developed at the Institute of Strength Physics and Materials Science SB RAS (Russia) in the laboratory of physical mesomechanics of materials and non-destructive testing. Measurements have shown that inelastic displacements can be more than 22% of the total displacement of the consoles by the time of the specimen failure. The effect of the Y2O3 stabilizer on the critical stress intensity factor KIc was verified. It was shown that an increase in the Y2O3 stabilizer content from 3 to 8% significantly decreases the fracture toughness. The stress intensity factor KIc falls within the range from 5.7 to 2.35 MPa m1/2.

Wavelength-tunable Hermite-Gaussian modes and an orbital-angular-momentum-tunable vortex beam in a dual-off-axis pumped Yb:CALGO laser.

PubMed

Shen, Yijie; Meng, Yuan; Fu, Xing; Gong, Mali

2018-01-15

A dual-off-axis pumping scheme is presented to generate wavelength-tunable high-order Hermite-Gaussian (HG) modes in Yb:CaGdAlO 4 lasers. The mode and wavelength can be actively controlled by the off-axis displacements and pump power. The purities of the output HG modes are quantified by intensity distributions and the measured M 2 values. The highest order reaches m=15 for stable HG m,0 mode, and wavelength-tunable width is about 10 nm. Moreover, through externally converting the HG m,0 modes, the vortex beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) with a large OAM-tunable range from ±1ℏ to ±15ℏ are produced. This work is effective for largely scaling the spectral and OAM tunable ranges of optical vortex beams.

Electrical characteristics of silicon nanowire CMOS inverters under illumination.

PubMed

Yoo, Jeuk; Kim, Yoonjoong; Lim, Doohyeok; Kim, Sangsig

2018-02-05

In this study, we examine the electrical characteristics of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) inverters with silicon nanowire (SiNW) channels on transparent substrates under illumination. The electrical characteristics vary with the wavelength and power of light due to the variation in the generation rates of the electric-hole pairs. Compared to conventional optoelectronic devices that sense the on/off states by the variation in the current, our device achieves the sensing of the on/off states with more precision by using the voltage variation induced by the wavelength or intensity of light. The device was fabricated on transparent substrates to maximize the light absorption using conventional CMOS technologies. The key difference between our SiNW CMOS inverters and conventional optoelectronic devices is the ability to control the flow of charge carriers more effectively. The improved sensitivity accomplished with the use of SiNW CMOS inverters allows better control of the on/off states.

Ultrasensitive detection of amifostine and alkaline phosphatase based on the growth of CdS quantum dots.

PubMed

Na, Weidan; Liu, Siyu; Liu, Xiaotong; Su, Xingguang

2015-11-01

In this study, we reported a simple and sensitive fluorescence nanosensor for rapid detection of amifostine and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The novel nanosensor was based on the fluorescence "turn on-off" of CdS quantum dots (QDs). Firstly, Cd(2+) cation could react with S(2-) anion to generate fluorescent CdS QDs in the presence of amifostine. The fluorescence (FL) intensity of amifostine-capped CdS QDs (Amifostine-CdS QDs) was increased with the increasing amounts of amifostine, and could be used for amifostine detection. However, amifostine could be converted to 2-(3-aminopropylamino) ethanethiol (WR1065) in the presence of ALP based on the dephosphorylation of ALP. Under the optimum conditions, the affinity of WR1065 to CdS QDs was weaker than that of amifostine. Therefore the new generation of WR1065-CdS QDs would reduce the FL intensity with the increase of ALP concentration, and the fluorescence of CdS QDs was turn off. The metabolic process of amifostine in the presence of alkaline phosphatase could be also studied via the change of FL intensity of CdS QDs. The present method was cost-effective, convenient, and does not require any complicated synthetic procedures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of technical spin-off effects of space-related R&D by means of patent indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmoch, U.; Kirsch, N.; Ley, W.; Plescher, E.; Jung, K. O.

In view of increasing European activity in the field of manned space travel, intense discussion has arisen on the significance of associated spin-off effects. Alongside this predominantly political debate, however, there is also a purely pragmatic interest in transferring wherever possible the successful results from space research to other branches of industry, in order to achieve optimum exploitation of all the resources available. Until now, spin-offs from space technology have been analyzed by means of interviews conducted in the firms involved, a process harbouring a whole series of uncertainty factors. Potential spin-off fields are frequently ignored, and alleged transfers from space research often in reality stem from other sources. This survey develops an objective method of describing technology transfer based on patent indicators. The first step was to establish on line a total of some 3000 space patents filed since 1975 with destination to the European and American markets. This record is sufficient to permit an analysis of the R&D activities undertaken by the leading industrial nations in the space sector. With further assistance provided by the method of analyzing patent citations, however, it is then possible to discover spin-off effects in areas outside space technology, which are nevertheless closely related in technical terms to the basic space patents with which they are associated. In this way, it is possible to define areas which are particularly suited to adopt space technologies in earthbound applications. This method of analyzing citations, which in principle is familiar for describing technology transfer within any one technical field, has thus been successfully employed for the first time for analyzing spin-offs.

Gait and Balance in Essential Tremor: Variable Effects of Bilateral Thalamic Stimulation

PubMed Central

Earhart, Gammon M.; Clark, B. Ruth; Tabbal, Samer D.; Perlmutter, Joel S.

2010-01-01

Essential tremor (ET) is a multi-faceted condition best known for postural and action tremor but also may include disordered gait and postural instability. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM) of the thalamus provides substantial tremor reduction yet some patients with bilateral VIM DBS have gait and balance impairment. This study examines gait and balance performance in 13 participants with ET who have bilateral VIM DBS compared to a matched control group. Participants with ET were tested with their stimulators off (DBS OFF) and on (DBS ON). For both standard and tandem walking, participants with ET walked significantly more slowly than controls, with significantly lower cadence, spending a lower percentage of the gait cycle in single limb support and a higher percentage in double support compared to controls. Participants with ET also had significantly lower tandem and one leg stance times, Berg balance scores, balance confidence, and required significantly greater time to perform the Timed Up-and-Go relative to controls. There were no significant differences in any gait or balance measures in the DBS OFF versus DBS ON conditions, but the effects of DBS on gait and balance were highly variable among individuals. Future studies are needed to determine why some individuals experience gait and balance difficulties after bilateral thalamic DBS and others do not. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying gait and balance impairments in those with bilateral DBS is critical in order to reduce falls and fractures in this group. PMID:19006189

Combined exercise is more effective than aerobic exercise in the improvement of fall risk factors: a randomized controlled trial in community-dwelling older men.

PubMed

Sousa, Nelson; Mendes, Romeu; Silva, André; Oliveira, José

2017-04-01

To compare the long-term effects of two community-based exercise programs on fall risk factors, such as balance, postural control, mobility and leg strength, in community-dwelling older men. Single-blinded randomized controlled trial, comparing three groups, with follow-ups at eight, 16, 24 and 32 weeks. Older men independent-living residing in Maia city, Portugal. A total of 66 older men (aged 69.0 ±4.9 years) were randomly assigned to an aerobic exercise group ( n = 22), a combined aerobic and resistance exercise group ( n = 22) or a control group ( n = 22). Both community-based exercise programs consisted of three sessions each week for 32 consecutive weeks and were planned for moderate-to-vigorous intensity. The control group had no exercise intervention. Main outcomes were measured by the Timed Up and Go Test, functional reach test, 30-second chair stand test and 6-minute walk test, on five different occasions. Repeated measures of analysis of covariance revealed significant main effects between time × group interaction in all outcomes over time (Timed Up and Go Test: p < 0.001; functional reach test: p = 0.002; 30-second chair stand: p = 0.001; 6-minute walk test: p < 0.001). Both exercise groups reported improvements; however, better performance was identified in the combined aerobic and resistance exercise group compared with the aerobic exercise group (-20.3% vs. -9.1% on the Timed Up and Go Test, +27.5% vs. +10.9% on the functional reach test, +20.8% vs. +7.3% on 30-second chair stand, +10.9% vs. +3.5% on 6-minute walk test). Adding resistance exercise to aerobic exercise improves factors associated with an increased risk of falls. However, both exercise regimes, combined or aerobic alone, are more effective than no exercise in the reduction of fall risk factors. ClinicalTrials.org #NCT01874132.

The luminescence characteristics of CsI(Na) crystal under α and X/γ excitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jinliang; Liu, Fang; Ouyang, Xiaoping; Liu, Bin; Chen, Liang; Ruan, Jinlu; Zhang, Zhongbing; Liu, Jun

2013-01-01

In this paper, we study the effective decay time characteristic of CsI(Na) crystal under 239Pu alpha particle and 137Cs gamma-ray excitation using a single photon counting decay time measurement system. The measurement system employs a silicon optical fiber to couple and transit single photon. The slow decay time component of CsI(Na) crystal is 460-550 ns. We observe a 15 ns fast decay component under alpha particle excitation. In addition, we find that the primary stage of the falling edge in the decay time curve is non-exponential and drops rapidly when CsI(Na) crystal is excited by 239Pu alpha particles. Since the high density of self-trapped-excitons (STEs) is produced in alpha particle excitation process, we propose that the fast falling edge is corresponding to the quenching process of STEs which transit with non-radiation in the case of high excitation density. To prove this proposal, we excited the CsI(Na) crystal with sub-nanosecond intensive pulsed X-ray radiation. Our X-ray impinging results show that the fast falling edge also exists under low energy (average 100 keV) bremsstrahlung X-ray excitation.

A mechanism to explain the spectrum of Hessdalen Lights phenomenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paiva, G. S.; Taft, C. A.

2012-07-01

In this work, we present a model to explain the apparently contradictory spectrum observed in Hessdalen Lights (HL) phenomenon. According to our model, its nearly flat spectrum on the top with steep sides is due to the effect of optical thickness on the bremsstrahlung spectrum. At low frequencies self-absorption modifies the spectrum to follow the Rayleigh-Jeans part of the blackbody curve. This spectrum is typical of dense ionized gas. Additionally, spectrum produced in the thermal bremsstrahlung process is flat up to a cutoff frequency, ν cut, and falls off exponentially at higher frequencies. This sequence of events forms the typical spectrum of HL phenomenon when the atmosphere is clear, with no fog.

Mutual optical intensity propagation through non-ideal mirrors

DOE PAGES

Meng, Xiangyu; Shi, Xianbo; Wang, Yong; ...

2017-08-18

The mutual optical intensity (MOI) model is extended to include the propagation of partially coherent radiation through non-ideal mirrors. The propagation of the MOI from the incident to the exit plane of the mirror is realised by local ray tracing. The effects of figure errors can be expressed as phase shifts obtained by either the phase projection approach or the direct path length method. Using the MOI model, the effects of figure errors are studied for diffraction-limited cases using elliptical cylinder mirrors. Figure errors with low spatial frequencies can vary the intensity distribution, redistribute the local coherence function and distortmore » the wavefront, but have no effect on the global degree of coherence. The MOI model is benchmarked againstHYBRIDand the multi-electronSynchrotron Radiation Workshop(SRW) code. The results show that the MOI model gives accurate results under different coherence conditions of the beam. Other than intensity profiles, the MOI model can also provide the wavefront and the local coherence function at any location along the beamline. The capability of tuning the trade-off between accuracy and efficiency makes the MOI model an ideal tool for beamline design and optimization.« less

33 CFR 334.130 - Atlantic Ocean off Wallops Island and Chincoteague Inlet, Va.; danger zone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... ensure that it will be safe from falling debris. (6) Nothing in this regulation shall be intended to... regulations in this section shall be enforced by the Director, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Goddard Space Flight Center, Wallops Flight Facility Wallops Island, Va., or such agencies as he or she...

Seasoning of aspen

Treesearch

Harvey H. Smith

1947-01-01

Aspen is now the major forest type in the Lake States, and extensive stands are reaching maturity. Increasing quantities are being cut, and much is now being put to new and more exacting uses that require better air-seasoning and kiln-drying practices. The recent favorable market for green aspen lumber appears to be falling off, and the time may soon come when...

With Dwindling Resources, Colleges Recalibrate Fund-Raising Staffs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masterson, Kathryn

2009-01-01

After several years of aggressive hiring, some college fund-raising operations are now cutting back as both revenue and investment income fall. The regrouping could slow growth plans on many campuses at a time when the need for private support has never been greater. Often the colleges cutting employees are laying off back-office staff members and…

Student Drinking: New Strategies but No Magic Bullet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilroy, Marilyn

2009-01-01

More than 1,700 students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from alcohol-related causes, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). These students succumb to alcohol poisoning, cardiac arrest, or injuries from falls off dorm room balconies or other heights on campus. The problem of binge drinking, defined…

33 CFR 334.130 - Atlantic Ocean off Wallops Island and Chincoteague Inlet, Va.; danger zone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... ensure that it will be safe from falling debris. (6) Nothing in this regulation shall be intended to... regulations in this section shall be enforced by the Director, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Goddard Space Flight Center, Wallops Flight Facility Wallops Island, Va., or such agencies as he or she...

29 CFR 1918.43 - Handling hatch beams and covers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the hatch shall be lashed or pinned back so that it cannot be moved toward the open section. (2... prevent them from falling off the cover before the hatch cover is moved. (j) When a hatch is to be covered... operations, if positive means are taken to prevent employees from walking on the tarpaulin. [62 FR 40202...

Field pennycress: A new oilseed crop for the production of biofuels, lubricants, and high-quality proteins

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) has numerous positive attributes that make it a very promising industrial oilseed crop. Its short growing season makes it suitable as an off-season crop between corn and soybean production in most of the upper Midwestern U.S. Fall planting of pennycress may also...

The Sandalwood industry in Australia: a history

Treesearch

Pamela Statham

1990-01-01

From its inception in 1805, when it contributed to Sydney merchant incomes from whaling ventures, until today, when it earns several million dollars in export revenue, the sandalwood industry has played a small but significant part in Australia's economic development. The history of the industry falls into three major stages: first is the off-shore exploitation of...

75 FR 76372 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands; Proposed...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-08

... intends to have the information available for the assessment cycle in the fall of 2011. At the October... sole, rock sole, Kamchatka flounder, sharks, squid, sculpins, and octopus to be included in the final... flounder, Greenland turbot, rock sole, Alaska plaice, other flatfish, and rougheye rockfish. The biomass...

"Redefining RA": The RA Tool Kit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyatt, Neal

2008-01-01

No one likes being two steps behind, and the fastest way to fall off the pace is by not keeping up with major titles and hot authors. Fortunately, there are numerous resources, both prepublication and postpublication, that can help. It is best when readers' advisory (RA) librarians know what is coming out months ahead of time--in order to think…

The Effects of a Tier 3 Intervention on the Mathematics Performance of Second Grade Students With Severe Mathematics Difficulties.

PubMed

Bryant, Brian R; Bryant, Diane Pedrotty; Porterfield, Jennifer; Dennis, Minyi Shih; Falcomata, Terry; Valentine, Courtney; Brewer, Chelsea; Bell, Kathy

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a systematic, explicit, intensive Tier 3 (tertiary) intervention on the mathematics performance of students in second grade with severe mathematics difficulties. A multiple-baseline design across groups of participants showed improved mathematics performance on number and operations concepts and procedures, which are the foundation for later mathematics success. In the previous year, 12 participants had experienced two doses (first and second semesters) of a Tier 2 intervention. In second grade, the participants continued to demonstrate low performance, falling below the 10th percentile on a researcher-designed universal screener and below the 16th percentile on a distal measure, thus qualifying for the intensive intervention. A project interventionist, who met with the students 5 days a week for 10 weeks (9 weeks for one group), conducted the intensive intervention. The intervention employed more intensive instructional design features than the previous Tier 2 secondary instruction, and also included weekly games to reinforce concepts and skills from the lessons. Spring results showed significantly improved mathematics performance (scoring at or above the 25th percentile) for most of the students, thus making them eligible to exit the Tier 3 intervention. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2014.

Health care expenditures and longevity: is there a Eubie Blake effect?

PubMed

Breyer, Friedrich; Lorenz, Normann; Niebel, Thomas

2015-01-01

It is still an open question whether increasing life expectancy as such causes higher health care expenditures (HCE) in a population. According to the "red herring" hypothesis, the positive correlation between age and HCE is exclusively due to the fact that mortality rises with age and a large share of HCE is caused by proximity to death. As a consequence, rising longevity-through falling mortality rates-may even reduce HCE. However, a weakness of many previous empirical studies is that they use cross-sectional evidence to make inferences on a development over time. In this paper, we analyse the impact of rising longevity on the trend of HCE over time by using data from a pseudo-panel of German sickness fund members over the period 1997-2009. Using (dynamic) panel data models, we find that age, mortality and 5-year survival rates each have a positive impact on per-capita HCE. Our explanation for the last finding is that physicians treat patients more aggressively if the results of these treatments pay off over a longer time span, which we call "Eubie Blake effect". A simulation on the basis of an official population forecast for Germany is used to isolate the effect of demographic ageing on real per-capita HCE over the coming decades. We find that, while falling mortality rates as such lower HCE, this effect is more than compensated by an increase in remaining life expectancy so that the net effect of ageing on HCE over time is clearly positive.

Optical control of recovery speed of photoinduced third-harmonic generation in azo-copolymer thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Jian Hung; Lai, Ngoc Diep; Hsu, Chia Chen

2006-03-01

Recovery speed of photoinduced third-harmonic (TH) generation in azo-copolymer thin films can be controlled by a nanosecond laser excitation. When the excitation is tuned on, the TH signal decreases because of angular hole burning and angular redistribution effects. After turning off the excitation, the TH signal can recover to its original level either within 1min (high intensity excitation) or longer than several days (low intensity excitation). The fast recovery of the TH signal is attributed to the increase of temperature in the sample that causes molecules to more easily reorient and return to the original trans form.

Four Interesting Mysteries with Seemingly Conflicting Explanations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delorenzo, Ron

2000-04-01

Four mysteries with seemingly contradictory solutions are presented to make chemistry courses more interesting and relevant to students' lives: (1) Why might women become intoxicated more easily than men? (2) Why might alcohol consumption enhance cigarettes' carcinogenic effects? (3) Why might the use of Vaseline Intensive Care Hand Lotion as a lubricant increase the number of unwanted pregnancies and promote the spread of HIV? (4) Why does oil-based Vaseline Intensive Care Hand Lotion rinse off in water? Although the solutions to these mysteries appear to contradict one another, the contradictions are reconciled by considering a fifth mystery: Why does red wine go with red meat and white wine go with fish?

Satellite chlorophyll off the British Columbia Coast, 1997-2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Jennifer M.; Thomson, Richard E.; Brown, Leslie N.; Willis, Peter G.; Borstad, Gary A.

2015-07-01

We examine the spatial and temporal variability of satellite-sensed sea surface chlorophyll off the west coast of North America from 1997 to 2010, with focus on coastal British Columbia. The variability in surface chlorophyll is complex. Whereas the spring bloom generates the highest phytoplankton concentration for coastal Alaska, the north and east coasts of Haida Gwaii, Queen Charlotte Sound, the Strait of Georgia, and coastal Oregon and California, it is the fall bloom that normally generates the highest concentration for the west coast of Vancouver Island, Juan de Fuca Strait, and the west coast of Washington. The highest satellite-sensed chlorophyll concentrations occur in the Strait of Georgia, where mean values are at least 2 times higher than elsewhere in the northeast Pacific. Moreover, the annual average surface chlorophyll concentration increased significantly in the Strait of Georgia during this period, with highest concentration observed during the near neutral ENSO conditions of the spring of 2007. The next highest concentrations occur off southwest Vancouver Island but have no statistically significant trend. The lowest average peak chlorophyll concentration is observed off Southern California. The timing of the highest chlorophyll concentration is latest off the coast of Washington and earliest off the coast of Southern California. Small increasing concentration trends are observed off the Washington and California coasts.

Stochastic Resonance Effects on Apnea, Bradycardia, and Oxygenation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Smith, Vincent C; Kelty-Stephen, Damian; Qureshi Ahmad, Mona; Mao, Wenyang; Cakert, Kelly; Osborne, John; Paydarfar, David

2015-12-01

To evaluate the effect of stochastic resonance (SR) stimulation on preterm infant oxygen desaturation, bradycardia, and apnea events. We hypothesized that SR stimulation will reduce these events. This was a randomized crossover study conducted from April 2012 to July 2014. Eligible preterm infants were not receiving ventilation support and had at least 1 clinically documented apnea, bradycardia, and/or oxygen desaturation event. The 3 outcome variables were as follows: oxygen desaturation, bradycardia, and apnea events. Infants received up to two 3- or 4-hour intervention periods of 30-minute alternating intervals of SR stimulation and no SR stimulation. The first intervention period was randomly assigned to begin with SR stimulation either on or off, whereas the next intervention period automatically began with the opposite on/off state. We compared the SR stimulation "on" periods with the SR stimulation "off" periods with each infant serving as his or her own control. The sample consisted of 36 infants with a mean (±SD) gestational age of 30.5 ± 3 weeks and a birth weight of 1409 ± 450 g. SR stimulation decreased the number of apneic events by 50%. SR stimulation ameliorated every aspect of clinically significant oxygen desaturation events, with a 20% to 35% decrease in the number, duration, and intensity of oxygen desaturation events when SR stimulation was on. Also, SR stimulation produced a nearly 20% reduction in the intensity of bradycardia events. SR stimulation may be a noninvasive and nonpharmacologic treatment option for apnea, oxygen desaturation, and some aspects of bradycardia in premature infants. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Balancing ecosystem health and pollution risk in contrasting water supply catchments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harper, Ashleigh; Doerr, Stefan; Santin, Cristina; Froyd, Cynthia

2017-04-01

Prescribed fires are an important tool in many regions of the world for (i) minimising fuel loads to reduce the risk of severe wildfire occurrence, and (ii) for maintaining ecosystem services, biological diversity and ecological health. Despite the continued application of prescribed burning as a management technique in a number of regions across the world, its usage has declined in recent decades in some areas of the UK. A new project has been launched to provide an environmental impact assessment that accompanies the reintroduction of more regular management burning practices into the Brecon Beacons National Park (Wales), which aims to address the effects of the reduction in upland grazing. Its outputs will inform management practices within the region in relation to the trade-offs between burning, ecosystem services and the specific water supply catchment needs, whilst also providing a comparable British context to the growing body of international literature. In order to supplement this broad research area into the impacts of management burning, spacial-temporal changes in the risks to off-site water quality will be monitored as an impact of varying burn use-intensity. This topic has received little research in comparison to work on the effects on vegetation and soil hydrological processes. The wider implications of burn use-intensity on Welsh upland areas will also be evaluated, including an assessment of biological diversity and ecological health both on and off-site within the study catchments. This contribution will provide a brief summary of the current state of knowledge in this field, along with a research design that will be adopted to deliver the anticipated research outputs

Does dynamic stability govern propulsive force generation in human walking?

PubMed Central

Browne, Michael G.

2017-01-01

Before succumbing to slower speeds, older adults may walk with a diminished push-off to prioritize stability over mobility. However, direct evidence for trade-offs between push-off intensity and balance control in human walking, independent of changes in speed, has remained elusive. As a critical first step, we conducted two experiments to investigate: (i) the independent effects of walking speed and propulsive force (FP) generation on dynamic stability in young adults, and (ii) the extent to which young adults prioritize dynamic stability in selecting their preferred combination of walking speed and FP generation. Subjects walked on a force-measuring treadmill across a range of speeds as well as at constant speeds while modulating their FP according to a visual biofeedback paradigm based on real-time force measurements. In contrast to improvements when walking slower, walking with a diminished push-off worsened dynamic stability by up to 32%. Rather, we find that young adults adopt an FP at their preferred walking speed that maximizes dynamic stability. One implication of these findings is that the onset of a diminished push-off in old age may independently contribute to poorer balance control and precipitate slower walking speeds. PMID:29291129

Does dynamic stability govern propulsive force generation in human walking?

PubMed

Browne, Michael G; Franz, Jason R

2017-11-01

Before succumbing to slower speeds, older adults may walk with a diminished push-off to prioritize stability over mobility. However, direct evidence for trade-offs between push-off intensity and balance control in human walking, independent of changes in speed, has remained elusive. As a critical first step, we conducted two experiments to investigate: (i) the independent effects of walking speed and propulsive force ( F P ) generation on dynamic stability in young adults, and (ii) the extent to which young adults prioritize dynamic stability in selecting their preferred combination of walking speed and F P generation. Subjects walked on a force-measuring treadmill across a range of speeds as well as at constant speeds while modulating their F P according to a visual biofeedback paradigm based on real-time force measurements. In contrast to improvements when walking slower, walking with a diminished push-off worsened dynamic stability by up to 32%. Rather, we find that young adults adopt an F P at their preferred walking speed that maximizes dynamic stability. One implication of these findings is that the onset of a diminished push-off in old age may independently contribute to poorer balance control and precipitate slower walking speeds.

Walk-off reduction, using an external optical plate and Bessel-Gaussian interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masoume, Mansouri; Mohsen, Askarbioki; Saeed Ghavami, Sabouri; Alireza, Khorsandi

2015-02-01

To reduce the walk-off angle of the extraordinary third-harmonic ultraviolet wave at 355 nm generated by type II KTiOPO4 and type I β-BaB2O4 optical crystals, and the Gaussian output beam of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, a simple theoretical model was developed based on a rotatable BK7 plate of variable thickness. By rotating the plate up to 35° along the beam direction, we reduced the walk-off angle up to ˜ 13%. The same phenomenon is predicted by the model, confirming the performance of the model. It is found that, due to the walk-off effect, the intensity profile of the third-harmonic generation beam is slightly degraded. To compensate for the observed phenomena and further reduce the walk-off, we used a combination of a convex lens and an axicon to transform the beam profile of the interacting fundamental and second-harmonic generation waves to the zero-order Bessel-Gaussian form. As a result, the walk-off is decreased to ˜48.81 mrad, providing ˜30% relative reduction. By using the same BK7 plate rotated up to 35° along the third-harmonic beam direction, the walk-off angle is further reduced to 38.9 mrad. Moreover, it is observed that the beam profile of the emerged Bessel-Gaussian third-harmonic generation beam remains unchanged with no degradation.

The Effects of the A Matter of Balance Program on Falls and Physical Risk of Falls, Tampa, Florida, 2013.

PubMed

Chen, Tuo-Yu; Edwards, Jerri D; Janke, Megan C

2015-09-24

This study investigated the effects of the A Matter of Balance (MOB) program on falls and physical risk factors of falling among community-dwelling older adults living in Tampa, Florida, in 2013. A total of 110 adults (52 MOB, 58 comparison) were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Data on falls, physical risk of falling, and other known risk factors of falling were collected at baseline and at the end of the program. Multivariate analysis of covariance with repeated measures and logistic regressions were used to investigate the effects of this program. Participants in the MOB group were less likely to have had a fall and had significant improvements in their physical risk of falling compared with adults in the comparison group. No significant effects of the MOB program on recurrent falls or the number of falls reported were found. This study contributes to our understanding of the MOB program and its effectiveness in reducing falls and the physical risk of falling among older adults. The findings support extended use of this program to reduce falls and physical risk of falling among older adults.

Zolpidem is independently associated with increased risk of inpatient falls.

PubMed

Kolla, Bhanu Prakash; Lovely, Jenna K; Mansukhani, Meghna P; Morgenthaler, Timothy I

2013-01-01

Inpatient falls are associated with significant morbidity and increased healthcare costs. Zolpidem has been reported to decrease balance and is associated with falls. Yet, it is a commonly used hypnotic agent in the inpatient setting. Zolpidem use in hospitalized patients may be a significant and potentially modifiable risk factor for falling. To determine whether inpatients administered zolpidem are at greater risk of falling. Retrospective cohort study. Adult non-intensive care unit (non-ICU) inpatients at a tertiary care center. Adult inpatients who were prescribed zolpidem were identified. Electronic medical records were reviewed to capture demographics and other risk factors for falls. The fall rate was compared in those administered zolpidem versus those only prescribed zolpidem. Multivariate analyses were performed to determine whether zolpidem was independently associated with falls. The fall rate among patients who were prescribed and received zolpidem (n = 4962) was significantly greater than among patients who were prescribed but did not receive zolpidem (n = 11,358) (3.04% vs 0.71%; P < 0.001). Zolpidem use continued to remain significantly associated with increased fall risk after accounting for age, gender, insomnia, delirium status, dose of zolpidem, Charlson comorbidity index, Hendrich's fall risk score, length of hospital stay, presence of visual impairment, gait abnormalities, and dementia/cognitive impairment (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 4.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.34-5.76; P < 0.001). Additionally, patients taking zolpidem who experienced a fall did not differ from other hospitalized adult patients who fell in terms of age, opioids, antidepressants, sedative-antidepressants, antipsychotics, benzodiazepine, or antihistamine use. Zolpidem use was a strong, independent, and potentially modifiable risk factor for inpatient falls. Copyright © 2012 Society of Hospital Medicine.

Intensive exercise reduces the fear of additional falls in elderly people: findings from the Korea falls prevention study.

PubMed

Oh, Dong Hyun; Park, Ji Eun; Lee, Eon Sook; Oh, Sang Woo; Cho, Sung Il; Jang, Soong Nang; Baik, Hyun Wook

2012-12-01

Falls among older people are a major public health problem and may result in fracture, medical complications that require hospitalization, and fear of additional falls. Given the prevalence and impact of the fear of falling again, reducing the incidence of falls is important to prevent additional falls. This study analyzed whether exercise programs decrease the fear of future falls in elderly patients who have fallen previously. A randomized controlled study was performed that included 65 elderly community-dwelling subjects who had fallen in the previous year. Subjects were randomized into two groups: an exercise group (EG, n = 36) and a control group (CG, n = 29). The EG participated in three exercise sessions per week for 12 weeks. Muscle strength, balance, agility, flexibility, and muscular endurance were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks. After the 12-week exercise program, the subjects in the EG demonstrated remarkable improvement in their walking speed, balance (p = 0.003), back strength (p = 0.08), lower extremity strength (p = 0.004), and flexibility (p < 0.001). When asked whether they were afraid of falling, more participants in the EG than in the CG responded "not at all" or "a little." The 12-week exercise program described here reduced the fear of falling (p = 0.02). It also improved the balance, flexibility, and muscle strength of the participants and was associated with improved quality of life.

Interventions for the prevention of falls in older adults: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials

PubMed Central

Chang, John T; Morton, Sally C; Rubenstein, Laurence Z; Mojica, Walter A; Maglione, Margaret; Suttorp, Marika J; Roth, Elizabeth A; Shekelle, Paul G

2004-01-01

Objective To assess the relative effectiveness of interventions to prevent falls in older adults to either a usual care group or control group. Design Systematic review and meta-analyses. Data sources Medline, HealthSTAR, Embase, the Cochrane Library, other health related databases, and the reference lists from review articles and systematic reviews. Data extraction Components of falls intervention: multifactorial falls risk assessment with management programme, exercise, environmental modifications, or education. Results 40 trials were identified. A random effects analysis combining trials with risk ratio data showed a reduction in the risk of falling (risk ratio 0.88, 95% confidence interval 0.82 to 0.95), whereas combining trials with incidence rate data showed a reduction in the monthly rate of falling (incidence rate ratio 0.80, 0.72 to 0.88). The effect of individual components was assessed by meta-regression. A multifactorial falls risk assessment and management programme was the most effective component on risk of falling (0.82, 0.72 to 0.94, number needed to treat 11) and monthly fall rate (0.63, 0.49 to 0.83; 11.8 fewer falls in treatment group per 100 patients per month). Exercise interventions also had a beneficial effect on the risk of falling (0.86, 0.75 to 0.99, number needed to treat 16) and monthly fall rate (0.86, 0.73 to 1.01; 2.7). Conclusions Interventions to prevent falls in older adults are effective in reducing both the risk of falling and the monthly rate of falling. The most effective intervention was a multifactorial falls risk assessment and management programme. Exercise programmes were also effective in reducing the risk of falling. PMID:15031239

Quantifying the effect of forests on frequency and intensity of rockfalls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moos, Christine; Dorren, Luuk; Stoffel, Markus

2017-02-01

Forests serve as a natural means of protection against small rockfalls. Due to their barrier effect, they reduce the intensity and the propagation probability of falling rocks and thus reduce the occurrence frequency of a rockfall event for a given element at risk. However, despite established knowledge on the protective effect of forests, they are generally neglected in quantitative rockfall risk analyses. Their inclusion in quantitative rockfall risk assessment would, however, be necessary to express their efficiency in monetary terms and to allow comparison of forests with other protective measures, such as nets and dams. The goal of this study is to quantify the effect of forests on the occurrence frequency and intensity of rockfalls. We therefore defined an onset frequency of blocks based on a power-law magnitude-frequency distribution and determined their propagation probabilities on a virtual slope based on rockfall simulations. Simulations were run for different forest and non-forest scenarios under varying forest stand and terrain conditions. We analysed rockfall frequencies and intensities at five different distances from the release area. Based on two multivariate statistical prediction models, we investigated which of the terrain and forest characteristics predominantly drive the role of forest in reducing rockfall occurrence frequency and intensity and whether they are able to predict the effect of forest on rockfall risk. The rockfall occurrence frequency below forested slopes is reduced between approximately 10 and 90 % compared to non-forested slope conditions; whereas rockfall intensity is reduced by 10 to 70 %. This reduction increases with increasing slope length and decreases with decreasing tree density, tree diameter and increasing rock volume, as well as in cases of clustered or gappy forest structures. The statistical prediction models reveal that the cumulative basal area of trees, block volume and horizontal forest structure represent key variables for the prediction of the protective effect of forests. In order to validate these results, models have to be tested on real slopes with a wide variation of terrain and forest conditions.

Magnetoplasmon spectrum for realistic off-plane structure of dissipative 2D system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheremisin, M. V.

2017-12-01

The rigorous analysis of the textbook result (Chiu and Quinn, 1974) gives unexpectedly the dramatic change of the magnetoplasmon spectrum taking into account both the arbitrary dissipation and asymmetric off-plane structure of 2D system. For given wave vector the dissipation enhancement leads to decrease(increase) of magnetoplasmon frequency at low(high) magnetic field. At certain range of disorder the purely relaxational mode appears in magnetoplasmon spectrum. In strong magnetic fields the magnetoplasmon frequency falls to cyclotron resonance line even in presence of finite dissipation. The observation of nonlinearity and, moreover, the mysterious zig-zag behavior 2D magnetoplasmon spectrum is consistent with our findings.

[Anal sphincter injury caused by falling off a trampoline].

PubMed

Pakarinen, Mikko

2013-01-01

A girl of preschool age fell off a trampoline in a sitting position onto an iron bar sticking up from the ground. In addition to a laceration of the terminal portion of the rectum, she was found to have a severe sphincter injury. The sphincters were repaired by a surgeon the next morning. After one month from the surgery the anal canal pressure was found to be symmetrical with good contractile force of the sphincters. No abnormalities were found in a contrast study or in rectoscopy. The protective stoma was closed after three months from the injury and fecal continence was normal after one and a half years.

Antidepressant use in the elderly: the role of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics in drug safety.

PubMed

Sultana, Janet; Spina, Edoardo; Trifirò, Gianluca

2015-06-01

Antidepressants (ADs) are widely used among elderly persons, making AD-related safety an important issue. This review highlights safety considerations related to AD use including risks associated with inappropriate and off-label use. The age-related pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes underlying safety concerns connected to ADs are outlined. Drug-drug interactions as a cause of AD-related adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are also discussed. We reviewed scientific evidence concerning three important safety outcomes related to ADs in elderly persons: cardiac arrhythmias, hyponatraemia and falls/fractures. Several AD-related ADRs in elderly people are likely to be preventable. Current evidence suggests that selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are best avoided particularly in persons with kidney disease due to the risk of hyponatraemia. The use of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) should be limited in the elderly due to anticholinergic adverse effects. TCAs should also be avoided in elderly persons at high risk of cardiovascular events due to a risk of cardiac arrhythmia. Emerging evidence suggests that SSRIs also have arrhythmogenic potential. Both TCAs and SSRIs should be used cautiously in elderly persons at risk of falls. Future research in this area should aim to investigate the lowest effective dose of AD possible, the relationship between AD dose and adverse effects, and which elderly subgroups are most prone to develop severe ADRs.

Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: A Preliminary Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, Alexandria; Zenitsky, Gary; Crowther, Lawrence; Hadimani, Ravi; Anantharam, Vellareddy; Kanthasamy, Anumantha; Jiles, David

2014-03-01

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive surgery-free tool used to stimulate the brain by time-varying magnetic fields. TMS is currently being investigated as a treatment for neurological disorders such as depression, Parkinson's disease and TBI. Before moving to human TMS/TBI trials, animal testing should be pursued to determine suitability and adverse effects. As an initial study, four healthy mice were treated with TMS at different power levels to determine short-term behavioral effects and set a control group baseline. The mouse's behavior was studied using the Rotorod test, which measures the animal's latency to fall off a rotating rod, and the Versamax test, which measures horizontal and vertical movement, and total distance traveled. The Rotorod test has shown for TMS power levels >=90% the mice begin to fall directly post-treatment. Similarly, the Versamax test has shown for power levels >=80% the mice are less mobile directly post-treatment. Versamax mobility was found to return to normal the day following treatment. These mice were housed in the facility for 4 months and the behavioral tests were repeated. Versamax results showed there was no significant variation in mobility indicating there are no long-term side effects of TMS treatment on the mice. This work was supported by the Barbara and James Palmer Endowment and the Carver Charitable Trust at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University.

Practical photochemistry: General considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutchison, J.

1986-05-01

Practical aspects of laboratory scale preparative photochemistry are discussed under the headings of: (1) lamps: dimensions, power ratings, spectral distributions and output intensities of different lamp types; (2) the reaction mixture: factors involved in establishing the most suitable wavelength region to use to carry out a particular reaction; the selection of the appropriate solvents, filters, and glassware; concentration of the photoactive component; (3) preparative photoreactions: immersion well, falling film, external irradiation and elliptical configurations; (4) apparatus for quantitative work: carousel and optical bench arrangements; (5) hazards: effects of ultraviolet radiation on eyes and skin and precautions to be taken.

Effect of borax concentration on the structure of Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) gels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawrence, Mathias B.; Desa, J. A. E.; Aswal, V. K.

2012-06-01

Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) hydrogels cross-linked with varying concentrations of borax have been studied using Small-Angle Neutron Scattering and X-Ray Diffraction. The intensity of scattering increases with borax concentration from 1 mg/ml up to 2 mg/ml and falls thereafter for 4 mg/ml, increasing again for a concentration of 10 mg/ml. The mesoscopic structural changes that cause these trends in the SANS data are in keeping with the variations in the X-ray diffraction patterns pertaining to structures within the PVA chains.

From baroclinic to barotropic: the evolution of Medicane Cornelia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazza, Edoardo; Ulbrich, Uwe; Klein, Rupert

2015-04-01

The Mediterranean Basin is a very cyclogenetic area with more than 100 cyclones developing on average every year, most of which evolve as baroclinic, mid-latitude disturbances. There is, however, a restricted group of cyclones that acquire barotropic characteristics during their development. Given their similarities with hurricanes they are generally referred to as "medicanes". They can be associated with severe wind gusts and intense rainfall and represent a serious threat to coastal areas. Medicane Cornelia (6-10 October 1996) formed in the western Mediterranean Sea, under the influence of a large, cut-off low in the upper levels located over the Iberian Peninsula. It is the longest-lived among the recorded medicanes. In this work, a domain shifting method is used to initialize full-physics ensemble simulations of Cornelia using COSMO-CLM. Different atmospheric states are obtained by integrating the model over domains that are shifted with respect to each other. This enables us to stress the relevance of dynamical and thermodynamical mechanisms involved in the tropical transition of Cornelia. Cyclones in the ensemble exhibit significant differences both in their structures and in their temporal evolutions. A comparison of the ensemble members shows that medicanes develop from a baroclinic, frontal system, located to the east of the cut-off low, that undergoes warm seclusion. A first intensification stage occurs during the seclusion process, a second one takes place after the cyclones crossed Sardinia. Convection is known to be a crucial mechanism in the tropical transition process, both in terms of shear reduction and contribution to sea-level pressure fall via latent heat release. During warm seclusion, a bent-back occluded front develops and a pocket of warm air is secluded from the warm sector. Remarkable differences in the vertical motions are found along the developing bent-back front in each member. Cyclones that feature stronger bent-back fronts show more intense convection and larger diabatic heating, resulting in a faster sea-level pressure minimum deepening. The interaction of cyclones with the complex topography of Sardinia appears to be responsible for the differences in the second intensification stage.

Climate change and ocean deoxygenation within intensified surface-driven upwelling circulations.

PubMed

Bakun, Andrew

2017-09-13

Ocean deoxygenation often takes place in proximity to zones of intense upwelling. Associated concerns about amplified ocean deoxygenation arise from an arguable likelihood that coastal upwelling systems in the world's oceans may further intensify as anthropogenic climate change proceeds. Comparative examples discussed include the uniquely intense seasonal Somali Current upwelling, the massive upwelling that occurs quasi-continuously off Namibia and the recently appearing and now annually recurring 'dead zone' off the US State of Oregon. The evident 'transience' in causal dynamics off Oregon is somewhat mirrored in an interannual-scale intermittence in eruptions of anaerobically formed noxious gases off Namibia. A mechanistic scheme draws the three examples towards a common context in which, in addition to the obvious but politically problematic remedy of actually reducing 'greenhouse' gas emissions, the potentially manageable abundance of strongly swimming, finely gill raker-meshed small pelagic fish emerges as a plausible regulating factor.This article is part of the themed issue 'Ocean ventilation and deoxygenation in a warming world'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Falls from heights: epidemiology and pattern of injury at the accident and emergency centre of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.

PubMed

Osifo, Osarumwense David; Iribhogbe, Pius; Idiodi-Thomas, Hestia

2010-05-01

Knowledge of the epidemiology and the pattern of injury sustained following falls from heights may be crucial in formulating policy aimed at prevention and improved outcome of victims. This study aims to determine the epidemiology and the spectrum of injury sustained following falls from heights at a referral trauma centre in a developing country. This study is a retrospective analysis of cases of falls from heights between June 2007 and May 2008 at the Accident and Emergency Center of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. Eighty-four patients aged between 1 and 60 years (median: 24 years) comprising 54 males and 30 females with a male/female ratio of 1.8:1 were managed. All the falls were accidental and occurred mainly among males aged between 18 and 30 years, with a peak incidence between March and May, which coincided with rainy and harvest seasons (P<0.0001). Consequently, falls from moving vehicles 13 (15.5%); off the top of buildings at construction sites, eight (9.5%), staircase, six (7.1%); and treetops, six (7.1%) were common. Children fell mainly indoors from relatively lower heights. Eighty (95.2%) patients sustained injury that ranged from minor abrasions (12; 14.3%) to severe life-threatening head injury (15; 17.9%), which resulted in one (1.2%) death. Sympathisers and passersby were rescuers who gave first aid and brought the patients to the centre using hazardous public transport with a mean time lag of 12h (range: 2-48 h) between the falls and presentation. Falls from heights were common in Benin. Health awareness programmes and a proper government policy will reduce incidences and improve outcome. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spontaneous running activity in male rats - Effect of age

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mondon, C. E.; Dolkas, C. B.; Sims, C.; Reaven, G. M.

1985-01-01

Variations in the intensity and the patterns of spontaneous running activity in wheel cages were studied in male rats aged 7 weeks to one year. Daily running records were obtained for periods of 12 mo, and 24-hour recordings were made for selected runners in order to study variations in running activity during the day. The data indicate that for rats running over two miles/day, the maximum running intensity can be divided into two groups: a group of high achievers running 8 miles/day; and a group of moderate achievers running 4.8 miles/day. For both groups spontaneous activity reached a maximum after 4-5 weeks. An hourly pattern of running activity during the day was identified in rats of increasing age who averaged 9.0, 4.5, 2.6, and 1.2 miles/day, respectively. Progressive losses were observed in both the speed and the duration of spontaneous running as the rats increased in age, with the intensity of exercise falling below 2 miles/day after 7-8 months of age.

An Intensive Archaeological and Architectural Phase 1 Survey of the Section 205 Flood Control Project Cedar Falls, Iowa

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-07-01

indicating that • m |0 7 people were inhabiting the area relatively soon after glacial retreat. Using a broader data base of excavated buried...Midwestern Archaeological Reasearch Center- Ib-.Illinois State University 7 - Normal, Illinois 61761 . i~l U1nflrnited July 1991 91 12101 037 0 0...CONTROL PROJECT, CEDAR FALLS, IOWA .. ...... . .... 7 by Joseph S. Phillippe iotrt :j, and A , I David J. Halpin A, -l This research sponsored by United

Aircraft data summaries for the SURE intensives. Final report. [Sampling done July 1978 near Duncan Falls, Ohio and Scranton, Pennsylvania

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

Keifer, W.S.; Blumenthal, D.L.; Tommerdahl, J.B.

1981-09-01

As part of the EPRI sulfate regional experiment (SURE), Meteorology Research, Inc., (MRI) and Research Triangle Institute (RTI) conducted six air quality sampling programs in the eastern United States using instrumented aircraft. This volume includes the air quality and meteorological data obtained during the July 1978 Intensive when MRI sampled near the Duncan Falls, Ohio, SURE Station and RTI sampled near the Scranton, Pennsylvania, SURE Station. During the last part of the July 1978 sampling period, both MRI and RTI aircraft participated in a large regional-scale sampling program with Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL). Only themore » data obtained by the MRI and RTI aircraft during this regional-scale sapling program are included in this volume.« less

Charge transport in molecular junctions: From tunneling to hopping with the probe technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilgour, Michael; Segal, Dvira

2015-07-01

We demonstrate that a simple phenomenological approach can be used to simulate electronic conduction in molecular wires under thermal effects induced by the surrounding environment. This "Landauer-Büttiker's probe technique" can properly replicate different transport mechanisms, phase coherent nonresonant tunneling, ballistic behavior, and hopping conduction. Specifically, our simulations with the probe method recover the following central characteristics of charge transfer in molecular wires: (i) the electrical conductance of short wires falls off exponentially with molecular length, a manifestation of the tunneling (superexchange) mechanism. Hopping dynamics overtakes superexchange in long wires demonstrating an ohmic-like behavior. (ii) In off-resonance situations, weak dephasing effects facilitate charge transfer, but under large dephasing, the electrical conductance is suppressed. (iii) At high enough temperatures, kBT/ɛB > 1/25, with ɛB as the molecular-barrier height, the current is enhanced by a thermal activation (Arrhenius) factor. However, this enhancement takes place for both coherent and incoherent electrons and it does not readily indicate on the underlying mechanism. (iv) At finite-bias, dephasing effects may impede conduction in resonant situations. We further show that memory (non-Markovian) effects can be implemented within the Landauer-Büttiker's probe technique to model the interaction of electrons with a structured environment. Finally, we examine experimental results of electron transfer in conjugated molecular wires and show that our computational approach can reasonably reproduce reported values to provide mechanistic information.

A tunable optical Kerr switch based on a nanomechanical resonator coupled to a quantum dot.

PubMed

Li, Jin-Jin; Zhu, Ka-Di

2010-05-21

We have theoretically demonstrated the large enhancement of the optical Kerr effect in a scheme of a nanomechanical resonator coupled to a quantum dot and shown that this phenomenon can be used to realize a fast optical Kerr switch by turning the control field on or off. Due to the vibration of the nanoresonator, as we pump on the strong control beam, the optical spectrum shows that the magnitude of this optical Kerr effect is proportional to the intensity of the control field. In this case, a fast and tunable optical Kerr switch can be implemented easily by an intensity-adjustable laser. Based on this tunable optical Kerr switch, we also provide a detection method to measure the frequency of the nanomechanical resonator in this coupled system.

Variability of interconnected wind plants: correlation length and its dependence on variability time scale

DOE PAGES

St. Martin, Clara M.; Lundquist, Julie K.; Handschy, Mark A.

2015-04-02

The variability in wind-generated electricity complicates the integration of this electricity into the electrical grid. This challenge steepens as the percentage of renewably-generated electricity on the grid grows, but variability can be reduced by exploiting geographic diversity: correlations between wind farms decrease as the separation between wind farms increases. However, how far is far enough to reduce variability? Grid management requires balancing production on various timescales, and so consideration of correlations reflective of those timescales can guide the appropriate spatial scales of geographic diversity grid integration. To answer 'how far is far enough,' we investigate the universal behavior of geographic diversity by exploring wind-speed correlations using three extensive datasets spanning continents, durations and time resolution. First, one year of five-minute wind power generation data from 29 wind farms span 1270 km across Southeastern Australia (Australian Energy Market Operator). Second, 45 years of hourly 10 m wind-speeds from 117 stations span 5000 km across Canada (National Climate Data Archive of Environment Canada). Finally, four years of five-minute wind-speeds from 14 meteorological towers span 350 km of the Northwestern US (Bonneville Power Administration). After removing diurnal cycles and seasonal trends from all datasets, we investigate dependence of correlation length on time scale by digitally high-pass filtering the data on 0.25–2000 h timescales and calculating correlations between sites for each high-pass filter cut-off. Correlations fall to zero with increasing station separation distance, but the characteristic correlation length varies with the high-pass filter applied: the higher the cut-off frequency, the smaller the station separation required to achieve de-correlation. Remarkable similarities between these three datasets reveal behavior that, if universal, could be particularly useful for grid management. For high-pass filter time constants shorter than about τ = 38 h, all datasets exhibit a correlation lengthmore » $$\\xi $$ that falls at least as fast as $${{\\tau }^{-1}}$$ . Since the inter-site separation needed for statistical independence falls for shorter time scales, higher-rate fluctuations can be effectively smoothed by aggregating wind plants over areas smaller than otherwise estimated.« less