Management of War-Related Ballistic Craniocerebral Injuries in a French Role 3 Hospital During the Afghan Campaign.

PubMed

Dagain, Arnaud; Aoun, Olivier; Bordes, Julien; Roqueplo, Cédric; Joubert, Christophe; Esnault, Pierre; Sellier, Aurore; Delmas, Jean-Marc; Desse, Nicolas; Fouet, Mathilde; Pernot, Philippe; Dulou, Renaud

2017-06-01

France deployed to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014 within the International Security and Assistance Force. A French role 3 hospital was built in 2009 in the vicinity of Kabul International Airport (KaIA). The objectives of this study were to describe the epidemiology, management, and outcome of war-related craniocerebral injuries during the Afghan campaign in a French role 3 hospital. From March 1, 2010 to September 30, 2012, we conducted a retrospective descriptive study in Kabul, Afghanistan. All patients presenting with a ballistic craniocerebral injury to the KaIA role 3 hospital were included. We analyzed 48 records. Mean age was 21.9 years (1-46 years) with a 37:11 (male:female) sex ratio and a majority Afghan population (n = 41). Civilians represented 64.6% (n = 31) of casualties. On the battlefield, mean Glasgow Coma Scale score was 9.4 [3-15]. On arrival at the KaIA field hospital, 20 of the 48 patients were hemodynamically unstable. All patients underwent a full-body computed tomography scan. The majority of our casualties had associated injuries. Neurosurgery was indicated for 42 (87.5%) patients. The surgery consisted of wound debridement plane by plane associated with decompressive craniectomy (n = 11), debridement craniectomy (n = 19), and craniotomy (n = 12). A total of 32.4% wounded died at the point of injury, 8.4% at the emergency department, and 16.9% after surgery. War casualties with ballistic head injuries were predominantly multitraumatized patients with hemodynamic compromise requiring neurosurgical damage control management and multidisciplinary care. The neurosurgeon has thus an essential role to play. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Airspace Technology Demonstration 3 (ATD-3): Applied Traffic Flow Management Project Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gong, Chester

2016-01-01

ATD-3 Project Overview for 3rd Joint Workshop for KAIA-KARI - NASA ATM Research Collaboration. This presentation gives a high level description of the ATD-3 project and related technologies. These technologies include Multi-Flight Common Routes (MFCR), Traffic Aware Strategic Aircrew Requests (TASAR) and Dynamic Routes for Arrivals in Weather (DRAW).

ADP Regulates the Structure and Function of the Protein KaiC

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-11

J. S., Lee, Y., Kang, S., Lee, D., Li, S., Britt, R. D., Rust , M., J., Golden, S., S., LiWang, A. (2015) A protein fold switch joins the circadian... Rust , M.J. (2013). Robust and tunable circadian rhythms from differentially sensitive catalytic domains. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 110, 1124- 1129

RecA family proteins in archaea: RadA and its cousins.

PubMed

Haldenby, Sam; White, Malcolm F; Allers, Thorsten

2009-02-01

Recombinases of the RecA family are essential for homologous recombination and underpin genome stability, by promoting the repair of double-stranded DNA breaks and the rescue of collapsed DNA replication forks. Until now, our understanding of homologous recombination has relied on studies of bacterial and eukaryotic model organisms. Archaea provide new opportunities to study how recombination operates in a lineage distinct from bacteria and eukaryotes. In the present paper, we focus on RadA, the archaeal RecA family recombinase, and its homologues in archaea and other domains. On the basis of phylogenetic analysis, we propose that a family of archaeal proteins with a single RecA domain, which are currently annotated as KaiC, be renamed aRadC.

Astronomers between the graduated from the Mechanical and Mathematical Faculty of the Moscow University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaina, Alex

2011-12-01

The web page contains photographs of some pupils from the Mechanical and Mathematics division of the Moscow State University: Vladimir Trifonovich Kondurar (22.08.1911-05.1990), Evgheni Alexandrovich Grebenikov (b.20.01.1932), Georgy Nikolaevich Duboshin (1904-1986), Evgheny Petrovich Aksenov (1933-1995),Vladimir Grigor'evich Demin (1929-1996),as well as a photograph of professor of the Physics Department of the Moscow University L.K. Zarembo. A number of pupils and colleagues of Professor V.T. Kondurar (Gamarnik, Froi?kaia, ?inkarik and other) from Dnepropetrovsk (Ukraine), Novocherkassk (Russia) and Ivanovo(Russia) can be found also.

Moral Enhancement

PubMed Central

Douglas, Thomas

2008-01-01

Opponents of biomedical enhancement often claim that, even if such enhancement would benefit the enhanced, it would harm others. But this objection looks unpersuasive when the enhancement in question is a moral enhancement — an enhancement that will expectably leave the enhanced person with morally better motives than she had previously. In this article I (1) describe one type of psychological alteration that would plausibly qualify as a moral enhancement, (2) argue that we will, in the medium-term future, probably be able to induce such alterations via biomedical intervention, and (3) defend future engagement in such moral enhancements against possible objections. My aim is to present this kind of moral enhancement as a counter-example to the view that biomedical enhancement is always morally impermissible. PMID:19132138

EDITORIAL: Nano-enhanced! Nano-enhanced!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demming, Anna

2010-08-01

In the early 19th century, a series of engineering and scientific breakthroughs by Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot, James Watt and many others led to the foundations of thermodynamics and a new pedigree of mechanical designs that reset the standards of engineering efficiency. The result was the industrial revolution. In optical- and electronics- based nanotechnology research, a similarly subtle bargain is being made; we cannot alter the fact that systems have a finite response to external excitations, but what we can do is enhance that response. The promising attributes of ZnO have long been recognised; its large band gap and high exciton binding energy lend it to a number of applications from laser diodes, LEDs, optical waveguides and switches, and acousto-optic applications to sun cream. When this material is grown into nanowires and nanorods, the material gains a whole new dimension, as quantum confinement effects come into play. Discovery of the enhanced radiative recombination, which has potential for exploitation in many optical and opto-electronic applications, drove intensive research into investigating these structures and into finding methods to synthesise them with optimised properties. This research revealed further subtleties in the properties of these materials. One example is the work by researchers in the US reporting synthesis procedures that produced a yield—defined as the weight ratio of ZnO nanowires to the original graphite flakes—of 200%, and which also demonstrated, through photoluminescence analysis of nanowires grown on graphite flakes and substrates, that graphite induces oxygen vacancies during annealing, which enhances the deep-level to near-band-edge emission ratio [1]. Other one-dimensional materials that provide field emission enhancements include carbon nanotubes, and work has been performed to find ways of optimising the emission efficiency from these structures, such as through control of the emitter density [2]. One of the

Robust and tunable circadian rhythms from differentially sensitive catalytic domains

PubMed Central

Phong, Connie; Markson, Joseph S.; Wilhoite, Crystal M.; Rust, Michael J.

2013-01-01

Circadian clocks are ubiquitous biological oscillators that coordinate an organism’s behavior with the daily cycling of the external environment. To ensure synchronization with the environment, the period of the clock must be maintained near 24 h even as amplitude and phase are altered by input signaling. We show that, in a reconstituted circadian system from cyanobacteria, these conflicting requirements are satisfied by distinct functions for two domains of the central clock protein KaiC: the C-terminal autokinase domain integrates input signals through the ATP/ADP ratio, and the slow N-terminal ATPase acts as an input-independent timer. We find that phosphorylation in the C-terminal domain followed by an ATPase cycle in the N-terminal domain is required to form the inhibitory KaiB•KaiC complexes that drive the dynamics of the clock. We present a mathematical model in which this ATPase-mediated delay in negative feedback gives rise to a compensatory mechanism that allows a tunable phase and amplitude while ensuring a robust circadian period. PMID:23277568

Spatial enhancer clustering and regulation of enhancer-proximal genes by cohesin

PubMed Central

Ing-Simmons, Elizabeth; Seitan, Vlad C.; Faure, Andre J.; Flicek, Paul; Carroll, Thomas; Dekker, Job; Fisher, Amanda G.; Lenhard, Boris

2015-01-01

In addition to mediating sister chromatid cohesion during the cell cycle, the cohesin complex associates with CTCF and with active gene regulatory elements to form long-range interactions between its binding sites. Genome-wide chromosome conformation capture had shown that cohesin's main role in interphase genome organization is in mediating interactions within architectural chromosome compartments, rather than specifying compartments per se. However, it remains unclear how cohesin-mediated interactions contribute to the regulation of gene expression. We have found that the binding of CTCF and cohesin is highly enriched at enhancers and in particular at enhancer arrays or “super-enhancers” in mouse thymocytes. Using local and global chromosome conformation capture, we demonstrate that enhancer elements associate not just in linear sequence, but also in 3D, and that spatial enhancer clustering is facilitated by cohesin. The conditional deletion of cohesin from noncycling thymocytes preserved enhancer position, H3K27ac, H4K4me1, and enhancer transcription, but weakened interactions between enhancers. Interestingly, ∼50% of deregulated genes reside in the vicinity of enhancer elements, suggesting that cohesin regulates gene expression through spatial clustering of enhancer elements. We propose a model for cohesin-dependent gene regulation in which spatial clustering of enhancer elements acts as a unified mechanism for both enhancer-promoter “connections” and “insulation.” PMID:25677180

enhancedGraphics: a Cytoscape app for enhanced node graphics

PubMed Central

Morris, John H.; Kuchinsky, Allan; Ferrin, Thomas E.; Pico, Alexander R.

2014-01-01

enhancedGraphics ( http://apps.cytoscape.org/apps/enhancedGraphics) is a Cytoscape app that implements a series of enhanced charts and graphics that may be added to Cytoscape nodes. It enables users and other app developers to create pie, line, bar, and circle plots that are driven by columns in the Cytoscape Node Table. Charts are drawn using vector graphics to allow full-resolution scaling. PMID:25285206

Competition Between Extinction and Enhancement in Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

PubMed

van Dijk, Thomas; Sivapalan, Sean T; Devetter, Brent M; Yang, Timothy K; Schulmerich, Matthew V; Murphy, Catherine J; Bhargava, Rohit; Carney, P Scott

2013-04-04

Conjugated metallic nanoparticles are a promising means to achieve ultrasensitive and multiplexed sensing in intact three-dimensional samples, especially for biological applications, via surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). We show that enhancement and extinction are linked and compete in a collection of metallic nanoparticles. Counterintuitively, the Raman signal vanishes when nanoparticles are excited at their plasmon resonance, while increasing nanoparticle concentrations at off-resonance excitation sometimes leads to decreased signal. We develop an effective medium theory that explains both phenomena. Optimal choices of excitation wavelength, individual particle enhancement factor and concentrations are indicated. The same processes which give rise to enhancement also lead to increased extinction of both the illumination and the Raman scattered light. Nanoparticles attenuate the incident field (blue) and at the same time provide local enhancement for SERS. Likewise the radiation of the Raman-scattered field (green) is enhanced by the near-by sphere but extinguished by the rest of the spheres in the suspension on propagation.

Pancultural self-enhancement.

PubMed

Sedikides, Constantine; Gaertner, Lowell; Toguchi, Yoshiyasu

2003-01-01

The culture movement challenged the universality of the self-enhancement motive by proposing that the motive is pervasive in individualistic cultures (the West) but absent in collectivistic cultures (the East). The present research posited that Westerners and Easterners use different tactics to achieve the same goal: positive self-regard. Study 1 tested participants from differing cultural backgrounds (the United States vs. Japan), and Study 2 tested participants of differing self-construals (independent vs. interdependent). Americans and independents self-enhanced on individualistic attributes, whereas Japanese and interdependents self-enhanced on collectivistic attributes. Independents regarded individualistic attributes, whereas interdependents regarded collectivistic attributes, as personally important. Attribute importance mediated self-enhancement. Regardless of cultural background or self-construal, people self-enhance on personally important dimensions. Self-enhancement is a universal human motive.

Excitation enhancement and extraction enhancement with photonic crystals

DOEpatents

Shapira, Ofer; Soljacic, Marin; Zhen, Bo; Chua, Song-Liang; Lee, Jeongwon; Joannopoulos, John

2015-03-03

Disclosed herein is a system for stimulating emission from at least one an emitter, such as a quantum dot or organic molecule, on the surface of a photonic crystal comprising a patterned dielectric substrate. Embodiments of this system include a laser or other source that illuminates the emitter and the photonic crystal, which is characterized by an energy band structure exhibiting a Fano resonance, from a first angle so as to stimulate the emission from the emitter at a second angle. The coupling between the photonic crystal and the emitter may result in spectral and angular enhancement of the emission through excitation and extraction enhancement. These enhancement mechanisms also reduce the emitter's lasing threshold. For instance, these enhancement mechanisms enable lasing of a 100 nm thick layer of diluted organic molecules solution with reduced threshold intensity. This reduction in lasing threshold enables more efficient organic light emitting devices and more sensitive molecular sensing.

Smart Image Enhancement Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jobson, Daniel J. (Inventor); Rahman, Zia-ur (Inventor); Woodell, Glenn A. (Inventor)

2012-01-01

Contrast and lightness measures are used to first classify the image as being one of non-turbid and turbid. If turbid, the original image is enhanced to generate a first enhanced image. If non-turbid, the original image is classified in terms of a merged contrast/lightness score based on the contrast and lightness measures. The non-turbid image is enhanced to generate a second enhanced image when a poor contrast/lightness score is associated therewith. When the second enhanced image has a poor contrast/lightness score associated therewith, this image is enhanced to generate a third enhanced image. A sharpness measure is computed for one image that is selected from (i) the non-turbid image, (ii) the first enhanced image, (iii) the second enhanced image when a good contrast/lightness score is associated therewith, and (iv) the third enhanced image. If the selected image is not-sharp, it is sharpened to generate a sharpened image. The final image is selected from the selected image and the sharpened image.

Quantitative analysis of enhanced malignant and benign lesions on contrast-enhanced spectral mammography.

PubMed

Deng, Chih-Ying; Juan, Yu-Hsiang; Cheung, Yun-Chung; Lin, Yu-Ching; Lo, Yung-Feng; Lin, GiGin; Chen, Shin-Cheh; Ng, Shu-Hang

2018-02-27

To retrospectively analyze the quantitative measurement and kinetic enhancement among pathologically proven benign and malignant lesions using contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM). We investigated the differences in enhancement between 44 benign and 108 malignant breast lesions in CESM, quantifying the extent of enhancements and the relative enhancements between early (between 2-3 min after contrast medium injection) and late (3-6 min) phases. The enhancement was statistically stronger in malignancies compared to benign lesions, with good performance by the receiver operating characteristic curve [0.877, 95% confidence interval (0.813-0.941)]. Using optimal cut-off value at 220.94 according to Youden index, the sensitivity was 75.9%, specificity 88.6%, positive likelihood ratio 6.681, negative likelihood ratio 0.272 and accuracy 82.3%. The relative enhancement patterns of benign and malignant lesions, showing 29.92 vs 73.08% in the elevated pattern, 7.14 vs 92.86% in the steady pattern, 5.71 vs 94.29% in the depressed pattern, and 80.00 vs 20.00% in non-enhanced lesions (p < 0.0001), respectively. Despite variations in the degree of tumour angiogenesis, quantitative analysis of the breast lesions on CESM documented the malignancies had distinctive stronger enhancement and depressed relative enhancement patterns than benign lesions. Advances in knowledge: To our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating the feasibility of quantifying lesion enhancement on CESM. The quantities of enhancement were informative for assessing breast lesions in which the malignancies had stronger enhancement and more relative depressed enhancement than the benign lesions.

iEnhancer-EL: Identifying enhancers and their strength with ensemble learning approach.

PubMed

Liu, Bin; Li, Kai; Huang, De-Shuang; Chou, Kuo-Chen

2018-06-07

Identification of enhancers and their strength is important because they play a critical role in controlling gene expression. Although some bioinformatics tools were developed, they are limited in discriminating enhancers from non-enhancers only. Recently, a two-layer predictor called "iEnhancer-2L" was developed that can be used to predict the enhancer's strength as well. However, its prediction quality needs further improvement to enhance the practical application value. A new predictor called "iEnhancer-EL" was proposed that contains two layer predictors: the first one (for identifying enhancers) is formed by fusing an array of six key individual classifiers, and the second one (for their strength) formed by fusing an array of ten key individual classifiers. All these key classifiers were selected from 171 elementary classifiers formed by SVM (Support Vector Machine) based on kmer, subsequence profile, and PseKNC (Pseudo K-tuple Nucleotide Composition), respectively. Rigorous cross-validations have indicated that the proposed predictor is remarkably superior to the existing state-of-the-art one in this area. A web server for the iEnhancer-EL has been established at http://bioinformatics.hitsz.edu.cn/iEnhancer-EL/, by which users can easily get their desired results without the need to go through the mathematical details. bliu@hit.edu.cn, dshuang@tongji.edu.cn or kcchou@gordonlifescience.org. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

EDITORIAL: Enhancing nanolithography Enhancing nanolithography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demming, Anna

2012-01-01

Lithography was invented in late 18th century Bavaria by an ambitious young playwright named Alois Senefelder. Senefelder experimented with stone, wax, water and ink in the hope of finding a way of reproducing text so that he might financially gain from a wider distribution of his already successful scripts. His discovery not only facilitated the profitability of his plays, but also provided the world with an affordable printing press that would ultimately democratize the dissemination of art, knowledge and literature. Since Senefelder, experiments in lithography have continued with a range of innovations including the use of electron beams and UV that allow increasingly higher-resolution features [1, 2]. Applications for this have now breached the limits of paper printing into the realms of semiconductor and microelectronic mechanical systems technology. In this issue, researchers demonstrate a technique for fabricating periodic features in poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT-PSS) [3]. Their method combines field enhancements from silica nanospheres with laser-interference lithography to provide a means of patterning a polymer that has the potential to open the market of low-end, high-volume microelectronics. Laser-interference lithography has already been used successfully in patterning. Researchers in Korea used laser-interference lithography to generate stamps for imprinting a two-dimensional photonic crystal structure into green light emitting diodes (LEDs) [4]. The imprinted patterns comprised depressions 100 nm deep and 180 nm wide with a periodicity of 295 nm. In comparison with unpatterned LEDs, the intensity of photoluminescence was enhanced by a factor of seven in the LEDs that had the photonic crystal structures imprinted in them. The potential of exploiting field enhancements around nanostructures for new technologies has also attracted a great deal of attention. Researchers in the USA and Australia have used the field

Cognitive Enhancement and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buchanan, Allen

2011-01-01

Cognitive enhancement--augmenting normal cognitive capacities--is not new. Literacy, numeracy, computers, and the practices of science are all cognitive enhancements. Science is now making new cognitive enhancements possible. Biomedical cognitive enhancements (BCEs) include the administration of drugs, implants of genetically engineered or…

A saturation hypothesis to explain both enhanced and impaired learning with enhanced plasticity

PubMed Central

Nguyen-Vu, TD Barbara; Zhao, Grace Q; Lahiri, Subhaneil; Kimpo, Rhea R; Lee, Hanmi; Ganguli, Surya; Shatz, Carla J; Raymond, Jennifer L

2017-01-01

Across many studies, animals with enhanced synaptic plasticity exhibit either enhanced or impaired learning, raising a conceptual puzzle: how enhanced plasticity can yield opposite learning outcomes? Here, we show that the recent history of experience can determine whether mice with enhanced plasticity exhibit enhanced or impaired learning in response to the same training. Mice with enhanced cerebellar LTD, due to double knockout (DKO) of MHCI H2-Kb/H2-Db (KbDb−/−), exhibited oculomotor learning deficits. However, the same mice exhibited enhanced learning after appropriate pre-training. Theoretical analysis revealed that synapses with history-dependent learning rules could recapitulate the data, and suggested that saturation may be a key factor limiting the ability of enhanced plasticity to enhance learning. Optogenetic stimulation designed to saturate LTD produced the same impairment in WT as observed in DKO mice. Overall, our results suggest that the recent history of activity and the threshold for synaptic plasticity conspire to effect divergent learning outcomes. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.20147.001 PMID:28234229

Enhancement and Civic Virtue

PubMed Central

Jefferson, Will; Douglas, Thomas; Kahane, Guy; Savulescu, Julian

2014-01-01

Opponents of biomedical enhancement frequently adopt what Allen Buchanan has called the Personal Goods Assumption. On this assumption, the benefits of biomedical enhancement will accrue primarily to those individuals who undergo enhancements, not to wider society. Buchanan has argued that biomedical enhancements might in fact have substantial social benefits by increasing productivity. We outline another way in which enhancements might benefit wider society: by augmenting civic virtue and thus improving the functioning of our political communities. We thus directly confront critics of biomedical enhancement who argue that it will lead to a loss of social cohesion and a breakdown in political life. PMID:24882886

Visual performance-based image enhancement methodology: an investigation of contrast enhancement algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neriani, Kelly E.; Herbranson, Travis J.; Reis, George A.; Pinkus, Alan R.; Goodyear, Charles D.

2006-05-01

While vast numbers of image enhancing algorithms have already been developed, the majority of these algorithms have not been assessed in terms of their visual performance-enhancing effects using militarily relevant scenarios. The goal of this research was to apply a visual performance-based assessment methodology to evaluate six algorithms that were specifically designed to enhance the contrast of digital images. The image enhancing algorithms used in this study included three different histogram equalization algorithms, the Autolevels function, the Recursive Rational Filter technique described in Marsi, Ramponi, and Carrato1 and the multiscale Retinex algorithm described in Rahman, Jobson and Woodell2. The methodology used in the assessment has been developed to acquire objective human visual performance data as a means of evaluating the contrast enhancement algorithms. Objective performance metrics, response time and error rate, were used to compare algorithm enhanced images versus two baseline conditions, original non-enhanced images and contrast-degraded images. Observers completed a visual search task using a spatial-forcedchoice paradigm. Observers searched images for a target (a military vehicle) hidden among foliage and then indicated in which quadrant of the screen the target was located. Response time and percent correct were measured for each observer. Results of the study and future directions are discussed.

Treatment of Low Back Pain with a Digital Multidisciplinary Pain Treatment App: Short-Term Results

PubMed Central

Priebe, Janosch A; Baumann, Kaja-Maria; Plidschun, Anne; Schiessl, Christine; Tölle, Thomas R

2017-01-01

Background Even though modern concepts of disease management of unspecific low back pain (LBP) postulate active participation of patients, this strategy is difficult to adapt unless multidisciplinary pain therapy is applied. Recently, mobile health solutions have proven to be effective aides to foster self-management of many diseases. Objective The objective of this paper was to report on the retrospective short-term results of a digital multidisciplinary pain app for the treatment of LBP. Methods Kaia is a mobile app that digitalizes multidisciplinary pain treatment and is in the market as a medical product class I. For the current study, the data of anonymized Kaia users was retrospectively analyzed. User data were evaluated for 12 weeks regarding duration of use and effect on in-app user reported pain levels, using the numerical rating scale (NRS), depending on whether LBP was classified as acute, subacute, or chronic back pain according to current guidelines. Results Data of 180 users were available. The mean age of the users was 33.9 years (SD 10.9). Pain levels decreased from baseline NRS 4.8 to 3.75 for all users at the end of the observation period. Users who completed 4, 8, or 12 weeks showed an even more pronounced decrease in pain level NRS (baseline 4.9 [SD 1.7] versus 3.6 [SD 1.5] at 4 weeks; baseline 4.7 [SD 1.8] versus 3.2 [SD [2.0] at 8 weeks; baseline 4.6 [SD 2.2] versus 2.6 [SD 2.0] at 12 weeks). In addition, subgroup analysis of acute, subacute, or chronic classification revealed no significant main effect of group (P>.30) on the reduction of pain. Conclusions: This retrospective study showed that in a pre-selected population of app users, an app digitalizing multidisciplinary rehabilitation for the self-management of LBP reduced user-reported pain levels significantly. The observed effect size was clinically relevant. Ongoing prospective randomized controlled trials (RCTs) will adjust for potential bias and selection effects. Conclusions This

Metal-enhanced fluorescence exciplex emission.

PubMed

Zhang, Yongxia; Mali, Buddha L; Geddes, Chris D

2012-01-01

In this letter, we report the first observation of metal-enhanced exciplex fluorescence, observed from anthracene in the presence of diethylaniline. Anthracene in the presence of diethylaniline in close proximity to Silver Island Films (SIFs) shows enhanced monomer and exciplex emission as compared to a non-silvered control sample containing no silver nanoparticles. Our findings suggest two complementary methods for the enhancement: (i) surface plasmons can radiate coupled monomer and exciplex fluorescence efficiently, and (ii) enhanced absorption (enhanced electric near-field) further facilitates enhanced emission. Our exciplex studies help us to further understand the complex photophysics of the metal-enhanced fluorescence technology. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Far-side geometrical enhancement in surface-enhanced Raman scattering with Ag plasmonic films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perera, M. Nilusha M. N.; Gibbs, W. E. Keith; Juodkazis, Saulius; Stoddart, Paul R.

2018-01-01

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a surface sensitive technique where the large increase in scattering has primarily been attributed to electromagnetic and chemical enhancements. While smaller geometrical enhancements due to thin film interference and cavity resonances have also been reported, an additional enhancement in the SERS signal, referred to as the `far-side geometrical enhancement', occurs when the SERS substrate is excited through an underlying transparent dielectric substrate. Here the far-side geometrically-enhanced SERS signal has been explored experimentally in more detail. Thermally evaporated Ag plasmonic films functionalised with thiophenol were used to study the dependence of the geometrically-enhanced SERS signal on the excitation wavelength, supporting substrate material and excitation angle of incidence. The results were interpreted using a `geometrical enhancement factor' (GEF), defined as the ratio of far-side to near-side SERS signal intensity. The experimental results confirmed that the highest GEFs of 3.2-3.5× are seen closer to the localized surface plasmon resonance peak of the Ag metallic nanostructures. Interestingly, the GEF for Ag plasmonic films deposited on glass and sapphire were the same within the measurement errors, whereas increasing angle of incidence showed a decrease in the GEF. Given this improved understanding of the far-side geometrical SERS enhancement, the potential for further signal amplification and optimisation for practical sensing applications can now be considered, especially for SERS detection modes at the farend of optical fibre probes and through process windows.

MORAL ENHANCEMENT AND FREEDOM

PubMed Central

Harris, John

2011-01-01

This paper identifies human enhancement as one of the most significant areas of bioethical interest in the last twenty years. It discusses in more detail one area, namely moral enhancement, which is generating significant contemporary interest. The author argues that so far from being susceptible to new forms of high tech manipulation, either genetic, chemical, surgical or neurological, the only reliable methods of moral enhancement, either now or for the foreseeable future, are either those that have been in human and animal use for millennia, namely socialization, education and parental supervision or those high tech methods that are general in their application. By that is meant those forms of cognitive enhancement that operate across a wide range of cognitive abilities and do not target specifically ‘ethical’ capacities. The paper analyses the work of some of the leading contemporary advocates of moral enhancement and finds that in so far as they identify moral qualities or moral emotions for enhancement they have little prospect of success. PMID:21133978

In vitro percutaneous absorption enhancement of granisetron by chemical penetration enhancers.

PubMed

Zhao, Nanxi; Cun, Dongmei; Li, Wei; Ma, Xu; Sun, Lin; Xi, Honglei; Li, Li; Fang, Liang

2013-04-01

Granisetron (GRN), a potent antiemetic agent, is frequently used to prevent nausea and vomiting induced by cancer cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiation therapy. As part of our efforts to further modify the physicochemical properties of this market drug, with the ultimate goal to formulate a better dosage form for GRN, this work was carried out to improve its permeability in vitro. The permeation behavior of GRN in isopropyl myristate (IPM) was investigated across excised rabbit abdominal skin and the enhancing activities of three novel O-acylmenthol derivatives synthesized in our laboratory as well as five well-known chemical enhancers were evaluated. It was found that the steady-state flux of granisetron free base (GRN-B) was about 26-fold higher than that of granisetron hydrochloride (GRN-H). The novel enhancer, 2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexyl heptanoate (M-HEP), was observed to provide the most significant enhancement for the absorption of GRN-B. When incorporated in the donor solution with the optimal enhancer M-HEP, the steady-state flux of GRN-B increased from (196.44 ± 12.03) μg·cm⁻²·h⁻¹ to (1044.95 ± 71.99) μg·cm⁻²·h⁻¹ (P < 0.01). These findings indicated that the application of chemical enhancers was an effective approach to increase the percutaneous absorption of GRN in vitro.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of double-shell hollow nanoparticles: electromagnetic and chemical enhancements.

PubMed

Mahmoud, Mahmoud A

2013-05-28

Enhancements of the Raman signal by the newly prepared gold-palladium and gold-platinum double-shell hollow nanoparticles were examined and compared with those using gold nanocages (AuNCs). The surface-enhanced Raman spectra (SERS) of thiophenol adsorbed on the surface of AuNCs assembled into a Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer were 10-fold stronger than AuNCs with an inner Pt or Pd shell. The chemical and electromagnetic enhancement mechanisms for these hollow nanoparticles were further proved by comparing the Raman enhancement of nitrothiophenol and nitrotoulene. Nitrothiophenol binds to the surface of the nanoparticles by covalent interaction, and Raman enhancement by both the two mechanisms is possible, while nitrotoulene does not form any chemical bond with the surface of the nanoparticles and hence no chemical enhancement is expected. Based on discrete dipole approximation (DDA) calculations and the experimental SERS results, AuNCs introduced a high electromagnetic enhancement, while the nanocages with inner Pt or Pd shell have a strong chemical enhancement. The optical measurements of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of the nanocages with an outer Au shell and an inner Pt or Pd shell were found, experimentally and theoretically, to be broad compared with AuNCs. The possible reason could be due to the decrease of the coherence time of Au oscillated free electrons and fast damping of the plasmon energy. This agreed well with the fact that a Pt or Pd inner nanoshell decreases the electromagnetic field of the outer Au nanoshell while increasing the SERS chemical enhancement.

Cognitive diversity and moral enhancement.

PubMed

Gyngell, Chris; Easteal, Simon

2015-01-01

One debate in contemporary bioethics centers on whether the development of cognitive enhancement technologies (CETs) will hasten the need for moral enhancement. In this article we provide a new argument in favor of pursuing these enhancement technologies together. The widespread availability of CETs will likely increase population-level cognitive diversity. Different people will choose to enhance different aspects of their cognition, and some won't enhance themselves at all. Although this has the potential to be beneficial for society, it could also result in harms as people become more different from one another. Aspects of our moral psychology make it difficult for people to cooperate and coordinate actions with those who are very different from themselves. These moral failings could be targeted by moral enhancement technologies, which may improve cooperation among individuals. Moral enhancement technologies will therefore help society maximize the benefits, and reduce the costs, associated with widespread access to cognitive enhancements.

Novel medical image enhancement algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agaian, Sos; McClendon, Stephen A.

2010-01-01

In this paper, we present two novel medical image enhancement algorithms. The first, a global image enhancement algorithm, utilizes an alpha-trimmed mean filter as its backbone to sharpen images. The second algorithm uses a cascaded unsharp masking technique to separate the high frequency components of an image in order for them to be enhanced using a modified adaptive contrast enhancement algorithm. Experimental results from enhancing electron microscopy, radiological, CT scan and MRI scan images, using the MATLAB environment, are then compared to the original images as well as other enhancement methods, such as histogram equalization and two forms of adaptive contrast enhancement. An image processing scheme for electron microscopy images of Purkinje cells will also be implemented and utilized as a comparison tool to evaluate the performance of our algorithm.

Moral Enhancement Meets Normative and Empirical Reality: Assessing the Practical Feasibility of Moral Enhancement Neurotechnologies.

PubMed

Dubljević, Veljko; Racine, Eric

2017-06-01

Moral enhancement refers to the possibility of making individuals and societies better from a moral standpoint. A fierce debate has emerged about the ethical aspects of moral enhancement, notably because steering moral enhancement in a particular direction involves choosing amongst a wide array of competing options, and these options entail deciding which moral theory or attributes of the moral agent would benefit from enhancement. Furthermore, the ability and effectiveness of different neurotechnologies to enhance morality have not been carefully examined. In this paper, we assess the practical feasibility of moral enhancement neurotechnologies. We reviewed the literature on neuroscience and cognitive science models of moral judgment and analyzed their implications for the specific target of intervention (cognition, volition or affect) in moral enhancement. We also reviewed and compared evidence on available neurotechnologies that could serve as tools of moral enhancement. We conclude that the predictions of rationalist, emotivist, and dual process models are at odds with evidence, while different intuitionist models of moral judgment are more likely to be aligned with it. Furthermore, the project of moral enhancement is not feasible in the near future as it rests on the use of neurointerventions, which have no moral enhancement effects or, worse, negative effects. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Theoretical studies of surface enhanced hyper-Raman spectroscopy: The chemical enhancement mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valley, Nicholas; Jensen, Lasse; Autschbach, Jochen; Schatz, George C.

2010-08-01

Hyper-Raman spectra for pyridine and pyridine on the surface of a tetrahedral 20 silver atom cluster are calculated using static hyperpolarizability derivatives obtained from time dependent density functional theory. The stability of the results with respect to choice of exchange-correlation functional and basis set is verified by comparison with experiment and with Raman spectra calculated for the same systems using the same methods. Calculated Raman spectra were found to match well with experiment and previous theoretical calculations. The calculated normal and surface enhanced hyper-Raman spectra closely match experimental results. The chemical enhancement factors for hyper-Raman are generally larger than for Raman (102-104 versus 101-102). Integrated hyper-Raman chemical enhancement factors are presented for a set of substituted pyridines. A two-state model is developed to predict these chemical enhancement factors and this was found to work well for the majority of the molecules considered, providing a rationalization for the difference between hyper-Raman and Raman enhancement factors.

Moral enhancement and freedom.

PubMed

Harris, John

2011-02-01

This paper identifies human enhancement as one of the most significant areas of bioethical interest in the last twenty years. It discusses in more detail one area, namely moral enhancement, which is generating significant contemporary interest. The author argues that so far from being susceptible to new forms of high tech manipulation, either genetic, chemical, surgical or neurological, the only reliable methods of moral enhancement, either now or for the foreseeable future, are either those that have been in human and animal use for millennia, namely socialization, education and parental supervision or those high tech methods that are general in their application. By that is meant those forms of cognitive enhancement that operate across a wide range of cognitive abilities and do not target specifically 'ethical' capacities. The paper analyses the work of some of the leading contemporary advocates of moral enhancement and finds that in so far as they identify moral qualities or moral emotions for enhancement they have little prospect of success. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Exploring the chemical enhancement for surface-enhanced Raman scattering with Au bowtie nanoantennas

PubMed Central

Fromm, David P.; Kinkhabwala, Anika; Schuck, P. James; Moerner, W. E.; Sundaramurthy, Arvind; Kino, Gordon S.

2006-01-01

Single metallic bowtie nanoantennas provide a controllable environment for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of adsorbed molecules. Bowties have experimentally measured electromagnetic enhancements, enabling estimation of chemical enhancement for both the bulk and the few-molecule regime. Strong fluctuations of selected Raman lines imply that a small number of p-mercaptoaniline molecules on a single bowtie show chemical enhancement >107, much larger than previously believed, likely due to charge transfer between the Au surface and the molecule. This chemical sensitivity of SERS has significant implications for ultra-sensitive detection of single molecules. PMID:16483189

Metal-enhanced chemiluminescence from chromium, copper, nickel, and zinc nanodeposits: Evidence for a second enhancement mechanism in metal-enhanced fluorescence

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

Weisenberg, Micah; Zhang Yongxia; Geddes, Chris D.

Over the past decade metal-fluorophore interactions, metal-enhanced fluorescence, have attracted significant research attention, with the technology now becoming common place in life science applications. In this paper, we address the underlying mechanisms of metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) and experimentally show using chemiluminescence solutions that MEF is indeed underpinned by two complimentary mechanisms, consistent with the recent reports by Geddes and co-workers [Zhang et al., J. Phys. Chem. C 113, 12095 (2009)] and their enhanced fluorescence hypothesis.

Information Propagation in Developmental Enhancers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jena, Siddhartha; Levine, Michael

Rather than encoding information about protein sequence, certain lengths of noncoding DNA, called enhancers, interact with protein machinery such as transcription factors to precisely regulate gene expression. Enhancers have been studied extensively in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, where they regulate the expression of developmental genes that establish the blueprint of the adult fly. It has been suggested that enhancer sequences possess a specific but unknown syntax with regards to the placement and strength of transcription factor binding sites. Moreover, studies in divergent fly species have shown that compensatory evolution allows for maintenance of enhancer functionality despite considerable variation in primary DNA sequence. Here, the possible role of enhancers as signal processing modules is studied as a way of explaining these two findings. We first demonstrate how this framework can be used to explain the fine-tuned spatiotemporal dynamics of gene expression. We then explore the evolutionary pressure on enhancer sequences and the resulting emergence of enhancers that are linked by compensatory mutations. This study provides a possible mechanism for the function of multiple enhancers linked to a single gene.

Gap-mode enhancement on MoS2 probed by functionalized tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alajlan, Abdulrahman M.; Voronine, Dmitri V.; Sinyukov, Alexander M.; Zhang, Zhenrong; Sokolov, Alexei V.; Scully, Marlan O.

2016-09-01

Surface enhancement of molecular spectroscopic signals has been widely used for sensing and nanoscale imaging. Because of the weak electromagnetic enhancement of Raman signals on semiconductors, it is motivating but challenging to study the electromagnetic effect separately from the chemical effects. We report tip-enhanced Raman scattering measurements on Au and bulk MoS2 substrates using a metallic tip functionalized with copper phthalocyanine molecules and demonstrate similar gap-mode enhancement on both substrates. We compare the experimental results with theoretical calculations to confirm the gap-mode enhancement on MoS2 using a well-established electrostatic model. The functionalized tip approach allows for suppressing the background and is ideal for separating electromagnetic and chemical enhancement mechanisms on various substrates. Our results may find a wide range of applications in MoS2-based devices, sensors, and metal-free nanoscale bio-imaging.

Enhancement factor in low-coherence enhanced backscattering and its applications for characterizing experimental skin carcinogenesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jingjing; Xu, Zhengbin; Song, Qinghai; Konger, Raymond L.; Kim, Young L.

2010-05-01

We experimentally study potential mechanisms by which the enhancement factor in low-coherence enhanced backscattering (LEBS) can probe subtle variations in radial intensity distribution in weakly scattering media. We use enhanced backscattering of light by implementing either (1) low spatial coherence illumination or (2) multiple spatially independent detections using a microlens array under spatially coherent illumination. We show that the enhancement factor in these configurations is a measure of the integrated intensity within the localized coherence or detection area, which can exhibit strong dependence on small perturbations in scattering properties. To further evaluate the utility of the LEBS enhancement factor, we use a well-established animal model of cutaneous two-stage chemical carcinogenesis. In this pilot study, we demonstrate that the LEBS enhancement factor can be substantially altered at a stage of preneoplasia. Our animal result supports the idea that early carcinogenesis can cause subtle alterations in the scattering properties that can be captured by the LEBS enhancement factor. Thus, the LEBS enhancement factor has the potential as an easily measurable biomarker in skin carcinogenesis.

The effect of substrate on electric field enhancement of Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahreini, Maryam

2018-01-01

The characterization of materials down to a few-molecule level is a key challenge in nanotechnology. Raman spectroscopy is a powerful method that provides chemical information via nondestructive vibrational fingerprinting. Unfortunately, this method suffers from signal weakness which prevents the study of small quantities. Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) which combines the chemical sensitivity of Raman spectroscopy (RS) with high spatial resolution of scanning probe microscopy (SPM), provides chemical images of surfaces at the nanometer scale. In this method, irradiation of an SPM tip by a focused laser beam results in enhancement of local electric field via two reasons of localized surface plasmon resonance and lightning rod effect. This enhancement leads to the enhancement in Raman intensity from the sample surface in the vicinity of tip. In all TERS measurements, samples should be located on a substrate. In this paper, the dependence of the electric field enhancement to the substrate has been investigated. In simulations, three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (3D-FDTD) method is used for numerical solution of Maxwell's equations. Our results show that the electric field enhancement is weak for the tip alone case. Introducing a substrate provides further electric field enhancement via near field electromagnetic dipole-dipole coupling between the tip and substrate. Since the side-illumination geometry is used for laser irradiation, the vertical component of the incident field plays a dominant role in the electric field enhancement. Therefore, the coupling effect between the tip and the substrate is the key contribution to the enhancement. For the case of silicon tip and the gold substrate, the electric field enhancement is improved considerably. There is an optimal tip size for TERS because of the competing effects of the radiation damping and the surface scattering of the tip. The results show the substrate as an effective tool for the

HEDD: Human Enhancer Disease Database

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhen; Zhang, Quanwei; Zhang, Wen; Lin, Jhih-Rong; Cai, Ying; Mitra, Joydeep

2018-01-01

Abstract Enhancers, as specialized genomic cis-regulatory elements, activate transcription of their target genes and play an important role in pathogenesis of many human complex diseases. Despite recent systematic identification of them in the human genome, currently there is an urgent need for comprehensive annotation databases of human enhancers with a focus on their disease connections. In response, we built the Human Enhancer Disease Database (HEDD) to facilitate studies of enhancers and their potential roles in human complex diseases. HEDD currently provides comprehensive genomic information for ∼2.8 million human enhancers identified by ENCODE, FANTOM5 and RoadMap with disease association scores based on enhancer–gene and gene–disease connections. It also provides Web-based analytical tools to visualize enhancer networks and score enhancers given a set of selected genes in a specific gene network. HEDD is freely accessible at http://zdzlab.einstein.yu.edu/1/hedd.php. PMID:29077884

Mechanisms of Memory Enhancement

PubMed Central

Stern, Sarah A.

2012-01-01

The ongoing quest for memory enhancement is one that grows necessary as the global population increasingly ages. The extraordinary progress that has been made in the past few decades elucidating the underlying mechanisms of how long-term memories are formed has provided insight into how memories might also be enhanced. Capitalizing on this knowledge, it has been postulated that targeting many of the same mechanisms, including CREB activation, AMPA/NMDA receptor trafficking, neuromodulation (e.g. via dopamine, adrenaline, cortisol or acetylcholine) and metabolic processes (e.g. via glucose and insulin) may all lead to the enhancement of memory. These and other mechanisms and/or approaches have been tested via genetic or pharmacological methods in animal models, and several have been investigated in humans as well. In addition, a number of behavioral methods, including exercise and reconsolidation, may also serve to strengthen and enhance memories. By capitalizing on this knowledge and continuing to investigate these promising avenues, memory enhancement may indeed be achieved in the future. PMID:23151999

SEA: a super-enhancer archive.

PubMed

Wei, Yanjun; Zhang, Shumei; Shang, Shipeng; Zhang, Bin; Li, Song; Wang, Xinyu; Wang, Fang; Su, Jianzhong; Wu, Qiong; Liu, Hongbo; Zhang, Yan

2016-01-04

Super-enhancers are large clusters of transcriptional enhancers regarded as having essential roles in driving the expression of genes that control cell identity during development and tumorigenesis. The construction of a genome-wide super-enhancer database is urgently needed to better understand super-enhancer-directed gene expression regulation for a given biology process. Here, we present a specifically designed web-accessible database, Super-Enhancer Archive (SEA, http://sea.edbc.org). SEA focuses on integrating super-enhancers in multiple species and annotating their potential roles in the regulation of cell identity gene expression. The current release of SEA incorporates 83 996 super-enhancers computationally or experimentally identified in 134 cell types/tissues/diseases, including human (75 439, three of which were experimentally identified), mouse (5879, five of which were experimentally identified), Drosophila melanogaster (1774) and Caenorhabditis elegans (904). To facilitate data extraction, SEA supports multiple search options, including species, genome location, gene name, cell type/tissue and super-enhancer name. The response provides detailed (epi)genetic information, incorporating cell type specificity, nearby genes, transcriptional factor binding sites, CRISPR/Cas9 target sites, evolutionary conservation, SNPs, H3K27ac, DNA methylation, gene expression and TF ChIP-seq data. Moreover, analytical tools and a genome browser were developed for users to explore super-enhancers and their roles in defining cell identity and disease processes in depth. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Plasmonic enhancement of electroluminescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzatov, D. V.; Gaponenko, S. V.; Demir, H. V.

2018-01-01

Here plasmonic effect specifically on electroluminescence (EL) is studied in terms of radiative and nonradiative decay rates for a dipole near a metal spherical nanoparticle (NP). Contribution from scattering is taken into account and is shown to play a decisive role in EL enhancement owing to pronounced size-dependent radiative decay enhancement and weak size effect on non-radiative counterpart. Unlike photoluminescence where local incident field factor mainly determines the enhancement possibility and level, EL enhancement is only possible by means of quantum yield rise, EL enhancement being feasible only for an intrinsic quantum yield Q0 < 1. The resulting plasmonic effect is independent of intrinsic emitter lifetime but is exclusively defined by the value of Q0, emission spectrum, NP diameter and emitter-metal spacing. For 0.1< Q0 < 0.25, Ag nanoparticles are shown to enhance LED/OLED intensity by several times over the whole visible whereas Au particles feature lower effect within the red-orange range only. Independently of positive effect on quantum yield, metal nanoparticles embedded in an electroluminescent device will improve its efficiency at high currents owing to enhanced overall recombination rate which will diminish manifestation of Auger processes. The latter are believed to be responsible for the known undesirable efficiency droop in semiconductor commercial quantum well based LEDs at higher current. For the same reason plasmonics can diminish quantum dot photodegradation from Auger process induced non-radiative recombination and photoionization thus opening a way to avoid negative Auger effects in emerging colloidal semiconductor LEDs.

Contrast-enhanced fluid-attenuated inversion recovery vs. contrast-enhanced spin echo T1-weighted brain imaging.

PubMed

Falzone, Cristian; Rossi, Federica; Calistri, Maurizio; Tranquillo, Massimo; Baroni, Massimo

2008-01-01

In humans, contrast-enhanced fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging plays an important role in detecting brain disease. The aim of this study was to define the clinical utility of contrast-enhanced FLAIR imaging by comparing the results with those with contrast-enhanced spin echo T1-weighted images (SE T1WI) in animals with different brain disorders. Forty-one dogs and five cats with a clinical suspicion of brain disease and 30 normal animals (25 dogs and five cats) were evaluated using a 0.2 T permanent magnet. Before contrast medium injection, spin echo T1-weighted, SE T1WI, and FLAIR sequences were acquired in three planes. SE T1WI and FLAIR images were also acquired after gadolinium injection. Sensitivity in detecting the number, location, margin, and enhancement pattern and rate were evaluated. No lesions were found in a normal animal. In affected animals, 48 lesions in 34 patients were detected in contrast-enhanced SE T1WI whereas 81 lesions in 44 patients were detected in contrast-enhanced FLAIR images. There was no difference in the characteristics of the margins or enhancement pattern of the detected lesions. The objective enhancement rate, the mean value between lesion-to-white matter ratio and lesion-to-gray matter ratio, although representing an overlap of T1 and T2 effects and not pure contrast medium shortening of T1 relaxation, was better in contrast-enhanced FLAIR images. These results suggest a superiority of contrast-enhanced FLAIR images as compared with contrast-enhanced SE T1WI in detecting enhancing brain lesions.

Surface-Enhanced Raman and Surface-Enhanced Hyper-Raman Scattering of Thiol-Functionalized Carotene

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

A thiol-modified carotene, 7′-apo-7′-(4-mercaptomethylphenyl)-β-carotene, was used to obtain nonresonant surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of carotene at an excitation wavelength of 1064 nm, which were compared with resonant SERS spectra at an excitation wavelength of 532 nm. These spectra and surface-enhanced hyper-Raman scattering (SEHRS) spectra of the functionalized carotene were compared with the spectra of nonmodified β-carotene. Using SERS, normal Raman, and SEHRS spectra, all obtained for the resonant case, the interaction of the carotene molecules with silver nanoparticles, as well as the influence of the resonance enhancement and the SERS enhancement on the spectra, were investigated. The interaction with the silver surface occurs for both functionalized and nonfunctionalized β-carotene, but only the stronger functionalization-induced interaction enables the acquisition of nonresonant SERS spectra of β-carotene at low concentrations. The resonant SEHRS and SERS spectra are very similar. Nevertheless, the SEHRS spectra contain additional bands of infrared-active modes of carotene. Increased contributions from bands that experience low resonance enhancement point to a strong interaction between silver nanoparticles and electronic levels of the molecules, thereby giving rise to a decrease in the resonance enhancement in SERS and SEHRS. PMID:28077983

American Society for Enhanced Recovery: Advancing Enhanced Recovery and Perioperative Medicine.

PubMed

Gan, Tong J; Scott, Michael; Thacker, Julie; Hedrick, Traci; Thiele, Robert H; Miller, Timothy E

2018-06-01

As the population ages, the increasing surgical volume and complexity of care are expected to place additional care delivery burdens in the perioperative setting. In this age of integrated multidisciplinary care of the surgical patients, there is increasing recognition that an evidence-based perioperative pathway is associated with the optimal outcomes. These pathways, collectively referred to as Enhanced Recovery Pathways, have resulted in shortened length of hospital stay, reduced complications, and variance in outcomes, as well as earlier return to baseline activities. The American Society for Enhanced Recovery (ASER) is a multispecialty, nonprofit international organization, dedicated to the practice of enhanced recovery in perioperative patients through education and research. Perioperative Quality Initiatives were formed whose intent is to organize a series of consensus conferences on topics of interest related to perioperative medicine. The journal affiliation between American Society for Enhanced Recovery and Anesthesia & Analgesia will enable these evidence-based practices to be disseminated widely and swiftly to the practicing perioperative health care professionals so they can be adopted to improve the quality of perioperative surgical care.

Cryotherapy of Renal Lesions: Enhancement on Contrast-Enhanced Sonography on Postoperative Day 1 Does Not Imply Viable Tissue Persistence.

PubMed

Bertolotto, Michele; Siracusano, Salvatore; Cicero, Calogero; Iannelli, Mariano; Silvestri, Tommaso; Celia, Antonio; Guarise, Alessandro; Stacul, Fulvio

2017-02-01

To investigate whether persistent enhancement detected on contrast-enhanced sonography at postoperative day 1 (early contrast-enhanced sonography) after cryoablation of renal tumors implies the presence of residual viable tumor tissue, defined as residual enhancing tissue on reference imaging (computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging) performed 6 months after the procedure. Seventy-four patients with percutaneous cryoablation of renal tumors had early contrast-enhanced sonography from November 2011 to August 2015. Two independent readers evaluated early contrast-enhanced sonographic findings and contrast-enhanced sonographic investigations performed 1 month after cryoablation of lesions that displayed enhancement on early contrast-enhanced sonography. They scored intralesional enhancement in 4 groups: no enhancement, few intralesional vessels, focal enhancing areas, and diffuse enhancement. Inter-reader agreement in evaluating lesion vascularity on early contrast-enhanced sonography was assessed with weighted κ statistics. Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging performed 6 months after the treatment was the reference procedure for assessing the absence or presence of residual disease. Inter-reader agreement in assessing intratumoral vascularization on early contrast-enhanced sonography was very good (κ = 0.90). Enhancement was absent for both readers in 33 of 74 cases; only a few intralesional vessels were visible in 21; whereas diffuse or focal enhancement was present in 13. In the remaining 7 patients, there were differences. Four lesions with focal enhancement on early contrast-enhanced sonography and 1 that was considered avascular had residual tumors on reference imaging. Ablation was successful in the remaining 69 of 74 patients (93%). After cryoablation, intratumoral enhancement on early contrast-enhanced sonography does not imply tumor cell viability. © 2016 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Multispectral histogram normalization contrast enhancement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soha, J. M.; Schwartz, A. A.

1979-01-01

A multispectral histogram normalization or decorrelation enhancement which achieves effective color composites by removing interband correlation is described. The enhancement procedure employs either linear or nonlinear transformations to equalize principal component variances. An additional rotation to any set of orthogonal coordinates is thus possible, while full histogram utilization is maintained by avoiding the reintroduction of correlation. For the three-dimensional case, the enhancement procedure may be implemented with a lookup table. An application of the enhancement to Landsat multispectral scanning imagery is presented.

Transdermal absorption of memantin--effect of chemical enhancers, iontophoresis, and role of enhancer lipophilicity.

PubMed

del Rio-Sancho, S; Serna-Jiménez, C E; Calatayud-Pascual, M A; Balaguer-Fernández, C; Femenía-Font, A; Merino, V; López-Castellano, A

2012-09-01

The transdermal administration of memantine may have advantages with respect to oral therapy when treating advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease. With the ultimate objective of administrating memantine through a transdermal patch, the absorption of the drug across skin was evaluated by means of in vitro permeation studies. The effect of several chemical enhancers was studied in order to enhance percutaneous absorption of the memantine. The iontophoretic transdermal transport of memantine hydrochloride using a current density of 0.5 mA/cm(2) was also investigated. Results demonstrated that pre-treatment of the skin with R-(+)-limonene, laurocapram, decenoic acid, or oleic acid produced a statistically significant increment in the transdermal flux of memantine hydrochloride with respect to the control. Iontophoresis exhibited the greatest ability to enhance the flux of drug with respect to the control; nevertheless, the results obtained with R-(+)-limonene indicate that this compound could be of great use as a percutaneous enhancer in a memantine transdermal delivery system. In this study, the relationship between enhancement activity and lipophilicity was also studied. Satisfactory correlations have been obtained between the optimum lipophilicity of the enhancer and n-octanol/water partition coefficients of drugs. This relationship is a very useful tool that could allow to reduce time and to optimize the selection of appropriate enhancers for transdermal formulations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhanced mutagenesis parallels enhanced reactivation of herpes virus in a human cell line.

PubMed Central

Lytle, C D; Knott, D C

1982-01-01

U.v. irradiation of human NB-E cells results in enhanced mutagenesis and enhanced reactivation of u.v.-irradiated H-1 virus grown in those cells ( Cornelis et al., 1982). This paper reports a similar study using herpes simplex virus (HSV) in NB-E cells. The mutation frequency of HSV (resistance of virus plaque formation to 40 micrograms/ml iododeoxycytidine ) increased approximately linearly with exposure of the virus to u.v. radiation. HSV grown in unirradiated cells gave a slope of 1.8 X 10(-5)m2/J, with 3.2 X 10(-5)m2/J for HSV grown in cells irradiated (3 J/m2) 24 h before infection. There was no evidence for mutagenesis of unirradiated virus by irradiated cells, as seen with H-1 virus. Enhanced reactivation of irradiated HSV in parallel cultures increased virus survival, manifested as a change in slope of the final component of the two-component survival curve from a D0 of 27 J/m2 in unirradiated cells to 45 J/m2 in irradiated cells. Thus, enhanced mutagenesis and enhanced reactivation occurred for irradiated HSV in NB-E cells. The difference in the enhanced mutagenesis of HSV (dependent on damaged DNA sites) and of H-1 virus (primarily independent of damaged DNA sites) is discussed in terms of differences in DNA polymerases. PMID:6329698

Nutrient Composition of Enhanced and Non-enhanced Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets Purchased from Retail

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to compare nutritional composition of raw enhanced (E) and non-enhanced (NE), boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets (pectoralis major), obtained from U.S. retail supermarkets. Fillets were either enhanced with a salt, phosphate, and water solution, or were non-en...

Characterization method for relative Raman enhancement for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy using gold nanoparticle dimer array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugano, Koji; Ikegami, Kohei; Isono, Yoshitada

2017-06-01

In this paper, a characterization method for Raman enhancement for highly sensitive and quantitative surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is reported. A particle dimer shows a marked electromagnetic enhancement when the particle connection direction is matched to the polarization direction of incident light. In this study, dimers were arrayed by nanotrench-guided self-assembly for a marked total Raman enhancement. By measuring acetonedicarboxylic acid, the fabricated structures were characterized for SERS depending on the polarization angle against the particle connection direction. This indicates that the fabricated structures cause an effective SERS enhancement, which is dominated by the electromagnetic enhancement. Then, we measured 4,4‧-bipyridine, which is a pesticide material, for quantitative analysis. In advance, we evaluated the enhancement of the particle structure by the Raman measurement of acetonedicarboxylic acid. Finally, we compared the Raman intensities of acetonedicarboxylic acid and 4,4‧-bipyridine. Their intensities showed good correlation. The advantage of this method for previously evaluating the enhancement of the substrate was demonstrated. This developed SERS characterization method is expected to be applied to various quantitative trace analyses of molecules with high sensitivity.

Field enhanced graphene based dual hexagonal ring optical antenna for tip-enhanced spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aditya, Rachakonda A. N. S.; Thampy, Anand Sreekantan

2018-05-01

Field enhanced graphene based dual hexagonal ring optical antenna has been designed in IR regime. Outcomes of hexagonal rings with gold and graphene materials and their effect has been studied and analyzed. Graphene based structures are found to have better and enhanced results as compared to that of gold. In addition, a two fold increase in bandwidth (∼30 THz) and cross-section (∼6.00E+06 nm2) has been observed in case of graphene. Field patterns for various tip/corner curvatures are simulated and localized/regional field patterns are justified. The effect of inter ring spacing on absorption cross section has been studied for every 10 nm increase in spacing. This absorption enhancement in addition to field localization makes the current structure feasible for tip enhanced spectroscopy.

Resolution enhancement techniques in microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cremer, Christoph; Masters, Barry R.

2013-05-01

We survey the history of resolution enhancement techniques in microscopy and their impact on current research in biomedicine. Often these techniques are labeled superresolution, or enhanced resolution microscopy, or light-optical nanoscopy. First, we introduce the development of diffraction theory in its relation to enhanced resolution; then we explore the foundations of resolution as expounded by the astronomers and the physicists and describe the conditions for which they apply. Then we elucidate Ernst Abbe's theory of optical formation in the microscope, and its experimental verification and dissemination to the world wide microscope communities. Second, we describe and compare the early techniques that can enhance the resolution of the microscope. Third, we present the historical development of various techniques that substantially enhance the optical resolution of the light microscope. These enhanced resolution techniques in their modern form constitute an active area of research with seminal applications in biology and medicine. Our historical survey of the field of resolution enhancement uncovers many examples of reinvention, rediscovery, and independent invention and development of similar proposals, concepts, techniques, and instruments. Attribution of credit is therefore confounded by the fact that for understandable reasons authors stress the achievements from their own research groups and sometimes obfuscate their contributions and the prior art of others. In some cases, attribution of credit is also made more complex by the fact that long term developments are difficult to allocate to a specific individual because of the many mutual connections often existing between sometimes fiercely competing, sometimes strongly collaborating groups. Since applications in biology and medicine have been a major driving force in the development of resolution enhancing approaches, we focus on the contribution of enhanced resolution to these fields.

A Common Molecular Motif Characterizes Extracellular Allosteric Enhancers of GPCR Aminergic Receptors and Suggests Enhancer Mechanism of Action

PubMed Central

Bernstein, Robert Root; Dillon, Patrick F

2014-01-01

Several classes of compounds that have no intrinsic activity on aminergic systems nonetheless enhance the potency of aminergic receptor ligands three-fold or more while significantly increasing their duration of activity, preventing tachyphylaxis and reversing fade. Enhancer compounds include ascorbic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, cortico-steroids, opioid peptides, opiates and opiate antagonists. This paper provides the first review of aminergic enhancement, demonstrating that all enhancers have a common, inobvious molecular motif and work through a common mechanism that is manifested by three common characteristics. First, aminergic enhancers bind directly to the amines they enhance, suggesting that the common structural motif is reflected in common binding targets. Second, one common target is the first extracellular loop of aminergic receptors. Third, at least some enhancers are antiphosphodiesterases. These observations suggest that aminergic enhancers act on the extracellular surface of aminergic receptors to keep the receptor in its high affinity state, trapping the ligand inside the receptor. Enhancer binding produces allosteric modifications of the receptor structure that interfere with phosphorylation of the receptor, thereby inhibiting down-regulation of the receptor. The mechanism explains how enhancers potentiate aminergic activity and increase duration of activity and makes testable predictions about additional compounds that should act as aminergic enhancers. PMID:25174918

Finding electromagnetic and chemical enhancement factors of surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

PubMed

Dvoynenko, Mykhaylo M; Wang, Juen-Kai

2007-12-15

The authors report two methods to determine electromagnetic and chemical enhancement factors in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), which are based on saturation property and decay dynamics of photoluminescence and concurrent measurements of photoluminescence and resonance Raman scattering intensities. Considerations for experimental implementation are discussed. This study is expected to facilitate the understanding of SERS mechanisms and the advancement of the usage of SERS in chemical and biological sensor applications.

Enhanced superconductivity of fullerenes

DOEpatents

Washington, II, Aaron L.; Teprovich, Joseph A.; Zidan, Ragaiy

2017-06-20

Methods for enhancing characteristics of superconductive fullerenes and devices incorporating the fullerenes are disclosed. Enhancements can include increase in the critical transition temperature at a constant magnetic field; the existence of a superconducting hysteresis over a changing magnetic field; a decrease in the stabilizing magnetic field required for the onset of superconductivity; and/or an increase in the stability of superconductivity over a large magnetic field. The enhancements can be brought about by transmitting electromagnetic radiation to the superconductive fullerene such that the electromagnetic radiation impinges on the fullerene with an energy that is greater than the band gap of the fullerene.

Enhancing Drug Court Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deschenes, Elizabeth Piper; Ireland, Connie; Kleinpeter, Christine B.

2009-01-01

This study evaluates the impact of enhanced drug court services in a large county in Southern California. These enhanced services, including specialty counseling groups, educational/employment resources, and increased Residential Treatment (RT) beds, were designed to increase program retention and successful completion (graduation) of drug court.…

Transcription regulation by distal enhancers

PubMed Central

Stadhouders, Ralph; van den Heuvel, Anita; Kolovos, Petros; Jorna, Ruud; Leslie, Kris; Grosveld, Frank; Soler, Eric

2012-01-01

Genome-wide chromatin profiling efforts have shown that enhancers are often located at large distances from gene promoters within the noncoding genome. Whereas enhancers can stimulate transcription initiation by communicating with promoters via chromatin looping mechanisms, we propose that enhancers may also stimulate transcription elongation by physical interactions with intronic elements. We review here recent findings derived from the study of the hematopoietic system. PMID:22771987

Plant Enhancers: A Call for Discovery.

PubMed

Weber, Blaise; Zicola, Johan; Oka, Rurika; Stam, Maike

2016-11-01

Higher eukaryotes typically contain many different cell types, displaying different cellular functions that are influenced by biotic and abiotic cues. The different functions are characterized by specific gene expression patterns mediated by regulatory sequences such as transcriptional enhancers. Recent genome-wide approaches have identified thousands of enhancers in animals, reviving interest in enhancers in gene regulation. Although the regulatory roles of plant enhancers are as crucial as those in animals, genome-wide approaches have only very recently been applied to plants. Here we review characteristics of enhancers at the DNA and chromatin level in plants and other species, their similarities and differences, and techniques widely used for genome-wide discovery of enhancers in animal systems that can be implemented in plants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Limb-Enhancer Genie: An accessible resource of accurate enhancer predictions in the developing limb

DOE PAGES

Monti, Remo; Barozzi, Iros; Osterwalder, Marco; ...

2017-08-21

Epigenomic mapping of enhancer-associated chromatin modifications facilitates the genome-wide discovery of tissue-specific enhancers in vivo. However, reliance on single chromatin marks leads to high rates of false-positive predictions. More sophisticated, integrative methods have been described, but commonly suffer from limited accessibility to the resulting predictions and reduced biological interpretability. Here we present the Limb-Enhancer Genie (LEG), a collection of highly accurate, genome-wide predictions of enhancers in the developing limb, available through a user-friendly online interface. We predict limb enhancers using a combination of > 50 published limb-specific datasets and clusters of evolutionarily conserved transcription factor binding sites, taking advantage ofmore » the patterns observed at previously in vivo validated elements. By combining different statistical models, our approach outperforms current state-of-the-art methods and provides interpretable measures of feature importance. Our results indicate that including a previously unappreciated score that quantifies tissue-specific nuclease accessibility significantly improves prediction performance. We demonstrate the utility of our approach through in vivo validation of newly predicted elements. Moreover, we describe general features that can guide the type of datasets to include when predicting tissue-specific enhancers genome-wide, while providing an accessible resource to the general biological community and facilitating the functional interpretation of genetic studies of limb malformations.« less

Enhancers and super-enhancers have an equivalent regulatory role in embryonic stem cells through regulation of single or multiple genes

PubMed Central

Moorthy, Sakthi D.; Davidson, Scott; Shchuka, Virlana M.; Singh, Gurdeep; Malek-Gilani, Nakisa; Langroudi, Lida; Martchenko, Alexandre; So, Vincent; Macpherson, Neil N.; Mitchell, Jennifer A.

2017-01-01

Transcriptional enhancers are critical for maintaining cell-type–specific gene expression and driving cell fate changes during development. Highly transcribed genes are often associated with a cluster of individual enhancers such as those found in locus control regions. Recently, these have been termed stretch enhancers or super-enhancers, which have been predicted to regulate critical cell identity genes. We employed a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deletion approach to study the function of several enhancer clusters (ECs) and isolated enhancers in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. Our results reveal that the effect of deleting ECs, also classified as ES cell super-enhancers, is highly variable, resulting in target gene expression reductions ranging from 12% to as much as 92%. Partial deletions of these ECs which removed only one enhancer or a subcluster of enhancers revealed partially redundant control of the regulated gene by multiple enhancers within the larger cluster. Many highly transcribed genes in ES cells are not associated with a super-enhancer; furthermore, super-enhancer predictions ignore 81% of the potentially active regulatory elements predicted by cobinding of five or more pluripotency-associated transcription factors. Deletion of these additional enhancer regions revealed their robust regulatory role in gene transcription. In addition, select super-enhancers and enhancers were identified that regulated clusters of paralogous genes. We conclude that, whereas robust transcriptional output can be achieved by an isolated enhancer, clusters of enhancers acting on a common target gene act in a partially redundant manner to fine tune transcriptional output of their target genes. PMID:27895109

Treatment of Low Back Pain with a Digital Multidisciplinary Pain Treatment App: Short-Term Results.

PubMed

Huber, Stephan; Priebe, Janosch A; Baumann, Kaja-Maria; Plidschun, Anne; Schiessl, Christine; Tölle, Thomas R

2017-12-04

Even though modern concepts of disease management of unspecific low back pain (LBP) postulate active participation of patients, this strategy is difficult to adapt unless multidisciplinary pain therapy is applied. Recently, mobile health solutions have proven to be effective aides to foster self-management of many diseases. The objective of this paper was to report on the retrospective short-term results of a digital multidisciplinary pain app for the treatment of LBP. Kaia is a mobile app that digitalizes multidisciplinary pain treatment and is in the market as a medical product class I. For the current study, the data of anonymized Kaia users was retrospectively analyzed. User data were evaluated for 12 weeks regarding duration of use and effect on in-app user reported pain levels, using the numerical rating scale (NRS), depending on whether LBP was classified as acute, subacute, or chronic back pain according to current guidelines. Data of 180 users were available. The mean age of the users was 33.9 years (SD 10.9). Pain levels decreased from baseline NRS 4.8 to 3.75 for all users at the end of the observation period. Users who completed 4, 8, or 12 weeks showed an even more pronounced decrease in pain level NRS (baseline 4.9 [SD 1.7] versus 3.6 [SD 1.5] at 4 weeks; baseline 4.7 [SD 1.8] versus 3.2 [SD [2.0] at 8 weeks; baseline 4.6 [SD 2.2] versus 2.6 [SD 2.0] at 12 weeks). In addition, subgroup analysis of acute, subacute, or chronic classification revealed no significant main effect of group (P>.30) on the reduction of pain. Conclusions: This retrospective study showed that in a pre-selected population of app users, an app digitalizing multidisciplinary rehabilitation for the self-management of LBP reduced user-reported pain levels significantly. The observed effect size was clinically relevant. Ongoing prospective randomized controlled trials (RCTs) will adjust for potential bias and selection effects. This retrospective study showed that in a pre

Noise Enhanced Sensory Signal Processing

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-31

Moreover, a contrast sensitivity function (CSF), as an object feature enhancer , was employed for further improving the segmentation performance, which...Digital mammography work appeared in ACM Tech News on Feb. 3, 2010. 8. Interactions/Transitions Invited talks: • P.K. Varshney, “Noise Enhanced ... mammography machines with regard to our work on image enhancement based on SR. • Lectures at Lockheed Martin in Syracuse and SRC that included discussion

Enhanced metabolite generation

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

Chidambaram, Devicharan

The present invention relates to the enhanced production of metabolites by a process whereby a carbon source is oxidized with a fermentative microbe in a compartment having a portal. An electron acceptor is added to the compartment to assist the microbe in the removal of excess electrons. The electron acceptor accepts electrons from the microbe after oxidation of the carbon source. Other transfers of electrons can take place to enhance the production of the metabolite, such as acids, biofuels or brewed beverages.

Diagnostic performance of different measurement methods for lung nodule enhancement at quantitative contrast-enhanced computed tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wormanns, Dag; Klotz, Ernst; Dregger, Uwe; Beyer, Florian; Heindel, Walter

2004-05-01

Lack of angiogenesis virtually excludes malignancy of a pulmonary nodule; assessment with quantitative contrast-enhanced CT (QECT) requires a reliable enhancement measurement technique. Diagnostic performance of different measurement methods in the distinction between malignant and benign nodules was evaluated. QECT (unenhanced scan and 4 post-contrast scans) was performed in 48 pulmonary nodules (12 malignant, 12 benign, 24 indeterminate). Nodule enhancement was the difference between the highest nodule density at any post-contrast scan and the unenhanced scan. Enhancement was determined with: A) the standard 2D method; B) a 3D method consisting of segmentation, removal of peripheral structures and density averaging. Enhancement curves were evaluated for their plausibility using a predefined set of criteria. Sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 33% for the 2D method resp. 92% and 55% for the 3D method using a threshold of 20 HU. One malignant nodule did not show significant enhancement with method B due to adjacent atelectasis which disappeared within the few minutes of the QECT examination. Better discrimination between benign and malignant lesions was achieved with a slightly higher threshold than proposed in the literature. Application of plausibility criteria to the enhancement curves rendered less plausibility faults with the 3D method. A new 3D method for analysis of QECT scans yielded less artefacts and better specificity in the discrimination between benign and malignant pulmonary nodules when using an appropriate enhancement threshold. Nevertheless, QECT results must be interpreted with care.

Chemically enhanced in situ recovery

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

Sale, T.; Pitts, M.; Wyatt, K.

1996-08-01

Chemically enhanced recovery is a promising alternative to current technologies for management of subsurface releases of organic liquids. Through the inclusion of surfactants, solvents, polymers, and/or alkaline agents to a waterflood, the transport of targeted organic compounds can be increased and rates of recovery enhanced. By far, the vast majority of work done in the field of chemically enhanced recovery has been at a laboratory scale. The following text focuses on chemically enhanced recovery from a field application perspective with emphasis given to chlorinated solvents in a low permeability setting. While chlorinated solvents are emphasized, issues discussed are also relevantmore » to organic liquids less dense than water such as petroleum products. Topics reviewed include: (1) Description of technology; (2) General technology considerations; (3) Low permeability media considerations; (4) Cost and reliability considerations; (5) Commercial availability; and (6) Case histories. Through this paper an appreciation is developed of both the potential and limitations of chemically enhanced recovery. Excluded from the scope of this paper is the in situ destruction of organic compounds through processes such as chemical or biological oxidation, chemically enhanced recovery of inorganic compounds, and ex situ soil treatment processes. 11 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.« less

Advances in Surface-Enhanced Fluorescence

PubMed Central

Lakowicz, Joseph R.; Geddes, Chris D.; Gryczynski, Ignacy; Malicka, Joanna; Gryczynski, Zygmunt; Aslan, Kadir; Lukomska, Joanna; Matveeva, Evgenia; Zhang, Jian; Badugu, Ramachandram; Huang, Jun

2009-01-01

We report recent achievements in metal-enhanced fluorescence from our laboratory. Several fluorophore systems have been studied on metal particle-coated surfaces and in colloid suspensions. In particular, we describe a distance dependent enhancement on silver island films (SIFs), release of self-quenching of fluorescence near silver particles, and the applications of fluorescence enhancement near metalized surfaces to bioassays. We discuss a number of methods for various shaped silver particle deposition on surfaces. PMID:15617385

Soy-enhanced lunch acceptance by preschoolers.

PubMed

Endres, Jeannette; Barter, Sharon; Theodora, Perseli; Welch, Patricia

2003-03-01

To evaluate acceptance of soy-enhanced compared with traditional menus by preschool children. Soy-enhanced foods were substituted on a traditional cycle menu, and the amount eaten, energy, and nutrient values for traditional and soy-enhanced lunches were compared. A traditional three-week cycle menu, using the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal pattern guidelines, was used to develop a comparable soy-enhanced menu. Traditional and soy-enhanced lunches were randomly assigned to respective days. Foods were portioned onto individual plates using standardized measuring utensils. Individual plate waste techniques were used to collect food waste. Subjects/setting Participants were preschool children, three to six years of age and of white and Hispanic origin, attending a part-day Head Start program. Statistical analyses performed Analysis of covariance was used to adjust lunch and food intakes for differences in average amounts of foods served. The Nutrient Data System was used to calculate energy and nutrient content of lunches. Analysis of variance was used to calculate differences in amounts eaten, energy values, and nutrient values of traditional and soy-enhanced lunches and foods. Data analyses were performed with the Statistical Analysis Software (version 8.0, 1999, SAS Institute, Cary, NC). Soy-enhanced foods were successfully substituted for 23 traditional foods included in the cycle menus. Soy-enhanced foods tended to be higher in energy, protein, and iron. Traditional lunches tended to be higher in fat, saturated fat, and vitamin A. Consumption was significantly less for energy, protein, fiber, and iron from foods eaten from traditional compared with soy-enhanced lunch menus. Applications/conclusions Acceptance of soy-enhanced lunches was shown because there were no significant differences in the average amount eaten (grams per meal) between traditional and soy-enhanced lunches. Preschool programs can substitute soy-enhanced for traditional foods

Real-time Enhancement, Registration, and Fusion for a Multi-Sensor Enhanced Vision System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hines, Glenn D.; Rahman, Zia-ur; Jobson, Daniel J.; Woodell, Glenn A.

2006-01-01

Over the last few years NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has been developing an Enhanced Vision System (EVS) to aid pilots while flying in poor visibility conditions. The EVS captures imagery using two infrared video cameras. The cameras are placed in an enclosure that is mounted and flown forward-looking underneath the NASA LaRC ARIES 757 aircraft. The data streams from the cameras are processed in real-time and displayed on monitors on-board the aircraft. With proper processing the camera system can provide better-than- human-observed imagery particularly during poor visibility conditions. However, to obtain this goal requires several different stages of processing including enhancement, registration, and fusion, and specialized processing hardware for real-time performance. We are using a real-time implementation of the Retinex algorithm for image enhancement, affine transformations for registration, and weighted sums to perform fusion. All of the algorithms are executed on a single TI DM642 digital signal processor (DSP) clocked at 720 MHz. The image processing components were added to the EVS system, tested, and demonstrated during flight tests in August and September of 2005. In this paper we briefly discuss the EVS image processing hardware and algorithms. We then discuss implementation issues and show examples of the results obtained during flight tests. Keywords: enhanced vision system, image enhancement, retinex, digital signal processing, sensor fusion

Resonant enhancement in leptogenesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dev, P. S. B.; Garny, M.; Klaric, J.; Millington, P.; Teresi, D.

2018-02-01

Vanilla leptogenesis within the type I seesaw framework requires the mass scale of the right-handed neutrinos to be above 109 GeV. This lower bound can be avoided if at least two of the sterile states are almost mass degenerate, which leads to an enhancement of the decay asymmetry. Leptogenesis models that can be tested in current and upcoming experiments often rely on this resonant enhancement, and a systematic and consistent description is therefore necessary for phenomenological applications. In this paper, we give an overview of different methods that have been used to study the saturation of the resonant enhancement when the mass difference becomes comparable to the characteristic width of the Majorana neutrinos. In this limit, coherent flavor transitions start to play a decisive role, and off-diagonal correlations in flavor space have to be taken into account. We compare various formalisms that have been used to describe the resonant regime and discuss under which circumstances the resonant enhancement can be captured by simplified expressions for the CP asymmetry. Finally, we briefly review some of the phenomenological aspects of resonant leptogenesis.

Memory enhancing drugs and Alzheimer's disease: enhancing the self or preventing the loss of it?

PubMed

Dekkers, Wim; Rikkert, Marcel Olde

2007-06-01

In this paper we analyse some ethical and philosophical questions related to the development of memory enhancing drugs (MEDs) and anti-dementia drugs. The world of memory enhancement is coloured by utopian thinking and by the desire for quicker, sharper, and more reliable memories. Dementia is characterized by decline, fragility, vulnerability, a loss of the most important cognitive functions and even a loss of self. While MEDs are being developed for self-improvement, in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) the self is being lost. Despite this it is precisely those patients with AD and other forms of dementia that provide the subjects for scientific research on memory improvement. Biomedical research in the field of MEDs and anti-dementia drugs appears to provide a strong impetus for rethinking what we mean by 'memory', 'enhancement', 'therapy', and 'self'. We conclude (1) that the enhancement of memory is still in its infancy, (2) that current MEDs and anti-dementia drugs are at best partially and minimally effective under specific conditions, (3) that 'memory' and 'enhancement' are ambiguous terms, (4) that there is no clear-cut distinction between enhancement and therapy, and (5) that the research into MEDs and anti-dementia drugs encourages a reductionistic view of the human mind and of the self.

Human freedom and enhancement.

PubMed

Heilinger, Jan-Christoph; Crone, Katja

2014-02-01

Ideas about freedom and related concepts like autonomy and self-determination play a prominent role in the moral debate about human enhancement interventions. However, there is not a single understanding of freedom available, and arguments referring to freedom are simultaneously used to argue both for and against enhancement interventions. This gives rise to misunderstandings and polemical arguments. The paper attempts to disentangle the different distinguishable concepts, classifies them and shows how they relate to one another in order to allow for a more structured and clearer debate. It concludes in identifying the individual underpinnings and the social conditions of choice and decision-making as particularly salient dimensions of freedom in the ethical debate about human enhancement.

Enhancement of Retronasal Odors by Taste

PubMed Central

Nachtigal, Danielle; Hammond, Samuel; Lim, Juyun

2012-01-01

Psychophysical studies of interactions between retronasal olfaction and taste have focused most often on the enhancement of tastes by odors, which has been attributed primarily to a response bias (i.e., halo dumping). Based upon preliminary evidence that retronasal odors could also be enhanced by taste, the present study measured both forms of enhancement using appropriate response categories. In the first experiment, subjects rated taste (“sweet,” “sour,” “salty,” and “bitter”) and odor (“other”) intensity for aqueous samples of 3 tastants (sucrose, NaCl, and citric acid) and 3 odorants (vanillin, citral, and furaneol), both alone and in taste–odor mixtures. The results showed that sucrose, but not the other taste stimuli, significantly increased the perceived intensity of all 3 odors. Enhancement of tastes by odors was inconsistent and generally weaker than enhancement of odors by sucrose. A second experiment used a flavored beverage and a custard dessert to test whether the findings from the first experiment would hold for the perception of actual foods. Adding sucrose significantly enhanced the intensity of “cherry” and “vanilla” flavors, whereas adding vanillin did not significantly enhance the intensity of sweetness. It is proposed that enhancement of retronasal odors by a sweet stimulus results from an adaptive sensory mechanism that serves to increase the salience of the flavor of nutritive foods. PMID:21798851

Enhancing Leadership Quality. TQ Source Tips & Tools: Emerging Strategies to Enhance Educator Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, 2008

2008-01-01

Teaching Quality (TQ) Source Tips & Tools: Emerging Strategies to Enhance Educator Quality is an online resource developed by the TQ Center. It is designed to help education practitioners tap into strategies and resources they can use to enhance educator quality. This publication is based on the TQ Source Tips & Tools topic area "Enhancing…

The Misfortunes of Moral Enhancement.

PubMed

Azevedo, Marco Antonio

2016-10-01

In Unfit for the Future, Ingmar Persson and Julian Savulescu present a sophisticated argument in defense of the imperative of moral enhancement. They claim that without moral enhancement, the future of humanity is seriously compromised. The possibility of ultimate harm, caused by a dreadful terrorist attack or by a final unpreventable escalation of the present environmental crisis aggravated by the availability of cognitive enhancement, makes moral enhancement a top priority. It may be considered optimistic to think that our present moral capabilities can be successfully improved by means of moral education, moral persuasion, and fear of punishment. So, without moral enhancement, drastic restrictions on human freedom would become the only alternative to prevent those dramatic potential outcomes. In this article, I will try to show that we still have reason to be less pessimistic and that Persson & Savulescu's arguments are fortunately unconvincing. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Transcriptional enhancer from milk protein genes

DOEpatents

Casperson, Gerald F.; Schmidhauser, Christian T.; Bissell, Mina J.

1999-01-01

The invention relates to novel enhancer nucleotide sequences which stimulate transcription of heterologous DNA in cells in culture. The enhancers are derived from major milk protein genes by the process of deletion mapping and functional analysis. The invention also relates to expression vectors containing the novel enhancers.

A guide to transportation enhancements

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-12-01

The Federal Transportation Enhancement Program offers extensive opportunities to take unique and creative actions to integrate transportation into our communities and the natural environment. Transportation enhancement activities can be stand-alone p...

Plasmon-Enhanced Optical Sensors: A Review

PubMed Central

Li, Ming; Cushing, Scott K

2014-01-01

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) has found extensive applications in chemi-sensors and biosensors. Plasmons play different roles in different types of optical sensors. SPR transduces a signal in a colorimetric sensor through shifts in the spectral position and intensity in response to external stimuli. SPR can also concentrate the incident electromagnetic field in a nanostructure, modulating fluorescence emission and enabling plasmon-enhanced fluorescence to be used for ultrasensitive detection. Furthermore, plasmons have been extensively used for amplifying a Raman signal in a surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensor. This paper presents a review of recent research progress in plasmon-enhanced optical sensing, giving an emphasis on the physical basis of plasmon-enhanced sensors and how these principles guide the design of sensors. In particular, this paper discusses the design strategies for nanomaterials and nanostructures to plasmonically enhance optical sensing signals, also highlighting the applications of plasmon-enhanced optical sensors in health care, homeland security, food safety and environmental monitoring. PMID:25365823

Does technology really enhance nurse education?

PubMed

Goodchild, Tim

2018-07-01

Technology has clearly impacted upon our working lives, and the purpose of this paper is to offer a critical insight into the ubiquitous presence of technology in nurse education. This paper argues that technology enhanced learning is predicated on the promise of potential and purported transformation of teaching and learning. It suggests that there is a lack of critical engagement in the academic field of technology enhanced learning, and adds a critical voice to some of the emerging arguments in this area. There is also a lack of systematic evidence supporting the enhancement offered by technology, and yet the technology enhanced project continues to persist. The discourse surrounding technology enhanced learning has become so dominant, so pervasive, that those of us within it can no longer see alternatives. But there are alternatives, and this paper argues that we need to challenge the dominance of technology enhanced learning, and become aware of its contingent nature. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Arousal-Enhanced Location Memory for Pictures

PubMed Central

Mather, Mara; Nesmith, Kathryn

2008-01-01

Four experiments revealed arousal-enhanced location memory for pictures. After an incidental encoding task, participants were more likely to remember the locations of positive and negative arousing pictures than the locations of non-arousing pictures, indicating better binding of location to picture. This arousal-enhanced binding effect did not have a cost for the binding of nearby pictures to their locations. Thus, arousal can enhance binding of an arousing picture’s content to its location without interfering with picture-location binding for nearby pictures. In addition, arousal-enhanced picture-location memory binding is not just a side effect of enhanced memory for the picture itself, as it occurs both when recognition memory is good and when it is poor. PMID:19190722

Optimizing laser crater enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

PubMed

Lednev, V N; Sdvizhenskii, P A; Grishin, M Ya; Filichkina, V A; Shchegolikhin, A N; Pershin, S M

2018-03-20

Raman signal enhancement by laser crater production was systematically studied for 785 nm continuous wave laser pumping. Laser craters were produced in L-aspartic acid powder by a nanosecond pulsed solid state neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser (532 nm, 8 ns, 1 mJ/pulse), while Raman spectra were then acquired by using a commercial spectrometer with 785 nm laser beam pumping. The Raman signal enhancement effect was studied in terms of the number of ablating pulses used, the lens-to-sample distance, and the crater-center-laser-spot offset. The influence of the experiment parameters on Raman signal enhancement was studied for different powder materials. Maximum Raman signal enhancement reached 11 fold for loose powders but decreased twice for pressed tablets. Raman signal enhancement was demonstrated for several diverse powder materials like gypsum or ammonium nitrate with better results achieved for the samples tending to give narrow and deep craters upon the laser ablation stage. Alternative ways of cavity production (steel needle tapping and hole drilling) were compared with the laser cratering technique in terms of Raman signal enhancement. Drilling was found to give the poorest enhancement of the Raman signal, while both laser ablation and steel needle tapping provided comparable results. Here, we have demonstrated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, that a Raman signal can be enhanced 10 fold with the aid of simple cavity production by steel needle tapping in rough highly reflective materials. Though laser crater enhancement Raman spectroscopy requires an additional pulsed laser, this technique is more appropriate for automatization compared to the needle tapping approach.

Digital enhancement of sub-quality bitemark photographs.

PubMed

Karazalus, C P; Palmbach, T T; Lee, H C

2001-07-01

Digital enhancement software was used to enhance bitemark photographs. This enhancement technique improved the resolution of the bitemark images. Lucis was the software program utilized in this study and case applications. First, this technique was applied on known bitemark images to evaluate the potential effectiveness of this digital enhancement method. Subsequently, Lucis was utilized on two separate unsolved cases involving enhancement of bitemark evidence. One case involved a severely beaten infant with a bitemark on the upper thigh. The second case involves a bitemark observed on the breast of a female sexual assault strangulation victim. In both cases, bitemark images were significantly improved after digital enhancement.

Ultrasonic enhancement of battery diffusion.

PubMed

Hilton, R; Dornbusch, D; Branson, K; Tekeei, A; Suppes, G J

2014-03-01

It has been demonstrated that sonic energy can be harnessed to enhance convection in Galvanic cells during cyclic voltammetry; however, the practical value of this approach is limited due to the lack of open volumes for convection patterns to develop in most batteries. This study evaluates the ability of ultrasonic waves to enhance diffusion in membrane separators commonly used in sandwich-architecture batteries. Studies include the measuring of open-circuit performance curves to interpret performances in terms of reductions in concentration overpotentials. The use of a 40 kHz sonicator bath can consistently increase the voltage of the battery and reduce overpotential losses up to 30%. This work demonstrates and quantifies battery enhancement due to enhanced diffusion made possible with ultrasonic energy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhanced Raman scattering in porous silicon grating.

PubMed

Wang, Jiajia; Jia, Zhenhong; Lv, Changwu

2018-03-19

The enhancement of Raman signal on monocrystalline silicon gratings with varying groove depths and on porous silicon grating were studied for a highly sensitive surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) response. In the experiment conducted, porous silicon gratings were fabricated. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were then deposited on the porous silicon grating to enhance the Raman signal of the detective objects. Results show that the enhancement of Raman signal on silicon grating improved when groove depth increased. The enhanced performance of Raman signal on porous silicon grating was also further improved. The Rhodamine SERS response based on Ag NPs/ porous silicon grating substrates was enhanced relative to the SERS response on Ag NPs/ porous silicon substrates. Ag NPs / porous silicon grating SERS substrate system achieved a highly sensitive SERS response due to the coupling of various Raman enhancement factors.

Moderate eugenics and human enhancement.

PubMed

Selgelid, Michael J

2014-02-01

Though the reputation of eugenics has been tarnished by history, eugenics per se is not necessarily a bad thing. Many advocate a liberal new eugenics--where individuals are free to choose whether or not to employ genetic technologies for reproductive purposes. Though genetic interventions aimed at the prevention of severe genetic disorders may be morally and socially acceptable, reproductive liberty in the context of enhancement may conflict with equality. Enhancement could also have adverse effects on utility. The enhancement debate requires a shift in focus. What the equality and/or utility costs of enhancement will be is an empirical question. Rather than philosophical speculation, more social science research is needed to address it. Philosophers, meanwhile, should address head-on the question of how to strike a balance between liberty, equality, and utility in cases of conflict (in the context of genetics).

Loudness enhancement and decrement in four paradigms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elmasian, R.; Galambos, R.; Bernheim, A., Jr.

1980-01-01

When one tone burst (the conditioner) preceeds another (the target) by 100 ms, target loudness is enhanced if the conditioner is more intense and decreased if it is less intense. We show here that similar loudness enhancements and decrements occur when the conditioner follows the target. In all instances, monaural loudness enhancements (in which the conditioner and target are delivered to the same ear) are greater than the dichotic enhancements (in which the conditioner is presented contralaterally), but the decrements, which are smaller than the enhancements, are similar in magnitude. Loudness enhancements and decrements are similar to sequential loudness effects and central tendency effects; the major difference is the relatively very large increases in loudness obtainable in loudness enhancement experiments. We outline a mechanism to account for these loudness phenomena and suggest that this mechanism is responsible for similar perceptual effects that occur in other stimulus dimensions and modalities.

Male chest enhancement: pectoral implants.

PubMed

Benito-Ruiz, J; Raigosa, J M; Manzano-Surroca, M; Salvador, L

2008-01-01

The authors present their experience with the pectoral muscle implant for male chest enhancement in 21 patients. The markings and technique are thoroughly described. The implants used were manufactured and custom made. The candidates for implants comprised three groups: group 1 (18 patients seeking chest enhancement), group 2 (1 patient with muscular atrophy), and group 3 (2 patients with muscular injuries). Because of the satisfying results obtained, including significant enhancement of the chest contour and no major complications, this technique is used for an increasing number of male cosmetic surgeries.

Tumor Infiltration in Enhancing and Non-Enhancing Parts of Glioblastoma: A Correlation with Histopathology.

PubMed

Eidel, Oliver; Burth, Sina; Neumann, Jan-Oliver; Kieslich, Pascal J; Sahm, Felix; Jungk, Christine; Kickingereder, Philipp; Bickelhaupt, Sebastian; Mundiyanapurath, Sibu; Bäumer, Philipp; Wick, Wolfgang; Schlemmer, Heinz-Peter; Kiening, Karl; Unterberg, Andreas; Bendszus, Martin; Radbruch, Alexander

2017-01-01

To correlate histopathologic findings from biopsy specimens with their corresponding location within enhancing areas, non-enhancing areas and necrotic areas on contrast enhanced T1-weighted MRI scans (cT1). In 37 patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma who underwent stereotactic biopsy, we obtained a correlation of 561 1mm3 biopsy specimens with their corresponding position on the intraoperative cT1 image at 1.5 Tesla. Biopsy points were categorized as enhancing (CE), non-enhancing (NE) or necrotic (NEC) on cT1 and tissue samples were categorized as "viable tumor cells", "blood" or "necrotic tissue (with or without cellular component)". Cell counting was done semi-automatically. NE had the highest content of tissue categorized as viable tumor cells (89% vs. 60% in CE and 30% NEC, respectively). Besides, the average cell density for NE (3764 ± 2893 cells/mm2) was comparable to CE (3506 ± 3116 cells/mm2), while NEC had a lower cell density with 2713 ± 3239 cells/mm2. If necrotic parts and bleeds were excluded, cell density in biopsies categorized as "viable tumor tissue" decreased from the center of the tumor (NEC, 5804 ± 3480 cells/mm2) to CE (4495 ± 3209 cells/mm2) and NE (4130 ± 2817 cells/mm2). The appearance of a glioblastoma on a cT1 image (circular enhancement, central necrosis, peritumoral edema) does not correspond to its diffuse histopathological composition. Cell density is elevated in both CE and NE parts. Hence, our study suggests that NE contains considerable amounts of infiltrative tumor with a high cellularity which might be considered in resection planning.

Pulse enhanced fluidized bed combustion

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

Mueller, B.

1996-12-31

Information is outlined on pulse enhanced fluidized bed combustion. The following topics are discussed: what is pulse enhanced fluidized bed combustion?; pulse combustors; pulsed atmospheric fluidized bed combustor (PAFBC); advantages of PAFBC; performance advantages; PAFBC facts; and PAFBC contact points.

Enhanced recovery from surgery in the UK: an audit of the enhanced recovery partnership programme 2009-2012.

PubMed

Simpson, J C; Moonesinghe, S R; Grocott, M P W; Kuper, M; McMeeking, A; Oliver, C M; Galsworthy, M J; Mythen, M G

2015-10-01

The UK Department of Health Enhanced Recovery Partnership Programme collected data on 24 513 surgical patients in the UK from 2009-2012. Enhanced Recovery is an approach to major elective surgery aimed at minimizing perioperative stress for the patient. Previous studies have shown Enhanced Recovery to be associated with reduced hospital length of stay and perioperative morbidity. In this national clinical audit, National Health Service hospitals in the UK were invited to submit patient-level data. The data regarding length of stay and compliance with each element of Enhanced Recovery protocols for colorectal, orthopaedic, urological and gynaecological surgery patients were analysed. The relationship between Enhanced Recovery protocol compliance and length of stay was measured. From 16 267 patients from 61 hospital trusts, three out of four surgical specialties showed Enhanced Recovery, compliance being weakly associated with shorter length of stay (correlation coefficients -0.18, -0.14, -0.25 in colorectal, orthopaedics and gynaecology respectively). At a cut-off of 80% compliance, good compliance was associated with two, one and three day reductions in median length of stay respectively in colorectal, orthopaedic and urological surgeries, with no saving in gynaecology. This study is the largest assessment of the relationship between Enhanced Recovery protocol compliance and outcome in four surgical specialties. The data suggest that higher compliance with an Enhanced Recovery protocol has a weak association with shorter length of stay. This suggests that changes in process, resulting from highly protocolised pathways, may be as important in reducing perioperative length of stay as any individual element of Enhanced Recovery protocols in isolation. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Speech enhancement on smartphone voice recording

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tris Atmaja, Bagus; Nur Farid, Mifta; Arifianto, Dhany

2016-11-01

Speech enhancement is challenging task in audio signal processing to enhance the quality of targeted speech signal while suppress other noises. In the beginning, the speech enhancement algorithm growth rapidly from spectral subtraction, Wiener filtering, spectral amplitude MMSE estimator to Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF). Smartphone as revolutionary device now is being used in all aspect of life including journalism; personally and professionally. Although many smartphones have two microphones (main and rear) the only main microphone is widely used for voice recording. This is why the NMF algorithm widely used for this purpose of speech enhancement. This paper evaluate speech enhancement on smartphone voice recording by using some algorithms mentioned previously. We also extend the NMF algorithm to Kulback-Leibler NMF with supervised separation. The last algorithm shows improved result compared to others by spectrogram and PESQ score evaluation.

Enhance Video Film using Retnix method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awad, Rasha; Al-Zuky, Ali A.; Al-Saleh, Anwar H.; Mohamad, Haidar J.

2018-05-01

An enhancement technique used to improve the studied video quality. Algorithms like mean and standard deviation are used as a criterion within this paper, and it applied for each video clip that divided into 80 images. The studied filming environment has different light intensity (315, 566, and 644Lux). This different environment gives similar reality to the outdoor filming. The outputs of the suggested algorithm are compared with the results before applying it. This method is applied into two ways: first, it is applied for the full video clip to get the enhanced film; second, it is applied for every individual image to get the enhanced image then compiler them to get the enhanced film. This paper shows that the enhancement technique gives good quality video film depending on a statistical method, and it is recommended to use it in different application.

Source memory enhancement for emotional words.

PubMed

Doerksen, S; Shimamura, A P

2001-03-01

The influence of emotional stimuli on source memory was investigated by using emotionally valenced words. The words were colored blue or yellow (Experiment 1) or surrounded by a blue or yellow frame (Experiment 2). Participants were asked to associate the words with the colors. In both experiments, emotionally valenced words elicited enhanced free recall compared with nonvalenced words; however, recognition memory was not affected. Source memory for the associated color was also enhanced for emotional words, suggesting that even memory for contextual information is benefited by emotional stimuli. This effect was not due to the ease of semantic clustering of emotional words because semantically related words were not associated with enhanced source memory, despite enhanced recall (Experiment 3). It is suggested that enhancement resulted from facilitated arousal or attention, which may act to increase organization processes important for source memory.

NORMAL HUMAN VARIATION: REFOCUSSING THE ENHANCEMENT DEBATE

PubMed Central

Kahane, Guy; Savulescu, Julian

2015-01-01

This article draws attention to several common mistakes in thinking about biomedical enhancement, mistakes that are made even by some supporters of enhancement. We illustrate these mistakes by examining objections that John Harris has recently raised against the use of pharmacological interventions to directly modulate moral decision-making. We then apply these lessons to other influential figures in the debate about enhancement. One upshot of our argument is that many considerations presented as powerful objections to enhancement are really strong considerations in favour of biomedical enhancement, just in a different direction. Another upshot is that it is unfortunate that much of the current debate focuses on interventions that will radically transform normal human capacities. Such interventions are unlikely to be available in the near future, and may not even be feasible. But our argument shows that the enhancement project can still have a radical impact on human life even if biomedical enhancement operated entirely within the normal human range. PMID:23906367

Biocatalyst Enhancement

EPA Science Inventory

The increasing availability of enzyme collections has assisted attempts by pharmaceutical producers to adopt green chemistry approaches to manufacturing. A joint effort between an enzyme producer and a pharmaceutical manufacturer has been enhanced over the past three years by ena...

Enhancement of quantum-enhanced LADAR receiver in nonideal phase-sensitive amplification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shuan; Liu, Hongjun; Huang, Nan; Wang, Zhaolu; Han, Jing

2017-07-01

The phase-sensitive amplification (PSA) with an injected squeezed vacuum field is theoretically investigated in quantum-enhanced laser detection and ranging (LADAR) receiver. The theoretical model of the amplified process is derived to investigate the quantum fluctuations in detail. A new method of mitigating the unflat gain of nonideal PSA is proposed by adjusting the squeezed angle of the squeezed vacuum field. The simulation results indicate that signal-noise ratio (SNR) of system can be efficiently improved and close to the ideal case by this method. This research will provide an important potential in the applications of quantum-enhanced LADAR receiver.

Temporal subtraction contrast-enhanced dedicated breast CT

PubMed Central

Gazi, Peymon M.; Aminololama-Shakeri, Shadi; Yang, Kai; Boone, John M.

2016-01-01

Purpose To develop a framework of deformable image registration and segmentation for the purpose of temporal subtraction contrast-enhanced breast CT is described. Methods An iterative histogram-based two-means clustering method was used for the segmentation. Dedicated breast CT images were segmented into background (air), adipose, fibroglandular and skin components. Fibroglandular tissue was classified as either normal or contrast-enhanced then divided into tiers for the purpose of categorizing degrees of contrast enhancement. A variant of the Demons deformable registration algorithm, Intensity Difference Adaptive Demons (IDAD), was developed to correct for the large deformation forces that stemmed from contrast enhancement. In this application, the accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated in both mathematically-simulated and physically-acquired phantom images. Clinical usage and accuracy of the temporal subtraction framework was demonstrated using contrast-enhanced breast CT datasets from five patients. Registration performance was quantified using Normalized Cross Correlation (NCC), Symmetric Uncertainty Coefficient (SUC), Normalized Mutual Information (NMI), Mean Square Error (MSE) and Target Registration Error (TRE). Results The proposed method outperformed conventional affine and other Demons variations in contrast enhanced breast CT image registration. In simulation studies, IDAD exhibited improvement in MSE(0–16%), NCC (0–6%), NMI (0–13%) and TRE (0–34%) compared to the conventional Demons approaches, depending on the size and intensity of the enhancing lesion. As lesion size and contrast enhancement levels increased, so did the improvement. The drop in the correlation between the pre- and post-contrast images for the largest enhancement levels in phantom studies is less than 1.2% (150 Hounsfield units). Registration error, measured by TRE, shows only submillimeter mismatches between the concordant anatomical target points in all patient studies

Temporal subtraction contrast-enhanced dedicated breast CT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gazi, Peymon M.; Aminololama-Shakeri, Shadi; Yang, Kai; Boone, John M.

2016-09-01

The development of a framework of deformable image registration and segmentation for the purpose of temporal subtraction contrast-enhanced breast CT is described. An iterative histogram-based two-means clustering method was used for the segmentation. Dedicated breast CT images were segmented into background (air), adipose, fibroglandular and skin components. Fibroglandular tissue was classified as either normal or contrast-enhanced then divided into tiers for the purpose of categorizing degrees of contrast enhancement. A variant of the Demons deformable registration algorithm, intensity difference adaptive Demons (IDAD), was developed to correct for the large deformation forces that stemmed from contrast enhancement. In this application, the accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated in both mathematically-simulated and physically-acquired phantom images. Clinical usage and accuracy of the temporal subtraction framework was demonstrated using contrast-enhanced breast CT datasets from five patients. Registration performance was quantified using normalized cross correlation (NCC), symmetric uncertainty coefficient, normalized mutual information (NMI), mean square error (MSE) and target registration error (TRE). The proposed method outperformed conventional affine and other Demons variations in contrast enhanced breast CT image registration. In simulation studies, IDAD exhibited improvement in MSE (0-16%), NCC (0-6%), NMI (0-13%) and TRE (0-34%) compared to the conventional Demons approaches, depending on the size and intensity of the enhancing lesion. As lesion size and contrast enhancement levels increased, so did the improvement. The drop in the correlation between the pre- and post-contrast images for the largest enhancement levels in phantom studies is less than 1.2% (150 Hounsfield units). Registration error, measured by TRE, shows only submillimeter mismatches between the concordant anatomical target points in all patient studies. The algorithm was

Visual adaptation enhances action sound discrimination.

PubMed

Barraclough, Nick E; Page, Steve A; Keefe, Bruce D

2017-01-01

Prolonged exposure, or adaptation, to a stimulus in 1 modality can bias, but also enhance, perception of a subsequent stimulus presented within the same modality. However, recent research has also found that adaptation in 1 modality can bias perception in another modality. Here, we show a novel crossmodal adaptation effect, where adaptation to a visual stimulus enhances subsequent auditory perception. We found that when compared to no adaptation, prior adaptation to visual, auditory, or audiovisual hand actions enhanced discrimination between 2 subsequently presented hand action sounds. Discrimination was most enhanced when the visual action "matched" the auditory action. In addition, prior adaptation to a visual, auditory, or audiovisual action caused subsequent ambiguous action sounds to be perceived as less like the adaptor. In contrast, these crossmodal action aftereffects were not generated by adaptation to the names of actions. Enhanced crossmodal discrimination and crossmodal perceptual aftereffects may result from separate mechanisms operating in audiovisual action sensitive neurons within perceptual systems. Adaptation-induced crossmodal enhancements cannot be explained by postperceptual responses or decisions. More generally, these results together indicate that adaptation is a ubiquitous mechanism for optimizing perceptual processing of multisensory stimuli.

Microcavity Enhanced Raman Scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrak, Benjamin J.

Raman scattering can accurately identify molecules by their intrinsic vibrational frequencies, but its notoriously weak scattering efficiency for gases presents a major obstacle to its practical application in gas sensing and analysis. This work explores the use of high finesse (≈50 000) Fabry-Perot microcavities as a means to enhance Raman scattering from gases. A recently demonstrated laser ablation method, which carves out a micromirror template on fused silica--either on a fiber tip or bulk substrates-- was implemented, characterized, and optimized to fabricate concave micromirror templates ˜10 mum diameter and radius of curvature. The fabricated templates were coated with a high-reflectivity dielectric coating by ion-beam sputtering and were assembled into microcavities ˜10 mum long and with a mode volume ˜100 mum 3. A novel gas sensing technique that we refer to as Purcell enhanced Raman scattering (PERS) was demonstrated using the assembled microcavities. PERS works by enhancing the pump laser's intensity through resonant recirculation at one longitudinal mode, while simultaneously, at a second mode at the Stokes frequency, the Purcell effect increases the rate of spontaneous Raman scattering by a change to the intra-cavity photon density of states. PERS was shown to enhance the rate of spontaneous Raman scattering by a factor of 107 compared to the same volume of sample gas in free space scattered into the same solid angle subtended by the cavity. PERS was also shown capable of resolving several Raman bands from different isotopes of CO2 gas for application to isotopic analysis. Finally, the use of the microcavity to enhance coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) from CO2 gas was demonstrated.

Naturalness preservation image contrast enhancement via histogram modification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Qi-Chong; Cohen, Laurent D.

2018-04-01

Contrast enhancement is a technique for enhancing image contrast to obtain better visual quality. Since many existing contrast enhancement algorithms usually produce over-enhanced results, the naturalness preservation is needed to be considered in the framework of image contrast enhancement. This paper proposes a naturalness preservation contrast enhancement method, which adopts the histogram matching to improve the contrast and uses the image quality assessment to automatically select the optimal target histogram. The contrast improvement and the naturalness preservation are both considered in the target histogram, so this method can avoid the over-enhancement problem. In the proposed method, the optimal target histogram is a weighted sum of the original histogram, the uniform histogram, and the Gaussian-shaped histogram. Then the structural metric and the statistical naturalness metric are used to determine the weights of corresponding histograms. At last, the contrast-enhanced image is obtained via matching the optimal target histogram. The experiments demonstrate the proposed method outperforms the compared histogram-based contrast enhancement algorithms.

Identification of activated enhancers and linked transcription factors in breast, prostate, and kidney tumors by tracing enhancer networks using epigenetic traits.

PubMed

Rhie, Suhn Kyong; Guo, Yu; Tak, Yu Gyoung; Yao, Lijing; Shen, Hui; Coetzee, Gerhard A; Laird, Peter W; Farnham, Peggy J

2016-01-01

Although technological advances now allow increased tumor profiling, a detailed understanding of the mechanisms leading to the development of different cancers remains elusive. Our approach toward understanding the molecular events that lead to cancer is to characterize changes in transcriptional regulatory networks between normal and tumor tissue. Because enhancer activity is thought to be critical in regulating cell fate decisions, we have focused our studies on distal regulatory elements and transcription factors that bind to these elements. Using DNA methylation data, we identified more than 25,000 enhancers that are differentially activated in breast, prostate, and kidney tumor tissues, as compared to normal tissues. We then developed an analytical approach called Tracing Enhancer Networks using Epigenetic Traits that correlates DNA methylation levels at enhancers with gene expression to identify more than 800,000 genome-wide links from enhancers to genes and from genes to enhancers. We found more than 1200 transcription factors to be involved in these tumor-specific enhancer networks. We further characterized several transcription factors linked to a large number of enhancers in each tumor type, including GATA3 in non-basal breast tumors, HOXC6 and DLX1 in prostate tumors, and ZNF395 in kidney tumors. We showed that HOXC6 and DLX1 are associated with different clusters of prostate tumor-specific enhancers and confer distinct transcriptomic changes upon knockdown in C42B prostate cancer cells. We also discovered de novo motifs enriched in enhancers linked to ZNF395 in kidney tumors. Our studies characterized tumor-specific enhancers and revealed key transcription factors involved in enhancer networks for specific tumor types and subgroups. Our findings, which include a large set of identified enhancers and transcription factors linked to those enhancers in breast, prostate, and kidney cancers, will facilitate understanding of enhancer networks and mechanisms

When is diminishment a form of enhancement? Rethinking the enhancement debate in biomedical ethics

PubMed Central

Earp, Brian D.; Sandberg, Anders; Kahane, Guy; Savulescu, Julian

2014-01-01

The enhancement debate in neuroscience and biomedical ethics tends to focus on the augmentation of certain capacities or functions: memory, learning, attention, and the like. Typically, the point of contention is whether these augmentative enhancements should be considered permissible for individuals with no particular “medical” disadvantage along any of the dimensions of interest. Less frequently addressed in the literature, however, is the fact that sometimes the diminishment of a capacity or function, under the right set of circumstances, could plausibly contribute to an individual's overall well-being: more is not always better, and sometimes less is more. Such cases may be especially likely, we suggest, when trade-offs in our modern environment have shifted since the environment of evolutionary adaptation. In this article, we introduce the notion of “diminishment as enhancement” and go on to defend a welfarist conception of enhancement. We show how this conception resolves a number of definitional ambiguities in the enhancement literature, and we suggest that it can provide a useful framework for thinking about the use of emerging neurotechnologies to promote human flourishing. PMID:24550792

A Systematic Survey and Characterization of Enhancers that Regulate Sox3 in Neuro-Sensory Development in Comparison with Sox2 Enhancers.

PubMed

Nishimura, Naoko; Kamimura, Yoshifumi; Ishida, Yoshiko; Takemoto, Tatsuya; Kondoh, Hisato; Uchikawa, Masanori

2012-11-22

Development of neural and sensory primordia at the early stages of embryogenesis depends on the activity of two B1 Sox transcription factors, Sox2 and Sox3. The embryonic expression patterns of the Sox2 and Sox3 genes are similar, yet they show gene-unique features. We screened for enhancers of the 231-kb genomic region encompassing Sox3 of chicken, and identified 13 new enhancers that showed activity in different domains of the neuro-sensory primordia. Combined with the three Sox3-proximal enhancers determined previously, at least 16 enhancers were involved in Sox3 regulation. Starting from the NP1 enhancer, more enhancers with different specificities are activated in sequence, resulting in complex overlapping patterns of enhancer activities. NP1 was activated in the caudal lateral epiblast adjacent to the posterior growing end of neural plate, and by the combined action of Wnt and Fgf signaling, similar to the Sox2 N1 enhancer involved in neural/mesodermal dichotomous cell lineage segregation. The Sox3 D5 enhancer and Sox2 N3 enhancer were also activated similarly in the diencephalon, optic vesicle and lens placode, suggesting analogies in their regulation. In general, however, the specificities of the enhancers were not identical between Sox3 and Sox2, including the cases of the NP1 and D5 enhancers.

75 FR 16719 - Agricultural Water Enhancement Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-02

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Commodity Credit Corporation Agricultural Water Enhancement Program... Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Act) established the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) by amending... to implement agricultural water enhancement activities on agricultural land for the purposes of...

Enhancement: are ethicists excessively influenced by baseless speculations?

PubMed

Jones, D G

2006-12-01

Most commentators draw a sharp distinction between therapy and enhancement, applauding therapy and rejecting enhancement. Not only is this distinction unclear but enhancement is often seen in grandiose terms in which human beings are radically transformed. Such far-reaching visions are then used to reject current procedures such as pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. To overcome this highly problematic impasse, enhancement has been divided into three categories, ranging from the health-related enhancement of category 1, through the non-health-related enhancement of category 2, to the transhumanism or posthumanism of category 3. Arguably, most enhancements are of the category 1 variety, and hence closely related to treatment. Also, we are already enhanced, when compared with our forebears. It is only when we accept this and dispense with baseless speculation will we be in a position to conduct ethical discussions within a realistic framework.

Estrogen suppresses melatonin-enhanced hyperactivation of hamster spermatozoa

PubMed Central

FUJINOKI, Masakatsu; TAKEI, Gen L.

2015-01-01

Hamster sperm hyperactivation is enhanced by progesterone, and this progesterone-enhanced hyperactivation is suppressed by 17β-estradiol (17βE2) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Although it has been indicated that melatonin also enhances hyperactivation, it is unknown whether melatonin-enhanced hyperactivation is also suppressed by 17βE2 and GABA. In the present study, melatonin-enhanced hyperactivation was significantly suppressed by 17βE2 but not by GABA. Moreover, suppression of melatonin-enhanced hyperactivation by 17βE2 occurred through non-genomic regulation via the estrogen receptor (ER). These results suggest that enhancement of hyperactivation is regulated by melatonin and 17βE2 through non-genomic regulation. PMID:25959801

Understanding and managing enhancements: why fisheries scientists should care.

PubMed

Lorenzen, K

2014-12-01

Fisheries enhancements are a set of management approaches involving the use of aquaculture technologies to enhance or restore fisheries in natural ecosystems. Enhancements are widely used in inland and coastal fisheries, but have received limited attention from fisheries scientists. This paper sets out 10 reasons why fisheries scientists should care about understanding and managing enhancements. (1) Enhancements happen, driven mostly by resource users and managers rather than scientists. (2) Enhancements create complex fisheries systems that encompass and integrate everything fisheries stakeholders can practically manage. (3) Enhancements emerge in fisheries where the scope for technical and governance control is high, and they synergistically reinforce both. (4) Successful enhancements expand management options and achievable outcomes. (5) Many enhancements fail or do ecological harm but persist regardless. (6) Effective science engagement is crucial to developing beneficial enhancements and preventing harmful ones. (7) Good scientific guidance is available to aid development or reform of enhancements but is not widely applied. (8) Enhancement research advances, integrates and unifies the fisheries sciences. (9) Enhancements provide unique opportunities for learning about natural fish populations and fisheries. (10) Needs, opportunities and incentives for enhancements are bound to increase. © 2014 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Adaptive multiscale processing for contrast enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laine, Andrew F.; Song, Shuwu; Fan, Jian; Huda, Walter; Honeyman, Janice C.; Steinbach, Barbara G.

1993-07-01

This paper introduces a novel approach for accomplishing mammographic feature analysis through overcomplete multiresolution representations. We show that efficient representations may be identified from digital mammograms within a continuum of scale space and used to enhance features of importance to mammography. Choosing analyzing functions that are well localized in both space and frequency, results in a powerful methodology for image analysis. We describe methods of contrast enhancement based on two overcomplete (redundant) multiscale representations: (1) Dyadic wavelet transform (2) (phi) -transform. Mammograms are reconstructed from transform coefficients modified at one or more levels by non-linear, logarithmic and constant scale-space weight functions. Multiscale edges identified within distinct levels of transform space provide a local support for enhancement throughout each decomposition. We demonstrate that features extracted from wavelet spaces can provide an adaptive mechanism for accomplishing local contrast enhancement. We suggest that multiscale detection and local enhancement of singularities may be effectively employed for the visualization of breast pathology without excessive noise amplification.

Gabor filter based fingerprint image enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jin-Xiang

2013-03-01

Fingerprint recognition technology has become the most reliable biometric technology due to its uniqueness and invariance, which has been most convenient and most reliable technique for personal authentication. The development of Automated Fingerprint Identification System is an urgent need for modern information security. Meanwhile, fingerprint preprocessing algorithm of fingerprint recognition technology has played an important part in Automatic Fingerprint Identification System. This article introduces the general steps in the fingerprint recognition technology, namely the image input, preprocessing, feature recognition, and fingerprint image enhancement. As the key to fingerprint identification technology, fingerprint image enhancement affects the accuracy of the system. It focuses on the characteristics of the fingerprint image, Gabor filters algorithm for fingerprint image enhancement, the theoretical basis of Gabor filters, and demonstration of the filter. The enhancement algorithm for fingerprint image is in the windows XP platform with matlab.65 as a development tool for the demonstration. The result shows that the Gabor filter is effective in fingerprint image enhancement technology.

Electroluminescence Efficiency Enhancement using Metal Nanoparticles

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-22

ABSTRACT We apply the “effective mode volume” theory to evaluate enhancement of the electroluminescence efficiency of semiconductor emitters placed in... Electroluminescence efficiency enhancement using metal nanoparticles J. B. Khurgin,1 G. Sun,2,a and R. A. Soref3 1Department of Electrical and Computer...published online 17 July 2008 We apply the “effective mode volume” theory to evaluate enhancement of the electroluminescence efficiency of semiconductor

Tea enhances insulin activity.

PubMed

Anderson, Richard A; Polansky, Marilyn M

2002-11-20

The most widely known health benefits of tea relate to the polyphenols as the principal active ingredients in protection against oxidative damage and in antibacterial, antiviral, anticarcinogenic, and antimutagenic activities, but polyphenols in tea may also increase insulin activity. The objective of this study was to determine the insulin-enhancing properties of tea and its components. Tea, as normally consumed, was shown to increase insulin activity >15-fold in vitro in an epididymal fat cell assay. Black, green, and oolong teas but not herbal teas, which are not teas in the traditional sense because they do not contain leaves of Camellia senensis, were all shown to increase insulin activity. High-performance liquid chromatography fractionation of tea extracts utilizing a Waters SymmetryPrep C18 column showed that the majority of the insulin-potentiating activity for green and oolong teas was due to epigallocatechin gallate. For black tea, the activity was present in several regions of the chromatogram corresponding to, in addition to epigallocatechin gallate, tannins, theaflavins, and other undefined compounds. Several known compounds found in tea were shown to enhance insulin with the greatest activity due to epigallocatechin gallate followed by epicatechin gallate, tannins, and theaflavins. Caffeine, catechin, and epicatechin displayed insignificant insulin-enhancing activities. Addition of lemon to the tea did not affect the insulin-potentiating activity. Addition of 5 g of 2% milk per cup decreased the insulin-potentiating activity one-third, and addition of 50 g of milk per cup decreased the insulin-potentiating activity approximately 90%. Nondairy creamers and soy milk also decreased the insulin-enhancing activity. These data demonstrate that tea contains in vitro insulin-enhancing activity and the predominant active ingredient is epigallocatechin gallate.

75 FR 18146 - Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-09

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Commodity Credit Corporation Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program AGENCY... assistance will be made available in fiscal year (FY) 2010 for the Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP... partners to help enhance conservation outcomes on wetlands and adjacent lands. WREP targets and leverages...

A Thomistic appraisal of human enhancement technologies.

PubMed

Eberl, Jason T

2014-08-01

Debate concerning human enhancement often revolves around the question of whether there is a common "nature" that all human beings share and which is unwarrantedly violated by enhancing one's capabilities beyond the "species-typical" norm. I explicate Thomas Aquinas's influential theory of human nature, noting certain key traits commonly shared among human beings that define each as a "person" who possesses inviolable moral status. Understanding the specific qualities that define the nature of human persons, which includes self-conscious awareness, capacity for intellective thought, and volitional autonomy, informs the ethical assessment of various forms of enhancement. Some forms of cognitive and physical enhancement may be desirable from the perspective of what constitutes the "flourishing" of human persons in our fundamental nature; while other forms of enhancement, such as emotive or so-called "moral" enhancement, run the risk of detracting from human flourishing when evaluated from the virtue-theoretic perspective Aquinas promotes.

Development and validation of a predictor of insufficient enhancement during the hepatobiliary phase of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Cui, Enming; Long, Wansheng; Luo, Liangping; Hu, Maoqing; Huang, Liebin; Chen, Xiangmeng

2017-10-01

Background Insufficient enhancement of liver parenchyma negatively affects diagnostic accuracy of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Currently, there is no reliable method for predicting insufficient enhancement during the hepatobiliary phase (HBP) in Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI. Purpose To develop a predictor for insufficient enhancement of liver parenchyma during HBP in Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI. Material and Methods In order to formulate a HBP enhancement test (HBP-ET), clinical factors associated with relative enhancement ratio (RER) of liver parenchyma were retrospectively determined from the datasets of 156 patients (Development group) who underwent Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI between November 2012 and May 2015. The independent clinical factors were identified by Pearson's correlation and multiple stepwise regression analysis; the performance of HBP-ET was compared to Child-Pugh score (CPS), Model for End-stage Liver Disease score (MELD), and total bilirubin (TBIL) using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The datasets of 52 patients (Validation group), which were examined between June 2015 and Oct 2015, were applied to validate the HBP-ET. Results Six biochemical parameters independently influenced RER and were used to develop HBP-ET. The mean HBP-ET score of patients with insufficient enhancement was significantly higher than that of patients with sufficient enhancement ( P < 0.001) in both the Development and Validation groups. HBP-ET (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.895) had better performance in predicting insufficient enhancement than CPS (AUC = 0.707), MELD (AUC = 0.798), and TBIL (AUC = 0.729). Conclusion The HBP-ET is more accurate than routine indicators in predicting insufficient enhancement during HBP, which is valuable to aid clinical decisions.

Real-time Enhanced Vision System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hines, Glenn D.; Rahman, Zia-Ur; Jobson, Daniel J.; Woodell, Glenn A.; Harrah, Steven D.

2005-01-01

Flying in poor visibility conditions, such as rain, snow, fog or haze, is inherently dangerous. However these conditions can occur at nearly any location, so inevitably pilots must successfully navigate through them. At NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC), under support of the Aviation Safety and Security Program Office and the Systems Engineering Directorate, we are developing an Enhanced Vision System (EVS) that combines image enhancement and synthetic vision elements to assist pilots flying through adverse weather conditions. This system uses a combination of forward-looking infrared and visible sensors for data acquisition. A core function of the system is to enhance and fuse the sensor data in order to increase the information content and quality of the captured imagery. These operations must be performed in real-time for the pilot to use while flying. For image enhancement, we are using the LaRC patented Retinex algorithm since it performs exceptionally well for improving low-contrast range imagery typically seen during poor visibility conditions. In general, real-time operation of the Retinex requires specialized hardware. To date, we have successfully implemented a single-sensor real-time version of the Retinex on several different Digital Signal Processor (DSP) platforms. In this paper we give an overview of the EVS and its performance requirements for real-time enhancement and fusion and we discuss our current real-time Retinex implementations on DSPs.

Real-time enhanced vision system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hines, Glenn D.; Rahman, Zia-ur; Jobson, Daniel J.; Woodell, Glenn A.; Harrah, Steven D.

2005-05-01

Flying in poor visibility conditions, such as rain, snow, fog or haze, is inherently dangerous. However these conditions can occur at nearly any location, so inevitably pilots must successfully navigate through them. At NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC), under support of the Aviation Safety and Security Program Office and the Systems Engineering Directorate, we are developing an Enhanced Vision System (EVS) that combines image enhancement and synthetic vision elements to assist pilots flying through adverse weather conditions. This system uses a combination of forward-looking infrared and visible sensors for data acquisition. A core function of the system is to enhance and fuse the sensor data in order to increase the information content and quality of the captured imagery. These operations must be performed in real-time for the pilot to use while flying. For image enhancement, we are using the LaRC patented Retinex algorithm since it performs exceptionally well for improving low-contrast range imagery typically seen during poor visibility poor visibility conditions. In general, real-time operation of the Retinex requires specialized hardware. To date, we have successfully implemented a single-sensor real-time version of the Retinex on several different Digital Signal Processor (DSP) platforms. In this paper we give an overview of the EVS and its performance requirements for real-time enhancement and fusion and we discuss our current real-time Retinex implementations on DSPs.

Human Enhancement and the Story of Job.

PubMed

Agar, Nicholas; McDonald, Johnny

2017-07-01

This article explores some implications of the concept of transformative change for the debate about human enhancement. A transformative change is understood to be one that significantly alters the value an individual places on his or her experiences or achievements. The clearest examples of transformative change come from science fiction, but the concept can be illuminatingly applied to the enhancement debate. We argue that it helps to expose a threat from too much enhancement to many of the things that make human lives valuable. Among the things threated by enhancement are our relationships with other human beings. The potential to lose these relationships provides a compelling reason for almost all humans to reject too much enhancement.

Comparison of Oral Contrast-Enhanced Transabdominal Ultrasound Imaging With Transverse Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography in Preoperative Tumor Staging of Advanced Gastric Carcinoma.

PubMed

He, Xuemei; Sun, Jing; Huang, Xiaoling; Zeng, Chun; Ge, Yinggang; Zhang, Jun; Wu, Jingxian

2017-12-01

This study assessed the diagnostic performance of transabdominal oral contrast-enhanced ultrasound (US) imaging for preoperative tumor staging of advanced gastric carcinoma by comparing it with transverse contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT). This retrospective study included 42 patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopy, radical surgery, or palliative surgery because of serious complications and had a body mass index of less than 25 kg/m 2 . A cereal-based oral contrast agent was used for transabdominal oral contrast-enhanced US. Retrospective analyses were conducted using preoperative tumor staging data acquired by either transabdominal oral contrast-enhanced US or transverse contrast-enhanced CT. Both contrast-enhanced US and contrast-enhanced CT examinations were reviewed by 2 experienced radiologists independently for preoperative tumor staging according to the seventh edition of the TNM classification. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated by comparing the results of contrast-enhanced US and contrast-enhanced CT with pathologic findings. The overall accuracies of the imaging modalities were compared by the McNemar test. No significant difference was noted in the overall accuracy of transabdominal oral contrast-enhanced US (86% [36 of 42]) and transverse contrast-enhanced CT (83% [35 of 42] P > .999). For stage T2 to T4 gastric cancer, the accuracies of transabdominal oral contrast-enhanced US were 88%, 86%, and 98%, respectively, and those of transverse contrast-enhanced CT were 93%, 83%, and 90%. The overall accuracy of transabdominal oral contrast-enhanced US was comparable with that of transverse contrast-enhanced CT for preoperative tumor staging of advanced gastric cancer. © 2017 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Histopathologic diversity of gastric cancers: Relationship between enhancement pattern on dynamic contrast-enhanced CT and histological type.

PubMed

Tsurumaru, Daisuke; Miyasaka, Mitsutoshi; Muraki, Toshio; Nishie, Akihiro; Asayama, Yoshiki; Oki, Eiji; Oda, Yoshinao; Honda, Hiroshi

2017-12-01

To evaluate the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced computed tomography gastrography (CE-CTG) to predict the histological type of gastric cancer. We analyzed 47 consecutive patients with resectable advanced gastric cancer preoperatively evaluated by multiphasic dynamic contrast-enhanced CT. Two radiologists independently reviewed the CT images and they determined the peak enhancement phase, and then measured the CT attenuation value of the gastric lesion for each phase. The histological types of gastric cancers were assigned to three groups as differentiated-type, undifferentiated-type, and mixed-type. We compared the peak enhancement phase of the three types and compared the CT attenuation values in each phase. The peak enhancement was significantly different between the three types of gastric cancers for both readers (reader 1, p=0.001; reader 2, p=0.009); most of the undifferentiated types had peak enhancement in the delayed phase. The CT attenuation values of undifferentiated type were significantly higher than those of differentiated or mixed type in the delayed phase according to both readers (reader 1, p=0.002; reader 2, p=0.004). CE-CTG could provide helpful information in diagnosing the histological type of gastric cancers preoperatively. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

7SK-BAF axis controls pervasive transcription at enhancers

PubMed Central

Flynn, Ryan A.; Do, Brian T.; Rubin, Adam J.; Calo, Eliezer; Lee, Byron; Kuchelmeister, Hannes; Rale, Michael; Chu, Ci; Kool, Eric T.; Wysocka, Joanna; Khavari, Paul A.

2016-01-01

RNA functions at enhancers remain mysterious. Here we show that the 7SK small nuclear RNA (snRNA) inhibits enhancer transcription by modulating nucleosome position. 7SK occupies enhancers and super enhancers genome-wide in mouse and human cells, and 7SK is required to limit eRNA initiation and synthesis in a manner distinct from promoter pausing. Clustered elements at super enhancers uniquely require 7SK to prevent convergent transcription and DNA damage signaling. 7SK physically interacts with the BAF chromatin remodeling complex, recruit BAF to enhancers, and inhibits enhancer transcription by modulating chromatin structure. In turn, 7SK occupancy at enhancers coincides with Brd4 and is exquisitely sensitive to the bromodomain inhibitor JQ1. Thus, 7SK employs distinct mechanisms to counteract diverse consequences of pervasive transcription that distinguish super enhancers, enhancers, and promoters. PMID:26878240

An evaluative conservative case for biomedical enhancement.

PubMed

Danaher, John

2016-09-01

It is widely believed that a conservative moral outlook is opposed to biomedical forms of human enhancement. In this paper, I argue that this widespread belief is incorrect. Using Cohen's evaluative conservatism as my starting point, I argue that there are strong conservative reasons to prioritise the development of biomedical enhancements. In particular, I suggest that biomedical enhancement may be essential if we are to maintain our current evaluative equilibrium (ie, the set of values that undergird and permeate our current political, economic and personal lives) against the threats to that equilibrium posed by external, non-biomedical forms of enhancement. I defend this view against modest conservatives who insist that biomedical enhancements pose a greater risk to our current evaluative equilibrium, and against those who see no principled distinction between the forms of human enhancement. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Degraded document image enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agam, G.; Bal, G.; Frieder, G.; Frieder, O.

2007-01-01

Poor quality documents are obtained in various situations such as historical document collections, legal archives, security investigations, and documents found in clandestine locations. Such documents are often scanned for automated analysis, further processing, and archiving. Due to the nature of such documents, degraded document images are often hard to read, have low contrast, and are corrupted by various artifacts. We describe a novel approach for the enhancement of such documents based on probabilistic models which increases the contrast, and thus, readability of such documents under various degradations. The enhancement produced by the proposed approach can be viewed under different viewing conditions if desired. The proposed approach was evaluated qualitatively and compared to standard enhancement techniques on a subset of historical documents obtained from the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum. In addition, quantitative performance was evaluated based on synthetically generated data corrupted under various degradation models. Preliminary results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Nucleic acid molecules conferring enhanced ethanol tolerance and microorganisms having enhanced tolerance to ethanol

DOEpatents

Brown, Steven; Guss, Adam; Yang, Shihui; Karpinets, Tatiana; Lynd, Lee; Shao, Xiongjun

2014-01-14

The present invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules which encode a mutant acetaldehyde-CoA/alcohol dehydrogenase or mutant alcohol dehydrogenase and confer enhanced tolerance to ethanol. The invention also provides related expression vectors, genetically engineered microorganisms having enhanced tolerance to ethanol, as well as methods of making and using such genetically modified microorganisms for production of biofuels based on fermentation of biomass materials.

7 CFR 457.172 - Coverage Enhancement Option.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Coverage Enhancement Option. 457.172 Section 457.172..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE COMMON CROP INSURANCE REGULATIONS § 457.172 Coverage Enhancement Option. The Coverage Enhancement Option for the 2009 and succeeding crop years are as follows: FCIC policies: United...

33 CFR 157.430 - Enhanced survey requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Enhanced survey requirements. 157... § 157.430 Enhanced survey requirements. Beginning at each tank vessel's next regularly scheduled drydock... tank vessel owner or operator shall— (a) Implement an enhanced survey program that complies with the...

33 CFR 157.430 - Enhanced survey requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Enhanced survey requirements. 157... § 157.430 Enhanced survey requirements. Beginning at each tank vessel's next regularly scheduled drydock... tank vessel owner or operator shall— (a) Implement an enhanced survey program that complies with the...

33 CFR 157.430 - Enhanced survey requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Enhanced survey requirements. 157... § 157.430 Enhanced survey requirements. Beginning at each tank vessel's next regularly scheduled drydock... tank vessel owner or operator shall— (a) Implement an enhanced survey program that complies with the...

33 CFR 157.430 - Enhanced survey requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Enhanced survey requirements. 157... § 157.430 Enhanced survey requirements. Beginning at each tank vessel's next regularly scheduled drydock... tank vessel owner or operator shall— (a) Implement an enhanced survey program that complies with the...

33 CFR 157.430 - Enhanced survey requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Enhanced survey requirements. 157... § 157.430 Enhanced survey requirements. Beginning at each tank vessel's next regularly scheduled drydock... tank vessel owner or operator shall— (a) Implement an enhanced survey program that complies with the...

Sedimentary and Enhanced Geothermal Systems | Geothermal Technologies |

Science.gov Websites

NREL Sedimentary and Enhanced Geothermal Systems Sedimentary and Enhanced Geothermal Systems To innovative technologies, such as sedimentary and enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). Photo of a geothermal power plant in Imperial California. Capabilities To advance EGS and sedimentary geothermal systems, NREL

Eastern U.S. Infrared, Enhancement 4 - NOAA GOES Geostationary Satellite

Science.gov Websites

Enhancement 4 Eastern U.S. Infrared Enhancements IR Enhancement 1 Eastern U.S. Infrared Enhancement 1 IR Enhancement 2 Eastern U.S. Infrared Enhancement 2 IR Enhancement 3 Eastern U.S. Infrared Enhancement 3 IR large amount of water vapor. » Enhancement types In an infrared (IR) image cold clouds are high clouds

Harmonic demodulation and minimum enhancement factors in field-enhanced near-field optical microscopy.

PubMed

Scarpettini, A F; Bragas, A V

2015-01-01

Field-enhanced scanning optical microscopy relies on the design and fabrication of plasmonic probes which had to provide optical and chemical contrast at the nanoscale. In order to do so, the scattering containing the near-field information recorded in a field-enhanced scanning optical microscopy experiment, has to surpass the background light, always present due to multiple interferences between the macroscopic probe and sample. In this work, we show that when the probe-sample distance is modulated with very low amplitude, the higher the harmonic demodulation is, the better the ratio between the near-field signal and the interferometric background results. The choice of working at a given n harmonic is dictated by the experiment when the signal at the n + 1 harmonic goes below the experimental noise. We demonstrate that the optical contrast comes from the nth derivative of the near-field scattering, amplified by the interferometric background. By modelling the far and near field we calculate the probe-sample approach curves, which fit very well the experimental ones. After taking a great amount of experimental data for different probes and samples, we conclude with a table of the minimum enhancement factors needed to have optical contrast with field-enhanced scanning optical microscopy. © 2014 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2014 Royal Microscopical Society.

Molecular mechanism of the sweet taste enhancers.

PubMed

Zhang, Feng; Klebansky, Boris; Fine, Richard M; Liu, Haitian; Xu, Hong; Servant, Guy; Zoller, Mark; Tachdjian, Catherine; Li, Xiaodong

2010-03-09

Positive allosteric modulators of the human sweet taste receptor have been developed as a new way of reducing dietary sugar intake. Besides their potential health benefit, the sweet taste enhancers are also valuable tool molecules to study the general mechanism of positive allosteric modulations of T1R taste receptors. Using chimeric receptors, mutagenesis, and molecular modeling, we reveal how these sweet enhancers work at the molecular level. Our data argue that the sweet enhancers follow a similar mechanism as the natural umami taste enhancer molecules. Whereas the sweeteners bind to the hinge region and induce the closure of the Venus flytrap domain of T1R2, the enhancers bind close to the opening and further stabilize the closed and active conformation of the receptor.

Sequential contrast-enhanced MR imaging of the penis.

PubMed

Kaneko, K; De Mouy, E H; Lee, B E

1994-04-01

To determine the enhancement patterns of the penis at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Sequential contrast material-enhanced MR images of the penis in a flaccid state were obtained in 16 volunteers (12 with normal penile function and four with erectile dysfunction). Subjects with normal erectile function showed gradual and centrifugal enhancement of the corpora cavernosa, while those with erectile dysfunction showed poor enhancement with abnormal progression. Sequential contrast-enhanced MR imaging provides additional morphologic information for the evaluation of erectile dysfunction.

Enhancing and Customizing Laboratory Information Systems to Improve/Enhance Pathologist Workflow.

PubMed

Hartman, Douglas J

2015-06-01

Optimizing pathologist workflow can be difficult because it is affected by many variables. Surgical pathologists must complete many tasks that culminate in a final pathology report. Several software systems can be used to enhance/improve pathologist workflow. These include voice recognition software, pre-sign-out quality assurance, image utilization, and computerized provider order entry. Recent changes in the diagnostic coding and the more prominent role of centralized electronic health records represent potential areas for increased ways to enhance/improve the workflow for surgical pathologists. Additional unforeseen changes to the pathologist workflow may accompany the introduction of whole-slide imaging technology to the routine diagnostic work. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhancing and Customizing Laboratory Information Systems to Improve/Enhance Pathologist Workflow.

PubMed

Hartman, Douglas J

2016-03-01

Optimizing pathologist workflow can be difficult because it is affected by many variables. Surgical pathologists must complete many tasks that culminate in a final pathology report. Several software systems can be used to enhance/improve pathologist workflow. These include voice recognition software, pre-sign-out quality assurance, image utilization, and computerized provider order entry. Recent changes in the diagnostic coding and the more prominent role of centralized electronic health records represent potential areas for increased ways to enhance/improve the workflow for surgical pathologists. Additional unforeseen changes to the pathologist workflow may accompany the introduction of whole-slide imaging technology to the routine diagnostic work. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Conceptual and practical problems of moral enhancement.

PubMed

Beck, Birgit

2015-05-01

Recently, the debate on human enhancement has shifted from familiar topics like cognitive enhancement and mood enhancement to a new and - to no one's surprise - controversial subject, namely moral enhancement. Some proponents from the transhumanist camp allude to the 'urgent need' of improving the moral conduct of humankind in the face of ever growing technological progress and the substantial dangers entailed in this enterprise. Other thinkers express more sceptical views about this proposal. As the debate has revealed so far, there is no shared opinion among philosophers (or scientists) about the meaning, prospects, and ethical evaluation of moral enhancement. In this article I will address several conceptual and practical problems of this issue, in order to encourage discussion about the prospects of (thinking about) moral enhancement in the future. My assumption is that (i) for the short term, there is little chance of arriving at an agreement on the proper understanding of morality and the appropriateness of one single (meta-)ethical theory; (ii) apart from this, there are further philosophical puzzles loosely referred to in the debate which add to theoretical confusion; and (iii) even if these conceptual problems could be solved, there are still practical problems to be smoothed out if moral enhancement is ever to gain relevance apart from merely theoretical interest. My tentative conclusion, therefore, will be that moral enhancement is not very likely to be made sense of - let alone realized - in the medium-term future. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

ATAMM enhancement and multiprocessor performance evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoughton, John W.; Mielke, Roland R.; Som, Sukhamoy; Obando, Rodrigo; Malekpour, Mahyar R.; Jones, Robert L., III; Mandala, Brij Mohan V.

1991-01-01

ATAMM (Algorithm To Architecture Mapping Model) enhancement and multiprocessor performance evaluation is discussed. The following topics are included: the ATAMM model; ATAMM enhancement; ADM (Advanced Development Model) implementation of ATAMM; and ATAMM support tools.

Defense Waste Processing Facility Process Enhancements

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

Bricker, Jonathan

2010-11-01

Jonathan Bricker provides an overview of process enhancements currently being done at the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at SRS. Some of these enhancements include: melter bubblers; reduction in water use, and alternate reductant.

Real-time Enhancement, Registration, and Fusion for an Enhanced Vision System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hines, Glenn D.; Rahman, Zia-ur; Jobson, Daniel J.; Woodell, Glenn A.

2006-01-01

Over the last few years NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has been developing an Enhanced Vision System (EVS) to aid pilots while flying in poor visibility conditions. The EVS captures imagery using two infrared video cameras. The cameras are placed in an enclosure that is mounted and flown forward-looking underneath the NASA LaRC ARIES 757 aircraft. The data streams from the cameras are processed in real-time and displayed on monitors on-board the aircraft. With proper processing the camera system can provide better-than-human-observed imagery particularly during poor visibility conditions. However, to obtain this goal requires several different stages of processing including enhancement, registration, and fusion, and specialized processing hardware for real-time performance. We are using a real-time implementation of the Retinex algorithm for image enhancement, affine transformations for registration, and weighted sums to perform fusion. All of the algorithms are executed on a single TI DM642 digital signal processor (DSP) clocked at 720 MHz. The image processing components were added to the EVS system, tested, and demonstrated during flight tests in August and September of 2005. In this paper we briefly discuss the EVS image processing hardware and algorithms. We then discuss implementation issues and show examples of the results obtained during flight tests.

Shell-Isolated Tip-Enhanced Raman and Fluorescence Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Huang, Ya-Ping; Huang, Sheng-Chao; Wang, Xiang-Jie; Bodappa, Nataraju; Li, Chao-Yu; Yin, Hao; Su, Hai-Sheng; Meng, Meng; Zhang, Hua; Ren, Bin; Yang, Zhi-Lin; Zenobi, Renato; Tian, Zhong-Qun; Li, Jian-Feng

2018-06-18

Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy can provide molecular fingerprint information with ultrahigh spatial resolution, but the tip will be easily contaminated, thus leading to artifacts. It also remains a great challenge to establish tip-enhanced fluorescence because of the quenching resulting from the proximity of the metal tip. Herein, we report shell-isolated tip-enhanced Raman and fluorescence spectroscopies by employing ultrathin shell-isolated tips fabricated by atomic layer deposition. Such shell-isolated tips not only show outstanding electromagnetic field enhancement in TERS but also exclude interference by contaminants, thus greatly promoting applications in solution. Tip-enhanced fluorescence has also been achieved using these shell-isolated tips, with enhancement factors of up to 1.7×10 3 , consistent with theoretical simulations. Furthermore, tip-enhanced Raman and fluorescence signals are acquired simultaneously, and their relative intensities can be manipulated by changing the shell thickness. This work opens a new avenue for ultrahigh resolution surface analysis using plasmon-enhanced spectroscopies. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Nanostar probes for tip-enhanced spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Woong; Kim, Nara; Park, Joon Won; Kim, Zee Hwan

2015-12-01

To overcome the current limit of tip-enhanced spectroscopy that is based on metallic nano-probes, we developed a new scanning probe with a metallic nanostar, a nanoparticle with sharp spikes. A Au nanoparticle of 5 nm was first attached to the end of a tip through DNA-DNA hybridization and mechanical pick-up. The nanoparticle was converted to a nanostar with a core diameter of ~70 nm and spike lengths between 50 nm and 80 nm through the reduction of Au3+ with ascorbic acid in the presence of Ag+. Fabrication yields of such tips exceeded 60%, and more than 80% of such tips showed a mechanical durability sufficient for use in scanning microscopy. Effectiveness of the new probes for tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) and tip-enhanced fluorescence (TEF) was confirmed. The probes exhibited the necessary enhancement for TEF, and the tip-on and tip-off ratios varied between 5 and 100. This large tip-to-tip variability may arise from the uncontrolled orientation of the apexes of the spike with respect to the sample surface, which calls for further fabrication improvement. The result overall supports a new fabrication approach for the probe that is effective for tip-enhanced spectroscopy.To overcome the current limit of tip-enhanced spectroscopy that is based on metallic nano-probes, we developed a new scanning probe with a metallic nanostar, a nanoparticle with sharp spikes. A Au nanoparticle of 5 nm was first attached to the end of a tip through DNA-DNA hybridization and mechanical pick-up. The nanoparticle was converted to a nanostar with a core diameter of ~70 nm and spike lengths between 50 nm and 80 nm through the reduction of Au3+ with ascorbic acid in the presence of Ag+. Fabrication yields of such tips exceeded 60%, and more than 80% of such tips showed a mechanical durability sufficient for use in scanning microscopy. Effectiveness of the new probes for tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) and tip-enhanced fluorescence (TEF) was confirmed. The probes exhibited

The status of penile enhancement procedures.

PubMed

Vardi, Yoram; Gruenwald, Ilan

2009-11-01

Most men who request surgical penile enhancement have a normal-sized and fully functional penis but visualize their penises as small (psychological dysmorphism). This fact by itself leads to controversy regarding the true indications for penile enhancement procedures in men without micropenis. One of the typical aspects of penile enhancement is the lack of true methodological evaluation of the more commonly performed procedures. Even recently, only few solid scientific studies are available which can shed some light on results and outcome of these controversial procedures. Although some additional data has emerged during the past year, there is still no consensus in regard to indications and surgical techniques used for penile augmentation or penile girth enhancement. There is further need for more studies to provide a better overview of the value and worthiness of these procedures.

Widespread Enhancer Activity from Core Promoters.

PubMed

Medina-Rivera, Alejandra; Santiago-Algarra, David; Puthier, Denis; Spicuglia, Salvatore

2018-06-01

Gene expression in higher eukaryotes is precisely regulated in time and space through the interplay between promoters and gene-distal regulatory regions, known as enhancers. The original definition of enhancers implies the ability to activate gene expression remotely, while promoters entail the capability to locally induce gene expression. Despite the conventional distinction between them, promoters and enhancers share many genomic and epigenomic features. One intriguing finding in the gene regulation field comes from the observation that many core promoter regions display enhancer activity. Recent high-throughput reporter assays along with clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9-related approaches have indicated that this phenomenon is common and might have a strong impact on our global understanding of genome organisation and gene expression regulation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Carbon dioxide efficiency of terrestrial enhanced weathering.

PubMed

Moosdorf, Nils; Renforth, Phil; Hartmann, Jens

2014-05-06

Terrestrial enhanced weathering, the spreading of ultramafic silicate rock flour to enhance natural weathering rates, has been suggested as part of a strategy to reduce global atmospheric CO2 levels. We budget potential CO2 sequestration against associated CO2 emissions to assess the net CO2 removal of terrestrial enhanced weathering. We combine global spatial data sets of potential source rocks, transport networks, and application areas with associated CO2 emissions in optimistic and pessimistic scenarios. The results show that the choice of source rocks and material comminution technique dominate the CO2 efficiency of enhanced weathering. CO2 emissions from transport amount to on average 0.5-3% of potentially sequestered CO2. The emissions of material mining and application are negligible. After accounting for all emissions, 0.5-1.0 t CO2 can be sequestered on average per tonne of rock, translating into a unit cost from 1.6 to 9.9 GJ per tonne CO2 sequestered by enhanced weathering. However, to control or reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrations substantially with enhanced weathering would require very large amounts of rock. Before enhanced weathering could be applied on large scales, more research is needed to assess weathering rates, potential side effects, social acceptability, and mechanisms of governance.

Functional autonomy of distant-acting human enhancers

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

Visel, Axel; Akiyama, Jennifer A.; Shoukry, Malak

2009-02-19

Many human genes are associated with dispersed arrays of transcriptional enhancers that regulate their expression in time and space. Studies in invertebrate model systems have suggested that these elements function as discrete and independent regulatory units, but the in vivo combinatorial properties of vertebrate enhancers remain poorly understood. To explore the modularity and regulatory autonomy of human developmental enhancers, we experimentally concatenated up to four enhancers from different genes and used a transgenic mouse assay to compare the in vivo activity of these compound elements with that of the single modules. In all of the six different combinations of elementsmore » tested, the reporter gene activity patterns were additive without signs of interference between the individual modules, indicating that regulatory specificity was maintained despite the presence of closely-positioned heterologous enhancers. Even in cases where two elements drove expression in close anatomical proximity, such as within neighboring subregions of the developing limb bud, the compound patterns did not show signs of cross-inhibition between individual elements or novel expression sites. These data indicate that human developmental enhancers are highly modular and functionally autonomous and suggest that genomic enhancer shuffling may have contributed to the evolution of complex gene expression patterns in vertebrates« less

Textual Enhancement of Input: Issues and Possibilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Han, ZhaoHong; Park, Eun Sung; Combs, Charles

2008-01-01

The input enhancement hypothesis proposed by Sharwood Smith (1991, 1993) has stimulated considerable research over the last 15 years. This article reviews the research on textual enhancement of input (TE), an area where the majority of input enhancement studies have aggregated. Methodological idiosyncrasies are the norm of this body of research.…

Transcription through enhancers suppresses their activity in Drosophila

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Enhancer elements determine the level of target gene transcription in a tissue-specific manner, providing for individual patterns of gene expression in different cells. Knowledge of the mechanisms controlling enhancer action is crucial for understanding global regulation of transcription. In particular, enhancers are often localized within transcribed regions of the genome. A number of experiments suggest that transcription can have both positive and negative effects on regulatory elements. In this study, we performed direct tests for the effect of transcription on enhancer activity. Results Using a transgenic reporter system, we investigated the relationship between the presence of pass-through transcription and the activity of Drosophila enhancers controlling the expression of the white and yellow genes. The results show that transcription from different promoters affects the activity of enhancers, counteracting their ability to activate the target genes. As expected, the presence of a transcriptional terminator between the inhibiting promoter and the affected enhancer strongly reduces the suppression. Moreover, transcription leads to dislodging of the Zeste protein that is responsible for the enhancer-dependent regulation of the white gene, suggesting a 'transcription interference’ mechanism for this regulation. Conclusions Our findings suggest a role for pass-through transcription in negative regulation of enhancer activity. PMID:24279291

Complete suppression of boron transient-enhanced diffusion and oxidation-enhanced diffusion in silicon using localized substitutional carbon incorporation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carroll, M. S.; Chang, C.-L.; Sturm, J. C.; Büyüklimanli, T.

1998-12-01

In this letter, we show the ability, through introduction of a thin Si1-x-yGexCy layer, to eliminate the enhancement of enhanced boron diffusion in silicon due to an oxidizing surface or ion implant damage. This reduction of diffusion is accomplished through a low-temperature-grown thin epitaxial Si1-x-yGexCy layer which completely filters out excess interstitials introduced by oxidation or ion implant damage. We also quantify the oxidation-enhanced diffusion (OED) and transient-enhanced diffusion (TED) dependence on substitutional carbon level, and further report both the observation of carbon TED and OED, and its dependence on carbon levels.

Landscape Encodings Enhance Optimization

PubMed Central

Klemm, Konstantin; Mehta, Anita; Stadler, Peter F.

2012-01-01

Hard combinatorial optimization problems deal with the search for the minimum cost solutions (ground states) of discrete systems under strong constraints. A transformation of state variables may enhance computational tractability. It has been argued that these state encodings are to be chosen invertible to retain the original size of the state space. Here we show how redundant non-invertible encodings enhance optimization by enriching the density of low-energy states. In addition, smooth landscapes may be established on encoded state spaces to guide local search dynamics towards the ground state. PMID:22496860

Contrast-enhanced sonography in pediatrics.

PubMed

McCarville, M Beth

2011-05-01

Microbubble US contrast agents are composed of an outer shell of protein, phospholipid or polymer that encase air or perfluorocarbon gas. These contrast agents have been widely used in adult cardiology patients to improve endocardial border delineation and have been proved safe and well tolerated in this patient population. There is also a growing body of literature elucidating the value of contrast-enhanced sonography to distinguish benign from malignant liver lesions in adults and to characterize non-hepatic adult malignancies. Because these agents have not been approved for pediatric use in many countries, less is known of the value of contrast-enhanced sonography in children. In this review I will discuss several proven and potential pediatric applications of contrast-enhanced sonography.

Moral enhancement requires multiple virtues.

PubMed

Hughes, James J

2015-01-01

Some of the debates around the concept of moral enhancement have focused on whether the improvement of a single trait, such as empathy or intelligence, would be a good in general, or in all circumstances. All virtue theories, however, both secular and religious, have articulated multiple virtues that temper and inform one another in the development of a mature moral character. The project of moral enhancement requires a reengagement with virtue ethics and contemporary moral psychology to develop an empirically grounded model of the virtues and a fuller model of character development. Each of these virtues may be manipulable with electronic, psychopharmaceutical, and genetic interventions. A set of interdependent virtues is proposed, along with some of the research pointing to ways such virtues could be enhanced.

Enhanced multifunctional paint for detection of radiation

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

Farmer, Joseph C.; Moses, Edward Ira; Rubenchik, Alexander M.

An enhanced multifunctional paint apparatus, systems, and methods for detecting radiation on a surface include providing scintillation particles; providing an enhance neutron absorptive material; providing a binder; combining the scintillation particles, the enhance neutron absorptive material, and the binder creating a multifunctional paint; applying the multifunctional paint to the surface; and monitoring the surface for detecting radiation.

Thinking across species--a critical bioethics approach to enhancement.

PubMed

Twine, Richard

2007-01-01

Drawing upon a concept of 'critical bioethics' [7] this paper takes a species-broad approach to the social and ethical aspects of enhancement. Critical Bioethics aims to foreground interdisciplinarity, socio-political dimensions, as well as reflexivity to what becomes bioethical subject matter. This paper focuses upon the latter component and uses the example of animal enhancement as a way to think about both enhancement generally, and bioethics. It constructs several arguments for including animal enhancement as a part of enhancement debates, and considers some connections between human and animal enhancement. The paper concludes in a plea for an 'enhancement' to our critical abilities to examine some of the underlying social, moral and ethical assumptions bound up in varied anticipated 'enhanced' futures.

Progress and challenges in bioinformatics approaches for enhancer identification

PubMed Central

Kleftogiannis, Dimitrios; Kalnis, Panos

2016-01-01

Enhancers are cis-acting DNA elements that play critical roles in distal regulation of gene expression. Identifying enhancers is an important step for understanding distinct gene expression programs that may reflect normal and pathogenic cellular conditions. Experimental identification of enhancers is constrained by the set of conditions used in the experiment. This requires multiple experiments to identify enhancers, as they can be active under specific cellular conditions but not in different cell types/tissues or cellular states. This has opened prospects for computational prediction methods that can be used for high-throughput identification of putative enhancers to complement experimental approaches. Potential functions and properties of predicted enhancers have been catalogued and summarized in several enhancer-oriented databases. Because the current methods for the computational prediction of enhancers produce significantly different enhancer predictions, it will be beneficial for the research community to have an overview of the strategies and solutions developed in this field. In this review, we focus on the identification and analysis of enhancers by bioinformatics approaches. First, we describe a general framework for computational identification of enhancers, present relevant data types and discuss possible computational solutions. Next, we cover over 30 existing computational enhancer identification methods that were developed since 2000. Our review highlights advantages, limitations and potentials, while suggesting pragmatic guidelines for development of more efficient computational enhancer prediction methods. Finally, we discuss challenges and open problems of this topic, which require further consideration. PMID:26634919

Blob-enhanced reconstruction technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castrillo, Giusy; Cafiero, Gioacchino; Discetti, Stefano; Astarita, Tommaso

2016-09-01

A method to enhance the quality of the tomographic reconstruction and, consequently, the 3D velocity measurement accuracy, is presented. The technique is based on integrating information on the objects to be reconstructed within the algebraic reconstruction process. A first guess intensity distribution is produced with a standard algebraic method, then the distribution is rebuilt as a sum of Gaussian blobs, based on location, intensity and size of agglomerates of light intensity surrounding local maxima. The blobs substitution regularizes the particle shape allowing a reduction of the particles discretization errors and of their elongation in the depth direction. The performances of the blob-enhanced reconstruction technique (BERT) are assessed with a 3D synthetic experiment. The results have been compared with those obtained by applying the standard camera simultaneous multiplicative reconstruction technique (CSMART) to the same volume. Several blob-enhanced reconstruction processes, both substituting the blobs at the end of the CSMART algorithm and during the iterations (i.e. using the blob-enhanced reconstruction as predictor for the following iterations), have been tested. The results confirm the enhancement in the velocity measurements accuracy, demonstrating a reduction of the bias error due to the ghost particles. The improvement is more remarkable at the largest tested seeding densities. Additionally, using the blobs distributions as a predictor enables further improvement of the convergence of the reconstruction algorithm, with the improvement being more considerable when substituting the blobs more than once during the process. The BERT process is also applied to multi resolution (MR) CSMART reconstructions, permitting simultaneously to achieve remarkable improvements in the flow field measurements and to benefit from the reduction in computational time due to the MR approach. Finally, BERT is also tested on experimental data, obtaining an increase of the

Placebo can enhance creativity.

PubMed

Rozenkrantz, Liron; Mayo, Avraham E; Ilan, Tomer; Hart, Yuval; Noy, Lior; Alon, Uri

2017-01-01

The placebo effect is usually studied in clinical settings for decreasing negative symptoms such as pain, depression and anxiety. There is interest in exploring the placebo effect also outside the clinic, for enhancing positive aspects of performance or cognition. Several studies indicate that placebo can enhance cognitive abilities including memory, implicit learning and general knowledge. Here, we ask whether placebo can enhance creativity, an important aspect of human cognition. Subjects were randomly assigned to a control group who smelled and rated an odorant (n = 45), and a placebo group who were treated identically but were also told that the odorant increases creativity and reduces inhibitions (n = 45). Subjects completed a recently developed automated test for creativity, the creative foraging game (CFG), and a randomly chosen subset (n = 57) also completed two manual standardized creativity tests, the alternate uses test (AUT) and the Torrance test (TTCT). In all three tests, participants were asked to create as many original solutions and were scored for originality, flexibility and fluency. The placebo group showed higher originality than the control group both in the CFG (p<0.04, effect size = 0.5) and in the AUT (p<0.05, effect size = 0.4), but not in the Torrance test. The placebo group also found more shapes outside of the standard categories found by a set of 100 CFG players in a previous study, a feature termed out-of-the-boxness (p<0.01, effect size = 0.6). The findings indicate that placebo can enhance the originality aspect of creativity. This strengthens the view that placebo can be used not only to reduce negative clinical symptoms, but also to enhance positive aspects of cognition. Furthermore, we find that the impact of placebo on creativity can be tested by CFG, which can quantify multiple aspects of creative search without need for manual coding. This approach opens the way to explore the behavioral and neural mechanisms by which placebo

Placebo can enhance creativity

PubMed Central

Rozenkrantz, Liron; Mayo, Avraham E.; Ilan, Tomer; Hart, Yuval

2017-01-01

Background The placebo effect is usually studied in clinical settings for decreasing negative symptoms such as pain, depression and anxiety. There is interest in exploring the placebo effect also outside the clinic, for enhancing positive aspects of performance or cognition. Several studies indicate that placebo can enhance cognitive abilities including memory, implicit learning and general knowledge. Here, we ask whether placebo can enhance creativity, an important aspect of human cognition. Methods Subjects were randomly assigned to a control group who smelled and rated an odorant (n = 45), and a placebo group who were treated identically but were also told that the odorant increases creativity and reduces inhibitions (n = 45). Subjects completed a recently developed automated test for creativity, the creative foraging game (CFG), and a randomly chosen subset (n = 57) also completed two manual standardized creativity tests, the alternate uses test (AUT) and the Torrance test (TTCT). In all three tests, participants were asked to create as many original solutions and were scored for originality, flexibility and fluency. Results The placebo group showed higher originality than the control group both in the CFG (p<0.04, effect size = 0.5) and in the AUT (p<0.05, effect size = 0.4), but not in the Torrance test. The placebo group also found more shapes outside of the standard categories found by a set of 100 CFG players in a previous study, a feature termed out-of-the-boxness (p<0.01, effect size = 0.6). Conclusions The findings indicate that placebo can enhance the originality aspect of creativity. This strengthens the view that placebo can be used not only to reduce negative clinical symptoms, but also to enhance positive aspects of cognition. Furthermore, we find that the impact of placebo on creativity can be tested by CFG, which can quantify multiple aspects of creative search without need for manual coding. This approach opens the way to explore the behavioral

On the chemical enhancement in SERS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jensen, Lasse

2012-12-01

In Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), the Raman signal of a molecule adsorbed on a metal surface is enhanced by many orders of magnitude. This provides a "finger-print" of molecules which can be used in ultrasensitive sensing devises. Here we present a time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) study of the molecule-surface chemical coupling in SERS. A systematic study of the chemical enhancement (CHEM) of meta-and para-substituted pyridines interacting with a small silver cluster (Ag20) is presented. We find that the magnitude of chemical enhancement is governed to a large extent by the energy difference between the highest occupied energy level (HOMO) of the metal and the lowest unoccupied energy level (LUMO) of the molecule. A two-state approximation shows that the enhancement scales roughly as (ωX/ω¯e)4, where accent="true">ω¯e is an average excitation energy between the HOMO of the metal and the LUMO of the molecule and wX the HOMO-LUMO gap of the free molecule. Furthermore, we demonstrate that it is possible to control the CHEM enhancement by switching a dithienylethene photoswitch from its closed form to its open form. The open form of the photoswitch is found to be the strongest Raman scatterer when adsorbed on the surface whereas the opposite is found for the free molecule. This trend is explained using the simple two-state approximation.

Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers - Current Perspectives.

PubMed

Sachdeva, Ankur; Kumar, Kuldip; Anand, Kuljeet Singh

2015-07-01

Cognition refers to the mental processes involved in thinking, knowing, remembering, judging, and problem solving. Cognitive dysfunctions are an integral part of neuropsychiatric disorders as well as in healthy ageing. Cognitive Enhancers are molecules that help improve aspects of cognition like memory, intelligence, motivation, attention and concentration. Recently, Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers have gained popularity as effective and safe alternative to various established drugs. Many of these Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers seem to be more efficacious compared to currently available Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers. This review describes and summarizes evidence on various Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers such as physical exercise, sleep, meditation and yoga, spirituality, nutrients, computer training, brain stimulation, and music. We also discuss their role in ageing and different neuro-psychiatric disorders, and current status of Cochrane database recommendations. We searched the Pubmed database for the articles and reviews having the terms 'non pharmacological and cognitive' in the title, published from 2000 till 2014. A total of 11 results displayed, out of which 10 were relevant to the review. These were selected and reviewed. Appropriate cross-references within the articles along with Cochrane reviews were also considered and studied.

TALE-mediated modulation of transcriptional enhancers in vivo.

PubMed

Crocker, Justin; Stern, David L

2013-08-01

We tested whether transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) could mediate repression and activation of endogenous enhancers in the Drosophila genome. TALE repressors (TALERs) targeting each of the five even-skipped (eve) stripe enhancers generated repression specifically of the focal stripes. TALE activators (TALEAs) targeting the eve promoter or enhancers caused increased expression primarily in cells normally activated by the promoter or targeted enhancer, respectively. This effect supports the view that repression acts in a dominant fashion on transcriptional activators and that the activity state of an enhancer influences TALE binding or the ability of the VP16 domain to enhance transcription. In these assays, the Hairy repression domain did not exhibit previously described long-range transcriptional repression activity. The phenotypic effects of TALER and TALEA expression in larvae and adults are consistent with the observed modulations of eve expression. TALEs thus provide a novel tool for detection and functional modulation of transcriptional enhancers in their native genomic context.

Cost-effective forensic image enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalrymple, Brian E.

1998-12-01

In 1977, a paper was presented at the SPIE conference in Reston, Virginia, detailing the computer enhancement of the Zapruder film. The forensic value of this examination in a major homicide investigation was apparent to the viewer. Equally clear was the potential for extracting evidence which is beyond the reach of conventional detection techniques. The cost of this technology in 1976, however, was prohibitive, and well beyond the means of most police agencies. Twenty-two years later, a highly efficient means of image enhancement is easily within the grasp of most police agencies, not only for homicides but for any case application. A PC workstation combined with an enhancement software package allows a forensic investigator to fully exploit digital technology. The goal of this approach is the optimization of the signal to noise ratio in images. Obstructive backgrounds may be diminished or eliminated while weak signals are optimized by the use of algorithms including Fast Fourier Transform, Histogram Equalization and Image Subtraction. An added benefit is the speed with which these processes are completed and the results known. The efficacy of forensic image enhancement is illustrated through case applications.

Orientation-Enhanced Parallel Coordinate Plots.

PubMed

Raidou, Renata Georgia; Eisemann, Martin; Breeuwer, Marcel; Eisemann, Elmar; Vilanova, Anna

2016-01-01

Parallel Coordinate Plots (PCPs) is one of the most powerful techniques for the visualization of multivariate data. However, for large datasets, the representation suffers from clutter due to overplotting. In this case, discerning the underlying data information and selecting specific interesting patterns can become difficult. We propose a new and simple technique to improve the display of PCPs by emphasizing the underlying data structure. Our Orientation-enhanced Parallel Coordinate Plots (OPCPs) improve pattern and outlier discernibility by visually enhancing parts of each PCP polyline with respect to its slope. This enhancement also allows us to introduce a novel and efficient selection method, the Orientation-enhanced Brushing (O-Brushing). Our solution is particularly useful when multiple patterns are present or when the view on certain patterns is obstructed by noise. We present the results of our approach with several synthetic and real-world datasets. Finally, we conducted a user evaluation, which verifies the advantages of the OPCPs in terms of discernibility of information in complex data. It also confirms that O-Brushing eases the selection of data patterns in PCPs and reduces the amount of necessary user interactions compared to state-of-the-art brushing techniques.

Innovative Solution to Video Enhancement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

Through a licensing agreement, Intergraph Government Solutions adapted a technology originally developed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center for enhanced video imaging by developing its Video Analyst(TM) System. Marshall's scientists developed the Video Image Stabilization and Registration (VISAR) technology to help FBI agents analyze video footage of the deadly 1996 Olympic Summer Games bombing in Atlanta, Georgia. VISAR technology enhanced nighttime videotapes made with hand-held camcorders, revealing important details about the explosion. Intergraph's Video Analyst System is a simple, effective, and affordable tool for video enhancement and analysis. The benefits associated with the Video Analyst System include support of full-resolution digital video, frame-by-frame analysis, and the ability to store analog video in digital format. Up to 12 hours of digital video can be stored and maintained for reliable footage analysis. The system also includes state-of-the-art features such as stabilization, image enhancement, and convolution to help improve the visibility of subjects in the video without altering underlying footage. Adaptable to many uses, Intergraph#s Video Analyst System meets the stringent demands of the law enforcement industry in the areas of surveillance, crime scene footage, sting operations, and dash-mounted video cameras.

Toward an Objective Enhanced-V Detection Algorithm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brunner, Jason; Feltz, Wayne; Moses, John; Rabin, Robert; Ackerman, Steven

2007-01-01

The area of coldest cloud tops above thunderstorms sometimes has a distinct V or U shape. This pattern, often referred to as an "enhanced-V' signature, has been observed to occur during and preceding severe weather in previous studies. This study describes an algorithmic approach to objectively detect enhanced-V features with observations from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite and Low Earth Orbit data. The methodology consists of cross correlation statistics of pixels and thresholds of enhanced-V quantitative parameters. The effectiveness of the enhanced-V detection method will be examined using Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer image data from case studies in the 2003-2006 seasons. The main goal of this study is to develop an objective enhanced-V detection algorithm for future implementation into operations with future sensors, such as GOES-R.

Near-Infrared Fluorescence-Enhanced Optical Tomography

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Fluorescence-enhanced optical imaging using near-infrared (NIR) light developed for in vivo molecular targeting and reporting of cancer provides promising opportunities for diagnostic imaging. The current state of the art of NIR fluorescence-enhanced optical tomography is reviewed in the context of the principle of fluorescence, the different measurement schemes employed, and the mathematical tools established to tomographically reconstruct the fluorescence optical properties in various tissue domains. Finally, we discuss the recent advances in forward modeling and distributed memory parallel computation to provide robust, accurate, and fast fluorescence-enhanced optical tomography. PMID:27803924

Near-Infrared Fluorescence-Enhanced Optical Tomography.

PubMed

Zhu, Banghe; Godavarty, Anuradha

2016-01-01

Fluorescence-enhanced optical imaging using near-infrared (NIR) light developed for in vivo molecular targeting and reporting of cancer provides promising opportunities for diagnostic imaging. The current state of the art of NIR fluorescence-enhanced optical tomography is reviewed in the context of the principle of fluorescence, the different measurement schemes employed, and the mathematical tools established to tomographically reconstruct the fluorescence optical properties in various tissue domains. Finally, we discuss the recent advances in forward modeling and distributed memory parallel computation to provide robust, accurate, and fast fluorescence-enhanced optical tomography.

Acoustic Purcell Effect for Enhanced Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landi, Maryam; Zhao, Jiajun; Prather, Wayne E.; Wu, Ying; Zhang, Likun

2018-03-01

We observe that our experimentally measured emission power enhancement of a speaker inside a previously proposed metacavity agrees with our numerically calculated enhancement of the density of states (DOS) of the source-cavity system. We interpret the agreement by formulating a relation between the emitted sound power and the acoustic DOS. The formulation is an analog to Fermi's golden rule in quantum emission. The formulation complements the radiation impedance theory in traditional acoustics for describing sound emission. Our study bridges the gap between acoustic DOS and the acoustic Purcell effect for sound emission enhancement.

Application of silver nanoparticles in the detection of SYBR Green I by surface enhanced Raman and surface-enhanced fluorescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Wei; Wu, Jian; Wang, Chunyan; Zhang, Tian; Chen, Tao

2018-05-01

Silver nanomaterials have remarkable application in biomedical detection due to their unique surface plasmon resonance (SPR) characteristics. It can be used for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF). Current research elaborates a technique for improvement of SYBR Green I detection obtained from surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF) by silver nanoparticles with the average size about 70 nm. Primarily, SYBR Green I is an important fluorescent dye used in polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It is found that both Raman and fluorescence can be used for detection of this dye. Furthermore, the enhanced efficiency of the Raman and fluorescence by SERS and SEF is observed in this study, the enhancement factor for Raman signals is 3.2 × 103, and the fluorescence intensity bincreased two times by SEF. The quantitative detection of SYBR Green I by SERS and SEF can be achieved. The present work can be used to improve the detection of SYBR Green I by SERS and SEF. It would also be employed for high-sensitive detection of other materials in the future.

Enhanced digital mapping project : final report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-11-19

The Enhanced Digital Map Project (EDMap) was a three-year effort launched in April 2001 to develop a range of digital map database enhancements that enable or improve the performance of driver assistance systems currently under development or conside...

Sweeteners and sweetness enhancers.

PubMed

Belloir, Christine; Neiers, Fabrice; Briand, Loïc

2017-07-01

The current review summarizes and discusses current knowledge on sweeteners and sweetness enhancers. The perception of sweet taste is mediated by the type 1 taste receptor 2 (T1R2)/type 1 taste receptor 3 (T1R3) receptor, which is expressed in the oral cavity, where it provides input on the caloric and macronutrient contents of ingested food. This receptor recognizes all the compounds (natural or artificial) perceived as sweet by people. Sweeteners are highly chemically diverse including natural sugars, sugar alcohols, natural and synthetic sweeteners, and sweet-tasting proteins. This single receptor is also the target for developing novel sweet enhancers. Importantly, the expression of a functional T1R2/T1R3 receptor is described in numerous extraoral tissues. In this review, the physiological impact of sweeteners is discussed. Sweeteners and sweetness enhancers are perceived through the T1R2/T1R3 taste receptor present both in mouth and numerous extraoral tissues. The accumulated knowledge on sugar substitutes raises the issue of potential health effects.

ChIP-seq Identification of Weakly Conserved Heart Enhancers

PubMed Central

Blow, Matthew J.; McCulley, David J.; Li, Zirong; Zhang, Tao; Akiyama, Jennifer A.; Holt, Amy; Plajzer-Frick, Ingrid; Shoukry, Malak; Wright, Crystal; Chen, Feng; Afzal, Veena; Bristow, James; Ren, Bing; Black, Brian L.; Rubin, Edward M.; Visel, Axel; Pennacchio, Len A.

2011-01-01

Accurate control of tissue-specific gene expression plays a pivotal role in heart development, but few cardiac transcriptional enhancers have thus far been identified. Extreme non-coding sequence conservation successfully predicts enhancers active in many tissues, but fails to identify substantial numbers of heart enhancers. Here we used ChIP-seq with the enhancer-associated protein p300 from mouse embryonic day 11.5 heart tissue to identify over three thousand candidate heart enhancers genome-wide. Compared to other tissues studied at this time-point, most candidate heart enhancers are less deeply conserved in vertebrate evolution. Nevertheless, the testing of 130 candidate regions in a transgenic mouse assay revealed that most of them reproducibly function as enhancers active in the heart, irrespective of their degree of evolutionary constraint. These results provide evidence for a large population of poorly conserved heart enhancers and suggest that the evolutionary constraint of embryonic enhancers can vary depending on tissue type. PMID:20729851

Contamination enhanced electrostatic discharge mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jeffrey, J. A.; Maag, C. R.

1979-01-01

The two problems of enhanced electrostatic discharge (ESD) and contamination are discussed. It is shown that there is a synergistic relationship between them such that one enhances the probability of occurance of the other. The action of both provides substantially more deleterious affects than the effects of both separately. Mechanisms for such a relationship are discussed as well as application to large advanced technology systems.

Enhancement of lymphocyte proliferation by mouse glandular kallikrein.

PubMed

Hu, Z Q; Murakami, K; Ikigai, H; Shimamura, T

1992-03-01

Mouse glandular kallikrein (mGK) strongly enhanced the spontaneous and mitogen-induced proliferation of lymphocytes. Both blast formation and 3H-TdR incorporation were dose-dependently enhanced at the same time many cells were killed. The enhancing activity was independent of EGF, because EGF-binding proteins (mGK-9 in mGK-6,9 mixture and mGK-13), renal kallikrein (mGK-6) and human kallikrein all displayed the same enhancement. A serine proteinase inhibitor, diisopropyl fluorophosphate, could block the enhancement by mGK. The new function suggests that mGK is important in the immune system as a regulatory molecule.

The discovery and mechanism of sweet taste enhancers.

PubMed

Li, Xiaodong; Servant, Guy; Tachdjian, Catherine

2011-08-01

Excess sugar intake posts several health problems. Artificial sweeteners have been used for years to reduce dietary sugar content, but they are not ideal substitutes for sugar owing to their off-taste. A new strategy focused on allosteric modulation of the sweet taste receptor led to identification of sweet taste 'enhancers' for the first time. The enhancer molecules do not taste sweet, but greatly potentiate the sweet taste of sucrose and sucralose selectively. Following a similar mechanism as the natural umami taste enhancers, the sweet enhancer molecules cooperatively bind with the sweeteners to the Venus flytrap domain of the human sweet taste receptor and stabilize the active conformation. Now that the approach has proven successful, enhancers for other sweeteners and details of the molecular mechanism for the enhancement are being actively pursued.

Ring-enhancement pattern on contrast-enhanced CT predicts adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas: a matched case-control study.

PubMed

Imaoka, Hiroshi; Shimizu, Yasuhiro; Mizuno, Nobumasa; Hara, Kazuo; Hijioka, Susumu; Tajika, Masahiro; Tanaka, Tsutomu; Ishihara, Makoto; Ogura, Takeshi; Obayashi, Tomohiko; Shinagawa, Akihide; Sakaguchi, Masafumi; Yamaura, Hidekazu; Kato, Mina; Niwa, Yasumasa; Yamao, Kenji

2014-01-01

Adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas (ASC) is a rare malignant neoplasm of the pancreas, exhibiting both glandular and squamous differentiation. However, little is known about its imaging features. This study examined the imaging features of pancreatic ASC. We evaluated images of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). As controls, solid pancreatic neoplasms matched in a 2:1 ratio to ASC cases for age, sex and tumor location were also evaluated. Twenty-three ASC cases were examined, and 46 solid pancreatic neoplasms (43 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, two pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and one acinar cell carcinoma) were matched as controls. Univariate analysis demonstrated significant differences in the outline and vascularity of tumors on contrast-enhanced CT in the ASC and control groups (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). A smooth outline, cystic changes, and the ring-enhancement pattern on contrast-enhanced CT were seen to have significant predictive powers by stepwise forward logistic regression analysis (P = 0.044, P = 0.010, and P = 0.001, respectively). Of the three, the ring-enhancement pattern was the most useful, and its predictive diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for diagnosis of ASC were 65.2%, 89.6%, 75.0% and 84.3%, respectively. These results demonstrate that presence of the ring-enhancement pattern on contrast-enhanced CT is the most useful predictive factor for ASC. Copyright © 2014 IAP and EPC. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

How organizations can enhance the quality of life of their clients and assess their results: the concept of QOL enhancement.

PubMed

Reinders, Hans S; Schalock, Robert L

2014-07-01

This article presents the framework of a dynamic approach to quality of life (QOL) enhancement based on the conceptualization and measurement of individual-referenced quality of life. Sections of the article summarize the premises of QOL enhancement, provide the rationale for a dynamic approach to QOL enhancement, discuss six components of QOL enhancement, and discuss the parameters of an emerging theory of quality of life and the contributions such a theory would make to service delivery, policy development, and QOL-related research.

Considerations in Designing and Implementing Enhancements to COSTAR

PubMed Central

Piggins, Judith; McLatchey, John; Zielstorff, Rita; Barrett, Suzanne; Smith, Monica; Weidman-Dahl, Frances; Brown, Kibbe; Barnett, G. Octo

1982-01-01

The addition of enhancements to a COSTAR system can involve a significant investment of effort. This paper describes recent experience in implementing two major COSTAR enhancements, namely a patient-specific encounter form and an order entry and dispatch subsystem. A number of points to be considered in regard to planning and implementing such enhancements are raised, and the relative success of these two enhancements at one particular site is discussed.

Automated fall detection on privacy-enhanced video.

PubMed

Edgcomb, Alex; Vahid, Frank

2012-01-01

A privacy-enhanced video obscures the appearance of a person in the video. We consider four privacy enhancements: blurring of the person, silhouetting of the person, covering the person with a graphical box, and covering the person with a graphical oval. We demonstrate that an automated video-based fall detection algorithm can be as accurate on privacy-enhanced video as on raw video. The algorithm operated on video from a stationary in-home camera, using a foreground-background segmentation algorithm to extract a minimum bounding rectangle (MBR) around the motion in the video, and using time series shapelet analysis on the height and width of the rectangle to detect falls. We report accuracy applying fall detection on 23 scenarios depicted as raw video and privacy-enhanced videos involving a sole actor portraying normal activities and various falls. We found that fall detection on privacy-enhanced video, except for the common approach of blurring of the person, was competitive with raw video, and in particular that the graphical oval privacy enhancement yielded the same accuracy as raw video, namely 0.91 sensitivity and 0.92 specificity.

Enhancement of Cellulose Degradation by Cattle Saliva

PubMed Central

Seki, Yasutaka; Kikuchi, Yukiko; Kimura, Yoshihiro; Yoshimoto, Ryo; Takahashi, Masatoshi; Aburai, Kenichi; Kanai, Yoshihiro; Ruike, Tatsushi; Iwabata, Kazuki; Sugawara, Fumio; Sakai, Hideki; Abe, Masahiko; Sakaguchi, Kengo

2015-01-01

Saccharification of cellulose is a promising technique for producing alternative source of energy. However, the efficiency of conversion of cellulose into soluble sugar using any currently available methodology is too low for industrial application. Many additives, such as surfactants, have been shown to enhance the efficiency of cellulose-to-sugar conversion. In this study, we have examined first whether cattle saliva, as an additive, would enhance the cellulase-catalyzed hydrolysis of cellulose, and subsequently elucidated the mechanism by which cattle saliva enhanced this conversion. Although cattle saliva, by itself, did not degrade cellulose, it enhanced the cellulase-catalyzed degradation of cellulose. Thus, the amount of reducing sugar produced increased approximately 2.9-fold by the addition of cattle saliva. We also found that non-enzymatic proteins, which were present in cattle saliva, were responsible for causing the enhancement effect. Third, the mechanism of cattle saliva mediated enhancement of cellulase activity was probably similar to that of the canonical surfactants. Cattle saliva is available in large amounts easily and cheaply, and it can be used without further purification. Thus, cattle saliva could be a promising additive for efficient saccharification of cellulose on an industrial scale. PMID:26402242

Dissemination of radiological information using enhanced podcasts.

PubMed

Thapa, Mahesh M; Richardson, Michael L

2010-03-01

Podcasts and vodcasts (video podcasts) have become popular means of sharing educational information via the Internet. In this article, we introduce another method, an enhanced podcast, which allows images to be displayed with the audio. Bookmarks and URLs may also be imbedded within the presentation. This article describes a step-by-step tutorial for recording and distributing an enhanced podcast using the Macintosh operating system. Enhanced podcasts can also be created on the Windows platform using other software. An example of an enhanced podcast and a demonstration video of all the steps described in this article are available online at web.mac.com/mthapa. An enhanced podcast is an effective method of delivering radiological information via the Internet. Viewing images while simultaneously listening to audio content allows the user to have a richer experience than with a simple podcast. Incorporation of bookmarks and URLs within the presentation will make learning more efficient and interactive. The use of still images rather than video clips equates to a much smaller file size for an enhanced podcast compared to a vodcast, allowing quicker upload and download times.

LSD enhances suggestibility in healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Carhart-Harris, R L; Kaelen, M; Whalley, M G; Bolstridge, M; Feilding, A; Nutt, D J

2015-02-01

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) has a history of use as a psychotherapeutic aid in the treatment of mood disorders and addiction, and it was also explored as an enhancer of mind control. The present study sought to test the effect of LSD on suggestibility in a modern research study. Ten healthy volunteers were administered with intravenous (i.v.) LSD (40-80 μg) in a within-subject placebo-controlled design. Suggestibility and cued mental imagery were assessed using the Creative Imagination Scale (CIS) and a mental imagery test (MIT). CIS and MIT items were split into two versions (A and B), balanced for 'efficacy' (i.e. A ≈ B) and counterbalanced across conditions (i.e. 50 % completed version 'A' under LSD). The MIT and CIS were issued 110 and 140 min, respectively, post-infusion, corresponding with the peak drug effects. Volunteers gave significantly higher ratings for the CIS (p = 0.018), but not the MIT (p = 0.11), after LSD than placebo. The magnitude of suggestibility enhancement under LSD was positively correlated with trait conscientiousness measured at baseline (p = 0.0005). These results imply that the influence of suggestion is enhanced by LSD. Enhanced suggestibility under LSD may have implications for its use as an adjunct to psychotherapy, where suggestibility plays a major role. That cued imagery was unaffected by LSD implies that suggestions must be of a sufficient duration and level of detail to be enhanced by the drug. The results also imply that individuals with high trait conscientiousness are especially sensitive to the suggestibility-enhancing effects of LSD.

Biomedical enhancements as justice.

PubMed

Nam, Jeesoo

2015-02-01

Biomedical enhancements, the applications of medical technology to make better those who are neither ill nor deficient, have made great strides in the past few decades. Using Amartya Sen's capability approach as my framework, I argue in this article that far from being simply permissible, we have a prima facie moral obligation to use these new developments for the end goal of promoting social justice. In terms of both range and magnitude, the use of biomedical enhancements will mark a radical advance in how we compensate the most disadvantaged members of society. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Discriminative prediction of mammalian enhancers from DNA sequence

PubMed Central

Lee, Dongwon; Karchin, Rachel; Beer, Michael A.

2011-01-01

Accurately predicting regulatory sequences and enhancers in entire genomes is an important but difficult problem, especially in large vertebrate genomes. With the advent of ChIP-seq technology, experimental detection of genome-wide EP300/CREBBP bound regions provides a powerful platform to develop predictive tools for regulatory sequences and to study their sequence properties. Here, we develop a support vector machine (SVM) framework which can accurately identify EP300-bound enhancers using only genomic sequence and an unbiased set of general sequence features. Moreover, we find that the predictive sequence features identified by the SVM classifier reveal biologically relevant sequence elements enriched in the enhancers, but we also identify other features that are significantly depleted in enhancers. The predictive sequence features are evolutionarily conserved and spatially clustered, providing further support of their functional significance. Although our SVM is trained on experimental data, we also predict novel enhancers and show that these putative enhancers are significantly enriched in both ChIP-seq signal and DNase I hypersensitivity signal in the mouse brain and are located near relevant genes. Finally, we present results of comparisons between other EP300/CREBBP data sets using our SVM and uncover sequence elements enriched and/or depleted in the different classes of enhancers. Many of these sequence features play a role in specifying tissue-specific or developmental-stage-specific enhancer activity, but our results indicate that some features operate in a general or tissue-independent manner. In addition to providing a high confidence list of enhancer targets for subsequent experimental investigation, these results contribute to our understanding of the general sequence structure of vertebrate enhancers. PMID:21875935

Synesthetic experiences enhance unconscious learning.

PubMed

Rothen, Nicolas; Scott, Ryan B; Mealor, Andy D; Coolbear, Daniel J; Burckhardt, Vera; Ward, Jamie

2013-01-01

Synesthesia  is characterized  by consistent extra perceptual experiences in response to normal sensory input. Recent studies provide evidence for a specific profile of enhanced memory performance in synesthesia, but focus exclusively on explicit memory paradigms for which the learned content is consciously accessible. In this study, for the first time, we demonstrate with an implicit memory paradigm that synesthetic experiences also enhance memory performance relating to unconscious knowledge.

Performance-Enhancing Drugs: Know the Risks

MedlinePlus

... edge by taking muscle-building supplements or other performance-enhancing drugs? Learn how these drugs work and how they can affect your health. By Mayo Clinic Staff Most serious athletes will tell you that the ... performance-enhancing drugs has become increasingly common. But using ...

23 CFR 710.511 - Transportation enhancements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Transportation enhancements. 710.511 Section 710.511 Highways FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RIGHT-OF-WAY AND ENVIRONMENT RIGHT-OF-WAY AND REAL ESTATE Property Acquisition Alternatives § 710.511 Transportation enhancements. (a...

23 CFR 710.511 - Transportation enhancements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Transportation enhancements. 710.511 Section 710.511 Highways FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RIGHT-OF-WAY AND ENVIRONMENT RIGHT-OF-WAY AND REAL ESTATE Property Acquisition Alternatives § 710.511 Transportation enhancements. (a...

23 CFR 710.511 - Transportation enhancements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Transportation enhancements. 710.511 Section 710.511 Highways FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RIGHT-OF-WAY AND ENVIRONMENT RIGHT-OF-WAY AND REAL ESTATE Property Acquisition Alternatives § 710.511 Transportation enhancements. (a...

23 CFR 710.511 - Transportation enhancements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Transportation enhancements. 710.511 Section 710.511 Highways FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RIGHT-OF-WAY AND ENVIRONMENT RIGHT-OF-WAY AND REAL ESTATE Property Acquisition Alternatives § 710.511 Transportation enhancements. (a...

College Enhancement Strategies and Socioeconomic Inequality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolniak, Gregory C.; Wells, Ryan S.; Engberg, Mark E.; Manly, Catherine A.

2016-01-01

The study provides new information on the relationships between students' socioeconomic backgrounds, utilization of college enhancement strategies, and subsequent 4-year college enrollment. Enhancement strategies represent student behaviors used to bolster the competitiveness of a college application, such as Advanced Placement exams and a variety…

Effect of various enhancers on transdermal penetration of indomethacin and urea, and relationship between penetration parameters and enhancement factors.

PubMed

Ogiso, T; Iwaki, M; Paku, T

1995-04-01

The enhancing capacity of various chemicals, which are widely recognized as enhancers, for the transdermal penetration into full-thickness rat skin of a model lipophilic drug [indomethacin (IND)] and a hydrophilic permeant (urea) was estimated by an in vitro technique. In addition, the fluidity of the stratum corneum lipids, the partitioning of IND into skin, the lipid (ceramides) extraction from the stratum corneum by enhancers, and the IND solubility in enhancer vehicle were measured and related to the enhancing capacity. In vitro permeation experiments with hairless rat skin unequivocally revealed that the enhancers varied in abilities to enhance the fluxes of both agents. Laurocapram, isopropylmyristate (IPM), sodium oleate, and cineol increased fluxes of both agents to a great extent, but N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), N,N-diethyl-m-tolamide (DEET), and oleyl oleate were less effective acclerants. Many enhancers increased the fluidity of the lipids [with a threshold of approximately 0.6-0.8 ns at 37 degrees C in the rotational correlation time (tau c)], the skin partitioning of IND, the extraction of ceramides from the cornified cells, and the thermodynamic activity of IND in vehicle (calculated from the solubility) to varying extents. A good correlation was observed between the increase in the fluidity of stratum corneum lipids and the partitioning of IND into skin, between the increase in the fluidity and the flux or the decrease in lag time for IND, between the removal of ceramides and the skin partitioning of IND, and between the removal of ceramides and the flux of urea (p < 0.05 in all cases).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Genetic enhancement in sport: just another form of doping?

PubMed

Mehlman, Maxwell J

2012-12-01

Patented genetic technologies such as the ACTN3 genetic test are adding a new dimension to the types of performance enhancement available to elite athletes. Organized sports organizations and governments are seeking to prevent athletes' use of biomedical enhancements. This paper discusses how these interdiction efforts will affect the use and availability of genetic technologies that can enhance athletic performance. The paper provides a working definition of enhancement, and in light of that definition and the concerns of the sports community, reviews genetic enhancement as a result of varied technologies, including, genetic testing to identify innate athletic ability, performance-enhancing drugs developed with genetic science and technology, pharmacogenetics, enhancement through reproductive technologies, somatic gene transfer, and germ line gene transfer.

Patterns of contrast enhancement in the brain and meninges.

PubMed

Smirniotopoulos, James G; Murphy, Frances M; Rushing, Elizabeth J; Rees, John H; Schroeder, Jason W

2007-01-01

Contrast material enhancement for cross-sectional imaging has been used since the mid 1970s for computed tomography and the mid 1980s for magnetic resonance imaging. Knowledge of the patterns and mechanisms of contrast enhancement facilitate radiologic differential diagnosis. Brain and spinal cord enhancement is related to both intravascular and extravascular contrast material. Extraaxial enhancing lesions include primary neoplasms (meningioma), granulomatous disease (sarcoid), and metastases (which often manifest as mass lesions). Linear pachymeningeal (dura-arachnoid) enhancement occurs after surgery and with spontaneous intracranial hypotension. Leptomeningeal (pia-arachnoid) enhancement is present in meningitis and meningoencephalitis. Superficial gyral enhancement is seen after reperfusion in cerebral ischemia, during the healing phase of cerebral infarction, and with encephalitis. Nodular subcortical lesions are typical for hematogenous dissemination and may be neoplastic (metastases) or infectious (septic emboli). Deeper lesions may form rings or affect the ventricular margins. Ring enhancement that is smooth and thin is typical of an organizing abscess, whereas thick irregular rings suggest a necrotic neoplasm. Some low-grade neoplasms are "fluid-secreting," and they may form heterogeneously enhancing lesions with an incomplete ring sign as well as the classic "cyst-with-nodule" morphology. Demyelinating lesions, including both classic multiple sclerosis and tumefactive demyelination, may also create an open ring or incomplete ring sign. Thick and irregular periventricular enhancement is typical for primary central nervous system lymphoma. Thin enhancement of the ventricular margin occurs with infectious ependymitis. Understanding the classic patterns of lesion enhancement--and the radiologic-pathologic mechanisms that produce them--can improve image assessment and differential diagnosis.

Moral enhancement, gnosticism, and some philosophical paradoxes.

PubMed

Barilan, Y M

2015-01-01

This article examines the concept of moral enhancement from two different perspectives. The first is a bottom-up approach, which aims at identifying fundamental moral traits and subcapacities as targets for enhancement. The second perspective, a top-down approach, is holistic and in line with virtue ethics. Both perspectives lead to the observation that alterations of material and social conditions are the most reliable means to improve prosocial behavior overall. Moral enhancement as a preventive measure invokes Gnostic narratives on the allegedly fallen status of human nature, its search for salvation, and the dependence of the laity on heteronomous salvific interventions. The allure of the preventive kind of enhancement is attributable to its religious hues. Owing to the absence of clarity regarding moral enhancement and of metrics to evaluate its progress, humanity is at risk of prioritizing unclear and unsubstantiated measures of preventive diminishment at the expense of celebrating human capacities and joys.

Enhancing nanoparticle electrodynamics with gold nanoplate mirrors.

PubMed

Yan, Zijie; Bao, Ying; Manna, Uttam; Shah, Raman A; Scherer, Norbert F

2014-05-14

Mirrors and optical cavities can modify and enhance matter-radiation interactions. Here we report that chemically synthesized Au nanoplates can serve as micrometer-size mirrors that enhance electrodynamic interactions. Because of their plasmonic properties, the Au nanoplates enhance the brightness of scattered light from Ag nanoparticles near the nanoplate surface in dark-field microscopy. More importantly, enhanced optical trapping and optical binding of Ag nanoparticles are demonstrated in interferometric optical traps created from a single laser beam and its reflection from individual Au nanoplates. The enhancement of the interparticle force constant is ≈20-fold more than expected from the increased intensity due to standing wave interference. We show that the additional stability for optical binding arises from the restricted axial thermal motion of the nanoparticles that couples to and reduces the fluctuations in the lateral plane. This new mechanism greatly advances the photonic synthesis of ultrastable nanoparticle arrays and investigation of their properties.

Enhancing Engineering Education through Engineering Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pence, Kenneth R.; Rowe, Christopher J.

2012-01-01

Engineering Management courses are added to a traditional engineering curriculum to enhance the value of an undergraduate's engineering degree. A four-year engineering degree often leaves graduates lacking in business and management acumen. Engineering management education covers topics enhancing the value of new graduates by teaching management…

23 CFR 710.511 - Transportation enhancements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... transportation funds for transportation enhancement activities (TEA). Transportation enhancement activities which... this section. (b) Requirements. (1) Displacements for TEA are subject to the Uniform Act. (2) Acquisitions for TEA are subject to the Uniform Act except as provided in paragraphs (b)(3), (b)(4), and (b)(5...

Enhancer Evolution across 20 Mammalian Species

PubMed Central

Villar, Diego; Berthelot, Camille; Aldridge, Sarah; Rayner, Tim F.; Lukk, Margus; Pignatelli, Miguel; Park, Thomas J.; Deaville, Robert; Erichsen, Jonathan T.; Jasinska, Anna J.; Turner, James M.A.; Bertelsen, Mads F.; Murchison, Elizabeth P.; Flicek, Paul; Odom, Duncan T.

2015-01-01

Summary The mammalian radiation has corresponded with rapid changes in noncoding regions of the genome, but we lack a comprehensive understanding of regulatory evolution in mammals. Here, we track the evolution of promoters and enhancers active in liver across 20 mammalian species from six diverse orders by profiling genomic enrichment of H3K27 acetylation and H3K4 trimethylation. We report that rapid evolution of enhancers is a universal feature of mammalian genomes. Most of the recently evolved enhancers arise from ancestral DNA exaptation, rather than lineage-specific expansions of repeat elements. In contrast, almost all liver promoters are partially or fully conserved across these species. Our data further reveal that recently evolved enhancers can be associated with genes under positive selection, demonstrating the power of this approach for annotating regulatory adaptations in genomic sequences. These results provide important insight into the functional genetics underpinning mammalian regulatory evolution. PMID:25635462

Wave rotor-enhanced gas turbine engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Welch, Gerard E.; Scott, Jones M.; Paxson, Daniel E.

1995-01-01

The benefits of wave rotor-topping in small (400 to 600 hp-class) and intermediate (3000 to 4000 hp-class) turboshaft engines, and large (80,000 to 100,000 lb(sub f)-class) high bypass ratio turbofan engines are evaluated. Wave rotor performance levels are calculated using a one-dimensional design/analysis code. Baseline and wave rotor-enhanced engine performance levels are obtained from a cycle deck in which the wave rotor is represented as a burner with pressure gain. Wave rotor-toppings is shown to significantly enhance the specific fuel consumption and specific power of small and intermediate size turboshaft engines. The specific fuel consumption of the wave rotor-enhanced large turbofan engine can be reduced while operating at significantly reduced turbine inlet temperature. The wave rotor-enhanced engine is shown to behave off-design like a conventional engine. Discussion concerning the impact of the wave rotor/gas turbine engine integration identifies tenable technical challenges.

Achieving superresolution with illumination-enhanced sparsity.

PubMed

Yu, Jiun-Yann; Becker, Stephen R; Folberth, James; Wallin, Bruce F; Chen, Simeng; Cogswell, Carol J

2018-04-16

Recent advances in superresolution fluorescence microscopy have been limited by a belief that surpassing two-fold resolution enhancement of the Rayleigh resolution limit requires stimulated emission or the fluorophore to undergo state transitions. Here we demonstrate a new superresolution method that requires only image acquisitions with a focused illumination spot and computational post-processing. The proposed method utilizes the focused illumination spot to effectively reduce the object size and enhance the object sparsity and consequently increases the resolution and accuracy through nonlinear image post-processing. This method clearly resolves 70nm resolution test objects emitting ~530nm light with a 1.4 numerical aperture (NA) objective, and, when imaging through a 0.5NA objective, exhibits high spatial frequencies comparable to a 1.4NA widefield image, both demonstrating a resolution enhancement above two-fold of the Rayleigh resolution limit. More importantly, we examine how the resolution increases with photon numbers, and show that the more-than-two-fold enhancement is achievable with realistic photon budgets.

Information Tailoring Enhancements for Large-Scale Social Data

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-15

Intelligent Automation Incorporated Information Tailoring Enhancements for Large-Scale... Automation Incorporated Progress Report No. 3 Information Tailoring Enhancements for Large-Scale Social Data Submitted in accordance with...1 Work Performed within This Reporting Period .................................................... 2 1.1 Enhanced Named Entity Recognition (NER

Distributive justice and cognitive enhancement in lower, normal intelligence.

PubMed

Dunlop, Mikael; Savulescu, Julian

2014-01-01

There exists a significant disparity within society between individuals in terms of intelligence. While intelligence varies naturally throughout society, the extent to which this impacts on the life opportunities it affords to each individual is greatly undervalued. Intelligence appears to have a prominent effect over a broad range of social and economic life outcomes. Many key determinants of well-being correlate highly with the results of IQ tests, and other measures of intelligence, and an IQ of 75 is generally accepted as the most important threshold in modern life. The ability to enhance our cognitive capacities offers an exciting opportunity to correct disabling natural variation and inequality in intelligence. Pharmaceutical cognitive enhancers, such as modafinil and methylphenidate, have been shown to have the capacity to enhance cognition in normal, healthy individuals. Perhaps of most relevance is the presence of an 'inverted U effect' for most pharmaceutical cognitive enhancers, whereby the degree of enhancement increases as intelligence levels deviate further below the mean. Although enhancement, including cognitive enhancement, has been much debated recently, we argue that there are egalitarian reasons to enhance individuals with low but normal intelligence. Under egalitarianism, cognitive enhancement has the potential to reduce opportunity inequality and contribute to relative income and welfare equality in the lower, normal intelligence subgroup. Cognitive enhancement use is justifiable under prioritarianism through various means of distribution; selective access to the lower, normal intelligence subgroup, universal access, or paradoxically through access primarily to the average and above average intelligence subgroups. Similarly, an aggregate increase in social well-being is achieved through similar means of distribution under utilitarianism. In addition, the use of cognitive enhancement within the lower, normal intelligence subgroup negates, or at

Enhancement of fluorescence using nanoplasmonic and photonic structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arya, Akash; Tagore, Amit K.; Dantham, Venkata R.

2018-05-01

Two different nanoplasmonic structures have been synthesized using wet-chemistry method and demonstrated the enhancement of fluorescence of dye molecules. The difficulties associated with the plasmonic enhancement of fluorescence are discussed and to overcome these, an efficient approach has been proposed to enhance the fluorescence of a few molecules with the help of a high quality factor photonic microstructure (whispering gallery mode microresonator). The fabrication details of microresonators and experimental arrangement for enhancing the fluorescence are reported here.

Enhanced thermophysical properties via PAO superstructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pournorouz, Zahra; Mostafavi, Amirhossein; Pinto, Aditya; Bokka, Apparao; Jeon, Junha; Shin, Donghyun

2017-01-01

For the last few years, molten salt nanomaterials have attracted many scientists for their enhanced specific heat by doping a minute concentration of nanoparticles (up to 1% by weight). Likewise, enhancing the specific heat of liquid media is important in many aspects of engineering such as engine oil, coolant, and lubricant. However, such enhancement in specific heat was only observed for molten salts, yet other engineering fluids such as water, ethylene glycol, and oil have shown a decrease of specific heat with doped nanoparticles. Recent studies have shown that the observed specific heat enhancement resulted from unique nanostructures that were formed by molten salt molecules when interacting with nanoparticles. Thus, such enhancement in specific heat is only possible for molten salts because other fluids may not naturally form such nanostructures. In this study, we hypothesized such nanostructures can be mimicked through in situ formation of fabricated nano-additives, which are putative nanoparticles coated with useful organic materials (e.g., polar-group-ended organic molecules) leading to superstructures, and thus can be directly used for other engineering fluids. We first applied this approach to polyalphaolefin (PAO). A differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), a rheometer, and a customized setup were employed to characterize the heat capacity, viscosity, and thermal conductivity of PAO and PAO with fabricated nano-additives. Results showed 44.5% enhanced heat capacity and 19.8 and 22.98% enhancement for thermal conductivity and viscosity, respectively, by an addition of only 2% of fabricated nanostructures in comparison with pure PAO. Moreover, a partial melting of the polar-group-ended organic molecules was observed in the first thermal cycle and the peak disappeared in the following cycles. This indicates that the in situ formation of fabricated nano-additives spontaneously occurs in the thermal cycle to form nanostructures. Figure of merit analyses have

Enhanced thermophysical properties via PAO superstructure.

PubMed

Pournorouz, Zahra; Mostafavi, Amirhossein; Pinto, Aditya; Bokka, Apparao; Jeon, Junha; Shin, Donghyun

2017-12-01

For the last few years, molten salt nanomaterials have attracted many scientists for their enhanced specific heat by doping a minute concentration of nanoparticles (up to 1% by weight). Likewise, enhancing the specific heat of liquid media is important in many aspects of engineering such as engine oil, coolant, and lubricant. However, such enhancement in specific heat was only observed for molten salts, yet other engineering fluids such as water, ethylene glycol, and oil have shown a decrease of specific heat with doped nanoparticles. Recent studies have shown that the observed specific heat enhancement resulted from unique nanostructures that were formed by molten salt molecules when interacting with nanoparticles. Thus, such enhancement in specific heat is only possible for molten salts because other fluids may not naturally form such nanostructures. In this study, we hypothesized such nanostructures can be mimicked through in situ formation of fabricated nano-additives, which are putative nanoparticles coated with useful organic materials (e.g., polar-group-ended organic molecules) leading to superstructures, and thus can be directly used for other engineering fluids. We first applied this approach to polyalphaolefin (PAO). A differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), a rheometer, and a customized setup were employed to characterize the heat capacity, viscosity, and thermal conductivity of PAO and PAO with fabricated nano-additives. Results showed 44.5% enhanced heat capacity and 19.8 and 22.98% enhancement for thermal conductivity and viscosity, respectively, by an addition of only 2% of fabricated nanostructures in comparison with pure PAO. Moreover, a partial melting of the polar-group-ended organic molecules was observed in the first thermal cycle and the peak disappeared in the following cycles. This indicates that the in situ formation of fabricated nano-additives spontaneously occurs in the thermal cycle to form nanostructures. Figure of merit analyses have

Systems and methods for enhancing optical information

DOEpatents

DeVore, Peter Thomas Setsuda; Chou, Jason T.

2018-01-02

An Optical Information Transfer Enhancer System includes a first system for producing an information bearing first optical wave that is impressed with a first information having a first information strength wherein the first optical wave has a first shape. A second system produces a second optical wave. An information strength enhancer module receives the first and said second optical waves and impresses the first optical wave upon the second optical wave via cross-phase modulation (XPM) to produce an information-strength-enhanced second optical wave having a second information strength that is greater than the first information strength of the first optical wave. Following a center-wavelength changer by an Optical Information Transfer Enhancer System improves its performance.

How Organizations Can Enhance the Quality of Life of Their Clients and Assess Their Results: The Concept of QOL Enhancement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reinders, Hans S.; Schalock, Robert L.

2014-01-01

This article presents the framework of a dynamic approach to quality of life (QOL) enhancement based on the conceptualization and measurement of individual-referenced quality of life. Sections of the article summarize the premises of QOL enhancement, provide the rationale for a dynamic approach to QOL enhancement, discuss six components of QOL…

Limitations of contrast enhancement for infrared target identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du Bosq, Todd W.; Fanning, Jonathan D.

2009-05-01

Contrast enhancement and dynamic range compression are currently being used to improve the performance of infrared imagers by increasing the contrast between the target and the scene content. Automatic contrast enhancement techniques do not always achieve this improvement. In some cases, the contrast can increase to a level of target saturation. This paper assesses the range-performance effects of contrast enhancement for target identification as a function of image saturation. Human perception experiments were performed to determine field performance using contrast enhancement on the U.S. Army RDECOM CERDEC NVESD standard military eight target set using an un-cooled LWIR camera. The experiments compare the identification performance of observers viewing contrast enhancement processed images at various levels of saturation. Contrast enhancement is modeled in the U.S. Army thermal target acquisition model (NVThermIP) by changing the scene contrast temperature. The model predicts improved performance based on any improved target contrast, regardless of specific feature saturation or enhancement. The measured results follow the predicted performance based on the target task difficulty metric used in NVThermIP for the non-saturated cases. The saturated images reduce the information contained in the target and performance suffers. The model treats the contrast of the target as uniform over spatial frequency. As the contrast is enhanced, the model assumes that the contrast is enhanced uniformly over the spatial frequencies. After saturation, the spatial cues that differentiate one tank from another are located in a limited band of spatial frequencies. A frequency dependent treatment of target contrast is needed to predict performance of over-processed images.

Nano-Fiber Reinforced Enhancements in Composite Polymer Matrices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamis, Christos C.

2009-01-01

Nano-fibers are used to reinforce polymer matrices to enhance the matrix dependent properties that are subsequently used in conventional structural composites. A quasi isotropic configuration is used in arranging like nano-fibers through the thickness to ascertain equiaxial enhanced matrix behavior. The nano-fiber volume ratios are used to obtain the enhanced matrix strength properties for 0.01,0.03, and 0.05 nano-fiber volume rates. These enhanced nano-fiber matrices are used with conventional fiber volume ratios of 0.3 and 0.5 to obtain the composite properties. Results show that nano-fiber enhanced matrices of higher than 0.3 nano-fiber volume ratio are degrading the composite properties.

Evolution of transcriptional enhancers and animal diversity

PubMed Central

Rubinstein, Marcelo; de Souza, Flávio S. J.

2013-01-01

Deciphering the genetic bases that drive animal diversity is one of the major challenges of modern biology. Although four decades ago it was proposed that animal evolution was mainly driven by changes in cis-regulatory DNA elements controlling gene expression rather than in protein-coding sequences, only now are powerful bioinformatics and experimental approaches available to accelerate studies into how the evolution of transcriptional enhancers contributes to novel forms and functions. In the introduction to this Theme Issue, we start by defining the general properties of transcriptional enhancers, such as modularity and the coexistence of tight sequence conservation with transcription factor-binding site shuffling as different mechanisms that maintain the enhancer grammar over evolutionary time. We discuss past and current methods used to identify cell-type-specific enhancers and provide examples of how enhancers originate de novo, change and are lost in particular lineages. We then focus in the central part of this Theme Issue on analysing examples of how the molecular evolution of enhancers may change form and function. Throughout this introduction, we present the main findings of the articles, reviews and perspectives contributed to this Theme Issue that together illustrate some of the great advances and current frontiers in the field. PMID:24218630

Unsuccessful Retrieval Attempts Enhance Subsequent Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kornell, Nate; Hays, Matthew Jensen; Bjork, Robert A.

2009-01-01

Taking tests enhances learning. But what happens when one cannot answer a test question--does an unsuccessful retrieval attempt impede future learning or enhance it? The authors examined this question using materials that ensured that retrieval attempts would be unsuccessful. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants were asked fictional…

7 CFR 1467.9 - Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program. 1467.9 Section... CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS WETLANDS RESERVE PROGRAM § 1467.9 Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program. (a) Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP). (1) The...

Visual Contrast Enhancement Algorithm Based on Histogram Equalization

PubMed Central

Ting, Chih-Chung; Wu, Bing-Fei; Chung, Meng-Liang; Chiu, Chung-Cheng; Wu, Ya-Ching

2015-01-01

Image enhancement techniques primarily improve the contrast of an image to lend it a better appearance. One of the popular enhancement methods is histogram equalization (HE) because of its simplicity and effectiveness. However, it is rarely applied to consumer electronics products because it can cause excessive contrast enhancement and feature loss problems. These problems make the images processed by HE look unnatural and introduce unwanted artifacts in them. In this study, a visual contrast enhancement algorithm (VCEA) based on HE is proposed. VCEA considers the requirements of the human visual perception in order to address the drawbacks of HE. It effectively solves the excessive contrast enhancement problem by adjusting the spaces between two adjacent gray values of the HE histogram. In addition, VCEA reduces the effects of the feature loss problem by using the obtained spaces. Furthermore, VCEA enhances the detailed textures of an image to generate an enhanced image with better visual quality. Experimental results show that images obtained by applying VCEA have higher contrast and are more suited to human visual perception than those processed by HE and other HE-based methods. PMID:26184219

Anatomy of a new B-cell-specific enhancer.

PubMed Central

Koch, W; Benoist, C; Mathis, D

1989-01-01

The major histocompatibility complex class II molecules, like the immunoglobulins, are prominent B-lymphocyte markers. Herein, we describe a B-cell-specific enhancer associated with the murine class II gene, Ek alpha. This enhancer has a complex anatomy that suggests interactions between remotely spaced elements. Of particular interest is the finding that two CCAAT boxes spaced one kilobase apart are important for enhancer activity. Somewhat surprisingly, the E alpha and immunoglobulin enhancers seem to show little resemblance. Images PMID:2467189

Raman enhancement on ultra-clean graphene quantum dots produced by quasi-equilibrium plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition.

PubMed

Liu, Donghua; Chen, Xiaosong; Hu, Yibin; Sun, Tai; Song, Zhibo; Zheng, Yujie; Cao, Yongbin; Cai, Zhi; Cao, Min; Peng, Lan; Huang, Yuli; Du, Lei; Yang, Wuli; Chen, Gang; Wei, Dapeng; Wee, Andrew Thye Shen; Wei, Dacheng

2018-01-15

Graphene is regarded as a potential surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate. However, the application of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) has had limited success due to material quality. Here, we develop a quasi-equilibrium plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method to produce high-quality ultra-clean GQDs with sizes down to 2 nm directly on SiO 2 /Si, which are used as SERS substrates. The enhancement factor, which depends on the GQD size, is higher than conventional graphene sheets with sensitivity down to 1 × 10 -9  mol L -1 rhodamine. This is attributed to the high-quality GQDs with atomically clean surfaces and large number of edges, as well as the enhanced charge transfer between molecules and GQDs with appropriate diameters due to the existence of Van Hove singularities in the electronic density of states. This work demonstrates a sensitive SERS substrate, and is valuable for applications of GQDs in graphene-based photonics and optoelectronics.

Low Vision Enhancement System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

NASA's Technology Transfer Office at Stennis Space Center worked with the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute in Baltimore, Md., to incorporate NASA software originally developed by NASA to process satellite images into the Low Vision Enhancement System (LVES). The LVES, referred to as 'ELVIS' by its users, is a portable image processing system that could make it possible to improve a person's vision by enhancing and altering images to compensate for impaired eyesight. The system consists of two orientation cameras, a zoom camera, and a video projection system. The headset and hand-held control weigh about two pounds each. Pictured is Jacob Webb, the first Mississippian to use the LVES.

Learner Ownership of Technology-Enhanced Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dommett, Eleanor J.

2018-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the different ways in which learners may have ownership over technology-enhanced learning by reflecting on technical, legal and psychological ownership. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses a variety of examples of technology-enhanced learning ranging from open-source software to cloud storage to discuss…

Functional and mechanistic diversity of distal transcription enhancers

PubMed Central

Bulger, Michael; Groudine, Mark

2013-01-01

Biological differences among metazoans, and between cell types in a given organism, arise in large part due to differences in gene expression patterns. The sequencing of multiple metazoan genomes, coupled with recent advances in genome-wide analysis of histone modifications and transcription factor binding, has revealed that among regulatory DNA sequences, gene-distal enhancers appear to exhibit the greatest diversity and cell-type specificity. Moreover, such elements are emerging as important targets for mutations that can give rise to disease and to genetic variability that underlies evolutionary change. Studies of long-range interactions between distal genomic sequences in the nucleus indicate that enhancers are often important determinants of nuclear organization, contributing to a general model for enhancer function that involves direct enhancer-promoter contact. In a number of systems, however, mechanisms for enhancer function are emerging that do not fit solely within such a model, suggesting that enhancers as a class of DNA regulatory element may be functionally and mechanistically diverse. PMID:21295696

Infrared free electron laser enhanced transdermal drug delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awazu, Kunio; Uchizono, Takeyuki; Suzuki, Sachiko; Yoshikawa, Kazushi

2005-08-01

It is necessary to control enhancement of transdermal drug delivery with non-invasive. The present study was investigated to assess the effectivity of enhancing the drug delivery by irradiating 6-μm region mid infrared free electron laser (MIR-FEL). The enhancement of transdermal drug (lidocaine) delivery of the samples (hairless mouse skin) irradiated with lasers was examined for flux (μg/cm2/h) and total penetration amount (μg/cm2) of lidocaine by High performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The flux and total amount penatration date was enhanced 200-300 fold faster than the control date by the laser irradiation. FEL irradiating had the stratum corneum, and had the less thermal damage in epidermis. The effect of 6-μm region MIR-FEL has the enhancement of transdermal drug delivery without removing the stratum corneum because it has the less thermal damage. It leads to enhancement drug delivery system with non-invasive laser treatment.

(+)-(S)-alapyridaine--a general taste enhancer?

PubMed

Soldo, Tomislav; Blank, Imre; Hofmann, Thomas

2003-06-01

N-(1-Carboxyethyl)-6-hydroxymethyl-pyridinium-3-ol inner salt (alapyridaine), recently identified in heated sugar/amino acid mixtures as well as in beef bouillon, has been shown to exhibit general taste-enhancing activities, although tasteless on its own. Differing from other taste enhancers reported so far, racemic (R/S)-alapyridaine and, to an even greater extent (+)-(S)-alapyridaine, the physiologically active enantiomer, are able to enhance more than one basic taste quality. The threshold concentrations for the sweet taste of glucose and sucrose, for the umami taste of monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) and guanosine-5'-monophosphate (GMP), as well as the salty taste of NaCl, were significantly decreased when alapyridaine was present. In contrast, perception of the bitter tastes of caffeine and L-phenylalanine, as well as of sour-tasting citric acid, was unaffected. Furthermore, alapyridaine was shown to intensify known taste synergies such as, for example, the enhancing effect of L-arginine on the salty taste of NaCl, as well as that of GMP on the umami taste of MSG. The activity of (+)-(S)-alapyridaine could be observed not only in solutions of single taste compounds, but also in more complex tastant mixtures; for example, the umami, sweet and salty taste of a solution containing MSG, sucrose, NaCl and caffeine was significantly modulated, thus indicating that alapyridaine is a general taste enhancer.

The mental cost of cognitive enhancement.

PubMed

Iuculano, Teresa; Cohen Kadosh, Roi

2013-03-06

Noninvasive brain stimulation provides a potential tool for affecting brain functions in the typical and atypical brain and offers in several cases an alternative to pharmaceutical intervention. Some studies have suggested that transcranial electrical stimulation (TES), a form of noninvasive brain stimulation, can also be used to enhance cognitive performance. Critically, research so far has primarily focused on optimizing protocols for effective stimulation, or assessing potential physical side effects of TES while neglecting the possibility of cognitive side effects. We assessed this possibility by targeting the high-level cognitive abilities of learning and automaticity in the mathematical domain. Notably, learning and automaticity represent critical abilities for potential cognitive enhancement in typical and atypical populations. Over 6 d, healthy human adults underwent cognitive training on a new numerical notation while receiving TES to the posterior parietal cortex or the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Stimulation to the the posterior parietal cortex facilitated numerical learning, whereas automaticity for the learned material was impaired. In contrast, stimulation to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex impaired the learning process, whereas automaticity for the learned material was enhanced. The observed double dissociation indicates that cognitive enhancement through TES can occur at the expense of other cognitive functions. These findings have important implications for the future use of enhancement technologies for neurointervention and performance improvement in healthy populations.

Functional analysis of limb enhancers in the developing fin

PubMed Central

Booker, Betty M.; Murphy, Karl K.

2013-01-01

Despite diverging ~365 million years ago, tetrapod limbs and pectoral fins express similar genes that could be regulated by shared regulatory elements. In this study, we set out to analyze the ability of enhancers to maintain tissue specificity in these two divergent structures. We tested 22 human sequences that were previously reported as mouse limb enhancers for their enhancer activity in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Using a zebrafish enhancer assay, we found that 10/22 (45 %) were positive for pectoral fin activity. Analysis of the various criteria that correlated with positive fin activity found that both spatial limb activity and evolutionary conservation are not good predictors of fin enhancer activity. These results suggest that zebrafish enhancer assays may be limited in detecting human limb enhancers, and this limitation does not improve by the use of limb spatial expression or evolutionary conservation. PMID:24068387

44 CFR 201.5 - Enhanced State Mitigation Plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2012-10-01 2011-10-01 true Enhanced State Mitigation..., DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY DISASTER ASSISTANCE MITIGATION PLANNING § 201.5 Enhanced State Mitigation Plans. (a) A State with a FEMA approved Enhanced State Mitigation Plan at the time of a disaster...

Retinex enhancement of infrared images.

PubMed

Li, Ying; He, Renjie; Xu, Guizhi; Hou, Changzhi; Sun, Yunyan; Guo, Lei; Rao, Liyun; Yan, Weili

2008-01-01

With the ability of imaging the temperature distribution of body, infrared imaging is promising in diagnostication and prognostication of diseases. However the poor quality of the raw original infrared images prevented applications and one of the essential problems is the low contrast appearance of the imagined object. In this paper, the image enhancement technique based on the Retinex theory is studied, which is a process that automatically retrieve the visual realism to images. The algorithms, including Frackle-McCann algorithm, McCann99 algorithm, single-scale Retinex algorithm, multi-scale Retinex algorithm and multi-scale Retinex algorithm with color restoration, are experienced to the enhancement of infrared images. The entropy measurements along with the visual inspection were compared and results shown the algorithms based on Retinex theory have the ability in enhancing the infrared image. Out of the algorithms compared, MSRCR demonstrated the best performance.

Plasmon resonance enhanced multicolour photodetection by graphene

PubMed Central

Liu, Yuan; Cheng, Rui; Liao, Lei; Zhou, Hailong; Bai, Jingwei; Liu, Gang; Liu, Lixin; Huang, Yu; Duan, Xiangfeng

2012-01-01

Graphene has the potential for high-speed, wide-band photodetection, but only with very low external quantum efficiency and no spectral selectivity. Here we report a dramatic enhancement of the overall quantum efficiency and spectral selectivity that enables multicolour photodetection, by coupling graphene with plasmonic nanostructures. We show that metallic plasmonic nanostructures can be integrated with graphene photodetectors to greatly enhance the photocurrent and external quantum efficiency by up to 1,500%. Plasmonic nanostructures of variable resonance frequencies selectively amplify the photoresponse of graphene to light of different wavelengths, enabling highly specific detection of multicolours. Being atomically thin, graphene photodetectors effectively exploit the local plasmonic enhancement effect to achieve a significant enhancement factor not normally possible with traditional planar semiconductor materials. PMID:22146398

Design of New Antibacterial Enhancers Based on AcrB's Structure and the Evaluation of Their Antibacterial Enhancement Activity.

PubMed

Song, Yi; Qin, Rongxin; Pan, Xichun; Ouyang, Qin; Liu, Tianyu; Zhai, Zhaoxia; Chen, Yingchun; Li, Bin; Zhou, Hong

2016-11-18

Previously, artesunate (AS) and dihydroartemisinine 7 (DHA7) were found to have antibacterial enhancement activity against Escherichia coli via inhibition of the efflux pump AcrB. However, they were only effective against E. coli standard strains. This study aimed to develop effective antibacterial enhancers based on the previous work. Our results demonstrate that 86 new antibacterial enhancers were designed via 3D-SAR and molecular docking. Among them, DHA27 had the best antibacterial enhancement activity. It could potentiate the antibacterial effects of ampicillin against not only E. coli standard strain but also clinical strains, and of β-lactam antibiotics, not non-β-lactamantibiotics. DHA27 could increase the accumulation of daunomycin and nile red within E. coli ATCC 35218, but did not increase the bacterial membrane permeability. DHA27 reduced acrB 's mRNA expression of E. coli ATCC 35218 in a dose-dependent manner, and its antibacterial enhancement activity is related to the degree of acrB mRNA expression in E. coli clinical strains. The polypeptides from AcrB were obtained via molecular docking assay; the pre-incubated polypeptides could inhibit the activity of DHA27. Importantly, DHA27 had no cytotoxicity on cell proliferation. In conclusion, among newly designed antibacterial enhancers, DHA27 had favorable physical and pharmacological properties with no significant cytotoxicity at effective concentrations, and might serve as a potential efflux pump inhibitor in the future.

Indulging anxiety: human enhancement from a Protestant perspective.

PubMed

Hanson, Mark J

1999-08-01

At the heart of any ethics of human enhancement must be some normative assumptions about human nature. The purpose of this essay is to draw on themes from a Protestant theological anthropology to provide a basis for understanding and evaluating the tension between maintaining our humanity and enhancing it. Drawing primarily on the work of theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, I interpret enhancement as proceeding from the anxiety that characterizes human experience at the juncture of freedom and finiteness. Religious and moral dimensions of human sinfulness are considered in relation to cultural values that motivate human enhancement generally. I employ these dimensions in a series of benchmarks to suggest a background of theological, anthropological, and moral considerations against which enhancement is not to be condemmed but rather critically evaluated.

Fluorescence Enhancement of Molecules Inside a Gold Nanomatryoshka

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Metallic nanoparticles exhibiting plasmonic Fano resonances can provide large enhancements of their internal electric near field. Here we show that nanomatryoshkas, nanoparticles consisting of an Au core, an interstitial nanoscale SiO2 layer, and an Au shell layer, can selectively provide either a strong enhancement or a quenching of the spontaneous emission of fluorophores dispersed within their internal dielectric layer. This behavior can be understood by taking into account the near-field enhancement induced by the Fano resonance of the nanomatryoshka, which is responsible for enhanced absorption of the fluorophores incorporated into the nanocomplex. The combination of compact size and enhanced light emission with internal encapsulation of the fluorophores for increased biocompatibility suggests outstanding potential for this type of nanoparticle complex in biomedical applications. PMID:24738706

Surfactant-enhanced flushing enhances colloid transport and alters macroporosity in diesel-contaminated soil.

PubMed

Guan, Zhuo; Tang, Xiang-Yu; Nishimura, Taku; Katou, Hidetaka; Liu, Hui-Yun; Qing, Jing

2018-02-01

Soil contamination by diesel has been often reported as a result of accidental spillage, leakage and inappropriate use. Surfactant-enhanced soil flushing is a common remediation technique for soils contaminated by hydrophobic organic chemicals. In this study, soil flushing with linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS, an anionic surfactant) was conducted for intact columns (15cm in diameter and 12cm in length) of diesel-contaminated farmland purple soil aged for one year in the field. Dynamics of colloid concentration in column outflow during flushing, diesel removal rate and resulting soil macroporosity change by flushing were analyzed. Removal rate of n-alkanes (representing the diesel) varied with the depth of the topsoil in the range of 14%-96% while the n-alkanes present at low concentrations in the subsoil were completely removed by LAS-enhanced flushing. Much higher colloid concentrations and larger colloid sizes were observed during LAS flushing in column outflow compared to water flushing. The X-ray micro-computed tomography analysis of flushed and unflushed soil cores showed that the proportion of fine macropores (30-250μm in diameter) was reduced significantly by LAS flushing treatment. This phenomenon can be attributed to enhanced clogging of fine macropores by colloids which exhibited higher concentration due to better dispersion by LAS. It can be inferred from this study that the application of LAS-enhanced flushing technique in the purple soil region should be cautious regarding the possibility of rapid colloid-associated contaminant transport via preferential pathways in the subsurface and the clogging of water-conducting soil pores. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Discovery of stimulation-responsive immune enhancers with CRISPR activation

PubMed Central

Simeonov, Dimitre R.; Gowen, Benjamin G.; Boontanrart, Mandy; Roth, Theodore L.; Gagnon, John D.; Mumbach, Maxwell R.; Satpathy, Ansuman T.; Lee, Youjin; Bray, Nicolas L.; Chan, Alice Y.; Lituiev, Dmytro S.; Nguyen, Michelle L.; Gate, Rachel E.; Subramaniam, Meena; Li, Zhongmei; Woo, Jonathan M.; Mitros, Therese; Ray, Graham J.; Curie, Gemma L.; Naddaf, Nicki; Chu, Julia S.; Ma, Hong; Boyer, Eric; Van Gool, Frederic; Huang, Hailiang; Liu, Ruize; Tobin, Victoria R.; Schumann, Kathrin; Daly, Mark J.; Farh, Kyle K; Ansel, K. Mark; Ye, Chun J.; Greenleaf, William J.; Anderson, Mark S.; Bluestone, Jeffrey A.; Chang, Howard Y.; Corn, Jacob E.; Marson, Alexander

2017-01-01

The majority of genetic variants associated with common human diseases map to enhancers, non-coding elements that shape cell-type-specific transcriptional programs and responses to extracellular cues1–3. Systematic mapping of functional enhancers and their biological contexts is required to understand the mechanisms by which variation in non-coding genetic sequences contributes to disease. Functional enhancers can be mapped by genomic sequence disruption4–6, but this approach is limited to the subset of enhancers that are necessary in the particular cellular context being studied. We hypothesized that recruitment of a strong transcriptional activator to an enhancer would be sufficient to drive target gene expression, even if that enhancer was not currently active in the assayed cells. Here we describe a discovery platform that can identify stimulus-responsive enhancers for a target gene independent of stimulus exposure. We used tiled CRISPR activation (CRISPRa)7 to synthetically recruit a transcriptional activator to sites across large genomic regions (more than 100 kilobases) surrounding two key autoimmunity risk loci, CD69 and IL2RA. We identified several CRISPRa-responsive elements with chromatin features of stimulus-responsive enhancers, including an IL2RA enhancer that harbours an autoimmunity risk variant. Using engineered mouse models, we found that sequence perturbation of the disease-associated Il2ra enhancer did not entirely block Il2ra expression, but rather delayed the timing of gene activation in response to specific extracellular signals. Enhancer deletion skewed polarization of naive T cells towards a pro-inflammatory T helper (TH17) cell state and away from a regulatory T cell state. This integrated approach identifies functional enhancers and reveals how non-coding variation associated with human immune dysfunction alters context-specific gene programs. PMID:28854172

Discovery of stimulation-responsive immune enhancers with CRISPR activation.

PubMed

Simeonov, Dimitre R; Gowen, Benjamin G; Boontanrart, Mandy; Roth, Theodore L; Gagnon, John D; Mumbach, Maxwell R; Satpathy, Ansuman T; Lee, Youjin; Bray, Nicolas L; Chan, Alice Y; Lituiev, Dmytro S; Nguyen, Michelle L; Gate, Rachel E; Subramaniam, Meena; Li, Zhongmei; Woo, Jonathan M; Mitros, Therese; Ray, Graham J; Curie, Gemma L; Naddaf, Nicki; Chu, Julia S; Ma, Hong; Boyer, Eric; Van Gool, Frederic; Huang, Hailiang; Liu, Ruize; Tobin, Victoria R; Schumann, Kathrin; Daly, Mark J; Farh, Kyle K; Ansel, K Mark; Ye, Chun J; Greenleaf, William J; Anderson, Mark S; Bluestone, Jeffrey A; Chang, Howard Y; Corn, Jacob E; Marson, Alexander

2017-09-07

The majority of genetic variants associated with common human diseases map to enhancers, non-coding elements that shape cell-type-specific transcriptional programs and responses to extracellular cues. Systematic mapping of functional enhancers and their biological contexts is required to understand the mechanisms by which variation in non-coding genetic sequences contributes to disease. Functional enhancers can be mapped by genomic sequence disruption, but this approach is limited to the subset of enhancers that are necessary in the particular cellular context being studied. We hypothesized that recruitment of a strong transcriptional activator to an enhancer would be sufficient to drive target gene expression, even if that enhancer was not currently active in the assayed cells. Here we describe a discovery platform that can identify stimulus-responsive enhancers for a target gene independent of stimulus exposure. We used tiled CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) to synthetically recruit a transcriptional activator to sites across large genomic regions (more than 100 kilobases) surrounding two key autoimmunity risk loci, CD69 and IL2RA. We identified several CRISPRa-responsive elements with chromatin features of stimulus-responsive enhancers, including an IL2RA enhancer that harbours an autoimmunity risk variant. Using engineered mouse models, we found that sequence perturbation of the disease-associated Il2ra enhancer did not entirely block Il2ra expression, but rather delayed the timing of gene activation in response to specific extracellular signals. Enhancer deletion skewed polarization of naive T cells towards a pro-inflammatory T helper (T H 17) cell state and away from a regulatory T cell state. This integrated approach identifies functional enhancers and reveals how non-coding variation associated with human immune dysfunction alters context-specific gene programs.

Discovery of stimulation-responsive immune enhancers with CRISPR activation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simeonov, Dimitre R.; Gowen, Benjamin G.; Boontanrart, Mandy; Roth, Theodore L.; Gagnon, John D.; Mumbach, Maxwell R.; Satpathy, Ansuman T.; Lee, Youjin; Bray, Nicolas L.; Chan, Alice Y.; Lituiev, Dmytro S.; Nguyen, Michelle L.; Gate, Rachel E.; Subramaniam, Meena; Li, Zhongmei; Woo, Jonathan M.; Mitros, Therese; Ray, Graham J.; Curie, Gemma L.; Naddaf, Nicki; Chu, Julia S.; Ma, Hong; Boyer, Eric; van Gool, Frederic; Huang, Hailiang; Liu, Ruize; Tobin, Victoria R.; Schumann, Kathrin; Daly, Mark J.; Farh, Kyle K.; Ansel, K. Mark; Ye, Chun J.; Greenleaf, William J.; Anderson, Mark S.; Bluestone, Jeffrey A.; Chang, Howard Y.; Corn, Jacob E.; Marson, Alexander

2017-09-01

The majority of genetic variants associated with common human diseases map to enhancers, non-coding elements that shape cell-type-specific transcriptional programs and responses to extracellular cues. Systematic mapping of functional enhancers and their biological contexts is required to understand the mechanisms by which variation in non-coding genetic sequences contributes to disease. Functional enhancers can be mapped by genomic sequence disruption, but this approach is limited to the subset of enhancers that are necessary in the particular cellular context being studied. We hypothesized that recruitment of a strong transcriptional activator to an enhancer would be sufficient to drive target gene expression, even if that enhancer was not currently active in the assayed cells. Here we describe a discovery platform that can identify stimulus-responsive enhancers for a target gene independent of stimulus exposure. We used tiled CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) to synthetically recruit a transcriptional activator to sites across large genomic regions (more than 100 kilobases) surrounding two key autoimmunity risk loci, CD69 and IL2RA. We identified several CRISPRa-responsive elements with chromatin features of stimulus-responsive enhancers, including an IL2RA enhancer that harbours an autoimmunity risk variant. Using engineered mouse models, we found that sequence perturbation of the disease-associated Il2ra enhancer did not entirely block Il2ra expression, but rather delayed the timing of gene activation in response to specific extracellular signals. Enhancer deletion skewed polarization of naive T cells towards a pro-inflammatory T helper (TH17) cell state and away from a regulatory T cell state. This integrated approach identifies functional enhancers and reveals how non-coding variation associated with human immune dysfunction alters context-specific gene programs.

Enhancement factor statistics of surface enhanced Raman scattering in multiscale heterostructures of nanoparticles.

PubMed

Zito, Gianluigi; Rusciano, Giulia; Sasso, Antonio

2016-08-07

Suitable metal nanostructures may induce surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancement factors (EFs) large-enough to reach single-molecule sensitivity. However, the gap hot-spot EF probability density function (PDF) has the character of a long-tail distribution, which dramatically mines the reproducibility of SERS experiments. Herein, we carry out electrodynamic calculations based on a 3D finite element method of two plasmonic nanostructures, combined with Monte Carlo simulations of the EF statistics under different external conditions. We compare the PDF produced by a homodimer of nanoparticles with that provided by a self-similar trimer. We show that the PDF is sensitive to the spatial distribution of near-field enhancement specifically supported by the nanostructure geometry. Breaking the symmetry of the plasmonic system is responsible for inducing particular modulations of the PDF tail resembling a multiple Poisson distribution. We also study the influence that molecular diffusion towards the hottest hot-spot, or selective hot-spot targeting, might have on the EF PDF. Our results quantitatively assess the possibility of designing the response of a SERS substrate so as to contain the intrinsic EF PDF variance and significantly improving, in principle, the reproducibility of SERS experiments.

Credit Enhancement Overview Guide

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

Financing Solutions Working Group

2014-01-01

Provides considerations for state and local policymakers and energy efficiency program administrators designing and implementing successful credit enhancement strategies for residential and commercial buildings.

A Framework for Reproducible Latent Fingerprint Enhancements.

PubMed

Carasso, Alfred S

2014-01-01

Photoshop processing of latent fingerprints is the preferred methodology among law enforcement forensic experts, but that appproach is not fully reproducible and may lead to questionable enhancements. Alternative, independent, fully reproducible enhancements, using IDL Histogram Equalization and IDL Adaptive Histogram Equalization, can produce better-defined ridge structures, along with considerable background information. Applying a systematic slow motion smoothing procedure to such IDL enhancements, based on the rapid FFT solution of a Lévy stable fractional diffusion equation, can attenuate background detail while preserving ridge information. The resulting smoothed latent print enhancements are comparable to, but distinct from, forensic Photoshop images suitable for input into automated fingerprint identification systems, (AFIS). In addition, this progressive smoothing procedure can be reexamined by displaying the suite of progressively smoother IDL images. That suite can be stored, providing an audit trail that allows monitoring for possible loss of useful information, in transit to the user-selected optimal image. Such independent and fully reproducible enhancements provide a valuable frame of reference that may be helpful in informing, complementing, and possibly validating the forensic Photoshop methodology.

A Framework for Reproducible Latent Fingerprint Enhancements

PubMed Central

Carasso, Alfred S.

2014-01-01

Photoshop processing1 of latent fingerprints is the preferred methodology among law enforcement forensic experts, but that appproach is not fully reproducible and may lead to questionable enhancements. Alternative, independent, fully reproducible enhancements, using IDL Histogram Equalization and IDL Adaptive Histogram Equalization, can produce better-defined ridge structures, along with considerable background information. Applying a systematic slow motion smoothing procedure to such IDL enhancements, based on the rapid FFT solution of a Lévy stable fractional diffusion equation, can attenuate background detail while preserving ridge information. The resulting smoothed latent print enhancements are comparable to, but distinct from, forensic Photoshop images suitable for input into automated fingerprint identification systems, (AFIS). In addition, this progressive smoothing procedure can be reexamined by displaying the suite of progressively smoother IDL images. That suite can be stored, providing an audit trail that allows monitoring for possible loss of useful information, in transit to the user-selected optimal image. Such independent and fully reproducible enhancements provide a valuable frame of reference that may be helpful in informing, complementing, and possibly validating the forensic Photoshop methodology. PMID:26601028

Automatic image enhancement based on multi-scale image decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Lu; Wu, Zhuangzhi; Pei, Luo; Long, Xiong

2014-01-01

In image processing and computational photography, automatic image enhancement is one of the long-range objectives. Recently the automatic image enhancement methods not only take account of the globe semantics, like correct color hue and brightness imbalances, but also the local content of the image, such as human face and sky of landscape. In this paper we describe a new scheme for automatic image enhancement that considers both global semantics and local content of image. Our automatic image enhancement method employs the multi-scale edge-aware image decomposition approach to detect the underexposure regions and enhance the detail of the salient content. The experiment results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach compared to existing automatic enhancement methods.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: A Review.

PubMed

Ljungqvist, Olle; Scott, Michael; Fearon, Kenneth C

2017-03-01

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is a paradigm shift in perioperative care, resulting in substantial improvements in clinical outcomes and cost savings. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery is a multimodal, multidisciplinary approach to the care of the surgical patient. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery process implementation involves a team consisting of surgeons, anesthetists, an ERAS coordinator (often a nurse or a physician assistant), and staff from units that care for the surgical patient. The care protocol is based on published evidence. The ERAS Society, an international nonprofit professional society that promotes, develops, and implements ERAS programs, publishes updated guidelines for many operations, such as evidence-based modern care changes from overnight fasting to carbohydrate drinks 2 hours before surgery, minimally invasive approaches instead of large incisions, management of fluids to seek balance rather than large volumes of intravenous fluids, avoidance of or early removal of drains and tubes, early mobilization, and serving of drinks and food the day of the operation. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols have resulted in shorter length of hospital stay by 30% to 50% and similar reductions in complications, while readmissions and costs are reduced. The elements of the protocol reduce the stress of the operation to retain anabolic homeostasis. The ERAS Society conducts structured implementation programs that are currently in use in more than 20 countries. Local ERAS teams from hospitals are trained to implement ERAS processes. Audit of process compliance and patient outcomes are important features. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery started mainly with colorectal surgery but has been shown to improve outcomes in almost all major surgical specialties. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery is an evidence-based care improvement process for surgical patients. Implementation of ERAS programs results in major improvements in clinical outcomes and cost

Strategic Plan for Enhancing Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samman, Elfreda; Omar, Adnan; Belmasrour, Rachid; Alijani, David

2013-01-01

E-learning has evolved over the past years with many universities following the growing trend of incorporating online courses into their institutions. This four year public institution has not been left behind in its quality enhancement plan (QEP). QEP is designed to enhance online learning resulting in an E-focused environment. Surveys of faculty…

SCPS-TP: A Satellite-Enhanced TCP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, Keith; Torgerson, Leigh

2004-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews the Space Communications Protocol Standard Transport Protocol (SCPS-TP) which is a satellite enhanced Transport Control Protocol (TCP). The contents include: 1) Purpose; 2) Background; 3) Stressed Communication Environments; 4) SCPS-TP Features; 5) SCPS-TP Performance; 6) Performance Enhancing Proxies (PEPs); and 7) Ongoing and Future SCPS-TP Work.

Quality Enhancement and Educational Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knight, Peter

2006-01-01

There is a strong international interest in the enhancement of teaching quality. Enhancement is a big job because teaching is an extensive activity. It is a complex job because learning to teach is not, mainly, a formal process: non-formal, practice-based learning is more significant. These two points, extensiveness and practice-based learning,…

Hierarchy within the mammary STAT5-driven Wap super-enhancer.

PubMed

Shin, Ha Youn; Willi, Michaela; HyunYoo, Kyung; Zeng, Xianke; Wang, Chaochen; Metser, Gil; Hennighausen, Lothar

2016-08-01

Super-enhancers comprise dense transcription factor platforms highly enriched for active chromatin marks. A paucity of functional data led us to investigate the role of super-enhancers in the mammary gland, an organ characterized by exceptional gene regulatory dynamics during pregnancy. ChIP-seq analysis for the master regulator STAT5A, the glucocorticoid receptor, H3K27ac and MED1 identified 440 mammary-specific super-enhancers, half of which were associated with genes activated during pregnancy. We interrogated the Wap super-enhancer, generating mice carrying mutations in STAT5-binding sites within its constituent enhancers. Individually, the most distal site displayed the greatest enhancer activity. However, combinatorial mutation analysis showed that the 1,000-fold induction in gene expression during pregnancy relied on all enhancers. Disabling the binding sites of STAT5, NFIB and ELF5 in the proximal enhancer incapacitated the entire super-enhancer. Altogether, these data suggest a temporal and functional enhancer hierarchy. The identification of mammary-specific super-enhancers and the mechanistic exploration of the Wap locus provide insights into the regulation of cell-type-specific expression of hormone-sensing genes.

Entanglement enhancement in multimode integrated circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Léger, Zacharie M.; Brodutch, Aharon; Helmy, Amr S.

2018-06-01

The faithful distribution of entanglement in continuous-variable systems is essential to many quantum information protocols. As such, entanglement distillation and enhancement schemes are a cornerstone of many applications. The photon subtraction scheme offers enhancement with a relatively simple setup and has been studied in various scenarios. Motivated by recent advances in integrated optics, particularly the ability to build stable multimode interferometers with squeezed input states, a multimodal extension to the enhancement via photon subtraction protocol is studied. States generated with multiple squeezed input states, rather than a single input source, are shown to be more sensitive to the enhancement protocol, leading to increased entanglement at the output. Numerical results show the gain in entanglement is not monotonic with the number of modes or the degree of squeezing in the additional modes. Consequently, the advantage due to having multiple squeezed input states can be maximized when the number of modes is still relatively small (e.g., four). The requirement for additional squeezing is within the current realm of implementation, making this scheme achievable with present technologies.

Limits to human enhancement: nature, disease, therapy or betterment?

PubMed

Hofmann, Bjørn

2017-10-10

New technologies facilitate the enhancement of a wide range of human dispositions, capacities, or abilities. While it is argued that we need to set limits to human enhancement, it is unclear where we should find resources to set such limits. Traditional routes for setting limits, such as referring to nature, the therapy-enhancement distinction, and the health-disease distinction, turn out to have some shortcomings. However, upon closer scrutiny the concept of enhancement is based on vague conceptions of what is to be enhanced. Explaining why it is better to become older, stronger, and more intelligent presupposes a clear conception of goodness, which is seldom provided. In particular, the qualitative better is frequently confused with the quantitative more. We may therefore not need "external" measures for setting its limits - they are available in the concept of enhancement itself. While there may be shortcomings in traditional sources of limit setting to human enhancement, such as nature, therapy, and disease, such approaches may not be necessary. The specification-of-betterment problem inherent in the conception of human enhancement itself provides means to restrict its unwarranted proliferation. We only need to demand clear, sustainable, obtainable goals for enhancement that are based on evidence, and not on lofty speculations, hypes, analogies, or weak associations. Human enhancements that specify what will become better, and provide adequate evidence, are good and should be pursued. Others should not be accepted.

Cognitive Enhancers for Anxiety Disorders

PubMed Central

Hofmann, Stefan G.; Smits, Jasper A. J.; Asnaani, Anu; Gutner, Cassidy A.; Otto, Michael W.

2010-01-01

Cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective intervention for anxiety disorders. However, a significant number of people do not respond or only show partial response even after an adequate course of the treatment. Recent research has shown that the efficacy of the intervention can be improved by the use of cognitive enhancers that augment the core learning processes of cognitive-behavior therapy. This manuscript provides a review of the current state of cognitive enhancers for the treatment of anxiety disorders. PMID:21134394

Enhancing Communication in Noisy Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-01

derived from the ITD and ILD cues, which are binaural . ITD depends on the azimuthal position of the source. Similarly, ILD refers to the fact...4.4 dB No Perceptual Binaural Speech Enhancement [42] 4.5 dB Yes Fuzzy Cocktail Party Processor [25] 7.5 dB Yes Binaural segregation [43] 8.9 dB No...modulation. IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks. 15 (2004): 1135-50. [42] Dong R. Perceptual Binaural Speech Enhancement in Noisy Environments. M.A.Sc

Enhanced Engine Control for Emergency Operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litt, Jonathan S.

2012-01-01

C-MAPSS40k engine simulation has been developed and is available to the public. The authenticity of the engine performance and controller enabled the development of realistic enhanced control modes through controller modification alone. Use of enhanced control modes improved stability and control of an impaired aircraft. - Fast Response is useful for manual manipulation of the throttles - Use of Fast Response improved stability as part of a yaw rate feedback system. - Use of Overthrust shortened takeoff distance, but was generally useful in flight, too. Initial lack of pilot familiarity resulted in discomfort, especially with yaw rate feedback, but that was the only drawback, overall the pilot found the enhanced modes very helpful.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering on tunable plasmonic nanoparticle substrates

PubMed Central

Jackson, J. B.; Halas, N. J.

2004-01-01

Au and Ag nanoshells are investigated as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). We find that SERS enhancements on nanoshell films are dramatically different from those observed on colloidal aggregates, specifically that the Raman enhancement follows the plasmon resonance of the individual nanoparticles. Comparative finite difference time domain calculations of fields at the surface of smooth and roughened nanoshells reveal that surface roughness contributes only slightly to the total enhancement. SERS enhancements as large as 2.5 × 1010 on Ag nanoshell films for the nonresonant molecule p-mercaptoaniline are measured. PMID:15608058

Method for enhancing amidohydrolase activity of fatty acid amide hydrolase

DOEpatents

John, George; Nagarajan, Subbiah; Chapman, Kent; Faure, Lionel; Koulen, Peter

2016-10-25

A method for enhancing amidohydrolase activity of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) is disclosed. The method comprising administering a phenoxyacylethanolamide that causes the enhanced activity. The enhanced activity can have numerous effects on biological organisms including, for example, enhancing the growth of certain seedlings. The subject matter disclosed herein relates to enhancers of amidohydrolase activity.

Plasmonic nanoparticles enhanced dye-sensitized solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Qi; Liu, Fang; Meng, Weisi; Huang, Yidong

2013-12-01

Here we present investigations on utilizing two kinds of plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) to enhance the efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The Au@PVP NPs is proposed and present the specialty of adhesiveness to dye molecules, which could help to localize additional dye molecules near the plasmonic NPs, hence increasing the optical absorption consequently the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the DSCs by 30% from 3.3% to 4.3%. Meanwhile, an irregular Au-Ag alloy popcorn-shaped NPs (popcorn NPs) with plenty of fine structures is also proposed and realized to enhance the light absorption of DSC. A pronounced absorption enhancement in a broadband wavelength range is observed due to the excitation of localized surface plasmon at different wavelengths. The PCE is enhanced by 32% from 5.94% to 7.85%.

Enhanced diffusion on oscillating surfaces through synchronization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jin; Cao, Wei; Ma, Ming; Zheng, Quanshui

2018-02-01

The diffusion of molecules and clusters under nanoscale confinement or absorbed on surfaces is the key controlling factor in dynamical processes such as transport, chemical reaction, or filtration. Enhancing diffusion could benefit these processes by increasing their transport efficiency. Using a nonlinear Langevin equation with an extensive number of simulations, we find a large enhancement in diffusion through surface oscillation. For helium confined in a narrow carbon nanotube, the diffusion enhancement is estimated to be over three orders of magnitude. A synchronization mechanism between the kinetics of the particles and the oscillating surface is revealed. Interestingly, a highly nonlinear negative correlation between diffusion coefficient and temperature is predicted based on this mechanism, and further validated by simulations. Our results provide a general and efficient method for enhancing diffusion, especially at low temperatures.

Enhanced insulin signaling in density-enhanced phosphatase-1 (DEP-1) knockout mice.

PubMed

Krüger, Janine; Brachs, Sebastian; Trappiel, Manuela; Kintscher, Ulrich; Meyborg, Heike; Wellnhofer, Ernst; Thöne-Reineke, Christa; Stawowy, Philipp; Östman, Arne; Birkenfeld, Andreas L; Böhmer, Frank D; Kappert, Kai

2015-04-01

Insulin resistance can be triggered by enhanced dephosphorylation of the insulin receptor or downstream components in the insulin signaling cascade through protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs). Downregulating density-enhanced phosphatase-1 (DEP-1) resulted in an improved metabolic status in previous analyses. This phenotype was primarily caused by hepatic DEP-1 reduction. Here we further elucidated the role of DEP-1 in glucose homeostasis by employing a conventional knockout model to explore the specific contribution of DEP-1 in metabolic tissues. Ptprj (-/-) (DEP-1 deficient) and wild-type C57BL/6 mice were fed a low-fat or high-fat diet. Metabolic phenotyping was combined with analyses of phosphorylation patterns of insulin signaling components. Additionally, experiments with skeletal muscle cells and muscle tissue were performed to assess the role of DEP-1 for glucose uptake. High-fat diet fed-Ptprj (-/-) mice displayed enhanced insulin sensitivity and improved glucose tolerance. Furthermore, leptin levels and blood pressure were reduced in Ptprj (-/-) mice. DEP-1 deficiency resulted in increased phosphorylation of components of the insulin signaling cascade in liver, skeletal muscle and adipose tissue after insulin challenge. The beneficial effect on glucose homeostasis in vivo was corroborated by increased glucose uptake in skeletal muscle cells in which DEP-1 was downregulated, and in skeletal muscle of Ptprj (-/-) mice. Together, these data establish DEP-1 as novel negative regulator of insulin signaling.

Hierarchy within the mammary STAT5-driven Wap super-enhancer

PubMed Central

Zeng, Xianke; Wang, Chaochen; Metser, Gil; Hennighausen, Lothar

2016-01-01

Super-enhancers comprise of dense transcription factor platforms highly enriched for active chromatin marks. A paucity of functional data led us to investigate their role in the mammary gland, an organ characterized by exceptional gene regulatory dynamics during pregnancy. ChIP-Seq for the master regulator STAT5, the glucocorticoid receptor, H3K27ac and MED1, identified 440 mammary-specific super-enhancers, half of which were associated with genes activated during pregnancy. We interrogated the Wap super-enhancer, generating mice carrying mutations in STAT5 binding sites within its three constituent enhancers. Individually, only the most distal site displayed significant enhancer activity. However, combinatorial mutations showed that the 1,000-fold gene induction relied on all enhancers. Disabling the binding sites of STAT5, NFIB and ELF5 in the proximal enhancer incapacitated the entire super-enhancer, suggesting an enhancer hierarchy. The identification of mammary-specific super-enhancers and the mechanistic exploration of the Wap locus provide insight into the complexity of cell-specific and hormone-regulated genes. PMID:27376239

Bandwidth enhancement of dielectric resonator antennas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Richard Q.; Simons, Rainee N.

1993-01-01

An experimental investigation of bandwidth enhancement of dielectric resonator antennas (DRA) using parasitic elements is reported. Substantial bandwidth enhancement for the HE(sub 11delta) mode of the stacked geometry and for the HE(sub 13delta) mode of the coplanar collinear geometry was demonstrated. Excellent radiation patterns for the HE(sub 11delta) mode were also recorded.

Enhanced attention amplifies face adaptation.

PubMed

Rhodes, Gillian; Jeffery, Linda; Evangelista, Emma; Ewing, Louise; Peters, Marianne; Taylor, Libby

2011-08-15

Perceptual adaptation not only produces striking perceptual aftereffects, but also enhances coding efficiency and discrimination by calibrating coding mechanisms to prevailing inputs. Attention to simple stimuli increases adaptation, potentially enhancing its functional benefits. Here we show that attention also increases adaptation to faces. In Experiment 1, face identity aftereffects increased when attention to adapting faces was increased using a change detection task. In Experiment 2, figural (distortion) face aftereffects increased when attention was increased using a snap game (detecting immediate repeats) during adaptation. Both were large effects. Contributions of low-level adaptation were reduced using free viewing (both experiments) and a size change between adapt and test faces (Experiment 2). We suggest that attention may enhance adaptation throughout the entire cortical visual pathway, with functional benefits well beyond the immediate advantages of selective processing of potentially important stimuli. These results highlight the potential to facilitate adaptive updating of face-coding mechanisms by strategic deployment of attentional resources. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhancing Stent Effectiveness with Nanofeatures

PubMed Central

Bassous, Nicole; Cooke, John P.; Webster, Thomas J.

2016-01-01

Drug-eluting stents are an effective therapy for symptomatic arterial obstructions, substantially reducing the incidence of restenosis by suppressing the migration and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells into the intima. However, current drug-eluting stents also inhibit the growth of endothelial cells, which are required to cover the vascular stent to reduce an excessive inflammatory response. As a result, the endothelial lining of the lumen is not regenerated. Since the loss of this homeostatic monolayer increases the risk of thrombosis, patients with drug-eluting stents require long-term antithrombotic therapy. Thus, there is a need for improved devices with enhanced effectiveness and physiological compatibility towards endothelial cells. Current developments in nanomaterials may enhance the function of commercially available vascular devices. In particular, modified design schemes might incorporate nanopatterns or nanoparticle-eluting features that reduce restenosis and enhance re-endothelialization. The intent of this review is to discuss emerging nanotechnologies that will improve the performance of vascular stents. PMID:27826371

Image enhancement by holography.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stroke, G. W.

1973-01-01

The speed of the holographic image deblurring method has recently been further enhanced by a new speed in the realization of the powerful holographic image-deblurring filter. The filter makes it possible to carry out the deblurring, in the optical computer used, in times of the order of one second. The experimental achievements using the holographic image-enhancement method are illustrated with examples ranging from out-of-focus or motion-blurred photographs, including 'amateur' photos recorded on Polaroid film, to the sharpening of the best available electron micrographs of viruses. Images recorded with X-rays, notably from rocket-borne photos of the sun, and out-of-focus photographs from cameras in NASA satellites have been similarly deblurred.

Enhancement of fear memory by retrieval through reconsolidation

PubMed Central

Fukushima, Hotaka; Zhang, Yue; Archbold, Georgia; Ishikawa, Rie; Nader, Karim; Kida, Satoshi

2014-01-01

Memory retrieval is considered to have roles in memory enhancement. Recently, memory reconsolidation was suggested to reinforce or integrate new information into reactivated memory. Here, we show that reactivated inhibitory avoidance (IA) memory is enhanced through reconsolidation under conditions in which memory extinction is not induced. This memory enhancement is mediated by neurons in the amygdala, hippocampus, and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) through the simultaneous activation of calcineurin-induced proteasome-dependent protein degradation and cAMP responsive element binding protein-mediated gene expression. Interestingly, the amygdala is required for memory reconsolidation and enhancement, whereas the hippocampus and mPFC are required for only memory enhancement. Furthermore, memory enhancement triggered by retrieval utilizes distinct mechanisms to strengthen IA memory by additional learning that depends only on the amygdala. Our findings indicate that reconsolidation functions to strengthen the original memory and show the dynamic nature of reactivated memory through protein degradation and gene expression in multiple brain regions. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02736.001 PMID:24963141

Large enhancement of superconductivity in Zr point contacts.

PubMed

Aslam, Mohammad; Singh, Chandan; Das, Shekhar; Kumar, Ritesh; Datta, Soumya; Halder, Soumyadip; Gayen, Sirshendu; Kabir, Mukul; Sheet, Goutam

2018-04-30

For certain complex superconducting systems, the superconducting properties get enhanced under mesoscopic point contacts made of elemental non-superconducting metals. However, understanding of the mechanism through which such contact induced local enhancement of superconductivity happens has been limited due to the complex nature of such compounds. In this paper we present a large enhancement of superconducting transition temperature (T_c) and superconducting energy gap (Δ) in a simple elemental superconductor Zr. While bulk Zr shows a critical temperature around 0.6K, superconductivity survives at Ag/Zr and Pt/Zr point contacts up to 3K with a corresponding five-fold enhancement of Δ. Further, the first-principles calculations on a model system provide useful insights. We show that the enhancement in superconducting properties can be attributed to a modification in the electron-phonon coupling accompanied by an enhancement of the density of states which involves the appearance of a new electron band at the Ag/Zr interfaces. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Plasmon enhanced terahertz emission from single layer graphene.

PubMed

Bahk, Young-Mi; Ramakrishnan, Gopakumar; Choi, Jongho; Song, Hyelynn; Choi, Geunchang; Kim, Yong Hyup; Ahn, Kwang Jun; Kim, Dai-Sik; Planken, Paul C M

2014-09-23

We show that surface plasmons, excited with femtosecond laser pulses on continuous or discontinuous gold substrates, strongly enhance the generation and emission of ultrashort, broadband terahertz pulses from single layer graphene. Without surface plasmon excitation, for graphene on glass, 'nonresonant laser-pulse-induced photon drag currents' appear to be responsible for the relatively weak emission of both s- and p-polarized terahertz pulses. For graphene on a discontinuous layer of gold, only the emission of the p-polarized terahertz electric field is enhanced, whereas the s-polarized component remains largely unaffected, suggesting the presence of an additional terahertz generation mechanism. We argue that in the latter case, 'surface-plasmon-enhanced optical rectification', made possible by the lack of inversion symmetry at the graphene on gold surface, is responsible for the strongly enhanced emission. The enhancement occurs because the electric field of surface plasmons is localized and enhanced where the graphene is located: at the surface of the metal. We believe that our results point the way to small, thin, and more efficient terahertz photonic devices.

Nanoantenna-Enhanced Infrared Spectroscopic Chemical Imaging.

PubMed

Kühner, Lucca; Hentschel, Mario; Zschieschang, Ute; Klauk, Hagen; Vogt, Jochen; Huck, Christian; Giessen, Harald; Neubrech, Frank

2017-05-26

Spectroscopic infrared chemical imaging is ideally suited for label-free and spatially resolved characterization of molecular species, but often suffers from low infrared absorption cross sections. Here, we overcome this limitation by utilizing confined electromagnetic near-fields of resonantly excited plasmonic nanoantennas, which enhance the molecular absorption by orders of magnitude. In the experiments, we evaporate microstructured chemical patterns of C 60 and pentacene with nanometer thickness on top of homogeneous arrays of tailored nanoantennas. Broadband mid-infrared spectra containing plasmonic and vibrational information were acquired with diffraction-limited resolution using a two-dimensional focal plane array detector. Evaluating the enhanced infrared absorption at the respective frequencies, spatially resolved chemical images were obtained. In these chemical images, the microstructured chemical patterns are only visible if nanoantennas are used. This confirms the superior performance of our approach over conventional spectroscopic infrared imaging. In addition to the improved sensitivity, our technique provides chemical selectivity, which would not be available with plasmonic imaging that is based on refractive index sensing. To extend the accessible spectral bandwidth of nanoantenna-enhanced spectroscopic imaging, we employed nanostructures with dual-band resonances, providing broadband plasmonic enhancement and sensitivity. Our results demonstrate the potential of nanoantenna-enhanced spectroscopic infrared chemical imaging for spatially resolved characterization of organic layers with thicknesses of several nanometers. This is of potential interest for medical applications which are currently hampered by state-of-art infrared techniques, e.g., for distinguishing cancerous from healthy tissues.

Video enhancement of X-ray and neutron radiographs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vary, A.

1973-01-01

System was devised for displaying radiographs on television screen and enhancing fine detail in picture. System uses analog-computer circuits to process television signal from low-noise television camera. Enhanced images are displayed in black and white and can be controlled to vary degree of enhancement and magnification of details in either radiographic transparencies or opaque photographs.

DEEP: a general computational framework for predicting enhancers

PubMed Central

Kleftogiannis, Dimitrios; Kalnis, Panos; Bajic, Vladimir B.

2015-01-01

Transcription regulation in multicellular eukaryotes is orchestrated by a number of DNA functional elements located at gene regulatory regions. Some regulatory regions (e.g. enhancers) are located far away from the gene they affect. Identification of distal regulatory elements is a challenge for the bioinformatics research. Although existing methodologies increased the number of computationally predicted enhancers, performance inconsistency of computational models across different cell-lines, class imbalance within the learning sets and ad hoc rules for selecting enhancer candidates for supervised learning, are some key questions that require further examination. In this study we developed DEEP, a novel ensemble prediction framework. DEEP integrates three components with diverse characteristics that streamline the analysis of enhancer's properties in a great variety of cellular conditions. In our method we train many individual classification models that we combine to classify DNA regions as enhancers or non-enhancers. DEEP uses features derived from histone modification marks or attributes coming from sequence characteristics. Experimental results indicate that DEEP performs better than four state-of-the-art methods on the ENCODE data. We report the first computational enhancer prediction results on FANTOM5 data where DEEP achieves 90.2% accuracy and 90% geometric mean (GM) of specificity and sensitivity across 36 different tissues. We further present results derived using in vivo-derived enhancer data from VISTA database. DEEP-VISTA, when tested on an independent test set, achieved GM of 80.1% and accuracy of 89.64%. DEEP framework is publicly available at http://cbrc.kaust.edu.sa/deep/. PMID:25378307

Transcriptional Dysregulation of MYC Reveals Common Enhancer-Docking Mechanism.

PubMed

Schuijers, Jurian; Manteiga, John Colonnese; Weintraub, Abraham Selby; Day, Daniel Sindt; Zamudio, Alicia Viridiana; Hnisz, Denes; Lee, Tong Ihn; Young, Richard Allen

2018-04-10

Transcriptional dysregulation of the MYC oncogene is among the most frequent events in aggressive tumor cells, and this is generally accomplished by acquisition of a super-enhancer somewhere within the 2.8 Mb TAD where MYC resides. We find that these diverse cancer-specific super-enhancers, differing in size and location, interact with the MYC gene through a common and conserved CTCF binding site located 2 kb upstream of the MYC promoter. Genetic perturbation of this enhancer-docking site in tumor cells reduces CTCF binding, super-enhancer interaction, MYC gene expression, and cell proliferation. CTCF binding is highly sensitive to DNA methylation, and this enhancer-docking site, which is hypomethylated in diverse cancers, can be inactivated through epigenetic editing with dCas9-DNMT. Similar enhancer-docking sites occur at other genes, including genes with prominent roles in multiple cancers, suggesting a mechanism by which tumor cell oncogenes can generally hijack enhancers. These results provide insights into mechanisms that allow a single target gene to be regulated by diverse enhancer elements in different cell types. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Balance Contrast Enhancement using piecewise linear stretching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahavan, R. V.; Govil, R. C.

1993-04-01

Balance Contrast Enhancement is one of the techniques employed to produce color composites with increased color contrast. It equalizes the three images used for color composition in range and mean. This results in a color composite with large variation in hue. Here, it is shown that piecewise linear stretching can be used for performing the Balance Contrast Enhancement. In comparison with the Balance Contrast Enhancement Technique using parabolic segment as transfer function (BCETP), the method presented here is algorithmically simple, constraint-free and produces comparable results.

Contrast Enhancement Algorithm Based on Gap Adjustment for Histogram Equalization

PubMed Central

Chiu, Chung-Cheng; Ting, Chih-Chung

2016-01-01

Image enhancement methods have been widely used to improve the visual effects of images. Owing to its simplicity and effectiveness histogram equalization (HE) is one of the methods used for enhancing image contrast. However, HE may result in over-enhancement and feature loss problems that lead to unnatural look and loss of details in the processed images. Researchers have proposed various HE-based methods to solve the over-enhancement problem; however, they have largely ignored the feature loss problem. Therefore, a contrast enhancement algorithm based on gap adjustment for histogram equalization (CegaHE) is proposed. It refers to a visual contrast enhancement algorithm based on histogram equalization (VCEA), which generates visually pleasing enhanced images, and improves the enhancement effects of VCEA. CegaHE adjusts the gaps between two gray values based on the adjustment equation, which takes the properties of human visual perception into consideration, to solve the over-enhancement problem. Besides, it also alleviates the feature loss problem and further enhances the textures in the dark regions of the images to improve the quality of the processed images for human visual perception. Experimental results demonstrate that CegaHE is a reliable method for contrast enhancement and that it significantly outperforms VCEA and other methods. PMID:27338412

Sports medicine: performance-enhancing drugs.

PubMed

Gregory, Andrew J M; Fitch, Robert W

2007-08-01

Performance-enhancing drugs, ergogenic aids, or sports supplements have been a part of sports since sporting competition began and likely always will be. Considered cheating by purists and necessary by some athletes, we must accept the fact that they are used, understand why they are used, and study how to prevent their use to institute change. This article summarizes current information regarding the use of performance-enhancing drugs in young athletes and provides proven prevention strategies for instituting a program in your local schools.

Investigation of an electronic image enhancer for radiographs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vary, A.

1972-01-01

Radiographs of nuclear and aerospace components were studied with a closed-circuit television system to determine the advantages of electronic enhancement in radiographic nondestructive evaluation. The radiographic images were examined on a television monitor under various degrees of magnification and enhancement. The enhancement was accomplished by generating a video signal whose amplitude is proportional to the rate of change of density. Points, lines, edges, and other density variations that are faintly registered in the original image are rendered in sharp relief. Examples of the applications of this mode of enhancement are discussed together with the system's dynamic response and resolution.

Investigation of an electronic image enhancer for radiographs.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vary, A.

1972-01-01

Radiographs of nuclear and aerospace components were studied with a closed-circuit television system to determine the advantages of electronic enhancement in radiographic nondestructive evaluation. The radiographic images were examined on a television monitor under various degrees of magnification and enhancement. The enhancement was accomplished by generating a video signal whose amplitude is proportional to the rate of change of density. Points, lines, edges, and other density variations that are faintly registered in the original image are rendered in sharp relief. Examples of the applications of this mode of enhancement are discussed together with the system's dynamic response and resolution.

Low enhancement on multiphase contrast-enhanced CT images: an independent predictor of the presence of high tumor grade of clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

PubMed

Zhu, Ye-Hua; Wang, Xun; Zhang, Jin; Chen, Yong-Hui; Kong, Wen; Huang, Yi-Ran

2014-09-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the relation between tumor enhancement on multiphase contrast-enhanced CT images and Fuhrman grade of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. A single-institution retrospective review was conducted on the records of 255 patients who underwent radical or partial nephrectomy and received a histologic diagnosis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Two radiologists recorded the radiographic features of each patient, including the attenuation value of the lesion, lesion size, calcification within the lesion, cystic versus solid appearance, and margin regularity. Parameters representing the extent of tumor enhancement were defined and calculated. The association between tumor enhancement and Fuhrman grade was analyzed, and multivariate analysis was performed to find independent predictors of high tumor grade. Significant differences existed in tumor enhancement among different Fuhrman grades (p < 0.001). High-grade tumors had significantly lower enhancement (p < 0.001). The enhancement parameter had a sensitivity of 0.84 and specificity of 0.93 in prediction of high tumor grade. In the multivariate analysis, more advanced age, irregular margin, and low tumor enhancement were the three independent predictors of high tumor grade. Tumor enhancement of clear cell renal cell carcinoma on multiphase contrast-enhanced CT images is associated with Fuhrman grade. Low tumor enhancement in the corticomedullary phase is an independent predictor of high tumor grade. This system may be helpful in clinical decision making about the care of patients treated by nonsurgical approaches.

Degree of Enhancement on Contrast Enhanced Spectral Mammography (CESM) and Lesion Type on Mammography (MG): Comparison Based on Histological Results

PubMed Central

Łuczyńska, Elżbieta; Niemiec, Joanna; Hendrick, Edward; Heinze, Sylwia; Jaszczyński, Janusz; Jakubowicz, Jerzy; Sas-Korczyńska, Beata; Rys, Janusz

2016-01-01

Background Contrast enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) is a new method of breast cancer diagnosis in which an iodinated contrast agent is injected and dual-energy mammography is obtained in multiple views of the breasts. The aim of this study was to compare the degree of enhancement on CESM with lesion characteristics on mammography (MG) and lesion histology in women with suspicious breast lesions. Material/Methods The degree of enhancement on CESM (absent, weak, medium, or strong) was compared to lesion characteristics on MG (mass, mass with microcalcifications, or microcalcifications alone) and histology (infiltrating carcinoma, intraductal carcinoma, or benign) to compare sensitivity of the two modalities and to establish correlations that might improve diagnostic accuracy. Results Among 225 lesions identified with CESM and MG, histological evaluation revealed 143 carcinomas (127 infiltrating, 16 intraductal) and 82 benign lesions. This is the largest cohort investigated with CESM to date. The sensitivity of CESM was higher than that of MG (100% and 90%, respectively, p=0.010). Medium or strong enhancement on CESM and the presence of a mass on MG was the most likely indictor of malignancy (55.1% p=0.002). Among benign lesions, 60% presented as enhancement on CESM (were false-positive), and most frequently as medium or weak enhancement, together with a mass on MG (53%, p=0.047). Unfortunately, the study did not find combinations of MG findings and CESM enhancement patterns that would be helpful in defining false-positive lesions. We observed systematic overestimation of maximum lesion diameter on CESM compared to histology (mean difference: 2.29 mm). Conclusions Strong or medium enhancement on CESM and mass or mass with microcalcifications on MG were strong indicators of malignant transformation. However, we found no combination of MG and CESM characteristics helpful in defining false-positive lesions. PMID:27768681

Degree of Enhancement on Contrast Enhanced Spectral Mammography (CESM) and Lesion Type on Mammography (MG): Comparison Based on Histological Results.

PubMed

Łuczyńska, Elżbieta; Niemiec, Joanna; Hendrick, Edward; Heinze, Sylwia; Jaszczyński, Janusz; Jakubowicz, Jerzy; Sas-Korczyńska, Beata; Rys, Janusz

2016-10-21

BACKGROUND Contrast enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) is a new method of breast cancer diagnosis in which an iodinated contrast agent is injected and dual-energy mammography is obtained in multiple views of the breasts. The aim of this study was to compare the degree of enhancement on CESM with lesion characteristics on mammography (MG) and lesion histology in women with suspicious breast lesions. MATERIAL AND METHODS The degree of enhancement on CESM (absent, weak, medium, or strong) was compared to lesion characteristics on MG (mass, mass with microcalcifications, or microcalcifications alone) and histology (infiltrating carcinoma, intraductal carcinoma, or benign) to compare sensitivity of the two modalities and to establish correlations that might improve diagnostic accuracy. RESULTS Among 225 lesions identified with CESM and MG, histological evaluation revealed 143 carcinomas (127 infiltrating, 16 intraductal) and 82 benign lesions. This is the largest cohort investigated with CESM to date. The sensitivity of CESM was higher than that of MG (100% and 90%, respectively, p=0.010). Medium or strong enhancement on CESM and the presence of a mass on MG was the most likely indictor of malignancy (55.1% p=0.002). Among benign lesions, 60% presented as enhancement on CESM (were false-positive), and most frequently as medium or weak enhancement, together with a mass on MG (53%, p=0.047). Unfortunately, the study did not find combinations of MG findings and CESM enhancement patterns that would be helpful in defining false-positive lesions. We observed systematic overestimation of maximum lesion diameter on CESM compared to histology (mean difference: 2.29 mm). CONCLUSIONS Strong or medium enhancement on CESM and mass or mass with microcalcifications on MG were strong indicators of malignant transformation. However, we found no combination of MG and CESM characteristics helpful in defining false-positive lesions.

Effectiveness of resource-enhancing family-oriented intervention.

PubMed

Häggman-Laitila, Arja; Tanninen, Hanna-Mari; Pietilä, Anna-Maija

2010-09-01

The purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of a resource-enhancing family-oriented intervention. There is very little empirical knowledge of how nurses working in a home context develop relationships with families, what methods they use to enhance families' resources and how such relationships affect the families' health outcomes. The study was designed as a descriptive service evaluation. A total of 129 family members from 30 families with small children participated in the study. Data were collected with family care plans and client reports in 2004-2005. Data were analysed by qualitative content analysis and by descriptive statistical methods. Resource-enhancing discussions were carried out in all family meetings. Other methods were video guidance, creation of a family tree and parents' role map, network collaboration, observation and parent-child group activity. The families needed support mostly in parents' health and well-being, coping with parenthood, upbringing and child care, parents' relationships, social relations and children's health and growth. The families had an average of five support needs at the beginning of the intervention and 1·8 needs at the completion. The families set on average 3·6 and achieved 4·5 goals during the family nursing process. The resource-enhancing family nursing can be used for supporting parenthood, the raising of and caring for the children, strengthening of social support networks, decreasing the need for support from the authorities and enhancing the parents' resources to manage the duties related to their work and studies. The study resulted in empirically based concepts that can be used in the future to construct instruments to evaluate the effectiveness of resource-enhancing family nursing from the perspective of families and family health. The findings add to our professional understanding of resource-enhancing family nursing. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers – Current Perspectives

PubMed Central

Kumar, Kuldip; Anand, Kuljeet Singh

2015-01-01

Cognition refers to the mental processes involved in thinking, knowing, remembering, judging, and problem solving. Cognitive dysfunctions are an integral part of neuropsychiatric disorders as well as in healthy ageing. Cognitive Enhancers are molecules that help improve aspects of cognition like memory, intelligence, motivation, attention and concentration. Recently, Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers have gained popularity as effective and safe alternative to various established drugs. Many of these Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers seem to be more efficacious compared to currently available Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers. This review describes and summarizes evidence on various Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers such as physical exercise, sleep, meditation and yoga, spirituality, nutrients, computer training, brain stimulation, and music. We also discuss their role in ageing and different neuro-psychiatric disorders, and current status of Cochrane database recommendations. We searched the Pubmed database for the articles and reviews having the terms ‘non pharmacological and cognitive’ in the title, published from 2000 till 2014. A total of 11 results displayed, out of which 10 were relevant to the review. These were selected and reviewed. Appropriate cross-references within the articles along with Cochrane reviews were also considered and studied. PMID:26393186

Enhanced Time Out: An Improved Communication Process.

PubMed

Nelson, Patricia E

2017-06-01

An enhanced time out is an improved communication process initiated to prevent such surgical errors as wrong-site, wrong-procedure, or wrong-patient surgery. The enhanced time out at my facility mandates participation from all members of the surgical team and requires designated members to respond to specified time out elements on the surgical safety checklist. The enhanced time out incorporated at my facility expands upon the safety measures from the World Health Organization's surgical safety checklist and ensures that all personnel involved in a surgical intervention perform a final check of relevant information. Initiating the enhanced time out at my facility was intended to improve communication and teamwork among surgical team members and provide a highly reliable safety process to prevent wrong-site, wrong-procedure, and wrong-patient surgery. Copyright © 2017 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhanced processive cellulases

DOEpatents

Adney, William S.; Beckham, Gregg T.; Jarvis, Eric; Himmel, Michael E.; Decker, Stephen R.; Linger, Jeffrey G.; Podkaminer, Kara; Baker, John O.; Taylor, II, Larry; Xu, Qi; Singh, Arjun

2017-06-20

Nucleic acid sequences encoding chimeric polypeptides that exhibit enhanced cellulase activities are disclosed herein. These nucleic acids may be expressed in hosts such as fungi, which in turn may be cultured to produce chimeric polypeptides. Also disclosed are chimeric polypeptides and their use in the degradation of cellulosic materials.

Music Enhances Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campabello, Nicolette; De Carlo, Mary Jane; O'Neil, Jean; Vacek, Mary Jill

An action research project implemented musical strategies to affect and enhance student recall and memory. The target population was three suburban elementary schools near a major midwestern city: (1) a kindergarten classroom contained 32-38 students; (2) a second grade classroom contained 23 students and five Individualized Education Program…

Enhancing Workgroup Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1998

This document contains four papers from a symposium on enhancing workgroup performance in human resource development (HRD). "Formation of Cross-Cultural Global Teams: Making Informed Choices on Team Composition" (Robert L. Dilworth) describes how a mixed class of U.S. and international students identified their cultural and learning…

Performance-enhancing drug use in young athletes.

PubMed

Laos, Carla; Metzl, Jordan D

2006-10-01

This article explores the issue of performance-enhancing drug use in adolescent athletes. The article describes current substances that are being used by adolescent athletes, explains their positive and negative effects, examines factors contributing to their increased use in adolescent athletes, and discusses approaches to educating adolescents about alternate means of enhancing their athletic performance. It is hoped that this information will be useful toward encouraging young athletes to pursue, safe, healthy, and natural means of performance enhancement, such as practice and strength training, to improve sports performance in a safe, effective manner.

Dual-Energy Contrast-Enhanced Spectral Mammography: Enhancement Analysis on BI-RADS 4 Non-Mass Microcalcifications in Screened Women.

PubMed

Cheung, Yun-Chung; Juan, Yu-Hsiang; Lin, Yu-Ching; Lo, Yung-Feng; Tsai, Hsiu-Pei; Ueng, Shir-Hwa; Chen, Shin-Cheh

2016-01-01

Mammography screening is a cost-efficient modality with high sensitivity for detecting impalpable cancer with microcalcifications, and results in reduced mortality rates. However, the probability of finding microcalcifications without associated cancerous masses varies. We retrospectively evaluated the diagnosis and cancer probability of the non-mass screened microcalcifications by dual-energy contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (DE-CESM). With ethical approval from our hospital, we enrolled the cases of DE-CESM for analysis under the following inclusion criteria: (1) referrals due to screened BI-RADS 4 microcalcifications; (2) having DE-CESM prior to stereotactic biopsy; (3) no associated mass found by sonography and physical examination; and (4) pathology-based diagnosis using stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy. We analyzed the added value of post-contrast enhancement on DE-CESM. A total of 94 biopsed lesions were available for analysis in our 87 women, yielding 27 cancers [19 ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and 8 invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC)], 32 pre-malignant and 35 benign lesions. Of these 94 lesions, 33 showed associated enhancement in DE-CESM while the other 61 did not. All 8 IDC (100%) and 16 of 19 DCIS (84.21%) showed enhancement, but the other 3 DCIS (15.79%) did not. Overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy were 88.89%, 86.56%, 72.72%, 95.08% and 87.24%, respectively. The performances of DE-CESM on both amorphous and pleomorphic microcalcifications were satisfactory (AUC 0.8 and 0.92, respectively). The pleomorphous microcalcifications with enhancement showed higher positive predictive value (90.00% vs 46.15%, p = 0.013) and higher cancer probability than the amorphous microcalcifications (46.3% VS 15.1%). The Odds Ratio was 4.85 (95% CI: 1.84-12.82). DE-CESM might provide added value in assessing the non-mass screened breast microcalcification, with enhancement favorable to the

Dual-Energy Contrast-Enhanced Spectral Mammography: Enhancement Analysis on BI-RADS 4 Non-Mass Microcalcifications in Screened Women

PubMed Central

Cheung, Yun-Chung; Juan, Yu-Hsiang; Lin, Yu-Ching; Lo, Yung-Feng; Tsai, Hsiu-Pei; Ueng, Shir-Hwa; Chen, Shin-Cheh

2016-01-01

Background Mammography screening is a cost-efficient modality with high sensitivity for detecting impalpable cancer with microcalcifications, and results in reduced mortality rates. However, the probability of finding microcalcifications without associated cancerous masses varies. We retrospectively evaluated the diagnosis and cancer probability of the non-mass screened microcalcifications by dual-energy contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (DE-CESM). Patients and Methods With ethical approval from our hospital, we enrolled the cases of DE-CESM for analysis under the following inclusion criteria: (1) referrals due to screened BI-RADS 4 microcalcifications; (2) having DE-CESM prior to stereotactic biopsy; (3) no associated mass found by sonography and physical examination; and (4) pathology-based diagnosis using stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy. We analyzed the added value of post-contrast enhancement on DE-CESM. Results A total of 94 biopsed lesions were available for analysis in our 87 women, yielding 27 cancers [19 ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and 8 invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC)], 32 pre-malignant and 35 benign lesions. Of these 94 lesions, 33 showed associated enhancement in DE-CESM while the other 61 did not. All 8 IDC (100%) and 16 of 19 DCIS (84.21%) showed enhancement, but the other 3 DCIS (15.79%) did not. Overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy were 88.89%, 86.56%, 72.72%, 95.08% and 87.24%, respectively. The performances of DE-CESM on both amorphous and pleomorphic microcalcifications were satisfactory (AUC 0.8 and 0.92, respectively). The pleomorphous microcalcifications with enhancement showed higher positive predictive value (90.00% vs 46.15%, p = 0.013) and higher cancer probability than the amorphous microcalcifications (46.3% VS 15.1%). The Odds Ratio was 4.85 (95% CI: 1.84–12.82). Conclusion DE-CESM might provide added value in assessing the non-mass screened breast

Enhanced image capture through fusion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burt, Peter J.; Hanna, Keith; Kolczynski, Raymond J.

1993-01-01

Image fusion may be used to combine images from different sensors, such as IR and visible cameras, to obtain a single composite with extended information content. Fusion may also be used to combine multiple images from a given sensor to form a composite image in which information of interest is enhanced. We present a general method for performing image fusion and show that this method is effective for diverse fusion applications. We suggest that fusion may provide a powerful tool for enhanced image capture with broad utility in image processing and computer vision.

Biological enhancement of hydrocarbon extraction

DOEpatents

Brigmon, Robin L [North Augusta, SC; Berry, Christopher J [Aiken, SC

2009-01-06

A method of microbial enhanced oil recovery for recovering oil from an oil-bearing rock formation is provided. The methodology uses a consortium of bacteria including a mixture of surfactant producing bacteria and non-surfactant enzyme producing bacteria which may release hydrocarbons from bitumen containing sands. The described bioprocess can work with existing petroleum recovery protocols. The consortium microorganisms are also useful for treatment of above oil sands, ground waste tailings, subsurface oil recovery, and similar materials to enhance remediation and/or recovery of additional hydrocarbons from the materials.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound in diagnosis of gallbladder adenoma.

PubMed

Yuan, Hai-Xia; Cao, Jia-Ying; Kong, Wen-Tao; Xia, Han-Sheng; Wang, Xi; Wang, Wen-Ping

2015-04-01

Gallbladder adenoma is a pre-cancerous neoplasm and needs surgical resection. It is difficult to differentiate adenoma from other gallbladder polyps using imaging examinations. The study aimed to illustrate characteristics of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and its diagnostic value in gallbladder adenoma. Thirty-seven patients with 39 gallbladder adenomatoid lesions (maximal diameter ≥10 mm and without metastasis) were enrolled in this study. Lesion appearances in conventional ultrasound and CEUS were documented. The imaging features were compared individually among gallbladder cholesterol polyp, gallbladder adenoma and malignant lesion. Adenoma lesions showed iso-echogenicity in ultrasound, and an eccentric enhancement pattern, "fast-in and synchronous-out" contrast enhancement pattern and homogeneous at peak-time enhancement in CEUS. The homogenicity at peak-time enhancement showed the highest diagnostic ability in differentiating gallbladder adenoma from cholesterol polyps. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, accuracy and Youden index were 100%, 90.9%, 92.9%, 100%, 95.8% and 0.91, respectively. The characteristic of continuous gallbladder wall shown by CEUS had the highest diagnostic ability in differentiating adenoma from malignant lesion (100%, 86.7%, 86.7%, 100%, 92.9% and 0.87, respectively). The characteristic of the eccentric enhancement pattern had the highest diagnostic ability in differentiating adenoma from cholesterol polyp and malignant lesion, with corresponding indices of 69.2%, 88.5%, 75.0%, 85.2%, 82.1% and 0.58, respectively. CEUS is valuable in differentiating gallbladder adenoma from other gallbladder polyps (≥10 mm in diameter). Homogeneous echogenicity on peak-time enhancement, a continuous gallbladder wall, and the eccentric enhancement pattern are important indicators of gallbladder adenoma on CEUS.

Muscle-enhancing behaviors among adolescent girls and boys.

PubMed

Eisenberg, Marla E; Wall, Melanie; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

2012-12-01

Media images of men and women have become increasingly muscular, and muscle-enhancing techniques are available to youth. Identifying populations at risk for unhealthy muscle-enhancingbehaviors is of considerable public health importance. The current study uses a large and diverse population-based sample of adolescents to examine the prevalence of muscle-enhancing behaviors and differences across demographic characteristics, weight status, and sports team involvement. Survey data from 2793 diverse adolescents (mean age = 14.4) were collected at 20 urban middle and high schools. Use of 5 muscle-enhancing behaviors was assessed (changing eating, exercising, protein powders, steroids and other muscle-enhancing substances), and a summary score reflecting use of 3 or more behaviors was created. Logistic regression was used to test for differences in each behavior across age group, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, BMI category, and sports team participation. Muscle-enhancing behaviors were common in this sample for both boys and girls. For example, 34.7% used protein powders or shakes and 5.9% reported steroid use. Most behaviors were significantly more common among boys. In models mutually adjusted for all covariates, grade level, Asian race, BMI category, and sports team participation were significantly associated with the use of muscle-enhancing behaviors. For example, overweight (odds ratio = 1.45) and obese (odds ratio = 1.90) girls had significantly greater odds of using protein powders or shakes than girls of average BMI. The use of muscle-enhancing behaviors is substantially higher than has been previously reported and is cause for concern. Pediatricians and other health care providers should ask their adolescent patients about muscle-enhancing behaviors.

Optimization of subcutaneous vein contrast enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeman, Herbert D.; Lovhoiden, Gunnar; Deshmukh, Harshal

2000-05-01

A technique for enhancing the contrast of subcutaneous veins has been demonstrated. This techniques uses a near IR light source and one or more IR sensitive CCD TV cameras to produce a contrast enhanced image of the subcutaneous veins. This video image of the veins is projected back onto the patient's skin using a n LCD video projector. The use of an IR transmitting filter in front of the video cameras prevents any positive feedback from the visible light from the video projector from causing instabilities in the projected image. The demonstration contrast enhancing illuminator has been tested on adults and children, both Caucasian and African-American, and it enhances veins quite well in all cases. The most difficult cases are those where significant deposits of subcutaneous fat are present which make the veins invisible under normal room illumination. Recent attempts to see through fat using different IR wavelength bands and both linearly and circularly polarized light were unsuccessful. The key to seeing through fat turns out to be a very diffuse source of RI light. Results on adult and pediatric subjects are shown with this new IR light source.

Surface-Enhanced Impulsive Coherent Vibrational Spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Du, Juan; Harra, Juha; Virkki, Matti; Mäkelä, Jyrki M.; Leng, Yuxin; Kauranen, Martti; Kobayashi, Takayoshi

2016-01-01

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has attracted a lot of attention in molecular sensing because of the remarkable ability of plasmonic metal nanostructures to enhance the weak Raman scattering process. On the other hand, coherent vibrational spectroscopy triggered by impulsive excitation using ultrafast laser pulses provides complete information about the temporal evolution of molecular vibrations, allowing dynamical processes in molecular systems to be followed in “real time”. Here, we combine these two concepts and demonstrate surface-enhanced impulsive vibrational spectroscopy. The vibrational modes of the ground and excited states of poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)−1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV), spin-coated on a substrate covered with monodisperse silver nanoparticles, are impulsively excited with a sub-10 fs pump pulse and characterized with a delayed broad-band probe pulse. The maximum enhancement in the spectrally and temporally resolved vibrational signatures averaged over the whole sample is about 4.6, while the real-time information about the instantaneous vibrational amplitude together with the initial vibrational phase is preserved. The phase is essential to determine the vibrational contributions from the ground and excited states. PMID:27812020

Optogenetic Stimulation of Prefrontal Glutamatergic Neurons Enhances Recognition Memory.

PubMed

Benn, Abigail; Barker, Gareth R I; Stuart, Sarah A; Roloff, Eva V L; Teschemacher, Anja G; Warburton, E Clea; Robinson, Emma S J

2016-05-04

Finding effective cognitive enhancers is a major health challenge; however, modulating glutamatergic neurotransmission has the potential to enhance performance in recognition memory tasks. Previous studies using glutamate receptor antagonists have revealed that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a central role in associative recognition memory. The present study investigates short-term recognition memory using optogenetics to target glutamatergic neurons within the rodent mPFC specifically. Selective stimulation of glutamatergic neurons during the online maintenance of information enhanced associative recognition memory in normal animals. This cognitive enhancing effect was replicated by local infusions of the AMPAkine CX516, but not CX546, which differ in their effects on EPSPs. This suggests that enhancing the amplitude, but not the duration, of excitatory synaptic currents improves memory performance. Increasing glutamate release through infusions of the mGluR7 presynaptic receptor antagonist MMPIP had no effect on performance. These results provide new mechanistic information that could guide the targeting of future cognitive enhancers. Our work suggests that improved associative-recognition memory can be achieved by enhancing endogenous glutamatergic neuronal activity selectively using an optogenetic approach. We build on these observations to recapitulate this effect using drug treatments that enhance the amplitude of EPSPs; however, drugs that alter the duration of the EPSP or increase glutamate release lack efficacy. This suggests that both neural and temporal specificity are needed to achieve cognitive enhancement. Copyright © 2016 Benn et al.

Humility pills: building an ethics of cognitive enhancement.

PubMed

Goodman, Rob

2014-06-01

The use of cognition-enhancing drugs (CEDs) appears to be increasingly common in both academic and workplace settings. But many universities and businesses have not yet engaged with the ethical challenges raised by CED use. This paper considers criticisms of CED use with a particular focus on the Accomplishment Argument: an influential set of claims holding that enhanced work is less dignified, valuable, or authentic, and that cognitive enhancement damages our characters. While the Accomplishment Argument assumes a view of authorship based on individual credit-taking, an impersonal or collaborative view is just as possible. This paper considers the benefits of this view-including humility, a value often claimed by critics of enhancement-and argues that such a view is consistent with open CED use. It proposes an ethics of cognitive enhancement based on toleration, transparency, and humility, and it discusses how institutions and individuals can build a culture of open cognitive enhancement. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Targeting Super-Enhancers for Disease Treatment and Diagnosis.

PubMed

Shin, Ha Youn

2018-05-10

The transcriptional regulation of genes determines the fate of animal cell differentiation and subsequent organ development. With the recent progress in genome-wide technologies, the genomic landscapes of enhancers have been broadly explored in mammalian genomes, which led to the discovery of novel specific subsets of enhancers, termed superenhancers. Super-enhancers are large clusters of enhancers covering the long region of regulatory DNA and are densely occupied by transcription factors, active histone marks, and co-activators. Accumulating evidence points to the critical role that super-enhancers play in cell type-specific development and differentiation, as well as in the development of various diseases. Here, I provide a comprehensive description of the optimal approach for identifying functional units of superenhancers and their unique chromatin features in normal development and in diseases, including cancers. I also review the recent updated knowledge on novel approaches of targeting super-enhancers for the treatment of specific diseases, such as small-molecule inhibitors and potential gene therapy. This review will provide perspectives on using superenhancers as biomarkers to develop novel disease diagnostic tools and establish new directions in clinical therapeutic strategies.

Complete penile corporeal septation: evaluation with contrast enhanced US.

PubMed

Bertolotto, Michele; Bucci, Stefano; Quaia, Emilio; Coss, Matteo; Liguori, Giovanni

2008-01-01

Complete penile corporeal septation is a rare malformation in which the corpora cavernosa are completely isolated. We describe a new method to reach the diagnosis of this malformation using contrast enhanced US. Two patients with complete penile corporeal septation underwent color Doppler and contrast enhanced US after bilateral cavernosal injection of 10 microg prostaglandin E1. Contrast enhanced US was performed using a contrast specific software (Contrast-Tuned imaging, EsaOte, Genoa, Italy) and a linear transducer designed to evaluate superficial structures. Microbubbles of SonoVue (Bracco, Milan, Italy) were injected in one corpus cavernosum. After cavernosal injection of microbubbles no adverse events were observed. Contrast enhanced US showed unilateral enhancement of the corpus cavernosum in which microbubbles were injected. Cavernosography confirmed unilateral corporeal opacification. Contrast enhanced US can be used effectively to diagnose complete penile corporeal septation.

Gene doping: a review of performance-enhancing genetics.

PubMed

Gaffney, Gary R; Parisotto, Robin

2007-08-01

Unethical athletes and their mentors have long arrogated scientific and medical advances to enhance athletic performance, thus gaining a dishonest competitive advantage. Building on advances in genetics, a new threat arises from athletes using gene therapy techniques in the same manner that some abused performance-enhancing drugs were used. Gene doping, as this is known, may produce spectacular physiologic alterations to dramatically enhance athletic abilities or physical appearance. Furthermore, gene doping may present pernicious problems for the regulatory agencies and investigatory laboratories that are entrusted to keep sporting events fair and ethical. Performance-enhanced genetics will likewise present unique challenges to physicians in many spheres of their practice.

Effect of surface density silver nanoplate films toward surface-enhanced Raman scattering enhancement for bisphenol A detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakar, N. A.; Salleh, M. M.; Umar, A. A.; Shapter, J. G.

2018-03-01

This paper reports a study on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) phenomenon of triangular silver nanoplate (NP) films towards bisphenol A (BPA) detection. The NP films were prepared using self-assembly technique with four different immersion times; 1 hour, 2 hours, 5 hours, and 8 hours. The SERS measurement was studied by observing the changes in Raman spectra of BPA after BPA absorbed on the NP films. It was found that the Raman intensity of BPA peaks was enhanced by using the prepared SERS substrates. This is clearly indicated that these SERS silver substrates are suitable to sense industrial chemical and potentially used as SERS detector. However, the rate of SERS enhancement is depended on the distribution of NP on the substrate surface.

Enhancing Intergenerational Contact.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ralston, Penny A.; And Others

This document is a curriculum module designed to assist secondary school home economic teachers in teaching students about aging. The three major purposes of this module are to provide data-based information on aging related to needs of students to enhance intergenerational contact; to facilitate the expansion of intergenerational contacts by…

Policy implications of technologies for cognitive enhancement

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

Sarewitz, Daniel R.; Karas, Thomas H.

2007-02-01

The Advanced Concepts Group at Sandia National Laboratory and the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes at Arizona State University convened a workshop in May 2006 to explore the potential policy implications of technologies that might enhance human cognitive abilities. The group's deliberations sought to identify core values and concerns raised by the prospect of cognitive enhancement. The workshop focused on the policy implications of various prospective cognitive enhancements and on the technologies/nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and cognitive science--that enable them. The prospect of rapidly emerging technological capabilities to enhance human cognition makes urgent a daunting array of questions, tensions,more » ambitions, and concerns. The workshop elicited dilemmas and concerns in ten overlapping areas: science and democracy; equity and justice; freedom and control; intergenerational issues; ethics and competition; individual and community rights; speed and deliberations; ethical uncertainty; humanness; and sociocultural risk. We identified four different perspectives to encompass the diverse issues related to emergence of cognitive enhancement technologies: (1) Laissez-faire--emphasizes freedom of individuals to seek and employ enhancement technologies based on their own judgment; (2) Managed technological optimism--believes that while these technologies promise great benefits, such benefits cannot emerge without an active government role; (3) Managed technological skepticism--views that the quality of life arises more out of society's institutions than its technologies; and (4) Human Essentialism--starts with the notion of a human essence (whether God-given or evolutionary in origin) that should not be modified. While the perspectives differ significantly about both human nature and the role of government, each encompasses a belief in the value of transparency and reliable information that can allow public discussion and

Enhanced Propagating Surface Plasmon Signal Detection

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

Gong, Y.; Joly, Alan G.; El-Khoury, Patrick Z.

2016-12-21

Overcoming the dissipative nature of propagating surface plasmons (PSPs) is pre-requisite to realizing functional plasmonic circuitry, in which large bandwidth signals can be manipulated over length scales far-below the diffraction limit of light. To this end, we report on a novel PSP enhanced signal detection technique achieved in an all-metallic substrate. We take advantage of two strategically spatio-temporally separated phase-locked femtosecond laser pulses, incident onto lithographically patterned PSP coupling structures. We follow PSP propagation with joint femtosecond temporal and nanometer spatial resolution in a time-resolved non-linear photoemission electron microscopy scheme. Initially, a PSP signal wave packet is launched from amore » hole etched into the silver surface from where it propagates through an open trench structure and is decoded through the use of a timed probe pulse. FDTD calculations demonstrate that PSP signal waves may traverse open trenches in excess of 10 microns in diameter, thereby allowing remote detection even through vacuum regions. This arrangement results in a 10X enhancement in photoemission relative to readout from the bare metal surface. The enhancement is attributed to an all-optical homodyne detection technique that mixes signal and reference PSP waves in a non-linear scheme. Larger readout trenches achieve higher readout levels, however reduced transmission through the trench limits the trench size to 6 microns for maximum readout levels. However, the use of an array of trenches increases the maximum enhancement to near 30X. The attainable enhancement factor may be harnessed to achieve extended coherent PSP propagation in ultrafast plasmonic circuitry.« less

Graphene-enhanced infrared near-field microscopy.

PubMed

Li, Peining; Wang, Tao; Böckmann, Hannes; Taubner, Thomas

2014-08-13

Graphene is a promising two-dimensional platform for widespread nanophotonic applications. Recent theories have predicted that graphene can also enhance evanescent fields for subdiffraction-limited imaging. Here, for the first time we experimentally demonstrate that monolayer graphene offers a 7-fold enhancement of evanescent information, improving conventional infrared near-field microscopy to resolve buried structures at a 500 nm depth with λ/11-resolution.

Method for enhancing amidohydrolase activity of fatty acid amide hydrolase

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

John, George; Nagarajan, Subbiah; Chapman, Kent

A method for enhancing amidohydrolase activity of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) is disclosed. The method comprising administering a phenoxyacyl-ethanolamide that causes the enhanced activity. The enhanced activity can have numerous effects on biological organisms including, for example, enhancing the growth of certain seedlings.

Ultrafast and nonlinear surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

PubMed

Gruenke, Natalie L; Cardinal, M Fernanda; McAnally, Michael O; Frontiera, Renee R; Schatz, George C; Van Duyne, Richard P

2016-04-21

Ultrafast surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has the potential to study molecular dynamics near plasmonic surfaces to better understand plasmon-mediated chemical reactions such as plasmonically-enhanced photocatalytic or photovoltaic processes. This review discusses the combination of ultrafast Raman spectroscopic techniques with plasmonic substrates for high temporal resolution, high sensitivity, and high spatial resolution vibrational spectroscopy. First, we introduce background information relevant to ultrafast SERS: the mechanisms of surface enhancement in Raman scattering, the characterization of plasmonic materials with ultrafast techniques, and early complementary techniques to study molecule-plasmon interactions. We then discuss recent advances in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopies with ultrafast pulses with a focus on the study of molecule-plasmon coupling and molecular dynamics with high sensitivity. We also highlight the challenges faced by this field by the potential damage caused by concentrated, highly energetic pulsed fields in plasmonic hotspots, and finally the potential for future ultrafast SERS studies.

Enhanced metro MSTP and its applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Guangcheng; Qiao, Yang

2005-02-01

With the large-scale application of metro MSTP in recent two years, a lot of problems have emerged inevitably. Some more advanced technologies or mechanisms are needed to deal with the application problems of current version MSTP. RPR and MPLS become new focus of enhanced MSTP"s features and the combination of them will boost maturity and further development of enhanced metro MSTP. The MSTP embedded with RPR and MPLS not only find a solution for perfect transport of TDM service, but also improve the support ability for data traffic and bandwidth utilization. With the help of enhanced MSTP, it"s easy for network carriers to provide a reliable, cost-effective, flexible and competitive transport infrastructure delivering various advanced services. RPR firstly solves the conflict between the transport efficiency and QoS of packet service via some mechanisms such as dual counter-rotating ringlet, statistical multiplexing, bandwidth sharing, topology discovery, fairness control etc. Secondly, RPR guarantees the QoS of subscriber by strict service classification and priority. Thirdly, RPR can provide the carrier-class protection within 50ms. On the other hand, MPLS can solve the lack of VLAN ID by LSP labeling and in addition it offers VPN service for different customers then enhances the SLA. Most of all, MPLS provide cross-networking ability, end-to-end service configuration and QoS guarantee, traffic engineering and network optimization. Enhanced MSTP will be applied in convergence or access layer of metro network first. It could have the function of RPR and MPLS at the same time, the reconciliation sub-layer should adopts GFP or LAPS encapsulation, the mapping granularity can be based on VC-12/VC3/VC4-Xc/v and the LCAS should be supported when the transmission channels are configured by virtual concatenation. Enhanced MSTP can be used to build either a single ring network or multi-ring network for improving the ability and quality of Ethernet transportation and

Nonstationarities in Catchment Response According to Basin and Rainfall Characteristics: Application to Korean Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, Hyun-Han; Kim, Jin-Guk; Jung, Il-Won

2015-04-01

It must be acknowledged that application of rainfall-runoff models to simulate rainfall-runoff processes are successful in gauged watershed. However, there still remain some issues that will need to be further discussed. In particular, the quantitive representation of nonstationarity issue in basin response (e.g. concentration time, storage coefficient and roughness) along with ungauged watershed needs to be studied. In this regard, this study aims to investigate nonstationarity in basin response so as to potentially provide useful information in simulating runoff processes in ungauged watershed. For this purpose, HEC-1 rainfall-runoff model was mainly utilized. In addition, this study combined HEC-1 model with Bayesian statistical model to estimate uncertainty of the parameters which is called Bayesian HEC-1 (BHEC-1). The proposed rainfall-runofall model is applied to various catchments along with various rainfall patterns to understand nonstationarities in catchment response. Further discussion about the nonstationarity in catchment response and possible regionalization of the parameters for ungauged watershed are discussed. KEYWORDS: Nonstationary, Catchment response, Uncertainty, Bayesian Acknowledgement This research was supported by a Grant (13SCIPA01) from Smart Civil Infrastructure Research Program funded by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) of Korea government and the Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement (KAIA).

Three-dimensional mosaicking of the South Korean radar network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berenguer, Marc; Sempere-Torres, Daniel; Lee, GyuWon

2016-04-01

Dense radar networks offer the possibility of improved Quantitative Precipitation Estimation thanks to the additional information collected in the overlapping areas, which allows mitigating errors associated with the Vertical Profile of Reflectivity or path attenuation by intense rain. With this aim, Roca-Sancho et al. (2014) proposed a technique to generate 3-D reflectivity mosaics from the multiple radars of a network. The technique is based on an inverse method that simulates the radar sampling of the atmosphere considering the characteristics (location, frequency and scanning protocol) of each individual radar. This technique has been applied to mosaic the observations of the radar network of South Korea (composed of 14 S-band radars), and integrate the observations of the small X-band network which to be installed near Seoul in the framework of a project funded by the Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement (KAIA). The evaluation of the generated 3-D mosaics has been done by comparison with point measurements (i.e. rain gauges and disdrometers) and with the observations of independent radars. Reference: Roca-Sancho, J., M. Berenguer, and D. Sempere-Torres (2014), An inverse method to retrieve 3D radar reflectivity composites, Journal of Hydrology, 519, 947-965, doi: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.07.039.

A Confucian reflection on genetic enhancement.

PubMed

Fan, Ruiping

2010-04-01

This essay explores a proper Confucian vision on genetic enhancement. It argues that while Confucians can accept a formal starting point that Michael Sandel proposes in his ethics of giftedness, namely, that children should be taken as gifts, Confucians cannot adopt his generalist strategy. The essay provides a Confucian full ethics of giftedness by addressing a series of relevant questions, such as what kind of gifts children are, where the gifts are from, in which way they are given, and for what purpose they are given. It indicates that Confucians should sort out different types of enhancement and bring them to the test of the Confucian values in terms of both Confucian virtue principles and specific ritual rules. It concludes that Confucians can accept some types of enhancement but must reject others.

Enhanced automated spiral bevel gear inspection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frint, Harold K.; Glasow, Warren

1992-01-01

Presented here are the results of a manufacturing and technology program to define, develop, and evaluate an enhanced inspection system for spiral bevel gears. The method uses a multi-axis coordinate measuring machine which maps the working surface of the tooth and compares it with nominal reference values stored in the machine's computer. The enhanced technique features a means for automatically calculating corrective grinding machine settings, involving both first and second order changes, to control the tooth profile to within specified tolerance limits. This enhanced method eliminates the subjective decision making involved in the tooth patterning method, still in use today, which compares contract patterns obtained when the gear is set to run under light load in a rolling test machine. It produces a higher quality gear with significant inspection time and cost savings.

Loudness enhancement - Monaural, binaural, and dichotic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elmasian, R.; Galambos, R.

1975-01-01

When one tone burst (T) precedes another (S) by 100 msec, variations in the intensity of T systematically influence the loudness of S. When T is more intense than S, S is increased; and when T is less intense, S loudness is decreased. This occurs in monaural, binaural, and dichotic paradigms of signal presentation. When T and S are presented to the same ear (monaural or binaural), there is more enhancement with less intersubject variability than when they are presented to different ears (dichotic paradigm). Monaural enhancements as large as 30 dB can readily be demonstrated, but decrements rarely exceed 5 dB. Possible physiological mechanisms are discussed for this loudness enhancement, which apparently shares certain characteristics with time-order error, assimilation, and temporal partial masking experiments.

Loudness enhancement: Monaural, binaural and dichotic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elmasian, R. O.; Galambos, R.

1975-01-01

It is shown that when one tone burst precedes another by 100 msec variations in the intensity of the first systematically influences the loudness of second. When the first burst is more intense than the second, the second is increased and when the first burst is less intense, the loudness of the second is decreased. This occurs in monaural, binaural and dichotic paradigms of signal presentation. Where both bursts are presented to the same ear there is more enhancement with less intersubject variability than when they are presented to different ears. Monaural enhancements as large as 30 db can readily be demonstrated, but decrements rarely exceed 5 db. Possible physiological mechanisms are discussed for this loudness enhancement, which apparently shares certain characteristics with time-order-error, assimilation, and temporal partial masking experiments.

STATs shape the active enhancer landscape of T cell populations.

PubMed

Vahedi, Golnaz; Takahashi, Hayato; Nakayamada, Shingo; Sun, Hong-Wei; Sartorelli, Vittorio; Kanno, Yuka; O'Shea, John J

2012-11-21

Signaling pathways are intimately involved in cellular differentiation, allowing cells to respond to their environment by regulating gene expression. Although enhancers are recognized as key elements that regulate selective gene expression, the interplay between signaling pathways and actively used enhancer elements is not clear. Here, we use CD4(+) T cells as a model of differentiation, mapping the activity of cell-type-specific enhancer elements in T helper 1 (Th1) and Th2 cells. Our data establish that STAT proteins have a major impact on the activation of lineage-specific enhancers and the suppression of enhancers associated with alternative cell fates. Transcriptome analysis further supports a functional role for enhancers regulated by STATs. Importantly, expression of lineage-defining master regulators in STAT-deficient cells fails to fully recover the chromatin signature of STAT-dependent enhancers. Thus, these findings point to a critical role of STATs as environmental sensors in dynamically molding the specialized enhancer architecture of differentiating cells. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

STATs Shape the Active Enhancer Landscape of T Cell Populations

PubMed Central

Vahedi, Golnaz; Takahashi, Hayato; Nakayamada, Shingo; Sun, Hong-wei; Sartorelli, Vittorio; Kanno, Yuka; O’Shea, John J.

2012-01-01

SUMMARY Signaling pathways are intimately involved in cellular differentiation, allowing cells to respond to their environment by regulating gene expression. While enhancers are recognized as key elements that regulate selective gene expression, the interplay between signaling pathways and actively used enhancer elements is not clear. Here, we use CD4+ T cells as a model of differentiation, mapping the acquisition of cell-type-specific enhancer elements in T-helper 1 (Th1) and Th2 cells. Our data establish that STAT proteins have a major impact on the acquisition of lineage-specific enhancers and the suppression of enhancers associated with alternative cell fates. Transcriptome analysis further supports a functional role for enhancers regulated by STATs. Importantly, expression of lineage-defining master regulators in STAT-deficient cells fails to fully recover the chromatin signature of STAT-dependent enhancers. Thus, these findings point to a critical role of STATs as environmental sensors in dynamically molding the specialized enhancer architecture of differentiating cells. PMID:23178119

Field enhancement in plasmonic nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piltan, Shiva; Sievenpiper, Dan

2018-05-01

Efficient generation of charge carriers from a metallic surface is a critical challenge in a wide variety of applications including vacuum microelectronics and photo-electrochemical devices. Replacing semiconductors with vacuum/gas as the medium of electron transport offers superior speed, power, and robustness to radiation and temperature. We propose a metallic resonant surface combining optical and electrical excitations of electrons and significantly reducing powers required using plasmon-induced enhancement of confined electric field. The properties of the device are modeled using the exact solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation at the barrier. Measurement results exhibit strong agreement with an analytical solution, and allow us to extract the field enhancement factor at the surface. Significant photocurrents are observed using combination of {{W}} {{{c}}{{m}}}-2 optical power and 10 V DC excitation on the surface. The model suggests optical field enhancement of 3 orders of magnitude at the metal interface due to plasmonic resonance. This simple planar structure provides valuable evidence on the electron emission mechanisms involved and it can be used for implementation of semiconductor compatible vacuum devices.

Enhancing Employee Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1999

This document contains four symposium papers on enhancing employee skills. "The Effect of Study Skills Training Intervention on United States Air Force Aeromedical Apprentices" (John C. Griffith) demonstrates how study skills intervention resulted in a significant increase in the end-of-course scores of a sample of 90 randomly selected Air Force…

Rotary culture enhances pre-osteoblast aggregation and mineralization.

PubMed

Facer, S R; Zaharias, R S; Andracki, M E; Lafoon, J; Hunter, S K; Schneider, G B

2005-06-01

Three-dimensional environments have been shown to enhance cell aggregation and osteoblast differentiation. Thus, we hypothesized that three-dimensional (3D) growth environments would enhance the mineralization rate of human embryonic palatal mesenchymal (HEPM) pre-osteoblasts. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential use of rotary cell culture systems (RCCS) as a means to enhance the osteogenic potential of pre-osteoblast cells. HEPM cells were cultured in a RCCS to create 3D enviroments. Tissue culture plastic (2D) cultures served as our control. 3D environments promoted three-dimensional aggregate formations. Increased calcium and phosphorus deposition was significantly enhanced three- to 18-fold (P < 0.001) in 3D cultures as compared with 2D environments. 3D cultures mineralized in 1 wk as compared with the 2D cultures, which took 4 wks, a decrease in time of nearly 75%. In conclusion, our studies demonstrated that 3D environments enhanced osteoblast cell aggregation and mineralization.

Cavity-enhanced Raman microscopy of individual carbon nanotubes

PubMed Central

Hümmer, Thomas; Noe, Jonathan; Hofmann, Matthias S.; Hänsch, Theodor W.; Högele, Alexander; Hunger, David

2016-01-01

Raman spectroscopy reveals chemically specific information and provides label-free insight into the molecular world. However, the signals are intrinsically weak and call for enhancement techniques. Here, we demonstrate Purcell enhancement of Raman scattering in a tunable high-finesse microcavity, and utilize it for molecular diagnostics by combined Raman and absorption imaging. Studying individual single-wall carbon nanotubes, we identify crucial structural parameters such as nanotube radius, electronic structure and extinction cross-section. We observe a 320-times enhanced Raman scattering spectral density and an effective Purcell factor of 6.2, together with a collection efficiency of 60%. Potential for significantly higher enhancement, quantitative signals, inherent spectral filtering and absence of intrinsic background in cavity-vacuum stimulated Raman scattering render the technique a promising tool for molecular imaging. Furthermore, cavity-enhanced Raman transitions involving localized excitons could potentially be used for gaining quantum control over nanomechanical motion and open a route for molecular cavity optomechanics. PMID:27402165

Reward Motivation Enhances Task Coding in Frontoparietal Cortex

PubMed Central

Etzel, Joset A.; Cole, Michael W.; Zacks, Jeffrey M.; Kay, Kendrick N.; Braver, Todd S.

2016-01-01

Reward motivation often enhances task performance, but the neural mechanisms underlying such cognitive enhancement remain unclear. Here, we used a multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) approach to test the hypothesis that motivation-related enhancement of cognitive control results from improved encoding and representation of task set information. Participants underwent two fMRI sessions of cued task switching, the first under baseline conditions, and the second with randomly intermixed reward incentive and no-incentive trials. Information about the upcoming task could be successfully decoded from cue-related activation patterns in a set of frontoparietal regions typically associated with task control. More critically, MVPA classifiers trained on the baseline session had significantly higher decoding accuracy on incentive than non-incentive trials, with decoding improvement mediating reward-related enhancement of behavioral performance. These results strongly support the hypothesis that reward motivation enhances cognitive control, by improving the discriminability of task-relevant information coded and maintained in frontoparietal brain regions. PMID:25601237

Magnetic-field enhancement beyond the skin-depth limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Jonghwa; Park, Namkyoo; Fan, Shanhui; Lee, Yong-Hee

2010-02-01

Electric field enhancement has been actively studied recently and many metallic structures that are capable of locally enhancing electric field have been reported. The Babinet's principle can be utilized, especially in the form of Booker's extension, to transform the known electric field enhancing structures into magnetic field enhancing structures. The authors explain this transformation process and discuss the regime in which this principle breaks down. Unless the metals used can be well approximated with a PEC model, the principle's predictions fails to hold true. Authors confirm this aspect using numerical simulations based on realistic material parameters for actual metals. There is large discrepancy especially when the structural dimensions are comparable or less than the skin-depth at the wavelength of interest. An alternative way to achieve magnetic field enhancement is presented and the design of a connected bow-tie structure is proposed as an example. FDTD simulation results confirm the operation of the proposed structure.

LSD enhances the emotional response to music.

PubMed

Kaelen, M; Barrett, F S; Roseman, L; Lorenz, R; Family, N; Bolstridge, M; Curran, H V; Feilding, A; Nutt, D J; Carhart-Harris, R L

2015-10-01

There is renewed interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). LSD was used extensively in the 1950s and 1960s as an adjunct in psychotherapy, reportedly enhancing emotionality. Music is an effective tool to evoke and study emotion and is considered an important element in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy; however, the hypothesis that psychedelics enhance the emotional response to music has yet to be investigated in a modern placebo-controlled study. The present study sought to test the hypothesis that music-evoked emotions are enhanced under LSD. Ten healthy volunteers listened to five different tracks of instrumental music during each of two study days, a placebo day followed by an LSD day, separated by 5-7 days. Subjective ratings were completed after each music track and included a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the nine-item Geneva Emotional Music Scale (GEMS-9). Results demonstrated that the emotional response to music is enhanced by LSD, especially the emotions "wonder", "transcendence", "power" and "tenderness". These findings reinforce the long-held assumption that psychedelics enhance music-evoked emotion, and provide tentative and indirect support for the notion that this effect can be harnessed in the context of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Further research is required to test this link directly.

Buddhism and neuroethics: the ethics of pharmaceutical cognitive enhancement.

PubMed

Fenton, Andrew

2009-08-01

This paper integrates some Buddhist moral values, attitudes and self-cultivation techniques into a discussion of the ethics of cognitive enhancement technologies - in particular, pharmaceutical enhancements. Many Buddhists utilize meditation techniques that are both integral to their practice and are believed to enhance the cognitive and affective states of experienced practitioners. Additionally, Mahāyāna Buddhism's teaching on skillful means permits a liberal use of methods or techniques in Buddhist practice that yield insight into our selfnature or aid in alleviating or eliminating duhkha (i.e. dissatisfaction). These features of many, if not most, Buddhist traditions will inform much of the Buddhist assessment of pharmaceutical enhancements offered in this paper. Some Buddhist concerns about the effects and context of the use of pharmaceutical enhancements will be canvassed in the discussion. Also, the author will consider Buddhist views of the possible harms that may befall human and nonhuman research subjects, interference with a recipient's karma, the artificiality of pharmaceutical enhancements, and the possible motivations or intentions of healthy individuals pursuing pharmacological enhancement. Perhaps surprisingly, none of these concerns will adequately ground a reflective Buddhist opposition to the further development and continued use of pharmaceutical enhancements, either in principle or in practice. The author argues that Buddhists, from at least certain traditions - particularly Mahāyāna Buddhist traditions - should advocate the development or use of pharmaceutical enhancements if a consequence of their use is further insight into our self-nature or the reduction or alleviation of duhkha.

Effects of contour enhancement on low-vision preference and visual search.

PubMed

Satgunam, Premnandhini; Woods, Russell L; Luo, Gang; Bronstad, P Matthew; Reynolds, Zachary; Ramachandra, Chaithanya; Mel, Bartlett W; Peli, Eli

2012-09-01

To determine whether image enhancement improves visual search performance and whether enhanced images were also preferred by subjects with vision impairment. Subjects (n = 24) with vision impairment (vision: 20/52 to 20/240) completed visual search and preference tasks for 150 static images that were enhanced to increase object contours' visual saliency. Subjects were divided into two groups and were shown three enhancement levels. Original and medium enhancements were shown to both groups. High enhancement was shown to group 1, and low enhancement was shown to group 2. For search, subjects pointed to an object that matched a search target displayed at the top left of the screen. An "integrated search performance" measure (area under the curve of cumulative correct response rate over search time) quantified performance. For preference, subjects indicated the preferred side when viewing the same image with different enhancement levels on side-by-side high-definition televisions. Contour enhancement did not improve performance in the visual search task. Group 1 subjects significantly (p < 0.001) rejected the High enhancement, and showed no preference for medium enhancement over the original images. Group 2 subjects significantly preferred (p < 0.001) both the medium and the low enhancement levels over original. Contrast sensitivity was correlated with both preference and performance; subjects with worse contrast sensitivity performed worse in the search task (ρ = 0.77, p < 0.001) and preferred more enhancement (ρ = -0.47, p = 0.02). No correlation between visual search performance and enhancement preference was found. However, a small group of subjects (n = 6) in a narrow range of mid-contrast sensitivity performed better with the enhancement, and most (n = 5) also preferred the enhancement. Preferences for image enhancement can be dissociated from search performance in people with vision impairment. Further investigations are needed to study the relationships

Chromatin loops as allosteric modulators of enhancer-promoter interactions.

PubMed

Doyle, Boryana; Fudenberg, Geoffrey; Imakaev, Maxim; Mirny, Leonid A

2014-10-01

The classic model of eukaryotic gene expression requires direct spatial contact between a distal enhancer and a proximal promoter. Recent Chromosome Conformation Capture (3C) studies show that enhancers and promoters are embedded in a complex network of looping interactions. Here we use a polymer model of chromatin fiber to investigate whether, and to what extent, looping interactions between elements in the vicinity of an enhancer-promoter pair can influence their contact frequency. Our equilibrium polymer simulations show that a chromatin loop, formed by elements flanking either an enhancer or a promoter, suppresses enhancer-promoter interactions, working as an insulator. A loop formed by elements located in the region between an enhancer and a promoter, on the contrary, facilitates their interactions. We find that different mechanisms underlie insulation and facilitation; insulation occurs due to steric exclusion by the loop, and is a global effect, while facilitation occurs due to an effective shortening of the enhancer-promoter genomic distance, and is a local effect. Consistently, we find that these effects manifest quite differently for in silico 3C and microscopy. Our results show that looping interactions that do not directly involve an enhancer-promoter pair can nevertheless significantly modulate their interactions. This phenomenon is analogous to allosteric regulation in proteins, where a conformational change triggered by binding of a regulatory molecule to one site affects the state of another site.

HPV integration hijacks and multimerizes a cellular enhancer to generate a viral-cellular super-enhancer that drives high viral oncogene expression

PubMed Central

Redmond, Catherine J.; Dooley, Katharine E.; Fu, Haiqing; Gillison, Maura L.; Akagi, Keiko; Symer, David E.; Aladjem, Mirit I.

2018-01-01

Integration of human papillomavirus (HPV) genomes into cellular chromatin is common in HPV-associated cancers. Integration is random, and each site is unique depending on how and where the virus integrates. We recently showed that tandemly integrated HPV16 could result in the formation of a super-enhancer-like element that drives transcription of the viral oncogenes. Here, we characterize the chromatin landscape and genomic architecture of this integration locus to elucidate the mechanisms that promoted de novo super-enhancer formation. Using next-generation sequencing and molecular combing/fiber-FISH, we show that ~26 copies of HPV16 are integrated into an intergenic region of chromosome 2p23.2, interspersed with 25 kb of amplified, flanking cellular DNA. This interspersed, co-amplified viral-host pattern is frequent in HPV-associated cancers and here we designate it as Type III integration. An abundant viral-cellular fusion transcript encoding the viral E6/E7 oncogenes is expressed from the integration locus and the chromatin encompassing both the viral enhancer and a region in the adjacent amplified cellular sequences is strongly enriched in the super-enhancer markers H3K27ac and Brd4. Notably, the peak in the amplified cellular sequence corresponds to an epithelial-cell-type specific enhancer. Thus, HPV16 integration generated a super-enhancer-like element composed of tandem interspersed copies of the viral upstream regulatory region and a cellular enhancer, to drive high levels of oncogene expression. PMID:29364907

Comparison of gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced breast MRI and gadopentetate dimeglumine-enhanced breast MRI with mammography and ultrasound for the detection of breast cancer.

PubMed

Gilbert, Fiona J; van den Bosch, Harrie C M; Petrillo, Antonella; Siegmann, Katja; Heverhagen, Johannes T; Panizza, Pietro; Gehl, Hans-Björn; Pediconi, Federica; Diekmann, Felix; Peng, Wei-Jun; Ma, Lin; Sardanelli, Francesco; Belli, Paolo; Corcione, Stefano; Zechmann, Christian M; Faivre-Pierret, Matthieu; Martincich, Laura

2014-05-01

To compare gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with gadopentetate dimeglumine-enhanced MRI, mammography, and ultrasound for breast cancer detection across different malignant lesion types and across different densities of breast tissue. In all, 153 women with Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 3–5 findings on mammography and/or ultrasound underwent identical breast MRI exams at 1.5T with gadobenate dimeglumine and gadopentetate dimeglumine. Images were evaluated by three independent blinded radiologists. Mammography, ultrasound, and combined mammography and/or ultrasound findings were available for 108, 109, and 131 women. Imaging findings were matched with histology data by a fourth, independent, blinded radiologist. Malignant lesion detection rates and diagnostic performance were compared. In all, 120, 120, and 140 confirmed malignant lesions were present in patients undergoing MRI+mammography, MRI+ultrasound, and MRI+mammography and/or ultrasound, respectively. Significantly greater cancer detection rates were noted by all three readers for comparisons of gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced MRI with mammography (Δ15.8–17.5%; P < 0.0001), ultrasound (Δ18.3–20.0%; P < 0.0001), and mammography and/or ultrasound (Δ8.6–10.7%; P ≤ 0.0105) but not for comparisons of gadopentetate dimeglumine-enhanced MRI with conventional techniques (P > 0.05). The false-positive detection rates were lower on gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced MRI than on conventional imaging (4.0–5.5% vs. 11.1% at mammography; 6.3–8.4% vs. 15.5% at ultrasound). Significantly improved cancer detection on MRI was noted in heterogeneously dense breast (91.2–97.3% on gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced MRI vs. 77.2–84.9% on gadopentetate dimeglumine-enhanced MRI vs. 71.9-84.9% with conventional techniques) and for invasive cancers (93.2–96.2% for invasive ductal carcinoma [IDC] on gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced MRI vs. 79.7–88.5% on gadopentetate

Underwater video enhancement using multi-camera super-resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quevedo, E.; Delory, E.; Callicó, G. M.; Tobajas, F.; Sarmiento, R.

2017-12-01

Image spatial resolution is critical in several fields such as medicine, communications or satellite, and underwater applications. While a large variety of techniques for image restoration and enhancement has been proposed in the literature, this paper focuses on a novel Super-Resolution fusion algorithm based on a Multi-Camera environment that permits to enhance the quality of underwater video sequences without significantly increasing computation. In order to compare the quality enhancement, two objective quality metrics have been used: PSNR (Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio) and the SSIM (Structural SIMilarity) index. Results have shown that the proposed method enhances the objective quality of several underwater sequences, avoiding the appearance of undesirable artifacts, with respect to basic fusion Super-Resolution algorithms.

Enhancement cavities for zero-offset-frequency pulse trains.

PubMed

Holzberger, S; Lilienfein, N; Trubetskov, M; Carstens, H; Lücking, F; Pervak, V; Krausz, F; Pupeza, I

2015-05-15

The optimal enhancement of broadband optical pulses in a passive resonator requires a seeding pulse train with a specific carrier-envelope-offset frequency. Here, we control the phase of the cavity mirrors to tune the offset frequency for which a given comb is optimally enhanced. This enables the enhancement of a zero-offset-frequency train of sub-30-fs pulses to multi-kW average powers. The combination of pulse duration, power, and zero phase slip constitutes a crucial step toward the generation of attosecond pulses at multi-10-MHz repetition rates. In addition, this control affords the enhancement of pulses generated by difference-frequency mixing, e.g., for mid-infrared spectroscopy.

Enhanced Fair-Weather Electric Fields Soon After Sunrise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, T. C.; Rust, W. D.; Stolzenburg, M.; Roeder, W.; Krehbiel, P. R.

1999-01-01

The typical fair weather electric field at the ground is between -100 and -300 V/m. At the NASA Kennedy Space Center and US Air Force Cape Canaveral Air Station (KSC) the electric field at the ground sometimes reaches -400 to -1200 V/m within an hour or two after sunrise on days that otherwise seem to be fair weather. We refer to the enhanced negative electric fields as the "sunrise enhancement." To investigate the sunrise enhancement at KSC we measured the electric field (E) in the first few hundred meters above the ground before and during several sunrise enhancements. From these E soundings we can infer the presence of charge layers and determine their thickness and charge density.

Hippocampal Processing of Ambiguity Enhances Fear Memory

PubMed Central

Amadi, Ugwechi; Lim, Seh Hong; Liu, Elizabeth; Baratta, Michael V.; Goosens, Ki Ann

2016-01-01

Despite the ubiquitous use of Pavlovian fear conditioning as a model for fear learning, the highly predictable conditions used in the laboratory do not resemble real-world conditions, where dangerous situations can lead to unpleasant outcomes in unpredictable ways. Here we varied the timing of aversive events following predictive cues in rodents and discovered that temporal ambiguity of aversive events greatly enhances fear. During fear conditioning with unpredictably timed aversive events, pharmacological inactivation of the dorsal hippocampus or optogenetic silencing of CA1 cells during aversive negative prediction errors prevented this enhancement of fear without impacting fear learning for predictable events. Dorsal hippocampal inactivation also prevented ambiguity-related enhancement of fear during auditory fear conditioning under a partial reinforcement schedule. These results reveal that information about the timing and occurrence of aversive events is rapidly acquired and that unexpectedly timed or omitted aversive events generate hippocampal signals to enhance fear learning. PMID:28182526

Binaural enhancement for bilateral cochlear implant users.

PubMed

Brown, Christopher A

2014-01-01

Bilateral cochlear implant (BCI) users receive limited binaural cues and, thus, show little improvement to speech intelligibility from spatial cues. The feasibility of a method for enhancing the binaural cues available to BCI users is investigated. This involved extending interaural differences of levels, which typically are restricted to high frequencies, into the low-frequency region. Speech intelligibility was measured in BCI users listening over headphones and with direct stimulation, with a target talker presented to one side of the head in the presence of a masker talker on the other side. Spatial separation was achieved by applying either naturally occurring binaural cues or enhanced cues. In this listening configuration, BCI patients showed greater speech intelligibility with the enhanced binaural cues than with naturally occurring binaural cues. In some situations, it is possible for BCI users to achieve greater speech intelligibility when binaural cues are enhanced by applying interaural differences of levels in the low-frequency region.

Hippocampal Processing of Ambiguity Enhances Fear Memory.

PubMed

Amadi, Ugwechi; Lim, Seh Hong; Liu, Elizabeth; Baratta, Michael V; Goosens, Ki A

2017-02-01

Despite the ubiquitous use of Pavlovian fear conditioning as a model for fear learning, the highly predictable conditions used in the laboratory do not resemble real-world conditions, in which dangerous situations can lead to unpleasant outcomes in unpredictable ways. In the current experiments, we varied the timing of aversive events after predictive cues in rodents and discovered that temporal ambiguity of aversive events greatly enhances fear. During fear conditioning with unpredictably timed aversive events, pharmacological inactivation of the dorsal hippocampus or optogenetic silencing of cornu ammonis 1 cells during aversive negative prediction errors prevented this enhancement of fear without affecting fear learning for predictable events. Dorsal hippocampal inactivation also prevented ambiguity-related enhancement of fear during auditory fear conditioning under a partial-reinforcement schedule. These results reveal that information about the timing and occurrence of aversive events is rapidly acquired and that unexpectedly timed or omitted aversive events generate hippocampal signals to enhance fear learning.

Moral Enhancement Using Non-invasive Brain Stimulation

PubMed Central

Darby, R. Ryan; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro

2017-01-01

Biomedical enhancement refers to the use of biomedical interventions to improve capacities beyond normal, rather than to treat deficiencies due to diseases. Enhancement can target physical or cognitive capacities, but also complex human behaviors such as morality. However, the complexity of normal moral behavior makes it unlikely that morality is a single capacity that can be deficient or enhanced. Instead, our central hypothesis will be that moral behavior results from multiple, interacting cognitive-affective networks in the brain. First, we will test this hypothesis by reviewing evidence for modulation of moral behavior using non-invasive brain stimulation. Next, we will discuss how this evidence affects ethical issues related to the use of moral enhancement. We end with the conclusion that while brain stimulation has the potential to alter moral behavior, such alteration is unlikely to improve moral behavior in all situations, and may even lead to less morally desirable behavior in some instances. PMID:28275345

Power enhanced frequency conversion system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanders, Steven (Inventor); Lang, Robert J. (Inventor); Waarts, Robert G. (Inventor)

2001-01-01

A frequency conversion system includes at least one source providing a first near-IR wavelength output including a gain medium for providing high power amplification, such as double clad fiber amplifier, a double clad fiber laser or a semiconductor tapered amplifier to enhance the power output level of the near-IR wavelength output. The NFM device may be a difference frequency mixing (DFM) device or an optical parametric oscillation (OPO) device. Pump powers are gain enhanced by the addition of a rare earth amplifier or oscillator, or a Ra-man/Brillouin amplifier or oscillator between the high power source and the NFM device.

Autophagy Enhances Memory Erasure through Synaptic Destabilization.

PubMed

Shehata, Mohammad; Abdou, Kareem; Choko, Kiriko; Matsuo, Mina; Nishizono, Hirofumi; Inokuchi, Kaoru

2018-04-11

There is substantial interest in memory reconsolidation as a target for the treatment of anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. However, its applicability is restricted by reconsolidation-resistant boundary conditions that constrain the initial memory destabilization. In this study, we investigated whether the induction of synaptic protein degradation through autophagy modulation, a major protein degradation pathway, can enhance memory destabilization upon retrieval and whether it can be used to overcome these conditions. Here, using male mice in an auditory fear reconsolidation model, we showed that autophagy contributes to memory destabilization and its induction can be used to enhance erasure of a reconsolidation-resistant auditory fear memory that depended on AMPAR endocytosis. Using male mice in a contextual fear reconsolidation model, autophagy induction in the amygdala or in the hippocampus enhanced fear or contextual memory destabilization, respectively. The latter correlated with AMPAR degradation in the spines of the contextual memory-ensemble cells. Using male rats in an in vivo LTP reconsolidation model, autophagy induction enhanced synaptic destabilization in an NMDAR-dependent manner. These data indicate that induction of synaptic protein degradation can enhance both synaptic and memory destabilization upon reactivation and that autophagy inducers have the potential to be used as a therapeutic tool in the treatment of anxiety disorders. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT It has been reported that inhibiting synaptic protein degradation prevents memory destabilization. However, whether the reverse relation is true and whether it can be used to enhance memory destabilization are still unknown. Here we addressed this question on the behavioral, molecular, and synaptic levels, and showed that induction of autophagy, a major protein degradation pathway, can enhance memory and synaptic destabilization upon reactivation. We also show that autophagy

A Framework for Examining the Utility of Technology-Enhanced Items

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Michael

2016-01-01

Interest in and use of technology-enhanced items has increased over the past decade. Given the additional time required to administer many technology-enhanced items and the increased expense required to develop them, it is important for testing programs to consider the utility of technology-enhanced items. The Technology-Enhanced Item Utility…

Experimental signature of collective enhancement in nuclear level density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandit, Deepak; Bhattacharya, Srijit; Mondal, Debasish; Roy, Pratap; Banerjee, K.; Mukhopadhyay, S.; Pal, Surajit; De, A.; Dey, Balaram; Banerjee, S. R.

2018-04-01

We present a probable experimental signature of collective enhancement in the nuclear level density (NLD) by measuring the neutron and the giant dipole resonance (GDR) γ rays emitted from the rare-earth 169Tm compound nucleus populated at 26.1 MeV excitation energy. An enhanced yield is observed in both neutron and γ -ray spectra corresponding to the same excitation energy in the daughter nuclei. The enhancement could only be reproduced by including a collective enhancement factor in the Fermi gas model of NLD to explain the neutron and GDR spectra simultaneously. The experimental results show that the relative enhancement factor is of the order of 10 and the fadeout occurs at ˜14 MeV excitation energy, much before the commonly accepted transition from deformed to spherical shape. We also explain how the collective enhancement contribution changes the inverse level density parameter k from 8 to 9.5 MeV observed recently in several deformed nuclei.

Will Biomedical Enhancements Undermine Solidarity, Responsibility, Equality and Autonomy?

PubMed Central

Lev, Ori

2009-01-01

Prominent thinkers such as Jurgen Habermas and Michael Sandel are warning that biomedical enhancements will undermine fundamental political values. Yet, whether biomedical enhancements will undermine such values depends on how biomedical enhancements will function, how they will be administered and to whom. Since only few enhancements are obtainable, it is difficult to tell whether their predictions are sound. Nevertheless, such warnings are extremely valuable. As a society we must, at the very least, be aware of developments that could have harmful consequences. Indeed, if important values would be jeopardized, we should take appropriate measures to protect them. This paper focuses on four central values: solidarity, personal responsibility, equality and autonomy. It delineates the conditions under which biomedical enhancements would undermine these values. It also details the circumstances under which these values would be unaffected by enhancements as well as those under which they would be promoted. Specifying these conditions is valuable; it would enable society to prepare appropriate ethical guidelines and policy responses in advance. PMID:20002073

Biliary tract enhancement in gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI correlates with liver function biomarkers.

PubMed

Noda, Yoshifumi; Goshima, Satoshi; Kajita, Kimihiro; Kawada, Hiroshi; Kawai, Nobuyuki; Koyasu, Hiromi; Matsuo, Masayuki; Bae, Kyongtae T

2016-11-01

To evaluate the association between gadoxetic-acid-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging measurements and laboratory and clinical biomarkers of liver function and fibrosis. One hundred thirty nine consecutive patients with suspected liver disease or liver tumor underwent gadoxetic-acid-enhanced MR imaging. MR imaging measurements during the hepatobiliary phase included biliary tract structure-to-muscle signal intensity ratio (SIR). These measurements were compared with Child-Pugh classification, end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI). The SIRs of cystic duct and common bile duct were significantly correlated with Child-Pugh classification (P=0.012 for cystic duct and P<0.0001 for common bile duct), MELD score (P=0.0016 and P=0.0033), and APRI (P=0.0022 and P=0.0015). The sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve were: (74%, 88%, 0.86) with the SIR of common bile duct for the detection of patients with Child-Pugh class B or C; (100%, 87%, 0.94) with the SIR of cystic duct for MELD score (>10); (65%, 76%, 0.70) with the SIR of common bile duct for APRI (>1.5). Gadoxetic-acid contrast enhancement of cystic duct and common bile duct could be used as biomarkers to assess liver function. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Airport capacity enhancement plan

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1986-01-01

The first edition of the Airport Capacity Enhancement Plan has been developed : by the Federal Aviation Administration's newly established Airport Capacity Program : Office (ACPO). The plan is intended to increase the capacity and efficient utiliza :...

Enhancing Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy in Kidney Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-15-1-0141 TITLE: Enhancing Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor therapy in Kidney Cancer PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Hans-Joerg Hammers...SUBTITLE Enhancing Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor therapy in Kidney Cancer 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH- 15-1-0141 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER...immune checkpoint inhibition in kidney cancer . The work is designed to test different strategies to induce or enhance the abscopal in a kidney cancer

75 FR 45562 - Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-03

... [Docket No. DOT-OST-2010-0140] RIN No. 2105-AD92 Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections AGENCY: Office of... Friday, except Federal Holidays. Fax: (202) 493-2251. Instructions: You must include the agency name and... enhancing airline passenger protections that proposed to improve the air travel environment for [[Page 45563...

Chemical enhancement of footwear impressions in blood deposited on fabric--evaluating the use of alginate casting materials followed by chemical enhancement.

PubMed

Farrugia, Kevin J; NicDaéid, Niamh; Savage, Kathleen A; Bandey, Helen

2010-12-01

Most footwear marks made in blood on a surface such as fabric tend to be enhanced in situ rather than physically recovered using a lifting technique prior to enhancement. This work reports on the use of an alginate material to recover the impressed footwear marks made in blood and deposited on a range of fabric types and colours. The lifted marks were then enhanced using acid black 1 and leuco crystal violet with excellent results. This presents a new method for the lifting and recovery of blood impressions in situ from crime scene followed by subsequent mark enhancement of the lifted impression. Copyright © 2010 Forensic Science Society. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Cognitive enhancement kept within contexts: neuroethics and informed public policy

PubMed Central

Shook, John R.; Galvagni, Lucia; Giordano, James

2014-01-01

Neurothics has far greater responsibilities than merely noting potential human enhancements arriving from novel brain-centered biotechnologies and tracking their implications for ethics and civic life. Neuroethics must utilize the best cognitive and neuroscientific knowledge to shape incisive discussions about what could possibly count as enhancement in the first place, and what should count as genuinely “cognitive” enhancement. Where cognitive processing and the mental life is concerned, the lived context of psychological performance is paramount. Starting with an enhancement to the mental abilities of an individual, only performances on real-world exercises can determine what has actually been cognitively improved. And what can concretely counts as some specific sort of cognitive improvement is largely determined by the classificatory frameworks of cultures, not brain scans or laboratory experiments. Additionally, where the public must ultimately evaluate and judge the worthiness of individual performance enhancements, we mustn’t presume that public approval towards enhancers will somehow automatically arrive without due regard to civic ideals such as the common good or social justice. In the absence of any nuanced appreciation for the control which performance contexts and public contexts exert over what “cognitive” enhancements could actually be, enthusiastic promoters of cognitive enhancement can all too easily depict safe and effective brain modifications as surely good for us and for society. These enthusiasts are not unaware of oft-heard observations about serious hurdles for reliable enhancement from neurophysiological modifications. Yet those observations are far more common than penetrating investigations into the implications to those hurdles for a sound public understanding of cognitive enhancement, and a wise policy review over cognitive enhancement. We offer some crucial recommendations for undertaking such investigations, so that cognitive

Enhanced Graphene Photodetector with Fractal Metasurface.

PubMed

Fang, Jieran; Wang, Di; DeVault, Clayton T; Chung, Ting-Fung; Chen, Yong P; Boltasseva, Alexandra; Shalaev, Vladimir M; Kildishev, Alexander V

2017-01-11

Graphene has been demonstrated to be a promising photodetection material because of its ultrabroadband optical absorption, compatibility with CMOS technology, and dynamic tunability in optical and electrical properties. However, being a single atomic layer thick, graphene has intrinsically small optical absorption, which hinders its incorporation with modern photodetecting systems. In this work, we propose a gold snowflake-like fractal metasurface design to realize broadband and polarization-insensitive plasmonic enhancement in graphene photodetector. We experimentally obtain an enhanced photovoltage from the fractal metasurface that is an order of magnitude greater than that generated at a plain gold-graphene edge and such an enhancement in the photovoltage sustains over the entire visible spectrum. We also observed a relatively constant photoresponse with respect to polarization angles of incident light, as a result of the combination of two orthogonally oriented concentric hexagonal fractal geometries in one metasurface.

Magnetically-enhanced open string pair production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, J. X.

2017-12-01

We consider the stringy interaction between two parallel stacks of D3 branes placed at a separation. Each stack of D3 branes in a similar fashion carry an electric flux and a magnetic flux with the two sharing no common field strength index. The interaction amplitude has an imaginary part, giving rise to the Schwinger-like pair production of open strings. We find a significantly enhanced rate of this production when the two electric fluxes are almost identical and the brane separation is on the order of string scale. This enhancement will be largest if the two magnetic fluxes are opposite in direction. This novel enhancement results from the interplay of the non-perturbative Schwinger-type pair production due to the electric flux and the stringy tachyon due to the magnetic flux, and may have realistic physical applications.

Enhancing superconducting critical current by randomness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y. L.; Thoutam, L. R.; Xiao, Z. L.; Shen, B.; Pearson, J. E.; Divan, R.; Ocola, L. E.; Crabtree, G. W.; Kwok, W. K.

2016-01-01

The key ingredient of high critical currents in a type-II superconductor is defect sites that pin vortices. Contrary to earlier understanding on nanopatterned artificial pinning, here we show unequivocally the advantages of a random pinscape over an ordered array in a wide magnetic field range. We reveal that the better performance of a random pinscape is due to the variation of its local density of pinning sites (LDOPS), which mitigates the motion of vortices. This is confirmed by achieving even higher enhancement of the critical current through a conformally mapped random pinscape, where the distribution of the LDOPS is further enlarged. The demonstrated key role of LDOPS in enhancing superconducting critical currents gets at the heart of random versus commensurate pinning. Our findings highlight the importance of random pinscapes in enhancing the superconducting critical currents of applied superconductors.

Efficient OCT Image Enhancement Based on Collaborative Shock Filtering

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Efficient enhancement of noisy optical coherence tomography (OCT) images is a key task for interpreting them correctly. In this paper, to better enhance details and layered structures of a human retina image, we propose a collaborative shock filtering for OCT image denoising and enhancement. Noisy OCT image is first denoised by a collaborative filtering method with new similarity measure, and then the denoised image is sharpened by a shock-type filtering for edge and detail enhancement. For dim OCT images, in order to improve image contrast for the detection of tiny lesions, a gamma transformation is first used to enhance the images within proper gray levels. The proposed method integrating image smoothing and sharpening simultaneously obtains better visual results in experiments. PMID:29599954

Efficient OCT Image Enhancement Based on Collaborative Shock Filtering.

PubMed

Liu, Guohua; Wang, Ziyu; Mu, Guoying; Li, Peijin

2018-01-01

Efficient enhancement of noisy optical coherence tomography (OCT) images is a key task for interpreting them correctly. In this paper, to better enhance details and layered structures of a human retina image, we propose a collaborative shock filtering for OCT image denoising and enhancement. Noisy OCT image is first denoised by a collaborative filtering method with new similarity measure, and then the denoised image is sharpened by a shock-type filtering for edge and detail enhancement. For dim OCT images, in order to improve image contrast for the detection of tiny lesions, a gamma transformation is first used to enhance the images within proper gray levels. The proposed method integrating image smoothing and sharpening simultaneously obtains better visual results in experiments.

Plasmonic Enhancement Mechanisms in Solar Energy Harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cushing, Scott K.

Semiconductor photovoltaics (solar-to-electrical) and photocatalysis (solar-to-chemical) requires sunlight to be converted into excited charge carriers with sufficient lifetimes and mobility to drive a current or photoreaction. Thin semiconductor films are necessary to reduce the charge recombination and mobility losses, but thin films also limit light absorption, reducing the solar energy conversion efficiency. Further, in photocatalysis, the band edges of semiconductor must straddle the redox potentials of a photochemical reaction, reducing light absorption to half the solar spectrum in water splitting. Plasmonics transforms metal nanoparticles into antennas with resonances tuneable across the solar spectrum. If energy can be transferred from the plasmon to the semiconductor, light absorption in the semiconductor can be increased in thin films and occur at energies smaller than the band gap. This thesis investigates why, despite this potential, plasmonic solar energy harvesting techniques rarely appear in top performing solar architectures. To accomplish this goal, the possible plasmonic enhancement mechanisms for solar energy conversion were identified, isolated, and optimized by combining systematic sample design with transient absorption spectroscopy, photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic testing, and theoretical development. Specifically, metal semiconductor nanostructures were designed to modulate the plasmon's scattering, hot carrier, and near field interactions as well as remove heating and self-catalysis effects. Transient absorption spectroscopy then revealed how the structure design affected energy and charge carrier transfer between metal and semiconductor. Correlating this data with wavelength-dependent photoconversion efficiencies and theoretical developments regarding metal-semiconductor interactions identified the origin of the plasmonic enhancement. Using this methodology, it has first been proven that three plasmonic enhancement routes are

Airport Capacity Enhancement Plan.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1986-01-01

The first edition of the Airport Capacity Enhancement Plan has been developed by the Federal Aviation Administration's newly established Airport Capacity Program Office (ACPO). The plan is intended to increase the capacity and efficient utilization o...

Airport Capacity Enhancement Plan

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1987-01-01

The first edition of the Airport Capacity Enhancement Plan has been developed by the Federal Aviation Administration's newly established Airport Capacity Program Office (ACPO). The plan is intended to increase the capacity and efficient utilization o...

Mass enhancement versus Stoner enhancement in strongly correlated metallic perovskites: LaNiO3 and LaCuO3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, J.-S.; Marshall, L. G.; Goodenough, J. B.

2014-06-01

Measurements of physical properties, including transport and magnetic properties, specific heat, and thermal conductivity, have been performed on high-quality samples of LaNiO3 and LaCuO3 synthesized under high pressure. Some measurements, such as thermoelectric power and magnetic susceptibility, have been made under high pressure. The availability of a complete set of data enables a side-by-side comparison between these two narrowband systems. We have demonstrated unambiguously the mass enhancement due to electron-electron correlations in both systems relative to the recent density functional theory results. Correlations in these narrowband systems also enhance the magnetic susceptibility. Ferromagnetic spin fluctuations give rise to a strong Stoner enhancement in the magnetic susceptibility in the quarter-filled LaNiO3. Although we are able to tune the bandwidth by either chemical substitutions or by applying hydrostatic pressure on LaNiO3, the Stoner enhancement does not lead to the Stoner instability.

Cognition-Enhancing Drugs

PubMed Central

Mehlman, Maxwell J

2004-01-01

New drugs that enhance cognition in cognitively healthy individuals present difficult public policy challenges. While their use is not inherently unethical, steps must be taken to ensure that they are safe, that they are widely available to promote equality of opportunity, and that individuals are free to decide whether or not to use them. PMID:15330974

Ion acceleration enhanced by target ablation

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

Zhao, S.; State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, and Key Lab of HEDPS, CAPT, Peking University, Beijing 100871; Institute of Radiation, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01314 Dresden

2015-07-15

Laser proton acceleration can be enhanced by using target ablation, due to the energetic electrons generated in the ablation preplasma. When the ablation pulse matches main pulse, the enhancement gets optimized because the electrons' energy density is highest. A scaling law between the ablation pulse and main pulse is confirmed by the simulation, showing that for given CPA pulse and target, proton energy improvement can be achieved several times by adjusting the target ablation.

TU-H-CAMPUS-TeP3-05: Evaluation of the Microscopic Dose Enhancement in the Nanoparticle-Enhanced Auger Therapy

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

Sung, W; Jung, S; Ye, S

Purpose: The aim of this study is to apply Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the nanoparticle dose enhancement for Auger therapy. Methods: Two nanoparticle fabrications were considered: nanoshell and nanosphere. In the first step, a single nanoparticle was irradiated with Auger emitters. The electrons were scored in a phase space at the outer surface of the nanoparticle with Geant4-Penelope. In the second step, the previously recorded phase space was used as a source and placed at the center of a cell-size water phantom. The nanoscale dose was evaluated in water around the nanoparticle with Geant4-DNA. The dose enhancement factor (DEF)more » is defined as the ratio of doses with and without nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were replaced by corresponding water nanoparticle with the same size and volume source which represents typical situation of Auger emitters without nanoparticle. Various sizes/materials of nanoparticles and isotopes were considered. Results: Nanoshell - Microscopic dose was increased up to 130% at 20 – 100 nm distances from the surface of Au-{sup 125}I nanoshell. However, dose at less than 20 nm distance was reduced due to absorbed low energy electrons in gold nanoshell. The amounts and regions of the dose enhancement were dependent on nanoshell size, materials, and isotopes. Nanosphere - The increased amounts of electrons up to 300% and reduced average energy with nanosphere were observed compared with water nanoparticle. We observed localized dose enhancement (up to a factor 3.6) in the immediate vicinity (< 50 nm) of Au-{sup 125} I nanosphere. The dose enhancement patterns vary according to nanosphere sizes and isotopes. Conclusion: We conclude that Auger therapy with nanoparticles can lead to change of electron energy spectrum and dose enhancements at certain range. The dose enhancement patterns vary according to nanoparticle sizes, materials, and isotopes. This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF

Plasmon-Induced Magnetic Resonance Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Chen, Shu; Zhang, Yuejiao; Shih, Tien-Mo; Yang, Weimin; Hu, Shu; Hu, Xiaoyan; Li, Jianfeng; Ren, Bin; Mao, Bingwei; Yang, Zhilin; Tian, Zhongqun

2018-04-11

Plasmon-induced magnetic resonance has shown great potentials in optical metamaterials, chemical (bio)-sensing, and surface-enhanced spectroscopies. Here, we have theoretically and experimentally revealed (1) a correspondence of the strongest near-field response to the far-field scattering valley and (2) a significant improvement in Raman signals of probing molecules by the plasmon-induced magnetic resonance. These revelations are accomplished by designing a simple and practical metallic nanoparticle-film plasmonic system that generates magnetic resonances at visible-near-infrared frequencies. Our work may provide new insights for understanding the enhancement mechanism of various plasmon-enhanced spectroscopies and also helps further explore light-matter interactions at the nanoscale.

Parameters of Mosquito-Enhanced West Nile Virus Infection.

PubMed

Moser, Lindsey A; Lim, Pei-Yin; Styer, Linda M; Kramer, Laura D; Bernard, Kristen A

2016-01-01

The arthropod-borne West Nile virus (WNV) emerged in New York State in 1999 and quickly spread throughout the United States. Transmission is maintained in an enzootic cycle in which infected mosquitoes transmit the virus to susceptible hosts during probing and feeding. Arthropod-derived components within the viral inoculum are increasingly acknowledged to play a role in infection of vertebrate hosts. We previously showed that Culex tarsalis mosquito saliva and salivary gland extract (SGE) enhance the in vivo replication of WNV. Here, we characterized the effective dose, timing, and proximity of saliva and SGE administration necessary for enhancement of WNV viremia using a mouse model. Mosquito saliva and SGE enhanced viremia in a dose-dependent manner, and a single mosquito bite or as little as 0.01 μg of SGE was effective at enhancing viremia, suggesting a potent active salivary factor. Viremia was enhanced when SGE was injected in the same location as virus inoculation from 24 h before virus inoculation through 12 h after virus inoculation. These results were confirmed with mosquito saliva deposited by uninfected mosquitoes. When salivary treatment and virus inoculation were spatially separated, viremia was not enhanced. In summary, the effects of mosquito saliva and SGE were potent, long lasting, and localized, and these studies have implications for virus transmission in nature, where vertebrate hosts are fed upon by both infected and uninfected mosquitoes over time. Furthermore, our model provides a robust system to identify the salivary factor(s) responsible for enhancement of WNV replication. Mosquito-borne viruses are a significant class of agents causing emerging infectious diseases. WNV has caused over 18,000 cases of neuroinvasive disease in the United States since its emergence. We have shown that Culex tarsalis mosquito saliva and SGE enhance the replication of WNV. We now demonstrate that saliva and SGE have potent, long-lasting, and localized

Professional Development for Technology-Enhanced Inquiry Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerard, Libby F.; Varma, Keisha; Corliss, Stephanie B.; Linn, Marcia C.

2011-01-01

The knowledge integration framework is used to analyze studies on professional development in technology-enhanced science involving more than 2,350 teachers and 138,0000 students. The question of how professional development enhances teachers' support for students' inquiry science learning is the focus of the work. A literature search using the…

Emotional Arousal Does Not Enhance Association-Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madan, Christopher R.; Caplan, Jeremy B.; Lau, Christine S. M.; Fujiwara, Esther

2012-01-01

Emotionally arousing information is remembered better than neutral information. This enhancement effect has been shown for memory for items. In contrast, studies of association-memory have found both impairments and enhancements of association-memory by arousal. We aimed to resolve these conflicting results by using a cued-recall paradigm combined…

Enhancing Parent-Child Relationship through Dialogic Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ganotice, Fraide A., Jr.; Downing, Kevin; Mak, Teresa; Chan, Barbara; Lee, Wai Yip

2017-01-01

Dialogic reading (DR) has been identified as an effective strategy for enhancing children's literacy skills in Western and Asian contexts. Given that storytelling is a shared experience between adults and children, parent-child relationships is hypothesised to be enhanced by DR. Despite this possibility, there has been no systematic attempt to…

30 CFR 1206.265 - Value enhancement of marketable coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Value enhancement of marketable coal. 1206.265... INTERIOR Natural Resources Revenue PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Coal § 1206.265 Value enhancement of marketable coal. If, prior to use, sale, or other disposition, the lessee enhances the value of coal after...

30 CFR 1206.464 - Value enhancement of marketable coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Value enhancement of marketable coal. 1206.464... INTERIOR Natural Resources Revenue PRODUCT VALUATION Indian Coal § 1206.464 Value enhancement of marketable coal. If, prior to use, sale, or other disposition, the lessee enhances the value of coal after the...

Scaling Up: From Web-Enhanced Courses to a Web-Enhanced Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Robert E.

2004-01-01

In the past decade, the most important technological innovation in higher education has been the enhancement of academic courses with Web-based information and tools. Given the success and popularity of numerous Web-based innovations, the author and two colleagues wondered whether the benefits of technology use could be scaled up from the course…

Silicon nanopillars for field enhanced surface spectroscopy

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

Wells, Sabrina M; Merkulov, Igor A; Kravchenko, Ivan I

Silicon nanowire and nanopillar structures have continued to draw increased attention in recent years due in part to their unique optical properties. Herein, electron beam lithography combined with reactive-ion etching is used to reproducibly create individual silicon nanopillars of various sizes, shapes, and heights. Finite difference time domain numerical analysis predicts enhancements in localized fields in the vicinity of appropriately-sized and coaxially-illuminated silicon nanopillars of approximately two orders of magnitude. By analyzing experimentally measured strength of the silicon Raman phonon line (500 cm-1), it was determined that nanopillars produced field enhancement that are consistent with these predictions. Additionally, we demonstratemore » that a thin layer of Zn phthalocyanine deposited on the nanopillar surface produced prominent Raman spectra yielding enhancement factors (EFs) better than 300. Finally, silicon nanopillars of cylindrical and elliptical shapes were labeled with different fluorophors and evaluated for their surface enhanced fluorescence (SEF) capability. The EF derived from analysis of the acquired fluorescence microscopy images indicate that silicon nanopillar structures can provide enhancement comparable or even stronger than those typically achieved using plasmonic SEF structures without the drawbacks of the metal-based substrates. It is anticipated that scaled up arrays of silicon nanopillars will enable SEF assays with extremely high sensitivity, while a broader impact of the reported phenomena are anticipated in photovoltaics, subwavelength light focusing, and fundamental nanophotonics.« less

Green tea and cocoa enhance cognition in Lymnaea

PubMed Central

Swinton, Erin; de Freitas, Emily; Swinton, Cayley; Shymansky, Tamila; Hiles, Emily; Zhang, Jack; Rothwell, Cailin; Lukowiak, Ken

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT A flavonoid, (-)-epicatechi (Epi), enhances long-term memory (LTM) formation in Lymnaea and reverses memory obstruction caused by stress. Many foods contain substantial amounts of Epi, (e.g. green tea and cocoa). In humans eating such foods may directly or indirectly enhance cognition. We directly test whether operant conditioning training Lymnaea in these natural foods result in the same effects as training snails in pure Epi. We found that exposure to products containing high concentrations of Epi (e.g. green tea and cocoa) during training enhanced memory formation and could even reverse a learning and memory deficit brought about by stress. Epi can be photo-inactivated by exposure to ultraviolet light. We found that following photo-inactivation of Epi, memory enhancement did not occur. Photo-inactivation of foods containing Epi (e,g. green tea) blocked their ability to enhance LTM. Our data are thus consistent with the hypothesis that dietary sources of Epi can have positive benefits on cognitive ability and be able to reverse memory aversive states. PMID:29497476

Enhanced terahertz magnetic dipole response by subwavelength fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atakaramians, Shaghik; Shadrivov, Ilya V.; Miroshnichenko, Andrey E.; Stefani, Alessio; Ebendorff-Heidepriem, Heike; Monro, Tanya M.; Afshar V., Shahraam

2018-05-01

Dielectric sub-wavelength particles have opened up a new platform for realization of magnetic light. Recently, we have demonstrated that a dipole emitter by a sub-wavelength fiber leads to an enhanced magnetic response. Here, we experimentally demonstrate an enhanced magnetic dipole source in the terahertz frequency range. By placing the fiber next to the hole in a metal screen, we find that the radiation power can be enhanced more than one order of magnitude. The enhancement is due to the excitation of the Mie-type resonances in the fiber. We demonstrate that such a system is equivalent to a double-fiber system excited by a magnetic source. This coupled magnetic dipole and optical fiber system can be considered a unit cell of metasurfaces for manipulation of terahertz radiation and is a proof-of-concept of a possibility to achieve enhanced radiation of a dipole source in proximity of a sub-wavelength fiber. It can also be scaled down to optical frequencies opening up promising avenues for developing integrated nanophotonic devices such as nanoantennas or lasers on fibers.

Reward Motivation Enhances Task Coding in Frontoparietal Cortex.

PubMed

Etzel, Joset A; Cole, Michael W; Zacks, Jeffrey M; Kay, Kendrick N; Braver, Todd S

2016-04-01

Reward motivation often enhances task performance, but the neural mechanisms underlying such cognitive enhancement remain unclear. Here, we used a multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) approach to test the hypothesis that motivation-related enhancement of cognitive control results from improved encoding and representation of task set information. Participants underwent two fMRI sessions of cued task switching, the first under baseline conditions, and the second with randomly intermixed reward incentive and no-incentive trials. Information about the upcoming task could be successfully decoded from cue-related activation patterns in a set of frontoparietal regions typically associated with task control. More critically, MVPA classifiers trained on the baseline session had significantly higher decoding accuracy on incentive than non-incentive trials, with decoding improvement mediating reward-related enhancement of behavioral performance. These results strongly support the hypothesis that reward motivation enhances cognitive control, by improving the discriminability of task-relevant information coded and maintained in frontoparietal brain regions. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Dielectric platforms for surface-enhanced spectroscopies (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maier, Stefan A.

2016-03-01

Plasmonic nanostructures serve as the main backbone of surface enhanced sensing methodologies, yet the associated optical losses lead to localized heating as well as quenching of molecules, complicating their use for enhancement of fluorescent emission. Additionally, conventional plasmonic materials are limited to operation in the visible part of the spectrum. We will elucidate how nanostructures consisting of conventional and polar dielectrics can be employed as a highly promising alternative platform. Dielectric nanostructures can sustain scattering resonances due to both electric and magnetic Mie modes. We have recently predicted high enhanced local electromagnetic field hot spots in dielectric nanoantenna dimers, with the hallmark of spot sizes comparable to those achievable with plasmonic antennas, but with lower optical losses. Here, we will present first experimental evidence for both fluorescence and Raman enhancement in dielectric nanoantennas, including a direct determination of localized heating, and compare to conventional Au dimer antennas. The second part of the talk will focus on the mid-infrared regime of the electromagnetic spectrum, outlining possibilities for surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy based on polar and hyperbolic dielectrics.

Mechanism of Enhancement of Virus Plaques by Cationic Polymers

PubMed Central

Wallis, Craig; Melnick, Joseph L.

1968-01-01

It has been assumed that plaque enhancement by cationic polymers is due to their binding of sulfated polysaccharides in agar. However, viruses that are enhanced by cationic polymers, diethylaminoethyl-dextran, and protamine were found not to be inhibited by polyanions in agar under the usual overlay conditions. In the case of adenovirus, enhancement by protamine seems to be due to the protamine serving as a source of arginine; enzymes released from the cultured cells digest the protamine and provide a reservoir of arginine for the cells. Other viruses (herpes and echovirus types 3, 4, 5, and 6) known to be susceptible to agar inhibitors were found to be enhanced by cationic polymers even under starch gel and methylcellulose overlays, which are free of polyanions. Since cationic polymers enhance the diffusion of virus through agar or starch gel, plaque enhancement seems to be the result of the gel becoming positively charged so that viruses can move effectively through them. The observation that starch gel and methylcellulose enhance plaque formation with viruses known to be inhibited under agar was also reinvestigated. When the consistency of the agar gel was reduced to the same viscosity of starch gel and methylcellulose overlays, the same plaque counts and sizes were observed under all three overlays. PMID:4986901

The Past, Present, and Future of Image-Enhanced Endoscopy

PubMed Central

Jang, Jae-Young

2015-01-01

Despite the remarkable progress recently made to enhance the resolution of white-light endoscopy, detection, and diagnosis of premalignant lesions, such as adenomas and subtle early-stage cancers, remains a great challenge. As for example, although chromoendoscopy, such as endoscopy using indigo carmine, is useful for the early diagnosis of subtle lesions, the technique presents various disadvantages ranging from the time required for spray application of the dye and suctioning of excess dye to the increased difficulty in identifying lesions in the presence of severe inflammation and obstruction of visual field due to the pooling of solution in depressed-type lesions. To overcome these diagnostic problems associated with chromoendoscopy, research has focused on the development of endoscopes based on new optical technologies. Several types of image-enhanced endoscopy methods have recently been presented. In particular, image-enhanced endoscopy has emerged as a new paradigm for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal disorders. Image-enhanced endoscopes provide high-contrast images of lesions by means of optical or electronic technologies, including the contrast enhancement of the mucosal surface and of blood vessels. Chromoendoscopy, narrow-band imaging, i-SCAN, and flexible spectral imaging color enhancement are representative examples of image-enhanced endoscopy discussed in this paper. PMID:26668791

30 CFR 1206.464 - Value enhancement of marketable coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Value enhancement of marketable coal. 1206.464... RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Indian Coal § 1206.464 Value enhancement of marketable coal. If, prior to use, sale, or other disposition, the lessee enhances the value of coal after the coal has been...

30 CFR 1206.464 - Value enhancement of marketable coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Value enhancement of marketable coal. 1206.464... RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Indian Coal § 1206.464 Value enhancement of marketable coal. If, prior to use, sale, or other disposition, the lessee enhances the value of coal after the coal has been...

30 CFR 206.464 - Value enhancement of marketable coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Value enhancement of marketable coal. 206.464... MANAGEMENT PRODUCT VALUATION Indian Coal § 206.464 Value enhancement of marketable coal. If, prior to use, sale, or other disposition, the lessee enhances the value of coal after the coal has been placed in...

30 CFR 206.265 - Value enhancement of marketable coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Value enhancement of marketable coal. 206.265... MANAGEMENT PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Coal § 206.265 Value enhancement of marketable coal. If, prior to use, sale, or other disposition, the lessee enhances the value of coal after the coal has been placed in...

30 CFR 1206.265 - Value enhancement of marketable coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Value enhancement of marketable coal. 1206.265... RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Coal § 1206.265 Value enhancement of marketable coal. If, prior to use, sale, or other disposition, the lessee enhances the value of coal after the coal has been...

30 CFR 1206.265 - Value enhancement of marketable coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Value enhancement of marketable coal. 1206.265... RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Coal § 1206.265 Value enhancement of marketable coal. If, prior to use, sale, or other disposition, the lessee enhances the value of coal after the coal has been...

30 CFR 1206.265 - Value enhancement of marketable coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Value enhancement of marketable coal. 1206.265... RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Coal § 1206.265 Value enhancement of marketable coal. If, prior to use, sale, or other disposition, the lessee enhances the value of coal after the coal has been...

30 CFR 1206.464 - Value enhancement of marketable coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Value enhancement of marketable coal. 1206.464... RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Indian Coal § 1206.464 Value enhancement of marketable coal. If, prior to use, sale, or other disposition, the lessee enhances the value of coal after the coal has been...

Image processing for flight crew enhanced situation awareness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, Barry

1993-01-01

This presentation describes the image processing work that is being performed for the Enhanced Situational Awareness System (ESAS) application. Specifically, the presented work supports the Enhanced Vision System (EVS) component of ESAS.

Enhanced airglow at Titan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Royer, Emilie; Esposito, Larry; Wahlund, Jan-Erik

2016-06-01

The Cassini Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) instrument made thousand of observations of Titan since its arrival in the Saturnian system in 2004, but only few of them have been analyzed yet. Using the imaging capability of UVIS combined to a big data analytics approach, we have been able to uncover an unexpected pattern in this observations: on several occasions the Titan airglow exhibits an enhanced brightness by approximately a factor of 2, generally combined with a lower altitude of the airglow emission peak. These events typically last from 10 to 30 minutes and are followed and preceded by an airglow of regular and expected level of brightness and altitude. Observations made by the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) instrument onboard Cassini allowed us to correlate the enhanced airglow observed on T-32 with an electron burst. The timing of the burst and the level of energetic electrons (1 keV) observed by CAPS correspond to a brighter and lower than typical airglow displayed on the UVIS data. Furthermore, during T-32 Titan was inside the Saturn's magnetosheath and thus more subject to bombardment by energetic particles. However, our analysis demonstrates that the presence of Titan inside the magnetosheath is not a necessary condition for the production of an enhanced airglow, as we detected other similar events while Titan was within Saturn's magnetosphere. The study presented here aims to a better understanding of the interactions of Titan's upper atmosphere with its direct environment.

Seed enhancement/upgrading techniques: Read the seed

Treesearch

Kim R. Creasy

2002-01-01

To the nursery industry in Canada, seed enhancing and upgrading techniques have ever increasingly become and are now an integral part of their operations prior to greenhouse sowing. The terms "enhancing" and "upgrading" can be used interchangeably, but they essentially mean the same thing. It's the idea of improving the quality of initial...

Enhancing Grammatical Structures in Web-Based Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zilio, Leonardo; Wilkens, Rodrigo; Fairon, Cédrick

2017-01-01

Presentation of raw text to language learners is not enough to ensure learning. Thus, we present the Smart and Immersive Language Learning Environment (SMILLE), a system that uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) for enhancing grammatical information in texts chosen by a given user. The enhancements, carried out by means of text highlighting, are…

Closing thoughts for cognitive enhancement.

PubMed

Kantak, Kathleen M; Wettstein, Joseph G

2015-01-01

The wide-ranging field of cognition enhancing research along with its ethics as it stands today is summarized. In the forefront are potentially novel drugs and non-pharmacological treatments for cognitive impairment across many different psychiatric and neurologic indications. Today's research will bring new drugs to patients tomorrow, and tomorrow's research will bring new molecular targets to clinical development that should be cognitive domain-specific. There is the likelihood that special populations may be better treated and that personalized medicine for cognitive impairment could become a reality. It is conceivable that with the current research effort, cognition enhancing drugs will become available to wide-ranging populations of people with neuropsychiatric illness and to those that are healthy. In some cultures, there is a push in society to be more intelligent or have more cognitive prowess. Thus, the ethical use of cognitive enhancing drugs should be an area of debate and communication. Neuroethics is a growing field and it intends to bring together key contributors such as physicians, disease experts, regulatory officials, and policy makers to discuss how such medicines can or should be made available. Together with this, one has to consider the possibility that no single medicine or technology will have a great impact on cognition and, therefore, combination therapy of drugs plus other approaches like exercise or transcranial direct-current stimulation may be the path forward. This is another area of scientific inquiry and debate, and the results should be fruitful and helpful to patients. The science of cognition is advancing at a rapid rate, and communication of its progress along with the development of rational and ethical policies for use of cognitive enhancers will be beneficial.

Increased prefrontal cortex neurogranin enhances plasticity and extinction learning.

PubMed

Zhong, Ling; Brown, Joshua; Kramer, Audra; Kaleka, Kanwardeep; Petersen, Amber; Krueger, Jamie N; Florence, Matthew; Muelbl, Matthew J; Battle, Michelle; Murphy, Geoffrey G; Olsen, Christopher M; Gerges, Nashaat Z

2015-05-13

Increasing plasticity in neurons of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been proposed as a possible therapeutic tool to enhance extinction, a process that is impaired in post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and addiction. To test this hypothesis, we generated transgenic mice that overexpress neurogranin (a calmodulin-binding protein that facilitates long-term potentiation) in the PFC. Neurogranin overexpression in the PFC enhanced long-term potentiation and increased the rates of extinction learning of both fear conditioning and sucrose self-administration. Our results indicate that elevated neurogranin function within the PFC can enhance local plasticity and increase the rate of extinction learning across different behavioral tasks. Thus, neurogranin can provide a molecular link between enhanced plasticity and enhanced extinction. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/357503-06$15.00/0.

A new method for enhancer prediction based on deep belief network.

PubMed

Bu, Hongda; Gan, Yanglan; Wang, Yang; Zhou, Shuigeng; Guan, Jihong

2017-10-16

Studies have shown that enhancers are significant regulatory elements to play crucial roles in gene expression regulation. Since enhancers are unrelated to the orientation and distance to their target genes, it is a challenging mission for scholars and researchers to accurately predicting distal enhancers. In the past years, with the high-throughout ChiP-seq technologies development, several computational techniques emerge to predict enhancers using epigenetic or genomic features. Nevertheless, the inconsistency of computational models across different cell-lines and the unsatisfactory prediction performance call for further research in this area. Here, we propose a new Deep Belief Network (DBN) based computational method for enhancer prediction, which is called EnhancerDBN. This method combines diverse features, composed of DNA sequence compositional features, DNA methylation and histone modifications. Our computational results indicate that 1) EnhancerDBN outperforms 13 existing methods in prediction, and 2) GC content and DNA methylation can serve as relevant features for enhancer prediction. Deep learning is effective in boosting the performance of enhancer prediction.

Enhancer Activation Requires Trans-Recruitment of a Mega Transcription Factor Complex

PubMed Central

Liu, Zhijie; Merkurjev, Daria; Yang, Feng; Li, Wenbo; Oh, Soohwan; Friedman, Meyer J.; Song, Xiaoyuan; Zhang, Feng; Ma, Qi; Ohgi, Kenneth; Krones, Anna; Rosenfeld, Michael G.

2014-01-01

Summary Enhancers provide critical information directing cell-type specific transcriptional programs, regulated by binding of signal-dependent transcription factors and their associated cofactors. Here we report that the most strongly activated estrogen (E2)-responsive enhancers are characterized by trans-recruitment and in situ assembly of a large 1-2 MDa complex of diverse DNA-binding transcription factors by ERα at ERE-containing enhancers. We refer to enhancers recruiting these factors as mega transcription factor-bound in trans (MegaTrans) enhancers. The MegaTrans complex is a signature of the most potent functional enhancers and is required for activation of enhancer RNA transcription and recruitment of coactivators, including p300 and Med1. The MegaTrans complex functions, in part, by recruiting specific enzymatic machinery, exemplified by DNA-dependent protein kinase. Thus, MegaTrans-containing enhancers represent a cohort of functional enhancers that mediate a broad and important transcriptional program and provide a molecular explanation for transcription factor clustering and hotspots noted in the genome. PMID:25303530

Enhanced Microfluidic Electromagnetic Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ricco, Antonio J. (Inventor); Kovacs, Gregory (Inventor); Giovangrandi, Laurent (Inventor)

2015-01-01

Techniques for enhanced microfluidic impedance spectroscopy include causing a core fluid to flow into a channel between two sheath flows of one or more sheath fluids different from the core fluid. Flow in the channel is laminar. A dielectric constant of a fluid constituting either sheath flow is much less than a dielectric constant of the core fluid. Electrical impedance is measured in the channel between at least a first pair of electrodes. In some embodiments, enhanced optical measurements include causing a core fluid to flow into a channel between two sheath flows of one or more sheath fluids different from the core fluid. An optical index of refraction of a fluid constituting either sheath flow is much less than an optical index of refraction of the core fluid. An optical property is measured in the channel.

Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced 3.0-Tesla MRI findings for the preoperative detection of focal liver lesions: Comparison with iodine-enhanced multi-detector computed tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Hyong-Hu; Goo, Eun-Hoe; Im, In-Chul; Lee, Jae-Seung; Kim, Moon-Jib; Kwak, Byung-Joon; Chung, Woon-Kwan; Dong, Kyung-Rae

2012-12-01

The safety of gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic-acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) has been confirmed, but more study is needed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for whom surgical treatment is considered or with a metastatic hepatoma. Research is also needed to examine the rate of detection of hepatic lesions compared to multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT), which is used most frequently to localize and characterize a HCC. Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI and iodine-enhanced MDCT imaging were compared for the preoperative detection of focal liver lesions. The clinical usefulness of each method was examined. The current study enrolled 79 patients with focal liver lesions who preoperatively underwent MRI and MDCT. In these patients, there was less than one month between the two diagnostic modalities. Imaging data were taken before and after contrast enhancement in both methods. To evaluate the images, we analyzed the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in the lesions and the liver parenchyma. To compare the sensitivity of the two methods, we performed a quantitative analysis of the percentage signal intensity of the liver (PSIL) on a high resolution picture archiving and communication system (PACS) monitor (paired-samples t-test, p < 0.05). The enhancement was evaluated based on a consensus of four observers. The enhancement pattern and the morphological features during the arterial and the delayed phases were correlated between the Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI findings and the iodine-enhanced MDCT by using an adjusted x2 test. The SNRs, CNRs, and PSIL all had a greater detection rate in Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI than in iodine-enhanced MDCT. Hepatocyte-selective uptake was observed 20 minutes after the injection in the focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH, 9/9), adenoma (9/10), and highly-differentiated HCC (grade G1, 27/30). Rim

Hotspots of aberrant enhancer activity punctuate the colorectal cancer epigenome

PubMed Central

Cohen, Andrea J.; Saiakhova, Alina; Corradin, Olivia; Luppino, Jennifer M.; Lovrenert, Katreya; Bartels, Cynthia F.; Morrow, James J.; Mack, Stephen C.; Dhillon, Gursimran; Beard, Lydia; Myeroff, Lois; Kalady, Matthew F.; Willis, Joseph; Bradner, James E.; Keri, Ruth A.; Berger, Nathan A.; Pruett-Miller, Shondra M.; Markowitz, Sanford D.; Scacheri, Peter C.

2017-01-01

In addition to mutations in genes, aberrant enhancer element activity at non-coding regions of the genome is a key driver of tumorigenesis. Here, we perform epigenomic enhancer profiling of a cohort of more than forty genetically diverse human colorectal cancer (CRC) specimens. Using normal colonic crypt epithelium as a comparator, we identify enhancers with recurrently gained or lost activity across CRC specimens. Of the enhancers highly recurrently activated in CRC, most are constituents of super enhancers, are occupied by AP-1 and cohesin complex members, and originate from primed chromatin. Many activate known oncogenes, and CRC growth can be mitigated through pharmacologic inhibition or genome editing of these loci. Nearly half of all GWAS CRC risk loci co-localize to recurrently activated enhancers. These findings indicate that the CRC epigenome is defined by highly recurrent epigenetic alterations at enhancers which activate a common, aberrant transcriptional programme critical for CRC growth and survival. PMID:28169291

Genetic enhancement, human nature, and rights.

PubMed

McConnell, Terrance

2010-08-01

Authors such as Francis Fukuyama, the President's Council on Bioethics, and George Annas have argued that biotechnological interventions that aim to promote genetic enhancement pose a threat to human nature. This paper clarifies what conclusions these critics seek to establish, and then shows that there is no plausible account of human nature that will meet the conditions necessary to support this position. Appeals to human nature cannot establish a prohibition against the pursuit of genetic enhancement.

The Future of Contrast-Enhanced Mammography.

PubMed

Covington, Matthew F; Pizzitola, Victor J; Lorans, Roxanne; Pockaj, Barbara A; Northfelt, Donald W; Appleton, Catherine M; Patel, Bhavika K

2018-02-01

The purpose of this article is to discuss facilitators of and barriers to future implementation of contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) in the United States. CEM provides low-energy 2D mammographic images analogous to digital mammography and contrast-enhanced recombined images that allow assessment of neovascularity similar to that offered by MRI. The utilization of CEM in the United States is currently low but could increase rapidly given the many potential indications for its clinical use.

Lightning Enhancement Over Major Shipping Lanes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thornton, J. A.; Holzworth, R. H., II; Virts, K.; Mitchell, T. P.

2017-12-01

Using twelve years of high resolution global lightning stroke data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN), we show that lightning density is enhanced by up to a factor of two directly over shipping lanes in the northeastern Indian Ocean and the South China Sea as compared to adjacent areas with similar climatological characteristics. The lightning enhancement is most prominent during the convectively active season, November-April for the Indian Ocean and April - December in the South China Sea, and has been detectable from at least 2005 to the present. We hypothesize that emissions of aerosol particles and precursors by maritime vessel traffic leads to a microphysical enhancement of convection and storm electrification in the region of the shipping lanes. These persistent localized anthropogenic perturbations to otherwise clean regions are a unique opportunity to more thoroughly understand the sensitivity of maritime deep convection and lightning to aerosol particles.

Enhancement of thermionic emission by light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sodha, Mahendra Singh; Srivastava, Sweta; Mishra, Rashmi

2017-03-01

In this paper the rate of electron emission from an illuminated hot metallic plate has been evaluated on the basis of the free electron theory of metals and Fowler's theory of photoelectric electron emission. The modification of the electron energy distribution (or enhancement of electron temperature) in the plate by energetic electrons (which get their normal energy enhanced on the surface by incident photons of frequency below threshold and are not emitted) has been taken into account. The thermionic current as modified by the electron temperature so enhanced by irradiation has been evaluated. The results may be applicable to thermionic convertors, as proposed to be operated by Schwede et al. [J.W. Schwede, I. Bargatin, D.C. Riley, B.E. Hardin, S.J. Rosenthal, Y. Sun, F. Schmitt, P. Pianette, R.T. Howe, Z. Shen, N.A. Melosh, Nat. Mater. 9, 762 (2010)]. Numerical results have been presented and discussed.

Dual-energy contrast-enhanced mammography.

PubMed

Travieso Aja, M M; Rodríguez Rodríguez, M; Alayón Hernández, S; Vega Benítez, V; Luzardo, O P

2014-01-01

The degree of vascularization in breast lesions is related to their malignancy. For this reason, functional diagnostic imaging techniques have become important in recent years. Dual-energy contrast-enhanced mammography is a new, apparently promising technique in breast cancer that provides information about the degree of vascularization of the lesion in addition to the morphological information provided by conventional mammography. This article describes the state of the art for dual-energy contrast-enhanced mammography. Based on 15 months' clinical experience, we illustrate this review with clinical cases that allow us to discuss the advantages and limitations of this technique. Copyright © 2014 SERAM. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Ghost image in enhanced self-heterodyne synthetic aperture imaging ladar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Guo; Sun, Jianfeng; Zhou, Yu; Lu, Zhiyong; Li, Guangyuan; Xu, Mengmeng; Zhang, Bo; Lao, Chenzhe; He, Hongyu

2018-03-01

The enhanced self-heterodyne synthetic aperture imaging ladar (SAIL) self-heterodynes two polarization-orthogonal echo signals to eliminate the phase disturbance caused by atmospheric turbulence and mechanical trembling, uses heterodyne receiver instead of self-heterodyne receiver to improve signal-to-noise ratio. The principle and structure of the enhanced self-heterodyne SAIL are presented. The imaging process of enhanced self-heterodyne SAIL for distributed target is also analyzed. In enhanced self-heterodyne SAIL, the phases of two orthogonal-polarization beams are modulated by four cylindrical lenses in transmitter to improve resolutions in orthogonal direction and travel direction, which will generate ghost image. The generation process of ghost image in enhanced self-heterodyne SAIL is mathematically detailed, and a method of eliminating ghost image is also presented, which is significant for far-distance imaging. A number of experiments of enhanced self-heterodyne SAIL for distributed target are presented, these experimental results verify the theoretical analysis of enhanced self-heterodyne SAIL. The enhanced self-heterodyne SAIL has the capability to eliminate the influence from the atmospheric turbulence and mechanical trembling, has high advantage in detecting weak signals, and has promising application for far-distance ladar imaging.

Bioengineered nisin derivatives with enhanced activity in complex matrices

PubMed Central

Rouse, Susan; Field, Des; Daly, Karen M.; O'Connor, Paula M.; Cotter, Paul D.; Hill, Colin; Ross, R. Paul

2012-01-01

Summary Nisin A is the best known and most extensively characterized lantibiotic. As it is ribosomally synthesized, bioengineering‐based strategies can be used to generate variants. We have previously demonstrated that bioengineering of the hinge region of nisin A can result in the generation of variants with enhanced anti‐microbial activity against Gram‐positive pathogens. Here we created a larger bank of hinge variant producers and screened for producers that exhibit enhanced bioactivity as assessed by agar‐based assays against a selection of target strains. Further analysis of 12 ‘lead’ variants reveals that in many cases enhanced bioactivity is not attributable to enhanced specific activity but is instead as a consequence of an enhanced ability to diffuse through complex polymers. In the case of two variants, which contain the residues SVA and NAK, respectively, within the hinge region, we demonstrate that this enhanced trait enables the peptides to dramatically outperform nisin A with respect to controlling Listeria monocytogenes in commercially produced chocolate milk that contains carrageenan as a stabilizer. PMID:22260415

Wet air oxidation induced enhanced biodegradability of distillery effluent.

PubMed

Malik, S N; Saratchandra, T; Tembhekar, P D; Padoley, K V; Mudliar, S L; Mudliar, S N

2014-04-01

The present study reports the feasibility of Wet Air Oxidation (WAO) as a pretreatment option for enhanced biodegradation of complex distillery effluent. Initially, the distillery effluent was pretreated by WAO at different process conditions (pressure, temperature and time) to facilitate enhancement in the biodegradability index (BI = BOD5: COD ratio). The biodegradability of WAO pretreated effluent was evaluated by subjecting it to aerobic biodegradation and anaerobic followed by aerobic biodegradation. Aerobic biodegradation of pretreated effluent with enhanced biodegradability index (BI = 0.4-0.8) showed enhanced COD reduction of up to 67.7%, whereas the untreated effluent (BI = 0.17) indicated poor COD reduction of only 22.5%. Anaerobic followed by aerobic biodegradation of pretreated effluent has shown up to 87.9% COD reduction, while the untreated effluent has shown only 43.1% COD reduction. Bio-kinetic parameters also confirmed the increased rate of bio-oxidation at enhanced BIs. The results indicate that the WAO pretreatment facilitates enhanced bio-oxidation/bio-degradation of complex effluents like the distillery spent wash. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysing the mechanisms of sludge digestion enhanced by iron.

PubMed

Hao, Xiaodi; Wei, Jing; van Loosdrecht, Mark C M; Cao, Daqi

2017-06-15

Carbon-neutral operation of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) requires enhancing anaerobic digestion (AD) of excess sludge for a higher energy conversion efficiency. Among others, iron has been identified to function on enhancing methane production in AD. As an industrial residual, waste iron scraps (WISs) have been reported as potentially enhancing CH 4 production in AD. With this study, the mechanisms of AD enhanced by WISs are analysed in a two-phase process: acidogenic phase (AP) and methanogenic phase (MP). Semi-continuous tests substantially excluded ORP reduction and hydrogen-evolution corrosion induced by WISs in enhancing CH 4 production, although WISs (10 g Fe/L) could indeed increase CH 4 production by 10.1% and 21.4% when added in AP and MP respectively. Detection on both FISH and enzymatic activities of involved microorganisms revealed that the stimulating effects of WISs on anaerobes (both catabolism and anabolism) could play an important (96.3%) role in enhancing CH 4 production, which would facilitate hydrolysis of refractory organics and improvement of electron transport rate (ETR). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhancing Teachers' Technological Knowledge and Assessment Practices to Enhance Student Learning in Technology: A Two-year Classroom Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreland, Judy; Jones, Alister; Northover, Ann

2001-02-01

This paper reports on a two-year classroom investigation of primary school (Years 1-8) technology education. The first year of the project explored emerging classroom practices in technology. In the second year intervention strategies were developed to enhance teaching, learning and assessment practices. Findings from the first year revealed that assessment was often seen in terms of social and managerial aspects, such as teamwork, turn taking and co-operative skills, rather than procedural and conceptual technological aspects. Existing formative interactions with students distorted the learning away from the procedural and conceptual aspects of the subject. The second year explored the development of teachers' technological knowledge in order to enhance formative assessment practices in technology, to inform classroom practice in technology, and to enhance student learning. Intervention strategies were designed to enhance the development of procedural, conceptual, societal and technical aspects of technology for teachers and students. The results from this intervention were very positive. This paper highlights the importance of developing teacher expertise pertaining to broad concepts of technology, detailed concepts in different technological areas and general pedagogical knowledge. The findings from this research therefore have implications for thinking about teaching, learning and assessment in technology.

FAK-heterozygous mice display enhanced tumour angiogenesis.

PubMed

Kostourou, Vassiliki; Lechertier, Tanguy; Reynolds, Louise E; Lees, Delphine M; Baker, Marianne; Jones, Dylan T; Tavora, Bernardo; Ramjaun, Antoine R; Birdsey, Graeme M; Robinson, Stephen D; Parsons, Maddy; Randi, Anna M; Hart, Ian R; Hodivala-Dilke, Kairbaan

2013-01-01

Genetic ablation of endothelial focal adhesion kinase (FAK) can inhibit pathological angiogenesis, suggesting that loss of endothelial FAK is sufficient to reduce neovascularization. Here we show that reduced stromal FAK expression in FAK-heterozygous mice unexpectedly enhances both B16F0 and CMT19T tumour growth and angiogenesis. We further demonstrate that cell proliferation and microvessel sprouting, but not migration, are increased in serum-stimulated FAK-heterozygous endothelial cells. FAK-heterozygous endothelial cells display an imbalance in FAK phosphorylation at pY397 and pY861 without changes in Pyk2 or Erk1/2 activity. By contrast, serum-stimulated phosphorylation of Akt is enhanced in FAK-heterozygous endothelial cells and these cells are more sensitive to Akt inhibition. Additionally, low doses of a pharmacological FAK inhibitor, although too low to affect FAK autophosphorylation in vitro, can enhance angiogenesis ex vivo and tumour growth in vivo. Our results highlight a potential novel role for FAK as a nonlinear, dose-dependent regulator of angiogenesis where heterozygous levels of FAK enhance angiogenesis.

FAK-heterozygous mice display enhanced tumour angiogenesis

PubMed Central

Kostourou, Vassiliki; Lechertier, Tanguy; Reynolds, Louise E.; Lees, Delphine M.; Baker, Marianne; Jones, Dylan T.; Tavora, Bernardo; Ramjaun, Antoine R.; Birdsey, Graeme M.; Robinson, Stephen D.; Parsons, Maddy; Randi, Anna M.; Hart, Ian R; Hodivala-Dilke, Kairbaan

2013-01-01

Genetic ablation of endothelial Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) can inhibit pathological angiogenesis, suggesting that loss of endothelial FAK is sufficient to reduce neovascularisation. Here we show that reduced stromal-FAK expression in FAK-heterozygous mice unexpectedly enhances both B16F0 and CMT19T tumour growth and angiogenesis. We further demonstrate that cell proliferation and microvessel sprouting, but not migration, are increased in serum-stimulated FAK-heterozygous endothelial cells. FAK-heterozygous endothelial cells display an imbalance in FAK phosphorylation at pY397 and pY861 without changes in Pyk2 or Erk1/2 activity. By contrast, serum-stimulated phosphorylation of Akt is enhanced in FAK-heterozygous endothelial cells and these cells are more sensitive to Akt inhibition. Additionally, low doses of a pharmacological FAK inhibitor, although too low to affect FAK autophosphorylation in vitro, can enhance angiogenesis ex vivo and tumor growth in vivo. Our results highlight a potential novel role for FAK as a non-linear, dose-dependent regulator of angiogenesis where heterozygous levels of FAK enhance angiogenesis. PMID:23799510

Land classification of south-central Iowa from computer enhanced images

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lucas, J. R. (Principal Investigator); Taranik, J. V.; Billingsley, F. C.

1976-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The Iowa Geological Survey developed its own capability for producing color products from digitally enhanced LANDSAT data. Research showed that efficient production of enhanced images required full utilization of both computer and photographic enhancement procedures. The 29 August 1972 photo-optically enhanced color composite was more easily interpreted for land classification purposes than standard color composites.

Quantum Coherent Dynamics Enhanced by Synchronization with Nonequilibrium Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishikawa, Akira; Okada, Ryo; Uchiyama, Kazuharu; Hori, Hirokazu; Kobayashi, Kiyoshi

2018-05-01

We report the discovery of the anomalous enhancement of quantum coherent dynamics (CD) due to a non-Markovian mechanism originating from not thermal-equilibrium phonon baths but nonequilibrium coherent phonons. CD is an elementary process for quantum phenomena in nanosystems, such as excitation transfer (ET) in semiconductor nanostructures and light-harvesting systems. CD occurs in homogeneous nanosystems because system inhomogeneity typically destroys coherence. In real systems, however, nanosystems behave as open systems surrounded by environments such as phonon systems. Typically, CD in inhomogeneous nanosystems is enhanced by the absorption and emission of thermal-equilibrium phonons, and the enhancement is described by the conventional master equation. On the other hand, CD is also enhanced by synchronization between population dynamics in nanosystems and coherent phonons; namely, coherent phonons, which are self-consistently induced by phase matching with Rabi oscillation, are fed back to enhance CD. This anomalous enhancement of CD essentially originates from the nonequilibrium and dynamical non-Markovian nature of coherent phonon environments, and the enhancement is firstly predicted by applying time-dependent projection operators to nonequilibrium and dynamical environments. Moreover, CD is discussed by considering ET from a donor to an acceptor. It is found that the enhancement of ET by synchronization with coherent phonons depends on the competition between the output time from a system to an acceptor and the formation time of coherent phonons. These findings in this study will stimulate the design and manipulation of CD via structured environments from the viewpoint of application to nano-photoelectronic devices.

Enhancing Placebo Effects: Insights From Social Psychology

PubMed Central

SLIWINSKI, JIM; ELKINS, GARY R.

2012-01-01

Placebo effects are widely recognized as having a potent impact upon treatment outcomes in both medical and psychological interventions, including hypnosis. In research utilizing randomized clinical trials, there is usually an effort to minimize or control placebo effects. However, in clinical practice there may be significant benefits in enhancing placebo effects. Prior research from the field of social psychology has identified three factors that may enhance placebo effects, namely: priming, client perceptions, and the theory of planned behavior. These factors are reviewed and illustrated via a case example. The consideration of social-psychological factors to enhance positive expectancies and beliefs has implications for clinical practice as well as future research into hypnotic interventions. PMID:23488251

Enhanced Condensation Heat Transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rose, John Winston

The paper gives some personal observations on various aspects of enhanced condensation heat transfer. The topics discussed are external condensation (horizontal low-finned tubes and wire-wrapped tubes), internal condensation (microfin tubes and microchannels) and Marangoni condensation of binary mixtures.

Resonance-enhanced optical forces between coupled photonic crystal slabs.

PubMed

Liu, Victor; Povinelli, Michelle; Fan, Shanhui

2009-11-23

The behaviors of lateral and normal optical forces between coupled photonic crystal slabs are analyzed. We show that the optical force is periodic with displacement, resulting in stable and unstable equilibrium positions. Moreover, the forces are strongly enhanced by guided resonances of the coupled slabs. Such enhancement is particularly prominent near dark states of the system, and the enhancement effect is strongly dependent on the types of guided resonances involved. These structures lead to enhancement of light-induced pressure over larger areas, in a configuration that is directly accessible to externally incident, free-space optical beams.

Safety effectiveness of pedestrian crossing enhancements : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-02-01

Over the last decade, the Oregon DOT and other agencies have systematically implemented many pedestrian crossing enhancements (PCEs) across the state. This study explored the safety performance of these enhanced crossing in Oregon. Detailed data were...

Enhancing critical current density of cuprate superconductors

DOEpatents

Chaudhari, Praveen

2015-06-16

The present invention concerns the enhancement of critical current densities in cuprate superconductors. Such enhancement of critical current densities include using wave function symmetry and restricting movement of Abrikosov (A) vortices, Josephson (J) vortices, or Abrikosov-Josephson (A-J) vortices by using the half integer vortices associated with d-wave symmetry present in the grain boundary.

Contrast-enhanced optical coherence microangiography with acoustic-actuated microbubbles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yu-Hsuan; Zhang, Jia-Wei; Yeh, Chih-Kuang; Wei, Kuo-Chen; Liu, Hao-Li; Tsai, Meng-Tsan

2017-04-01

In this study, we propose to use gas-filled microbubbles (MBs) simultaneously actuated by the acoustic wave to enhance the imaging contrast of optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based angiography. In the phantom experiments, MBs can result in stronger backscattered intensity, enabling to enhance the contrast of OCT intensity image. Moreover, simultaneous application of low-intensity acoustic wave enables to temporally induce local vibration of particles and MBs in the vessels, resulting in time-variant OCT intensity which can be used for enhancing the contrast of OCT intensitybased angiography. Additionally, different acoustic modes and different acoustic powers to actuate MBs are performed and compared to investigate the feasibility of contrast enhancement. Finally, animal experiments are performed. The findings suggest that acoustic-actuated MBs can effectively enhance the imaging contrast of OCT-based angiography and the imaging depth of OCT angiography is also extended.

Video enhancement method with color-protection post-processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Youn Jin; Kwak, Youngshin

2015-01-01

The current study is aimed to propose a post-processing method for video enhancement by adopting a color-protection technique. The color-protection intends to attenuate perceptible artifacts due to over-enhancements in visually sensitive image regions such as low-chroma colors, including skin and gray objects. In addition, reducing the loss in color texture caused by the out-of-color-gamut signals is also taken into account. Consequently, color reproducibility of video sequences could be remarkably enhanced while the undesirable visual exaggerations are minimized.

Flexible Microsphere-Embedded Film for Microsphere-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Xing, Cheng; Yan, Yinzhou; Feng, Chao; Xu, Jiayu; Dong, Peng; Guan, Wei; Zeng, Yong; Zhao, Yan; Jiang, Yijian

2017-09-27

Dielectric microspheres with extraordinary microscale optical properties, such as photonic nanojets, optical whispering-gallery modes (WGMs), and directional antennas, have drawn interest in many research fields. Microsphere-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (MERS) is an alternative approach for enhanced Raman detection by dielectric microstructures. Unfortunately, fabrication of microsphere monolayer arrays is the major challenge of MERS for practical applications on various specimen surfaces. Here we report a microsphere-embedded film (MF) by immersing a highly refractive microsphere monolayer array in the poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) film as a flexible MERS sensing platform for one- to three-dimensional (1D to 3D) specimen surfaces. The directional antennas and wave-guided whispering-gallery modes (WG-WGMs) contribute to the majority of Raman enhancement by the MFs. Moreover, the MF can be coupled with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to provide an extra >10-fold enhancement. The limit of detection is therefore improved for sensing of crystal violet (CV) and Sudan I molecules in aqueous solutions at concentrations down to 10 -7 M. A hybrid dual-layer microsphere enhancer, constructed by depositing a MF onto a microsphere monolayer array, is also demonstrated, wherein the WG-WGMs become dominant and boost the enhancement ratio >50-fold. The present work opens up new opportunities for design of cost-effective and flexible MERS sensing platforms as individual or associated techniques toward practical applications in ultrasensitive Raman detection.

Comparison of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound and Gadolinium-Ethoxybenzyl-Diethylenetriamine Pentaacetic Acid-Enhanced MRI for the Diagnosis of Macroscopic Type of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

PubMed

Iwamoto, Takayuki; Imai, Yasuharu; Kogita, Sachiyo; Igura, Takumi; Sawai, Yoshiyuki; Fukuda, Kazuto; Yamaguchi, Yoshitaka; Matsumoto, Yasushi; Nakahara, Masanori; Morimoto, Osakuni; Seki, Yasushi; Ohashi, Hiroshi; Fujita, Norihiko; Kudo, Masatoshi; Takehara, Tetsuo

We compared the efficacy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound sonography (CEUS) with sonazoid and gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced MRI for the assessment of macroscopic classification of nodular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Seventy-seven consecutive patients with 79 surgically resected HCCs who underwent both preoperative CEUS and Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI were enrolled in this retrospective study. Based on the macroscopic diagnosis of resected specimens, nodules were categorized into the simple nodular (SN) and non-SN type HCC. Two hepatologists independently assessed image datasets of the post-vascular phase of CEUS and hepatobiliary phase of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI to compare their diagnostic performance. Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI enabled the evaluation of macroscopic classification in a significantly larger number of nodules than CEUS (78/79 (98.7%) vs. 70/79 (88.6%), p < 0.05). Of 70 nodules that could be evaluated by both modalities, 41 and 29 nodules were pathologically categorized as SN and non-SN, respectively. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for non-SN did not differ between CEUS and Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI (reader 1: 0.748 for CEUS, 0.808 for MRI; reader 2: 0.759 for CEUS, 0.787 for MRI). The AUC of combined CEUS and Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI for SN HCC was 0.855 (reader 1) and 0.824 (reader 2), indicating higher AUC values for the combined modalities. The diagnostic performance for macroscopic classification of nodular HCC of CEUS was comparable with that of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI, although some HCCs could not be evaluated by CEUS owing to lower detectability. The combination of the 2 modalities had a more accurate diagnostic performance. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Enhanced culvert inspections - best practices guidebook : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-06-01

Culvert inspection is a key enabler that allows MnDOT to manage the states highway culvert system. When quantitative detail on culvert condition is required, an inspector will need to use enhanced inspection technologies. Enhanced inspection techn...

Contrast enhancement of transparencies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shulman, A. R.; Lee, S. H.

1976-01-01

System can enhance or reduce contrast of photographic transparency for printing or projection by using constructive and destructive interference of collimated laser beam. System is potentially less expensive than electronic CRT methods and is more accurate than trial-and-error manual techniques.

Songs for the Ego: Theorizing Musical Self-Enhancement.

PubMed

Elvers, Paul

2016-01-01

This paper outlines a theoretical account of musical self-enhancement. I claim that listening to music serves as a resource for actively manipulating affective states so that a positive self-view is maintained and a sense of optimism is provided. Self-enhancement-the process by which individuals modify their self-worth and gain self-esteem-typically takes place in social interactions. I argue that experiencing music may serve as a unique "esthetic surrogate" for interaction, which equally enables self-enhancement. This ability relies on three main characteristics of the musical experience, namely, its capacity to (a) evoke empathetic feelings, (b) elicit social cohesion and affiliation, and (c) elicit feelings of reward. I outline how these characteristics relate to theories of music cognition and empirical findings in psychology and neuroscience research. I also explain the specifics of musical self-enhancement and how it differs from music's other regulatory functions such as mood- and emotion regulation. My aim in introducing the notion of musical self-enhancement is to broaden our understanding of how music functions as an environmental resource entailing access to unique affective states and how musical experiences are co-constituted by both the agent and the sonic environment. This specific use of music for self-enhancement can be regarded as a form of affective niche construction, providing the external conditions in which people can experience themselves more positively and maintain high self-esteem.

Attentional enhancement during multiple-object tracking.

PubMed

Drew, Trafton; McCollough, Andrew W; Horowitz, Todd S; Vogel, Edward K

2009-04-01

What is the role of attention in multiple-object tracking? Does attention enhance target representations, suppress distractor representations, or both? It is difficult to ask this question in a purely behavioral paradigm without altering the very attentional allocation one is trying to measure. In the present study, we used event-related potentials to examine the early visual evoked responses to task-irrelevant probes without requiring an additional detection task. Subjects tracked two targets among four moving distractors and four stationary distractors. Brief probes were flashed on targets, moving distractors, stationary distractors, or empty space. We obtained a significant enhancement of the visually evoked P1 and N1 components (approximately 100-150 msec) for probes on targets, relative to distractors. Furthermore, good trackers showed larger differences between target and distractor probes than did poor trackers. These results provide evidence of early attentional enhancement of tracked target items and also provide a novel approach to measuring attentional allocation during tracking.

Visual distinctiveness can enhance recency effects.

PubMed

Bornstein, B H; Neely, C B; LeCompte, D C

1995-05-01

Experimental efforts to meliorate the modality effect have included attempts to make the visual stimulus more distinctive. McDowd and Madigan (1991) failed to find an enhanced recency effect in serial recall when the last item was made more distinct in terms of its color. In an attempt to extend this finding, three experiments were conducted in which visual distinctiveness was manipulated in a different manner, by combining the dimensions of physical size and coloration (i.e., whether the stimuli were solid or outlined in relief). Contrary to previous findings, recency was enhanced when the size and coloration of the last item differed from the other items in the list, regardless of whether the "distinctive" item was larger or smaller than the remaining items. The findings are considered in light of other research that has failed to obtain a similar enhanced recency effect, and their implications for current theories of the modality effect are discussed.

Metal-enhanced fluorescence platforms based on plasmonic ordered copper arrays: wavelength dependence of quenching and enhancement effects.

PubMed

Sugawa, Kosuke; Tamura, Takahiro; Tahara, Hironobu; Yamaguchi, Daisuke; Akiyama, Tsuyoshi; Otsuki, Joe; Kusaka, Yasuyuki; Fukuda, Nobuko; Ushijima, Hirobumi

2013-11-26

Ordered arrays of copper nanostructures were fabricated and modified with porphyrin molecules in order to evaluate fluorescence enhancement due to the localized surface plasmon resonance. The nanostructures were prepared by thermally depositing copper on the upper hemispheres of two-dimensional silica colloidal crystals. The wavelength at which the surface plasmon resonance of the nanostructures was generated was tuned to a longer wavelength than the interband transition region of copper (>590 nm) by controlling the diameter of the underlying silica particles. Immobilization of porphyrin monolayers onto the nanostructures was achieved via self-assembly of 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid, which also suppressed the oxidation of the copper surface. The maximum fluorescence enhancement of porphyrin by a factor of 89.2 was achieved as compared with that on a planar Cu plate (CuP) due to the generation of the surface plasmon resonance. Furthermore, it was found that while the fluorescence from the porphyrin was quenched within the interband transition region, it was efficiently enhanced at longer wavelengths. It was demonstrated that the enhancement induced by the proximity of the fluorophore to the nanostructures was enough to overcome the highly efficient quenching effects of the metal. From these results, it is speculated that the surface plasmon resonance of copper has tremendous potential for practical use as high functional plasmonic sensor and devices.

Enhancement tuning and control for high dynamic range images in multi-scale locally adaptive contrast enhancement algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cvetkovic, Sascha D.; Schirris, Johan; de With, Peter H. N.

2009-01-01

For real-time imaging in surveillance applications, visibility of details is of primary importance to ensure customer confidence. If we display High Dynamic-Range (HDR) scenes whose contrast spans four or more orders of magnitude on a conventional monitor without additional processing, results are unacceptable. Compression of the dynamic range is therefore a compulsory part of any high-end video processing chain because standard monitors are inherently Low- Dynamic Range (LDR) devices with maximally two orders of display dynamic range. In real-time camera processing, many complex scenes are improved with local contrast enhancements, bringing details to the best possible visibility. In this paper, we show how a multi-scale high-frequency enhancement scheme, in which gain is a non-linear function of the detail energy, can be used for the dynamic range compression of HDR real-time video camera signals. We also show the connection of our enhancement scheme to the processing way of the Human Visual System (HVS). Our algorithm simultaneously controls perceived sharpness, ringing ("halo") artifacts (contrast) and noise, resulting in a good balance between visibility of details and non-disturbance of artifacts. The overall quality enhancement, suitable for both HDR and LDR scenes, is based on a careful selection of the filter types for the multi-band decomposition and a detailed analysis of the signal per frequency band.

Enhancing the educational achievement of at-risk youth.

PubMed

Schinke, S P; Cole, K C; Poulin, S R

2000-03-01

This study examined a non-school program aimed at enhancing the educational performance of economically disadvantaged early adolescents who live in public housing. The educational enhancement program included discussions with adults, writing activities, leisure reading, homework, helping others, and games using cognitive skills. A three-arm research design juxtaposed program youth who received educational enhancements with comparison youth in affiliated facilities who did not receive the program and with control youth in other community programs without educational enhancements. From youths, follow-up data collected 2 1/2 years after baseline revealed uniformly positive outcomes for program youth on measures of reading, verbal skills, writing, and tutoring. Teacher reports at final follow-up favored program and comparison youth over controls on measures of reading, writing, games, overall school performance, and interest in class material. School grades were higher for program youth than for comparison and control youth for reading, spelling, history, science, and social studies. Overall grade averages were higher for program youth versus comparisons and controls, as was school attendance. Study data lend empirical support to the provision of educational enhancements in non-school settings for at-risk youths.

"Relative CIR": an image enhancement and visualization technique

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fleming, Michael D.

1993-01-01

Many techniques exist to spectrally and spatially enhance digital multispectral scanner data. One technique enhances an image while keeping the colors as they would appear in a color-infrared (CIR) image. This "relative CIR" technique generates an image that is both spectrally and spatially enhanced, while displaying a maximum range of colors. The technique enables an interpreter to visualize either spectral or land cover classes by their relative CIR characteristics. A relative CIR image is generated by developed spectral statistics for each class in the classifications and then, using a nonparametric approach for spectral enhancement, the means of the classes for each band are ranked. A 3 by 3 pixel smoothing filter is applied to the classification for spatial enhancement and the classes are mapped to the representative rank for each band. Practical applications of the technique include displaying an image classification product as a CIR image that was not derived directly from a spectral image, visualizing how a land cover classification would look as a CIR image, and displaying a spectral classification or intermediate product that will be used to label spectral classes.

Hospital nurse productivity enhancement.

PubMed

Eastaugh, Steven R

2007-01-01

Nurse staffing patterns have come under increased scrutiny as hospital managers attempt to control costs without harming service quality or staff morale. This study presents production function results from a study of nurse output from 2002 to 2005. The results suggest that productivity varies widely among the 39 hospitals as a function of staffing patterns, methods of organization, and the degree of reliance on nurse extender technicians. Nurse extenders can enhance the marginal value product of the most educated nurses as the RNs concentrate their workday around patient care activities. The results suggest that nurse extenders free RNs from the burden of nonnursing tasks. Incentive pay for nurses based on productivity gains is associated with enhanced productivity. One should get the greatest output for the least input effort, better balancing all factors of service delivery to achieve the most with the smallest resource effort.

Quantum-Enhanced Machine Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunjko, Vedran; Taylor, Jacob M.; Briegel, Hans J.

2016-09-01

The emerging field of quantum machine learning has the potential to substantially aid in the problems and scope of artificial intelligence. This is only enhanced by recent successes in the field of classical machine learning. In this work we propose an approach for the systematic treatment of machine learning, from the perspective of quantum information. Our approach is general and covers all three main branches of machine learning: supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning. While quantum improvements in supervised and unsupervised learning have been reported, reinforcement learning has received much less attention. Within our approach, we tackle the problem of quantum enhancements in reinforcement learning as well, and propose a systematic scheme for providing improvements. As an example, we show that quadratic improvements in learning efficiency, and exponential improvements in performance over limited time periods, can be obtained for a broad class of learning problems.

Epstein-Barr Virus oncoprotein super-enhancers control B cell growth

PubMed Central

Zhou, Hufeng; Schmidt, Stefanie CS; Jiang, Sizun; Willox, Bradford; Bernhardt, Katharina; Liang, Jun; Johannsen, Eric C; Kharchenko, Peter; Gewurz, Benjamin E; Kieff, Elliott; Zhao, Bo

2015-01-01

Summary Super-enhancers are clusters of gene-regulatory sites bound by multiple transcription factors that govern cell transcription, development, phenotype, and oncogenesis. By examining Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), we identified four EBV oncoproteins and five EBV-activated NF-κB subunits co-occupying ~1800 enhancer sites. Of these, 187 had markedly higher and broader histone H3K27ac signals characteristic of super-enhancers, and were designated “EBV super-enhancers”. EBV super-enhancer-associated genes included the MYC and BCL2 oncogenes, enabling LCL proliferation and survival. EBV super-enhancers were enriched for B cell transcription factor motifs and had a high co-occupancy of the transcription factors STAT5 and NFAT. EBV super-enhancer-associated genes were more highly expressed than other LCL genes. Disrupting EBV super-enhancers by the bromodomain inhibitor, JQ1 or conditionally inactivating an EBV oncoprotein or NF-κB decreased MYC or BCL2 expression and arrested LCL growth. These findings provide insight into mechanisms of EBV-induced lymphoproliferation and identify potential therapeutic interventions. PMID:25639793

Enhanced activation of the left hemisphere promotes normative decision making.

PubMed

Corser, Ryan; Jasper, John D

2014-01-01

Previous studies have reported that enhanced activation of the left cerebral hemisphere reduces risky-choice, attribute, and goal-framing effects relative to enhanced activation of the right cerebral hemisphere. The present study sought to extend these findings and show that enhanced activation of the left hemisphere also reduces violations of other normative principles, besides the invariance principle. Participants completed ratio bias (Experiment 1, N = 296) and base rate neglect problems (Experiment 2, N = 145) under normal (control) viewing or with the right or left hemisphere primarily activated by imposing a unidirectional gaze. In Experiment 1 we found that enhanced left hemispheric activation reduced the ratio bias relative to normal viewing and a group experiencing enhanced right hemispheric activation. In Experiment 2 enhanced left hemispheric activation resulted in using base rates more than normal viewing, but not significantly more than enhanced right hemispheric activation. Results suggest that hemispheric asymmetries can affect higher-order cognitive processes, such as decision-making biases. Possible theoretical accounts are discussed as well as implications for dual-process theories.

Numerical study of surface plasmon enhanced nonlinear absorption and refraction.

PubMed

Kohlgraf-Owens, Dana C; Kik, Pieter G

2008-07-07

Maxwell Garnett effective medium theory is used to study the influence of silver nanoparticle induced field enhancement on the nonlinear response of a Kerr-type nonlinear host. We show that the composite nonlinear absorption coefficient, beta(c), can be enhanced relative to the host nonlinear absorption coefficient near the surface plasmon resonance of silver nanoparticles. This enhancement is not due to a resonant enhancement of the host nonlinear absorption, but rather due to a phase shifted enhancement of the host nonlinear refractive response. The enhancement occurs at the expense of introducing linear absorption, alpha(c), which leads to an overall reduced figure of merit beta(c)/alpha(c) for nonlinear absorption. For thin (< 1 microm) composites, the use of surface plasmons is found to result in an increased nonlinear absorption response compared to that of the host material.

Genetic dissection of the α-globin super-enhancer in vivo

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

Hay, Deborah; Hughes, Jim R.; Babbs, Christian

Many genes determining cell identity are regulated by clusters of Mediator-bound enhancer elements collectively referred to as super-enhancers. Furthermore, these super-enhancers have been proposed to manifest higher-order properties important in development and disease. Here we report a comprehensive functional dissection of one of the strongest putative super-enhancers in erythroid cells. By generating a series of mouse models, deleting each of the five regulatory elements of the α-globin super-enhancer individually and in informative combinations, we demonstrate that each constituent enhancer seems to act independently and in an additive fashion with respect to hematological phenotype, gene expression, chromatin structure and chromosome conformation,more » without clear evidence of synergistic or higher-order effects. This study highlights the importance of functional genetic analyses for the identification of new concepts in transcriptional regulation.« less

Genetic dissection of the α-globin super-enhancer in vivo

DOE PAGES

Hay, Deborah; Hughes, Jim R.; Babbs, Christian; ...

2016-07-04

Many genes determining cell identity are regulated by clusters of Mediator-bound enhancer elements collectively referred to as super-enhancers. Furthermore, these super-enhancers have been proposed to manifest higher-order properties important in development and disease. Here we report a comprehensive functional dissection of one of the strongest putative super-enhancers in erythroid cells. By generating a series of mouse models, deleting each of the five regulatory elements of the α-globin super-enhancer individually and in informative combinations, we demonstrate that each constituent enhancer seems to act independently and in an additive fashion with respect to hematological phenotype, gene expression, chromatin structure and chromosome conformation,more » without clear evidence of synergistic or higher-order effects. This study highlights the importance of functional genetic analyses for the identification of new concepts in transcriptional regulation.« less

Recurrent medulloblastoma: Frequency of tumor enhancement on Gd-DTPA MR imaging

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

Rollins, N.; Mendelsohn, D.; Mulne, A.

1990-05-01

Thirty-two children with medulloblastoma were evaluated postoperatively with conventional and gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging. Eleven patients had abnormal cranial MR studies; nine of these had recurrent tumor. In six patients recurrent tumor enhanced with Gd, while in the other three patients recurrent tumor did not enhance. The remaining two patients had areas of abnormal Gd enhancement that were caused by radiation-induced breakdown of the blood-brain barrier rather than by recurrent tumor. This study shows that not all recurrent medulloblastoma enhances and that the absence of Gd enhancement does not necessarily indicate the absence of recurrent tumor.

Recurrent medulloblastoma: Frequency of tumor enhancement on Gd-DTPA MR imaging

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

Rollins, N.; Mendelsohn, D.; Mulne, A.

1990-07-01

Thirty-two children with medulloblastoma were evaluated postoperatively with conventional and gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging. Eleven patients had abnormal cranial MR studies; nine of these had recurrent tumor. In six patients recurrent tumor enhanced with Gd, while in the other three patients recurrent tumor did not enhance. The remaining two patients had areas of abnormal Gd enhancement that were caused by radiation-induced breakdown of the blood-brain barrier rather than by recurrent tumor. This study shows that not all recurrent medulloblastoma enhances and that the absence of Gd enhancement does not necessarily indicate the absence of recurrent tumor.

Progress and prospects: gene therapy for performance and appearance enhancement.

PubMed

Kiuru, M; Crystal, R G

2008-03-01

While medical therapies aim at reversing, reducing or eliminating diseases, the goal of enhancements is to improve performance or appearance beyond normal levels. Distinction between the two interventions is not always clear as they often present as a continuum. Gene therapy typically aims at treating or preventing disease, but the technology can theoretically be employed for enhancement. Some of the gene therapy enhancement strategies include improving performance by increasing muscle mass, endurance, memory, and cognition and bettering appearance by controlling weight, height and hair growth. In addition to the technical challenges of making enhancement strategies safe and effective, genetic enhancement presents significant ethical/societal questions that must be addressed.

Cognitive Enhancement Using ICT and Its Ethical Implications.

PubMed

Doukakis, Spyros; Stamatellos, Giannis; Glinou, Nektaria

2017-01-01

The utilization of digital tools aiming at the cognitive enhancement of students and adults, so that they can achieve better performance and professional or academic success, has increased in recent years. This paper focuses on ICT tools such as computer games, programming languages and educational software as means for cognitive enhancement and attempts to highlight their contributions. Issues of design and the limitations of digital tools are discussed. In the final section, the ethical implications of using educational ICT tools for cognitive enhancement from a virtue ethics perspective are presented.

Thermoelectric power factor enhancement by ionized nanoparticle scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahk, Je-Hyeong; Bian, Zhixi; Zebarjadi, Mona; Santhanam, Parthiban; Ram, Rajeev; Shakouri, Ali

2011-08-01

We show theoretically that the thermoelectric power factor can be enhanced in degenerate semiconductors when embedded nanoparticles donate carriers to the matrix and replace conventional impurity dopants as scattering centers. Nanoparticle scattering rates calculated by the partial wave method indicate a mobility enhancement over materials with equivalent doping by isolated ionized impurities while the Seebeck coefficient remains nearly intact. We find that the thermoelectric power factor of In0.53Ga0.47As from 300 K to 800 K is enhanced by 15% - 30% by nanoparticles 3-4 nm in diameter.

Optoelectronic devices utilizing materials having enhanced electronic transitions

DOEpatents

Black, Marcie R [Newton, MA

2011-02-22

An optoelectronic device that includes a material having enhanced electronic transitions. The electronic transitions are enhanced by mixing electronic states at an interface. The interface may be formed by a nano-well, a nano-dot, or a nano-wire.

Optoelectronic devices utilizing materials having enhanced electronic transitions

DOEpatents

Black, Marcie R.

2013-04-09

An optoelectronic device that includes a material having enhanced electronic transitions. The electronic transitions are enhanced by mixing electronic states at an interface. The interface may be formed by a nano-well, a nano-dot, or a nano-wire.

The Enhanced Musical Rhythmic Perception in Second Language Learners

PubMed Central

Roncaglia-Denissen, M. Paula; Roor, Drikus A.; Chen, Ao; Sadakata, Makiko

2016-01-01

Previous research suggests that mastering languages with distinct rather than similar rhythmic properties enhances musical rhythmic perception. This study investigates whether learning a second language (L2) contributes to enhanced musical rhythmic perception in general, regardless of first and second languages rhythmic properties. Additionally, we investigated whether this perceptual enhancement could be alternatively explained by exposure to musical rhythmic complexity, such as the use of compound meter in Turkish music. Finally, it investigates if an enhancement of musical rhythmic perception could be observed among L2 learners whose first language relies heavily on pitch information, as is the case with tonal languages. Therefore, we tested Turkish, Dutch and Mandarin L2 learners of English and Turkish monolinguals on their musical rhythmic perception. Participants’ phonological and working memory capacities, melodic aptitude, years of formal musical training and daily exposure to music were assessed to account for cultural and individual differences which could impact their rhythmic ability. Our results suggest that mastering a L2 rather than exposure to musical rhythmic complexity could explain individuals’ enhanced musical rhythmic perception. An even stronger enhancement of musical rhythmic perception was observed for L2 learners whose first and second languages differ regarding their rhythmic properties, as enhanced performance of Turkish in comparison with Dutch L2 learners of English seem to suggest. Such a stronger enhancement of rhythmic perception seems to be found even among L2 learners whose first language relies heavily on pitch information, as the performance of Mandarin L2 learners of English indicates. Our findings provide further support for a cognitive transfer between the language and music domain. PMID:27375469

Niobium pentoxide: a promising surface-enhanced Raman scattering active semiconductor substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Yufeng; Zheng, Zhihui; Liu, Jianjun; Yang, Yong; Li, Zhiyuan; Huang, Zhengren; Jiang, Dongliang

2017-03-01

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering technique, as a powerful tool to identify the molecular species, has been severely restricted to the noble metals. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates based on semiconductors would overcome the shortcomings of metal substrates and promote development of surface-enhanced Raman scattering technique in surface science, spectroscopy, and biomedicine studies. However, the detection sensitivity and enhancement effects of semiconductor substrates are suffering from their weak activities. In this work, a semiconductor based on Nb2O5 is reported as a new candidate for highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection of dye molecules. The largest enhancement factor value greater than 107 was observed with the laser excitation at 633 and 780 nm for methylene blue detection. As far as literature review shows, this is in the rank of the highest sensitivity among semiconductor materials; even comparable to the metal nanostructure substrates with "hot spots". The impressive surface-enhanced Raman scattering activities can be attributed to the chemical enhancement dominated by the photo-induced charge transfer, as well as the electromagnetic enhancement, which have been supported by the density-functional-theory and finite element method calculation results. The chemisorption of dye on Nb2O5 creates a new highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital contributed by both fragments in the molecule-Nb2O5 system, which makes the charge transfer more feasible with longer excitation wavelength. In addition, the electromagnetic enhancement mechanism also accounts for two orders of magnitude enhancement in the overall enhancement factor value. This work has revealed Nb2O5 nanoparticles as a new semiconductor surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrate that is able to replace noble metals and shows great potentials applied in the fields of biology related.

Radiative absorption enhancement from coatings on black carbon aerosols.

PubMed

Cui, Xinjuan; Wang, Xinfeng; Yang, Lingxiao; Chen, Bing; Chen, Jianmin; Andersson, August; Gustafsson, Örjan

2016-05-01

The radiative absorption enhancement of ambient black carbon (BC), by light-refractive coatings of atmospheric aerosols, constitutes a large uncertainty in estimates of climate forcing. The direct measurements of radiative absorption enhancement require the experimentally-removing the coating materials in ambient BC-containing aerosols, which remains a challenge. Here, the absorption enhancement of the BC core by non-absorbing aerosol coatings was quantified using a two-step removal of both inorganic and organic matter coatings of ambient aerosols. The mass absorption cross-section (MAC) of decoated/pure atmospheric BC aerosols of 4.4±0.8m(2)g(-1) was enhanced to 9.6±1.8m(2)g(-1) at 678-nm wavelength for ambiently-coated BC aerosols at a rural Northern China site. The enhancement of MAC (EMAC) rises from 1.4±0.3 in fresh combustion emissions to ~3 for aged ambient China aerosols. The three-week high-intensity campaign observed an average EMAC of 2.25±0.55, and sulfates were primary drivers of the enhanced BC absorption. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sleep for cognitive enhancement.

PubMed

Diekelmann, Susanne

2014-01-01

Sleep is essential for effective cognitive functioning. Loosing even a few hours of sleep can have detrimental effects on a wide variety of cognitive processes such as attention, language, reasoning, decision making, learning and memory. While sleep is necessary to ensure normal healthy cognitive functioning, it can also enhance performance beyond the boundaries of the normal condition. This article discusses the enhancing potential of sleep, mainly focusing on the domain of learning and memory. Sleep is known to facilitate the consolidation of memories learned before sleep as well as the acquisition of new memories to be learned after sleep. According to a widely held model this beneficial effect of sleep relies on the neuronal reactivation of memories during sleep that is associated with sleep-specific brain oscillations (slow oscillations, spindles, ripples) as well as a characteristic neurotransmitter milieu. Recent research indicates that memory processing during sleep can be boosted by (i) cueing memory reactivation during sleep; (ii) stimulating sleep-specific brain oscillations; and (iii) targeting specific neurotransmitter systems pharmacologically. Olfactory and auditory cues can be used, for example, to increase reactivation of associated memories during post-learning sleep. Intensifying neocortical slow oscillations (the hallmark of slow wave sleep (SWS)) by electrical or auditory stimulation and modulating specific neurotransmitters such as noradrenaline and glutamate likewise facilitates memory processing during sleep. With this evidence in mind, this article concludes by discussing different methodological caveats and ethical issues that should be considered when thinking about using sleep for cognitive enhancement in everyday applications.

Sleep for cognitive enhancement

PubMed Central

Diekelmann, Susanne

2014-01-01

Sleep is essential for effective cognitive functioning. Loosing even a few hours of sleep can have detrimental effects on a wide variety of cognitive processes such as attention, language, reasoning, decision making, learning and memory. While sleep is necessary to ensure normal healthy cognitive functioning, it can also enhance performance beyond the boundaries of the normal condition. This article discusses the enhancing potential of sleep, mainly focusing on the domain of learning and memory. Sleep is known to facilitate the consolidation of memories learned before sleep as well as the acquisition of new memories to be learned after sleep. According to a widely held model this beneficial effect of sleep relies on the neuronal reactivation of memories during sleep that is associated with sleep-specific brain oscillations (slow oscillations, spindles, ripples) as well as a characteristic neurotransmitter milieu. Recent research indicates that memory processing during sleep can be boosted by (i) cueing memory reactivation during sleep; (ii) stimulating sleep-specific brain oscillations; and (iii) targeting specific neurotransmitter systems pharmacologically. Olfactory and auditory cues can be used, for example, to increase reactivation of associated memories during post-learning sleep. Intensifying neocortical slow oscillations (the hallmark of slow wave sleep (SWS)) by electrical or auditory stimulation and modulating specific neurotransmitters such as noradrenaline and glutamate likewise facilitates memory processing during sleep. With this evidence in mind, this article concludes by discussing different methodological caveats and ethical issues that should be considered when thinking about using sleep for cognitive enhancement in everyday applications. PMID:24765066

Image enhancement by non-linear extrapolation in frequency space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Charles H. (Inventor); Greenspan, Hayit K. (Inventor)

1998-01-01

An input image is enhanced to include spatial frequency components having frequencies higher than those in an input image. To this end, an edge map is generated from the input image using a high band pass filtering technique. An enhancing map is subsequently generated from the edge map, with the enhanced map having spatial frequencies exceeding an initial maximum spatial frequency of the input image. The enhanced map is generated by applying a non-linear operator to the edge map in a manner which preserves the phase transitions of the edges of the input image. The enhanced map is added to the input image to achieve a resulting image having spatial frequencies greater than those in the input image. Simplicity of computations and ease of implementation allow for image sharpening after enlargement and for real-time applications such as videophones, advanced definition television, zooming, and restoration of old motion pictures.

Treatments that enhance physical properties of wood

Treesearch

Roger M. Rowell; Peggy Konkol

1987-01-01

This paper was prepared for anyone who wants to know more about enhancing wood’s physical properties, from the amateur wood carver to the president of a forest products company. The authors describe chemical and physical treatments of wood that enhance the strength, stiffness, water repellency, and stability of wood. Five types of treatments are described: 1. water-...

Free Recall Enhances Subsequent Learning

PubMed Central

Arnold, Kathleen M.; McDermott, Kathleen B.

2013-01-01

Testing, or retrieval practice, has become a central topic in memory research. One potentially important effect of retrieval practice has received little attention, however: Retrieval practice may enhance, or potentiate, subsequent learning. We introduce a paradigm that can measure the indirect, potentiating effect of free recall tests on subsequent learning, and then test a hypothesis for why tests have this potentiating effect. In two experiments, the benefit of a restudy trial was enhanced when prior free recall tests had been taken. Results from a third correlational study suggest that this effect may be mediated by the effect of testing on organization. Not only do encoding conditions impact later retrievability, but also retrieval attempts impact subsequent encoding effectiveness. PMID:23297100

An atlas of active enhancers across human cell types and tissues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andersson, Robin; Gebhard, Claudia; Miguel-Escalada, Irene; Hoof, Ilka; Bornholdt, Jette; Boyd, Mette; Chen, Yun; Zhao, Xiaobei; Schmidl, Christian; Suzuki, Takahiro; Ntini, Evgenia; Arner, Erik; Valen, Eivind; Li, Kang; Schwarzfischer, Lucia; Glatz, Dagmar; Raithel, Johanna; Lilje, Berit; Rapin, Nicolas; Bagger, Frederik Otzen; Jørgensen, Mette; Andersen, Peter Refsing; Bertin, Nicolas; Rackham, Owen; Burroughs, A. Maxwell; Baillie, J. Kenneth; Ishizu, Yuri; Shimizu, Yuri; Furuhata, Erina; Maeda, Shiori; Negishi, Yutaka; Mungall, Christopher J.; Meehan, Terrence F.; Lassmann, Timo; Itoh, Masayoshi; Kawaji, Hideya; Kondo, Naoto; Kawai, Jun; Lennartsson, Andreas; Daub, Carsten O.; Heutink, Peter; Hume, David A.; Jensen, Torben Heick; Suzuki, Harukazu; Hayashizaki, Yoshihide; Müller, Ferenc; Consortium, The Fantom; Forrest, Alistair R. R.; Carninci, Piero; Rehli, Michael; Sandelin, Albin

2014-03-01

Enhancers control the correct temporal and cell-type-specific activation of gene expression in multicellular eukaryotes. Knowing their properties, regulatory activity and targets is crucial to understand the regulation of differentiation and homeostasis. Here we use the FANTOM5 panel of samples, covering the majority of human tissues and cell types, to produce an atlas of active, in vivo-transcribed enhancers. We show that enhancers share properties with CpG-poor messenger RNA promoters but produce bidirectional, exosome-sensitive, relatively short unspliced RNAs, the generation of which is strongly related to enhancer activity. The atlas is used to compare regulatory programs between different cells at unprecedented depth, to identify disease-associated regulatory single nucleotide polymorphisms, and to classify cell-type-specific and ubiquitous enhancers. We further explore the utility of enhancer redundancy, which explains gene expression strength rather than expression patterns. The online FANTOM5 enhancer atlas represents a unique resource for studies on cell-type-specific enhancers and gene regulation.

Appetite-Enhancing Effects of Curry Oil.

PubMed

Ogawa, Kakuyou; Ito, Michiho

2016-01-01

Inhalation of scent compounds with phenylpropanoidal structures, such as trans-cinnamaldehyde, is expected to increase the appetite. The scent of curry powder is well known for its appetite-enhancing effect on humans. In this work, we show that the appetite of mice after inhalation of curry powder essential oil or benzylacetone showed a similar increase. The components of curry oil, trans-cinnamaldehyde, trans-anethole, and eugenol, each showed appetite-enhancing effects; therefore, these three scent compounds may be the active compounds in curry powder oil.

Three Object-Oriented enhancement for EPICS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osberg, E. A.; Dohan, D. A.; Richter, R.; Biggs, R.; Chillara, K.; Wade, D.; Bossom, J.

1994-12-01

In line with our group's intention of producing software using, where possible, Object-Oriented methodologies and techniques in the development of RF control systems, we have undertaken three projects to enhance the EPICS software environment. Two of the projects involve interfaces to EPICs Channel Access from Object-Oriented languages. The third is an enhancement to the EPICS State Notation Language to better support the Shlaer-Mellor Object-Oriented Analysis and Design Methodology. This paper discusses the motivation, approaches, results and future directions of these three projects.

Properties of a U1 RNA enhancer-like sequence.

PubMed Central

Ciliberto, G; Palla, F; Tebb, G; Mattaj, I W; Philipson, L

1987-01-01

The properties of a X.laevis U1B snRNA gene enhancer have been studied by microinjection in Xenopus oocytes. The enhancer-like sequence, defined as a short DNA stretch that is able to activate transcription in an orientation independent manner, is interchangeable between different U snRNA genes. The enhancer sequence alone does not, however, efficiently activate transcription from an SV40 pol II promoter but regains its activity when combined with the U-gene specific proximal sequence element. DNase I protection experiments show that the X.laevis U1B enhancer can interact specifically with a nuclear factor present in mammalian cells. Images PMID:3031597

Does Stress Enhance or Impair Memory Consolidation?

PubMed Central

Trammell, Janet P.; Clore, Gerald L.

2014-01-01

Three experiments examined the hypothesis that stress-induced arousal enhances long term memory for experiences associated with an arousing events. Contrary to expectations, in each experiment exposure to a stressor (arm immersion in ice water) interfered with, rather than enhanced, long term memory for associated material. Despite varying the stimuli (words, pictures), their emotional value (positive, negative, neutral), the time between learning and stress inductions (0 to 1 minute), and opportunities for post-learning rehearsal, each experiment produced a significant reversal of the hypothesized effect. That is, in each experiment, exposure to a stressor interfered with, rather than enhanced, long term memory for associated material. We conclude that the relationship between stress and memory consolidation is more bounded than previously believed. PMID:23895111

Does stress enhance or impair memory consolidation?

PubMed

Trammell, Janet P; Clore, Gerald L

2014-01-01

Three experiments examined the hypothesis that stress-induced arousal enhances long-term memory for experiences associated with arousing events. Contrary to expectations, in each experiment exposure to a stressor (arm immersion in ice water) interfered with, rather than enhanced, long-term memory for associated material. Despite varying the stimuli (words, pictures), their emotional value (positive, negative, neutral), the time between learning and stress inductions (0 to 1 minute), and opportunities for post-learning rehearsal, each experiment produced a significant reversal of the hypothesised effect. That is, in each experiment, exposure to a stressor interfered with, rather than enhanced, long-term memory for associated material. We conclude that the relationship between stress and memory consolidation is more bounded than previously believed.